"Here, kitty! Come and get your looooovely dindins!" crooned a honey-ish voice into her back garden. "Come oooon, Queen! Come on!" But Queen sat still, oblivious to her owner's commands. She sat on a fencepost, and thought dreamily of catching live prey, with the thrill of the wilderness wriggling between her paws. This had never been in her experience; she had never been able to catch anything. Her silver eyes were distant, as she gazed in front of her. The wind blew through her thick, black fur, and she sighed. Then a movement in the forest backing onto her garden caught her eye. She squinted into the shadows, and she could see a pair of feline green eyes staring back at her. Since Speckle, her only companion, had left, she was alone. Maybe this was her new friend? She looked at the unblinking, unmoving eyes in the forest. Queen sat on her haunches, and then had other ideas. Stealthily she crouched down, and crept forwards, the brambles in the woodlands snagging at her coat, long blades of grass whipping her legs. Then Queen pounced.
There was a frightened squeal as the creature she'd seen kicked and thrashed.
"Gotcha- whooooaaaa!" Queen cried as she was catapulted into the undergrowth. She landed heavily on one leg, and momentarily she whimpered and winced. Then she looked up, and gingerly tested putting weight on her leg. Looking up, she saw a cat of roughly similar size to herself, and female too. This female had short, sleek grey fur that was dappled with white patches. She hissed. Queen had thoughts about turning tail and running, but this was a wildcat about to be shown that Queen was strong - and tough. Queen gave a ferocious hiss and leapt onto the other cat. The same as before, and what Queen had hoped for, the cat attempted to kick her away. But, while in midair, Queen twisted around and as soon as her paws touched the forest floor, she darted like a bullet back to her opponent. She pinned her to the ground with her paws, and puffed the fur on her chest up as she realised her victory. The other cat was quiet, and had stopped struggling.
"Who are you?" Queen hissed. "This is my territory, and I-" The other cat's eyes flashed, and she stood up and pinned Queen to the ground, as Queen had just done before.
"Your territory? This forest happens to belong to EarthClan! So why are you here?" spat the other cat. "State your name and clan!" Queen was confused. Clans?
"I... I'm Queen, I'm-" she stuttered, but before she could finish, the wildcat cut in again.
"Queen? Ugh!" she acted disdainful, and let her go, as if touching her was disgusting. "Your name... so you are a... you are owned by those no-minds?" she hissed.
"No...minds? You mean humans?" Queen asked, and the wildcat nodded.
"Brainless fools... well, you're brainless, as you think that having sloppy gruel or rabbit-dropping lookalikes are food! And the feeling of being free, gone! Only let out when the no-minds choose to! You think you have a life, compared to us clans. Well, I-" But the she-cat was cut off as a sleek brown queen, flanked by a huge tom with black and silver markings, padded silently into the forest glade. Queen immediately smelled them and sensed them, and she whipped around, spitting.
"Don't!" the she-cat hissed urgently. "It's my clan leader, Swifttail!"
"I see that your reflexes and senses are good, but we have been watching you both. You both, petcat and you, apprentice Whitepaw, need to concentrate." the tom growled.
"Now, Coldclaw, we must be kind - this is a new apprentice, and a petcat." purred Swifttail. Queen crouched and looked at the leaves between her paws.
"Petcat! What is your name?" meowed Swifttail, her long brown tail swishing smoothly through the pine needles that lay on the cold earth.
"Q-Queen." came the whispered reply. Swifttail looked faintly amused.
"Coldclaw." The leader beckoned, and he padded over to her, a soft snarl rumbling in his throat, and he shot a look of hostility at Queen. The two cats whispered secretively, while the she-cat edged over to Queen's side.
"Hey," she hissed out of the corner of her mouth, and she nudged Queen with her paw. "Sorry about fighting you before, I thought you were another clan cat. Why are you here?"
Queen shuffled her paws uncomfortably.
"Well..." she began.
"Queen?" yowled Swifttail, and Coldclaw sat behind her, sapphire eyes burning with spiteful hatred.
"Yes, uh... Swifttail?" meowed Queen, not knowing what to call the clan leader.
"I saw you fight. We are short on warriors, and you look strong. You look healthy enough. Are you willing, Queen... to join our clan?"
Queen's usually overactive jaw got a well-earned break as it dropped open.
"J-join? You mean it?" Queen screeched excitedly. Swifttail smiled a wry smile.
"The EarthClan leader does not lie about these things," came the calm reply. Queen blushed sheepishly.
"Follow." Swifttail ordered.
"E-excuse me?" stammered Queen. Follow? She wasn't sure if she wanted to give up her comfortable life yet. But not feeling the cool air on her pelt, to not catch wild prey...
"Not you, Queen. The clan cats. But for your answer, we will come at sunrise." Swifttail meowed. Queen nodded her reply, and then bounded back up to her home, to spend her last night in comfort.