I opened my eyes. I looked around to see the familiar den around me protecting me from the harsh light of the sun. I was the last one to awaken. Everyone else had already left the den, their beds made of green leaves empty. I slowly stood up, eyes still blurry from a good night's rest under starpelt. I stretched my bones to prepare myself for another day as a warrior in Thunder Clan. As I walk out of the den the sun blinds me for a few seconds as my golden eyes adjust to the brightness of the morning. As I slowly adjust to the light, I see the hustle and bustle of the clan as everyone does their job for the day. My eyes move to the fresh-kill pile and my stomach growls. I realize that I'm pretty hungry. I'm sure that the kits and elders have eaten already, I think to myself. I can probably take some fresh kill. I walk over to the pile and pick a nice looking mouse. I place it on the ground a little away from the pile and begin to eat it, licking my lips to enjoy more of the delicious taste of mouse.
As I eat, I see a cat I haven't seen before. Her pelt was a light gray-blue shade peppered with dark grey spots. Her well groomed coat glistened in the morning sun. She was just finishing off her vole and observing the camp. Who is this cat?! I wonder. I've never seen her before not even in other clans! As I was wondering this, she looked straight at me and I realized I had been staring at her for a while. We made eye contact and I snapped my head away, feeling a little embarrassed that I was so rudely staring at this strange cat. I snatched up my mouse and padded away, trying to avoid talking to her. I looked back behind me to see that she had also walked away. Where to? Who knows. I sat down and finished up my mouse. Feeling full of the delicious rodent, I licked my muzzle to clean up.
Just as I finished cleaning up, I saw our leader Hollowstar climb out of his den up to highrock. Highrock is a large straight bolder that has been balanced on a smaller boulder that forms Hollowstar's den. When he wants to hold a clan meeting he climbs on top of it where you can see all of the clan. He looked over the top of Highrock, his sleek, red-brown fur was swirling in the breeze. He looked down on his clan proudly as he let out a strident meow. The whole clan silenced. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting" he proclaimed. Clan cats started to get up from where they were grooming, eating or talking with their fellow clan members and started strolling over to highrock, intrigued to see what our leader wanted to say.
I strided over and sat behind a warrior called Goldthorn. His golden pelt shined as the sun's rays hit it. I've known him since we were kits and we were good friends. "Hey Goldthorn!" I said. He whipped his head around to face me and when he saw me he smiled. "Hey Graywhisker! How are you?" he beamed at me. "I'm fine," I replied. "Do you know at all what this meeting is about?" "No clue, but it must be good!" I nodded and he turned back around. Hollowstar barely held clan meetings so when he did you knew it was important. "First of all," our leader began after all the cats had gathered beneath him. "We have a new member to Thunderclan." Some cats gasped and whispering began. "Silence please" Hollowstar ordered the clan. "Some of you may have seen her around the clan this morning. She wanted to get a feel for clan life." Goldthorn leapt up and meowed "Hollowstar are you saying this cat has never been in a clan?" I cringed at the thought of Goldthorn interrupting Hollowstar's meeting. The clan begins to whisper again. Hollowstar stared right at Goldthorn and relpied "She has been in a clan before, just not this one." The clan gasps and Goldthorn's mouth hangs open.
"But Hollowstar-" Goldthorn begins. "I think you've said enough Goldthorn." said Hollowstar intently as he gave him a piercing stare that meant sit down and shut your muzzle. Goldthorn started to open his mouth to speak again and I leapt up and stood in front of him. I leaned in and whispered "Sit. Down." He gave a 'hurmph' and sat down. "Only for you Graywhisker." I thanked him and sat down next to him to make sure he didn't pull anything else. "Ok then." Hollowstar began again. "Our new clan member was a member of River Clan but left after she felt she did not belong there and became a loner of a few moons. But she missed the life of a clan and decided to join us. Come on up Ashfall." The whole clan was at the edge of their seats -including me- waiting for the reveal of this new warrior. If it was who I think it is, the first time we speak will be really awkward. She walked up onto highrock next to Hollowstar. That familiar light gray-blue pelt gleaming in sun's rays now high above the trees. It was the same cat from this morning. The same cat I strangely stared at. The same cat that saw me strangely staring at her.
I guess the astonishment on my face was showing because Goldthorn looked over at me and chuckled. "What's wrong Graywhisker?" I looked over at him then back at Ashfall then back at him. I shook my head and told him everything that had happened this morning. He laughed and said "Oh that's all! I thought it was actually something important." I pushed him with my paw. "It is important mousebrain!" I meowed at him. "It was embarrassing!" "Just relax" He assured me. "I'm sure she didn't even take notice of it. As the clan was whispering and making opinions about the new member, the deputy, Earthclaw, came up behind Hollow star. They could be twins if Earthclaw didn't have dark brown stripes down his back, tail and his face. "We still don't know if we can trust her." Earthclaw continued for Hollowstar. "That's why we need a cat that can guard her and make sure she stays out of trouble." He looked around and his eyes landed on me. My eyes opened wide and I shook my head to tell him that there was no way I could do this. "Graywhisker! I think you'd be good for this job." He said with a smirk. "Don't you think Hollowstar?" "Yes I do agree. Come up here warrior!"
All eyes were on me as I walked up to highrock. I held my head up high to try and keep my composure. As I got up to the top of the tall boulder, Earthclaw met me halfway and whispered "You are our best warrior Graywhisker. You can handle this." I bowed my head in response to the compliment. Our best warrior? Have I really come that far? I continued walking toward Hollowstar and Ashfall who was smiling at, her eyes holding back laughter. "Graywhisker," Hollowstar began.
"Do you promise to take care of Ashfall?"
"Yes Hollowstar."
"Do you promise to keep her out of trouble?"
"Yes Hollowstar."
"Do you promise to make sure she doesn't cause any?"
"Yes Hollowstar."
"Good. You will stay by her side until you approve her to be trustworthy. If she does not prove herself in the time of two gatherings, she will not be accepted into Thunder Clan." I nodded and glanced to Ashfall who was smiling down at the clan, excited to see what comes next.