The Rise of BoneClan

Chapter 2

Amberheart, Mudheart, and Grayfur led the three cats through the forest. Bone felt as if his pelt stood out like a rabbit on the open moor. Flame wasn't much better. His orange tabby pelt could easily be seen in the surrounding woods. Spot, however, seemed right at home in the forest. Her tortoiseshell pelt blended perfectly with the trees and leaves. Bone's paws pricked with excitement. We're about to meet real clan cats!

Their escorts padded through a small tunnel made out of twigs, moss, thorns and whatever else the cats could find to put there. They entered a large clearing, cats were all around, sharing tongues, eating, or laying around talking. They all glanced up at the newcomers. Bone felt uncertain for once. What if these cats don't like me? He wondered.

Bone and his companions were led to a rock that was jutting out. Two cats sat beneath it, one a white she-cat with blue eyes, the other a tortoiseshell she-cat. "Icestar," Amberheart dipped her head to the WolfClan leader. The white she-cat stood, "Who are they?" She narrowed her eyes at Bone, Spot, and Flame. "We found them wondering at the edge of the territory. They claim they just want to look around." Amberheart explained. "They don't carry the scent of another clan," Grayfur added in. Icestar continued to look at the three cats. Bone met her gaze, willing her to let them stay. "I will hear what they have to say before I decide." She announced, sitting with her tail curled over her paws, "Go ahead then."

Bone cleared his throat, "There is a group of rogues that live in the shadowy forest." He flicked his black-tipped tail the way they had come. "I-I've heard about the clans, and I think it'd be a good idea to organize the rogues into a clan," he gazed at his friends, "BoneClan." Icestar nodded, "BoneClan, go on." Bone's ear twitched, "We came here to learn about clan life. We want to create BoneClan right, have the same traditions as WolfClan, MistClan, and ThornClan." The WolfClan leader's blue gaze scorched his pelt, "I see what you're saying. WolfClan will offer you the wisdom we know. I will not be surprised to hear of a BoneClan later on." She purred at him, her blue gaze surprisingly welcoming.

Icestar led the cats around the camp. "This is the Warriors den." She flicked her tail to a den made out of brambles and thorns. The three companions peered into the dark gloom of the den. Nests of moss lined the ground. Bone gazed at it in awe, maybe one day he and his friends would be sleeping in nests like these. He started to walk in but Icestar dragged him out, "Our warriors are in there, I'm sure you wouldn't want to meet them!" She purred with amusement. She was wrong, Bone did want to meet them, but he knew better than to argue with a leader.

Icestar showed them the Apprentice's den next. It was a smaller den with nests lining the inside. Bone just made out a couple sleeping bodies in the gloom. "Our apprentices sleep here after they train." Icestar explained. "They start their training when they are six moons old until they are twelve or thirteen moons old. Then they become a full warrior." Bone nodded eagerly. "Then when a warrior become over ninety moons they become an elder." Icestar continued to show them around.

"When a she-cat is going to have kits she moves into the nursery." Icestar flicked her tail to a protected den with a small entrance. Instead of letting them see they den she took them right past. "The queens won't be happy to have strangers around." Icestar purred, "Let's go see the elders, they may have a story to tell."

They walked into the elders den. It was the smallest den so far, with three nests lining the floor. "These cats have come from the forest. I want you to tell them about WolfClan." One of the elders nodded and motioned for the three to sit by her.

"I was old even when I joined WolfClan." She purred. "I remember it like it was yesterday." She shifted into a laying position. "Icestar had just become leader of WolfClan. She was scouting around for new members. My brother had already joined WolfClan, but I didn't trust it. I was a fool then." She gave a mrrow of laughter, "But I'm sure you don't care about my foolishness." She flocked her tail, "I came straight into the cam poo and demanded for Icestar. She met me along with my brother, Ravenfur. I only knew him as Raven, it surprised me to hear him called Ravenfur. I asked to join them, and Icestar said yes." He eyes gleamed in the soft light, "The ceremony, oh the ceremony!" She seemed lost in the memory of it. "Icestar asked me if I would uphold the warrior code and defend WolfClan at the cost of my life. I knew if it meant being with Ravenfur, it was worth it. 'Then from this moment on you shall be known as Whitepelt.'" She recited the leader's words. "It was such a joy to me! I couldn't have been happier." She finished her story with a purr.

"What happened to Ravenfur?" It took all Bone's courage to ask the question. "He died in a battle with rogues." She answered, looking them over for the first time.

Cats were everywhere. Bone couldn't tell one from the other. Her heard a scream in the distance. He ran toward the scream. There was his mother, Snowy. She was pinned under a black warrior. He was snarling viciously at her, "You killed my mother when I was a kit! And now I'll make your kits suffer!" Bone lashed his tail. "Raven, this isn't like you! You've changed joining that clan!" His mother replied, sorrow showing in her eyes. "It's Ravenfur!" The back tomcat lifted his paw to strike her throat. Bone leapt and landed on the tom. He bowled him off the she-cat. "Get off my mother!" Before he had realized what had happened there was a pool of blood around the black cat. His eyes were glazed over. He was dead. Bone backed away in horror. "You killed him! You killed him!" A voice rang in his head. "Ravenfur!" A white she-cat glared at Bone, "You killed him!" She screeched. Bone backed away, "I-I I'm sorry! I-I didn't- he..." the she-cat gave him a hard glare. "Next time I see you, you will be crowfood." She hissed.

Bone was dragged from the memory as Whitepelt spoke again, "I became an elder the day he died." She must have seen Bone's horrified face, "It was you wasn't it?" It started out as a low growl but became louder and louder. "You killed Ravenfur !"

That was pretty intense ~Blackie