Chapter 1
Deer stood militantly on the threshold of the den. The door was open, and her owner calling for her from the garden.
At six moons old, Deer had never been outside. She feared what would happen, and the iron-wrought cage the human held magnified that fear.
Suddenly, a flash of ginger fur caught her eye, along with another flash of black.
Deer looked to the right, and there, on the fence that bordered the garden, stood two she-cats. One was a moderately sized ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes and the other was a small black she-cat with red eyes.
Deer checked the black one again. Yes, that was definitely red. A darker red laced along her forelegs, reminding Deer sickeningly of the blood she had seen on the paved road when a car had hit the squirrel yesterday.
The ginger one gave a small, disappointed shake of her head, and the black one nodded in return.
Deer stood rigidly by the door, afraid of the cage. Her owner called again, and a quick hiss called her attention back to the two cats on the fence.
The ginger one was motioning with her tail around the side of the house, urgency flickering in her eyes.
Deer hesitated, and then decided to run.
Her owner advanced towards her, and the black one's eyes fell.
But Deer was determined to succeed. She raced out of the threshold and around the den. She leaped onto the fencepost, and down the other side. She raced into the forest, and didn't stop until she heard calls from behind telling her it was all right.
The small chain collar around her neck pressed into her fur as she breathed heavily.
The ginger one padded from the shadows that laced through the forest and smiled. "Hello, young one."
The black one padded out approvingly. "I didn't expect you to make it," she admitted.
Deer smiled. "Me, neither."
The ginger one stepped forward formally. "I would like you to know what would have happened to you."
Deer decided to put the pieces together as long as she wasn't in danger. "I know," she interrupted. "They were taking me to the vet."
The ginger one nodded. "We've seen many young, capable cats go to the vet and not come back the same."
The black one stepped up. "We know that you can't go back, either."
Deer looked around longingly. "I have always wondered what the forest would be like."
The black one nodded thoughtfully. "That is good."
The ginger one mewed, "You are probably wondering who we are, young one."
Deer nodded enthusiastically.
"I am Gingerstar, leader of the Shadow Cats," the ginger one said, "and this is Screamecho, my deputy."
Screamecho nodded solemnly.
Deer looked with wide eyes from side to side. "What are the Shadow Cats?"
"We are a group of cats who live in the forest," Screamecho answered. "We are in a war against another group, the Star Cats, and the Shadows need recruits."
Deer thought this over. "Wait. You said Shadow Cats and Star Cats, right?"
Gingerstar nodded.
"So you're the Shadow Cats, forces of darkness and evil, I'm guessing, and Star Cats are the other way around?"
Screamecho waited a long time before nodding tightly.
"And you're asking me to join the forces of darkness and evil?"
Gingerstar hissed. "The Star Cats have grown greedy and have killed many of our loyal warriors. They killed our noble leader Jaggedstar without a scratch on them, and before that, Raggedwhisker, our loyal deputy. I am proud to follow in Jaggedstar's paw steps."
Deer stepped back.
Screamecho was sheathing and unsheathing her claws impatiently. "So yes, we want you to join," she said.
Deer could only nod.
She couldn't go back and she certainly wouldn't go to the murderous Star Cats.
Gingerstar smiled again. "Now, it's Deer, right?"
Deer nodded, suddenly suspicious. "How do you know my name?"
"We've been watching you," answered Screamecho. "We know how you watch the forest from those weird hard, clear panels in your den."
Deer suppressed a smirk. "Windows?"
Gingerstar nodded dismissively.
"Come," she said, "we must be getting back."
Deer followed them back through the forest, hopping over streams, scrabbling over logs, until Gingerstar and Screamecho stopped abruptly.
Gingerstar turned to her. "We are nearing camp."
"Are you sure you want to join?" Screamecho asked, her gaze blank.
Deer had a mental discussion with herself before nodding firmly.
Gingerstar turned and led the way through a swathe of bracken.
Deer followed the well-trodden path and suddenly found herself in a wide clearing with bushes and rocks lining the sides. Near a swathe of ferns lay a gray she-cat with a belly full of kits.
Around the rest of the clearing lay cats, some were practicing techniques, others were laughing together, and still others were telling stories of great adventures.
Near a large crack in the stone side of the camp wall stood a russet-colored she-cat talking with mischief in her eyes to a gray tom.
Slowly, cats began to look her way questioningly.
Deer held her white head high as they gave her chain collar disgusted looks.
Gingerstar leaped onto a large stone that sat in the center of the camp.
"Cats of the Shadows," she yowled. "Please join beneath the Shade Rock for a meeting!"
Screamecho nudged Deer up onto the Shade Rock, and interest glinted in the eyes of the gathered cats below.
"We have a new recruit!" announced Gingerstar.
Murmurs swept from the cats below, and suspicion flared in their eyes.
A bluish white she-cat with a strange thing on her head hissed, "She's got a collar!"
Gingerstar nodded. "I have, in fact, recruited a kittypet."
Hisses erupted from the cats.
"Silence!" hissed Screamecho.
A tentative voice spoke up. "Maybe we should hear her out." It was a blue and gray she-cat.
The hisses quieted down and Gingerstar spoke again. "This kittypet has proven herself time and time again. She escaped from her twolegs and has agreed to join us. She kept up on the journey home, and has understood why we must appose the Star Cats.
"I give her unto our ancestors and Snowspirit alike and grant her a place in the Shadows. May you hear me and approve my choice."
The cats had grown quiet with anticipation.
Gingerstar scanned the cats then let her gaze rest on Deer.
"I, Gingerstar of the Shadow Cats, grant you, Deer, formerly a lowly kittypet–" Deer bristled "–a new name to honor your coming into this group. From this day until, if you prove yourself, you earn your full warrior name, you shall be known as…" Gingerstar contemplated for a moment, then came to an agreement with herself. "As Shardpaw, in honor of your gray-and-silver pelt."
Deer stood a little taller as she thought over her new name. She rolled it over her tongue and reminded herself to think of herself as Shardpaw from now on.
"Shardpaw," Gingerstar continued, "your mentor will be…" she scanned the cats again, her gaze finally resting on a red and brown tom who had his head lifted defiantly. "Your mentor will be Pineneedle."
The tom rose and padded to the base of the Shade Rock. Gingerstar nudged Shardpaw and she bounded off the Shade Rock and down to meet him. He had a twinkle in one eye and he winked at her as he bent to touch her nose.
Shardpaw stretched up to touch her nose to his, then pulled away.
Gingerstar was about to announce the end of the meeting when the bluish white she-cat spoke again.
"Why should we just accept her, just like that? You know, she is a kittypet!"
Shardpaw bristled.
Gingerstar spoke smoothly and measuredly. "Skyrim, I know that she was a kittypet once, but I need you to accept that we need recruits to fight the Star Cats. Or have you forgotten? Sided with them all of a sudden?"
Skyrim flinched visibly. "Never!" she spat. "I would never fight for those fleabags!"
"Then act like it." hissed Gingerstar dismissively, and with that, she flicked her tail and retreated to her den.
"Well," said Pineneedle as he turned to her, "it seems we should have you meet the other apprentices."
Shardpaw nodded as they made their way across the clearing.
"Mind you, they're becoming warriors later this moon, but I want you to meet them."
They reached the other side of the clearing, where a silver she-cat was laying coolly on a tree stump, talking sharply to a tawny tom.
"This," announced Pineneedle, motioning to the silver she-cat, "is Crimsonpaw. She's talking to Jackalpaw, here."
The silver she-cat sneered and made her way into the den, and Jackalpaw studied Shardpaw for a moment before meowing, "Sorry about Crimsonpaw." And following.
Pineneedle shook his head and padded over to a yellow and orange she-cat and a black tom and meowing, "These are Amberpaw and Jaguarpaw."
Amberpaw smiled before turning back to Jaguarpaw, and Jaguarpaw held up a paw in greeting.
Pineneedle turned back to Shardpaw. "Anyways," he said, "I'll show you around camp."
He led her to the swathe of bracken where the gray she-cat was still laying. "Hey, Lingeringspirit!" he called.
Shardpaw put all the names into the back of her mind, hoping to remember them.
"Hello, Pineneedle!" the she-cat replied. "How's your apprentice settling in?"
"Good," replied Pineneedle as he touched his nose to hers.
"Has she met the other apprentices?"
"Yes. Crimsonpaw didn't take too kindly to sharing a den with a kittypet." Pineneedle admitted.
Lingeringspirit sighed. "Well, she'd better go meet Fireflower."
Pineneedle nodded. "See you around, Lingeringspirit!" he called as he and Shardpaw bounded away.
They headed across the clearing to the crack in the stone. Outside sat a yellow-and-orange she-cat and an old ginger she-cat.
"Hello, Rowanfeather!" Pineneedle greeted the ginger she-cat.
Rowanfeather dipped her head. Her eyes were a deep blue, and they were filled with wisdom and experience. They also had tinges of sadness and loneliness, but she smiled anyways.
When she spoke, her voice was a kind, soft treble. "Greetings, Pineneedle. Young Shardpaw." She dipped her head to Shardpaw, as well.
The yellow-and-orange she-cat mewed, "Greetings, Pineneedle and Shardpaw. I am Fireflower." She dipped her head to Shardpaw, and then slipped into the crack.
"I suppose I should be off, then," Rowanfeather sighed. "I have some watermint to collect, as we're low on it."
Pineneedle dipped his head and led Shardpaw back to the apprentices' den.
"You should get some rest, Shardpaw."
Shardpaw nodded. "But aren't I going to meet the older cats?"
Pineneedle sat down heavily. "The reason you met Lingeringspirit is because she is a mother, nursing or expecting kits. The reason you met Rowanfeather and Fireflower is because they're medicine cats, and they treat others' wounds and are deeply respected. You would need to know them.
"You met Crimsonpaw, Jackalpaw, Jaguarpaw, and Amberpaw because they're apprentices and you'll be sharing a den with them. You'll meet the warriors later. It'll come, in time."
With that, Pineneedle ushered her inside the den and retreated to his own nest.
Shardpaw padded into the den and looked around. It wasn't roomy, but it wasn't cramped, either. She scraped together a nest from grass and moss, reminding herself to make a better one tomorrow. She curled up beside Amberpaw and Crimsonpaw.
"You're kidding me!" Shardpaw heard Crimsonpaw hiss in annoyance. She chose to ignore it.
So we've got our designated jerk and our designated main character. Be prepared for some action in the next chapter, and some serious character building. :3
~Catrsun
