Chapter 2

I'm surprised I was able to come up with chapter so quickly! And thanks for my first reviews!

Firestar the warrior: AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa thank you! I'm so happy someone liked it!

catspider12: Spiderclaw will definitely be added, we'll see her soon! And I'll eventually update the allegiances again when I make rosters for the rest of the clans.

- -Brownfur

The peat was soft under Echokit's paws, but as the moon started to fall behind the trees again, she could feel their aching.

I thought Mama said it wouldn't be far?

Sighing, the kit stopped for the first time and sat down. She curled her tail around herself and felt her stomach rumble. Ferns rustled in the breeze, and Echokit's mind began to race. Without her constant focus on walking and looking for a stream, she felt the dull agony of being sent away.

"Why did she make me go?" She whispered to herself. "And find Shadowclan?"

Echokit began to smooth her flyaway fur. Don't think about that, she scolded herself, and instead distracting herself with stories her mother told about the clan.

There was the story of Shadowstar, of course, a she-cat strong and dark, who had started the clan and led them into the pine woods. She had taught her cats to hunt and fight without light.

Then there was Whorlstar, a silver tom who almost destroyed Thunderclan after a war, but let them rebuild under his mercy. And even gave them some of Shadowclan's land.

Echokit's favorite story was about a she-cat named Ravenblood, who after being cheated on by her mate, rose to being the best fighter in the clan, and earning everyone's respect. Echokit loved it as her mother told her how Ravenblood fought against the leader of Riverclan, Dawnstar, and took two of her lives in one battle. But Ravenblood died of unknown causes before she could become leader.

By now, Echokit's paws had stopped hurting as bad, and she heard a faint, constant noise. Pricking her ears, she rose and followed the sound, now growing louder. A silvery brook glittered under the moonlight, the waves lapping. Echokit smiled faintly.

I made it!

Now, all she had to do was wait. Echokit dipped her paws into the cool water, and letting her drops ripple until she heard voices.

"Well,Ashenspots, I remember you being particularly ornery as a kit," A tomcat's voice laughed.

Echokit crouched behind a fern, unsure if she should show herself just yet.

A spotted grey tom led a ginger tom, cinnamon she-cat and a peach tom out behind the trees.

"I know, but Speckledkit doesn't seem to-"

"What's that smell?" The cinnamon she-cat hissed. "It's not another clan exactly, but not really rogue scented," She sniffed the air, jaws parted.

The cats crept closer and closer, almost ready to cross the brook before Echokit stepped from behind her cover.

"Are any of you Spirestrike?" She mewed, ears flat against her head.

"Spirestrike?" The spotted tom leapt across the stream, landing only tail-lengths away from Echokit. "What is a kit doing out here by herself?"

The cinnamon she-cat jumped across the brook beside the tom. She pulled Echokit into her fur. "She's freezing! What's your name, darling," she asked as she began to lick Echokit's fur.

"More importantly, what does she want with Spirestrike?" The peach tom called from across the stream.

Now warmed by the she-cat, Echokit looked into her eyes and said, "I'm Echokit. My mother told me to find Spirestrike, and Shadowclan."

"Well, hello, Echokit. My name is Fawnflight, this is Ashenspots," She gestured to the spotted tom beside her, "The peach cat is Palestripe, and the ginger one is Writheclaws." She finished.

"Why were you looking for us?" Ashenspots lowered his head to her level.

"Mama told me to."

"And Spirestrike?"

Echokit nodded.

Writheclaws spoke for the first time that night. "Who is 'mama?' It sounds like she was a warrior if she named you Echokit."

Echokit thought for a second and tucked her tail over her paws before replying. "She said her name was Brackenflower."

"Brackenflower?!" Fawnflight gaped and shared a panicked look with Ashenspots. "Is she here too?"

"No." Echokit didn't understand the fear in their eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, darling," Fawnflight lied. "So Spirestrike must be your father."

"I don't know."

Ashenspots lifted Echokit by her scruff before muttering, "Well, it's better for you to live with your father than mother." Then he leapt over the brook, Echokit swinging, but far out of reach of the waters.

Fawnflight followed suit. "Palestripe, Writheclaws, you can finish the border patrol. We'll take Echokit into camp."

The journey into camp was much faster than Echokit's trip to the brook.

"Surely Driftstar will let her into the camp, won't she?" Ashenspots said around Echokit's fur.

"Of course. She wouldn't leave a Shadowclan kit to live alone. Or with-" Fawnflight cut herself off awkwardly. "Her."

After a short trip, they walked around a bramble wall and through a thorn tunnel, tails kept safely from the thorns. Shadowclan lay in a hollow clearing with a small cave at one end. There were two huge boulders by the dens, and bramble dens. The cats were mostly asleep excepting a tall black she-cat lounging upon one of the boulders talking to a white tom and a young yellow tom.

Their heads turned as Ashenspots and Fawnflight came from the tunnel.

"You're early." The black tabby meowed. "Where are-" She leapt down from the boulder and stood tall in front of Echokit. "What is this." She said rather than asked.

Ashenspots set Echokit down gently and dipped his head to the she-cat. "Driftstar, this is Echokit. We found her waiting by the brook. Her father is Spirestrike."

Driftstar softened her gaze and knelt by Echokit. "Her mother is Brackenflower?"

"Yes." Echokit mewed. "She told me to come live here with Spirestrike."

Driftstar seemed taken aback. "She told you to come? Well, that's better than what she did to her last-"

Fawnflight cut her off with a sharp mew. "So can she stay?"

Driftstar rasped her tongue over Echokit's head. "Of course. We'll announce her to the clan in the morning. And she seems old enough to be an apprentice, but we'll wait half a moon."

Fawnflight nodded. "Do you want me to take care of her?"

"Yes. She should probably get to sleep. Ashenspots, catch up with your patrol." Driftstar finished, and walked into a hollowed oak tree.

Fawnflight nudged Echokit. "You're officially a Shadowclan cat!"

"What about Spirestrike?" Echokit teemed her silvery whiskers.

"He's sleeping right now. And we should be doing the same." Fawnflight led Echokit to a hollow behind a thorn bush. There sleeping were three she-cats, one curled around her single kit, another around two, and one who didn't have any yet. Careful not to wake any of them, Fawnflight lay beside Echokit and began purring, lulling her asleep. Echokit felt warmer and more loved than she ever remembered.

- -Brownfur