Wandering

[Nicole]

Firekit woke to the sound of a massive dog just a tail-length away snarling and scratching at the small wooden fence in front of her. Fur fluffed out, she pelted up the closest tree, padded out on a small but sturdy branch and looked down. This dog was bigger than most she had seen – at least two cat-lengths and two cat-heights. The monster caught her movement and started furiously barking at her, every bark like thunder a tail-length away.
Shivering, Firekit jumped down to the top of the fence, causing the dog to leap up at her. The fence jerked around under its weight, and Firekit struggled to regain her balance on the narrow surface. When the fence slowed, the kit scrambled over and jumped to a higher leveled fence that overlooked a big yard. Grateful to get away from the snapping jaws, Firekit hopped down, landing silently in the grass.
The kit looked around her. She was surrounded by tall fencing, and in the center of the clearing was a small Twoleg den. She heard the sound of bubbling water, and raced over to a small pond. As she lapped up the water thirstily, she noticed in her reflection how big she’d gotten. I’m too big to be a kit, she thought.
A flash of orange light caught her eye, surprising her. “Hm,” she murmured, “fish.” Wanting to explore this place more, Firekit leaped up to the top of the fence and, sensing no danger, landed on the other side into a small, grassy field with a nearby forest. Somewhere ahead she could hear more water; probably a stream or small river.
Starting ahead, she picked up a heavy scent of prey past the stream. Firekit remembered not having much to eat the night before, and her stomach rumbled with discontent. The small cat plunged herself into the slow moving river and caught side of a squirrel when she climbed up the bank on the other side. Sneaking thru the underbrush, she came within three tail-lengths of it – its bushy tail was turned towards her – and she pounced, dispatching it a heartbeat later. It seemed to her that there were no other cats in this region, though she smelled many of them.
As Firekit settled down and ate her meal, she had no idea that she was walking on the border of FireClan and SkyClan territory.

[Nicole]

I'm posting the following up here so if for some strange reason someone from SkyClan ACTUALLY RESPONDS, i buhjillion things wont happen all at once. This is what's happened so far...

[Nicole]

A squirrel squealed, and abruptly fell silent, giving the mouse Kindlepaw had cornered its chance to disappear silently into the forest when the apprentice started. Surprised, and a bit irritated that he'd let himself become distracted, the gray tom turned toward the source of the noise; the breeze carried the scent of a cat, along with a subtle hint of blood. His dark nose wrinkled, and the little tom crept forward, puzzled. Kindlepaw didn't recognize this scent, and the fur along his back bristled in alarm.

This wasn't a FireClan cat.

Edging forward, Kindlepaw inched around the tree trunk until his eyes, wide as twin amber moons, spotted the source of his bad hunting--a she-cat, about his age, with round, green jewels for eyes.

Definitely not a FireClanner...

Firekit hesitated suddenly, crushing squirrel bones more quietly, and pricked her ears. A shiver went up her spine. Am i being watched? Looking around, she saw nothing, but couldn't shake the feeling. Quickly finishing her meal she glanced around one last time and slowly padded on, preparing for an attack from anything imaginable...

Swallowing and stiffening when it looked like the she-cat was about to turn and leave, Kindlepaw puffed himself up as tall as his gray fur would allow and stepped into the clearing.

"Hey!" Perhaps he should have had reason to be hostile toward the intruder, but more than anything the apprentice looked curious. Even his voice was oddly cheerful, friendly, if that were possible, as he spoke the lines he'd heard elder cats utter so many times before. "You're on FireClan territory--who are you?"

The reddish kit jumped out of her skin at the voice of the other cat. Fur puffed out in all directions, she prepared herself to make a break for it. She hesitated as she realized that the gray cat emerging from the undergrowth was only a bit larger than herself; his round eyes were curious rather than aggressive. Still, she had seen things and was cautious to trust anyone.

"My name's Firekit," she meowed, trying to control the waver in her voice. He's probably not even dangerous, she reasoned, though the subtle ripple of muscles beneath his pelt contradicted her. He looked like he was off-balance, as if a hawk was dragging him into the air by his ears. She could tell he was trying to look bigger than he was. "Who are you?" she pressed, stifling her amusement, "and what's FireClan?"



For a moment, Kindlepaw looked almost confused. Firekit? More like Firepaw--she was only a bit younger than he was! What was more, that was a Clan name--yet this cat appeared to know nothing of FireClan.

"My name's Kindlepaw," the gray tom replied slowly, watching her through wide tawny eyes, "And I'm an apprentice in FireClan--part of a big group of cats, I suppose. This is our territory." The cat watched her curiously, then appeared to remember that he was supposed to be threatening. His fur puffed up a little more, though it didn't reach his eyes. "If you don't know what FireClan is, then you're definitely not a Clan cat. I'm supposed to chase intruders off, but..." His voice lowered, eyes hooding. FireClan had changed. The forest had changed. He couldn't be sure of anything anymore--once an outsider would have simply been chased off, but now...

"I would leave if I were you. It's dangerous here."

Kindlepaw's words sent a chill up her spine. What kind of place was she entering?

"Wait," she murmured. "Group of cats..." Firekit's heart raced. This could be what she was looking for her whole, short life! "Clan," she repeated. "Do you know of a Clan only seen in the night sky?" She hesitated, trying to remember the name. "StarClan? I've been searching for my mother's birthplace," she explained. "My mother's mother was a Clan cat, exiled for something another cat did. She gave MY mother a... war name, was it? And raised her on the outskirts of her Clan's territory. Some cat drove her out - separated them - and my mother had to survive on her own, like i have been." The cat paused, shuffling her paws, and didn't know whether to go on. "I heard stories of what happens here. How you can see your ancestors and fight for boundaries." She sighed. "I was hoping to find my mother or sister here. They...they disappeared."

Firekit straightened. "As far as I'm concerned," she mewed, determination lacing her words, "I'm staying here. I don't care how bad it is. I've made it this far, and I'm not letting some 'danger' get in my way. Take me to where your kind stay. If you help me, I'll try my best to help you."