For two weeks, the Clans had not been together. The FightingCats had disappeared into their new home in the marshes, while the SwimmnigClan cats fished and swam in the rivers. The RunningClan cats had stayed in the moor. Despite the poor prey and gusty weather, they had claimed it as theirs.
Thunderfoot had taken his cats and turned to the forest. It was good to feel safe again. For the past few days, he had sent scouts, himself often going, into the heart of their new territory, looking for a good place to make camp, and along the edges, to mark territory.
He sighed as he watched yet another unsuccessful patrol return. Turning, he motioned to Mouse and a soldier called Birch. Wordlessly, they rose and followed him out of the temporary camp in a small clearing. They would patrol, like all the others, but Thunderfoot didn't bother to get excited any more.
It was almost moon-high when Mouse came barreling back to the two toms, panting, and gasped, "Thunderfoot, Birch, I found a place! It's right down this ridge. It even has a river running through it like our old camp." She frowned slightly. "It'll have to be cleared up some, though."
Thunderfoot purred. "Show us," he mewed. He was doing it more to humor her, but when he actually saw what she was telling him about he agreed.
A little ways away, the land dipped suddenly, into a small ravine. At the base was a large patch of brambles, thick on the outside, but extremely thin on the inside. A river ran through its center, through a hole in the wall, under a large stone, and through another hole
"It's perfect," Mouse breathed. "It'll be easy to clear out the center, and the outside can act as a wall. The kits will be safe in that one tangle, and if we can reroute the stream, like back home at Byron's post, a cat can sleep under that big rock, when we close off the back, and one entrance way will be were the stream enters, the other will be behind that tangle. The two bushes would be perfect for apprentices and warriors. I'm not sure where trainees would sleep, but… "
"And Bristle could use that split rock for her herbs. They'd stay dry in the rain. But I don't know where the elders would sleep. We'll have to figure that out!" Birch added, catching the excitement.
Thunderfoot purred. "If we could fell that tree, it would be a great place for the elders."
Mouse frowned. "Wouldn't it die?"
It was Birch who answered. "If we keep part of it's trunk connected, and really just bend it, it should live."
Thunderfoot nodded. "If all goes well, we should be moving into our new home in a few days.Perhaps we've finally found our new home."
Windheart stared proudly around the new camp. It was the only sheltered spot on the entire moor, but it was perfect. On one side of the windswept clearing, was a large, smooth rock, where she made announcements. The dens were all dry and warm and a hole had been dug in the sandy ground beside the large rock for fresh-kill.
Since they had settled the day after they had arrived, the clan had built the camp, established their borders, and settled everyone down. It was almost normal but for the fact that Hunters and Soldiers shared the same den. There were not sentries or frontlines, since there were not enough cats. Everyone stayed in camp, unless they were on patrol or hunting.
Since she, nor anyone, could remember whether a cat was a trainee or an apprentice, they had all been named apprentices.
"Windheart, who will take the dawn patrol?" She turned to look at her second, Rockfur. She hadn't named him deputy, but he pretty much served as one, taking charge when she wasn't there, advising her, and he always had an idea on how to make things better.
She sighed, thinking. It was easier to arrange patrol now that she new every cat by name, but harder than she thought to remember how hard they had worked that day.
"Frost, Reggie, and Hardwhisker. I'll assign the sun-high patrol after I know everyone's plans". He nodded and walked away.
Windheart sighed. It was good to be home.
Three days after the finding of their new camp, the HuntingClan cats had moved in and settled. It was hard to believe that these well-fed, happy cats, had been half dead just a few weeks before.
The middle of the brambles had been cleared out, except for an exceptionally thick one that served as the nursery.There was the second entrance behind it. The tree had been easier than they thought to fell, for when they came back the next day, it had been knocked over by lightening.
Thunderfoot couldn't help but think StarClan had lended a paw.
With a few well placed rocks, the stream had been redirected into a small sandy hollow that served as a training area. Suddenly, a patrol burst into camp. In the middle of the loose ring stood a RunningClan cat.
Thunderfoot padded forward. "What are you doing on HuntingClan territory?" He kept his voice mild, but he was surprised at the slight spark of anger. Had the clan boundaries really returned that quickly?
The tom seemed taken aback. "Windheart wants a meeting with all the leaders, at the small valley where the four territories meet, in two days. She said you'll spot it fast, seeing as there's a giant rock there. Oh, she asks you bring your Medicine Cats." He glanced around nervously. "I've given this to the two other clans, and I kind of want to make it home before moon-high."
Thunderfoot purred. "You mean you want a good piece of fresh-kill?"
The tom shuffled his paws sheepishly, and Thunderfoot purred harder. "I understand. My warriors-" he blinked. Where had that come from? Warriors? Yes, a part of his mind said, they deserve to be called warriors. "-will escort you to your territory. Hurry now, or that juicy rabbit will be gone."
As the cats left, Thunderfoot turned. It would be good to see his siblings again. It was time for a new beginning.
Riverstripe took one last look around the island-camp. The reeds had made amazingly dry dens for all her cats.
Wren padded up. "We'll be fine Riverstripe. The camp isn't going to disappear without you."
She cuffed him playfully. "With you in charge I'm not so sure. Are you ready Fernpelt?"
The old she-cat padded up and mewed dryly, "Ready as I'll ever be. Lets go."
The two cats hurried out of the camp.
Windheart sat beside her new Medicine Cat, Silver, Whitefoot's apprentice. Suddenly, she leapt to her paws. Riverstripe was here! She rushed forward and rubbed her face against her sister's.
"Riverstripe," she purred. "How are you?"
The tabby grinned, "Great! We've got our own camp and- oh, here come Thunderfoot and Sheba."
Windheart hurried forward to give her brother's ear a lick, and touch noses with Sheba.
"Have all of you been doing all right?" she asked. They all nodded.
"My Clan is thriving," Thunderfoot murmured. He glanced up at the full moon, and said suddenly, "We should do this every full moon. A gathering. It will give our Clans a time to catch up."
Windheart nodded, surprised she hadn't thought of it. "That's one of the reasons I asked you here. We need to discuss the Clans. First, I think we should change the names."
Thunderfoot and Riverstripe gasped, but Sheba looked thoughtful.
"She's right," the cat mewed, "we promised we'd leave our old life behind, and that includes the clan names. Plus, if a cat should ask about the Clan of the Fighting Cat, we can truthfully say we don't know."
Thunderfoot nodded slowly, and Riverstripe mewed, "We'll have to ask our Clans about that. When we meet next full moon, we'll announce our decisions. And now that Windheart has brought 'change' up, I was thinking…" her voice trailed off.
"Yes," Sheba prompted gently.
Riverstripe shook her head, as if clearing away unnecessary thoughts, and went on, "So much has changed. I think the old ways should change too. The Clans are smaller now, and its easier with less cats."
Windheart nodded. "Next time we come, we will bring our oldest warriors, and elders, and discuss new…rules. A new code. For now, we should head back. When we return next moon, bring your wisest, your new name, and some ideas."
"ForestClan!"
"HuntingClan!"
"No you mouse-brain, that's already our name! We need a new one!"
"Oh…" the apprentice looked thoughtful, then joked to his friend, "How about SparrowClan, named for me?"
"ThunderClan!" Every cat went quiet, and turned to look at Mouse. She shifted uncomforatably under their gazes, but then, one by one, the rest began to nod, and a few whispers turned into a roar of approval.
Thunderfoot shuffled his paws sheepishly and Bristle, noticing her foster son's discomfort, mewed, "We'd never have made it this far if it weren't for you. You should be remembered." A cat somewhere in the crowd began to chant jokingly, and another picked it up, until the clearing echoed, between purrs of amusment, with the name: "ThunderClan, ThunderClan, ThunderClan!" (a/n- in other words, they know its corny, but they don't care)
A cat bolted through the tunnel that served as the FightingClan- No, Sheba corrected herself with a smile, ShadowClan- camp entrance.
"Windheart says the Clans need to meet her at GreatRock immediately,"the cat panted.
Sheba stepped forward. "What's wrong?" The next Gathering wasn't supposed to be for three more weeks.
The other cat looked grim."It's Sally Bones. We found her body at dawn."
Riverstripe shifted impatiently as she watched Sheba, the last to arrive, scramble down the slope.
"What's this," she panted immedietly, "You've found Sally Bones' body?"
Windheart nodded grimly. "We actually found her alive, but she'd been running for seven days straight, and died of exaustion a few hours later. She said she had left the day the wolves had attacked the alleys."
Riverstripe froze. The city was only a five day march, as the wolf runs. Then again, the cats traveling with can't travel that fast, Riverstripe thought.
Suddenly, a howl split through the night air. Distant, but familiar, it made the hair on the back of Riverstripe's neck prickle. The wolves were back.
a/n- just out of curiosity, could you tell me what your favorite chapter has been and why? I'm just curious. The more reviews I get, the longer the next chapter will be! Oh, and I know this was mostly a filler (except for that last part) but it kind of needed to be done, and it's a break from the action, which is only realistic. So, please R&R, especially (sp?) about the chapter thing...