The next morning started off as it usually did. Silver and I finished off the saved prey we had before Oak could see it, and set out to hunt. We caught a few mice and a vole or two, and brought them back to our camp. Oak was waiting and he took them down to Mother to attempt to entice her to eat.
Silver glanced at me. His eye was still swollen shut, and was crusted with a sort of yellowish substance, although it still oozed with infection. I was just about to ask him how his eye felt when the sound of a twig snapping caused me to whip around.
Three cats, all lean and muscular, stood two tail-lengths away. Silver and I were startled, but didn't show any signs of aggression. There was no way we could beat them in a fight. And Oak wasn't out of the tree-nest yet, so it was up to us. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, the largest cat cut me off.
"Greetings," he rumbled, dipping his head to me and Silver. He was very large, and had dark brown tabby fur with orange eyes. A scar ran along his flank, a vicious battle wound. "My name is Gorgefur, and this is Redblossom and our deputy, Nettleclaw." The tom, Gorgefur, gestured to the cats with him.
Redblossom was a bright, red-orange, but redder, cat with dark, green eyes. She had a slight tabby to her, and a nice enough face. Nettleclaw, the "deputy", was a dirty yellow color with brown eyes. He had white splattered all over him, as well as a nicked ear. His lips were curled back in a snarl.
"I'll speak for us, Gorgefur. I am the deputy, after all," Nettleclaw spat, stalking up to us. "Who are you anyway, trespasser?"
"And I'll speak for us," snarled Oak. He had emerged from Mother's nest, and his hackles were raised. He unsheathed his claws and stalked over to where Silver and I were standing. We backed up, letting Oak take the floor, although I was reluctant. "Who are you?"
"Who are we? We are Rainclan cats, and you are in Rainclan territory, rogue."
"This is Gorgefur, Redblossom, and Nettleclaw," I murmured to my brother. "They haven't done anything to us."
Oak didn't acknowledge me. Instead, he snarled at Nettleclaw. "We have every right to be here, mange-pelt."
Nettleclaw hissed, baring his fangs. "What is your name?"
"What's it to you?"
"Nettleclaw!" a weak voice snarled from behind us. We turned. There stood Mother, claws out, teeth bared. Her hackles were raised, although she shook. Her eyes, so bare and lifeless for days, were blazing with fury.
Nettleclaw laughed. "I thought we'd gotten rid of you for good!" Gorgefur and Redblossom looked on in wonder.
"Mother? You know these cats?" I asked searching Mother's face for an explanation. She gave none.
"Ah, kits, too?" Nettleclaw sneered. "My, oh, my."
Mother said nothing, but the fire seemed to go out of her. She gazed evenly at the Rainclan cats. "Yes, these are my kits. And you won't hurt them." She sat down heavily. Oak went to her, murmuring in her ear. His tail lashed with anger, his green eyes full of fury.
I rounded on the Rainclan cats. This was our chance to help Mother, and Silver seemed to know it, too. "My name is Bird, and this is my brother Silver and my oldest brother Oak. Our mother is very hurt- do you know where we can find someone to help?"
Nettleclaw guffawed. "Oak? This is just too good!"
But Redblossom and Gorgefur shot him a look. "We'll take you back to our camp," Redblossom meowed. "Littleberry can help." I nodded my head, glancing at Silver. He dipped his head back at me, before turning around to get Oak and Mother.
Oak ran up to me, snarling like crazy. "You told them our names?"
"We need help, Oak. Besides, we can take them if it's a trick." I didn't believe this last part, but I knew Oak would. He snarled again, baring his fangs, before turning back to mother. Together, he and Silver helped Mother to her paws, supporting her through the forest around us. They approached the Rainclan cats and I. Nettleclaw gave Redblossom a quick view of his fangs before bounding away.
Redblossom said nothing, but gestured that we should follow her. We did, with Gorgefur bringing up the rear. It was a slow moving procession, but soon enough the scent of other cats began to fill my nose. There were so many, and all together! She-cats and toms, kits and old cats, living together in harmony.
Clan. The word pounced on my consciousness, filling up my thoughts. The word is clan. I looked back at my brothers. Silver was sniffing the air, murmuring softly to either himself or Mother. Oak was just angry, his tail lashing back and forth. I limped after the- the clan cats.
Nettleclaw was waiting for us by a large rock. Gorgefur trotted ahead to speak to the furious deputy. The two exchanged words briefly, before they both approached our sad little parade.
"I've informed Bearstar of your presence," Nettleclaw said, arrogant head thrown way up. "He wants to see you three in his den. Your mother is to receive immediate treatment." With that, he bounded through an opening between two large rocks. Redblossom followed quickly, giving me a final friendly smile before disappearing. I went next.
I squeezed through, and found that the walls were outlined by brambles. Only one cat could pass through at a time this way, unless you scrambled over the top of the two rocks. The path led down slightly, and required some skill to navigate.
Finally, the narrow tunnel gave way to a large clearing. It was more of a small valley, but rockier. The sun streamed down into the clearing, lighting up everything. The camp was surrounded by the huge rocks we had just passed through, but was flanked behind by huge, rocky hills. The bottom of the camp was sandy, but had places of smooth stone to sun. There were large and shallow caves dug out everywhere, and cat milled about as though they had nowhere to go and all day to get there.
Curious eyes watched me descend after Redblossom, who was greeted by a tom I didn't know. The two padded off together, tail entwined. Something inside of me was triggered by this. I twinge of jealousy. At that moment, I couldn't tell you what about.
I turned around to see Oak, followed by Mother and Silver, emerge from the tunnel. Oak paid the beautiful camp no mind, instead raising his hackles at all the unfamiliar cats. Silver looked around with his good eye, taking it all in. A faint smile was on Mother's face.
"Come, the medicine cat's den is this way," Gorgeclaw meowed, beckoning us with his tail. We followed nervously.
A small, orange cat met us when we reached the middle of camp. He had yellow eyes and white paws. A prominent tabby wound its way around his body, like many scars from being wrapped in bramble tendrils.
"Greetings," he meowed. "I'm Littleberry. My den is over there," he gestured to a large cave on the other side of camp, "and you may visit your mother whenever you want. However, I'd better take her. Bearstar wants to see you." He glanced at Mother in her sorry state. But something other than sorrow, pain, or even sympathy flashed in his eyes. If I was forced to give it a word, I'd call it guilt.
Oak snarled, not willing to part with Mother, leaving her with this strange cat. Instantly, three cats flanked Littleberry.
"They have instructions to keep you three in line," meowed the medicine cat sadly. "I wish it weren't so. Ever since your mother… well, and Nettleclaw…" He glanced at us warily. "Mintpaw! Come and help me!"
A snow white cat peeked out of the den. She was younger than I and very small still. She scampered over to Littleberry. Together, they helped my mother away. The three cats nodded towards a larger den, one located at the top of a rock pile, maybe from a rockslide.
"That's Bearstar's den," Gorgefur explained, guiding us that way. "He wants to see you."
"You've told us that a million times," growled Oak. Gorgefur said nothing, but leapt up the rocks and to the cave. We followed, although much less gracefully. Oak lead, tail high even as he slipped on the smooth boulders. I was next, focusing on my brother in front of me. Silver was right behind me, silent as snow.