AN: I'm off to church to celebrate the birth of Christ. Anyone who isn't aware of the truth behind Christmas should really read the real stories (not the ones department stores came up with). I can't believe how many kids these days don't know the true story :( But than a lot of parents never tell them or don't go to church themselves...Erm, I'm kind of rambling again. Sorry 'bout that, I'm a bit...obnoxious? Anyways, have a wonderful Christmas everyone, and hope to see more reviews as a present! Oh, and happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate that as well :D

Chapter 6

Days had passed before any signs of the forest loomed ahead. The group had been moving at a steady pace, unable to stay behind for much longer. Rogues had been coming in and out of Twolegplace, challenging those who were weaker. The rogues who'd chosen to leave traveled together in a large group. Leading them was an older looking dark brown tabby, and behind him was a ginger tom with muscles that pulsed beneath his pelt. Both of them were determined to reach their destination, no matter what happened.

"Flamespirit, you'll be surprised how much your sister has grown," the dark brown tabby meowed when an uneasy silence had fallen over the group. The ginger tom's eyes lit up with interest, but he was more curious to find out what had happened to his Clanmates. "And of course there are new apprentices in the Clan. Stonepaw, Shrewpaw and Fogpaw have become apprentices while you were gone." This time the ginger tom looked more surprised than anything else, though he knew that changes would have been made. Stonepaw and his brothers had been close to six moons when Flamespirit was kidnapped by the rogues. "Poppyfrost moved back to the nursery, and Squirrelflight..." The dark brown tabby paused when he mentioned his former mate's name.

Suddenly he shook his head and moved at a faster pace, as if the mention of Squirrelflight had brought upon him a painful memory. Flamespirit tilted his head to one side when he noticed the sudden tension. It seemed as though his leader had not forgiven Squirrelflight for lying to him. The two of them had stayed away from each other for reasons Flamespirit would rather avoid. Forbidden love was frowned upon in the Clans. Lying about it only made things worse if it was found out.

"I'm sure something is bothering him," Flamespirit muttered with a shake of his head. Beside him was a silver she-cat with gray patches around her legs and back. She glanced at him uneasily, unsure of what to say. She was learning fast what Clan life had to offer her. Flamespirit was surprised that she'd chosen to join the rogues that were leaving. She'd lived a harsh life among the rogues that were led by a vicious cat who ruled the streets of Twolegplace. It was Willow who'd told Flamespirit of his past, and who he really was. She had the power to wipe out memories, and create new ones. It was a gift and a curse that the leader of the rogues had given them.

"How much longer will it take?" A she-cat with a badly burned pelt was pacing behind them. Her amber eyes were gleaming with curiosity when she looked at Flamespirit accusingly.

"Not much," the dark brown tabby replied over his shoulder.

For a moment Flamespirit wondered how his leader - Bramblestar - could figure out where to go. He quickly pushed the thoughts away and pressed against Willow, who's leg was drawn up.

Her wounds had been bleeding heavily the day before. When Willow had fought in the battle against the rogues, one of them had attacked her legs. It left her in a vulnerable position, but Bramblestar had saved her. After the battle her wounds had been treated with herbs, but that didn't seem to be enough. Now Flamespirit could see that the limp was getting worse. Her wound didn't show signs of infections. But he knew that it wouldn't take much for infection to spread and take over. Without the help of a medicine cat, Willow's life could slip away in the next few days.

Soon trees began to take over what had been smaller Twoleg nests. Despite the clouds that filled the sky, the air felt dry. Cold breezes ruffled Flamespirit's pelt as he padded after Bramblestar. By now the dark brown tabby had slowed his pace. He looked over his shoulder to see if any cats were left behind. Much to his relief, nothing seemed to happen to the group. Flamespirit could understand why he was more concerned about cats falling behind. They were in unknown territory, which meant if they got lost, there was no way of returning. Bramblestar had ordered some of the toms to leave scent markers for those who had keen noses. Those cats were doing as he told, though they looked reluctant to follow his orders.

"We will rest here for the night," Bramblestar meowed when they reached a small patch of trees. Hiding in the trees would provide better protection for the group. The Twolegs wouldn't find them, and they were protected by owls and hawks. "Queens guard your kits - owls are always looking for something to snack on," he added as the rogues began to circle the crowded bushes.

The queens stared at him in alarm. If an attack did happen, the group would protect them. Flamespirit knew that some of these cats were mates. Kits that were barely a moon old were herded into the bushes, where their mothers would keep watchful gazes on them. Only a few kits were in the group though, much to Flamespirit's relief. Most of the cats were younger rogues who were willing to take change. The rest had stayed behind near Twolegplace, where they could find peace of fight over who would rule.

"I wonder what the new territory will be like?" Willow wondered out loud when she looked at Flamespirit. Her yellow eyes - eyes that had been clouded with pain and unease for the past moon - were now gleaming with interest. Flamespirit felt his heart warm once more as he thought back to how they met. At first he'd shown interest in Fleck, a she-cat from Twolegplace who'd been a good friend of his. But when Willow had told Flamespirit her story, he knew she was the one. Just the very thought of Willow made Flamespirit's muscles weaken. "I've been to the lake with Stain - I wonder where she's gone by the way..." Willow sounded as though her mind was wandering.

"The new territory will be full of prey for us to hunt," Flamespirit replied, hoping he sounded confident. "We'll all have warrior names and..." He broke off when he thought of which Clans they would join. None of the Clans would accept cats that had tried to attack them. If worse came to worse, the rogues would be chased out. He couldn't let that happen, not if it meant risking the lives of innocent kits. "We have a Clan," he added in a whisper.

Willow stared at him in surprise. "You know they won't appreciate you calling them warriors," she whispered back.

"They must accept this change," Flamespirit hissed. "These rogues will be chased out, killed possibly for harming the Clans or intruding on Clan territory. I know ShadowClan won't accept them. Creating a new Clan is mousebrained, and will be frowned upon by the other Clans, but we have no choice. ThunderClan is already too large for it's own good."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Willow mewed. Her ears were flattened as she looked around the rogues that were pacing around the ferns.

Flamespirit knew that eventually she would see that it was a good plan. Forming a Clan was the only option for the rogues who were willing to join one. One way or another, the Clans would have to accept the change as well. Bramblestar's stories of SkyClan rang in his ears, and something told Flamespirit that he could use the story against the other Clans.

...

The following morning was filled with unease as the group made their way towards open territory. Beyond that was a valley that Bramblestar had told them about. According to the ThunderClan leader, the Clans would already be there. If that was the case, than the group would have to be prepared. An idea had come to Flamespirit while he was sleeping. He knew it was foolish to wait any longer, but it would keep the rogues safe from harm. When he'd made his suggestion to Bramblestar, the leader had been skeptical at first. Eventually Bramblestar had agreed that waiting was the best option. At least at a Gathering the Clans would be at peace.

A few trees grew around the valley, where Flamespirit was certain hawks would hide. He'd ordered the queens to keep their kits close. Hawks or other predators would take advantage of such a large group. If worse came to worse, only a couple of kits would be lost during the journey. Flamespirit didn't like the idea of losing kits, but sometimes sacrifices needed to be made.

His thoughts were distracted by the sounds of fluttering wings against the thick grass that grew underpaw. The ginger tom looked around, searching for the prey that had made a deadly mistake. His amber eyes narrowed into tiny slits when he padded towards the noise that grew louder with each pawstep.

To his surprise, a sparrow was hopping around the grassy field, acting as though no predator could catch it. Normally there weren't cats in this field, so he couldn't really blame it for behaving this way. The sparrow continued it's foraging, hunting for insects that strayed too close to the ground. It remained unaware of the predator hiding nearby - Flamespirit knew that it would be caught. The fur along his spine rippled as he took another pawstep forward. The sparrow suddenly lifted it's head, tilting it's beak towards where Flamespirit was hiding. His ears pricked forward in alarm as he realized that the sparrow had detected his presence. Within a heartbeat the sparrow was gone, flapping it's wings until it was out of reach.

Frustration swelled within Flamespirit as he looked at the branch the sparrow had landed on. Any other day would have been normal for him - hunting without problems and not having to worry about whether or not the Clan or rogues would be fed. Now he felt as though the rogues' safety rested on his shoulder.

"Bad luck." He froze when he heard the familiar voice. Willow was padding towards him, yellow eyes gleaming with interest when she looked up at the lucky sparrow. By now it seemed to know that it was out of danger. Now it was flapping it's wings once more, mocking Flamespirit as it flew away. "Sparrows are always harder to catch, especially in grassy plains like this," she added when she sat down behind him.

"The group has already gone ahead," Flamespirit muttered when he looked towards where the group had been. "Are you sure you want to fall behind?"

Willow looked down at her paws, as if the words had struck her like claws. "I've...never actually been ahead," she replied. "My father always pushed me to the back, and my brothers were always the ones who succeeded in every hunt. That's why I left my family. I couldn't stand them - not my brothers, my father, or even my mother. When I met the Leader, everything changed. He showed me what it was like to have power over others...I took it for granted." A shudder coursed through Willow as she relayed her story.

"The leader took advantage of you," Flamespirit hissed. His claws scraped against the ground as he imagined the leader taking advantage of a cat as young as Willow. The leader had been crafty, and used the weakness of an enemy against them. Because of his gifts, he'd done terrible things to the rogues that were now traveling with them.

Willow didn't meet Flamespirit's gaze, though he could see the pain in her eyes. It looked as though every memory of her past was coming back. In ways Flamespirit wished the leader could be killed once more, or at least taught a lesson in the place where evil cats went.

Together the two of them returned to where the rogues were traveling, unaware of the relationship that had been formed between them. Flamespirit knew that in his heart, Willow was a good cat. She'd just been placed in bad situations. Maybe StarClan would see to it that she was given a time of peace after this journey.