Hi everyone! This is a short story in the world of my recently completed fanfic, LakeClan's War! If people are enjoying it, I will write more chapters. If I don't get positive feedback, it will remain a one-shot, so please leave a review and tell me whether or not I should continue it!
If you read LakeClan's War, than awesome for you! You'll already sort of know the characters.
If you did not read LakeClan's War, you will still be able to read this story without being totally lost, and it will not spoil LakeClan's War, if you end up wanting to read that!
I really hope you guys like this new story, and here it is!
Where I Must Go
Rye blinked her amber eyes open and rolled over, purring in the warm sunlight that dappled her pelt. It was a beautiful day and she jumped up, eager to eat her breakfast and then go outside.
"Good morning!" she meowed, jumping up onto the twoleg kit's bed. But the bed was empty. "Where are you?" Rye cried. The twoleg kit fed her every morning, and she was always asleep in her bed, waiting for Rye to wake her up.
Rye sat down and meowed loudly, hoping the twoleg kit was in the room somewhere. After looking around the room, the ginger cat gave up and padded out to the rest of the house. But none of her housefolk were there, and some of the furniture was gone, too.
"Someone! Anyone!" Rye whimpered, her belly starting to growl. I'm so hungry…she thought miserably. She walked around the house, meowing and sniffing, trying to find the scent of her housefolk.
Eventually, she gave up and lay down on the windowsill overlooking the front path of the house. "Please come back for me," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. After gazing out at the garden for a while, exhausted from lack of food and spending the morning looking for her housefolk, Rye fell asleep.
…
"Rye!" A high, squeaky voice whispered. Rye blinked and opened her eyes, briefly hoping her housefolk had come back. But the voice was not a twoleg, it was a cat who knew her name. Not a cat, but a kitten. A tiny she-kitten, who looked barely a day old. The kitten was ginger, with darker splotches. Like a leopard… Rye thought wonderingly.
"Who are you?" Rye asked, feeling slightly in awe. Despite being so tiny, the kitten had an aura of wisdom and importance.
"That doesn't matter," the kitten replied. "Just listen to me, for both of our sakes. Your housefolk are gone, and if you grieve and wait for a twoleg to save you, the clans will fall."
"The clans? What are you talking about? Am I dreaming?" Rye knew she was being silly, even considering the words of this tiny, fluffy, baby cat, but something kept her here, listening to this young cat, who had wisdom beyond her years.
"Yes, and I can't stay long," the kitten mewed. "When you wake up, leave your housefolk's nest. Head downstream along the river, until you come to a place with many cats. From there, I will show you the way to where you must be."
"I already know where I need to be!" Rye protested. "Here, in my house! I need to find my housefolk, and I don't think you care at all!" She narrowed her eyes. "Why should I trust you? Why should I pay any attention to you?" She rolled her amber eyes. "I'm being ridiculous. This is just a dream! I want to wake up!"
The kitten purred softly. "You have spirit, Rye." She rubbed her small head on Rye's leg. Rye snatched it away, glaring at the kitten suspiciously.
"Please just tell me where my housefolk went!" Rye pleaded.
"That I do not know. But they aren't coming back, I know that. The clans need you Rye. Please save them. Please bring them peace."
"Why me?" Rye questioned her. "Why can't you help them?"
The kitten giggled. "I'm not a living cat, Rye. I am a spirit. Besides, it won't be my clan you go to."
"What? If I'm not going to your clan, or whatever it is, then why are you here talking to me?"
"Rye, this is StarClan. I may have come from one clan, but I help them all now." The kitten's eyes sparkled with joy and hope. It made Rye think about her kittens, whom she had missed deeply since her housefolk had sent them away to other homes.
Rye took a deep breath. "I-I will do this. For you. But only if you tell me your name."
"Thank you, thank you!" The kitten flung herself at Rye, and this time Rye let her be excited. "My name," she whispered. "My name is Leopardkit."
…
Rye's eyes flew open. I am going to do this, she thought, standing up and taking a deep breath. I am going to find the clans, for Leopardkit. She got up and, her hunger forgotten, bounded out through the cat door, ready to start her journey.
Well? What did all of you think? Should I continue it? Should I leave it as it is? Should I throw it away entirely? Review and tell me whatever you feel! All reviews, whether criticism or encouragement are helpful and really motivate me to keep using fanfiction!
I'm so grateful to everyone who read this! And, hey, if you liked this and have not read LakeClan's War, why not go check it out?