Chapter10: Smokey

"Wake up!" A gruff voice sounded. "You lazy trainees need to get up so we can get moving."

Smokey sat up and stretched. She was among the trainees of a group that called themselves The Black Hearted Rogues. Personally, she thought it was stupid, but she had enough sense to hold her tongue.

"Yea, yea, we're up." Frost, a white she-cat with black stripes and dark blue eyes, whispered to her sister, Ice, a white she-cat with pale gray stripes and ice blue eyes. The sisters snickered.

Smokey sighed. She was the only trainees, perhaps even the only member, who didn't have kin in the group. It didn't matter much, except in this group, kin were kin.

"They always think they're so funny." Hawk hissed in her ear. Hawk was a black tom with lighter tabby stripes and dark blue eyes. He was among her closest friends, the other was Sparrow. Sparrow was barely more than a kit, he was considered one less than a moon ago. Sparrow was a small black tom with gray stripes and light blue eyes. It was thought that no two of his stripes were the same color.

Smokey nodded. She was an almost pure white she-cat with turquoise eyes. Almost. Her tail steadily darkened until it was the darkest black. "Let's go hunting." She told Hawk.

Hawk nodded and quickly went over to tell Sparrow. Hawk was definitely built to run on rolling moorland, while Smokey was a swift tree climber.

Smokey went out to tell Stone, the cat who had awakened them, a big dark gray tom, about her desire to go hunting.

His stone gray eyes bore into her as he considered. "Okay, but bring something back. We will be moving at sunhigh." He said.

Smokey nodded and went off when Hawk and Sparrow arrived.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I've been here before." Sparrow squeaked.

Hawk nodded. "I know what you mean. It's all blurry, like it was a long time ago."

"Of course you feel it." Smokey hissed. "This is the whole reason why we're going to the Clans in the first place!"

"But we aren't getting revenge on the Tribe." Sparrow pointed out.

"That's different." Smokey replied.

"How?" Hawk questioned.

"It- it just is!" She hissed back.

"It's because we're kin to those who left?"

"I am not their kin, Hawk!" Smokey yowled.

Hawk sighed. Sometimes Smokey could be so stubborn. "Sure you are. I bet we could take down an eagle with the tactics that Jay's Wing taught the first of them."

Smokey thought for a moment. "Okay, but what would be used as bait?" She asked.

"I'll do it." Sparrow volunteered.

Hawk and Smokey both stared at Sparrow. "You sure?" Hawk asked.

"Sure, I trust you. I also trust our long ago taught skills." Sparrow replied.

Smokey snorted at his last comment. This caused Hawk to roll his eyes.

They came to a flat rock, with ledges above it perfect for leaping from. Sparrow settled down on the rock, and pretended to be injured while Smokey and Hawk hid on the ridge.

An eagle soon started gliding lazily above. It was time for Sparrow's act to start. The little cat started yowling his heart out and limping around. All of his efforts brought the eagle closer until it suddenly swooped down, its talons outstretched.

Sparrow let out a shriek of pain as he was lifted into the air. Hawk ran as fast as he could and leapt as high as he could, but he was built for chasing down snow hares, not plucking birds from the sky. Hawk fell short of the great bird.

Just when it seemed that Sparrow would be lost, Smokey jumped higher than any cat could have dreamed, and the extra weight of her landing brought her prey crashing down. Hawk hurried over, and together they killed the mighty ruler of the sky.

"You are so his kin," Hawk muttered.

"What did you say?" Smokey growled.

Hawk glared into her eyes. "I said, you are so his kin."

"I am not kin to them. Especially to him." Smokey snarled.

"Next time, try not to cut it so close." Sparrow said when he was free of the talons.

"There won't be a next time." His long legged companion replied. Smokey was not going to risk Sparrow's live again, just for her to get the time wrong. "This should satisfy Stone."

"I wonder if we could get Moss to let up see how the tribe is doing." Hawk said.

Smokey snorted. "You know how she is, but we could go see them anyway. We just need to stay out of sight." Moss was the second in command, and dark gray tabby she-cat with light blue eyes. Their leader was Coak, a muscular black tom with brown patches and cold, brown eyes.

Hawk nodded. "But first, let's get this huge thing back to the camp."

Smokey nodded, and together the three of them were able to get it back in time to go for their "walk".

"Aw, c'mon, Stone! We promise we'll be back in time." Hawk was trying to get Stone to let them go back out.

"Alright, fine," Stone snorted. "But if you're not back by sunhigh, then we're leavin' ya behind."

Hawk nodded and the three raced off in the direction they were sure the tribe was. The found the waterfall, and gazed with envy as cats came and went.

"We'll come back and see you soon." Smokey murmured.

As they were dashing back to their camp, Hawk and Smokey were both tackled to the ground. Sparrow skidded to a halt and hid in the shadow of a rock, watching his friends.

"Well, well, looky, Ginger! Recognize these two?" The cat that was on Hawk, and big black tom with white stripes and green eyes, asked his companion.

"Indeed I do, Goose." The she-cat that was on Smokey, she was gray with ginger patches and had amber eyes, hissed.

"Oh, h-hey, Goose," Hawk greeted, shakily. "Nice to see that you're –"

"Quiet!" Goose snarled. This caused Hawk to instantly shut his jaws. "You know, Boots would say that we couldn't kill you, but seeing as he isn't here…" Goose looked around once, "I'd say that we have the right to."

Smokey was glaring at Ginger the entire time, who glared right back. Goose and Ginger used to be apart of The Black Hearted Rogues, but when Goose's brother, Boots, turned up, Goose decided to join his group. Ginger had been raised by Goose, so she went with him. Boots was the leader of a band of farm cats who called themselves The Cats Who Remember. These cats also had memories of the past, along with connections to certain spirits, but didn't want to get revenge on the Clans for a promise as big as the one they broke. The promise about remembering their heritage. The promise about remembering them, for they were the closest kin to the ones who journeyed to The New Hunting Grounds.

Ginger and Goose were about to slice Smokey and Hawk's throats, but Smokey and Hawk shared a glance and shoved their attackers off.

"We were taught the same moves as you, Goose," Hawk yowled.

Goose sat down and yawned, as if bored. "Glad to see you wouldn't sit there and let us kill you." He smiled. "Are Frost and Ice as annoying as before?" He asked.

"Even more so." Hawk replied, calm as ever.

"Be careful, Smokey, Hawk." Ginger said as she and Goose disappeared over a ridge.

"Guys! It's almost sunhigh! We have to go." Sparrow shouted as he emerged.

The trio quickly ran off to catch up to their group.