(A/N: I would like to thank my awesome reviewers, once again. I'm now up to two (2) reviews! I'm hoping to have more next time. The key word in that setence "hoping". Anyway, here's the next 'part'--i.e. RiverClan's next chapter. We're back to square one....sort of. It's sort of just a filler, a built-up chapter if you will. Don't worry. I already have the next chapter all written up pretty much, so it'll be posted. It's about the Gathering. After that, we'll move on to WindClan....and I do think I'll have another cat get attacked/be killed. Feel free to say who you DON'T want to be killed, or who you DO. LOL. Anyway, here you go--chapter five (5).)


Chapter 5: Kittypets Kicked Out (RiverClan's chapter, part one [River2])

----Stoneclaw was once again out on patrol, but this time it was a hunting patrol and not a border patrol. They were near the Greenleaf Twolegplace, hunting in the stream that flowed through this part of their territory like a long, silver snake, flashing in the bright sunshine of this rare, sunny Leaf-bare day.

Graystar had led the patrol, and the pale gray tabby she-cat was fishing silently, hunched forward and watching the surface of the fast-moving water with her intense green eyes.

Suddenly, she lashed out and sent a large fish tumbling onto the bank. It flopped around for a minute, and then went still.

Swiftstream was with them again, luckily enough. Graystorm was off, training with his apprentice, Waterpaw, and couldn't come.

Blackspots was, unfortunately, still stuck in the Medicine Cat Den--staying still and hoping not to re-open his wounds, with Pebblestream and Skypaw doting on him.

So, yeah--all in all, their Clan was the smallest around the Lake. Stoneclaw didn't really know why it was like that, it just was.

Maybe that was why those scrawny, rabbit-chasers in WindClan were always trying to steal their territory--since they were a larger Clan and could beat them easily enough. Truth be told, they didn't actually NEED all of their territory, but it had belonged to them for generations, and they weren't about to give it up.

Suddenly, Stoneclaw got a funny, prickly feeling on the back of his neck. His hackles rose a bit out of fear and he whipped around. He looked around; trying to figure out what had been giving him that feeling.

He couldn't SEE anything, but he knew someone was there. He eyed the Greenleaf Twolegplace, looking for anything vaguely suspicious.

"What is it, Stoneclaw?" Graystar asked him, momentarily looking up--her eyes troubled.

"Nothing, Graystar. Wait, actually I want to go and check something out." he meowed in response, spotting a flash of dark gold near the lake edge.

"All right, but let us come with you. We already have a good catch." Graystar meowed back, dropping a slightly smaller fish on the bank.

Swiftstream quickly buried her catch, a water vole, and Stoneclaw buried his fish under a thin layer of the muddy dirt, and they all headed out to take a peek at whatever was creeping around on their territory....

***

Graystar followed Stoneclaw, who was padding ahead quickly--eyes set dead ahead and paws hitting the ground heavily.

"What is it we're looking for?" Swiftstream asked quietly, her gaze somewhat worried as she stared at Stoneclaw's broad shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure I saw a cat," Stoneclaw replied. "Its fur was too light to be a fox, but sort of golden." Swiftstream nodded, her green eyes still portraying fear, though.

"Well, if it's a ShadowClan cat that went a little too far over the border, we'll teach it a lesson. Don't attack it, but don't let it know you won't." Graystar meowed in response.

Stoneclaw suddenly stopped his brown tail lashing behind him and claws unsheathing, sinking deep into the soft earth.

"It's not a ShadowClan cat." he growled, then lifted his muzzle--sniffing the air avidly.

"What do you mean?" Swiftstream countered. "Is it the rogue that attacked Blackspots?"

"I'm not sure," he meowed quietly.

"Well, let's go ahead and see who it is already," Graystar meowed commandingly, and then loped ahead, racing in the direction of another short glimpse of tawny fur.

Stoneclaw quickly followed her, keeping stride, and Swiftstream ran a fox-length behind them.

Graystar leapt over a low-lying bush and she almost landed on a young she-cat, maybe apprentice-aged, who was eating a water vole by the edge of the lake.

The she-cat's tawny-colored eyes widened and her tail bristled. She just stood there, staring at them in shock.

Stoneclaw followed, growling lowly with his back somewhat arched, and Swiftstream came around calmly, weaving around the bush, and gave the she-cat a quick once over.

"This isn't the cat that attacked Blackspots," Swiftstream meowed confidently. "Look at her, she's as scrawny as a WindClan cat, except I'm pretty sure the wind would blow her over!"

"It doesn't matter. She stole prey. We should chase her off." Stoneclaw growled, and then bared his teeth threateningly at the loner.

"Calm down, Stoneclaw," Graystar mewed calmly, watching as the mottled golden tabby she-cat cowered, eyes as wide as can be.

Stoneclaw hissed, and then stalked off.

Swiftstream sighed, and then padded up slowly until she was less than a fox-length away from the young she-cat.

"My name is Swiftstream and I'm a warrior of RiverClan," she announced. "Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Ginger," the loner mewed weakly. "My housefolk kicked my brother and I out a few day ago. I'm sorry for bothering you, I was just hungry." she continued.

"And....is your brother here with you?" Graystar asked calmly.

Ginger nodded. "He's around here somewhere," she mewed in response, looking down at her paws.

Graystar eyed Ginger. Her pelt was longer, thick and somewhat dull from hunger, she supposed, and her body was small and boney, but if she ate a little more she'd look much like a RiverClan cat. Maybe this pathetic-looking cat was the answer to her prayers to StarClan? She sort of hoped not, but she couldn't be picky. After all, Firestar had been a kittypet at first, as had his nephew Cloudtail and many other noble warriors.

"I'm sort of surprised you caught that water vole by yourself," Graystar mewed calmly. "You did catch it by yourself, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Ginger nodded hurriedly. "Yes, I did," she replied, "It sort of ran right over my paws, though," she added sheepishly.

Graystar nodded. That's all she really needed to know. She hoped so, at least. Her Clan needed some fresh blood in it, after all.

"Well then, Ginger, how would you like to return to our camp with us?" she asked.

Ginger blinked owlishly at her, seemingly stunned. "What do you mean?" Ginger asked her.

Swiftstream took the initiative and started telling Ginger about Clan life--about the ranks and the different jobs of each, the way cats spent time together sharing tongues and eating prey, how elders and queens were taken care of.

Graystar was a little surprised, but quite pleased.

"I guess I'd like to come. It sounds wonderful." Ginger meowed quietly, eyes still big but now with a somewhat dreamy look in them. Obviously, Ginger thought her prayers at been answered, too.

Then Ginger's eyes widened slightly. "Could my brother come too?" she begged, her mew pleading.

Graystar nodded slowly, unsure if he was RiverClan material, too, but he might be needed. They needed new cats and fresh blood, fresh blood led to stronger, healthier Warriors. She supposed Ginger's brother looked a lot like her--like a RiverClan cat. She hoped he could catch prey like she could, though, and wasn't a soft kittypet.

***

Ginger led the cats to the Greenleaf Twolegplace, her steps careful and measured as she crept along the rocky lake edge, staying in the dense reeds.

"Is there any reason that we're hiding?" Stoneclaw asked irritably.

"Yes, there could be twolegs here. Some of them have decided to start visiting in leaf-bare." Ginger meowed in response.

Graystar winced. Hopefully they weren't mouse-brained enough to swim in the lake in this cold. Well, as long as they didn't scare off the fish or mess around on RiverClan's territory....they weren't her problem.

"Here we are." Ginger padded towards a hole in the Twoleg nest, or whatever the odd place was. It reeked of old fish, crow-food, and a weird, sharp and sour smell that made her gag.

"Wait here." Ginger slipped in without looking back, her golden pelt going dark in the shadows, then disappearing altogether.

After a few moments, Graystar was getting antsy.

But, then Ginger padded back out, a cobweb stuck on her right shoulder and her fur somewhat dusty. A broad-shouldered, light brown, faintly marked by thin, darker tabby-stripes, tom followed her. He was much bigger than Ginger, if still boney and underfed, and his tail was somewhat bushy and he had somewhat intense muddy-yellow eyes.

"Hello," he growled quietly, his mew gruff and deep.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Graystar, the leader of RiverClan." Graystar blinked at the tom, hoping for a good response.

"I know you are. Ginger told me about you and what you wanted us to do." the tom meowed sullenly.

"Um, well, what's your name?" Swiftstream asked.

Ginger's brother grunted. "Does it matter?" he asked them. "You said you'd change it anyway," he commented.

Stoneclaw growled quietly. "Just tell us your name, please," he snapped, the please somewhat sarcastic.

"My name is Marcus, okay?"

"That's an interesting name." Graystar stated neutrally.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Blame my housefolk for my mouse-brained name." Marcus snapped, tail lashing.

"Okay, everyone just calm down. You two need a home and RiverClan needs more cats--it's a win-win situation, as long as we are all rational." Swiftstream meowed curtly.

Graystar and Ginger both nodded. "That makes sense." Ginger mewed quietly. Marcus snorted, but he didn't say anything bad. Stoneclaw just stalked off, heading back for camp....

***

Sootpaw hissed as a foreign smell hit his nose. His jaws parted and he scented the air. He smelled the stench of a kittypet, or maybe even two--so much like two-legs.

Leopardclaw tensed beside him, where he was crouched down on the ground eating a plump shrew.

In a few moments, Graystar, Stoneclaw, Swiftstream, and two young cats, a mottled golden tabby she-cat and a light brown tabby tom--the kittypets Sootpaw had scented--came into camp.

"Who are THEY?" Waterpaw, Graystorm's apprentice, asked—while nodding to the mottled golden tabby and ignoring the aggressive-looking tom.

"Her name is Ginger," Graystar meowed in response, "and she is the newest member of RiverClan."

Stoneclaw grumbled under his breath, and then stalked off for the Medicine Cat Den, to check on Blackspots and get away from that kittypets Graystar had just welcomed into their camp. Everyone else was in stunned silence.

"What?!" Sootpaw yowled finally, amber eyes wide in shock. "You're letting TWO kittypets into RiverClan? What are we--turning into ThunderClan?"

Leopardclaw cuffed Sootpaw over the head. "No questioning your Leader." He looked up at Graystar with a confused look, though.

Graystar sighed loudly and jumped up on the sandy mound in the middle of camp, to speak.

"All cats old enough to catch your own prey, gather beneath...."

Sootpaw tuned out Graystar's yowl, and just sat down, letting out a huff, beside Leopardclaw, who had momentarily abandoned his prey to sit in the shadows of the hard-packed earth rise that Graystar stood upon proudly.

"We all know RiverClan is vulnerable--very vulnerable. Both ShadowClan and WindClan have been taking advantage of us recently--ShadowClan cats have been seen fishing from OUR lake and WindClan has been attempting to gain our territory, little by little." Graystar meowed loudly.

Graystar's loud yowls caused Riverwillow to peek out of the Elder's Den, and then come padding out, Pebblestream and Skypaw to come from the Medicine Cat Den, and made Mistypelt pad out from the Nursery with her kits close behind her.

"That's true. But why did you bring a kittypet into our camp? Not to question your judgment, but I'm curious, Graystar." Riverwillow mewed, her voice still as smooth as the lake's surface in the morning--which would be without a single ripple.

"I figured we needed some new blood, and since Ginger here was able to catch a water vole--without training, something few apprentices could even do--and was honest about how easy the catch truly was, as the patrol had probably scared the water vole out into the open, I figured she would be a good asset to our Clan. She agreed to join our ranks, as well." Graystar explained slowly, her mew carefully level.

Riverwillow nodded.

"And Marcus here was able to catch a mouse on the way here, too. Swiftstream gave him a few tips and he was able to make a catch immediately. He seems like a good hunter, as we got to see him in action--and since he is her brother, we wanted both of them to stay together." she continued.

"That makes sense, I suppose--just as long as you don't become as lenient as Firestar. He let in a few too many kittypets into ThunderClan, in my opinion."

"Don't worry about that. I just chose her, also, because she seemed to be RiverClan material. She looks much like one of our cats. Marcus looks more like a ThunderClan, cat, though, but he seems able to learn. But, I doubt once the scent goes away any of the other Clans could tell the difference." Graystar promised.

"May I say something?" Skypaw asked softly.

Graystar blinked, sort of surprised. Skypaw normally kept to himself. "Sure."

"Last night I dreamt of Mothwing. She didn't say anything, really. It was so muddled up and I hardly remember it. But, she looked a lot like Ginger." Skypaw was watching Ginger as he spoke, eyes curious.

"Well, then. It seems StarClan wanted me to let Ginger into our Clan." Graystar seemed happy that she'd made the right choice for once, and slightly relieved at the news.

"Maybe," Riverwillow mewed very softly, her eyes downcast.

Graystar knew the elderly queen was proud--and didn't like the fact that RiverClan wasn't the large, bustling Clan it had been in her youth, or that they had to sink to taking in kittypets to keep their Clan big enough and strong enough to keep other Clans from stealing their prey and maybe even territory.

"Will I really have to change my name?" Ginger asked quietly, shuffling her paws and speaking for the first time. She'd been sort of hiding behind the equally quiet Swiftstream, who seemed thoughtful.

"Yes, but I'm sure you'll like it," Graystar meowed calmly.

Ginger nodded slowly. "I never really liked the name my housefolk gave me."

"Good. Now, you must know, Ginger, once you're given your name you belong to this Clan and you can't have a paw in both worlds--you'll either be a warrior, or go back to being a kittypet. You can't be both." Graystar meowed firmly, her eyes slightly narrowed and her gaze searing.

Ginger gulped. "Okay."

"Now, Ginger, from this day forward until you get your warrior name you will be known as Sunpaw. Swiftstream will be your mentor." Graystar yowled, her mew carrying throughout RiverClan's camp.

Sun paw fluffed up a little, her eyes excited as Swiftstream explained what to do next. She quickly shifted and placed her nose to Swiftstream's shoulder, as Swiftstream rested her chin momentarily on the top of Sunpaw's head.

Graystar purred quietly. "And, Marcus, the same goes for you. Warriors don't accept the soft life of a kittypet." she meowed loudly. Marcus just nodded curtly, brown-flecked yellow eyes piercing.

Graystar shifted, her tail flicking behind her. "From this day forward, you will be known as...."

***

Marcus looked up expectantly, waiting on an answer, but Graystar's eyes were suddenly glazed over and unfocused--like she was seeing something that wasn't there. Quickly, Graystar snapped out of it, shaking her head fast, like she was trying to clear her thoughts.

"From now on until you get your warrior name you will be called Mudpaw. Your mentor will be me." Graystar meowed calmly.

Mudpaw blinked. He'd been pretty sure she'd been about to call him something else, but he shrugged it off as nothing. Sunpaw nudged him, smiling a little. "You get to be the leader's apprentice! Waterpaw just told me that was very special!" she meowed hurriedly. He grinned back at her weakly, then glanced over at Waterpaw--who was yowling both of their apprentice names. Well, she seemed nice.

Only Swiftstream, Skypaw, Leopardclaw, and Graystorm were, otherwise. Stoneclaw was silent, glaring at him, Pebblestream looked thoughtful, and Sootpaw seemed confused. Well, at least that was about half the Clan, then....


(A/N: R&R, please?)