The way home~ book 1 of The Unclear Path

Chapter 2

       Chapter 2

Sandy crouched down, ready to pounce. Her eyes locked with a hanging ball. 'I'll get you this time,' she thought determinedly. '3...2...1...now!' She pounced and landed squarely on the fluffy ball. The ball swung wildly under Sandys weight. She clung to the ball, almost falling off. Thinking fast she dug her claws in and closed her eyes, 'The ball is such a tough opponent but no match for me!' she thought. Finally the ball stopped swinging and layed still under her. "Nothing can defeat me!" She was proud of herself, ever since she could climb up this tower she was trying to defeat the ball. " 5 1⁄2 moons old and I already defeated the toughest enamy!" She yowled in delight. "Now I believe after such a victory I deserve a rest." She said, stifling a yawn. Jumping up to the nest above her she layed down. 'Not as soft as my nest in my twolegs bedroom' she reflected ' but it will do' she thought, drifting off to sleep. Sandy woke up by the sound of her twoleg returning 'have I slept that long?' she thought drowsily, looking out the window she realized it was right past sunhigh. 'That's weird' she thought 'she normally comes back at sunset'. Sandy hopped up just in time to see her twoleg turn to the stairs. 'I hope she's ok' Sandy thought anxiously. She jumped down to the floor and followed her twoleg up the stairs, and into her bedroom. The twoleg placed a shape in the nest next to hers. Then she stiffened when she realized it wasn't a shape, it's a cat! Leaping up next to the cat she sniffed it. ' Tom, dark gray body with black paws, legs, tail, and ears.' she shivered, he was unconscious, with a wound on his neck and shoulders. He carried the clan scent of the cat who comes by sometimes and picks my twolegs catnip. She sniffed him again, And fear and alarm surged into her as she recognized the familiar scent of slice...

Sandy woke up to a pelt brushing against her. She flicked open her eyes and jumped away in fear, then realized it was only the injured cat laying next to her. He stirred and raised his head, and looked around, confusion clouding his gaze. "W-where am I?'' the young Tom asked weakly. "Don't fear." She answered the tom " your in my twolegs den." she continued briskly, "Sorry if I woke you, I'm not used to sleeping next to other cats." "I-im in a twoleg den!?" she felt a flicker of concern for the tom " Yes, but you are safe from slice in here. What is your name?" she asked, settling back down next to the tom. " I'm SwallowPaw, '' he replied. Interest sparked her pelt " Im Sandy." she told him. He flicked his tail. " Are you in what's-it clan- Thunderclan?"she asked. Surprise lit Swallowpaws eyes, " how did you know?" he asked curiously. "Sometimes I talk to the cat- hollowfur I think, when she gathers catnip." Sandy said, and SwallowPaw nodded slowly. " How did I get these wounds? It's so hard to remember'' he whispered. Sandy wondered if she should tell him about slice, he might try to escape and get revenge before his wound is healed. There was a pause before she answered him "Slice gave you those wounds. I smelled her scent on you." Sandy expected rage or even understanding to come out of Swallowpaw but instead there was more confusion. " who's slice?" Swallowpaw asked. Sunny sighed with dread of explaining who Slice was, she picked her words carefully and eventually said " Slice is an awful cat. We were friends once, when I was 2 moons and she was 5, but then she turned into a bully, and even turned on me. Now she beats up cats for fun and if you don't do what she says you'll be killed. You're lucky you survived slices attack, so many cats have died because of her, Sometimes right in front of me." she shivered and looked out the window. She remembered the fun Slice, before she turned evil, and then she thought of Willow, the she-cat who lived here a moon before. She witnessed Slice kill her but was powerless to stop her." That's, that's terrible!" Swallowpaw whispered, She nodded, " Now go to bed you need to rest to get better." she said,voice shaking, curling up