Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors! I really really really wish I did. ::sigh:: Anyway, I own the characters that were made-up for this story. So don't steal them!

Chapter 9

"I don't understand," Ashfang said. "What do you mean, Rowanpaw?"

"You're the cat who scratched me!" the ginger-brown she-cat gasped, looking at Rowanpaw. "I was trying to pet one of the wild cats!"

Ashfang's eyes widened and she stepped back from the she-cat. "How could you have known about that? Have you been spying on us? Are you friends with the dark-pelted cats who keep intruding on our territory?"

"I don't know what dark-pelted cats you're talking about! Please believe me! I was a human! A...a...Twoleg, I guess you call them!" The she-cat looked at Rowanpaw with those light brown eyes. "You believe me, don't you? You were the one who scratched me yesterday!"

Rowanpaw looked at Ashfang. "I believe her. How else would she know about what happened yesterday?"

Ashfang's eyes narrowed. "She could have been spying on us, and came up with this mouse-brained story."

"I wasn't spying on you!" the she-cat meowed.

"We'll let Goldenstar decide that," Ashfang said. She looked at Rowanpaw. "We may not want to take her back to camp, in case she's a spy. Go and fetch Goldenstar."

Rowanpaw nodded. He gave the she-cat a quick, sympathetic look before dashing off back to camp.

When he arrived, the camp was crowded and busy. Cottonpaw and Silverpaw were putting clean moss into the warriors' den. Thunderpaw and Darkpaw were clearing out the old moss from the elders' den. Clawfang, Crookedfern, Dapplefoot, and Thornfur were talking about tomorow's patrols. Over by the nursery entrance, Rainfur and Lightdew were watching Nimblekit, Webkit, Sootkit, Palekit, and Purekit playing. Tenderclaw and Barrenoak were lying in the sun by the halfrock. Granitetail and Icefur were lounging beside the fresh-kill pile. Rowanpaw couldn't find Goldenstar anywhere.

"Hey, Rowanpaw!" Thunderpaw called from the elders' den.

Rowanpaw waved his tail, but didn't go over to his friend. Instead, he padded over to Clawfang, who was telling Dapplefoot to take Oakpelt, Reedclaw, and Meadowlark, and Thunderpaw on the sunhigh patrol tomorrow.

"Excuse me," Rowanpaw interrupted. "Is Goldenstar in his den?"

"He should be," Clawfang replied. "Where's Ashfang? Did something happen?"

"No, she's fine. She told me to fetch Goldenstar," Rowanpaw answered, not sure he should be saying anything about the intruder to his Clanmates until Goldenstar had a chance to deal with it. "I need to go find him now. Thanks."

He went and climbed up the face of the stone hollow. When he reached the leader's den, he meowed a hello.

"Come in!"

He entered. Goldenstar and Cedarpaw were seated facing each other inside. Cedarpaw looked grateful that Rowanpaw had interrupted whatever they had been doing. Rowanpaw had a difficult time keeping his fur flat.

"Rowanpaw! Weren't you and Ashfang on Twoleg patrol?" Goldenstar looked stern. "Why did the two of you return so early?"

"There's something you need to see, Goldenstar. Ashfang sent me to fetch you," Rowanpaw replied. It was extremely difficult to keep his tone flat.

"This had better be important," Goldenstar meowed. "Cedarpaw, we'll finish this discussion later tonight."

Cedarpaw nodded and left.

"What is it that I need to see, Rowanpaw?" Goldenstar asked, sounding very irritated.

"Ashfang and I found a she-cat on our territory. She's disoriented and saying strange things." Rowanpaw curled his tail slightly. "Ashfang wants you to come and see her."

Goldenstar sighed. "Lead the way, Rowanpaw."

"Oh!" Rowanpaw stood up. "I almost forgot! We should bring Frostflower. The she-cat has a bleeding paw."

Goldenstar flicked his ears in interest. "Like she was in battle?"

"I'm not sure," Rowanpaw whispered. He already knew exactly how she'd gotten the scratch; he'd done it himself.

"You go and get Frostflower. I'll meet you outside the camp entrance," Goldenstar said.

Rowanpaw nodded.

They climbed down the stone wall together and split up at the bottom.

Rowanpaw ducked into Frostflower's den a few moments later to find the she-cat was sorting her herbs.

"Rowanpaw! You're not feeling sick again, are you?" Frostflower asked.

"No. Ashfang and I found and injured she-cat on our territory. Goldenstar's waiting for us outside the camp," Rowanpaw said.

"How bad were the injuries?" Frostflower wanted to know.

"Just a scratch on her front paw," Rowanpaw replied.

"Was it deep?"

"Deep enough to bleed."

Frostflower nodded and picked up some herbs. "Let's go," she said around the bundle of dock leaves.

Rowanpaw led Goldenstar and Frostflower to where he'd left Ashfang and the ginger-brown she-cat. The foreign she-cat was lying with her injured paw held up off the ground. When she saw Goldenstar and Frostflower, her pelt bristled.

Frostflower dropped the dock leaves. "Before you go interrogating her, Goldenstar, I want to see to her wound."

Goldenstar flicked his tail in permission.

"Stand up, please." Frostflower touched the she-cat's shoulder with her taip-tip.

The ginger-brown she-cat stood up. "What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm just going to apply some dock to your scratch," Frostflower answered. "It will help soothe it. If Goldenstar decides you can come back to camp with us, I'll be able to put on some spiderwebs to help stop the bleeding. Hold out your paw, please."

The she-cat held out her paw.

Frostflower chewed up the dock leaves and put the juice onto the she-cat's scratch. The she-cat cringed. Once enough juice had been put on the scratch, Frostflower spit out the rest of the dock.

"You can go ahead now, Goldenstar," Frostflower said.

Goldenstar sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws. "Why are you on ThunderClan's territory?"

"Goldenstar, there's something she said that you might find interesting," Ashfang interrupted. "She told Rowanpaw and me that she's a Twoleg."

Goldenstar's whiskers flicked in surprise. "A Twoleg? What would give her that mouse-brained idea?"

"You have to believe me!" the she-cat meowed. "I come into this forest almost every day! I sit by the water and look out at the lake! Before I fainted and woke up...I saw a group of cats further in the forest. I tried to pet one, but another one scratched me. That's how I got this!" She lifted her injured paw.

"That is a very unbelievable story. How can a Twoleg become a cat?" Goldenstar scoffed.

"Then how does she know about the Twoleg and its habits? If she'd been spying on the Twoleg when we were, we'd have seen her at some point in time," Rowanpaw said. He'd been thinking about the ginger tom in his dream who had said that he'd already helped the Twoleg. Had the tom somehow turned the Twoleg into this cat?

"That's a very logical explanation, Rowanpaw," Frostflower agreed. She looked at the she-cat. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ginger," the she-cat replied.

"Ginger will come to the Clan, follow your dreams, a new home between the streams," Frostflower whispered.

"Was that a prophecy?" Goldenstar asked.

"No. It was something Stripedpelt told me some time after Purekit and Palekit were born," Frostflower said. "I wasn't sure what it meant, but now I understand. She meant that this cat, Ginger, would come here to join our Clan."

"Join your Clan?" Ginger meowed quietly. "But...what about my home? My parents will get worried. They'll think I ran away!"

"You say you were a Twoleg once," Frostflower said. "We don't know how you became a cat, or how to make you a Twoleg again. The other Clans won't accept you. I'm sorry, but I don't think you have much of a choice."

Ginger shook her head. "I can't believe this! I'm a cat in a forest with a bunch of other cats, and they talk, and now they want me to join their Clan, and my parents are going to be so worried, and they'll send out search patrols, and...and...and..." The she-cat said all of this so fast it was almost blurred together. She stopped when she noticed them all staring at her with disbelief. "I'm sorry. I guess you aren't used to rapid speech."

Frostflower looked at Goldenstar. "It's your decision, Goldenstar. You know we'd be putting her to her death if we left her here. She most likely doesn't know how to hunt for herself."

"She can join us," Goldenstar said. "I won't go against something Stripedpelt told you, Frostflower." He turned to Ginger. "You'll have to work very hard to learn the way of the warrior code. It is not something we take lightly."

"What's the warrior code?" Ginger asked.

"The code that we follow that allows us to follow the path of StarClan," Goldenstar replied.

"What's StarClan?" Ginger wondered.

"It is where our ancestors go when they pass on from this world. They send us messages about our futures so that we know what we need to do," Goldenstar answered.

"You actually talk to dead cats?" Ginger stared, wide-eyed.

"No more questions! Your mentor can answer them all for you," Goldenstar said.

"What's a mentor?" Ginger blinked.

"They teach you about the warrior code," Rowanpaw said quickly, so that Goldenstar wouldn't snap at her. "Apprentices learn all they can from their mentors. And when the leader decides that an apprentice has learned enough, the leader can give the apprentice a warrior name."

Ginger looked excited. "A warrior name?"

"There're different ranks in our Clans," Rowanpaw said. "Usually, you start out as a kit. When you turn six moons old, you get your apprentice name and are given a mentor. Then you get your warrior name. Warriors hunt and bring prey back for the queens and elders, who can't hunt for themselves. Warriors also go out on patrols and keep our border markers fresh so that the other Clans won't try to take our territory. They also fight in battles with the other Clans, and protect the Clan from badgers and foxes. The highest ranks are deputy and leader, who make all the decisions."

"That sounds...really complex," Ginger meowed.

"Will you join us? If not, then you will have to leave our territory and you'll be on your own," Goldenstar said.

"I'll join. I know I wouldn't survive on my own," Ginger replied.

"When we get back to camp, I will speak with the Clan. I will have to ask them if they agree with my decision of allowing you to join," Goldenstar said. "Some of them won't take very kindly to you."

Like Icefur, Rowanpaw thought.

"That's okay," Ginger said. "I can handle it. The other kids at school bully me a lot, so I'm used to it."

There was an awkward pause.

"Oh! Sorry. I forgot you don't know what school is," Ginger laughed sheepishly.

"You're going to need to avoid saying things like that," Goldenstar said. "We're the only ones in ThunderClan who know where you really come from. I will tell your mentor, but nobody else will know."

Ginger nodded. "I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Then let's head back to camp," Goldenstar stood.

Rowanpaw walked beside Ginger on the way back to ThunderClan's camp. He couldn't help glancing at her every few seconds. She didn't seem to mind his stares.

I hope the others agree to let her join, Rowanpaw thought to himself, remembering how the ginger tom in his dream had wanted him to help the Twoleg girl. How will I be able help her if she isn't accepted into ThunderClan?

End of Chapter Nine