Chapter 2
SmPOV
I was on a hunting patrol quietly stalking through the underbrush of the forest waiting for my chance to pounce on the squirrel obliviously nibbling on an acorn. After a few moments my chance came and I pounced on the squirrel killing it with a swift bite to the neck. After mumbling a quick thanks to Starclan I walked back to Dovewing and Squirrelflight whom carried two pieces of fresh-kill each. "Let's head back to camp," Squirrelflight said, "this should be enough to feed even Greystripe." I laughed and nodded following her lead as we headed back through the trees. Suddenly Dovewing stopped and turned her ears in several directions, undoubtedly hearing something Squirrelflight and I had yet to. Her pelt rose in surprise and aggression and Squirrelflight and I dropped our prey and were immediately on the alert.
"What is it Dovewing?" I asked looking around for warriors from another clan. Instead I found a Smokey grey tom with light green eyes that didn't look at all familiar emerging from the trees and looking around uneasily. A quick sniff revealed that he had no scent that belonged to any of the other clans or ours and the way he seemed uncomfortable in the forest made me come to the conclusion that he was either a kittypet or not used to the forest and thus not from around here.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Squirrelflight bluntly asked the tom. Hearing the menace in her voice frightened me so I was certain that this unfamiliar tom was also scared of her. I wondered briefly if being so threating to the tom was wise. After all we did not yet know if he was friend or foe. I cast him a sympathetic glance hoping he wasn't too frightened to answer Squirrelflight's questions, Starclan only knew what she would do to him then.
"I'm called Smokey," he said making sure there was no hint of aggression in his tone or eyes, "and I'm just looking for a place to settle down for the night." He gave me a grateful look letting me know that he had understood the meaning in my gaze and it had indeed done him some good.
"Are you aware that you are on clan territory?" Dovewing asked trying not to make her tone too threating. She too thought it wasn't wise to threaten this tom too much. I was glad I would have her support if Squirrelflight decided to cause trouble. Though Squirrelflight was the deputy she sometimes had a bad habit of hastily acting on what she saw as a threat.
"Um no I was not," the tom, Smokey, said matter-of-factly, "would you kindly explain to me exactly what a 'clan' is?" It was obvious then that Smokey was a rouge cat perhaps evens a former kittypet. The thought of some cat willingly living with two-legs and eating the hard food pellets that looked remarkably close to rabbit droppings made my pelt stand on end. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand one day away from the pine forest next to the lake that I called home let alone spend the day purring and rubbing against the hind paw of a two-leg.
"We are large groups of cats that live together in areas such as these and we hunt and protect each other from our youngest kits to our most seasoned elders," I explained kindly. "There are four clans; Windclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan, and then us Thunderclan," I paused giving him a moment to absorb the information I had just given him, "each of the clans has territory around this lake and scent markers to mark them and you are currently trespassing on Thunderclan territory."
"Oh that sounds interesting," Smokey said completely ignoring the fact that I just stated that he was trespassing on our territory, "would you mind if I stayed with you guys to learn more about this 'clan life'?" I was astonished to hear him ask so bluntly to be allowed to walk into our camp and stay as if he belonged there.
Both I and Dovewing looked at Squirrelflight for the answer after all she was Bramblestar's mate and deputy so we assumed she would know what he would decide better than us. I looked the tom up and down and hoped he could. He may have been blunt but he was still deserving of a chance to prove his trustworthiness and learn more about the world he seemed to have unknowingly stumbled into. I found myself also thinking that he was rather dashing and wondering if he had a mate. I soon realized where my thoughts were leading and shook my head to clear out all thoughts of this rouge and any possible mate he may or may not have.
"I think we should take him to Bramblestar and let him decide," she said after some thought. I was relieved that she was giving him a chance instead of instigating a fight.
"Who's Bramblestar?" Smokey asked confused.
"One of the four clan leaders and more specifically our leader," I said.
"Oh you're not the leader?" he asked Squirrelflight a flirtatious edge in his voice. My blood started to boil as he continued to flirt with her asking her questions about what her position in the clan was and commenting on how being something as important as deputy suited her, as he could tell just from looking at her. How dare he have to audacity to flirt with Bramblestar's mate! I couldn't help but realize that I felt jealous of Squirrelflight after all she was the clan leader's mate and here was some random tom flirting with her. It irked me to think of all of the times the unmated toms in the clans would look at her before they looked at any other she-cat and now here was some random rouge flirting with her.
"He also happens to be her mate," I said curtly. Squirrelflight gave me a grateful look and picked up her fresh-kill and began walking again. I then felt it was wrong of me to be mad at her for attracting the attention of other cats. I realized she must not like the attention of any tom other than her mate.
"Oh," he said surprised to find that the she-cat he had just been flirting with was already taken. I personally thought it served him right. "What about you two? Are you his mates as well?" he asked Dovewing and me. I came to a standstill flabbergasted that he had just asked such a question.
"No I am not his mate," Dovewing said clearly shocked as well, "I belong to a cat named Bumblestripe." I saw the loving look she got in her eye as soon as she said his name and sighed hoping one day I would look the same when I talked about my mate whoever that turned out to be.
"I'm not his mate either," I said quickly when his gaze turned to me; "only Squirrelflight is his mate. Here in the clan we take only one mate instead of many like rouges and kittypets do," I explained wondering briefly why we were so different from the many other cats not belonging to clans. Along with only taking one mate in our lifetime we hunted and walked around during the day and slept at night whereas many other cats did the opposite and walked around at night sleeping during the day.
"Oh and who might you belong to?" he asked curiously. I was thrilled he was finally paying me some attention and felt my white cheek fur turn pink.
"No one," I said casting my sapphire blue eyes away, "I belong to no one." Admitting that ashamed me in a way and made me feel horribly unwanted in another. It was a horrible feeling knowing that no tom wanted to claim me as his own. It also didn't help that all the toms tended to look first towards my-all-too-beautiful sister Lakeshine before giving me a glance. My bright white fur and sapphire eyes dulled horribly in comparison with her shiny silver fur and aqua blue eyes
"That's really interesting," he said that flirtatious note back as he talked to me. He continued to flirt with me as we headed back to the camp and I was surprised to find myself flirting back. We soon reached the camp and Smokey, Dovewing, and I waited while Squirrelflight got Bramblestar. The camp was filled with curious stares and whispers as we stood there waiting for Squirrelflight and Bramblestar. Thankfully we didn't have to wait very long until Bramblestar and Squirrelflight padded down the rocky slope that led from Bramblestar's den. They quickly made their way to where Dovewing, Smokey, and I stood waiting patiently although Smokey was shifting from paw to paw slightly in nervousness.
"This is the rouge you said wanted to know more about clan life?" Bramblestar asked Squirrelflight. She nodded her dark ginger head and twined her tail with his tabby one leaving no doubt in my mind that she had also told him about Smokey attempting to flirt with her. I looked at the grey tom and saw he was shifting his light green eyes around nervously. I smiled sympathetically hoping he wasn't too nervous now that he saw all the members of the clan and was now meeting our leader. "I understand you're interested in getting to know more on clan life," Bramblestar said quickly running his gaze over the tom undoubtedly noticing his lean build that could easily become as sleek and hard as any clan born tom. I could tell by the look in Bramblestar's amber eyes that he was thinking Smokey could be a good addition to the clan.
"Yes I was hoping to stay here for a while and learn what I could," Smokey said hopefully.
"We clan cats don't have the easy life of kittypets," Bramblestar said, "We have to hunt for food and fight for our territory. We don't eat pellets that two-legs set out for us and we don't go inside a two-leg den when the weather gets too harsh."
"With all due respect sir I have never eaten two-leg pellets or gone inside a two-legs den," Smokey said tightly, " I have lived and survived on my own since kit hood and I am sure I could do any task you set before me." I looked at Smokey flabbergasted. I couldn't believe he had spoken to Bramblestar that way. The only cat that spoke to Bramblestar like that was Squirrelflight and she was his mate that combined with Squirrelflight's infamous temper made it almost expected of her. Yet here an unknown rouge was speaking to Bramblestar as if he were just another cat. Although I was astonished by Smokey's tone I had to admire him for standing up to Bramblestar and by the way Squirrelflight and Bramblestar were looking at him I could tell they did too.
"You are welcome to stay with Thunderclan for as long as you like," Bramblestar started, "however you will contribute to the clan same as any clan member. You will go on hunting patrols, border patrols, change the moss in the elders' nest, check the elders for fleas and ticks, and help with any task asked of you." Smokey smiled slightly obviously happy to not be rejected. I smiled as well happy to know the tom was going to be staying for a while although I couldn't quite figure out why.
"Bramblestar," Squirrelflight said concerned, "he will need someone to teach him how to do all of these things." I looked irritably at the ginger she-cat. Couldn't she keep her muzzle shut? Or was it in her nature to uproot problems with every situation. I then stopped my negative thinking after all she was just pointing out the obvious and I had no reason to be so unfairly cruel to her.
"Yes," Bramblestar said, "and though he will not be an official apprentice until he has decided whether or not to permanently join the clan he shall be treated and taught as one" he gave a quick look around at all the warriors before continuing, "his mentor shall be chosen by sun high tomorrow until then Sapphiremoon I'd like you to show him around and make a nest for him in the warriors' den." I dipped my head and looked Smokey hoping he was ready for everything ready to come.