Chapter 2
Thanx for the first review, One Leaf in a Forest!
"You're going to join the forest cats?" Cody asked, surprised.
"Yes, by sunhigh tomorrow I'll be in the forest. I'm sorry that I'm leaving you. I'll miss you a lot. At least you'll still have Violet, Fuzz, and Smudge." Bell's ice blue eyes gazed at her paws.
"Ya, but who would want a lazy furball like Smudge around?"
They both laughed.
Cody purred, "Just come visit sometime, okay? Your always welcome."
"Like I wouldn't visit," Bell looked to the now dark sky, "Thanks for being a good friend Cody."
"Your welcome."
Bell waited on the edge of the forest for Firestar's patrol. She had come a little early, but it was nearly sunhigh. As she tilted her head to watch the clouds a weight balled her over.
"Hi again!" A familiar voice said cheerfully.
"Sorrelpaw! You came on the patrol after all!" Bell pushed her off as two other cats stepped out of the brush. One was a long-haired gray tom and the other was a small dusky brown she-cat.
"Sorrelpaw! Don't run off like that. I know you're excited but can't you be still for a second?" The she-cat said.
"Don't be to hard on her. It is her new friend after all," The tom said. He looked at Bell, "Hi there. I'm Graystripe. And this grumpy old she-cat is Mousefur."
She hissed back, "Oh, shut up, Graystripe, before I claw your ears off." She said a little nicer to Bell, "Let's get going, shall we? We can't be here all day."
"Oh! Hold on! Sorrelpaw I need your help. This won't take long I promise. Go on ahead, we'll catch up."
"Well, ok." Graystripe said and followed Mousefur into the forest.
"Sorrelpaw, I need you to tug on this and I'll pull the other. When it comes off stay here no matter what, Okay?"
"Hmm? Okay."
She grabbed Bell's collar and began to tug and Bell yanked her head out and tumbled backwards.
Bell ran up to Sorrelpaw and ripped the collar out of her mouth. She ran up and jumped on the wall and back into her garden. She ran up to the sliding door of her housefolk, set the collar down, and yowled as loud as she could. When she saw her housefolk coming, she looked at her, bowed her head in goodbye and ran back to the wall. She jumped on top of it and saw Cody in her garden next yard over.
"Goodbye, Bell! I'll miss you!"
"Goodbye Cody! I'll come visit soon!"
She ran back to Sorrelpaw.
"Thanks for waiting." She looked toward the forest, "Lead the way!"
"Okay!" and they both took off into the forest.
By the way, Cody is the same cat in The New Prophecy.
They soon caught up with Graystripe and Mousefur. It felt good to Bell, the feel of moss and grass under her paws. She was keeping up with them fine but slowed just so she could be behind Sorrelpaw, who was behind Graystripe and Mousefur. When they jumped over a log in their path, a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat that was glowing like all the stars in the sky running beside her.
"Hello there, Icepaw. You look like your grandmother Bluestar. You should come visit her sometime," She said sweetly. There was a puddle about 2 tail lengths ahead.
"I'll see you later sometime, okay?" She said, and as soon as Bell touched the puddle she disappeared.
"She knows Bluestar?" Bell thought.
"Hey, Bell! You coming?" Sorrelpaw shouted they all were a little ways away, in front of a tunnel.
Bell ran up to them.
"This is the camp. Come on in!" Sorrelpaw ran inside, Graystripe and Mousefur following. Bell followed them through the tunnel, taking her first step into her new life.
