CHAPTER 2: New Life

Song had been living in the River Clan camp for two sunrises now, the leader of the Clan, Leopardstar, a she-cat with golden spots dappled along her fur, had allowed her to stay until her kits were born, and then see what to do after. Song was still fading out of shock after everything that had happened.

Song padded into the camp, which wasn't far from where she was captured.

Song padded into the River Clan camp, her nose was assaulted with the scent of many cats. They peered from their dens and stared at her. Some with hostility, others with curiosity, as she padded through the camp.

The camp around her was large, reeds surrounded the area, the dens around the outskirts of the camp seemed to be woven from these reeds. The roofs glittered in the moonlight, but from what Song could not tell.

A lone tree stood in the corner of the camp, the branches hung low. A golden she cat with what looked like darker spots along her pelt, stared down at the group of cats approaching the tree. A growl escaped her throat.

"Who is this Mistyfoot?" the she cat growled as she leaped down from her perch on the lowest branch of the tree.

"A rouge we found hunting on our territory." Mistyfoot explained calmly.

"Why did you bring her here, Riverclan is not known to accept rogues freely, why not take her to Thunderclan." Yowls of agreement arose from the crowd of cats that had formed quietly behind Song.

"Well, if I may say, she was not hunting on Thunderclan territory. Also, this rogue is pregnant with kits. Her kits could benefit the well-being of the clan, which is why I brought her here."

"Hmmm…," the she-cat considered, "She may stay, but of course her kits will become apprentices."

Song listened quietly for the cats to finish discussing her fate.

'I don't want to stay, I didn't want to stay when he asked, and I don't want to stay now! I am a traveler and will be fine on my own!'

The leader, Song figured, approached her.

"Name."

"Song."

"No, you will be known as Songwing from now on. If you are going to stay in this clan I will expect you to behave like a warrior, this includes having a name like a warrior. We cannot have other clans thinking we accept rogues. I can take all of this away if you start anything," Her yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness, staring at Songwing with hatred and suspicion.

"I am Leopardstar, leader of this clan," the golden she-cat declared, "The she-cat who escorted you, is Mistyfoot, the deputy of Riverclan." One by one Lepordstar named each of the warriors. 'So many names,' Songwing thought frantically, 'How will this work, they aren't going to accept me, an outsider… Well then again, I don't want to be here, or accepted…' Songwing sighed inwardly.

With a start, Songwing realized that Leopardstar was still talking, "and that is where you will be staying the majority of the time you are with us, after your kits are born you will take care of them, then when they are apprentices we will assess you on your own abilities and determine whether or not you will be moved to the warriors den or stay in the nursery."

Song silently thanked the moon that Leopardstar said where she was going to be staying again.

"Dawnflower will help you get settled in and I will send Mudfur in to check on you and your unborn kits." With that Leopardstar padded away and a pale grey she-cat walked up to her. The she-cat, Songwing assumed was Dawnflower, her blue eyes were narrowed and she spoke with contempt, "I'm Dawnflower, no need to ask who you are, your stench can be smelled all the way across the river, no wonder you were so easy to find, but stupid cats don't really deserve any other fate than to be captured. My only dispute is that Hawkfrost didn't kill you on the spot, you thieving fox dung." The she-cat walked away not leaving any room for Songwing to retort back, Songwing followed Dawnflower to what she assumed was the nursery.

The camp was hostile towards her, she was an outsider in a world that she didn't understand and didn't understand her. She sighed inwardly, 'How can I make them see that I'm not mean, but I also don't need to stay here.'

As she lay in her new nest, she heard the footsteps of another cat. Dawnflower glared at her as she entered the nursery. Songwing did nothing, but divert her eyes to her paws to avoid looking at the she-cat.

The Clan's medicine cat, Mudfur, also padded in behind her.

"Now, I think your kits are going to come fairly soon, like within the next day or so, so I want to start getting you ready." He mewed. Mudfur showed no resentment towards her, he was perhaps the only cat that didn't dislike her. The light brown tom was fair and cared for her in her state. He placed herbs beside her and ordered her to swallow them. Song quickly devoured the herbs quite aware of their unpleasant and bitter taste.

"Look, I know you know that they don't like you, but just give it time." Mudfur said soothingly. He padded out of the camp, and Songwing decided that she would count down the minutes until her beautiful kits would be born.

Only two days had past and finally her kits, or kit, was born. The clan had gathered around her and stared at the kit, a name had not been given to her yet, Songwing wanted to name her immediately, but Leopardstar wanted to wait until her eyes opened, so that she could look into them and determine a proper name.

Songwing at least got some say in whether or not it would be a full name or a kit name, she didn't want her daughter to feel like she needed to be a part of these clan cats, she wasn't a clan cat.

The bundle of fluff that rested peacefully at her paws was pale grey, but on the center of her chest there was a crest of dark grey fur that resembled the moon. She wanted nothing more than for her precious kit to be named after the silver moon that brought her peace and comfort.

Cats crowded around the nameless kit as she slowly opened her eyes. The bright light invaded her and she closed them again. When she felt like the light would be more comfortable the second time around, she ever so slowly opened her eyes. She heard several gasps and whispers from the cats around her. A tail wrapped protectively around her, and a growl escaped from a throat. The voices she had heard since she was born were beginning to develop faces.

"Her name will be Darkeyes!" A golden she-cat called.

"No! Her name will be Moon! I will not allow for that horrid name!" The voice belonged to her mother.

"My word goes. A cat with multi-colored eyes deserves a name as such, especially when they are different shades of grey!" The she-cat declared and without another word padded out of the den.

Darkeyes looked up at her mother, and she could have sworn she heard her mother's breath catch when she saw her kit's eyes.

'What's wrong with my eyes? Grey eyes, what's wrong with that? Isn't it normal?'

Darkeyes looked up at the moon for hope, but just as she did so the clouds covered up the incomplete circle.

Hey guy's, Moon here. Lost sent me some of the reviews, and I saw a lot about Shiver. Shiver all in all is just an old rogue that Song met when she was young. I will not tell who Darkeyes dad is. I personally don't like my writings, but meh, I'll get better I hope. I really hated writing this chapter just because of the setting up of events that will be important in the future. Sorry it took me so long to update family has been over for the past two weeks, so it has been hard to find time to type.

Moon