A/N: Well, I think that this chapter turned out quite well. With that I have created a forum! :D I figured that I had enough fanfiction friends to try the idea out... Unfortantly, the website is currently not allowing me to post new topics, something wrong, but hopefully they'll figure that out soon enough! I'll post the link on here as soon as it's ready. I hope to see you guys all on there! It'll be fun :D.
So, onto the story... after I respond to my awesome reviews!
StarArtist712- thanks for the review!
Silver wolf rain- thanks!
Stormfeather of LakeClan- I know! I love Breezeheart!
Dragonflywing- yeah, I think I know what you mean... thanks for the advice and I'll try!
So now onto the story! Thanks once again to all the reviews! Three cheers!
Ch.13
"Well, we have a medicine cat and leader," Feathersky gestured to Blizzardmoon.
Blizzardmoon's jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."
"Who do you think would be a better leader?" the medicine cat asked.
Blizzardmoon shrugged, "Well I thought that Breeze-"
"No way!" the light brown tabby she-cat jumped, "I just became a warrior before I left!"
"And I'm a queen with kits to take care of."
"And I'm at least two moons younger than you," Breezeheart protested.
"She doesn't have any qualities that a leader needs," Feathersky added.
"Yea- wait a minute!" Breezeheart spun around, a growl forming in her throat.
Feathersky grinned, "Hey, you want me to tell them about the time at the gathering when the RoseClan apprentices tricked you into eating a stick?"
"Uh, that was when I was a new apprentice, I didn't know any better!" Breezeheart stammered.
"How about the time you just talked to that prey-stealing rogue instead of chasing it off the territory; and then you allowed him to keep his squirrel?"
Breezeheart's tail fluffed out, "His name was Ben and he had a family that needed something to eat!"
Blizzardmoon burst out laughing, "Okay, okay, I get your point."
Breezeheart, thoroughly embarrassed, ducked her head.
"Cloudwhisker, would you mind getting the kits?" Blizzardmoon asked.
Cloudwhisker nodded and speeded off.
"So, what about your group?" Blizzardmoon asked.
Feathersky dipped her head, "This is Storm," she pointed to the dark gray she-cat, "And her cousins Ember, Bounce, and Wolf. Oh, and the tom you busted up- that's Forest. Talking about him, Storm, would you like to take care of him?" Feathersky then turned her attention to the two kits beside him, "And those are Reliah and Grayson, Forest's niece and nephew."
"Uh, sorry about that," Blizzardmoon swished her tail, "I can get… carried away sometimes."
"Don't worry; he's bounced back from bigger things."
"On the other hand, I think we found our camp," Blizzardmoon pointed to the stone structure were Forest had hit his head on.
Two columns of stone stood high on the edge of a hill, a springy pine tree making its home on top of the tallest. Small pockets that could serve as dens had been cut away by erosion and there were also several areas underneath the stones that could be used as warrior and apprentice sleeping areas. A small stream winded to the right of the smallest stone and around the backs of both.
"I think you're right," Feathersky approached the stone, resting a paw on it.
She leaped up, sending a shower of loose rock down. Slowly she brushed the rock off, making a gradual path up to the top of the shortest rock.
"I claim this rock, from now and forever, for the medicine cats!" she shouted, "If you've got a problem with that we can fight it out!"
Blizzardmoon shook her head, "No, that'll work."
The white she-cat approached the largest rock and leaped up towards one of the lowest ledges, easily making it. She continued until she reached the highest den-area.
"And this will be the leader's den," she announced, then placed a paw on the pine tree, unsheathing her claws and running them down the bark, "And this is where I will make announcements from, the Clawed Pine!"
"Okay, that's just… stupid," Breezeheart meowed.
"Fine… uh, the little Pine?" Blizzardmoon asked.
"Bit better," Breezeheart replied.
Blizzardmoon jumped down, "I'll think of something in the future. Oh, there's Cloudwhisker!" she hurried over to her brother and kits.
"So, what's happening?" Cloudwhisker asked.
"We found our camp," she pointed her tail towards the stones, "The highest den is mine, the pine tree is where I make announcement. The crevices on the shorter stone are Feathersky's, for injured warriors and herbs and stuff. The warriors and apprentices can sleep anywhere under the stones and the elders and queens will stay in the crevices on the tallest rock below my den."
"Sounds good," Cloudwhisker nodded, "Good thing these guys only have two moons left before they become apprentices."
Blizzardmoon nodded, "Well I should go."
"Mom, you can't leave so quickly!" Mosskit complained.
"I'll be back in a little while," Blizzardmoon gave him a lick before bounding back up the rock, "Will all cats that can catch their own prey- that includes my kits- gather around… uh, Clan Rock for a meeting!"
All of the cats surrounded the stone, even Forest who had woken up.
Blizzardmoon took a deep breath, "Okay, I think the apprentice-aged cats need their clan names. I might need help with this, since I just recently met you all, but Storm, Ember, Bounce, Wolf, Reliah and Grayson please step forward."
The young cats did as ordered.
"Storm, how old are you?" Blizzardmoon asked.
"Nine moons," the gray she-cat replied.
Blizzardmoon nodded, "And the rest of you?"
"Bounce, Wolf, and I are eight moons," Ember nodded.
"And we are six and a half," Grayson answered for his sister and himself.
"Then Storm, from now on you will be known as Stormpaw. Ember, you will be known as Emberpaw. Wolf will be Wolfpaw. Bounce will be Bouncepaw. Grayson, you shall be known as Graypaw. Reliah, Hazelpaw," Blizzardmoon yowled, "Since we don't have enough mentors we'll wait and see who we can find. If anybody knows a cat willing to join the clan please inform me. Stormpaw, Emberpaw, Breezeheart will be training you both. Wolfpaw and Hazelpaw, you'll be training with Cloudwhisker. Forest and I can train Bouncepaw and Graypaw. Breezeheart will you take Forest, Stormpaw, Wolfpaw, Graypaw and Hazelpaw out and set some borders? Cloudwhisker, Wolfpaw, stay here and protect the kits. Emberpaw, Bouncepaw, and I will be looking for other recruits since we most definitely need them. Also- the border setting patrol, if you find any prey catch it… I think that's all," Blizzardmoon jumped down and collected Emberpaw and Bouncepaw.
"Wait, Blizzardmoon, I think I know someone who might want to join you," Feathersky's tail flicked, "Annoying little dark tabby kittypet with amber eyes, goes by the name of Song. I found her beside the border with the pines, a river runs by there."
"Do you think you could lead us? I'll send a couple apprentices to help you gather your herbs if you do," Blizzardmoon bargained.
Feathersky sighed, "Fine. It's only a little walk away. Maybe she'll know somebody else that can join the clan."
"Lead the way," Blizzardmoon stepped back.
Feathersky immediately took off, wanting to get back to her herb gathering. Blizzardmoon easily matched the medicine cat's pace, while the two paws' had a bit of trouble keeping up- their boundless energy giving them a last boost to keep up with the soon-to-be leader and the clan medicine cat. Finally Feathersky skidded to a stop.
"This is where I met her," Feathersky dipped her head.
Blizzardmoon sniffed the air, catching traces of the kittypet's scent, "Song? Song?" she yowled, using the name that Feathersky had told her belonged to the kittypet.
"Why are you looking for her?" a fluffy dove gray tom jumped down from the trees, his multi-colored eyes sending a shiver up the white she-cat's back.
Emberpaw and Bouncepaw stiffened beside their leader.
"Who are you?" Blizzardmoon asked, shifting her weight from paw-to-paw impatiently.
"Song's mate. I'm Bandana, named for the white stripe that goes just above my eyes," he grinned.
"Can you tell us where Song is?" Blizzardmoon asked.
"Why?" Bandana questioned.
Blizzardmoon shuffled her paws nervously now, "Well, you see, we're kind of making a clan and we were wondering if she wanted to join… you to."
"A clan?" Bandana smiled crookedly.
"Yes, a clan, a place where-" Blizzardmoon was cut off by the tom.
"I know what a clan is," he licked one of his fluffy white paws; "A rogue came by a year ago and tried to start one up. My best friend joined his 'clan'. He disbanded the group just a couple moons later. My friend left his housefolk to join- Song and I almost did too. The housefolk got a pair of new kittens shortly after he left, thinking he was gone for good. Without a home to go back to he was hit by a car just a moon after; killed him. So no, we don't want to join your 'clan.'"
Bandana turned his back to them.
"Wait," Blizzardmoon called, "Feathersky and I are real clan cats- not rogues. We have two other clan cats with us and we're not going to give up on the idea of starting a clan. And once we're a clan- nothing can ever break us."
"You're serious about that?" a little dark tabby she-cat walked out of the undergrowth.
"Song, I said for you to let me handle these encounters," Bandana growled.
Blizzardmoon nodded, "Swear by StarClan itself."
"Then I'll join you, he will to," she flicked her tail in Bandana's direction, "He's just grouchy when the weather is this hot."
Bandana distastefully looked at his paws, "Fine, we'll give your clan a couple sunrises."
Blizzardmoon looked up at the sky, "Very well, it's getting dark. Let's get back to camp."
She nodded to Feathersky and the two apprentices and they took off once again. By the time they reached camp the sun had set, instead the moon taking its place in the sky and casting an eerie glow over the land.
"Apprentices should sleep between the medicine boulder and the leader's boulder," she nodded to Emberpaw and Bouncepaw.
As the two apprentices took off to hurriedly scrounge together some material for nests Feathersky turned to Blizzardmoon, "I best be retiring now, it's really late."
Blizzardmoon nodded, "Goodnight."
"What about us?" Song asked excitingly.
"Warriors sleep around the two towers of stone, underneath the rocks at the bottom. You can pick your spot and make yourself at home. Tomorrow will be training, hunting, and border patrol, so you'll need to get a good night's sleep," Blizzardmoon swished her tail, "Well, goodnight to both of you, and welcome to the clan."
The kittypets followed the apprentices to get bedding and Blizzardmoon scented for Breezeheart. Finally she caught the light brown tabby's scent and followed it to a small crevice under the leader's stone.
"Breezeheart," she poked the sleeping cat with one claw.
Breezeheart's green eyes opened, "What?" she yawned.
"How did the border setting patrol go?" the white she-cat asked.
"Most of the border has been set. We've got the forest for ourselves. Beside the forest is large plot of land with pine trees, and there is a rather large field, too. The twoleg place is bordering the field and part of the forest, though," Breezeheart replied.
"Very good. I'll take a patrol out tomorrow to finish up the border," Blizzardmoon sighed, "This leader work is harder than I thought! We added a possible two more to our ranks, though. Bandana and Song have decided to give the clan a couple-sunrise try."
Breezeheart nodded, "Well, we all need our sleep. Your kits are in the nursery. Cloudwhisker is with them and a half a squirrel was left in your den. We didn't know where you might want to sleep tonight so we made a nest both in the nursery and the leader's den."
"Thanks, I think I'll stick with my kits, though, well goodnight," Blizzardmoon blinked.
"Goodnight," Breezeheart replied, snuggling deeper into her nest.
Blizzardmoon quickly scaled the stones and grabbed the squirrel, gulping it down before returning to the nursery- one of the largest 'caves' in the stone. Several sets of eyes met her own.
"Bonekit, Sunkit," she scolded, "You should've both been asleep. It's late."
"We wanted to make sure that you would come home tonight," Bonekit's voice shook.
Blizzardmoon sighed, "I'll always come home."
She laid down beside Cloudwhisker, the two kits scampered to her side.
"Sleep well," Blizzardmoon whispered, already exhaustion taking her.
A/N: So, how do you like it? Ok, well all you know what to do... review!
Chapter question:
If you were a kittypet, living a comfy life, would you leave to go join a clan you never heard of?
a) yeah, of course
b) no way!
See ya next week,
~Willow