AN: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a... slight case of writer's block. And laziness was another issue. But I'm back and I should update sometime tomorrow if I get the chance.

DrakdreamsXSilentclaw - I'm glad you like Amber so much. She plays an important roll later on, but I'm not giving anything away.

Obssesive Bookworm - lol Thanks for letting me use that form of spelling :D And big thanks for the PMs; they encouraged me to continue despite my writer's block. Believe me, it's not fun when you suffer from writer's block.

Skystep of StormClan - Forbidden love is taken far too seriously in the future. Like, if someone is caught flirting with a cat outside their own Clan they could be severely punished. Yeah... that explains the plot I came up with, right? :P And don't worry, the story is now continued!

Chapter Eight

Paws scrambled across the undergrowth as Amber led them through the forest. A day had passed since Dustyhead explained the warrior code to Amber. Now that she was willing to listen and take them in, he wanted to see if the other rogues, loners or kittypets were willing to join. Amber had already gone ahead to warn the rogues and loners of the meeting that would be held at night. Dustyhead was reluctant to trust her so quickly, but he had little choice.

Amber knew this place better than any of the newcomers. Dustyhead knew that in order to gain her trust he would have to walk in her pawsteps, even if that meant going against his instincts. Beside him was Ripplepaw, who had agreed to come with them while Foxear protected the others. With kits on the way she wasn't going to let anyone near Sageleaf. Besides, Ripplepaw had surprised Dustyhead by proving that she was more than just a skilled hunter.

With darkness blanketing the forest it was difficult for the two Clan cats to see ahead. They had to rely on Amber who was leading them towards Twolegplace. Already Dustyhead could hear the faint noises of Twolegplace as they drew closer. His fur began to bristle as he listened to the daunting sounds. In the distance monsters roared to life and swerved on what he guessed were Thunderpaths. Amber seemed perfectly comfortable approaching what looked like an abandoned Twoleg nest.

"This is where rogues, loners and kittypets meet to share news when they want to," she explained when Dustyhead asked her why she had chosen this spot. "I usually avoid the area when I can. Sometimes the meetings end in fights." A shudder coursed through her as if she was reliving some memory from long ago. Dustyhead didn't press further when they entered the nest. "The strongest cats stay up there on the rafters," Amber meowed when he looked up. Long branches stretched out on either side of the nest. Some were broken halfway across while others touched the wall of the nest.

Underpaw the wood made a creaking noise as Dustyhead padded forward. Ripplepaw's ears flicked back and forth nervously. Dustyhead understood why she was so nervous. They weren't used to Twoleg nests or the noises they made. He nearly leaped out of his fur when a mouse streaked across the ground straight into Ripplepaw's claws.

"Do mice usually come out like this?" Dustyhead asked when Ripplepaw shared the mouse with them.

"No, most of the time they're hiding because of the activity," Amber replied with a shake of her head. "Something must have spooked it."

"That was my mouse!" Dustyhead froze when a cat suddenly yowled. A brown and white tom emerged from one of the piles of rubble near the edge of the nest. His eyes were narrowed into tiny slits when he glared at the three strangers. "Amber, are these the cats you told me about?" His voice was stern as he glared at Amber, whose ears flattened in annoyance.

"What do you think?" Amber demanded tartly. "This is Eagle, one of the cats I told you about," she added to Dustyhead.

An uneasy silence fell upon them as Eagle studied the group. For a moment Dustyhead was afraid he would turn his back on them or attack. Instead his fur flattened and he relaxed his shoulders slightly.

"So these are the Clan cats," he muttered under his breath. "I suppose I should say it's a pleasure to meet you or something."

"There's no need for that," Dustyhead meowed with a shrug.

"Good, 'cause I'm not about to be formal," the brown and white tom growled in a smug tone.

Amusement washed over Dustyhead as Eagle stalked away towards the rafters. He reminded Dustyhead of Dawntail, who had a fiery spirit that matched her name. Though they were several days away he remembered his Clanmates fondly, despite what they had done to him. It didn't take long for a few other cats to arrive. Amber drifted towards the back of the nest with Ripplepaw close beside her. A gray-blue tom with amber eyes stayed near the nest's entrance. Beside him was a striped silver and gray tabby she-cat who looked more suited for Twolegplace than in a forest.

Dustyhead jumped onto the rafter and struggled to keep his head straight as he thought of what to tell them. He would change their lives the moment he explained their situation. Amber had already told him that there were a couple of cats willing to give up their old lives.

He swallowed and looked down at the large group nervously. They were watching him with curious or angry looks as they waited for him to speak. Amber watched from the back of the nest with her ears pricked forward for any signs of danger.

"Well, since everyone is here I suppose it is time to explain why," Dustyhead began. A hushed silence had fallen upon the gathered cats. Dustyhead could almost feel the tension rising between them as they waited impatiently. He quickly went on telling them what had happened to his group and why they were forming a Clan. Some of the cats looked interested while others had left as soon as he mentioned the Clans. Dustyhead's ears burned with embarrassment but he continued describing the warrior code and what it meant to them as a Clan. By the time he was finished only a few cats were left. The gray-blue cat that had arrived after Eagle, the striped and silver tabby kittypet and black, brown and gray-patched she-cat stayed behind.

"I like the idea of living in a group," the gray-blue tom meowed calmly. "It sounds like something we could all live with."

"Would you be willing to give us a day or two of living in this Clan?" the striped silver and gray tabby asked. Her eyes were glowing in the darkness as she stepped forward. "I mean, if we don't like the idea of living in a Can at least we can leave."

"I'd be more than happy to leave my sorry excuse for Twolegs," the calico she-cat growled. Dustyhead didn't bother asking what she meant by that. Judging from her thin frame he guessed that her Twolegs didn't treat her properly unlike the silver and gray tabby kittypet.

"But... aren't you worried about what they'll think?" the silver and gray she-cat asked.

"I don't care what they think about me!" the calico spat.

Dustyhead was taken aback by her hostility towards the other kittypet. Even Amber was shocked by her aggressive behavior. He shook his head and jumped down from the rafters to join them. The four cats who had stayed behind - Eagle, Olive, Blue and Sydney stepped back fearfully.

"Are you willing to give up everything to join the Clan?" he asked in a calm voice. He kept his gaze focused on Olive, whose eyes glowed before she nodded in agreement. Eagle, Blue and Sydney had also nodded in agreement. "Then come, the Clan is waiting for you."

"When do we get names like yours?" Eagle demanded.

"I'm not entirely sure," Dustyhead admitted sheepishly. He glanced at Ripplepaw, who looked just as confused. They hadn't even thought of that before meeting with the rogues, loners and kittypets. "But I'm sure that StarClan will tell us."

The group of four had been confused when Dustyhead mentioned StarClan once more. He gave them a vague description of what the Clan's ancestors were like before. But now that he had mentioned them again, he knew that it would take time to get them used to StarClan.

"We should get back, it's getting late," Amber meowed when she joined them.

Once they were all gathered outside the abandoned nest, Dustyhead began leading them back to their makeshift camp. His heart swelled when he realized that they had the beginnings of a real Clan. No matter what his former Clanmates would have said, he knew that this was the best idea anyone could come up with. A Clan with no boundaries was needed now more than ever.

AN: Alright, I was listening to Owl City while typing this. Kind of got inspired while writing this. Anyways the chapter was a tad short but I'd like to know what everyone thinks of the four cats introduced in this chapter. More characters will be posted on my profile but for now these are the cats willing to join.