BloodClan: To love a killer

Chapter 1

Minkie prodded Briarpaw In the side untill Briarpaw stood up.

"Hey!" Said the brindle she-cat. "What gives!" Minkie was bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Scourge wants to hold our warrior ceremony soon!" Squeaked the grey apprentice. "He said we just have to pass our assesments!"

"Then let's go!"  She nodded to Minkie to let her know to lead.

~*~

When they got back, the two she-cats emerged into a small garden. It had a great tree in the middle, holes in the house walls and a yellow dumpster with its lid propped up. The only way out was through a tunnel to the left of the tree- next to the den areas. In the other corner, there was a pile of prey, two dark tabbies and a calico tom ate and chatted. A grey she-cat trotted out of a den in the roots of the tree, her belly swollen. An orange tabby padded out of the building to greet her.

"Can you believe it?" Said Minkie. "It wasn't always like this though. Untill Scourges sister came with her two kits, we lived in an alley. Every cat for themselves. No patrols, no apprentices, no queens, no medicine cat. Then Bloodlilly came along and basically took over. She runs the clan, sort of. Scourge is the leader. That calico overthere's called Mottledfur, was called Mottle before, he's the deputy." She gestured to him with her tail. Then she pointed to the dark tabbies. "Thier names are Sparrowleg and Finchpelt, previously Sparrow and Finch. They run the hunts and patrols."

They both paused as a white shecat with black tabby markings and piercing blue eyes strutted out of the yellow dumpster. Her belly was obviously swollen. "That's Bloodlilly, Scourges sister. She's the medicine cat." Said Minkie. Bloodlilly let her gaze travel over the camp, resting on Minkie and Briarpaw. The older she-cat purred as she came closer.

"So, how are you, Briarpaw? Find the camp to your liking?" Bloodlilly asked. Briarpaw said she was fine and nodded. "Scourge wants to see you two about your warrior ceremonies. He's thinking of hosting them tomorrow at sun high. Minkpaw, take Briarpaw over to him, would you? Thank you." With that, Bloodlilly ushered the apprentices to the building.

"Why did she call you Minkpaw? I thought you said your name was Minkie?" Said Briarpaw. Minkie shrugged.

"I guess it's an old habit. Scourge lets us add our own suffixes and even change our names when we become warriors. We don't really become 'paws'. But since I'm the last of the apprentices for at least a moon, the next kits will follow the normal clan naming system." She replied.

They reached the building, it's paint was crumbling off and the bricks had been pulled out to make dens. "I'm confused." Said Briarpaw " which dens are which?"

"The den allllllll the way to the left," she gestured to an opening on top of the green dumpster she had woken up under."Is scourges den. The opening next to the dumpster is for the deputy, hunting deputy and patrol deputy. For Mottledfur, Sparrowleg and Finchpelt. The one over here is the warriors den. And that one is an extra. The yellow dumpster is Bloodlilly's den and the tree is the nursery."

They made thier way to the dumpster. Minkie jumped right up, but Briarpaw had to climb up. In fear of reopening her wound. Scourge sat at the entrance to his den, watching her intently.

"Hello, Miss." He said that in a way that seemed somehow familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Ah, Minkie. Good to see you." His voice dropped in temperature, instantly making cold chills crawl up Briarpaws spine. Poor Minkie looked chilled to the bone.

"Um, scourge. Could we choose our warrior names? Please?" Said Minkie, trembling. Scourge gave a small nod. "Um, I w-would like M-minkfur."

"Ok, Minkie, you can go." Said Scourge, his voice still like frost. Minkie smiled gladly and bolted. He turned his piercing blue eyes apon Briarpaw. "Do not be afraid." He said, dropping his icy tone. Briarpaw almost thought he added a silent please.

"Um, I don't quite know. My clan leader normally would have chosen one if-"

"If he wasn't a fox-brain." Scourge smiled. Briarpaw suddenly fealt no fear, she even fealt like smiling back. Wow, I must have just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime experiance: Scourge smiling.

"So I suppose you want me to choose one?" Said Scourge. Briarpaw nodded. "The only problem is how to name perfection." He mumbled so silently she almost doubted herself. But then he looked startled she was still here.."What? Don't you feel the urge to flee my presence? To run away? To be afraid of me?"

"No, not really."

Scourges whiskers twitched with amusement. "Why?"

"Because you told me not to be afraid. And I trust you."