Chapter 1
The black tom was restless, even when his mother was holding on to him tight, he couldn't wait! Coal had been waiting for this day since he first opened his eyes. Today was the day that he was going to see the outside world. His mother told him and his brother and sister that she heard their housefolk talking about how they were going to take them a part of the outside world known as 'the yard.'
He had only seen a bit of the outside world through a window that was near their bed. Once he saw more of the outside world through a clear, large door, Coal felt his heart beat faster with excitement. He began squirming in his mother's grasp, wanting to run outside at long last. He could almost felt the breeze in his fur and smell the scents coming from outside.
He could hear his mother let out a purr. "Calm down, Coal. You'll get there soon enough," his mother reassured.
He noticed out the corner of his eye that Flower and Matthew, who were being held by their housefolk, were trying to go outside too, just like him. The female housefolk held Flower and Matthew in one arm while she began opening the door. The moment they stepped outside, the sun blinded him temporarily.
He had never seen the sun this brought before. Coal was then put down on something soft. When his vision got use to the change of light, he notice the soft stuff was a deep green color with a strong scent.
"What is this stuff mom?" Coal asked.
His mother smiled. "It's called grass. Don't try to eat it though. It might make you sick," she said.
The female housefolk placed his brother sister down as they began exploring. Coal notice that the housefolk had something in one her paws. She went over to Coal, picking him up and wrapping one of the things around his neck. She placed him down and did the same thing to Matthew and Flower.
He looked at the thing around his neck. It was dark blue with something on it that made a soothing chime. That was the only thing he liked about it. Other then that, the thing felt awkward around his neck.
"Mom, what is this thing?" he asked, trying to take it off with his paws.
"It's called a collar. Sometimes housefolk put them on cats so someone knows that they're not strays," his mother explained.
"Well, I don't like it. It feels weird," Coal complained, still attempting to take it off.
His mother let out a purr and licked his forehead. "You'll get use to it," she reassured. "Now go play with you brother and sister."
Coal nodded and went over to Matthew and Flower, who were chasing each other and rolling around playfully on the grass.
"Hey guys. Can I play?" Coal asked.
He saw that Flower was going to say something until Matthew whispered something in her ear. Flower nodded and turned to Coal.
"Of course you can play, Coal," she mewed, giving him a look that seemed suspicious to Coal.
He and his siblings chased each other, trying to tag one and other. Coal was chasing Matthew, trying to tag him, but his short legs were no match for his brother's much stronger and longer legs. Matthew made a sharp turn, making Coal lose him. Coal stopped for a while to catch his breath.
A few moments later, a flash of a dark tortoise-shell coat come and pounced on top of him, pushing down on his neck and shoulders. Soon, Matthew came and helped Flower in holding down Coal, preventing him from escaping. Coal struggled to escape from his siblings but to no avail as his mouth filled with a foul taste of grass and dirt.
"Matthew! Flower! Get off Coal, right now!" he heard his mother hiss as she went over and pulled Flower and Matthew off of him.
Coal got up, his shoulder's and neck sore from his brother and sister putting so much pressure on them as he padded slowly over to his mother and sat a good distance away from Flower and Matthew.
"What do you think you two were doing to your brother?" their mother hissed, her tailing lashing in anger.
It was Flower who answered. "It's not our fault! He doesn't know how to play right."
"I don't care! I told you over and over not to treat your brother like that," his mother scolded but Coal didn't listen to what else his mother was saying.
He noticed something out of the ordinary. He saw that the wooden fence that surrounds the yard had a rather large hole at the bottom. While his mother was busy scolding Flower and Matthew, he went to investigate. Coal looked through the hole to discover there was more to the outside world besides the yard. He saw fields of grass as far as the eye can see, with many trees, their stumps a lot thick then the tree that was in the yard.
Maybe I can get a better look,' Coal thought as he crept closer, trying to see if he would fit inside.
"Coal, get away from there!" he heard his mother yowl as she pulled him away from the hole.
He turned to face his mother, her eyes filed with anger and bit of worry and something else Coal always saw in his mother's eyes that he couldn't quite figure out.
"Don't ever go through that hole, don't even try to attempt it again, do you hear me?" his mother lashed out.
Coal was confused. Why was his mom so angry about him going through that hole?
"Mom, what's through that hole that's so bad?" he asked.
His mother left out a sigh. "It's the forest, Coal. It's a very dangerous place, filled with monsters that can eat a kit like you in one bite," his mother replied.
Coal just blinked. 'Why is she lying?' he thought.
"But mom, you're brave and strong, can't you take us out to the forest on day and protect us?" Coal asked.
His mother left out a deeper sign then before. "I think it's time you, Flower and Matthew had a nap. Come on," she said.
However, Coal didn't want to leave. He wanted to know why the forest was so bad.
"But mom, what's so bad about the forest?" Coal asked but his mother ignored him.
Instead she picked him up and headed to the clear door that leads inside. Coal's mind and gaze, however, did not leave the hole and what lies past it.
A/N: Here's the first chapter. Read and Review. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I don't own Warriors.