Owlpaw ~
Sunlight filtered into the apprentice den in Echoclan, making her mottled coat glow bright ginger in the sunshine . Deep in sleep the eleven moon old apprentice twitched her whiskers as she rolled over on to back, stretching her legs with a slight mew in her sleep. The white tom who slept next her wasn't so lucky as he padded back into the den, slush on his pelt.
"Get up already! Icefang had me up at the crack of dawn practicing battle moves." The grey ticked tom hissed angerly as he placed his heavy white paw on her flank effectively rolling her over. Owlpaw sighed with a purr, green eyes focusing on her denmate with a flick of her bushy tail. "I can't believe that Finchsong allows you to sleep in till sunhigh."
Frozenpaw glanced out the hole in the hollow tree that the apprentices called their den, his ice blue eyes narrowed in frustration as he wrinkled his muzzle. "Best get out and meet for hunting patrol with your mentor. Ashfang's already complaining that Finchsong never makes her half-kittypet apprentice get up at dawn." He snapped with a tone laced with teasing. His ice-blue eyes were filled with an emotion similer to envy and jealously as he yawned tiredly.
Owlpaw let out a hiss as she rose to her paws, flicking Frozenpaw appretictively with the tip of her bushy tail as she slipped out through the ferns that covered the entrance. Cats strolled around the clearing lazily, all with different pelt colors and of all sizes. A patrol padded through the bramble barrier, a calico she-cat, a slender dark grey she-cat and a long legged black tom. In each of their jaws was a piece of prey- a rabbit that Flintpaw had caught, a red breasted robin was clamped firmly in Tallstep's black maw and a pair of mice swung from Rosepool's mouth.
The sweet scent of newleaf sung across Owlpaw's nose, even though leafbare still had an icy grip on the forest and more importantly the river. Mud pressed between her toes and she rose her front paw to shake the sticky mess from her paw. Silverfeather watched from the medicine cat den with amusement before disappearing into the tunnel with a flick of her silver tail.
"Does the little Kittypet not like getting it's paws wet?" A voice taunted from behind Owlpaw, sounding similarly to gravel being moved underpaw. Owlpaw let out a hiss as she turned her head toward the warriors den, where a large grey tom with darker flecks sat with a sneer. His golden stripe was turned pale in the weak sunlight, and his blue eyes narrowed.
Ashfang, the biggest furball in the entire clan as far as Owlpaw was concerned. He had only been given his warrior name half a moon ago, yet the proud tom strutted around the camp like he just been made leader. Living in the apprentice den with him had made Owlpaw's life a living Darkforest even though her father had been his mentor.
Owlpaw had been brought to Echoclan as a kit and been allowed to stay because Sunblaze had pleaded with Sandstar for the clan to raise his daughter. Sandstar had mercy on his brother allowing the half kittypet kit to stay and train as a warrior. That had been moons ago, Owlpaw could hardly remember her mother, let alone try to go back to the kittypet lifestyle. Still the jibes hurt. So did the tuaunts, but luckily not everyone in the clan held such views.
"At least my parents wanted me around!" Owlpaw smirked as she padded away from the den, inwardly wincing. Fur bristled on the she-cat's spine as she turned away from the tom. Spying her mentor nosing through the freshly stocked preypile, Owlpaw strode toward her with her chin high and tail flicking sassily side to side.
The Echoclan's camp was set up neatly and organized around a clearing in the center of the large territory that they called home. A large stone sat at the very far north end of the clearing, and in it there was a crack that the leader made their nest in. Right of that there was a large fallen sycamore tree with silvery bark riddled with clawmarks from apprentices, but that was the elders den. Beside that there was a fox den that was hidden by a woven dome of brambles and ivy so it was warm in the winter. A few moons ago the warriors had expanded it by tunneling out more of the chamber.
Not that Owlpaw had ever been inside of the warrior den. She imagined it would be cozier than the old elm stump that the apprentices lived in, despite it having a nice layer of new fresh moss on the floor and ferns over the entrance like all the dens to keep out the chill. I'll get there soon enough, she thought comfortingly. Besides the apprentice den was the nursery, a large cave of blue stone that was reinforced with enough brambles and thorns to keep out the unwanted, but lined so thickly with ivy on the inside that no kit would happen to poke their eyes out.
Next to the Leader's rock was the medicine cat den, a large bramble thicket with a woven roof that led into a rock cave into the ground, but the tunnel is were most of the healing took place and where the sick cats slept. Farther down into the tunnel it branched into four tunnels, one that led to the place that the medicine cats slept, the one where the herbs were store, another that hid a small spring of water that dribbled out of the stone wall and an escape tunnel that was hidden by a reeds in a clearing that held a tiny pond in the pine forest.
Her fur was ruffled as a warm breeze blew, the cold moons were slowly loosening their bitter claws on this forest. Finchsong rose her head from the pile, bouncing up to her full height with a feather stuck to her nose. Owlpaw let out a small purr as her mentor scowled, brushing it from her muzzle.
"Ready to go?" Finchsong purred as they strolled out the barrier. "Of course! Anything to get away from this mess." Owlpaw said flattening her ears as the mud squished between her toes. Finchsong's amber eyes glistened as the wind suddenly picked up, into a warm gust that nearly knocked her off her paws. Owlpaw paused as a sudden scent washed over her and she let out a growl as a flash of grey and gold streaked past her.
"Don't worry little, kittypet. I'll be working hard to feed the clan so you don't have to feel the mud between your special toes." Ashfang purred with a cackled as he sped into the forest, ears flattened. He disappeared into the trees with a flick of his slender tail, and his pawprints in the mud slowly filled with water. Owlpaw could only grit her teeth as Finchsong nudged her shoulder with her slender muzzle.
A pale dove fluttered down onto one of the roots, in the shade of the elm tree. "Catch it before it has good sense and lands in the tree." Finchsong whispered. Owlpaw crouched down and stilled her winding tail. Pawstep by pawstep she crept forward, settling her hindpaws under her for a great leap. Suddenly the wind shifted direction and the bird fluttered it's wings uncertainly as if about to take off.
Without thinking Owlpaw leapt forward, and the bird took off. With a small paw she batted the dove to the ground as her claws pulled out a few feathers, and Finchsong clamped her jaws around the dove and it fell limp. As Owlpaw fell onto the ground she skidded in the mud. It splashed over her pelt lightly, coating her in brown ooze.
"I think we need to work on making kills cleanly." Finchsong laughed as her apprentice struggled to her paws. Pale grey feathers clung to Owlpaw's fur and stuck out between her claws. "I'll still get my warrior name on time right?" Owlpaw asked, tilting her head to the side. Finchsong shrugged clamping her jaws around the dove with a snort.
~Clearpaw~
Pawsteps echoed in the tunnel, and the white apprentice tilted her head toward the noise. This was her first passement, battling in the dark. This was one of her first times in the tunnel, but Clearpaw felt more comfortable here than in Slateclan's camp at the moment. Blinking she waited for her eyes to adjust slowly. This part of the tunnels connected to the main one that lead back to camp, and there was hardly enough room for a cat to rise up on their back legs.
The rapid approach of the heavy pawsteps from behind her had Clearpaw spinning on her back legs. A broad paw raked claws across her ear. It stung. With a yowl Clearpaw threw herself at the dark shadow as it reared back onto it's hind legs. With a thud the shadow's head slammed on the roof of the tunnel and it collapsed heavily onto it's belly.
Clearpaw let out a triumph purr as she sliced a paw over the ears of the attacker who moaned. "I won!" She crowed as she clambered onto the brown tabby tom with lighter stripes. He grunted as he knocked the apprentice off his spine. " By default. You haven't won yet." Bushpelt groaned as he rubbed a paw over his throbbing skull.
Pride flooded Clearpaw's heart. Bushpelt rose to his paws, wrapping his tail around Clearpaw's slender shoulders. As they padded into the main tunnel, wet soil soaked her white paws and turned them a dusty brown. "You know that you'll have to be assessed again, right?" Bushpelt breathed, his eyes closing as the darkness faded into a bright light as they approached the entrance.
The main tunnel opened up at the end of the clearing in camp. the camp was contained in a crescent moon shaped ravine that opened up into the pine forest. Slateclan had lived here since they had been banished from the lake, and tunneled into the mountain to find prey in the natural tunnels and caves.
Cats often climbed up on the natural ledges that were worn into the stone hill, and some of the older worn out dens had been made into the mountain. Now only the leaders den was made up higher than the rest of the dens, with a large enough overhang that two cats could fit on comfortable to speak.
That was where Tunnelstar made her speeches, but she didn't often sleep up in that den due to her wanting to be viable to all cats to come to her with their problems. From the oldest elder to the tiny kits, she cared about them all. At least it seemed like that to Clearpaw.
Their territory was primarily mountain, forest with pines and deciduous trees, and moors along the other side of the mountain. On the left side of the old stump that Tunnelstar often used to call meetings was the crack in the stone wall that lead into the medicine cat den.
The warrior den was a tunnel next to the left Tunnelstar's den on the forest floor, and it had been recently expanded to make more room for the growing ranks. Nearest to the right bramble entrance was the elders, a large hollow oak tree with a floor lined with soft moss. Next to them was the slit in the mountain that was near invisible to outsiders, hardly big enough for an expecting queen to fit through. The entranced was hidden with ivy, ferns and thick clinging moss so no kits would poke their eyes out, of the right of the elder's den.
Apprentices slept under a crag that peaked out from reddish and grey walls of the mountain. A small den opened up under the crag that was hardly big enough for the multiple apprentices that slept in the sandy floored circular den. Clearpaw had been pestering Thornpaw to expand it for the past moon, but the grey and white she-cat only shrugged.
Clearpaw slipped out of the tunnel with a purr as Bushpelt made a beeline for the medicine cat den, as she gazed around the clearing. A few cats milled about as she nosed through the prey pile, picking from the hawks, squirrels, and various prey items. She wrinkled her nose as she touched a toad with her muzzle, yanking her head back in disgust.
"You should give that to Thornpaw." A pleasant voice mewed from the entrance of the warriors den, as a grey she-cat with a white spotted belly appeared next to the pile. Melonsplash flicked her tail in greeting as she yawned widely. "Timbersnout caught it especially for her." The warrior began to sort through the pile as she dangled it from a wide claw toward Clearpaw.
A feeling a wave nousalia washed over Clearpaw for a heartbeat. If Blizzardtooth would have lived would he bring my favorite prey to me? Would he go hunting espescially for me like Timbersnout does for Thornpaw? Would he take me on patrols just the two of us like Snakefang does to Leechpaw?
Blizzardtooth had died when she was a moon old, in a fight with a badger. Mother hardly speaks of him anymore. Littlemouse spoke of the big white tom when Clearpaw was a kit, nearly every day. All she could speak about was how brave, handsome and kind he had been. Now it seemed to Clearpaw as if Littlemouse wanted to forget about Blizzardtooth. Ever since becoming an apprentice her tabby mother had been more distant.
"Have you seen my mom?" Clearpaw asked Melonsplash, her ears flattened to her skull. Melonsplash glanced at her paws, her green eyes narrowing with an emotion that Clearpaw didn't realize. Clearpaw blinked. "She was supposed to take me hunting, just the two of us."
"She went out with Dewfoot." Melonsplash turned away from the apprentice as she rose to her paws. Clearpaw gritted her teeth as she picked up the toad in her jaws. Suddenly she wasn't so hungry anymore. She forgot again. It's no big deal. She probably thought that my assessment would take longer anyway. Clearpaw raised her head as she bounced to the apprentice dens. That must be it, a simple mistake.
~Bluekit~
"Stay out of the mud all of you!" Fernfrond yowled from the shade of the nursery, her blue eyes sparkling as the herd of kits dabbed at the wet mud with tiny paws. At sunhigh the sun had dried up most of the mud , but a few puddles of it still remained. "We don't want to have to wash you in the river."
Bluekit rolled her eyes as she squished the sticky substance in between her black toes. Fernfrond was always such a clean paws just like Snowkit. Perfect Snowkit, she never gets dirty. Bluekit hissed as she turned away from the puddle. Her silver and black sister was tumbling around in the dry grass with Elmkit, who seemed to have the upper paw as he pinned her sister down.
"Careful! We can't get muddy." Snowkit purred as she reminded the tom. "Mom will get mad." Elmkit reductantly removed his broad paws. Bluekit lashed her tail with frustration. Everyone always listens to what Snowkit has to say.
"I don't care about the mud. Want to go see if Cornpelt's awake?" A voice said with a aloof tone. Oakkit drew a paw over his muzzle as he observed his denmate with half lidded eyes. His tail wrapped around his paws. "There are better things to do than watch our perfect littermates play. Not that I care." He shrugged as he padded to the elders den with a flick of his red tail.
"Where are Frecklekit and Sneezekit?" Bluekit asked as she strained her head to look up at Oakkit. Oakkit flicked an ear as he narrowed his eyes. "Probably putting ants in Swanpaw's nest. Does it matter though?" He sighed as the elders raised their head as the kits padded into the den.
Cornpelt rasped a tongue over her matted pelt as her orange eye dimly flickered at the kits. "Not out causing trouble are you?" Her tired voice strained with old age. "When Wheatfur and Honeysoul were kits they caused all sorts of trouble, hiding fire ants in the medicine cat den, sneaking out of camp, and such." Honeysoul glared at her mother, but Wheatfur twitched his whiskers knowingly.
"Never." Oakkit replied coolly as his eyes narrowed at the old she-cat. "Come for a story then?" Cornpelt guessed as the kits settled in front of her. Bluekit nodded eagerly. "Tell us about the start of Echoclan!" Bluekit glanced at Oakkit from the corner of her eye. He didn't seem interested at all, his tail wrapping neatly around his paws.
"Oh, that old tale?" Wheatfur grunted. "You'll be here all day." Bluekit shrugged as Oakkit sneezed. Oakkit's green eyes brightened for a heartbeat. Bluekit had always assumed he wanted to be as good as leader of the clans in the beginning. Echostar and Slatestar, the half clan cats cast out from the clans.
"Echostar was born to a Skyclan mother and a Riverclan father. Remember their names, but that's to be expected. It was so long ago." Cornpelt began, her orange eye twinkling as she shifted her weight onto her bad side. Her long tabby tail flicked side to side, and it brushed over Bluekit's ears teasingly. "Echorunner was what they called her, but her mother gave her Riverclan mate their only kit to be raised in Riverclan."
"They took her that's what you mean. Riverclan waged war with Skyclan till Echostar was given to their ranks." Honeysoul raised her head off her paws, ear flicking with interest. "Slateclaw was raised in Shadowclan, his mother was a warrior there while his father was the deputy of Thunderclan."
Bluekit plucked a bit of green moss under her paw, fiddling with it. "I had completely forgot about the battle." Cornpelt interjected, a purr rumbling in her throat. "What did they look like?" Oakkit finally said, rubbing a paw over his ear with annoyance.
"Slatestar was a dark smoke grey tabby tom, with eyes that glowed like the sun. He was as broad shouldered as a Thunderclan cat, but had the look of Shadowclan. Echostar was slender and as pretty as they come." Wheatfur's eyes glazed over for a heartbeat before shaking his head. "A bright silver tabby with webbed paws like Riverclan. Legend says her eyes were the color of the lake the clans made their homes by."
"Really?"
"Yes, now let me finish all of you. I've never seen such a bunch of jabberjays in my life."
Cornpelt took a deep breathe, before speaking again. "The clans had grown tired of all of the half-clanners around the lake. Nevermind that Thunderclan had a kittypet leader for seasons! Then there was the leader, Berrystar from Shadowclan, who worked hard to eradicate all half-clan from the lake. He would cause needless battles to attack those of half-clan roots, to kill them in the heat of battle." Cornpelt sighed.
"Grassleg from Thunderclan spoke that for the clans to strive that winter, they would have to cast out all with mixed blood. Soon after the other medicine cats from other clans were saying they had the same dream." Bluekit could picture it in her mind, cats nodding to each other with confirmation. Swaying their leaders to cast out all mixed blood.
"All except Fallingnight of Riverclan. Many cats refused to listen to her, but they had good suspicions to say that she had never received the dream like the rest of the medicine cats." Cornpelt chuckled. "Her apprentice was a cat of mixed blood, his mother was half Windclan and his father had joined Riverclan from Shadowclan to be with her."
"That was Alderspark right?" Bluekit asked, eyes wide.
"The one and the same." Honeysoul crowed.
"All the leaders were swayed by the words of their medicine cats, and they cast out their warriors with any trace of tainted blood. Some even ripped newborn kits from their mother's bellies. The half-clan cats rose against their former clanmates at the gathering, and many died as a result."
"When the battle finally ended, the remaining half-clanners turned away from their former leaders and kin. Those four leaders even killed Riverclan's leader at the time for being half Windclan." Cornpelt began coughing, but spluttered as she continued. "No cat can help who they are born to the casted out ones cried. So they began a journey to the territory around here, after many moons of travel through the snow and over the mountains."
"Echostar split up cats by who wanted to swim or just plainly follow her. Slatestar was more picky, taking a useful cat who had learned the art of tunneling." Cornpelt rasped, her body shivering. "Lucky for us, that dumb tom fell in love with on of Echostar's warriors and gave us a litter of tunneling kits." Bluekit kneaded at the ground anxiously.
"Why can we have more medicine cats than the orginal clans?" Bluekit asked, Oakkit's green gaze sparking with interest. Cornpelt huffed, her one good eye rolling good naturedly. "Because we have more territory than the four clans combined did at the lake. We could support four clans with our territory alone." Bluekit flicked her ear suspiciously.
"I'm sure they'll figure it out once they have to complete the daily territory border patrol," Honeysoul snickered. "Why do you think we send smaller patrols to each border than one big one to go around the entire territory most of the time?" Honeysoul patted Bluekit on the head with her paw as she snorted. "It's a matter of perspective. Our clans use to be much larger than this." The elder eyed the two kits. "But I imagine that will change in time."
~Leechpaw~
A heavy mist sprayed his smoky black fur, which set the young tom growling. A black tom with a grey muzzle padded along the slick stones on the bank with such confidence that had Leechpaw snarling. The border along the waterfall was poorly defended, but yet Eeljaw had thought it was a good idea to show the young tom anyway.
Is Eeljaw really showing me this damned place to show off? Leechpaw gazed across the raging river that swirled dark blue with silver froth at the fall of the steep waterfall. This was the very edge of Slateclan's territory, and water had never fared well with Leechpaw.
"Come on Leechpaw! Your father would be ashamed to be you so uneasy at the sight at mere water." Eeljaw scolded. The deputy had turned around, his yellow eyes fond. "Why Snakefang was climbing on these rocks as soon as he was apprenticed."
Of course he was! Snakefang, the pride of Slateclan would handle these deadly rocks like they were trapped mice for freshkill. Snakefang the bravest warrior! Snakefang the tom who battled snakes in the tunnels and saved Softsand as a kit when she wandered into the tunnels! Snakefang who saved mom when she was attacked from that hawk two moon ago! Stop putting so much pressure on me! I'm not him!
Leechpaw closed his eyes for a heartbeat before glaring at his mentor. "I get it alright? I'll try to be better." He mumbled. Eeljaw nodded in confirmation. "Try the best that you can do, Leechpaw. We all have such high hopes for you."
Leechpaw flicked his ear in response but said nothing. "It would be a shame if it all went to waste like your uncle." Eeljaw, flicked his tail side to side with gusto as he bounded down the rocks to his apprentice's feet. Eeljaw placed his paw under his apprentices' chin before sighing. "Has your father explained what happened to Redleech?"
Leechpaw nodded. Redleech was his namesake, and had died a moon before Leechpaw's kitting. Redleech had been strolling along these very rocks sortly after it had been raining, but had lost his footing and tumbled down the steep waterfall. The rocks had battered his body and killed him, and a cat from Echoclan had waded through the water in an attempt to save the red and black striped tom. Alas, Redleech had already died by the time she could reach him.
Snakefang missed his brother dearly, Leechpaw had been told by his mother. So before he was kitted Leechpaw's name had already been decided on. Yet when their only kit came out with black fur, Snakefang settled on Leechkit because Squirelleap refused to name a darker furred kit, Redkit.
"Redleech could have been one of the best fighters that this clan had ever seen! I swear when I mentored him that I saw inside of him all the potential to be the next leader." Eeljaw's gaze hardened like ice as his tail wrapped around his paws. "Yet he was taken too soon from us all, and it was all wasted." Eeljaw rose. The deputy flicked his tail up to the slate colored stones. "I don't want that to happen to you just because you weren't paying attention like he was."
Leechpaw gritted his teeth, his mind whirling. It was like this every day when he trained with cats! I am not Snakefang! I am not some careless tom who slipped on rocks moons ago! When will these cats realize that? My name is Leechpaw, son of Squirrelleap and Snakefang. I am not my parents or a dead cat, just their kin. Let me go at my own pace!
Inwardly, Leechpaw was slightly relived that his parents were having a second litter in a moon. Maybe those kits would take some of the pressure of him, and have it placed on their shoulders. He winced, that was an awful thing to do to kits. Snakefang and Squirrelleap had never placed any pressure on him as a kit, and they didn't really now. If only the rest of the clan was that way.
Leechpaw shook his head as he jumped up onto the rocks, his lean hind legs churned for a heart beat as he stood a mouse-length away from the swirling blue water. His head swirled for a second as he placed his claws firmly on the moss that lined the stones. The black tom glanced back at his mentor, who beamed with pride.
"Well done! Try the next one, but slowly. You don't want to release your grip." Eeljaw mewed cheerfully, his ears flicking happily. Leechpaw could hardly hear him over the roar of the river, and acid coated the inside of his throat.
"Give me a heartbeat okay?" Leechpaw gently placed his front paws along the side of the rock. There was one hardly a tail-length away from the stone he was perched on. He glanced back at the bank, Eeljaw was motioning for him to get on with it. It was possible to turn around and head back safely.
"Do Echoclan cats really do this every day?" Leechpaw asked, as he turned around to his mentor. Eeljaw nodded with a twitch of his whiskers. "The border is on the other side of those rocks. They've attacked us several times from here, and we weren't prepared for it and lost. That's why you need to be as comfortable up there as you feel in the nursery." Eeljaw said, unsheathing his claws.
Leechpaw turned back and lowered his belly on the rock so low that it his belly fur brushed against it. He spread his paws as he focused on the raised stone. He soared from the rock before he could hardly realize what he had done.
His front paws scrabbled on the slick stone, but his claws were coated neon green with some slime. Yellow eyes widened in horror as his legs touched the chilled water, soaking his hind legs with ice cold liquid. His weight had dragged him back. Leechpaw glanced back as Eeljaw yowled on the rock behind him. "Eeljaw, help me." Leechpaw whimpered, horrified as his stomach was soaked with the current.
"Leechpaw! Don't let go!" Eeljaw shrieked as he reached for his apprentice with his outstretched claws. Leechpaw's chin and front paws were the only things not pulled into the raging current. His heart was beating rapidly as the moss his front paw was gripping detached from the rock with a groan. "Reach for me Leechpaw!" Eeljaw commanded, nearly a whisker from his apprentice.
The next thing he knew was that he was tumbling. Over and over, tail over head as the sandy bottom of the river sloshed against his muzzle. He couldn't breathe. Water flooded his nose, ice and fire all at once as he lungs screamed for any source of air at all. He thrust his head above the river with a gasp before he stumbled against some stone. All he heard was an thud, and then it went black.
~Swanpaw~
A breeze ruffled his short white fur as he inwardly cursed himself for being born with mostly pure snow-white hair. Luckily a few dark brown tabby patches on his flank and tail made it slightly easier to blend into the foliage of the forest that Echoclan called their home.
Swanpaw carefully tracked around black barked tree, his head low to the ground with the tantalizing scent of prey. He dared not look back, his mentor was hiding somewhere around here. Parsleytail wasn't one of the best stalkers in the clan, but with his pelt he had the odds in his favor.
Scent wafted up into his nose, and Swanpaw followed it. Closer and closer his paws led him to the edge of the territory, near the farm on the edge of the left border. There he spotted it as he stalked closer to the edge of a willow tree.
A dove pecked at some seeds, blissfully unaware of it's impending doom. Swanpaw licked his jaws as he settled into a leap. With a loud crack the pigeon took off, and Swanpaw jumped back startled.
"Fox dung!" He growled. Around the tree a cat appeared, fur matted and tangled. He tilted his head to the side, wondering why he hadn't noticed the scent of Rainbreeze before now. Must have been the pigeon.
Wait, why is Rainbreeze away from the nursery? Redfoot's kits won't be six moons for another week or so!
"Intruder!" Swanpaw hissed, and the cat turned around. Her eyes were wide with fear, large and yellow like daisies in the springtime. She scrabbled to her paws, her low stomach swinging. This was no clan cat.
"I-I'm sorry." Her voice trembled with fear as Swanpaw unsheathed his claws. He took a step closer, sniffing her scent. She shied away, trembling. "Are you one of the clan cats?"
Milk? She's expecting kits! Why is a cat like this so far from her home? No wonder she's terrified of me, the rumors around the kittypet homes say we eat bones and kill small kits. Should I take her back? She will die out here if I don't …
"I'm Swanpaw from Echoclan." Swanpaw said briskly as he flicked his tail back to the farm. "You need to go back from where you came, because most of us would have chased you off." His eyes glanced down at her swollen belly. "It wouldn't be safe for your kits."
She paused as she lapped at a matted light grey shoulder, her eyes weary. "I can't go back to the farm." Her fur was light grey like ashes, but she was sleek and short for a cat. "My names Wren by the way." Wren added.
"The twolegs will take my kits," Tears began to bead on her muzzle, "Their father is gone." Swanpaw looked at his white paws, the sight of a cat crying made him uncomfortable. "I don't know where he went." She murmured. Glancing back at the barn, she sighed.
Swanpaw let out a growl as he rose to his paws. "What do you think I'm suppose to do about that!" He snapped and Wren recoiled as if he had struck her with his claws. "Calm down, I'm just annoyed." Wren relaxed as Swanpaw turned away from her, his tail lashing.
"I heard that the clans will take in kits and strays." Wren begged as she followed him. Her yellow eyes pierced into him as she nudged his shoulder with her muzzle. Swanpaw was a good head shorter than the queen. Swanpaw sighed as he shook his head.
"Fine!" His eyes narrowed, untrusting.
What harm can a expecting queen do? Scold me for not listening to the elders or bothering my mom with questions about my father? Besides she is in no state to take over her clan. She's expecting kits anyway, it would be cruel to leave her here.
Swanpaw sighed as she padded with him, huffing around her swollen belly that swung with every step. He gulped, he didn't know if this was going to be a good idea, but he had to try.
Besides what if those kits are my kin somehow? If the rumors are true its possible they could be. The thought alone made him sick.