Sometimes I update...
"Well this is it. If you just keep going then you'll reach the city that BloodClan was formed in and you should eventually find the city from there." Osprey nodded. He had a husky voice and to Bouncepaw and Millie, he was pretty terrifying. Although Silver had promised them that none of BloodClan would disobey Slate's orders, after hearing the bit about Bouncepaw being ThunderClan, the city cats hadn't been as welcoming.
Osprey had been the one to lead them to the edge of the city. The journey had taken all day and they had to travel by the roofs of Two-leg caves, but they had reached their destination and soon, they would be on their way to ThunderClan. They would have to cross a Thunderpath which Bouncepaw wasn't so excited about and then journey across a few grasslands before reaching some fields.
Graphite, who had made the journey before, had given them a detailed explanation of every obstacle they would face and said they would reach the forest in roughly a moon. A moon seemed like such a long time for Bouncepaw, but when she imagined her friends and family's faces, it all was worth it.
"Thanks Osprey. And best of luck in making a life here." Bouncepaw nodded.
"Right... Listen, Bouncepaw. Obviously our Clans don't have the best record and your leader was kind of the cause for BloodClan disbanding, but when you go back, make sure you tell Firestar that there is peace between us. We don't want a war and what's past is past. And if you need anything, be sure to come to us." Osprey said. He obviously wasn't the best at speeches but Bouncepaw agreed to everything he said anyway. "Best of luck on your travels."
"Tell Slate and BloodClan that we appreciate their hospitality." Millie purred and hurriedly tapped her nose to the huge BloodClan warrior. The tom was slowly seeming less and less intimidating.
"And Bouncepaw, I know firsthand what betrayal feels like. Havoc, Gus, and I were all abandoned by someone who we thought only felt the utmost love for us. I know that Silver's sister theory makes you feel angry, confused and betrayed, but your parents raised you. Your siblings loved you. Don't be angry at them for something you heard from a cat you barely even know."
Bouncepaw's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you Osprey." Suddenly, the tom wasn't so frightening.
Osprey nodded quickly and without another word, leapt off the roof and started sprinting towards BloodClan. The two she-cats waited until he was out of sight before turning and running in their own direction.
Bouncepaw knew the forest was far and their journey was no where near complete, but the taste of the forest was on her tongue and she couldn't let it go.
Corn. Lot's and lot's of corn.
Bouncepaw and Millie stood over a ledge, staring at the endless bushels of corn. In the distance, there was a Two-leg nest but looking any other way, all there was was corn. "Graphite did say that we would run into this place..." Bouncepaw mumbled as she stared at the unmoving scenery.
"He said that it would take almost a full day to cross the field. It's getting late and we need to find shelter." Millie sighed as they looked up at the darkening sky. Navigating through the field would be hard enough as it is, but running through the dark on aching feet would be next to impossible. "I say we find a place to sleep for the night and then in the morning, we can make the full journey."
"I agree." Bouncepaw yawned. "The corn leaves will protect us from any rain and we can sleep near the edge so we don't wake up with no direction."
"Good idea." Millie answered quietly.
The two she-cats clambered down the steep hill and into the corn field, being careful not to scratch their eyes. Making a temporary nest out of the leaves, the two curled up, preparing to sleep. But obviously, a new problem came running headfirst into them the second they closed their eyes.
"RUN!"
Bouncepaw shot up as she felt someone step on her tail. With warrior reflexes, the white cat leapt at her attacked and pinned him to the ground. It was a white and black tom with bite marks and scratches littering his body. He looked worse than most of the senior warriors in ThunderClan and that was saying something. None of the bite marks were small enough to be from a cat. There was only one other option.
Dogs.
Bouncepaw released the tom and he darted off, soon to be followed by Bouncepaw and Millie. "Wait!" Millie called as they chased him. "We need to talk to you!"
The cat made a right turn into the field that Bouncepaw easily followed. Thankfully, the place where he turned was free of all corn stalks so Bouncepaw didn't need to dodge around them to chase after the black and white mystery cat. Bouncepaw almost had him too! Just a mouselength closer and-
Bouncepaw leapt at the tom, bowling him over and staring him down. Fear shone in his eyes and the sound of barking sent Bouncepaw shoving the cat into the corn stalks. Millie leapt into the field not a second later as three dogs raced past, barking and snarling viciously. There were two big ones and one smaller one, but they all had thorn-sharp teeth and mean expressions on their faces.
"Now, who are you?" Bouncepaw demanded and the tom looked up at her with wide eyes.
"The kits! We have to save the kits!" And the tom was off again. Bouncepaw shared an aggravated look with Millie before darting after the stranger. Whoever this cat was, he may be able to help them.
They raced through the corn stalks, keeping their eyes low so they didn't get blinded by the leaves as the raced after the tom. He was limping badly so it wasn't hard to keep after him but for a wounded cat, he sure could run. The three broke into a clearing where the Two-leg nest that Bouncepaw saw earlier was standing. There was a barn off to the side that the tom raced into and the two she-cats soon followed.
"Kits? Where are you?" The tom yowled into the barn. Seconds later, four head poked out from under a pile of hay. The cat rushed to them and affectionately nuzzled them. He turned around to face his guests. "Thank you for saving me from the dogs. My name is Splash."
"I'm Bouncepaw and this is Millie." The white she-cat nodded to her companion. The started heading for the door when Splash stepped in front of them.
"It's not safe! At least stay the night so you have enough energy if you need to run from the dogs." Splash pleaded and Bouncepaw shared a glance with Millie before slowly agreeing. The tom didn't seem threatening and it was better than sleeping in the corn field.
"What is this place?" Millie asked, looking around. The barn was huge and had so many different smells, like dog, hay, cats, Two-legs, mice, and death.
"This is our home. Well, at least it was... Before the humans came. There used to be seven of us. The kits, me, my sister and her mate. We lived happily until the Two-legs came. They banished us from our home and we had to find shelter in here. At first it was fine and we'd only have the occasional problem with them dousing us in water or sending their dogs after us. All the dogs wanted to do was chase, never harm. But then... they brought home him." Splash explained and his eyes darkened.
"Who's he?" Bouncepaw asked nervously.
"The third dog. This one was far more violent than the other two. He chased to kill and he even... he... let's just say Husker and my sister aren't here anymore because of him." Bouncepaw felt her stomach drop as one of the kits let out a whimper. "He taught the other two to act like him and ever since, my biggest worry is that one of them will journey into the barn and not think twice about killing 've been running and hiding ever since."
"Why don't you just leave?" Millie asked. Splash sighed and shook his head, as if to say 'it's not that easy.'
"And go where? We don't know anything other than what's right here. I don't want to force these kits to travel when I don't even have a destination." Splash sighed as he looked back on the four kits. The kits were small, but probably around five moons old.
"What are their names?" Bouncepaw asked curiously and Splash ushered the kits out.
He nudged a little gray one with a lighter tuft on the top of his head. The kit glanced around shyly and Bouncepaw couldn't help but purr at how cute he looked. With his droopy eyes and shy smile, he was definitely an adorable kit. "This is Little Mew. He looks so much like his father, Husker. And this here is Birdy."
Birdy was a fluffy, white she-cat with gray ears and a patch of gray on her forehead. She had bright blue eyes and a tiny gray nose. "Hi!" She squeaked and her brother cuffed her over the ear, playfully.
"And that's Pad." Pad was a fluffy gray tom with dark eyes and a light muzzle. He had a playful gleam in his eyes and was the largest out of all the kits. "And finally, this is Raindrop." Raindrop was a precious, light gray she-cat with a patch of gray on her forehead that looked like a droplet.
"These were my sisters kits before she died. She died only last moon, leaving them with me. I promised her I'd protect them and I'll do everything I can." Splash explained. "But the real question is why are you here? I've never seen you around before and you look like you're preparing to stay the night when I stumbled over you."
For the second time in the past two days, Bouncepaw explained her story, starting from the beginning when she was attacked, and ending with her leaving BloodClan. She left out the bits about Silver being her possible sister and her growing feelings for her mentor, but by the time she was finished, the sky had already hit it's darkest hour and was slowly starting to open up again.
All of the kits had fallen asleep, except for Raindrop who was listening intently. Her eyes were bright with interest and she reminded Bouncepaw a lot of Birchkit, Larchkit, and Hollykit who would always bug the apprentices to show them some battle crouches before getting bored and running off to listen to the elders tell stories. Bouncepaw usually ignored them but Whitepaw always made time for them.
Especially Birchpaw. (Hint, hint)
"What's ThunderClan? And what's BloodClan?" Raindrop squeaked.
"ThunderClan is a group of trained cats who live together. We fight and hunt for our survival and protect our Clan, even with our lives. BloodClan is a group like us, who we once thought were evil. We now realize that they're a lot like us." Bouncepaw explained briefly and Raindrops amber eyes only brightened.
"Tell me more!" Raindrop ordered as she bounced around. It was like the stories and explanations were giving the kits more energy.
Bouncepaw looked at Splash and Millie who were already starting to doze off and decided to give them a break. They could sleep while she entertained the kit. So the white apprentice dove into the Clans, the Warrior Code, what being a warrior is about and the different duties of a Clan cat. When she was finished, Raindrop was sit wide awake and her three siblings were starting to stir.
"What about the other Clans?" Raindrop asked excitedly and Bouncepaw broke out into a yawn.
"I'd love to tell you more, but there's only a few more hours of the night left. I think it's time we got some rest and then I can tell you all about the Clans tomorrow. Okay?"
Raindrop reluctantly nodded and curled up into a ball next to Little Mew. Bouncepaw sighed in content as she listened to the soft snores that arose from Raindrop a few minutes later. Bouncepaw looked around and saw that everyone was fast asleep and slowly lowered her head to her paws. She couldn't help but remember what her life was like as a kit.
She had always been the troublesome one and always fooling around with Spiderleg and Shrewfoot. Whitepaw would always try to convince her to do something responsible while Swiftpaw went on rants about how if he were leader, he would make ThunderClan so much more powerful. And then she remembered all her times as an apprentice. Defying her parents, sneaking out, her first Gathering. And of course, she couldn't forget the badger attack; she had scars on her belly to prove it!
Ashfur had been so angry! ...Ashfur.
Bouncepaw felt homesickness creep up on her as she thought about the gray tom. He had always been stubborn, strict and defensive but everything he did was to protect her. Everything he had done was out of love... Bouncepaw tried to shake the word out of her mind but it clung to her like sap on a tree.
Bouncepaw let her eyes close and dreams take over her. But every dream she had, included a certain gray warrior with eyes as blue as the fading sky.
The next day was spent eating mice and exchanging stories. Splash and the kits had soon turned into friends instead of acquaintances. A few times, they could hear dogs barking and running past the barn so the seven cats hid under piles of hay until they left. By the third time, Bouncepaw had enough.
"You need to get out of here! This isn't living!" Bouncepaw hissed as she shook straws of hay out of her pelt. "You say you don't want the kits lives to only be of travelling, but is hiding in here really any better? You have to take a leap of faith-"
"I don't have to do anything!" Splash snarled. "The only thing I have to do is protect these kits and that's what I'm going to do. If they end up being holed up in here forever, then so be it, because I cannot take any risks when their lives are in my paws!"
"But-"
"Bouncepaw!" Millie snapped. Her voice lowered. "This is his life. You can't order him to go out and start living because your definition of life is different than his. All he cares about is survival and making sure the kits are safe."
"He wouldn't have to worry about that if we were back in ThunderClan." Bouncepaw muttered. Her dull eyes lit up as the she cat started yelling, "He wouldn't have to worry about the kits in ThunderClan!"
Bouncepaw whirled around to face Splash who just looked dead confused. "Come to ThunderClan! I'm sure Firestar would let you live with us if you explained your story! The kits could have lives and you wouldn't just have to survive, you could actually go out and enjoy life!"
Splash looked uneasy and just as he was about to answer, the kits started whining. Their eyes widened and they started running around Splash in circles.
"Please?"
"Splash, let us go!"
"I want to live in ThunderClan!"
"I'll be Raindropstar, leader of ThunderClan!"
Splash looked at each, individual, begging kit. They all had so much hope in their eyes and denying them this would crush them. Moss made him promise to protect her kits and that included providing the best life for them, not just running from dogs their entire lives. As if to seal the deal, one of the monsters started barking and they all dove under the hay, waiting until the dog moved on.
Splash slowly climbed out from under the hay and faced Bouncepaw who also had hope gleaming in her amber eyes. He almost wanted to refuse her offer and live in the barn for his entire life, but instead he meowed quietly, "I-I- We'll join you."
Cheers erupted in the barn as six cats started bouncing around. Pad, Birdy, and Little Mew all started chanting 'Raindropstar' while Bouncepaw and Millie thanked Splash over and over. The kits had never ventured out of the barn and Splash's few words had changed their lives around completely.
"You won't regret this, I promise!" Bouncepaw purred as she nuzzled Splash. The tom sighed as he looked around the barn. His home.
He had made so many memories with his sister, Husker, and the kits. And to just up and leave it all behind because of two she-cats he met the night before was crazy. But sometimes life was crazy, but that's just what made it all worth living.
Amber looked around the house. Her kits were quietly sleeping in their nest but the new mother hadn't seen her mate since that morning. She had even gone over to Rusty to see if he knew where Cheshire was but her brother was gone and his scent was stale. He had been gone for days. Worry pricked at Amber's skin but she had to keep it together for her kits.
A worried mother was not a good mother.
Amber frowned as she padded back to her nest where they kits were starting to wake. Scout was wide awake, but sitting on the padding quietly while his sister, Bounce was crying out for her mother. Amber carefully curled up next to the kits so they could drink. Violet was still fast asleep and when she woke up, she would be no doubt, very hungry.
Finally, Silver was just waking up, her blue eyes blinking a few times as she looked around at her two littermates who were climbing over each other. Amber purred as she nudged the silver kit closer to her belly but the nagging feeling never left her. Where was everyone?
As if to answer her question, the front door opened and closed and the sound of footsteps could be heard. Even Cheshire's tiny pawsteps were there, making the worry vanish from Amber. But when he entered the room, dread returned as she stared at the cat that was supposed to be her mate. Yes, that cat was Cheshire, but something was different about him.
His eyes were glazed over and his steps were slower and more sluggish. Something had changed.
Amber's eyes widened in horror as she shot up in her bed. She had heard about it from her friends but she had always thought it was a myth. She had never believed that the cutter was actually real. But the evidence was in front of her, slowly curling up into a ball and falling asleep. Her house-folk had taken the one cat she loved and changed him.
But what was stopping them from doing the same to Amber? To her kits?
She had to leave.
Splash, Birdy, Little Mew, Raindrop, and Pad have joined the adventure! I really liked the warrior comics and thought Husker and Moss's kits needed to be explored more. That's why I'm adding them to the story. Besides, I don't think they're ANYWHERE in the warriors archive unless in this chapter. If you do happen to find a story about these characters, then leave a review telling me the title and the author so I can read it!
One more chapter after this one about their journey and then they should be back in ThunderClan. Of course, unless I add in some major plot twist and make them get hit by a meteor or something. Hehehe. But anyway, I know that there are over 1,000 views to this so why only 20 reviews? They are what keep me going and I really love feedback!