Disclaimer: I still don't own Warriors. (sniff) You're making me cry.

Chapter 1: Refuge

Splish! Splash! The rain poured down mercilessly, drenching my fur even more. The fog was also moist, which didn't help matters at all. It just made me angrier. Where was I supposed to go? Not back to the barn. Lester and the others would just kick me out again, no matter how much I apologized. Which I would never do anyway.

Growling with irritation, I stamped my paw like a kit. It touched something soft and mushy. Mud, I thought crossly. Great. Exactly the thing I need to cheer me up.

I was about to turn around and hope that Lester was in a forgiving mood, when I heard the rushing of water. Pricking my ears, I let them guide me through the mist and rain to a large, rapidly-flowing river.

Eagerly, I dipped my head and lapped up the fresh, cool water. It soothed my throat and calmed my anger. A little.

And my luck only increased from there. I spotted a sodden fish lying in the mud on the riverbank. Licking my jaws, I took a huge bite into its scaly flesh and gulped it down hungrily.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

I turned around at the sound of the voice, and was crashed into by a small brown she-cat. I yowled in surprise as she bit down on my ear. Instinctively, I kicked at her stomach but she held onto me, hissing and spitting in my face. The next thing I knew, she had me pinned to the ground.

"What are you doing on RiverClan territory?" she spat.

"RiverClan? What are you talking about? Let go of me!" I protested, squirming relentlessly.

"Oh, you're not a Clan cat, are you? I see." She released me and sat down. Her eyes were a velvety brown, darker than her pelt. The hostility in them had faded a bit.

"I'm just trying to find a place to stay. I got kicked out of my home," I meowed, watching her warily.

"So you're a kittypet, then?"

"No!" I said sharply. "I would never live a life like that! I lived in a barn, with other cats. We had…a disagreement."

The she-cat nodded in approval. "I like your spirit. Not many cats would venture out after being abandoned. What's your name?"

"Forest. Yours?"

"Birchpaw. Did you say you needed somewhere to stay?"

"Yes. But only for a little while."

"Come on," Birchpaw said, flicking her tail. "Follow me. I'll take you to the RiverClan camp."

When we arrived, the rainstorm had slowed to a steady drizzle. The sun peeked out of the clouds. Cats came out of sheltered dens and began talking to each other, soaking in the sun's rays. Birchpaw led me through to a den, larger than the others.

"Thrushstar? Are you there?" she called from the entrance.

A reddish-brown tom emerged. He wasn't demeaning in size or stature, but I felt that he possessed great skill and ferocity. "Birchpaw? What is it? Who is this she-cat?"

"She's called Forest, and she seeks shelter for a few days," replied Birchpaw. "I offered to take her here-"

"That is not your place to do," rumbled Thrushstar. "What if she was a spy for another Clan?"

"But she doesn't smell-"

Thrushstar cut her off, saying to me, "Where do you come from, Forest?"

"A barn north of here," I said swiftly. "I only need shelter for a few days, like Birchpaw said. But if it is not possible, I will leave immediately."

"Did I say that?" Thrushstar meowed. After a short pause, he continued. "You may sleep in the apprentice den tonight. Tomorrow we shall decide what to do."

I nodded, trying to look solemn, but a yawn came out instead. "You should rest now," Birchpaw said. "You must be tired. I'll show you where I sleep."

Birchpaw's nest was warm and comfy. Three other nests also lined the den walls. "The other apprentices," explained Birchpaw. "Loudpaw, Rockpaw, and my brother Crookedpaw."

"Crookedpaw? What kind of name is that?" I said, laughing.

"One that suits me, that's for sure," a deep voice meowed, sounding hurt. I turned around. A large light-colored tabby tom was at the entrance of the den. I noticed that his jaw was slightly crooked. He stared at me with large amber eyes, so fervently I had to look away.

"Come on, Crookedpaw, let's go hunt," Birchpaw said quickly. "Forest needs her rest."

Crookedpaw nodded, and curtly nodded towards me. "Nice to meet you, Forest." The siblings left.

I got into the nest, and soon I drifted in a troubled sleep, filled with rain, fish, and distressed amber eyes.