Chapter 2: Caught by the clan

I must have not rolled in my herbs long enough this time and I didn't really think about the strong winds that had been blowing all day. I didn't know if I should make a break for it or stay put. If I tried to run away, I would make so much noise fleeing the bush that everyone in the camp would probably hear me and start a pursuit, but if I stayed and another gust of wind were to blow, I would be dead meat for sure. "Aww man, why can I never make up my mind?" I thought.

I moved to run since I'm decently fast and could have a chance to escape that way, but hesitated and ended up rustling the bushes and freezing up with terror. Almost every cat in the camp jerked around to my hiding spot and got into defensive stances, some even snarling. "Fox-dung!" I almost said out loud.

"Stonetail, Willowfrost, go see what's in the bush, now!" Talonstar harshly commanded. I turned and bolted out of the bush as fast as I could. I turned around to see how close the cats were, and if they were still following me at all. Just another stupid mistake from yours truly. As soon as I was turned, I tripped on an exposed tree root and fell flat on my face. As soon as I could lift my head, a large gray tom and dark brown she-cat were standing over me.

"So you're the little spy." The one I'm assuming is Stonetail snickered. Both cats had their claws unsheathed which made me all the more frightened.

"Come on Stonetail," the she-cat teased, "your way too quick to make assumptions, how about we take this 'little spy' back to camp and see what she has to say for herself."

I was still a little weak from my embarrassing face plant and so the clan cats had to hoist me up and support me back to the camp, with claws still unsheathed of course. "What am I going to do? What am I going to say. More importantly, what are THEY going to say?" I thought.

We finally arrived back at the camp and pushed our way through the bush. Automatically, I received hostile reactions. A few large cats hissed and arched their backs, making me shake out of my skin. I looked at the nursery as we passed by and overheard a little black kit asking his mother "Why does she smell like Emeraldwhisker? Was she stealing from us?"

The mother gently covered his mouth with her tail and said "Shh Ravenkit, we'll see in a minute."

When we got to the front of the crowd, their leader Talonstar was still up on the highrock sitting down with his yellow eyes narrowed at me. He simply said, " Speak."

Chapter 3: Explaining myself

Talonstar's POV

"Speak." I said plainly to the small gray she-cat with lighter silver specks all down her back. She started stuttering, trying to find the right words to say. After a few seconds she sat and bowed her head, "My name is Mint and I was just observing your clan rituals. I'm sorry if I upset you or you thought me an enemy or danger to your clan."

"Mint... could she be...? No, probably not." I thought remembering the prophecy that Emeraldwhisker spoke of not long ago. I looked down at her mint green eyes, staring at me and waiting for my reply. Even if she was the cat of the prophecy, if she wanted to leave, I wasn't going to stop her. "Besides," I told myself, "Nobody else here wants a loner anywhere near us, and wouldn't understand my choice."

Finally, I figured out what I had to say, "So, you are just a loner who was watching us out of curiosity? You seem harmless enough, but what you were, and are, doing is trespassing in our territory." I felt myself sigh a little, "Leave now, and do not wander into our territory again." I said with a slightly obvious bit of doubt in my voice.

She just nodded and turned to leave the way she came. Suddenly, she stopped and just stood there. "What is she doing?" I heard Willowfrost whisper to Stonetail.

She turned and looked back at me and suddenly it hit me like a badger claw as I recited a line of the prophecy in my head, "A gust of wind will reveal her presence..." I remembered the moments ago when I gave Cometflare her warrior name, the wind blew right before Stonetail caught her scent.

My thoughts were interrupted by Mint who held her head high and said, "I would like to join your clan." I was not surprised for some reason. Everyone bust out laughing, they were obviously amused.

Before anyone could say anything, she said with confidence, "I have a lot of skill with herbs, I'm a great runner, and I am pretty good at hiding"

"Yeah right, so good you get caught by the slightest gust of wind the first time you spy on us!" Stonetail mocked. Everyone was probably thinking the same thing, but something was telling me that this wasn't the first time she watched us, otherwise, why would she want to join the clan.

"That's what you think! I have been here watching quite a few ceremonies and such." She was obviously going to enjoy proving everyone wrong, provided she was telling the truth.

"Liar!" Stonetail snarled, "How can you prove that? How do we know that your not just trying to pull our legs?"

I was curious as well to know more about this loner, and so asked, "Yes, what have you seen?"

She looked glad to see me interested, "I have seen the apprentice ceremony for 3 kits who's names were Wildkit, Brightkit, and Poppykit. I have also watched as you grieved over Grayclaw's death. The time before this, I observed as many cats arrived back from a place you call the gathering and telling about how nothing much happened."

Everyone was now quietly whispering and waiting to hear what I would say. They probably were wanting me to turn her down and send her away but I would have to disappoint them this time, "So, you are honest. I believe that you have the talents you say you do," I stood up and raised my voice as loud as I could, "You may join us."

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