Chapter 1

Misty sat, staring out the window at the large, dark forest. She always sat there in the same spot, just watching. She noticed a mouse scurrying along the underbrush, her tail twitched. A cloud shifted overhead, and the sun beat down on her dark gray fur. The vanilla blotches stood out very well in the light. Silently, she lay down, closed her eyes and purred, she loved the warmth on her thin, cat body, and wished it could stay there forever. Soon, with the warmth, and the comfort of the blue, fuzzy throw rug, she drifted off to sleep.

Misty awoke; a ruff tongue was running up and down her back. She lifted her head, and was staring directly into the deep green eyes of Sadie, her best feline friend, and also the last cat who shared the nofur nest.

"I see you watch those trees every day, Misty. The longing in your eyes say, 'let me roam free!'" Sadie meowed between licks. "I think I might have found a way for you to escape this smelly nofurs nest, and explore the outer world." Sadie stopped grooming Misty, and look directly into her friends eyes. Misty stared back, unable to say anything.

"This place isn't big enough for your energy, curiosity, and ferociousness; you are a kitten who wants to be free!" Sadie mumbled.

"I am not a kitten!" Misty spat.

"You are right, you are not, you are more like a teen-cat, but that is not the point. The point is, the nofurs will be awake in less then 30 bird chirps, and I have a way to get you out of this place before then! I am offering you help with something you have dreamed of your whole life, and I hope you will accept and use it!" Sadie snapped.

Misty cocked her head curiously, "What about you?" She meowed quietly.

"Me?" Sadie asked with a chuckle, "I am too old to fight dogs, catch my own food, and travel many paw-steps very fast. You are young and energetic; there is no sense for you to be cooped up here! I like my nofur-pet life; it is quiet, lazy, and easy."

"Ok," Misty purred, "So what was this escape plan you were talking about?"

"Oh yes!" meowed Sadie, and she pointed her nose to a near-by hole in the wall, where there is usually glass.

"The nofurs leave that open at night during the green-age, it leads to the forest you find so interesting during the day." Sadie explained, knowingly. Misty looked up at the hole, why hadn't I thought of that? She thought. Misty looked back at Sadie with curious eyes, and then licked Sadie's shoulder affectionately. Sadie returned the gesture by rubbing her head against Misty's.

"There is one more thing," Sadie purred, "there is said to be wild-cats in the forest, seek them, they may help you."

"Ok" Misty replied, and jumped onto the edge f the hole. A cool breeze ruffled her fur. Misty looked down at Sadie and meowed quietly, "I will visit you," then jumped down, onto the dew-covered grass.

Misty traveled into the dark forest, and it was starting to get light. The morning birds chirped, and flew around. Misty watched them, and finally felt how hungry she was. She totally forgot about food! Suddenly, something caught her eye. A brown mouse scurried through the bushes, picking up various things as it went. Instinctively, Misty slunk down into a crouch, and stalked the mouse; she flicked her tail, and sprung. Before she reached the furry creature, a big, massive thing flew out of no where, and knocked her down. Misty landed a couple of feet away, and then pounced up, hissing and spitting. Misty suddenly realized she was face-to-face with a large, tabby, tom-cat.

"What are you doing here?" The cat growled.

Misty cocked her head, "I escaped from my nofur-nest, and I am now, trying to find a place to survive."

The Tom stared at her, and then growled, "You were hunting!"

"Yes, surviving is going to mean I need to hunt."

"On Forestcat's land!"

"No, on land that is un-owned" Misty retorted.

The tom glared at her, "What is your name?" He meowed.

"Misty,"

"Well Misty, you have been caught, red-pawed, hunting on territory that doesn't belong to you! Your nofurs don't own any part of these trees, so you don't have the right to hunt and eat what's inside!" The tom crouched, ready to pounce.

"Ok, then I shall be going!" Misty mewed, not sure of what this tom was meowing about, but knew he was trying to trick her somehow.

"No! You have broken the warrior code laid down by the Starcats, themselves! You need to pay your duties, by becoming prisoner of the clan that has captured you! You must come with me!" The tom demanded.

"Well my rules say I don't have to go anywhere, so I will continue my search for a place to survive. I should hope the forest isn't filled with cats that are a disgrace to the feline race, like you!" Yowled Misty, and with that, turned her tail on the tom, and stalked away.

"Oh no, the forest is not full of cats like him, he just is a beginner, and doesn't know how to deal with things like this," said a female voice behind her. Misty whipped around, and was staring into the deep blue eyes of a lean, fluffy, calico.

"My name is Catty. This is Bruno, he has not yet become a full member of the Forestcats," she flicked her tail at the tabby. "You have great bravery to stand up to him, most cats shiver even when they see him going the other way! Besides that, I have never seen a cat talk back to him before, or a she-cat turn her tail on him."

"Well I guess I am not like most other cats!" Replied Misty, simply. "So if you don't mind, I must be going, long day ahead of me, and if I meet any more like him," She pointed her nose at Bruno, "It is going to be a very long day." She then turned her tail and began to saunter away.

"I know a place where you can stay." Catty meowed.

Misty turned her head in the direction of Catty, a show of interest in her eyes, "Where?" "This way! Let's go Bruno!" Catty raced off in the other direction, Bruno at her tail. Misty hesitated, and then pelted after, following their scents through the trees.

Catty and Bruno halted on a small, hard, dirt path that led into a big bunch of bushes. Misty saw many paw prints shown through the dust. She sniffed the floor and smelt many different cats, but interestingly enough, they all had the same kind of scent, the scent of the trees. Misty sniffed again, and smelt toms, she-cats, kittens, elders, and 'teens', as Sadie calls them.

"You smell us," mewed Catty, which made Misty jump. "That is good! A keen sense of smell is a good sign in a cat, especially since you are still a kitten!"

"I am not a kitten!" Misty spat. "I am a teen!" Catty looked a little taken-a-back, but soon her frown turned into a smile, and there was laughter in her eyes.

"You are the most courageous cat I have ever seen!" She meowed.

"We can go!" Yowled Bruno, then he and Catty plunged into the thicket; Misty rolled her eyes and scampered after them.

Misty found herself in clearing with tall trees around her. She could see different flowers and bushes that made up a wall. They were all deeply wrapped around by small vines that made the wall even sturdier. There were clumps plants all over the clearing. Misty saw small heaps of grass and leaves inside the clumps of plants, and realized, they were sleeping areas! Misty stared around the camp once more, and then she knew. This was a cat camp, the Forestcat's camp to be exact. There were many cats all around the clearing. Whom, Misty noticed began to gather around the three new cats, meowing quietly to there neighbor, and glancing curious looks at Misty.

Bruno stepped forward and yowled "Cats of the Forestcats, this is Misty, she was caught hunting on our land, and must play the price of stealing prey! She claims she used to be a nofur-pet, but she has the scent of the forest on her!"

The anger inside Misty swelled up like a balloon; this cat needs to be taught a lesson! She thought. She lowered herself to the ground a glared at Bruno. Beside her, Catty began to tense, but didn't do anything. Misty flicked her tail, and sprang. She landed on Bruno with a thud. Bruno was knocked off his feet and rolled a couple feet away; he ended up on his back, breathing hard. Misty crouched and sprang again, landing on the tom's exposed, soft belly this time. She held his dark body down to the ground with her front paws pushing on his chest, then growled at him,

"I think I can tell these cats what happened! I do not need another cat to speak for me, especially when they can't speak for themselves!"

"Get off me, kitten! You are dealing with the wrong cat!" He spat back. Misty glared at him, and gave him a sharp bite on his shoulder; she sprang off him as yowled in pain. Misty stalked back to Catty, and sat down. She could feel all the cat's eyes boring into the back of her head as she began to clean herself of the dust and fur.

"I have never seen-" Catty began.

"A cat do that before," Misty finished for her, and then added, "especially a she-cat." Catty stared at Misty a while longer, then slowly moved away towards Bruno, who cowered at the edge of the cats.