It was very dark. Rusty could sense something near. The young boy's eyes opened wide as he scanned the dense undergrowth. This place was unfamiliar, but a strange sound drew him onward, deeper into the shadows. His stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger. He breathed in the musty smell of the forest, and caught a wisp of something warm and sweet.
Suddenly a flash of gray raced past him. Rusty stopped still, listening. It was hiding in the leaves, less than two feet away. Rusty knew it was a mouse-he could feel the rapid pulsing of a tiny heart. He swallowed, stifling his rumbling stomach. Soon, his hunger would be satisfied.
Slowly, he drew his bow and a long, wooden arrow with a stone end, crouching for his attack. He knocked the arrow into the bow and drew it back. He was downwind of the mouse. He knew it was not aware of him. With one final check his prey's position, Rusty let go of the bow string, and with a soft twang, the arrow flew towards the mouse.
The mouse dove for cover, heading toward a hole in the ground. But Rusty had already shot another arrow, and it grazed the mouse's back. It fell forward, dazed. Rusty had drawn a knife, and was about to end its life, when a noise sounded from behind him. He turned, and the mouse scurried away. He turned back, but the mouse had already burrowed into its hole.
Angry, Rusty gave up the hunt. He spun around, green eyes glaring, intent on searching out the noise that had cost him his kill. The sound rattled on, sounding more familiar. Rusty blinked open his eyes.
The forest had disappeared. He was inside a hot and airless kitchen, asleep on the floor, his dad pouring a bowl of cereal. Moonlight filtered through the windows, casting shadows across the smooth, hard floor. Rusty had been dreaming.
"Well, look who finally woke up!" his dad laughed. Rusty glared at him. "Why didn't you wake me?" he demanded.
"You looked comfortable on the floor. Besides, you got school tomorrow and I didn't want you to go to school looking like a zombie because your dad woke you." He rolled his eyes. "I'm going outside," Rusty muttered. "Be safe," his dad said.
Rusty stalked through the sliding glass door. It was the third time for the past month that he had had that dream. He climbed up onto the fence and sat on it. The moon was bright. He heard his dad call for him to come back inside, but Rusty yelled, "I'm going to stay out here for a little while." His dad closed the door and turned off the light.
Rusty jumped off the fence and into the forest behind his house. He had gone two steps forward, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Where you off to, Rusty?" Rusty looked up to see a black and white haired boy, balancing ungracefully on the fence. "Hello Smudge," Rusty replied.
"You weren't going into the woods, were you?" Smudge asked, amber eyes wide.
"Just for a look," Rusty promised, shifting uncomfortably.
"You wouldn't get me in there. It's dangerous!" Smudge wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Henry said he went into the woods once." They boy lifted his head and gestured over the rows of fences towards the house where Henry lived.
"That fat old man never went into the woods!" Rusty scoffed. "He's hardly been outside his own house since he found out about video games. Now all he does is eat, sleep, and game."
"No, really. He saw a bear there!" Smudge insisted.
"Well if he did, it was before he became fat. Now he complains about outside because everything disturbs him."
"Well anyway," Smudge went on, ignoring the scorn in Rusty's words. "Henry told me that there are all sorts of dangerous animals out there. Kids who eat live rabbits, and sharpen swords with bones! Police tried to investigate them once, but they chased them away with swords and knives!"
"I'm only going for a look around," Rusty said. "I won't stay long."
"Well don't say I didn't warn you!" said Smudge. They black and white haired boy turned and jumped down into his backyard.
Rusty stood in the course grass and wondered nervously how much of Smudge's gossip was true.
Suddenly the movement of a tiny creature caught his eye. He watched it scuttle under some brambles.
He dropped into a low crouch. With no real weapon on him, he picked up the nearest stick, and carefully stalked the mouse.
Rusty swayed a bit, excitement bubbling in his chest. Then a sound of cracking twigs and crunching leaves made him jump. The mouse darted away.
Rusty stood very still and looked around. He could see a black and white striped muzzle sticking out of a clump of ferns ahead. It looked like a dog's muzzle, but longer and pointier. Then, it disappeared into the ferns. Rusty forgot about the mouse and started walking towards the strange animal. He wanted a better look.
All of Rusty's senses strained ahead as he prowled forward. Then he heard a noise. It came from behind him, but sounded muted and distant. He looked behind him to see what it was. He saw nothing. Rusty listened harder. Footsteps? he wondered. He turned back to the strange muzzled creature. It was only when the faint rustling behind him became a loud and fast-approaching leaf-crackle that Rusty realized he was in danger.
Something hit him like an explosion and Rusty was thrown sideways into a clump of nettles. He gasped for air, having had the wind knocked out of him. He turned to punch at his attacker, but the creature had jumped on top of him. Rusty saw the glint of a knife and tried thrashing to get the attacker off him.
Thinking fast, Rusty flipped over onto his back. He knew how dangerous it was to expose his stomach, but it was his only chance.
He was lucky-the ploy seemed to work. He heard a "hhuuffff" beneath him as the breath was knocked out of his attacker. Rusty scrambled to his feet and sprinted toward his home.
Behind him, a rush of footsteps told Rusty he was being chased. Even though the pain of his scratches stung from beneath his ripped shirt, Rusty decided he would rather turn and fight than let himself be jumped on again.
He skidded to a stop, spun around, and faced his pursuer.
It was another boy, with thick shaggy gray hair with darker stripes in it, strong legs, and a broad face. The kid crashed into Rusty at full speed. Taken by surprise by Rusty's turn around, he fell back in a dazed heap.
The impact knocked the breath out of Rusty, and he staggered. He quickly found his footing, and got into a slight fighting stance, fiery ginger hair getting in his eyes. But his attacker had simply sat up and began digging dirt out of his fingernails, all signs of aggression gone.
Rusty felt slightly disappointed. Every part of him was tense, ready for battle.
"Hi there, non-forester!" said the gray haired boy cheerily. "You put up quite a fight for an untrained kid!"
Rusty remained in his battle position for a second, wondering whether to attack anyway. Then he remembered the strength of the kid's grip when he had attacked. He dropped his arms to his sides, loosened his muscles, and moved his foot to where both feet were next to each other. "And I'll fight you again if I have to," he growled.
"I'm Gray, by the way," the gray-haired boy went on, ignoring Rusty's threat, "I'm training to be a ThunderClan warrior."
Rusty remained silent. He didn't understand what this Graywhatsit was talking about, but he sensed the threat had passed. He hid his confusion by fixing his ruffled shirt.
"What's a non-forester like you doing out in the woods? Don't you know it's dangerous?" asked Gray.
"If you're the most dangerous thing the woods has to offer, then I think I can handle it," Rusty bluffed.
Gray looked up at him for a moment, narrowing his big golden eyes. "Oh, I'm far from the most dangerous. If I were even half a warrior, I'd give an intruder like you some real wounds to think about."
Rusty felt a thrill of fear at these ominous words. What did this boy mean by "intruder"?
"Anyway," said Gray, using his sharp teeth to bite off one of his nails, "I didn't think it was worth hurting you. You're obviously not from the other Clans."
"Other Clans?" Rusty echoed, confused.
Gray made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. "You must have heard of the four warrior Clans that hunt around here! I belong to ThunderClan. The other Clans are always trying to steal pray from our territory, especially ShadowClan. They're so fierce they would have ripped you to shreds, no questions asked."
Gray paused to spit angrily on the ground and continued. "They come to take prey that is rightfully ours. It's the job of the ThunderClan warriors to keep them out of our territory. When I've finished my training, I'll be so dangerous, I'll have them shaking in their flea-bitten skins. They won't dare come near us then!"
Rusty narrowed his eyes. This must be one of the wild children Smudge had warned him about! Living rough in the woods, fighting each other for every last scrap of food. Yet Rusty didn't feel scared. In fact, it hard for him not to admire this confident kid. "So you're not a warrior yet?" he asked.
"Why? Did you think I was?" Gray said proudly. Then he shook his wide head. "I won't be a real warrior for ages. I have to go through training first. Babies have to be at least five years old before they even begin training. Tonight is my first night out as an apprentice."
"Why don't you find yourself a home instead? Your life would be much easier and more comfortable. Although school kinda sucks..." Rusty said. "But there are plenty of people around here who would adopt you. All you gotta do is- "
"And they'd feed me crap food that looks like a rabbit through up, and make me eat the weird colored watery stuff?" Gray interrupted. "No way! I can't think of anything worse than being a non-forester! They're nothing but Grownup toys! Eating stuff that doesn't look like food, making dirt in a pot, sticking their noses outside only when it's warm enough or not raining? That's no life! Out here it's wild, and it's free. We come and go as we please." He finished his speech with a proud clap, then said mischievously, "Until you've tasted a fresh-killed mouse, you haven't lived. Have you ever tasted mouse?"
"No," Rusty admitted, feeling a little queasy about eating something that hasn't been cooked. "Not yet."
"I guess you'll never understand." Gray sighed. "You didn't Arrive like all the rest of us. It makes a big difference. You need to be born with warrior blood in your veins, or feel the wind in your hair. Kids born into Grownups nests could never feel the same way."
Rusty remembered the way he had felt in his dream. "That's not true!" he said indignantly.
Gray did not reply. He suddenly stiffened and looked into the forest. "You should go. They won't be pleased to see you hunting in our territory!"
Rusty looked around, wondering how Gray knew someone was approaching. He couldn't hear anything different from the hoot of a nearby owl. But the hairs on his arms were standing up at the note of urgency in Gray's voice.
"Quick!" hissed Gray again. "Run!"
Rusty prepared to spring into the bushes, not knowing which way was safe to flee.
He was too late. A voice said from behind him, firm and menacing. "What's going on here?"
Rusty turned to see a large, older girl strolling majestically out from behind a tree. She was magnificent. Long strands of white hair streaked her blue silver hair. A scar showed menacingly on her shoulder, just peeking out of her sleeve. Her smooth, blue hair shone like silver in the moonlight.
"Bluestar!" Beside Rusty, Gray bowed his head, eyes narrowed. His back slouched, causing him to go lower when a second person appeared, older than Rusty, with thick, golden hair, following the blue haired girl into the clearing.
"You shouldn't be so near the Grownupplace, Gray!" growled the handsome golden haired boy angrily, narrowing his green eyes.
"I know, Lionheart, I'm sorry." Gray looked up slightly, then looked at his feet again.
Rusty copied Gray and bowed his head, hands sweating nervously. These kids had an air of strength he had never seen in any of his friends. Maybe what Smudge had warned him was true.
"Who is this?" asked the girl.
Rusty flinched as she turned her gaze on him. Her piercing blue eyed made him feel even more vulnerable.
"He's no threat," squeaked Gray quickly. "He's not another Clan warrior, just a Grownup's kid."
Just a Grownup's kid! The words inflamed Rusty, but he held his tongue. The warning look in Bluestar's eyes told him that she had seen the anger in his eyes, and he looked away.
"This is Bluestar; she's the leader of my Clan!" Gray hissed to Rusty under his breath. "And Lionheart. He's my mentor, which means he's training me to become a warrior."
"Thank you for the introduction, Gray," said Lionheart coolly. He had an unnaturally deep voice for someone as young as him. And he looked about fourteen or so.
Bluestar was still staring at Rusty. "You fought well for a non-forester," she said. This girl was obviously older than Lionheart; maybe about sixteen.
Rusty and Gray exchanged confused glances. How could she know?
"We have been watching you both," Bluestar went on, as if she had read their thoughts. "We wondered how you would deal with an intruder, Gray. You attacked him bravely."
Gray looked pleased at Bluestar's praise.
"Sit up now, both of you!" He immediately sat up and held Bluestar's gaze evenly as she addressed him.
"You reacted well to the attack, kid. Gray is stronger than you, but you used your wits to defend yourself. And you turned to face him when he chased you. I've not seen that in a non-forester before."
Rusty managed to nod his thanks, taken aback by such unexpected praise. Her next words surprised him even more.
"I've been wondering how you would perform out here, beyond the Grownupplace. We patrol this border frequently, so I have seen you sitting on your boundary, staring out into the forest. And now, at last, you have dared to step into the forest." Bluestar stared at Rusty thoughtfully. "You do seem to have a natural hunting ability. Sharp eyes. You would have caught that mouse if you had not hesitated so long."
R-really?" Rusty stammered.
Lionheart spoke now. His strangely deep voice was respectful but insistent. "Bluestar this is a non-forester. He should not be hunting in ThunderClan territory. Send him home to his family!"
Rusty prickled at Lionheart's dismissive words. "Send me home?" he said impatiently. Bluestar's words had made him glow with pride. She had noticed him; she had been impressed by him. "But I've only come here to hunt for a mouse or two. I'm sure there's enough to go around."
Bluestar had turned her head to acknowledge Lionheart's words. Now her gaze snapped back to Rusty. Her blue eyes were blazing with anger. "There's never enough to go around," she spat. "If you didn't have such a soft, overfed life, you would know that!"
Rusty was confused by Bluestar's sudden rage, but one glance at the horrified look on Gray's face was enough to tell him he had spoken to freely. Lionheart stepped to his leader's side. Both warriors loomed over him now. Rusty looked into Bluestar's threatening stare and felt his pride dissolve. These were not regular kids he was dealing with- they were mean, hungry animals who were probably going to finish what Gray had started.