Long.... Heys; me likes thisses!!!! ^^; 8D

100 Tales 96

No Matter What

It was the slow time of day in ThunderClan. There were no patrols out (the previous one had just returned), and the next one was being organized (Honeyfern, Poppyfrost, Sorreltail, and Thornclaw), and everything was fine.

Or maybe not.

Out in the forest, lying in wait just beyond the thorn barrier, was a large group of cats. These cats were determined to capture as many she-cats and kits as they could as sell them off as potential mates and slaves. They were getting ready to attack ThunderClan.

But anyway, back to ThunderClan. The next patrol was just getting together when all of a sudden there was a battle cry.

"Attack!"

In large numbers, dirty, skinny, and strong cats swarmed into the camp. One of the biggest headed straight for Firestar, and began battling with him. They were locked in a rolling ball of screeching voices and flying fur. Firestar felt like he was going to be ripped to pieces, but the tom was strong: He could almost not feel Firestar's attacks, getting feebler and with less power, and was able to keep on killing Firestar.

—Storm's POV—

I glanced frantically around the camp. Everywhere I looked, cats were involved in battles or just trying to defend another cat, and I felt sorry for these cats. I didn't want to go, but I had been forced to. My leader, Thorn, had ordered me to go in order to prove my loyalty. I knew that if I could capture some she-cats, my loyalty would be proved: I didn't have to hurt them, after all. And perhaps that was the best way to handle things.

I crouched next to a bramble bush, scanning the area. I signaled to my friends, Stumpytail and Firepelt, and they quickly came to help me. Firepelt used to be a Clan cat, from ShadowClan, actually, but had run away with Stumpytail following him after Tigerstar, the vicious ruler, had taken over ShadowClan. Neither of them had mates yet; until now, we had been too busy protecting our group to think about taking mates, but now we wanted to find a mate. And here would be perfect. We didn't want to hurt them, necessarily, because we weren't mean cats like Thorn was, but also because mates were supposed to love each other, not be tortured by one another! That was one of our vows as friends, actually. We had been dubbed as the Three Top Protectors by the group because we let nothing distract us. Now what would happen….? We were about to take mates, for the spirits' sakes!!!

Firepelt quickly took down the cat guarding the bush and they rolled away, locked in battle with tufts of fur flying about. Stumpy and I quickly walked into the den, while the den's protector was occupied.

I glanced around the den. The first cat I locked my eyes on was a young she-cat. She was a small gray-and-white cat, with huge amber eyes. She looked scared. She was protecting two tiny kits who were mewling pitifully, frightened and hungry. And then, I knew, I wanted her. I didn't care if she didn't want to mate or not. I loved her!!!

Stumpytail had a hungry look in his eyes, too, as he looked at a fluffy cream-coloured she-cat. She was scared, and trembling, but she looked into his eyes with an expression of defiance.

Meanwhile, Firepelt had raced in, and was staring at a tortoiseshell she-cat. She stared back with an expression of love in her eyes, and then I knew that we were all perfect for each other.

"Come on!" I yowled. "If you don't want to get hurt, you'd best come with us!" The she-cats picked up the kits and followed me.

Hazeltail's POV

Later, we were all shoved into a den full of she-cats.

"Hi! What are your names?" a small she-cat asked cheerfully.

"Um. I'm Hazeltail, this is Daisy, my mother, and this is Poppyfrost," I replied slowly.

"Oh. Hi!" the kit greeted us, jumping up and down.

"Why is there a kit in here?" I asked another cat.

"Oh, hi, I'm Lolly. She's in here because she was too annoying for the queens and guards to handle, and she got shoved in here to be auctioned off today. Her name is Moonkit," the light brown tabby kittypet beside me explained.

"Oh…." I looked at the claw marks all down Moonkit's side. "She's from the Clans! She looks—and smells—like a WindClan cat."

"Oh, no; here come the auctioneers!" cried Lolly, as the toms came in, holding thick circle-rope things with smaller ropes attached. One of them shoved it over my head and I hissed and scratched him, and he raked his claws down my belly and said, "One more move like that, and you will be in the torture den." I stayed silent, fearful.

Storm's POV

Firepelt, Stumpytail, and I sat in the rows of bleachers, waiting patiently with huge piles of prey beside us. We all each had at least ten mice, and I had seventeen. I had hunted with all I had to get this many. I was going to have my dream she-cat! Firepelt and Stumpytail had the same determined looks on their faces.

Now all we needed was for the she-cats to come out.

When they finally did come out, they were listed by name and number. I watched. It turned out that the cat I wanted, Poppyfrost, was number seven. I groaned. My unlucky number!

"Number four, Daisy!" the auctioneer called.

Stumpytail yowled, "Four mice!"

One of Thorn's closest followers, Acorn, stood up and called calmly, "Ten mice!"

"Ten mice! Do I hear eleven mice? Do I hear eleven mice? No? Going once, going twice, go—"

"NO! FOURTEEN MICE!" Stumpytail called with a panicked expression. He was going crazy over Daisy, I knew.

"Fourteen mice! Do I hear fifteen mice? No? Okay, going once, going twice, GONE!!! Sold to Stumpytail!"

"Wait!" Acorn jumped up, but it was already too late. A cat was leading Daisy to where Stumpytail sat, and he put his tail over his shoulders comfortingly. She purred.

He whispered to her, "I'll never make you do anything you don't want to do, no matter what. Don't worry about that."

She purred back, "Thanks," in response.