Chapter 3

Thunderclan

Mary opened her eyes in a strange den. The walls were bramble, and her nest was made with moss, and lined with feathers. Her leg was wrapped up with cobwebs, and it didnt hurt. She looked around not seeing her kits. Then she saw a shadow at the corner of the den, where there was no light. "I-I didnt think I would ever see you again." The large shadow said. Mary growled and got up, her teeth showing. "Where are my kits?" She growled, walking towards the shadow.

"Our kits are outside playing with the other kits."

Mary gasped realizing who this was. "R-runt?" She whispered as he came out of the light. "No," He mewed," Runtwhisker. My new names Runtwhisker." He looked down at his large paws, and hissed in frustration. "Im sorry I left you but I coudnt deal with taking care of our kits. Im so sorry."

Mary winced and looked away. "Where am I?" She grumbled, her eyes wandering. Runtwhisker walked out of the den and nodded for her to come. She followed him slowly. It was around sunhigh, and we were in some sort of camp with lots of other cats. Shine, Tiger, and Scott were playing with 2 other kits, at a large pile of prey. She winced as her leg began to ach with huge amounts of pain. She runted and fell. A small she-cat came running up to her, as she was falling. "Runtwhisker i told you to keep her in her den!" The cat grunted as she helped Mary get up. "Im sorry Flowertail, I had to show her around. She wanted to see her kits." Flowertail grunted, annoyed, and nudged me to the den I was in before. "Wait!" Mary mewed stopping. "Where. Am. I." She growled looking around the sunlight filled camp. It was was hard to describe but it looked like carved out stone. It looked as if house folk had done it. They probly had.

Runtwhisker nudged her, his eyes kind. "Your in Thunderclan. You and your kits are safe. You don't have to worry." He said slightly pushing her towards the den. She hissed at him, and she backed away. "Why am I here?" She mewed at the she-cat called Flowertail. Flowertail smiled, her blue eyes kind. "You are hurt, your kits would have died if Lovepaw hadent been hunting that fox in the first place. Your safe here." She said,and geasured to the den with bramble walls.

Mary shook her head and called for her kits. They squealed, and raced to their mother.

"Mom it's so fun here! We get to be apprentices and fight and kill other cats!"

"Mummy Redstar said we can go out into the woods!"

"Moma! Moma! Lovepaw saved us i wanna be just like her!"

Mary blinked overwhelmed. "Ok everyone who is gonna kill other cats? You are surely not. We are leaving. Now." She growled and grabbed her kits. She began to rise, but her legs collapsed under her, and she fell. Her kits growled as they were dropped and ran away, again playing with the other kits.

Runtwhisker smiled as they ran off, and turned to Mary. "Mary, you can't leave your to hurt. You will have to stay here until you are ready, but it seems your kits like it here." He mewed and Mary noticed something. He never once said in front of Flowertail, that they were their kits, not just hers. "Well I don't even know you cats, how can i trust you? Whats an apprentice, and who the heck is Redstar?" She mumbled unhappy.

Flowertail brushed past Runtwhisker, who had gotten rather close to Mary, and sat down beside the worried she-cat. "Redstar is leader of Thunderclan, our little group of cats. We live together and peace, and share our food, have kits together, and care for each other. We are called a Clan. There are 4, Thunderclan, Windclan, Riverclan, and Shadowclan. Redstar is our leader, he makes us great. He has most of the responisbily." She said her eyes shining with understanding.

Mary looked away, thinking. "I want to speak with Redstar."