Rustkit found herself struggling to fall asleep. The world was awake all around her; outside, Eaglestar and Rubblefall spoke in urgent tones. The rain drowned out all sounds of the forest, and inside the nursery, Barkkit and Lightkit kept pestering her quietly with questions.
"Did the Clan of Stars really cover up the moon?" Lightkit gasped.
"You probably made that up," grumbled Barkkit.
"Hush!" Marigoldheart hissed. "Let Rustkit rest. She has had a long night."
Finally, silence settled over the camp. Hours passed by slowly.
Suddenly Rustkit realized she wasn't the only cat awake in the nursery. Her fur prickled with unease as she slowly turned her head. A pair of amber eyes glowed from the back of the nursery, almost snakelike. Rustkit leaped to her paws, whipping around. Is this a nightmare?
But it couldn't be. Reality came crashing down on her too late, as a pair of fangs fastened around her scruff and hauled her off her paws. Rustkit tried to cry out, but fell silent as the jaws tightened.
"Don't move," came a guttural growl.
Everything was frozen in time; she felt like she was being handled by a dog. A voice called out, "HEY, who are you?!"
"INTRUDER! Stop him!"
Eaglestar's yowl made time seem to speed up. The cat holding Rustkit bolted, and the forest turned into a blur around them. Rustkit felt like she was going to be sick. There were rustling sounds around her; Rustkit could barely make out the blurry shapes of cats, but she realized they were heading in the opposite direction.
"Moonclan, attack!" A yowl rose up in the night, drowned out by the cries of fighting.
"Fall back, Sunclan! Keep them at bay!"
Rustkit swung back and forth in her captor's jaws, like a piece of fresh-kill. His breath was hot and damp, and soaked into her reddish brown fur. Ew.
Rustkit noticed a shape tearing after them as she swung to the left. She recognized the golden pelt of Marigoldheart. Rustkit suddenly was being set down roughly. She choked back the bile rising in her throat.
The strange cat whipped around, his dark slender body tense. He leaped at Marigoldheart, who awkwardly skidded to a stop, her belly heavy with milk. Marigoldheart barely rolled out of the way in time, and the intruder slashed her ear as he sailed past. He rose up on his hindquarters, and Marigoldheart rose up to counter him. She wasn't fast enough; he came crashing down on her with heavy forepaws, knocking her to the ground. Marigoldheart grunted as she fell back. She leaped as soon as her paws touched the ground, her claws outstretched. Murder flashed through her eyes.
She really is fighting for me.
Rustkit's heart broke as she watched the intruder swing a muddy forepaw, sidestepping. His paw collided with Marigoldheart's cheek, and she crumpled to the ground ungracefully. Rustkit started to tremble as she watched her lay there motionless for a moment, then two, then three. The intruder stood over her for a moment. Then came the sound of cats pushing through the undergrowth, and he picked her up and bounded over the border between Sunclan and Moonclan.
/*/*/*
Eaglestar's pounded against the damp ground, almost as fast as his heart pounded in his chest.
"Don't give up chase!"
He heard Rubblefall's order, and hastened, as if he were an apprentice eager to please a mentor. As he cleared a fallen tree with a single bound, he almost tripped over a ginger shape on the ground. He turned around sharply.
"Marigoldheart?!"
He sniffed her cheek. It was tender and muddy. Panicking, he stepped back and caterwauled loudly.
"Eaglestar?"
A stick cracked as Toadhop stepped out.
"Toadhop. Run and fetch Blackpuddle, quickly!"
He obeyed, bolting past Gingertip and Gorsewhisker as they rushed over.
"Marigoldheart, no!" Gorsewhisker choked, using his nose to nudge his mate. Eaglestar's eyes were dark as he stepped forward.
"Gorsewhisker. Help me carry her back to camp."
The rain carried on as heavily as ever as the four cats trudged back to camp.
/*/*/*
"Stop shaking, will you? We're not going to eat you...yet."
"Thunderpaw, you'll only scare her more."
Rustkit pressed her chin against the cold stone, wishing for the softness of dirt and feathers beneath her. The moss under her belly was damp and had a funny smell.
"We really showed Sunclan this time, didn't we?"
The apprentice, who Rustkit assumed was Thunderpaw, gazed at her with an intense look. His brother, Goldenpaw, looked identical to him; both cats were golden tabbies with green eyes. The only thing that made them stand apart was the scar across Thunderpaw's left eye.
"You don't scare me," She said, though her voice had a faint tremble to it.
"You should be scared. Thornstar had us guard the camp all by ourselves, until Darkstorm came back."
"So what?" She turned her back on them. "Nothing matters anymore."
They exchanged a glance. Then Thunderpaw prodded her with a paw.
"Hey...Rustkit...we didn't mean to be nasty. You're going to be our clanmate, so we just-"
"Clanmate?!" Rustkit turned on him, enraged. "I'm here against my own will. You're not my clanmates, I'm your prisoner!"
Goldenpaw prodded his brother, and motioned toward the entrance of the cave.
"We should leave her be. She's not in a talkative mood tonight."
"Yes, go away!" Rustkit hissed, her neck fur bristling. All fear had left her, now she only felt anger. How dare they steal her away, like a piece of fresh-kill? She curled up, not caring about the mossy smell, and soon was asleep.
/*/*/*
Rustkit was awoken by sounds of life in the camp. She raised her head from under her tail, parting her jaws in a yawn. Sunlight bled in through the entrance of the cave. She padded outside, her pawsteps echoing off the smooth cave walls.
Outside, two warriors were posted guard. They noticed her, and stood, obviously prepared to escort her. She scoffed. Mange-pelts.
Around her, rocks rose up out of the ground like claws, yet they didn't cast shadows like the trees did in Sunclan territory. Ferns blocked her view of the sky above, and she wished she were taller. Rustkit could hear two voices in the distance, and it sounded like they were fighting.
"...you're a deputy, Ripplefur. I don't need your permission…"
"...What you have done is strictly against the warrior code!…."
A pale brown she-cat padded toward her.
"Rustkit. How did you sleep?"
How did I sleep, after being snatched from my nest? Quite wonderful, thanks.
"Fine," she replied.
"Good. Today, I will show you to the nursery."
She padded through the ferns, not bothering to see if Rustkit would follow her.
The nursery? I wonder if there are any other kits.
The she-cat barely made any noise as she padded through the ferns. Her pawsteps were delicate and devoid of sound. I wonder how Moonclan cats are so silent.
"My name is Ferrettail, by the way."
"Ferrettail?"
"Yes. I have two kits. You will get on quite well, I'm sure."
"Hm." Doubtful.
As Ferrettail led her up the bank of Swift River, Rustkit realized she hadn't been near camp at all, but in the heart of Moonclan territory. The two warriors that were guarding her sprinted through the ferns in the distance, like water bugs over the surface of a puddle.
"That's Copperpelt and Sootpelt," Ferrettail commented. "They are taking the dawn patrol."
"Only two of them?" She was intrigued. In Sunclan, five or six cats took a patrol.
"Yes. If something were to go wrong on a border patrol, the patrol cats would sprint back to camp in moments and then return with reinforcements before any intruders could follow them."
"That's so different...than what I'm used to, I mean."
"Many things about your new life will be different."
They reached a part of Swift River where the currents came to a halt. The surface of the water was clear, and unmoving. Ferrettail bounded across on large stones that barely stuck out of the stream. She looked like she was jumping on the water.
"The river is swollen, of course, due to the rain. These rocks are usually higher than the water level."
There was a subtle sound like thunder, that grew more intense with each pawstep Rustkit took. At the end of the quiet pool, the water plummeted down over the side of a small precipice.
"Welcome to Moonclan camp."
The waterfall settled in a pool at the bottom of camp. A large rock jutted out from the center of the curtain of water, and below it there were entrances in the large stone. Ferrettail leaped down beside the waterfall, balancing on rocks.
Great, more climbing. They should be called Rockclan.
"The leader's den is the one highest up. Underneath this overhang is the warrior and apprentice den, and the nursery. Elders sleep in that indent over there, behind the nursery."
The nursery was located inside a hollowed out trunk, that looked like it had been rolled inside the cave-like overhang. The wood was bone dry, possibly to prevent it from rotting. Rustkit slipped inside the narrow entrance.
"Rustkit, these are my kits, Bubblekit and Fernkit."
The two kits stared at her with glowing eyes.
"Hey!" The silver one mewed boldly.
"You're new, aren't you?" The brown one sniffed her cheek, wrinkling her nose. "You smell like a Sunclan cat still."
Rustkit dipped her head, not sure of what to say.
"Come, let's have you meet some of our warriors."
Rustkit followed her to a large den, barricaded with sticks and mud. A large grey tom padded into the overhang, carrying a bird in his jaws. He dropped it, spitting out a feather.
"You must be Rustkit. I'm Boulderclaw."
His amber eyes were friendly. Rustkit lowered her head respectfully, but Boulderclaw narrowed his eyes.
"You must treat me as an equal, Rustkit. In Moonclan, our kits are valued as warriors. When you meet Thornstar, though, you must show her respect."
She raised her head, a bit flustered.
"Thornstar? Me? When?"
"Now." A strangely familiar voice boomed from the entrance of the overhang; a dark silhouette stood out against the white curtain of water. Rustkit unsheathed her claws as she recognized the cat that had brought her here.
"Darkstorm. Are you sure this is a good time?" Ferrettail asked nervously.
A blueish gray cat padded into the overhang behind him.
"It's alright, Ferrettail. Thornstar is ready."
Ferrettail dipped her head respectfully, and Rustkit quickly copied her. This must be the deputy.
"Come."
Rustkit followed the two cats out and up the side of the waterfall again; her paws were sore from all the climbing. The deputy called out a greeting at the entrance to the Leader's Den.
"Ripplefur, you may enter."
They walked through a lush curtain of leaves. Rustkit noticed that the flowers on the vine were closed, as if asleep. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could make out the skinny shape of Thornstar, sitting expectantly.
"Welcome to Moonclan, Rustkit."
Rustkit dipped her head. "Thank you."
Thornstar's green eyes glowed in the darkness. "You're strong for such a young one...you will do well in Moonclan."
"Thornstar, I don't think I'm meant to be here. I really want to go back to Sunclan. Please." Rustkit felt Ripplefur stiffen next to her, and instantly regretted the comment.
"Of course you do." Thornstar didn't seem offended. "You must miss those Sunclan cats. They were very kind to you, weren't they? Did you like living in constant dryness, constant heatstroke?"
Rustkit hesitated, thinking of Barkkit and of the endless water patrols. "I guess it wasn't that great."
"No...but listen to this. I can make you an apprentice any day you choose. I can have you trained by the best warriors in the forest. Do you like listening to stories, Rustkit?"
"Yes, Thornstar."
"Well, our only elder, Crackedstone, is the oldest and wisest cat in all the territories."
"Really?"
"Yes. She has stories from every corner of the territories, even Sunclan."
Thornstar seemed to relax, and let her hindquarters drop.
"You can come visit me anytime you want. Now, go and rest; I want to see you in my den tonight."
Rustkit dipped her head, and padded out of the den. Darkstorm padded out after her, but Ripplefur stayed behind. Rustkit allowed Darkstorm to lead the way down the rocky trail, without a word. When they got to the bottom, Darkstorm turned to face her. His blue eyes were like chips of ice in the sunlight.
"Tomorrow, I will be showing you the territory."
Rustkit wrinkled her nose.
"Really? In Sunclan, I'm not allowed to leave the camp until I become an apprentice."
"I know." Darkstorm's voice was gruff, but Rustkit could detect sincerity behind his eyes.
"I'm sorry I had to do what I did yesterday."
She looked away. "I know you were following orders."
"I think you're going to fit in nicely here."
He padded away, without waiting for her response. She sighed, turning back to the nursery. Maybe this isn't so bad. It's cool enough to fall asleep in the middle of the day, and no Barkkit. What could go wrong?