Against All Odds

Part 2: Trial

There was not much one could do when sitting in a cave under guard day and night, so Frog resigned himself to sleeping and remembering the events of his miserable life. It did very little, if anything, to improve the mood of depression that hung like a cloud in his prison, but at least it helped to pass the time.

Judging from the claw marks on the wall, a careful tally of each sunhigh of his captivity, nearly a moon had passed since his capture. His memories of the outside world were beginning to fade, the only times they allowed him to leave his prison the days when Sleetstar called a meeting by the big rock. The customs of the Clan were foreign to the tabby, but at least they gave him a chance to stretch his legs.

Company was hard to come by but, as he always had, Frog found his own company best. He rarely spoke to the Clan cats, usually only muttering his thanks when they came in to drop off a small piece of prey. The taste of fish was slowly beginning to grow on him and he didn't mind eating alone. If anyone did stay to share his meal, it was either Eggpaw or Rainberry, the tom who saved him from the jeering crowd.

Rainberry referred to himself as a 'medicine cat'. The term was completely lost on Frog, but he assumed that the title brought with it an authority almost equal to Sleetstar's. From what he'd gathered, there was another title, belonging to a snooty grey she-cat with a white belly and paws, that also held importance. Eggpaw referred to her as the 'deputy'.

The strange names were also explained to the tabby after he pointed out to Eggpaw that eggs didn't physically have paws. This earned a purr of amusement from the white and grey tom and prompted him to spend the better part of the morning explaining the differences between warriors, apprentices and kits, while Frog puzzled over the fact that a name could be changed so many times in one lifetime.

He learned that there were two Clans, one living by the sea and one on the moors he'd passed on his journey. The rigid structure was common to both and they practiced similar rituals, meeting every full moon to discuss how their respective Clans faired. Sometimes, they would battle over the borders separating them, arguing over the prey and herbs that seemed to almost dictate their lives.

To Frog, this all seemed very excessive. Where he came from, everyone fended for themselves, sometimes banding together in rag-tag groups of loners to battle over a certain piece of territory before moving on to the next best piece of land in the city. Having nearly non-existant fighting and hunting skills, Frog avoided these bands, surprised that he'd survived this long. Perhaps he was just lucky when it came to survival.

On one particularly cold morning, Frog began to doubt that fact.

The day began as all the others had, the tabby waking to the sounds of a bustling camp. The barked list of names that came with dawn echoed about the cave and Frog stayed curled up on his prison floor, listening to the now familiar event.

His fur stood on end when he heard a single, small word, hardly a name at all.

Eggpaw appeared at the entrance of his cave, the grim look on his face confirming Frog's suspicions. If whatever was going on could make the apprentice sombre, the tabby's luck had run out.

The prisoner was marched out of his den, eyes widening as he took in the main cave. Two cats lay on the ground before the great rock, their bodies mangled almost beyond recognition. One had a pelt the colour of fire; the other as black as night. The scent still lingering on their fur was one of smoke.

"Who are they?" Sleetstar demanded, flicking his tail towards the two very dead cats. Frog stared at the bodies, not able to form coherent thoughts.

"Sleetstar asked you a question," said a black and white tom, unsheathing his claws. "Answer him, or you'll be next."

The tabby looked around at the assembled cats, their eyes narrowing as they met his. He realized that the two bodies belonged to loners, probably ones unlucky enough to cross the border, and that SeaClan believed he was afiliated with them.