FireGray AU

Chapter 1

"You must look out for kittypets" Graypaw remembers his mentors voice in his head as he walked towards twolegplace, as he look through the bushes he saw something sitting on the fence. "a kittypet?" He thought. "He seems smaller than me" Graypaw thought. "I'll watch what he does" Graypaw watched as the kittypet jumped down from the fence into the forest. "He's on thunderclan territory" Lionhearts voice hissed in Graypaw's head. "Yeah i know" Graypaw muttered. "I better stop that kittypet" He thought.

Rusty sat down in the coarse grass beyond the garden fence. He gave his shoulder a nervous lick andwondered how much of Smudge's gossip was true.Suddenly the movement of a tiny creature caught his eye. He watched it scuttle under some brambles.Instinct made him drop into a low crouch. With one slow paw after another he drew his body forwardthrough the undergrowth. Ears pricked, nostrils flared, eyes unblinking, he moved toward the animal.

Hecould see it clearly now, sitting up among the barbed branches, nibbling on a large seed held between itspaws. It was a mouse.Rusty rocked his haunches from side to side, preparing to leap. He held his breath in case his bell rangagain. Excitement coursed through him, making his heart pound. This was even better than his dreams! Thena sudden noise of cracking twigs and crunching leaves made him jump. His bell jangled treacherously, and themouse darted away into the thickest tangle of the bramble bush.Rusty stood very still and looked around.

He could see the white tip of a red bushy tail trailing through aclump of tall ferns up ahead. He smelled a strong, strange scent, definitely a meat-eater, but neither cat nordog. Distracted, Rusty forgot about the mouse and watched the red tail curiously. He wanted a better look.All of Rusty's senses strained ahead as he prowled forward. Then he detected another noise. It camefrom behind, but sounded muted and distant. He swiveled his ears backward to hear it better. Pawsteps? hewondered, but he kept his eyes fixed on the strange red fur up ahead, and continued to creep onward.

It wasonly when the faint rustling behind him became a loud and fast-approaching leaf-crackle that Rusty realizedhe was in danger.The creature hit him like an explosion and Rusty was thrown sideways into a clump of nettles. Twistingand yowling, he tried to throw off the attacker that had fastened itself to his back. It was gripping him withincredibly sharp claws. Rusty could feel spiked teeth pricking at his neck. He writhed and squirmed fromwhisker to tail, but he couldn't free himself. For a second he felt helpless; then he froze. Thinking fast, heflipped over onto his back. He knew instinctively how dangerous it was to expose his soft belly, but it was hisonly chance.He was lucky—the ploy seemed to work.

He heard a "hhuuffff" beneath him as the breath was knockedout of his attacker. Thrashing fiercely, Rusty managed to wriggle free. Without looking back he sprintedtoward his home.Behind him, a rush of pawsteps told Rusty his attacker was giving chase. Even though the pain from hisscratches stung beneath his fur, Rusty decided he would rather turn and fight than let himself be jumped onagain.He skidded to a stop, spun around, and faced his pursuer.It was another kitten, with a thick coat of shaggy gray fur, strong legs, and a broad face. In a heartbeat,Rusty smelled that it was a tom, and sensed the power in the sturdy shoulders underneath the soft coat.

Thenthe kitten crashed into Rusty at full pelt. Taken by surprise by Rusty's turnabout, it fell back into a dazedheap.The impact knocked the breath out of Rusty, and he staggered. He quickly found his footing and archedhis back, puffing out his orange fur, ready to spring onto the other kitten. But his attacker simply sat up andbegan to lick a forepaw, all signs of aggression gone. Rusty felt strangely disappointed. Every part of him was tense, ready for battle.

"Hi there, kittypet!" meowed the gray tom cheerily. "You put up quite a fight for a tame kitty!"Rusty remained on tiptoe for a second, wondering whether to attack anyway. Then he remembered thestrength he had felt in this kitten's paws when he had pinned him to the ground. He dropped onto his pads,loosened his muscles, and let his spine unbend. "And I'll fight you again if I have to," he growled."I'm Graypaw, by the way," the gray kitten went on, ignoring Rusty's threat. "I'm training to be aThunderClan warrior."