Warriors; the Journey Begins.
Firestar padded along the ThunderClan border, his flame-like pelt glittered in the rays of the hot afternoon sun. He slightly opened his mouth to take in the aromas of the forest. He scented fresh RiverClan markers on the border by Sunningrocks. He could smell rabbit, but it was stale. But there was something about the other scent that he smelled, it was RiverClan, but it wasn't like the fresh markers on the border. It was fairly fresh and on their side of the territory.
Intruders! Firestar went back to Mousefur and Dustpelt, who were waiting for him in the ferns at the top of the bank.
"I've scented RiverClan," Firestar reported to his two Warriors.
"Of course you've scented RiverClan! This is where their territory begins!" Dustpelt hissed.
"I know that," Firestar replied calmly, "But I've scented RiverClan on ThunderClan's territory."
Dustpelt and Mousefur exchanged worried glances before following their leader to where he'd smelled the intruders.
Firestar felt a rush of alarm. There was squirrel fur scattered around the edge of the river. Firestar lifted his nose and slightly opened his mouth to catch the scent, but before he could identify it, Dustpelt dove into a bush. When the ThunderClan Warrior poked his head back up he had a RiverClan kit's scruff clenched tight in his teeth.
The kit was struggling under Dustpelt's brutal grip.
"Let.. me... go!" the kit rasped. He was a unusually large kit, with a pelt black as midnight and dark grey stripes going across his back. His big, bright yellow eyes were narrowed in a challenging way as he batted at Dustpelt's massive head.
"I found this tresspasser stealing ThunderClan prey!" Dustpelt growled.
Firestar glared at the kit, who looked back at him with a stare as cold and hard as ice.
He sighed. "Dustpelt, it's just a kit. Let him go."
Dustpelt looked as his leader as if he thought he was kidding, but he obeyed. The kit saw his chance and started to run back toward RiverClan.
But Mousefur blocked his way. Dustpelt came on the kit's other side and Firestar was in front of him.
"What is your name?" Firestar asked in a demanding way.
"I don't have to answer to you!" the kit replied coldly.
"Oh yes you do you stupid fur ball! He's the leader of ThunderClan, you do have to answer to him!" Dustpelt growled.
Firestar knew Dustpelt didn't mean it though, he knew Dustpelt was just showing aggression toward the kit because he'd intruded on ThunderClan territory.
The kit looked at his paws for a long moment, too long for the impatient Dustpelt. The Warrior's growl made the kit answer immediately.
"Blackkit," the kit replied quickly.
"Okay Blackkit, are you lost?" Firestar calmy asked.
"Of course not!" Blackkit scowled.
"Then why were you trespassing on ThunderClan you mouse brained furball?!" Dustpelt growled furiously.
Firestar gave Dustpelt a warning glare, and his Warrior mumbled something too low to hear.
"Well... not anymore... now I know this is ThunderClan territory... so could I just go?" Blackkit innocently meowed.
Dustpelt, Mousefur, and Blackkit looked at Firestar for his reply.
"No. Not yet." Firestar replied with a sigh. The ThunderClan leader turned to his two Warriors and meowed, "You two go back to camp, I'll stay here with Blackkit. If he's lost I will escort him back to his camp."
Mousefur and Dustpelt gave their leader a disbelieving stare.
"What?! Are you completely mouse brained?! You can't just go marching into other Clan's territory!" Mousefur yowled.
"If I'm returning a kit to them, they'll understand." Firestar meowed, half confidently, half fearfully.
"But-"
"No! Go back to camp, I will deal with Blackkit!" Firestar interrupted.
Mousefur opened her mouth as if she would argue, but she just looked at Dustpelt and turned around.
Dustpelt gave Firestar an unsure glance before following the ThunderClan she-cat Warrior.
"Okay Blackkit," Firestar sighed, turning back to the cowering kit. Firestar tilted his head. "I'm not going to hurt you," he meowed.
The kit seemed to calm down a bit, he stopped shaking in fear and his eyes were a little bit brighter.
"Are you lost?" Firestar asked.
"Yes... I am..." Blackkit sighed.
"Why are you out here, without any Warriors?" Firestar asked, startled that Leopardstar would let one of her Clan's kits out of the camp without protection or guidance.
"Um... not exactly..." Blackkit mumbled, shuffling his paw in the dirt nervously.
"Blackkit... does Leopardstar know you're out of the camp?" Firestar suppressed a sigh.
"Well she's probably figured it out by now, but..."
Firestar's annoyed groan interrupted the kit's stammering,
"Last night I got into trouble. So I thought that if I got a good amount of prey then I wouldn't be in trouble anymore... and I don't know the border scents so I didn't know this was ThunderClan territory," The kit finished.
"So you arelost?" Firestar repeated.
Blackkit hesitated, then finally sighed, "Yes..."
Firestar suppressed another sigh.
"And you don't know how to get back to RiverClan camp?" He meowed.
"Um... I could try..." Blackkit stammered.
Firestar let out a final sigh and cleared his throat before saying, "I will escort you back to your camp. But you must promise me, you'll never go out of your camp without a Warrior, and without Leopardstar knowing."
Blackkit hesitated, as if he was going to refuse, but he nodded and meowed, "I promise Firestar."
Firestar nodded and started across the river. He lightly stepped on the stepping stones, every now and then looking over his shoulder to make sure Blackkit was following. Every time he did Blackkit's big eyes were looking up at him, waiting for him to move on.
Firestar lead Blackkit closer to the camp. His mouth slightly opened and his nose almost to the ground. Blackkit flinched at every moment and every sound, but Firestar took no notice of the sounds and movements, he just trotted on confidently toward RiverClan camp.
Finally they arrived at the RiverClan camp. They were up on a hill, where they could see all of the camp. Firestar spotted three cats, adding prey to the fresh-kill pile. He was relieved that they weren't anyway near them when the hunter patrol arrived back at the camp, but he knew they'd meet a patrol on the way down to the camp.
Sure enough, Firestar was right. He smelled a patrol coming their way, but he refused to hide. If he hid, the patrol might think he was stealing the kit and they may attack if they saw him as a threat.
"What's that?"
"I smell ThunderClan!"
There was a suspensful silence after these words were hissed from unseen cats.
Then without warning, three cats jumped from the bushes.
"Firestar!" one of the cats gasped. It was Stormfur. Firestar easily identified each cat in the patrol. Stormfur, Mistyfoot and Swallowtail-but there was a third scent, masked behind the others. Before Firestar could identify the scent, Leopardstar jumped from the bushes.
"Trespasser!" Leopardstar hissed.
"Leopardstar," Firestar dipped his head respectfully. Leopardstar growled in reply, "Don't try to come off all innocent!" Leopardstar's golden spotted pelt shimmered in the setting sun, but her eyes weren't nearly as beautiful. Her eyes were filled with hatred and hostility.
"Let me explain-"
"He's stealing a kit!" Stormfur gasped. Firestar looked at the young Warrior. Would Firestar's best friend's son actually think he'd do something so terrible? Firestar's heart sank, but there was no time to think about that. All he wanted to do now was get out of this without a fight, return the kit home safely, and go back to his Clan. He felt the alarm as if his Clan was in danger. If he ran away now though, they'd surely bring something hositle up in return. Perhaps Leopardstar would even talk about it at the Gathering. He had no choice now, he had to stay and return the kit.
"No, I'm not stealing Blackkit, I'm returning him. You see, I was on a patrol with my warriors Mousefur and Dustpelt. I scented RiverClan on our side of the territory, so I went to report it to Mousefur and Dustpelt, when they came to scent it themselves, we found squirrel fur scattered, and a new RiverClan scent, much fresher then the borders was there. Dustpelt found Blackkit hiding in the bushes. I guess it was then he found out it was ThunderClan territory. We had a long conversation with him, and I decided I'd escort him back to his camp-sense he told me that he was lost and couldn't find his way back-so I led him back, and now here I am. All I wanted to do was return this kit. I hope you understand and do not act hostile in this situation."
After Firestar's long explination everything was silent. In the distance Firestar could heard a high pitched chirp from a bird.
Leopardstar looked at her Warriors, but Mistyfoot was the one she looked at the longest. She turned her gaze back to Firestar. His heart pounded so hard, all his hope faded as Leopardstar began to flick her tail in order to attack. She finished the silent order, but not one of her Warriors moved.
"Attack!" Leopardstar hissed, turning her head and looking over her shoulder to stare at her Warriors.
"Leopardstar, there is no reason to attack Firestar. He isn't doing anything wrong!" Stormfur bravely spoke up.
"Are you blind?! He is ThunderClan on RiverClan territory! That's what's wrong! He's trespassing!" The RiverClan leader spat.
"But he had a good reason to be on our territory; returning a kit. Therefore there is no reason to attack him." Mistyfoot meowed confidently.
"He is stealing the kit!" Leopardstar growled, turning her cold gaze on Firestar.
Firestar was touched that his friends would do this for him; turn against their own leader for him and for what's right... how brave of them. But in his heart Firestar worried for his friends, knowing Leopardstar they'd have some severe punishment to get back to when they went back to their camp. He guess Stormfur and Swallowtail would have to spend the rest of the moon living Apprentice lifes, and Mistyfoot would probably have to watch after the elders, also an Apprentice's job.
"If Firestar was stealing Blackkit, don't you think that you Blackkit would be yowling, and Firestar would be dragging him along. Plus, we followed Blackkit and Firestar's scent herethey were coming to RiverClan not ThunderClan." Mistyfoot pointed out.
"How dare you refuse my orders!" Leopardstar spat. "Attack!"
But still, no one moved.
"Firestar is here, and he's returned me, so can't we just go back to camp and leave this all behind us?" Blackkit asked in his small meow.
Meows of agreement arose from everyone, except for Leopardstar who hissed in disapproval.
"No! You will follow my orders and you may not like it, but I am your leader, and you will obey me! Now attack!" Leopardstar laid her eyes flat on her head when again no one moved.
Firestar flinched and his heart skipped a beat, would Leopardstar really attack her Warriors because they weren't following orders that didn't make sense?
"Leopardstar! You may be our leader, but we will listen to StarClan's will before we listen to you! We will only follow orders when they are StarClan's will! This is not what StarClan wants, to attack Firestar for such a pathetic reason! You are not leading like a leader should, you need to learn you're not the most powerful cat in the forest just because you guide a Clan!"
There was a eerie silence after Mistyfoot's words were said.
Leopardstar's growl broke the silence, "Call me a bad leader?! Call my orders pathetic?! I need to learn?! I will teach you what you need to learn!"
To Firestar's astonishment, Leopardstar pounced on her deputy. She slashed her claws and dug into Mistyfoot's exposed flesh. Mistyfoot let out a yowl of agony and swiped her claws in a random direction. Leopardstar let out a shrill yowl of shock.
Stormfur gasped as blood dripped on the forest floor.
"I can't see!" Leopardstar yowled, flailing her paws and yowling in fear.
"She...she's blind..." Stormfur shuddered.
All eyes turned to look at Mistyfoot. Her eyes were flat on her head and her tail tucked between her legs. Pure horror flooded her eyes and her expression was filled with horror, regret, and fear.
"Look what that no good deputy stupid furball did to me!" Leopardstar growled, flaying her head toward Mistyfoot.Everyones eyes were filled with fear and horror.
Poor Mistyfoot! Firestar helplessly thought. He knew Leopardstar, and she would surely exile Mistyfoot was blinding her. A deputy blinding a leader was something that deserved a punishment, but this was on accident and even though this was an accident Leopardstar would be cold hearted enough to exile Mistyfoot.
"Leopardstar... oh... oh no... I... I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I-"
"It's to late for sorry now! Look what you did to me!"
"Leopardstar, it wasn't her fault. She's not the one who started the quarrel. I could be back in my camp right now and Blackkit would be safely home if you would've just accepted me returning the kit and left it at that! Just because your RiverClan leader, doesn't mean you get any better treatment then your Warriors!"
"Listen kittypet!" Leopardstar hissed. "Just because you've done some legendary things in the past, doesn't mean you get any 'better treatment' now! You do not get to tell me what to do! I do the commanding around here, and if you're in my territory you follow my rules, that goes for these no good Warriors here!" Leopardstar swung her head toward the three Warriors who refused to attack on her command, and talked against their leader.
Firestar stared at Leopardstar. No one had called him kittypet for so long, he'd thought by being ThunderClan leader, he'd finally shown everyone that even know he wasn't forest born, he was still fit to be a leader of ThunderClan...
"So kittypet! You'll be hearing a lot of this when the next Gathering comes, and don't think I won't back down from a fight just because I'm blind! I will tear you to shreds, I will make you wish you were back in your kittypet home with your pathetic Twoleg master! You got a lot of nerve kittypet, coming on my territory! I don't care if you were returning my medicine cat when the whole Clan is wounded beyond repair, you're still in my territory kittypet and guess what else kittypet-"
"That is enough!" Firestar yowled, his screech so loud, birds in the distance flew from their trees. "You call me kittypet one more time!" Firestar murmured in the RiverClan leader's ear.
"Kit-ty... pet."
Firestar slashed his claws against Leopardstar's shoulder. The leader yowled in agony and suprise.
"I am not a kittypet anymore! That chapter of my life is long gone ya' here?! And just because your forest born and I'm not, doesn't make you one of the best cat in the forest! You're a horrible leader! A kit would be a better leader than you! At least a kit would be kinder. But you you're pathetic! I will surely talk about what you did to Mistyfoot at the Gathering, don't think I'm to soft. You want a fight? I'll give you a war!"
--
Do you like it?
I hope so I worked REALLY hard on it. :3
I tried to make it more descriptive, but I think there's a little to much conversation going on... :(
Oh well, I tried my best! :3
Let me know what you think!
But no Flame please, I'm only 11. :3
Constructive Crit deeply welcomed! :3
ROFL
Thankies