Chapter 12: Hunting and the Sun

A/n Sorry, I haven't updated my story in a while. I've made a bit of a mistake, and I kinda lost the plot. ^. ^ No worries, I'm beginning to get it back on track, so I'll be updating more often again. Thank you to everyone who has reviews, follows, and making it a favourite. ^. ^ Enjoy!

I see Cloudtail heading out the bramble tunnel to exit camp. Cinderheart, Brackenfur and Thornclaw are following him. Berrynose, Sorreltail and Ashfur are padding to the fresh-kill pile, their mouths fills with prey. Mousefur and Longtail were lying in the sun, sleeping.

I turn around as I hear a tiny mew. Three kits, one pale brown with a stripe running down her back, another dark brown, and a grey tom with black stripes are looking at me with wide eyes. "Are you a rogue?"

I shake my head. "Not anymore, I'm part of ThunderClan now."

The pale brown she-kit pushes in front of the others. "I'm Blossomkit, what's your name?"

"Featherpaw." I look at the other two kits. "You must be Briarl- I mean Briarkit and Bumblekit."

Bumblekit opens his tiny pink mouth. "How did you know our names?"

"I'm part of the Clan now, remember? I have to know the names of everyone in my Clan." I tell them. "Not knowing would still prove me to be an outsider, which I'm not."

Briarkit's eyes sparkle. "It must be hard for you to be accepts."

I smile. "It is, but what can I expect? It's unusual for cats to join a Clan when they haven't been born in one."

Bumblekit looks at me admiringly. "But you've proven where your loyalty lies haven't you?"

"I guess so," I look up to see Daisy coming out of the nursery. "You should go help Daisy choose something from the fresh-kill pile to give to your mother. I'm sure you'd know what she likes the most."

The kits' faces lighten as they scramble to Daisy, tripping over each other to get there first.

Mousewhisker pads over to me. "Hi, Featherpaw," he sits in front of me, and I sit up. "Do you want to go hunting?"

I nod. "Sure, who else is coming?"

"Honeyfern and Poppyfrost, oh, and Graystripe," He looks around and his gaze stops when he sees Honeyfern and Poppyfrost eating near the fresh-kill pile.

"How about you go find Graystripe," he walks to them, and I scan the clearing.

Graystripe was just coming out of the nursery as his kits ran into his paws. "There you kits are! Millie was worried about where you had gone."

Bumblekit blinks up at him. "Sorry, we won't run off again. We just wanted to see the rogue!"

Graystripe glances at me, catching my eye, before giving Bumblekit a stern look, and murmurs something to the kits.

Blossomkit shakes her head. "We won't."

Graystripe noses Briarkit into the tunnel first. "Alright, you better go show your mother you're ok, you shouldn't leave the nursery without her knowing."

Graystripe pads up to me now that the kits have gone back to their den.

"Your kits are really cute, Graystripe."

Graystripe smiles, "They are, aren't they? They're going to be great warriors someday."

Mousewhisker, Honeyfern and Poppyfrost walk up to us. "Are you ready?" Mousewhisker stretches. "We're going hunting."

Graystripe nods. "Let's go," he follows Mousewhisker out of the camp, and we make our way near the ShadowClan border. Graystripe looks at me. "Can I see your hunters crouch?"

I nod, and crouch down, I stay on my tiptoes, and my belly barely touches the ground.

"Good, remember to keep your ears flat back and your tail down." Graystripe meows. I force my ears down, though it felt a bit awkward.

The fluffy grey warrior nods. "I think you got it, just lower your tail a bit, and then we'll see how you catch something."

I sit up, pricking my ears and opening my mouth. I smell vole, and I get back into a hunters crouch. Sliding through the bushes, I can hear it scuffling through the leaves. A pang of pity makes its way into my head but I shake it away. I get ready to pounce, when the vole shoots through the bushes and I look over the bush to see where it went.

Graystripe's voice sounds behind me. "Don't worry, you can try again. Your ears were pricked, it must have seen them poking at the top of the bush. I smell mouse coming from under that tree."

I open my mouth and nod as I taste mouse. I head to the tree silently, already in my hunters crouch. I watch from in between branches and see the little mouse nibbling at some berries. I bunch up my legs and jump and my paws land on its tail. I lose my grip and it scatters through a small hole at the bottom of the tree. I groan. What is wrong with me today?

I look at Graystripe. "Sorry, I don't know what's going on with me today. I caught a mouse the other day…"

I trail off as Graystripe shrugs. "It's ok. You can do some more practice, while I hunt, we need some prey. Right now you just need to remember to keep your tail and ears down. That's what's scaring your prey off."

I nod. "Where do you want me to practice?"

Graystripe looks around. "Just follow your nose and come back here once you've caught something."

I watch Graystripe shoulder his way through the bushes, and open my mouth. The scent was unmistakable. Sol. What is he doing in ThunderClan territory? I follow the scent to find him stalking a raven in the bushes. He was about to pounce, when I shout. "Sol!"

The raven shot up, squawking an alarm call. I close my eyes as it echoes through the forest, and several groans sound from the other side of the territory. Oops.

Sol's head whips around to me, surprise flaring in his eyes, and then they went calm. "Hello, Featherpaw."

I growl. "Why are you on ThunderClan territory?"

Sol nudges his head toward the bush where the raven was. "Hunting. Why are you on ThunderClan territory?"

"I am a ThunderClan cat! You're not!" I narrow my eyes. "Get off the territory. Or I'll make you."

Sol laughs. "I can't smell any ThunderClan scent on you. You're a rogue, just like me."

I step back. What? How can I still smell like a rogue?

Sol steps forward. "It's obvious they don't want you here. You haven't even adapts to hunting in the undergrowth."

I frown. He's right. What if I don't belong here? No. I was brought here for a reason. "You don't belong here. Not in ThunderClan territory, not with ShadowClan, not with any of the Clans! Leave the lake, and I'll spare your life." I stop.

Should I really be making threats? I barely know how to fight. Neither does Sol my self-conscious grins.

Sol still looks calm, yet that somehow doesn't surprise me. "Very well," he dips his head. "I won't set foot in ThunderClan's territory any longer. You can trust that I keep my promise," he smiles and stalks away.

I nod slightly, still unsure whether to trust him. That was way too easy. He wouldn't just give up like that, would he?