Chapter 3 ½
Rusty couldn't believe it, there were cats everywhere! Some were alone or in groups; grooming each other's fur, sharing prey, or just chatting. The air felt still and warm, the clearing was dappled with sunshine, and the camp looked old; like it had been there for generations.
"Just after sunhigh, when the day is hottest, is a time for sharing tongues." Lionheart meowed.
"Sharing tongues? Do you mean grooming?" Rusty asked confused.
"Yes. Clan cats always spend time grooming each other and sharing the news of the day, we call it sharing tongues. It is a custom that binds the members of the clan together." Whitestorm explained.
Rusty nodded, then looked and saw the cats staring at him curiously. It was clear that they had smelled his scent and the cherry scent had died down, but it made Rusty uncomfortable and shy. He looked around the camp for a bit and saw thick grass, a fallen tree, tree stumps, dens made of thorns and brambles or were bushes, and a thick curtain of ferns and gorse shielding the camp from outsiders. Lionheart flicked his tail at Rusty to get his attention.
"Over there is the nursery, where the kits are cared for." He meowed.
His tail pointed at a den. It looked impenetrable, it was made of brambles, and it was a bush-like den. Rusty couldn't see what was inside, but he did hear several kittens meowing and a golden she-cat with darker stripes and green eyes exited the nursery. She dipped her head at Lionheart and Whitestorm but looked at Rusty curiously. A pale golden she-cat with light brown stripes and blue eyes came around the bushes. The golden she-cat saw her and approached her. They dipped their heads, then went inside the nursery. Rusty could hear them whispering to the squealing kits.
"The care of our kits is shared by all of the queens." Lionheart meowed.
"All cats serve the clan." Whitestorm interrupted.
"Loyalty to the clan is the first law in our warrior code, a lesson you must learn quickly if you wish to stay with us." Lionheart finished.
He made a glare at Whitestorm, which he smiled embarrassed. Whitestorm looked ahead at the highrock.
"Here comes Bluestar." He meowed.
Rusty sniffed the air and was glad to remember the blue she-cat's scent. Lionheart and Whitestorm approached her.
"He came." Bluestar purred.
"Lionheart was convinced he was not. He was also concerned that the kittypet told someone." Whitestorm replied.
"Did he?" Bluestar asked.
"No, he didn't. He kept up well on the return journey, despite his puny size, he certainly seems strong for a kittypet." Whitestorm meowed.
"So it is agreed?" Bluestar asked.
"Yes." Both cats nodded.
"Then I shall announce his arrival to the clan." Bluestar meowed.
She jumped on the highrock and climbed on to the highest boulder.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!" Bluestar yowled.
Cats left the dens and gathered at highrock; each one looking up at their leader. Rusty joined the group and sat next to Lionheart. Rusty recognized Greypaw among the group and was relieved. He saw a light brown and white she-cat with yellow eyes sitting next to him and a dark grey tom with black stripes and yellow eyes was behind them. Rusty was startled by the tom's stripes, they looked like shadows ready for a strike. Everyone was silent and still and looked up at their leader.
"Thunderclan needs more warriors, never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that Thunderclan will take in an outsider to train as a warrior. I have found a cat that is willing to become an apprentice. Lionheart and Whitestorm have met this young cat and they agree with me that we should train him with the other apprentices." Bluestar announced.
"Lucky to become an apprentice." A voice hissed silently.
Rusty heard it and looked to see a pale tom with black stripes and blue eyes glaring at him. Cats were muttering and whispering to each other. Rusty looked at Lionheart, then at the clan; all cats were staring at him. They looked at Bluestar.
"Where does he come from?" one cat asked.
"Which clan does belong to?" another asked.
"What a strange scent he carries. That's not the scent of any clan I know." A cat commented.
"Look at his collar, he's a kittypet! Once a kittypet, always a kittypet. This clan needs wild born warriors to defend it, not another soft mouth to feed and besides, they don't have powers." The tom yowled.
Cats were horrified, a kittypet in their clan?! Kittypets were known to never have powers. It has been known throughout the clans that kittypets, loners, rogues, and half-kittypet and half-clan cats (mostly) don't have powers. It separated clan cats from "other" cats. However, there have been times where outsiders did have powers and those meant that they were meant to be a part of the clan. In this case, Rusty was no different. Lionheart bent down towards Rusty's ear.
"That tom is Longtail. He smells your fear, they all do. You must prove to him and the other cats that your fear won't hold you back." He growled.
Rusty was frozen and scared. How could he prove to these cats that he wasn't just and kittypet or a powerless cat?
"Your collar is a mark of the twolegs and that noisy jingling will make you a poor hunter at best. What's worst is that it will bring the twolegs into our territory, looking for their poor lost kittypet who fills the woods with his pitiful tinkling. The noise of your treacherous bell will alert our enemies, even if your twoleg stench doesn't." Longtail sneered.
"Do you back down from a challenge? Lionheart asked hissing.
An idea popped into Rusty's head. He got into a battle crouch and pinpointed his position to attack Longtail. Rusty hissed, narrowed his eyes, and pounced at Longtail. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. Filled with rage, Rusty dug his claws and bit into Longtail's fur. Longtail screamed and both cats wrestled with fur flying everywhere. Rusty scratched and struggled, but then felt a terrible pressure at his throat. Longtail had gotten a grip on his collar and was pulling it tightly. As Rusty struggled to break free, his paws were on fire and only three had managed to scratch Longtail. He screeched in pain and cats gasped with horror.
"The kittypet has powers!" a cat screeched.
"Impossible." Another said shocked.
Suddenly, Rusty's collar snapped and he managed to kick Longtail off him. He landed a few inches from Rusty, with his mangled and broken collar. Bluestar leaped down from the highrock, silenced and took the collar from Longtail. Both cats were covered in blood and scratches; Longtail had a torn ear with blood dripping onto his shoulder, scratches, and minor burns and Rusty had a cut above his eye and a few scratches. The two toms glared at each other.
"The newcomer has lost his twoleg collar in a battle for his honor. Starclan has spoken its approval, this cat has been released from the hold of his twoleg owners and is free to join Thunderclan as an apprentice." Bluestar announced.
Rays of sunlight landed on Rusty. He glowed and shined like fire that his fur started to ignite in flames. Bluestar smiled.
"You look like a brand of fire in the sunlight, you have fought well." She purred.
Rusty purred with joy. No cat argued, he had proven that he had powers and a worthy opponent. Bluestar leaped onto the highrock and got on the highest boulder.
"From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame-colored coat and his gift. I shall be your mentor. I expect to pass down all the skills I will teach you. Meeting dismissed." She announced
"FIREPAW! FIREPAW! FIREPAW!" the clan cheered.
After a few moments, Bluestar jumped down and the clan scattered. Each cat was excited that a cat with powers had joined the clan, especially that it was a kittypet. Firepaw took the collar and buried it. Longtail snarled and limped away to the medicine cat den. Bluestar approached Firepaw.
"Firepaw, we'll begin training tomorrow. For now, I want you to explore the camp, alright?" she meowed.
"Yes Bluestar." He meowed.
"Good. Training will begin tomorrow at sunrise. You should go get that cut checked." She meowed.
Bluestar turned around and padded away. Firepaw headed to the medicine cat den until Greypaw approached him.
"Hey Firepaw, great fight! Especially for a kittypet! Longtail is a warrior, although he only finished his training two moons ago. That scar you left on his ear won't let him forget you in a hurry. You've spoiled his good looks, that's for sure." Greypaw snickered.
"Thanks, Greypaw. He put up quite a fight though." He purred.
Firepaw realized something. He looked around for Longtail until he found him at the entrance of a den. A cat was putting herbs on his ear and Firepaw saw that he had a really long tail.
"How come he didn't use his tail, it looks like he can control it?" Firepaw asked.
"He thought you were a weak and powerless kittypet. It's one of our warrior strategies in the clans; how to fight a cat with powers and how to fight a cat without powers. In this case, Longtail used his warrior training on how to fight a cat without powers. It's a way of keeping our secret." Greypaw explained.
Firepaw nodded and headed towards the den.
"Firepaw!" a cat cheered.
"Hey, Firepaw!" a cat greeted.
"Welcome, young Firepaw!" another cat greeted.
He allowed the cheers and welcoming gestures to echo in his ears. Firepaw smiled as he was accepted into the clan. Greypaw followed him and both cats approached a fern-enclosed den. A dark tortoiseshell she-cat with a dappled coat and green eyes was applying leaves and cobwebs to Longtail's ear and his scratches.
"That's Spottedleaf, she's our medicine. Not bad looking either. Younger and prettier than most…" Greypaw introduced.
Suddenly, dark grey tom with black stripes and yellow eyes approached the apprentices; glaring at Firepaw.
"Lucky your collar snapped when it did. Longtail is a young warrior, but I can't imagine him being beaten by a kittypet." He snarled.
"But…I have powers." Firepaw said confused.
The tom sneered, then walked away. Greypaw glared at him.
"That's Darkstripe. He's neither young nor pretty." He hissed.
Suddenly, a yowl from a tan tom with yellow eyes and small ears alerted the camp.
"Smallear smells trouble!" Greypaw yowled.
Then, a small black tom with a white chest, tailtip, yellow eyes, and wings crashed into the clearing. He staggered as he was trying to find his balance, he was breathing heavily, was covered in scratches, and his eyes looked like he was about to faint.
"Ravenpaw?! Why is he alone? Where's Tigerclaw and Redtail?" Greypaw asked shocked.
"Ravenpaw? Tigerclaw? Redtail?" Firepaw asked confused.
"Ravenpaw's an apprentice, Tigerclaw is his mentor, and Retail is the deputy of our clan. They all went out at sunrise on a mission against Riverclan, but why on earth has Ravenpaw come back alone?" Greypaw explained.
Cats ran out of their dens and quickly gathered around Ravenpaw. Cats were scared, anxious, and horrified to see him like that. Bluestar approached Ravenpaw calmly, but her eyes were clouded with worry.
"Speak Ravenpaw, what has happened?" she asked.
Suddenly, he fell to the ground and was breathing slowly.
"Bluestar, I'm so sorry but…
