Warrior Cats: SkyClan Returns #2

Chapter One

An icy wind ruffled Snowtail's white pelt. Why am I outside? He thought, blinking open his blue eyes. Snowtail stood up, confused. It was sunrise. The sun had set alight to the clouds, turning them pink and the sky orange. It was a beautiful morning, but he wasn't in the gorge.

That's right. A shiver ran down Snowtail's spine as he remembered the fire. He looked over to the forest where he had grown up. The trees were blackened and no life could have survived beyond them. No prey could have survived the flames that claimed the life of one of SkyClan's elders, Duststorm.

Last night, SkyClan's leader, Sandystar, had told the clan that they would set out in search of a new home. Snowtail felt slightly nervous at the thought of going through twolegplace. And what will we eat? He wondered.

The clan was gathered in the clearing. It had a rather gloomy feel about it, and no cat was talking. Snowtail noticed two miserable sparrows lying in the centre of the clearing. Is that the freshkill pile? We'll all starve!

Not far away from where Snowtail was, Fernpelt was gently coaxing Raindrip, an elder, into eating a tiny finch. The old, normally cheerful she-cat looked utterly defeated. The loss of her friend had hit her hard.

Goldcloud and Suntail were passing around small piles of sorrel and daisy. Goldcloud approached Snowtail.

"Eat these,"

She instructed. Snowtail turned up his nose.

"I'm not eating leaves!"

He snorted. Goldcloud sighed and rolled her eyes.

"These are travelling herbs. We have a long journey ahead of us, and not enough prey to go around. You'll eat what you can get,"

Said said sternly. Snowtail grunted, but tucked into the herbs anyway. They tasted disgusting, and he had to force himself not to gag on the so-called 'travelling herbs'.

"I wanna go home!"

Snowtail looked up. The wail had come from Ferretkit, who was complaining to his mother, Fluffpelt.

"We're going to a new home, dear,"

The white she-cat soothed. Snowtail looked away. I'm not necessarily happy with it either, kitto, but we haven't got a choice,

Most of the clan was awake now, from what Snowtail could see. Sandystar called the cats together with a yowl. SkyClan gathered around their leader.

"Cats of SkyClan! We move towards twolegplace now! If any cat has not received travelling herbs, please see Suntail or Goldcloud,"

In the auburn sky, Snowtail could see the silhouettes of the twoleg dens that formed the twolegplace. Sandystar flicked her tail and begun walking towards them. The rest of the clan followed her. Spiderweb fell in beside Snowtail. His heart raced. For a while now, Snowtail had had feelings for the pretty grey she-cat.

"What do you think the other clans will be like?"

She asked. Snowtail cocked his head to the side. He hadn't even thought about where he was headed, rather than the place he was leaving behind.

"I don't know. I haven't thought much about it,"

Snowtail admitted. He looked at Spiderweb. Something was wrong.

"Are you okay?"

He asked. Spiderweb looked troubled.

"Yeah, I just..."

Her voice trailed off into the wind.

"I don't love you, Snowtail,"

She whispered. Her words were like claws, digging into Snowtail's heart and ripping it apart. He slowed down.

"W-what?"

Spiderweb sighed.

"I know how you feel about me, Snowtail. And don't get me wrong, you're great, but I don't love you,"

Snowtail looked down at his paws.

"Okay,"

He murmured. He picked up pace again, walking away from Spiderweb.

Hunger growled in Snowtail's belly. I haven't eaten since yesterday! He realised. It was nearing sun high as SkyClan reached the outskirts of twolegplace. They had walked at a slow pace, so that the elders and kits could keep up.

Twolegplace was bigger than Snowtail had expected. Dens stretched out as far as the eye could see both ways. The air smelled of rotten freshkill and dirt. Snowtail could also pick up a faint hint of other cats and dog. Sandystar halted the clan.

"I'll take a small group of cats to check if it's safe. The rest of you, stay here and listen to Ashleaf. Cherrysong, Stoneclaw and Sleekfur, come with me,"

The four cats leapt up a twoleg fence and disappeared over the other side.