GRAYSTRIPE'S ODYSSEY

Part One

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I just borrowed them for a while.

Summary: Graystripe plots his return to Thunderclan. This is his story.

The cat bolted out the door the moment it opened and raced for the forest, his true home. He had been through quite a lot these past few moons and couldn't wait to be free of his prison, and the horrible food. He knew he'd been gone awhile and his friends were probably worried, but this was the first chance he had to escape. He was an important cat with duties to his Clan as their deputy. He hoped they hadn't given him up for dead. If so, they were in for quite a surprise!

After the successful rescue of his Clanmates from the wired nests that held them captive, he was captured, shoved into a similar wired nest and thrown into the belly of a monster. He fought desperately to escape and with the same ferociousness as though he was in a battle with ShadowClan. He lost, but not before he could inflict considerable damage. Graystripe could still hear the Twoleg howling. For a fleeting moment he pitied it. Then he realized his own grim situation. The monster was moving, away from the forest and onto the Thunderpath. Then it picked up speed.

So this is what it's like to be in a monster, he thought. Great StarClan I'm going to be sick. Where's Cinderpelt when you need her?

After what seemed like an eternity for the gray cat, the monster stopped. Through the bars of his cage he could see what looked like hundreds of Twolegplaces with many Thunderpaths (very active ones) running right through them. The place was swarming with Twolegs and the noise and stench were almost unbearable. The Twoleg carried him inside another nest that resembled the place where Leafpaw was held captive.

Inside he could smell the fear-scent of the many cats and dogs that were also held prisoner here. He was unable to scent any of his Clanmates or cats from other Clans. The scents here were mostly from rogues and kittypets. Hundreds of wired nests lined the walls stacked on top of each other. Amid the din of desperate yowls he could make out cries of "Help me!" "Don't take me!" and "When is that workfolk going to change my bedding? It's filthy." The other cats were too distressed to notice that a newcomer had joined them.

The door to his nest opened and Graystripe made his escape. He sprang from the nest, claws flailing, onto the floor and made a run for the door of this horrible prison. Unfortunately, the Twolegs were too quick for him; they blocked the exit and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He writhed and tried to shake himself free while clawing at the Twoleg that held him who then yowled in pain and threw him to the floor. He then took off running faster than he'd ever run in his life. Just as freedom was in sight everything went black.

When it was light again he saw that he was in another, much larger wired nest with cats above and below him. The wire floor hurt his paws and the bedding was nothing like the moss he was so used to at home. There were two dishes, one filled with water and the other with kittypet pellets. If this is all I have to eat, I'd rather starve.

"Not much good that'll do you," said a voice, "besides, you get used to it after awhile."

"Where I come from, we prefer to hunt for ourselves rather than take food from Twolegs like kittypets,"

"So, that'd make you a forest cat! My mother warned me that forest cats were wild and scary and would eat me alive," piped up a spunky tortoiseshell kitten below him, "but, you don't look that scary to me,"

"Your mother was only half right. We are wild and can be quite scary, but rest assured we don't eat kittypets,"

"So what's a forest cat like you doing in a place like this?" scoffed a large orange tabby.

"I was captured,"

"Oh, so that was you who tried to break free before. Nice try. Too bad it didn't work,"

"I didn't see you put in any effort," retorted Graystripe.

"Oh, I tried, believe me. Many times. We all tried when we first came here. After awhile you give up." The tabby sighed, "Besides, the less you fight the longer you live."

"What do you mean?" replied Graystripe.

"Well, the feisty ones, you see, they disappear and never come back. Since we're going to be here awhile, do you have a name? I'm Tigger."

"I'm Graystripe."

"Graystripe? What kind of a name is that!" Tigger purred with laughter.

"It's my warrior name," Graystripe replied indignantly.

"Your what?"

"Warrior name. Where I come from, cats are divided into four Clans. Warriors help defend the Clan's territories from outsiders or rival Clans. When each kit is born, they are given a name that distinguishes them from their Clanmates. Since I have gray stripes, they call me Graystripe,"

Graystripe had a captive audience. The whole room erupted with questions. It was obvious that none of these cats had ever met a forest cat before.

"What's it like to hunt?"

"What's it like in the forest?"

"Is it really as bad as we're told?"

Graystripe replied, "There's nothing like hunting for your own prey, but it's a hard life. You sleep out in the elements and sometimes go for days without eating. It's not for everyone. But it's a small price to pay for freedom. I wouldn't trade it for anything,"

Silence permeated the room. Finally, Tigger spoke.

"That may be, but I liked my housefolk and the life they had given me. I was always warm and well-fed."

"If you were so well cared for and liked, what are you doing here?" asked Graystripe

"One day it all changed. It was so sudden… I was abandoned," replied Tigger

Graystripe's eyes conveyed sympathy; "You wouldn't have had that problem if you were Clanborn. Where I come from we don't abandon our Clanmates."

"I'll never understand housefolk," lamented Tigger.

That night, after most of the cats had gone to sleep, Graystripe finally had time to plot his escape. The plan was twofold. First, he would have to get that latch open. Then he would have to find a way out of the Twolegplace without being seen (or caught).