Surprised? I know I am. X3 I never expected to actually be able to write this chapter sooner than I planned on. Thank you to all who have reviewed! It really motivated me. Also, thanks to all who have followed and favorited this story! :3 I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the start of the flash backs, which will probably be only a chapter or two more depending on how it goes. Please leave a review! I plan on uploading the next chapter on Saturday or maybe Sunday, but that could change.
Here are the former allegiances:
Leader: Birdstar: Light brown she-cat with amber eyes.
Deputy:Firenose- A dark ginger tom with green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Grayleaf- gray she-cat with dull green eyes
Medicine cat apprentice: Leafpaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.
Warriors:
Creektail- Light brown tom with a long tail and green eyes
Thrushstorm- Dark gray tom with blue eyes
Riverstorm- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes
Rockfang- Black tom with deep blue eyes
Cloudwhisker: White she-cat with dark green eyes.
Brackenblaze- Golden-brown, tabby, tom with white paws and blue eyes
Graymist- Dark gray tom with amber eyes
Sparrowleap- Small brown she-cat with yellow eyes
Willowleaf- Gray and white tabby with blue eyes
Featherdawn - long-furred light brown tabby she-cat
Apprentices:
Clawpaw- A speckled brown and black tom with yellow eyes
Brookpaw - blue-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes
Breezepaw- Sleek black tom with yellow eyes
Sunpaw- Yellow tabby with white paws and belly and green eyes
Queens:
Cherrycloud- Reddish-brown she-cat with white ears, paws and chest.(mother to Blossomkit, Birdkit and Robinkit)
Morningbird- Golden she-cat with green eyes(mother to Sunpaw and Brookpaw)
Blackflower-Black and brown she-cat with yellow eyes(mother to Clawpaw and Breezepaw)
Kits:
Birdkit: Reddish-brown she-cat with darker stripes.
Blossomkit - a dappled tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes
Robinkit: Black tom with a brown chest and underbelly.
Elders:
Mudfang: Dark brown tom with yellow eyes.
Redcloud- An elderly ginger she-cat with green eyes.
Cats Outside the Clan:
Kyra- Bright ginger she-cat with white paws and green eyes. Kittypet
Mia- A pure white she-cat with bright amber eyes. Kittypet
Angelic- dark ginger she-cat with barely visible darker stripes and green eyes. Kittypet(mother to Kyra)
Kale- A gray tom with darker tabby stripes, lighter colored belly, paws, chest and muzzle. and bright yellow eyes. Kittypet
Kirby- A large, elderly, brown tom with darker face and paws and yellow eyes. Kittypet(former loner)
A sleek, bright ginger she-cat stood, stretching out her white paws. She arched her back, flexing her claws in the process. Her bright green eyes scanned the area as she stood upright. Sun shone in, barely lighting the den that she lived in, and warmed her fur. With a quiet yawn, the young she-cat hopped out of her bed and padded away. Her soft paws barely made any sound on the cool, hard surface of tile that served as the floor.
She ambled over to the door her twolegs used to exit and enter the den. Closer toward the floor, was a small flap, just big enough for her to slide in and out. The ginger she-cat pushed her way through, gracefully sliding into the open. The sun wasn't yet fully in the sky, and the sky was still somewhat dark. The she-cat blinked her green eyes. It was time.
She swiftly strode through the grass, the small blades brushing against her neatly cleaned fur. Pausing for a moment at the fence, she wiggled her haunches. Her eyes stared intently at the tall fence, but it didn't take much time for her to jump. She had done it time after time. It wasn't something foreign to her now. In a elegant bound, the she-cat's paws launched off the ground, sending her onto the flat service of the red wall.
The ginger cat's fur tingled in anticipation. Although she went through the same routine every day, it never ceased to make her eager. A purr rose in her throat. Her sleek tail lashed excitedly as she headed off on the wall. So use to this normal walk, it didn't take much to any focus for her at all to travel on the fairly thin wall.
"Kyra, are you going to see them again?" the ginger she-cat rose, turning her head around to see a pure white she-cat. The she-cats fur was as neatly groomed as her own. Her amber eyes shone brightly under the rising sun.
The ginger she-cat, Kyra, sat down, facing the white one. She purred, "You know I am. I do every day. Why don't you come with me, Mia?" she inquired to her friend with a friendly smile.
The pure white she-cat looked disgusted. Her eyes widened in what seemed like surprise. Mia gasped dramatically, "Go with you? To see those mange-flea pelts? I don't think so." The white she-cat sighed and added, "Honestly, I don't know why you're so fascinated in them. They eat rotting food, and their pelts are full of ticks!"
Kyra shrugged indifferently. She had asked Mia countless times to go with her, but each time, she disagreed. None of the other housecats ever would go with her. They all said the same thing, telling her how horrible they were. They always said how they were nothing but dirty flea-carriers. "Suit yourself," the ginger she-cat answered plainly as she turned away.
"Make sure you be careful! You're lucky they haven't caught you yet! I heard they eat housecats and sharpen their claws on bones!" Mia yowled after Kyra as she sprinted away. The ginger she-cat didn't bother look back.
"Always am! I'll see you soon, Mia!" she called back, her paws working impatiently at the ground as she ran. Her fur bristled as she neared her usual place. It was this place she would always be able to observe them. It was a large tree with many branches. Leaves hung over, covering much of the brown.
The sleek, ginger she-cat threw herself at the tree. Her claws dug into the bark as she climbed up it. They would be coming soon, and she had to be hidden. Although they interested her, she was unsure of if the rumors were true. She crouched down on a high up branch. A small spot where the leaves were parted was where she would always go. It gave her a good view of below, but from the ground, she was basically invisible.
...
"Brackenblaze, wake up you lot!" a golden-brown tom groaned, rolling over in his moss nest. Suddenly, a large paw was brought toward him, swatting against his head. The young tom yelped, spring to his paws and shaking his pelt. A few pieces of moss flew into the air at the movement and scattered amongst the ground.
Brackenblaze flicked a chunk of moss off one of his claws, his white paws working to push the close by pieces back together. He growled softly, "Hey, what was that for, Thrushstorm?" he huffed, smoothing out his ruffled pelt. His blue eyes glared up at the larger, muscular gray tom who had woke him up.
"You're a warrior now. I shouldn't have to be waking you up. You're on patrol today, remember? Graymist and Rockfang are waiting for us. You know they hate waiting. Besides, what are you, too good for your old mentor now?" Thrushstorm purred good-naturedly.
Brackenblaze gave his former mentor a playful swat to the ear. He snorted, "I'm going! I'm going! If I have to listen to another one of Rockfang's lectures of being on time again, I think my ears will drop off." The gray tom chuckled and followed after the younger one as they left the den.
The golden-brown tom walked toward Graymist and Rockfang, a black tom. Brackenblaze's blue eyes shone happily. My first border patrol as a warrior! He mused. I wonder if it's going to feel any different. How exciting! The young tom had become a warrior only two sunrises ago. He had been on a hunting patrol the day prior, and today was the day he was going to patrol the borders.
"What in StarClan's name took you so long!" Rockfang growled. "I'll be countless moons old before we finish this patrol if we travel as slowly as you!" Graymist nodded his head. His amber eyes were narrowed slits as he looked at Brackenblaze.
"Yes. This is why Birdstar shouldn't be putting these younger cats in patrols with us. They can never get their priorities straight," Graymist sniffed, flicking his tail to the sides.
Brackenblaze heard Thrushstorm laugh gently beside him. He gave the golden-brown tom a shove. "Don't let them get to you. You know how they are," louder, he added, "Come on. Let's get going. With those strange scents we've been smelling of rogues, we better check out everything."
The rogues, huh? Brackenblaze thought. I wonder if we will run into them. I've heard some of the more senior warriors talking about them stealing out prey. Shaking his head in attempt to clear his mind, the golden-brown tom scrambled after the already moving patrol. I would show them to not mess with them if I saw them. Kittypets, rogues or loners, I don't care. You come on my territory and you're crow-food!
...
The young ginger she-cat's ears perked at the sound of pawsteps. They're coming! She nearly shouted, but she managed to keep it down. Her fur rose as she glared intently at the ground. In no more than a few heartbeats, four shapes came into her sight. Their pelts weren't nearly as neatly groomed as her, and many of them had at least a few scratches or scars covering their pelts. They were much more powerful looking than any housecat, their shoulders muscular and broad. Even the youngest, smaller one look strong beneath his lean build.
"With those rogues crawling around, we should scout everything. I suggest splitting up, if that isn't too much trouble?" A powerful looking, black tom inquired with a spiteful tint to his voice. His deep blue eyes were looking at a golden-brown tom.
The younger tom answered quickly with a snort, "Of course it isn't. I'm a warrior. I don't need protection you know." With that, the four cats split up. They each went different directions, the golden-brown tom trailing close to Kyra's hiding place.
The ginger she-cat dug her claws into the soft bark as the cat neared. It wasn't that she was scared. She was interested in what the cats were doing. She had seen all these cats before. Not always these ones, but each day, she noticed, a group of cats would travel through this area, leaving their scents. It seemed so strange. Kyra had yet to find out the exact purpose of it.
She was curious when she saw that the cats had divided and went fairly far from each other. Normally, they stuck close together. The ginger she-cat gazed down at the golden tom, who was snooping around the tree she was in. The she-cat inched forward on her branch for a better look. She never got to see the cats up close. Abruptly, a loud crack rang in her ear. Her green eyes went wide as the moon, and her fur rose twice her size.
"Aaahhh!" The ginger she-cat yowled as the branch fell from beneath her paws. Leaves and other branches slapped roughly against her as she plummeted toward the ground. She attempted to grab another branch with no luck. She would grip it only for a heartbeat before her claws slipped away. She closed her green eyes tight.
No. I have to do something! She managed to flip herself around in the air. Her flexible spine twisted to where her paws faced the ground. Still, she knew she wouldn't be able to survive the fall. Her claws unsheathed as she curved them. She swiped them toward the branches, still not fully gripping anything, but it definitely made her slow. She held back a whimper as the hard bark pelted against her flank, but she continued what she was doing.
As she neared the ground, she had slowed enough to the point where she would be able to make it through. Her paws parallel to the ground, she readied herself for impact. Her paws landed against the ground, pain shooting through her limbs. She let out a gasp of pain, stumbling over and falling onto the grass.
"What... Are you Okay?" Her ears twitched slightly as pawsteps neared her, crunching leaves and twigs. Kyra cracked an eye open, fear pulsing through her at the sight of the wild cat.
The ginger she-cat let out a fearful shriek, managing to stagger to her paws. She backed away, trying to ignore the pain that was still fresh. "D-don't eat me!" she wailed, remembering all the stories her mother and the neighboring housecats had told her. The golden-brown cat was about her age, but from what she had heard, it didn't matter. He was a trained killer.
The golden-brown tom tilted his head, "Eat you?" He laughed out the question. "That's so Mousebrained! I don't eat cats. That would just be strange. I would much prefer a juicy, plump mouse!"
"B-but they all say that you wild cats eat cats outside your groups and that you sharpen your claws on bones?" the ginger cat stammer, reciting what Mia had told her only a bit ago. She was now curious.
"Well, we don't," He answered, then suddenly seeming to notice something he growled softly, "Hey, you're a kittypet aren't you? I can tell by your collar. What are you doing in SkyClan territory? Are you stealing prey?"
"SkyClan? Kittypet? Prey stealing?" Kyra murmured, mind whirling, both dazed from the fall and confused by all the new terms. The golden-brown tom groaned and rolled his eyes as if talking to a new-born kit who understood nothing.
"A kittypet is what you are. We've been having cats like you, outside our clan, stealing our food. SkyClan is where I live. It's a group of cats that you call wild cats. We each have ranks that we can move up as we age. It goes from kit to apprentice to warrior and maybe even to queen, deputy or leader. The last thing you become is an elder. Each of us have two part names. I'm a warrior now! My names Brackenblaze," the tom purred as he proudly puffed out his white chest.
Kyra blinked as she took in everything she had her. It was strange. The tom seemed so nice, not anything from the normal descriptions she had gotten. "I-Will you tell me more about your clan? Please? I come here every day to watch you all... It's weird, but all the other house-kittypets- say these horrible things about your 'clan'. I don't understand why."
Brackenblaze looked startled. He questioned, "You want to know about the clan? You're odd, you know that. Most kittypets would have run off by now." He gave her an inquiring look. "Okay. Well-"
The golden-brown tom was cut off by the sound of crunching vegetation. he quickly gave her a push, causing pain to course through her sore body. "You have to go," he hissed. "The rest of my patrol-more cats- are coming. They won't take nicely to having you on our territory. Go. Now!"
With a silent squeak, the ginger she-cat turned and fled, trying to forget the awful pain. She heard the tom add in quietly, "If you return tomorrow, I'll tell you about clan life!"
Wow, I actually made it to about 2,000 words(a bit over I believe), which is good. I think writing in new character point of views is helping me bring myself back into writing. :)
If you didn't already figure it out, Kyra is the ginger she-cat we see at the start of the story in the prologue.