Part 6

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Imagine that you are sitting in the forest. It is greenleaf - a very hot greenleaf. The sun is ever so bright, shining on you and you have to blink a few times. But the plants are strong and healthy. The flowers are blooming. In fact, the flowers have grown taller than you. (Though I'm pretty sure that's not possible) They smell so sickly sweet, you feel dizzy and your head is spinning. Then you got back to camp, dizzy and light-headed, and your leader suddenly tells you to come forward and makes you Clan deputy.   

That's just about how I felt. 

Actually, I think I exaggerated. 

But whatever.

"M- medicine cat?" I stammered.  "I mean, that's great!" 

Twilightpaw beamed. "I know, right?" she meowed. "And I never seemed to be good at fighting. Rabbitfur was so disappointed, and I thought that... Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a warrior. Then Stripetail got hurt, and I helped Willowfrost take care of him. I just knew which herbs were the right ones, and I realised that I was better at taking care of the wounded than hunting and fighting." 

Oh... Twilightpaw wasn't good at fighting???? Why didn't she ever tell me? I guess she was just too embarrassed to tell anyone. Then I realised that she wasn't going to sleep in the apprentices' den anymore. She would have to move to Willowfrost's den. I felt a bit disappointed, but just a bit. I reckoned Twilightpaw would be deeply respected. 

"I'm waiting for Willowfrost to finish cleaning up Stripetail's wounds," my sister added. "Then we'll go tell Duskstar."

"Twilightpaw!" A white head poked out of the den behind her. "I guess I'd better go now," I told Twilightpaw. She shrugged. "Okay."

                                                  ——————————-

I went into the forest. To get some fresh air. I don't think apprentices are supposed to leave camp without their mentor's permission, but that's not in the warrior code, anyway. 

Plus, Fernclaw was scouting somewhere around the Sky Maple with a patrol, so I didn't have a mentor to ask for permission. 

I headed to an old, collasped small Twoleg house (The cats here call them dens, but I'll just stick to house.) near the BubbleClan border. It was well hidden, and I couldn't smell any cat scent there. I found this place last time when I was out hunting with Fernclaw. I had chased a nice looking rabbit through a particularly large hole in the wall into this place. I didn't tell my mentor, though, because I wanted it to stay a secret. 

I sat there and watched a caterpillar crawl onto a fallen leaf near the entrance. I sat in silence for a while, and thought about my dream, Twilightpaw being medicine cat apprentice, Stripetail being attacked by some mysterious creature... I wondered how Fernclaw was doing. Maybe- 

Crunch. I whirled around, my tail bushing and ears pricked. A tom cat. It wasn't from MapleClan, or the other Clans. A faint unfamiliar scent reached my nose. A rogue? A loner? Or a lost kittypet like me? I backed up to the far corner of the wall and waited for the intruder to come in or pass by. I preferred it if he didn't notice the small den and left, so I could follow him quietly without having a fight.

But no. The tom was about to leave, but I heard him turn at the last second. A calico head peered into the house. It was a calico long-haired tom with striking green eyes. I had heard before that calico male cats were rare from my kittypet friends back at my old home. 

"Uh, hi," the calico mewed. "Who are you?" 

"Get out. Get out. Shoo!" I stood up and pushed him out of the house. He scooted backwards and stopped near a small pile of leaves. 

"Who are you?" I asked.

"That's what I just asked," he muttered. "I'm Sun, and who are you?

"Dewpaw. What are you doing here?" 

"I dunno. Just wandering around." He glanced at the house behind us. "I was hoping to stay here for the night."  

"You're alone?"

"Yeah."

"So you're a loner." 

"Uh-huh."

"Okay. Then get outta here."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm staying for the night." Sun meowed. "And uh, I can smell other cats here. A kittypet told me there were fierce groups of flesh-eating, bloodthirsty cats living around this place that kidnapped three cats named Dew, Petal and Twilight. I don't suppose you're one of those bloodthirsty cats?"

"We're not bloodthirsty," I snapped. "This is Clan territory. We hunt and learn to fight to survive. As for those 'kidnapped' cats, I'm Dew, my sisters are Petal and Twilight, and we weren't kidnapped. We joined of our own free will. Nothing to worry about. So, you now you can leave."

"I just said I was staying. Just for one night," he mewed. StarClan, this cat was impossibly stubborn. I stared at him for a few seconds. Maybe I could bring him into camp? No, that would be too dangerous. Better he stay outside while I get a warrior to take care of this, but I had nobody to watch him while I was gone. Or I could find Fernclaw. But then I would interrupt her while she was doing important business. 

"Stay here for a while," I told him. I turned and raced towards MapleClan's camp entrance. 

When I got back, Petalpaw and Twilightpaw were sitting in front of the entrance, and I spotted Lionpaw staring at the dirtplace tunnel, which was weird. It was like he was deciding whether to go or just stay here instead of waiting for me to come back.

I crashed into my sisters. "Oops," I muttered. 

"Dewpaw, where were you?" Duskstar thrust his head between Petalpaw and Twilightpaw, who had opened their mouths to speak only to be interrupted.

"I found a loner. Come with me," I told him. Together we ran all the way back to the old Twoleg den, and of course, my sisters tagging along behind us. 

Sun was waiting for us near a holly bush. He looked over all of us, and his eyes landed on Duskstar. 

"Hello, loner, what-" Duskstar began.

"Wow, you're really strong!" Sun's eyes widened in which I hoped was admiringly, not mockingly. I couldn't tell. 

The calico backed away to the border line between BubbleClan and MapleClan. Duskstar snorted.

"This is Clan territory. I could chase you over to the BubbleClan border, but there's no saying you'll come back," he murmered. 

"Oh, I'm definitely scared and frightened!" Sun cried. "I'll leave! God help me!" he raced over to BubbleClan, and bowed at Duskstar dramatically. I made a deep growling noise at the back of my throat. Sun raised his head and looked at me then winked. Oh, no way was he going off like that! I charged right towards him and pinned the calico to the forest floor and dragged him by the scruff of his neck to Duskstar. 

The loner went limp. Duskstar glared at the loner for a while, no doubt already starting to hate him, then gestured with his tail for me and my sisters who were watching quietly to follow him back to camp. 

At least Sun had the sense to shut up. 

When we got back to camp, Sun looked around and licked his lips as he spotted the freshkill pile. I had to step on his tail to prevent him from destroying our food supply. While he was making a fool of himself, Duskstar leaped up the boulders and climbed up the Highledge. 

"Let all cats old enough to hunt join for a Clan meeting!" Nobody was listening. They were all staring at Sun, like he was some kind of mysterious (oh, and vicious) unknown alien come from another planet.

"Dewpaw found a loner, named-" 

"Sun," Sun mewed. 

Duskstar nodded slowly. 

"He will be treated as a, ah, guest for now. I will decide what to do with him later. Sun, and all cats here, make sure our 'guest' here doesn't leave camp." And with that final sentence, the Clan leader disappeared into his den to start plotting a thousand ways to keep Sun closely monitored by possibly a trusted Clan warrior.

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Sep 07 ⏰

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