Prologue: Outcast
Thunderstar stared at the rogue as she entered the camp. He narrowed his eyes. This cat was an intruder. He demanded, "Silverwing, Nightfur, Ripple, who is this cat?" Night took the name of Nightfur the night that Ravenclaw had died.
Silverwing, a new warrior, was the one who answered, "We found this cat in our territory. Hunting."
The leader glanced at the rogue, "Is this true?" The rogue, a calico with dark green eyes didn't answer. He narrowed her eyes. "Are you denying that you hunted in our territory?"
"No!" She spat, "I'd rather not talk to scum like you. Plus, I'm not a rogue. I'm an Outcast."
Thunderstar stared at her, questioningly, "What is an 'Outcast'?"
She snorted, "You don't know what an Outcast is? Oh, this is good!"
"Answer me."
"Right, right," she answered, having an annoyed expression on her face, "An Outcast is one that disobeys the Master. The cat is exiled and if anyone that is on the Master's side is killed on sight. I'm surprised you haven't killed me already."
Thunderstar asked, "What did you do that made you an Outcast?"
Her expression was calm as she answered, "I took more prey than I was allowed to from the fresh-kill pile." She glanced at ours which was low since the hunting patrol wasn't back yet. She snorted, "You will regret moving into the Master's area. You aren't in his territory, but he's been expanding it more and more."
"You can leave if you don't stray on our territory again."
She rolled her eyes, "I think I know that from the message that your guards gave me." She turned around, showing a large scar on her back. The leader narrowed his eyes. This rogue group would be trouble, that was for sure.
About five moons later, the same rogue that had talked back, answered questions unwillingly, and spat at Thunderstar barged through camp, carrying a single kit. She looked injured, very injured. She begged desperately, "Save my kit! Please!"
Thunderstar jumped down from the ledge that was only accessible by climbing a tree. He demanded, "What happened?"
She muttered, using her strength, "Master….kill...Outcasts….kits…"
Crowheart hissed, "No more questions! She needs all her strength to survive!"
"My...name….Lily…." She muttered quietly. She stumbled, dropping her kit. "Her name...Raven."
Thunderstar stared at the kit. Her name was 'Raven'.
The kit was injured, nonetheless, and unconscious, but the kit looked around two moons old. It was possible for it to survive without milk as long as the fresh-kill was chewed up first. Crowheart didn't budge. She muttered, "Ravenkit, born from Lilyflower."
"What?" Thunderstar asked her.
"Nothing." Crowheart meowed, blinking. She patched up the kit, but the leader noticed that she didn't help Lily at all. Thunderstar recognized that the desperate Outcast she-cat's chest had stopped heaving. She was dead.