Chapter 2
The Unknown
A small hunting patrol has left the LeafClan camp in hopes of finding some fresh prey for the nursing Queens. They head off towards the river as a light rain began to wet the dry forest ground. "This ought to be fun…" a dark gray tom said sarcastically. "Hunting in the rain again…"
"Suck it up. We're Warriors. We can hunt in rain, snow, hail, drought, or normal sunlight. We have to provide for our Clan," a very short-furred brown she-cat said to the gray tom.
"She's got a point, Breezeclaw," the brown tabby tom said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know this already," Breezeclaw said unhappily.
"Then stop complaining about a light rain," the she-cat countered. The three Warriors ran off, heading further away from their campsite, and heading deeper into the dense forest getting ready to hunt for prey.
The two HouseCats are still walking slowly through the forest. Their paws are aching, their bellies are rumbling, and their fur is starting to get drenched from the light drizzle blanketing the forest. "I seriously hate the rain…" Snag mumbled.
"Yeah, well, my leg hurts even more now than normal," Tiplet countered. The two are unaware of the Warriors stalking them slowly as if they were prey.
"I smell two cats up ahead," Breezeclaw whispered to the two cats beside him.
"Two young cats at that," the brown tabby tom said.
"HouseCats!" the she-cat declared in a hushed tone. "Track them silently. They may not know that we are on their tail…" The three Warriors kept tracking Snag and Tiplet silently as they are led deeper into the forest. Breezeclaw steps on a twig and snaps it in half alerting the two young cats up ahead.
"I think I just heard something behind us…" the young ginger tom said to the she-cat next to him.
"Oh my…" the little crippled one said in reply.
"You heard us, HouseCat," Breezeclaw said expectantly. "What are you doing in our territory?" The two young cats whirl around quickly to face the advancing Warriors. Their fur is fluffed out, their ears are down, and their tails are not moving. They both have wide eyes at the sight of the Warriors.
"You two don't belong in LeafClan territory!" snarled the brown tabby tom.
"Wait just a minute you two," the short-furred brown she-cat said. "They may be useful to our Clan…"
"Pampered HouseCats as an addition to the Clan?" sneered Breezeclaw. Snag and Tiplet are huddled close together and are staring wide eyes at the three larger cats in front of them. Pineneedle padded forward slowly and sniffed Snag's head.
"They are no more than six moons old…" Pineneedle said. "They are at the perfect age to be molded into splendid Warriors. Plus neither of them have collars on saying that they belong to a Human…"
"We do need more Apprentices…" Thistletail said slowly as he looked at the two young cats.
"But using HouseKits is an outrageous idea…!" Breezeclaw protested immediately.
"Not really provided that they obey the Code and not try to go back to the soft life of a HouseCat," Thistletail countered.
"Plus CloudClan took in several HouseCats last spring and their Clan is even stronger now than it was before," Pineneedle added.
"Do you two wish to live with us in the forest and learn the way of the Warrior?" Thistletail asked the two young HouseCats.
"Do we get to learn how to hunt?" Snag asked immediately, his stomach still rumbling.
"Yes, that is one of the things Apprentices learn," Pineneedle said.
"I'm useless to you guys…" Tiplet said hanging her head.
"Why would you say that?" Breezeclaw asked curiously.
"My right hind leg is twisted and I can barely walk on it…" she answered.
"And we already have a Medicine Cat Apprentice…" Thistletail said slowly.
"Yeah, but Turtlepaw doesn't want to be a Medicine Cat. He was chosen because of the shortage of Kits," Pineneedle pointed out.
"We can work something out when we return home," Breezeclaw said gently.
"Thistletail, Breezeclaw, stand on either side of the Kits and I will take up the rear." The three LeafClan Warriors took up their positions and began the walk back to their camp.