Chapter 2
A New Life
LightClan Camp
Clearing
Within the LightClan camp there is early morning activity going on as Whiskerstar, a light gray she-cat, pad among her Clanmates. A small patrol of Warriors are getting ready to head out of the camp to do a patrol of their border to make sure there are no intruders. The Apprentices are cleaning the only Elder's bedding and getting fresh-kill for the Elder and Queens.
Some of the older Kits are huddled at the entrance of the Nursery. They are looking outside at the dreary sky in hopes that it would clear up so that they can go outside and play. The nursing Queens of the younger Kits are curled in their nests with their Kits suckling happily.
While Snowdrift is carrying him, Gray Owl gets memories of how his mother once carried him when he was smaller. He also remembered that he was always the last one that she picked up, but always placed in the warmest spot near her belly. He closed his eyes at the memory as it deepened more.
Gray Owl's Memory
It was a couple of weeks after a pure black she-cat named Shimmer found out that she was going to have Kits. She didn't know who the father was nor was she even ready to have Kits. Shimmer pads down a dark alleyway, her swollen belly swaying from side to side as she walked. She knew that she found out late about her pregnancy and the contractions going through her sides told her that her Kits were going to be coming soon. The black she-cat lay in a pile of leaves hoping that the pain would soon stop. She lays her head down and closed her eyes.
She is awoken some time later by wetness between her legs going up her fur. Shimmer lifts her head and looked down and saw blood. Pain passed through her belly again and she gritted her teeth from it. She follows her urge and started pushing. Soon she had three mewling Kits nestled in the curve of her belly. A fourth lay close by her, but this one was born dead. The dead Kit was Shimmer's firstborn son. The survivors are two she-cats and a small tom. Too exhausted at the moment, Shimmer lay her head down and closed her eyes.
LightClan Camp
Clearing
When Gray Owl came out of his memories, he found himself in the middle of an active camp. He looked around confused. Snowdrift is sitting behind the small gray Kit, while the rest of her patrol heads to the fresh-kill pile to get something to eat. Whiskerstar looked down at the Kit that's sitting in front of Snowdrift's forepaws. "Why have you brought this Kit here?" Mousetrap asked before his Leader could say a word. Whiskerstar glared at the Medicine Cat for speaking out of turn.
"Where did you find this little one, Snowdrift?" the LightClan Leader asked the white Warrior gently.
"He was being stalked by a fox on our territory," Snowdrift answered gently. The spooked Kit looked up at Whiskerstar with his ears back.
"Does this little one have a name?"
"Of that I am not sure," the white Warrior answered. "We didn't ask him that while we were out there…" Whiskerstar looked at the Kit again.
"What's your name little one?" she asked him gently.
"M-my name is Gray Owl…" the gray Kit squeaked still scared.
"Why were you wondering around our territory?" Mousetrap growled as he got into the Kit's face. Whiskerstar grabbed the Medicine Cat's scruff in her teeth and pulled him away from Gray Owl.
"Enough already, Mousetrap!" hissed Whiskerstar. She then turned back to face the Kit. "Why were you in our territory?"
"I-I didn't know that it was your territory…" the Kit stuttered frightened even more now due to Mousetrap's rudeness and viciousness. Snowdrift glared continuously at the brown Medicine Cat.
"You are clearly under the age of six moons. Where is your mother Gray Owl?" a light brown Queen asked as she wrapped her tail neatly around her paws.
"S-she was killed… She was hit by a car one day when she went hunting for herself…" Gray Owl said lowering his head and letting his ears go back.
"Ferncloud, I think that struck him hard to repeat…" an old dark gray tom said in a deep raspy voice.
"It was not intended to hurt him," the Queen replied. "He needs to nurse that's why I asked that question."
"Do you have any littermates?" a calico Queen asked after licking her right forepaw.
"T-they were taken in by a Human…" Gray Owl said. "He didn't want me so he just took my sisters and left me outside in the cold…"
"Some Humans are despicable!" growled a dark gray tabby tom that's the same size as Gorsepaw.
"He's just giving us a sob story so that we won't chase him from our camp!" hissed Gorsepaw. Snowdrift flicked her tail at the Apprentice to silence him for his rude comment.
"Do you really expect Whiskerstar to throw a defenseless Kit out into the cold when he is unable to feed himself?" the white Warrior growled angrily. Gorsepaw doesn't reply to the question.
"Gray Owl will not be leaving the camp. He is welcome to join us if he so wishes. Though he will have to change his name and join the Nursery under Blueheart's watch," Whiskerstar said.
"Can I keep my name? It's the only thing that I have left of my mother…" Gray Owl asked as he looked up at the LightClan Leader. Whiskerstar thought for a moment upon the request from this Kit that has been through so much in his short life.
"I will allow you to keep your name if that is what you want. However, you are to still join the Nursery," Whiskerstar said finally. Gray Owl nodded his head in thanks. "Although, instead of your name being two separate parts it will be one word."
"Thank you…" Grayowl said this time verbally. Blueheart nudged him from behind to point him in the direction of the Nursery. Everyone went to their dens for a while to get some rest. The border patrol slipped out of the camp silently.