I don't own Warriors.
In an alley outside the Tribe's territory. . . .
A golden tabby tom was eating the carcass of a rat, keeping an eye on the entrance of the alley. Venom had gone to meet the spy a few days ago. Even though it took time to get from their base to the meeting place, he still couldn't help feel a twinge of worry for his mate. What if she got hit by a monster? What if she got torn apart by dogs? What if she was captured by the Tribe? He had to shake his head to clear it from the nagging thoughts. Venom is strong and clever, he reminded himself. She'll be fine.
"Leo." The tom turned his head to see a ginger and white she-cat standing not too far with a black and white tom. "We have another recruit."
Leo looked over the tom. He's strong, big, and intimidating. He'll do well. "What is your name?"
"Tom."
"From now on you are Shade. Flick, introduce him to the other cats. Flick nodded and led the newly named Shade away to the den. Leo went back to his meal.
A silver shape entered the alley. "Leo!"
"Venom!" Relief warmed his pelt as his mate ran over. His muzzle brushed hers and she curled up by him. "So, What did he say?"
"He said the leader, Bullet, has been getting frailer and she's on her last life. A few days ago the cat that could threaten Algernon to becoming leader was caught by Twolegs. Everything is going swimmingly."
Leo purred. "Excellent. We got a few more recruits, Rock and Shade. Soon enough we'll be ready to strike."
"Get up, lazybone." Shadow prodded her fellow cream and white prisoner in the ribs. It had been a day since the Twolegs had brought her here, the House of Horrors as she called it. "It's past dawn. You've been sleeping forever."
The other cat, Vanilla, opened one gray eye. "Go away, stray."
Shadow flicked her good ear. "Whatever, Twoleg toy. Enjoy sleeping your life away." The two had a hate-hate relationship, but it was fine for both of them. Shadow went out the cat flap as Vanilla called it and into the yard. It was drizzling, but she didn't really care. She jumped onto the fence and watched monsters go by, spewing up muddy water as they passed. She would've gone back to the Tribe, but she still had no idea how to get around. She didn't even know where she was.
"Stray, come back in here! The Housefolk say so!"
Shadow rolled her eyes at Vanilla's ridiculous nickname for her, but she went back anyway. As she slid back in, Vanilla looked up at her from her basket. "Tell me another story."
"What are you, a kit? No."
"Yes."
"No."
"You will or I'll make the Housefolk send you back to the pound." Vanilla threatened.
Shadow growled, but complied. "About what?"
"Oh, you know, anything."
"Fine. Once upon a time there was a rock and it sat there. The end."
Vanilla whined, "Tell me a good story."
Shadow searched through her memories. Finally she found a story that seemed somewhat suitable. "Before I came here I lived in a Tribe of strays. When I became a full-fledged member the first watch I went on was with two cats, Spark and Algernon."
"Describe them. I need a picture."
"Algernon is a gray and brown tom. Spark is . . . ginger."
Vanilla purred, suddenly friendly. "Spark is ginger? I need more than that."
Shadow didn't notice the gleam in the gray depths. "Spark has ginger fur, like the sun. His eyes are bluer than the Greenleaf sky and just as clear."
"I have an idea. I could show you out of the Twolegplace to approximately where you lived before -" Vanilla began.
Hope began to bloom in Shadow's chest. "You can?"
Vanilla glared at her. "I wasn't finished. I can do that, but you have to take me with you."
Shadow stared at her, then started laughing. "You wouldn't survive a day on the streets, Twoleg toy."
"Please." Vanilla whimpered. "You could teach me how."
Shadow thought about it. She'll probably die on the way. But I'll have a chance to see Spark again. "Fine. Lead the way."
"First, we eat." Vanilla trotted to her food bowl and started crunching the pellets between her teeth. Shadow moved to hers, eager to get started. She finished long before Vanilla was even halfway through. While the kittypet finished up, Shadow started washing, ruffling her fur on purpose so it didn't look like she had ever been a Kittypet. By then Vanilla was done. "Now, follow me."
Shadow padded after Vanilla, muttering under her breath. They jumped over the fence. "We just have to cross this road and go past a few houses. Then the real fun begins."
Shadow didn't like the sound of that.
Shadow waited until there was no sign of monsters before she crossed. She had to almost swim in a deep patch of water on the far side, staining her fur an ugly dark brown. When she turned back, her jaw dropped. Vanilla was slowly padding along the side, looking for a place to get past the water without getting her fur dirty. At that moment, a monster came rushing toward her. Shadow ran out onto the Thunderpath, grabbed her scruff, and dragged her off with heartbeats to spare. Vanilla looked in horror at her filthy fur. "What have you done?"
Shadow started cleaning her fur. "I saved your life, that's what."
"You ruined my fur! It'll take forever to clean." The cream and white she-cat licked frantically at her pelt. Shadow watched her for a while, amusement glimmering in her blue eyes, and resumed cleaning. This time Vanilla finished faster, although that might have something to do with how hard she was licking. "Hurry up. We don't have all day."
Shadow didn't bother to dignify her comment with a reply and continued washing. When her fur was clean, the rain had stopped completely. Vanilla treaded carefully and slowly, quickly using up Shadow's patience. "'Hurry up. We don't have all day.'" She hissed in a mocking tone. Vanilla pretended she didn't hear.
Eventually they reached the area past the Twoleg-nests Vanilla had been talking about. Shadow's eyes widened in horror as she tried to take in the chaos in front of her. Talk buildings, monsters, Thunderpaths, so many Thunderpaths, and noise, so much noise. . . .
"So, are we going or what?" Vanilla asked, not seeming to be disturbed by the . . . stuff they lay before them.
Sorry about the possibility abrupt ending.
Vanilla - cream and white she-cat with gray eyes
Shadow - black she-cat with thick fur, blue eyes, a missing ear, and a scar on her shoulder
Cloudy - plump gray she-cat with green eyes (kittypet)