Warriors: Adventures of Blackmist: Book 1

Chapter 2: Fire

Mittens coughed out the smoke that was filling her lungs. Her Twoleg carried her to the door of her den, then collasped, unable to carry on. Mittens nudged her Twoleg's hand, but she made no reaction. Mittens licked her face and this time she moaned. Mittens knew there was no way she could save her. She weaved through her burning home weakly. She stepped on a burning board which snapped her to attention. She had to get out. Her cat flap was blocked, so that was ruled out. There were flaming boards blocking out most of the window but there might be just enough space. What do I have to lose, she thought, realizing it was perfectly true. She started running towards it when the ceiling started falling. A board fell a whisker from her muzzle. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die, she repeated over and over again in her head as she dodged the falling debris and worked her way over to the window. She jumped up on to the sink, which was a big mistake. The metal was burning her paws off. She yowled and jumped out the window just as the last of her old home collapsed. With her Twolegs inside. 

"I have to start a new life", Mittens told Daisy and Thorn.

"No! Please stay with us!" Daisy sobbed.

"I can't. I have no home", Mittens mewed, trying to hold back the tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"You can stay with my housefolk! Please!" Daisy offered.

"We both know you keep your housefolk busy enough", Mittens mewed with a sad smile.

"My housefolk might let you stay with us", Thorn meowed quietly.

"Thanks, but no thanks. This must be my destiny", Mittens meowed, even though she really wanted to give the idea a try. "I'll be fine. Maybe I can find one of those groups of cats", she joked, since they all knew those were just stories for kits. "But there's no way I can stay here. I'm sorry." She started walking beside the street.

"I have a long way to go", she thought as she set out on her journey.

                                                ***

Mittens's paws ached and her throat hurt from lack of water. She collapsed in the grass, not really caring if she died right there. Her eyes started to close and she didn't even try to resist the urge to sleep. When she woke up there were cats surrounding her. There was a grey she-cat with a white stomach and a dark grey tom beside her. There was wet moss in front of her muzzle. Mittens opened her eyes wider to see a lot more cats. There was an orange tom to seemed to hold an air of authority about him. A black tom stood behind him. There was a yellow tom smelling of plants and a white she-cat with calico splotches who also carried this scent.

"She's waking up", the dark grey tom hissed. A dark grey-green head popped out of a den followed by a dark grey she-kit and a black tom-kit.

"Who's she?" the dark grey she-kit squeaked.

"A kittypet. Now get back in the den", the she-cat replied before guiding the kits inside.

"Who are you?" a sandy-colored tom asked, baring his teeth. Mittens's eyes widened in fright. "I-I-", she stuttered.

"Don't be so harsh on her, Weedtail. She barely looks older than a kit", the white-and-calico she-cat mewed sympathetically.

"Stop being so mouse-hearted, Leafsplash", the one called Weedtail growled.

"Mouse-hearted?!" Leafsplash screeched.

"Stop acting like kits", the yellow tom hissed.

"Yes, Duckwing", Leafsplash meowed reluctantly. Weedtail just glared at the tom. All these noises and smells and voices scared Mittens and she was trying to make herself as small as possible.

"I am Foxstar and this is MossClan. We're not ging to hurt you", the orange tom soothed softly. "What's your name?" For some reason, Mittens felt she could trust this tom.

"Mittens", she replied timidly.  

"Are you a kittype- I mean a housecat?" the tom asked.

"I used to live with housefolk, yes. But my house was burned to ashes and so were my housefolk. I live nowhere, now", she replied bravely.

"You may join MossClan if you wish", the tom offered. Mittens gasped. Join MossClan!