The Interpreter - Chapter 1

This the first real chapter to the sequel of "The Seeker". This story takes place directly where "The Seeker" left off. This story will deal mostly with Cat's internal conflicts rather than a journey or anything more.

I do not own Warriors.

Chapter One

Icestar—my father—stared at me with wide eyes. I heard shocked murmurs ripple throughout the crowd of cats around us, but I could have cared less. I focused on searching my father's bright green eyes for any traces of anger or despair, but the only thing I saw was bewilderment. "I… um… Cat, I think that you and your friends should speak with me privately in my den. Reedtail, Shoreleaf, I want you two in there as well. As for the rest of you, continue on with your normal duties. This changes nothing," he meowed, authority ringing clearly in his voice. For a moment, I felt a twinge of pride for how my father handled the situation; I doubted I could have been so calm and collective if I had just been presented with such information. Still, there was one thing he said that made my heart feel as if someone were sinking long, thick claws deep into its core. "This changes nothing."

My companions and I followed Icestar as he slipped between a gap between two small stones that supported the very large one. Inside, he sat down on his nest of moss and feathers, his eyes burning into me fiercely. Storm sat down next to me while Soda and October stuck close. After a few awkward moments of silence, a pure white she-cat and a brown tabby tom entered the den behind us and sat down. "Now that we're all here," Icestar began, his eyes never leaving me. "Who are you, and why have you come?"

"I have told you everything already. Why do you ask again?" I shot back, feeling an anger rise up in me that I had tried so long to suppress. All this time, he was living here, living an easy life, while my mother and I were living on our own in the forest struggling to survive. How dare he sit here and judge me, or accuse me of lying if that was what he was getting at. "After all, I should be the one asking the questions! You abandoned my mother when she was expecting me!"

The brown tom who had entered the den growled. "When you address Icestar, you shall speak to him with respect!" he hissed, his hackles rising.

"No coward deserves respect!" I spat in response at the tabby before looking at Icestar once more. "You left a pregnant she-cat sitting in the forest with no way to provide for herself! You turned your back on us!"

I had opened my mouth to say more, but Storm rested his tail on my flank. I looked at him, about to tell him to stay out of it, but the look in his eyes calmed me. "You have every right to be angry," Storm murmured, appraising me with his gentle blue eyes. "But you mustn't say or do anything you will regret. You must calm down and speak rationally."

"I've been calm long enough!" I muttered, but not as harshly as I wanted to. Storm was only trying to protect me, but he knew nothing of the pain and rage I felt.

Icestar gazed at me hardly for a moment before sighing. He lowered his eyes to the floor and closed them. "I remember your mother. She was a real cold-hearted she-cat with the charm of a snake. How is she doing?" he recalled, opening his eyes when he was finished and looking at me.

I stiffened at his words, and bit back a sharp retort. How could he say such things about a cat he had once mated with? "She's dead. Oh, and she hated you thoroughly."

To my great surprise, he smirked. "I figured as much. We both wanted different things out of life, and they contradicted each other… When I tried to leave, she brought out this kit rubbish to try to get me to stray with her out of pity. I never thought she was serious…" he murmured, half to himself and trailing off.

"So it's true?" the dark brown tom prompted. He was gazing at his leader with uncertainty, and certain fear in his eyes.

My father nodded. "Yes, Reedtail. It is true. This is my daughter—Cat."

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