Ok, no reviews. Sigh…oh well, I'll just continue.
Disclaimer: The day I own Warriors is…is…forget it.
Chapter 2: RiverClan
"Forest, Forest, wake up!"
I snapped my eyes open. Birchpaw sat in front of me, a fish at her paws. "You slept all yesterday afternoon and night," she explained, nudging the fish towards me. I gulped it down.
"Thanks," I muttered, stretching and yawning. This was the first time I had slept comfortably for moons. "Did it stop raining?"
Birchpaw nodded, and hesitated before asking, "Since you have nothing else to do, can I show you around our camp?"
"If you want to," I meowed indifferently. I needed something to do, after all.
Her eyes lit up. "Great! Follow me."
First she led me into a large clearing where several cats were gathered, licking each other. "This is the main part of camp, where we rest and share tongues," Birchpaw explained.
"Share tongues?" I said, grimacing. That didn't sound too appealing.
Birchpaw laughed. "We groom each other and share the news of the day. Although some cats prefer to gossip," she added, flicking an ear towards a certain brown tabby she-cat who was whispering to her gray and white companion, all the while looking at me. I glared at her, and she quickly turned away.
"Over there," Birchpaw continued, pointing her tail, "is Brambleberry's den; she's our medicine cat. She excellent at healing cats when they're sick, and she interprets StarClan's omens fantastically, but she's also always good for a talk when you're upset." I was about to ask what StarClan was, but she just plowed on: "Mudpaw is her apprentice; he's Loudpaw's brother. Come on; let's go see if she's inside." Without waiting for my opinion, she sprinted off.
Inside, a pretty she-cat with white and black spotted fur was kneading some leafy stuff underneath her paws. She purred when we entered. "Hello, Birchpaw. And who is this?"
"I'm Forest," I meowed, trying desperately to get a word in before Birchpaw started chattering again. "I'm just staying here for a while."
"I see. Well, it's good for Birchpaw to have some female companionship of her own age for at least a little while. She gets quite lonely with only tom apprentices, and comes to bother me instead," teased Brambleberry.
"I never bother you!" protested Birchpaw, at which both the medicine cat and I laughed. Birchpaw swiped me playfully, then asked Brambleberry, "Where's Mudpaw?"
"Out collecting herbs. Brackentail's kitting isn't for a while yet, but her mother always kitted early, so I want to be prepared."
"Speaking of which," Birchpaw said, perking up, "I haven't shown Forest the nursery yet! Come on, Forest. Bye, Brambleberry!" And she was gone again.
"Goodbye, little one," Brambleberry chuckled. Turning her back to me and resuming kneading, she murmured in a low tone, "I would be very pleased if you would stay with us, here in RiverClan, Forest."
I was taken aback. Not knowing what to say to this, I stuttered, "Um…I should be going with Birchpaw. Bye."
"Goodbye," Brambleberry meowed quietly, still not facing me. With a queer feeling, I left.
Birchpaw was waiting for me at the entrance to another den. I could hear a small river rushing past on the other side. "In here, but be quiet," she warned, padding inside. I followed.
Two queens were inside: one with a tortoiseshell pelt, nursing a kit identical to Thrushstar, and one, heavily pregnant, with dark tabby fur.
"Who is this?" the dark she-cat asked suspiciously, narrowing her amber eyes at me.
I chose to let Birchpaw do the talking this time. "This is Forest, Brackentail," she meowed meekly. "She's visiting the camp."
"Visiting? What are we, some showcase clan? Is she a kittypet or a rogue?" Obviously, Brackentail's tongue was as sharp as her glare.
"Now, now, Brackentail, don't be nasty," the other queen chided gently. She took a thorough look at me, and then purred. "I think you must be a rogue. No kittypet is as thin as that. Am I right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," I mumbled uncomfortably.
"What was that?" Brackentail asked obnoxiously. "You can't ask her questions, Hazelcloud, she's as dumb as a mouse."
I bristled at that. It was one thing to have some cat suspicious of you, but to be called dumb and mousy…"And I suppose you are the smartest cat around? If so, I shudder to meet the rest of your Clan."
Hazelcloud gaped openly. Birchpaw stifled a giggle. Brackentail was shocked into a rare silence. "Is there anything else to see?" I asked Birchpaw, and walked out without an answer.
"That was…great!" Birchpaw laughed hysterically. "Stupid, but great!"
"Since when did a cat like that ever become a mother?" I asked, basking in her approval.
"Yeah, she is pretty prickly, but you should see her fight." Birchpaw whistled (A/N: I know cats can't really whistle, but this is fiction). "That alone is probably why Basilclaw is head over paws in love with her. And, I guess, because he's pretty prickly himself. Anyway, I was going to show you the stream by the nursery, where I bet Pebbleshine and her kits were, but I guess we shouldn't go back there until Brackentail has cooled off a bit. There isn't very much else to see, except the warm rocks over on the other side of the island. But I think the elders are relaxing out there, and we don't want-"
"Birchpaw, Forest, hello. What are you two doing?"
Thrushstar, flanked by a black and white tom, stood in front of us.
"Hello, Thrushstar. I was just showing Forest around the camp," Birchpaw meowed respectfully, dipping her head. I copied her, just to be safe.
"That was very good of you, Birchpaw. I believe Reedheart is looking for you, would you be so kind as to find him and see what he needs of you? I need to speak to Forest alone." Birchpaw obediently scampered away. Thrushstar turned to me. "Would you follow me to my den, please?"
I did so quietly, padding behind Thrushstar and the black and white tom. Ever so often he would glance my way with a highly mistrustful look.
When we got inside, Thrushstar looked at me right in the eyes. "Forest, it is time for you to make a very important decision. I know you have a home out in the forest, as you previously told me. I understand if you believe you must return immediately. However, yesterday Birchpaw told me of your remarkable fighting ability; and, you seem interested in RiverClan life, I take it?" I nodded. "So, I am willing to let you into RiverClan as an apprentice. Understand that this is an offer I do not make lightly. On the other hand, we are short on warriors and not many kits have been born this past newleaf. Do you accept my offer?"
To his utter surprise, I replied almost immediately. "Yes, Thrushstar, I do." A life away from Lester and the other barn idiots? I must be dreaming!
The black and white tom started to protest. "Thrushstar, don't you believe you should reconsider-?"
"No, Voleclaw, I don't," Thrushstar said firmly, and walked outside. With one last glare at me, Voleclaw followed him.
"Cats of RiverClan, gather beneath Stonepile!" Thrushstar yowled in a loud voice. His Clanmates responded almost immediately to his call, slipping out from dens and stretching up from their resting positions. I spotted Brackentail coming out from the nursery and purred to myself. What a surprise she would be getting!
"As you know, our Clan has not been great in number these past seasons. So I have decided to let this able young she-cat into our ranks," Thrushstar began. No outward reply was made by RiverClan (they respected their leader too much for that), but much muttering started to occur.
"From now on, this cat will be known as Forestpaw. Her mentor will be Thistlefoot." A black tom stepped forward hesitantly and bent to touch my nose. I automatically drew back. Embarrassment flashed in his eyes and he whispered, "I'm supposed to touch your nose to signify I'm your mentor."
"Oh," I muttered back, and let him do it. Angry murmurings from the Clan cats increased in tone. "She doesn't even know that!" whispered one, a voice I recognized as Brackentail's. But then I heard a louder voice, a clear one, shouting my name.
"Forestpaw! Forestpaw!"
It was Birchpaw. She was joined slowly by her brother, Crookedpaw. "Forestpaw! Forestpaw!" And then by Hazelcloud. "Forestpaw! Forestpaw!" Finally, the whole Clan was shouting it.
"Forestpaw! Forestpaw!"
I marveled at the strength they shouted it. And I secretly wondered to myself if, for once in my life, I could really belong.
R&R!
