Stripe-Outside of ShadowClan Territory
I flattened myself to the ground the way Lionblaze had showed me. The mouse wouldn't stand a chance. Quick as a flash, I leapt at it, killing it with one paw. I bit into the meat, savoring the taste.
I didn't notice the branches rustling. A cat emerged from the brambles. She was the prettiest cat I'd ever seen, with black and silver fur. Her eyes were narrowed green slits of malice. I sat up, suddenly aware that I had company.
"Nice mouse," she meowed in a level tone. I blinked at her. "Who are you?"
"You don't know?" She looked vaguely surprised. "Everyone knows me here. Even the Clans."
"Really?" I answered, feeling slightly unnerved.
"I know who you are," the cat mewed. "I know your brothers."
I felt sick, because I knew the cat now, too. "You're Splash, aren't you?"
Her whiskers twitched. "Smart, aren't you? I can tell nothing ever gets past you. Am I right?" I felt embarrassed.
"Look, Stripe, I know you're going to have kits. And I know that you don't have enough food. And I know you had to depend on that stupid kittypet to give you food. Not to mention the fact that that pesky ThunderClan warrior doesn't love you anymore. You join us, and we'll give you food. We'll give your kits a home. And you can see your brothers."
What Splash was offering was tempting. I hesitated and dipped my head. "Fine," I answered. "I'm in."
The rogue's camp was orderly set up, with nests made of twigs, ferns, moss, branches, reeds, and old Twoleg things lining the edges of the clearing. Huge thickets circled it, and a tall, burnt-out stump of an old oak was in the middle of the clearing. I flinched as I saw a mangy tortoiseshell she-cat glare at me through amber eyes as her kits slept. A ginger and white tom was eating a sparrow with a dark brown and cream tabby she-cat. They both trained hostile stares on me. Splash led me to the center of the clearing and turned to the other cats. "She's joining. Hey, Zennia," she added, turning to the queen in the thicket. "Make sure everyone knows who Stripe is by the end of the day. She'll really help us."
The tortoiseshell cat-Zennia-looked like she thought that was impossible, but she nodded. Splash turned to the ginger and white tom. "Ziggy, you're in charge. Where are Luna, Ruby, Reed, Blast, Log, and Izzy?"
"Hunting," the dark brown and cream she-cat answered. "What do you think? Ziggy and I were lucky to catch this sparrow. But someone has to hunt for Zennia, you know."
"All right, Bramble. Someone will have to hunt for Stripe-she's pregnant."
Bramble scowled. "Look, Splash, I was just hunting. If you're going hunting, go hunting for her."With that, the dark she-cat sprang to her paws and disappeared into a thicket. Ziggy rolled his eyes and followed. I could still hear her meowing on and on about how worthless cats were when they couldn't hunt, and that if Splash wanted me fed, she had better catch me my prey.
I cast an awkward glance at Splash. She rolled her eyes. "Bramble was the first we recruited. She's always this way with the new ones." With that, the cat stalked off.
It was odd, how Splash was hated by all the rogues in the area, but treated with mostly respect. I had no idea how to treat her, but if Reed loved her, that was enough for me. My brother had good judgment. If Splash was some kind of evil cat who was hated by everyone and stole prey and killed cats, he wouldn't be with her.
A dark gray she-cat entered the camp with a dark brown tomcat. I recognized the tom as Log, a rogue who had knew my mother. He waved his tail at me. "Hey, Stripe! I suppose you're looking for your brothers. Blast is still out hunting. Reed went off with Splash."
I nodded in reply. He set a vole down in front of me before joining the cat who I assumed was his mate. I munched on the vole, acutely aware of Zennia's penetrating stare boring into me. I ignored her and sat down to eat. I missed my old den. I missed Lionblaze.
Later that day, I met up with my brothers, Reed and Blast. They seemed happy to see me, and Splash was nothing like what I had expected. She was polite and nice. When she jumped up on the stump, she announced, "Stripe is a new cat here to join us. Treat her with respect." Her icy green eyes traveled around the clearing. She beckoned me away from the others. "You know the Clans, don't you?"
I hesitated. "ThunderClan, and some ShadowClan. The other Clans are WindClan and RiverClan. Why?"
She shrugged. "No reason."
"How many cats live here?"
She blinked. "There's Ziggy, Bramble, Zennia, you, Blast, Reed, Luna, Log, Ruby, Izzy, and Dexter. But there are a lot of other rogues and loners in the area. Motor and Marigold should join."
I nodded in reply. "Marigold has five kits now," I added. "They would be a great help for you guys." She looked confused, but nodded quickly.
That night I had to sleep in a nest made of old dry grass and dead leaves. It was terribly cold, and the brambles over my head did very little against the snow. Zennia pointedly turned her back away from me, and her kits mewling kept me up half the night. Bramble and Ziggy stayed up late in the night purring and meowing. Reed and Splash slept in a den farther away from all of us. Blast and the gray cat-Luna, sat nearby me, and they seemed friendly enough. Ruby, a dark ginger she-cat who was a better fighter than any cat I'd ever met-maybe better than Lionblaze even-stayed on the far side of the clearing by herself. Izzy and Dexter, two littermates who looked exactly alike, both had nests inside different thickets. Overall, there was a lot of space left in the clearing; though it was so noisy I almost couldn't stand it. I woke up just after I had fallen asleep to make dirt and when I returned, Ruby was keeping watch on the stump. Izzy was stretching. She was a slender black she-cat with a white tail-tip and whiskers. Her brother Dexter looked like her. Ziggy and Bramble were awake, but they were still purring and talking so that they didn't notice me. When I returned to my nest, Zennia's kits woke up when I snapped a twig. Luna woke up, looking irritated.
At last dawn came, and Splash sent out patrols. I tensed as she glanced in my direction, only to nod. I felt a glimmer of newfound respect for the cat.
Through the day I met the other cats. Izzy was a jittery and nervous cat. Dexter was more sly and elusive. Ruby was aggressive and willing to fight. Bramble hated most cats. Ziggy was funny and icily polite, but that was it. Zennia was either overly protective of her kits or just hated me for some reason. Log was a smart cat with a nice personality. Luna was smart and clever and eager to make friends. And Splash was hard to read, but I think she cared about us. Some of us, anyway.
But all I can remember Lionblaze's expression as he described his Clan, the wistfulness in his eyes and his loyalty to them. I knew that this place wasn't like that.
