CHAPTER 5-The Hatching Time

I had been running a light fever for a few days, and the scratches on my pelt and pads still needed mending. I had to wait in the medicine cat's den and stay in the camp until I healed from the wounds completely.

One sunny morning, I padded over to the fresh-kill pile. I winced as I tread on my sore paws.

The cats were wary. A lot of them still avoided me and didn't trust me at all. Daisy kept a wide berth around my presence, and Sorreltail kept her kits in the nursery whenever I was wandering around the camp. I felt a little bit like an outcast whenever they gave me that look, as if I didn't belong here. Of course I didn't. This wasn't home.

I paused in front of the fresh-kill pile and gazed at it. The prey still didn't taste very appetizing, and I would have preferred eating a hamburger or pasta instead. My mouth watered at the memory. How long would it be until I was able to go home again?

I steeled myself and gulped down a shrew in a few choked bites.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daisy lean over to Berrynose and mutter something quietly. She was talking about me, of course, and by the look on her face, I could tell that it was something negative. My ears drooped. It wasn't my fault that I made faces when I was eating! I didn't even want to eat fresh-kill. I sighed.

I trudged back into the medicine cat's den with my tail trailing behind me. The darkness of the cave was much more comforting than the presence of the ThunderClan cats.

I settled down onto the soft moss and closed my eyes. I thought about what had happened. I had been turned into a cat somehow and I now found myself in the midst of ThunderClan. It's what I always wanted, I realized. To become a warrior and fight in battles, to meet the Clan leaders and go to Gatherings. But none of that mattered now. I might never get to see my family again.

Mother, I thought. Father. I began to repeat the names of the people I knew in my mind, so that I wouldn't forget them.

Mother. Father. My brothers, Arnold, and Aiden. And Samantha, and Faith, Kiki, Michelle, all of my friends, my teachers, the people that I once knew…

Would I ever get to see them again?

I buried my face in my paws. I am lost. I don't know how to get home.

Someone placed a tiny paw on my arm. I opened my eyes, startled.

A white kit was standing in front of me, and his amber eyes glittered.

"Hello!" he chirped. "I'm Snowkit. Who are you?"

Snowkit. Of course. He's Brightheart's kit, isn't he? He was in her second litter, along with his littermates, Dewkit and Amberkit.

"I'm Ashley," I replied. He sniffed me and wrinkled his nose. "You smell different. Not at all like a cat."

I saddened a bit. Another reminder that I was different and didn't belong.

The kit pricked up his ears. "I like it! You smell like the bird of paradise flower. That's my favorite flower."

I was surprised. He was the first one here who had said anything nice to me.

"Thanks," I said.

He suddenly bounded forward and shoved himself in between my paws. He buried his face in the black fluff of my chest.

I was a bit taken back, at first. I was never good around kids, and I felt awkward whenever I was near children who were younger than me.

There was an awkward silence as Snowkit breathed in my scent. He mewed brightly, "So where are you from?"

"Somewhere far, far away."

"That sounds interesting! What's it like there?"

I paused to think and remember. "Well…there was dry, green grass on the front lawn. And a large bush with bright red blossoms." I closed my eyes. "It nearly covered the entire wall. Tiny yellow flowers nestled in between the blades of grass. They were so small, you had to really peer in and focus to see them clearly. And there were clumps of purple and yellow flowers. The air smelled sweet with their scent."

"The backyard was a whole painting of bright colors. There were roses and hollyhocks, daisies and peppertrees. The sky was so blue…"

My voice trailed off, and I opened my eyes again. That was how I remembered the front lawn and the backyard of my home. Snowkit's amber eyes shone brightly like two stars. "Wow!" he breathed. "Your home sounds beautiful!" He tipped his head to one side. "Why did you leave?"

I faltered. I had woken up as a cat and in the middle of a street that I didn't know. How did I get so far from home? The star had called me here. Why?

"I-I think I'm lost," I stammered. And it was true. I had no idea where I was.

"Yes. I'm lost. And I kept wandering everywhere in the hopes that I would be able to find my way back again. But…it's all hopeless. I'll never get home. I can't even find the path in front of me." I lowered my head and buried my face in my paws.

I felt the tears well up in my eyes. Oh, no, I can't be crying again. Ever since I was little, I had been able to cry very easily. I couldn't help it.

Snowkit nuzzled me. "It's okay," he said. "There's always a path in front of you, silly. It's right under your nose. I'm sure you'll find it."

Just then, Brightheart nosed her way through the opening of the den. She looked surprised that Snowkit was here. "Oh, hi there Ashley," she smiled kindly. "Snowkit, Cloudtail came back from the hunting patrol. He saved a squirrel for you."

She beckoned the kit to follow her, and they disappeared from the den.

Snowkit poked his head back in and mewed, "Don't be sad, Ashley! You can't be, because tomorrow's going to be my apprentice ceremony! You'll be there, right?"

I replied, "Yeah."

I listened to his pawsteps fade away.

OoOoOoOoOoOooOoOOooOOoOoOOoOooOo

The day finally came. The wounds on my pelt and paws, along with my light fever, had completely faded away. Today was the day that I would journey to the nearest Twolegplace and try to see if my house was there.

Bramblestar padded in as I was finishing choking down a sparrow. He gazed at me silently, his amber gaze boring into my eyes.

I felt a little intimidated by the way his muscles rippled underneath his rich pelt, and his piercing and sharp gaze.

I flinched when he said, "Well, I'd better choose a few escorts to help you on your way."

I asked, "Who will it be?"

The tom rumbled, "Brackenfur, Millie, and Lionblaze." He paused. "And me, of course."

I was surprised. "But you don't need to go. You need to look after your Clan, after all."

"Squirrelflight can manage while I'm gone. And besides," his eyes flickered. "I need to make sure you get home safely."

I wasn't sure of his intentions, but I didn't say anything.

We padded out of the medicine cat's den and into the clearing. Bramblestar nodded as the chosen cats bounded towards us.

He exchanged some words with his deputy before we headed out of the camp.

The tall trees formed a canopy over the skies, and the branches interlocked. A rich, damp scent wafted up from the soil underneath my paws, and the birds were everywhere. Millie and Brackenfur tried to chat with me, but my soft and curt responses soon silenced them.

The soil was soft like moss. I closed my eyes and breathed in the forest smells.

Eventually, the trees thinned, and the sky began to appear again.

"Careful," Bramblestar warned. "The ground is much looser here, and there are cliffs up ahead."

Lionblaze murmured, "But there's a much easier way to get to Twolegplace—"

Bramblestar interrupted him and whispered something quietly in his ear. Lionblaze's ears twitched but he said nothing.

The dark, damp soil gave way to hard, cracked ground that was baked golden in the sun.

The ground was a web of cracks. Boulders and pebbles lay sprawled around, and a few scraggly bushes and trees lined the rocks.

There was a canyon up ahead. It appeared that a river had ran here once, a long time ago, but it had dried up.

The cliff was huge.

Bramblestar and the other warriors easily bounded forwards and leaped across the abyss with fluid, strong movements. I gaped in awe. How was I ever supposed to cross it?

I gazed nervously down the canyon. Darkness gazed up at me. It was a long drop below. If I managed to fall in, I would break every bone in my body.

The warriors were on the other side.

Bramblestar yowled encouragingly, "It's alright, Ashley. You can do it."

Millie added, "Yeah, that's right. It's easy!"

I backed away nervously and shook my head.

I could imagine myself drop and plunge down the cliff into the waiting darkness below.

I turned away. But…

I remembered my home, the one with the red tiled roof and the pale brown plaster walls. The grass on the front lawn was a dry green, and there was a large bush with big red blossoms. It nearly covered the entire wall. And deep in the grass, nestled between the green sprouts, were tiny, minute yellow flowers. They were so small, you had to really peer in and focus to see them clearly. The backyard was a canvas filled with hundreds of bright colors. There were roses, hollyhocks, daisies, and peppertrees. There was a swimming pool and two scraggly orange trees.

I remembered it all. And if I wanted to see the front lawn and backyard of my house again, I had to cross this canyon. Everything was waiting on the other side.

"Ashley," Lionblaze urged.

I gulped, and eyed the cliff warily. If I had wings, everything would be so much easier. I would be able to fly past the gorge and away from my troubles. I would be on top of the world, and be able to see every corner of the universe. If I had wings, I would be able to fly back home.

I blinked. But I didn't have wings.

Oh, well. Here I go.

I took in a deep breath, and flexed my muscles.

Come on, I urged myself. All I have to do is run and jump. The other side isn't that far away. Only, like, twenty feet or something.

I crouched down, and held my breath. My paws thudded on the dry, hard ground as I sprinted forwards. Just before I took off from the cliff, I closed my eyes tight.

My paws left the ground and I jumped.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down. My paws were running through the air. Don't look down, I told myself. Instead, I looked up, at the brilliant blue sky. I imagined that I was flying.

And then, I felt myself falling.

The darkness rushed up from below me. I was too scared to scream. I'm falling. Help!

Bramblestar and Lionblaze fastened their teeth onto the scruff of my neck and hauled me up. My paws met the ground, and I was safe.

My heart pounded in my rib cage, desperate and afraid. Brackenfur whistled. "Wow, for a moment there I thought you were a goner. Bramblestar and Lionblaze saved you just in time. If it had been a second later, you would've fallen for good."

I forced myself to stop trembling. I was safe, I told myself over and over again.

Bramblestar looked a little disappointed for some reason, but I didn't dwell on the thought.

Twolegplace was still a long way away.

After walking for a few hours more, we paused for a break.

As the other cats rested under the shade of a thin tree, Bramblestar beckoned me. I padded towards him. He said, "It's time to hunt. We'll need the fresh-kill. Would you like to hunt with me, or on your own?"

I stammered, "Uh, I, er…I'm not really hungry…"

"It's alright. We'll just catch a little bit of prey."

I shuffled my feet awkwardly. How could I tell him that never once in my life have I ever caught any prey? I was a human, and humans don't hunt.

He crouched down and whispered, "I smell a vole nearby. Let's catch it."

I copied him and crouched down low until the dust tickled my nose. I'll just have to remember what I read in the Warriors books. Let's see…I'm supposed to keep my feet apart and balance my weight equally. I made sure that I was downwind of the prey.

I slowly shuffled forward, and the vole came into view.

A twig cracked under my paw, and I froze. I watched helplessly as the rodent darted away.

The Warriors books never mentioned on how to keep quiet when you were hunting!

I turned and ducked my head, embarrassed. "Sorry," I muttered.

Bramblestar said nothing, but flicked his tail. He looked a bit discouraged, and I didn't know why. Perhaps it was because I was a lousy hunter?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOOoOOOoOoOOOoO

After a long while, we finally reached Twolegplace. We crossed a Thunderpath and halted in front of the buildings.

"The rest of us will wait here," Bramblestar said. He nodded at me. "See if you can find your home."

Without wasting another second, I dashed up and down the streets. The cars zoomed past me, but I barely noticed them.

I read the signs desperately. Crow Street, Oak Street, Highland Street, Madison Lane. None of them sounded familiar.

The houses became a blur as I dashed past them. Where was my house? 2451 Echo Lane. It wasn't there.

There was a Cherry Street and a Pioneer Avenue, but never was there an Echo Lane.

The sky grew darker as the sun set, and the first stars appeared. I wandered aimlessly through the streets. The tears pounded against my eyes and my heart pounded slowly against my rip cage. It was hopeless, all of it. This was the wrong Twolegplace. My house wasn't there. There's no point in looking any further.

I trudged back towards the cats that were silhouetted against the sunset. Millie asked hopefully, "Did you find it?" I shook my head, and she fell silent.

They gazed at me. I was uncertain.

I asked, "Where do I go now?"

Brackenfur cleared his throat. "Well, there's only one place you can go to…"

Bramblestar nodded. "ThunderClan," he rasped.

I was a bit surprised. ThunderClan? I was going to train to be a warrior?

"A-are you sure about that?" I asked.

The leader nodded. "Of course. There's always room if you want to join. An extra warrior never hurts."

Millie nudged me gently. "I welcome you."

I wasn't sure what to do. But then, what could I do? I was lost. ThunderClan was giving me an offer as my new home.

No, it's not my home, I thought hastily. I would never belong. My home is the house with the red shingled roof, and the pale brown plaster walls, and the lawn with the dry green grass. A large bush with blossoms crowded the wall, and tiny yellow flowers nestled in between the blades. The backyard was filled with color.

Would I ever see it again.

There was nothing else I could do.

I would join ThunderClan. But, I promised myself, I won't forget my real home, the one with the roses and daisies and hollyhocks.

I won't forget. I will make myself remember. Mother, Father, I remembered sadly, as I repeated the names of the people that I knew over and over again.

I followed the warriors as we headed back towards ThunderClan

OoOoOoOoOoOOoooo

That evening, I became an apprentice, and my mentor was Millie. I had refused a proper apprentice name. My name was Ashley, and it always will be.

I slept in the apprentice's den that night. For a moment, I wondered why Cherrypaw and Molepaw weren't here, and then I remembered that they had already become warriors: Cherryblossom and Moleclaw.

Snowpaw, Dewpaw, and Amberpaw shared the den with me. Dewpaw and Amberpaw avoided me and refused to talk, probably because they didn't trust me. I was saddened.

But, at least Snowpaw liked me, even though he was a little bit upset with me because I had missed his apprentice ceremony.

oOoOoOOooooOOoOOoO

Yay, I finally updated a chapter. Do you like it?