Warriors: Whitekit's Dream [Book One of the Voiceless Series]

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jaggedwing stretched as he saw the sun overhead. Today was the day--he would go and join IvoryClan.

The tom padded away from his small camp, his stomach growled. He made his way through the uncharted territory. Past HarborClan.

Past CentralClan.

And finally. . . Finally, he saw the giant museum of IvoryClan before him. He spotted small kits playing on the stairs, guarded by their loving mothers.

Jaggedwing drew in a deep breath, letting his bad leg drag behind him.

"Hello?" He called out to the cats on the stairs.

All heads turned to face him. One cat was taller than the rest--a white she-cat with calico patterns started towards the tom. "Jaggedwing? What brings you here?"

"Hazelstar. . . greetings," the tom spoke slowly. He took a step towards the leader. "I have come to join your clan,"

Hazelstar looked confused. "By free will?"

Jaggedwing's stomach dropped. What would he say? He couldn't say he had been--

"I've been wrongfully exiled."

The tom silently cursed his quick thinking. He saw Hazelstar cock her head with a slight confusion--the she-cat took a step back.

"Wrongfully exiled? For what?" Hazelstar questioned.

"They. . . Wildstar--he. . . well, they think I-I attacked a. . . a kit--but I didn't!" The tom stuttered shamefully.

"And how could you. . . not seem like you attacked a kit?" The leader questioned. "Wouldn't it be unbelievably obvious?"

"I-I was framed. . ." Jaggedwing muttered. "I am injured--how could I attack an innocent kit? I am starving, I have not eaten for the past few sunrises. Please believe me, and help me."

Hazelstar stood still for a moment. "I can't leave a cat in need."

Jaggedwing let out a sigh of relief.

"But if I find out that you lied, you will be immediately exiled," she warned.

The tom gulped, nodded, and followed the leader through the main doors of IvoryClan.

It was. . . huge.

The ceiling was tall, with glass on the top, allowing sun the shine through. The main room--the camp clearing had a hard. . . wooden floor. In the center was a bunch of bones that made up a structure. Jaggedwing wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps it was a giant cat.

A few cats of IvoryClan turned to look at the EmpireClan warrior. A small kit spoke up. 

"Mama. . . that warriors smells funny!"

"Spiderkit!" The mother scolded. "You mustn't say that around him! He is from another clan."

"Then why is he here?" Spiderkit whispered fiercely to his mother.

"Why don't we wait and find out?" The queen asked.

Spiderkit nodded eagerly, sitting close to his mother. "Okay,"

Hazelstar cleared her throat, jumping up onto a pile of ash and bones and bricks, which made up IvoryClan's Highrock.

"Attention, cats of IvoryClan!" The leader called. Immediately, the cats began to gather, with Jaggedwing sitting at the base of the Highrock.

All around, murmurs were heard.

"Who is that?"

"I've seen him at Gatherings before. . . I think he's on the Flight Team,"

"What's wrong with his leg?"

"Why is he here?"

"What will he do?"

"It seems," Hazelstar's voice boomed, "that Jaggedwing of EmpireClan has come to join our clan."

Jaggedwing gulped. He was afraid that Hazelstar might mention his exile. Thankfully, she didn't.

"I hereby pronounce you a warrior of IvoryClan--do not let us down," Hazelstar meowed.

A few cheers came from the clan, but most of the cats were silent. They didn't like the fact that a new warrior had joined them. They assumed that he could be a spy for EmpireClan or something.

A tom named Marbleflight was to give Jaggedwing a tour of IvoryClan, and help the tom set up his nest. Unfortunately, the IvoryClan cat was not eager to see the former EmpireClan warrior.

"Here you go," Marbleflight grunted. "A nest of moss and ash. The ash'll get your pelt dirty, but it's very comfortable."

"O-Okay," Jaggedwing licked his muzzle. He had never felt out of place before.

"Okay, let's go on the tour. It's kind of a big place, and you need to learn to navigate it." Marbleflight said plainly.

"Okay, su--"

The tom dashed off, and Jaggedwing groaned. His leg still hurt, but if he wanted to fit in, he had to run after the IvoryClan warrior.

So he did.

Jaggedwing panted, not realizing how out of shape he was. His bad leg flew behind him, and the tom raced after Marbleflight, who didn't even have to take deep breaths.

"Nursery!" Marbleflight called as the two toms ran through a room. Jaggedwing saw a couple of kits playing, missing his own.

"Apprentice den!" The tom called over his shoulder. A few cats looked up, waving their tails at the new warrior.

"Fresh-kill pile over there," Marbleflight said. Jagged wing's stomach growled--he was famished.

The toms darted through many halls and rooms, even if they had no meaning. When they got back to the camp clearing, Jaggedwing huffed and collapsed onto the ground.

"That. . . was. . . really. . . hard. . ." he panted.

Marbleflight scowled and tossed a mouse to the tom. "Get used to it. We like to do it a lot."

Jaggedwing took the mouse gratefully, ignoring the comment. After all, he was IvoryClan now, wasn't he? Even though he had EmpireClan blood. . .

Perhaps it wasn't his best idea, but at least he had food, medical help, and a good shelter. What else could he have done?

Biting into the mouse, Jaggedwing sighed with relief. The juices flooded into his mouth, and it filled his empty stomach. He wanted to ask for water, but felt like it would be too much.

A tan she-cat walked up to Jaggedwing. "Come with me--I am Sandglass, the medicine cat apprentice. We need to heal that leg of yours!"

Jaggedwing slowly nodded, pushing the rest of his mouse away. Perhaps some cat would finish it.

He followed Sandglass to the medicine den. It looked similar--Heatherstone sorted her herbs nearly the same way.

"Lie down," a white she-cat said.

"Wishbone, do I use this?" Sandglass asked, holding up a bone.

"Yea. . . we will make a cast for his leg,"

Jaggedwing sighed as the medicine cats tended to his injured leg. He would never leap again. He would never fly again, and, perhaps he would never see EmpireClan again.

A/N:

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's a little short :)🐾