Allegiances
Leader: Blackstar - A large black tom.
Deputy: Scarface - A grey tom with a scar over one eye.
Medecine Cat: -
Warriors
Greyfur - A grey she-cat.
Stripedpelt - A stripy, light brown tom.
Leafear - A mottled brown she-cat.
Honeyfur - A sweet honey-brown she-cat.
Windfoot - A grey-black tom.
Queens
Strawberry - A reddish she-cat, expecting Windy's kits.
Apprentices
Chapter 1
It had been almost a moon since Blackstar had effortlessly pulled together a Clan out of rogues and kittypets, then recieved his nine lives and name. Stripedpelt was enjoying being in a Clan. However, he had lately been thinking about his old Housefolk. The reason for this was that the end of the trial period he and his sister Leafear had agreed on when they joined RainClan was drawing near. The time would soon end, and then Stripedpelt and Leafear could eaither give up RainClan and go back to being Stripes and Leafy with their Housefolk, or they could stay on with the Clan they had become a part of. Stripedpelt looked over at Leafear. His sister was sharing tongues with Scarface, the Clan deputy. She looked happy. Stripedpelt thought she would want to stay. What would he do then? Would he stay with his sister? Housefolk were easy to live with. Living wild was not easy, and they hadn't even had leaf-bare yet.
"Stripedpelt?" the gentle voice sounded in his ear.
Stripedpelt spun around to see Honeyfur, a sweet cat who had also been a kittypet.
"Honeyfur, what do you think I should do?" he asked.
Honeyfur knew what he was talking about, he had often talked to her before, but this was the first time he had asked outright.
Honeyfur looked startled.
"I think you should follow what you want to do." she said.
Stripedpelt nodded, but inside, he was not convinced. He wanted to stay, but he wnated to go, so that he would be safe.
"I'm going hunting. See you later." Honeyfur said, swiping her tongue over his ear.
Stripedpelt nodded, but his mind was far away.
Chapter 2
Blackstar now came up to Stripedpelt.
"How about you find something nice for Strawberry." he said.
Stripedpelt nodded, and hurried out of the thorn tunnel. As he hunted, it came to him what the Clan really needed.
Maybe Strawberry's kits will bring life, and excitement. There's nothing to look forward to in the Clan now.
Crouching, Stripedpelt prepared to spring on a nearby mouse. As he sprang, another cat sprang from the opposite direction.
The two collided, and the mouse ran off.
"Oy! That was my mouse!" Stripedpelt spat.
The other cat was a rogue who lived nearby. Stripedpelt knew him, and knew that he understood RainClan boundaries, so why was he crossing them?
"This is RainClan territory!" Stripedpelt spat. Thr rogue snarled, and clawed at Stripedpelt angrily, but he knew he was beaten. He fled back across the boundaries.
Stripedpelt was worried. If rogues started hunting here then there wouldn't be enough prey for RainClan even before leaf-bare. Stripedpelt knew that they were going to starve.
Pausing only to catch a plump, juicy blackbird for the nursery, he raced back to camp.
"Blackstar!" he panted, arriving in the camp. He dropped his bird, and padded over to Blackstar. "Blackstar, a rogue was hunting in our territory. I just know RainClan is going to starve."
To his surprise, Blackstar started laughing.
Chapter 3
"Why are you laughing?" Stripedpelt said, puzzled.
"Stripedpelt, the prey won't run out because of one rogue, and before leaf-bare we will start stocking up prey to hhelp us survive. We'll get through it."
"Oh, ok then." Stripedpelt said, much relieved.
"But," Blackstar added. "Do you and Leafear wish to return home? As I remember, your trial period of a moon is over."
"I don't know Blackstar. We need to discuss it." Stripedpelt said.
"Well, discuss, but I will have to ask for your definete answers at the meeting tonight."
"Yes, Blackstar."
Stripedpelt hurried over to Leafear, as she slid out from under the nursery brambles.
"I'll talk to you later, Stripedpelt, I'm on patrol." she said, then bounded away.
Sighing, Stripedpelt remembered his blackbird. Trotting back to where it lay, he picked it up and slid into the nursery.
Strawberry's belly was huge with her kits. Stripedpelt gave her a quick lick in greeting, then helped her pull the feathers off the blackbird and put them in the bedding.
He sat beside her, weaving feathers into moss, as she tucked in.
"You know," Stripedpelt said with a mouthful of feathers, we should use this for bedding more often."
Strawberry gave a wail of pain. Stripedpelt recognised the spasms travelling down her body. Strawberry was kitting!
Chapter 4
Stripedpelt waited outside the nursery. As soon as he had sounded tha alarm, Blackstar had dashed in to help, and Greyfur had run out of camp to find Windfoot, Strawberrry's mate, and the father of the kits. Now, she dahes back in, with the familiar grey-black shape behind her. Windfoot ran to the nursery, and hurried in.
Stripedpelt continued to watch the tunnel. When Leafear came in, he hurried over to her, interupting her converstaion with Scarface.
"Leafear, I have to talk to you." he said urgently.
Leafear shook her head.
"Please, Leafear!" he begged.
"I know what you're going to say, Stripedpelt, and I want you to know I am staying here, with Scarface and everyone else. This is our Clan now, as much as anyone elses. We helped begin it, and we need to help it carry on." Leafear brushed past him and went to the warrior's den.
Stripedpelt sighed, then became aware that Scarface was still standing watching him.
"Yes?" he said icily, knowing that if Scarface wasn't here Leafear would come back with Stripedpelt.
"I want you to stay, Stripedpelt, eveycat does. Both of you. Especially Honeyfur. Please stay."
With that, Scarface hurried after Leafear to the warrior's den.
Stripedpelt was still thinking about that when Blackstar came out of the nursery. He bounded up to the treestump and called a Clan meeting.
Chapter 5
Stripedpelt anxiously listened to Blackstar's news.
"Strawberry has a healthy litter of two fine kits. She has decided to name the tom Zoomkit and the she-cat Zebrakit. You will all have a chance to go in and see them later. Now, however, I have an important question to put forward to two of our members. Leafear, is it your wish to return to the name Leafy and your Housefolk?"
Leafear's voice was steady as she meowed: "It is not."
Blackstar continued. "Stripedpelt, is it your wish to return to the name Stripes and your housefolk."
Stripedpelt hesitated for a few heartbeats. He saw the hope and fear seesawing in everyone's eyes, but most of all he saw Honeyfur. It was her face branded on his eyes as he replied.
"It is not."
Blackstar gave a barely audible sigh of relief.
"Then, does anyone else have any news to share?"
Greyfur stood up.
"I wish to announce that I am moving into the nursery. I am going to have Blackstar's kits."
The mews of congratulations were near defeaning.
This is what the Clan needs. Kits, then apprentices.
Chapter 6
Suddenly, the rogue Stripedpelt had seen earlier burst into the camp.
"You must help me!" he gasped. "My mate Jay is sick. She's dying!"
Stripedpelt looked at Blackstar.
Blackstar's face was grim as he answered.
"I am sorry, we cannot help."
"But, please!" the cat gasped again.
"We have no medecine cat!" Blackstar yowled.
"I might be able to help." said a smooth voice. "My name is Dusk. I dream of starry cats, and I work with herbs. I might be able to save your mate."
END OF BOOK 2
Book 3 is called Medecine Cat.
Please vote in the polls on my talk page.
Zaffie 00:55, January 31, 2010 (UTC)