Reunion

chapter 1

Warm sunlight flooded Jake’s senses as he gazed at the moor. The Thunderpath was the only thing between him and Talltail. Monsters roared past him, barely giving him any openings. Foul water was splashed on him, making Jake wrinkle his nose. Jake looked back in the direction of his former home, somewhat longing to return to his Twolegs. Jake blinked and shook his head furiously. He could not worry about that now.  The free wind on his neck fur felt strange. Jake shivered as he remembered the aggressive cat that had torn his collar off, they must have been rogues. Talltail had talked about how they didn’t follow any rules.

Finally, an opening appeared, taking a deep breath, Jake ran, his pads burning on the hot stone. Panic coursed through him as Jake heard the roar of another monster. Jake closed his eyes and ran faster, making it to the other side just as the monster roared past, hitting him with another wave of foul water.

The moor stretched across his view, seemingly endless. Jake could smell the strong scent of WindClan warriors. Jake tried to calm his pounding heart as he took a step forward. Jake crouched down, realizing with fear that he was in the open. He slowly stepped forward, focusing on every pawstep he made, careful not to make a noise.

The sun was beginning to drop below the clouds as Jake noticed a sheltered clearing. He was about to step forward, when he heard the sound of an approaching patrol. His pelt bristled as he looked for somewhere to hide. It was too late though as he was tackled to the ground. He yelped as he felt claws tear into his orange pelt, fresh blood spilling over his pelt.

“Silverpaw, enough!” a powerful voice ordered. Immediately, the weight lifted off of him. Jake hardly noticed his trembling as he looked up at the tom. He looked like an authority figure, standing tall with black fur and a painful looking twisted paw.

“Who are you, and what are you doing on WindClan territory?”

Jake didn’t answer, instead looking around at the cats around him. A silvery gray she-cat glared at him, about half the size of the warriors, a molted brown tom bristled beside her, and a tall white tom stood beside them. They all looked intimidating.
“I-I’m Jake,” he stuttered, shrinking under the cats’ gaze. “I’m from the other side of the Thunderpath, I-I’m a kittypet.”

“Do you understand that you’re standing on WindClan territory?” the black tom asked, flicking his tail. The other cats cautiously relaxed, the cat, who he assumed to be Silverpaw, still glaring furiously. Jake nodded without looking at the black tom. “Then why are you here?”

“I want to see Talltail,” Jake replied.

“Talltail? Whose that?” Silverpaw spat, her fur bristling.

The black tom stared at Jake in wonder. “You know Tallstar? How?”

“Tallstar?” Jake asked, excitement growing in his voice as he realized what that meant. Not only was the tom alive, but he was the leader. “He’s leader now?! It feels like I just met him. I knew him when he was a young warrior.”

The black tom nodded, a curious look still on his face. “Follow us, we’ll take you to camp.”

The other cats looked like they were about to protest, instead shutting their mouths as the tom glared at them. Excitement pricked at Jake’s paws as he ignored the pain in his back. Silverpaw and the brown tom walked by his side, while the white tom took up the rear. They’re making sure I don’t try anything, Jake realized as he followed them  through the entrance. The camp was in shambles, with bits of nests everywhere.

“Deadfoot, whose this?” a tom asked.

“None of your concern,” Deadfoot, the black tom, replied, before signaling for Jake and the others to stay as he leapt onto a tall rock and walked through an entrance. A few other cats curiously walked out of their dens, curious about the strange cat in their camp. Some were hostile looking, while others talked amongst themselves curiously. Finally, a familiar tom exited the den, followed by Deadfoot. Tallstar paused, shock growing on his features as he recognized him.