Warriors: Crushed *Watty Awards!*

Chapter Three

Chapter Three By: AshlynMinks

"I still don't understand the whole 'clan cat' deal. But you were exiled... for killing a cat?" Flame asked. She was still puzzled by the whole ordeal. The duo had woken up and eaten some and were now trying to sort out Shadowastripe's problems.

"No! I didn't kill her. I found her dead, and I was framed! And now... I... I need to know what is happening in the camp..." Shadowstripe stammered.

"Well, you know... you may be banned from your camp, but they have no idea who I am..." Shadowstripe pricked his ears.

"Watch out for patrols! And...and make sure to come back in one piece!" Shadowstripe said

"I know, I know." Flame said, glancing out in the distance toward RiverClan territory.

"Go on then..." Shadowstripe said quietly, vanishing into the log, his dark tabby pelt blending into the shadows. 

  Flame trotted off using the directions Shadowstripe had given her. The camp is in a reed bed... She thought to herself. Just find the shore, and go around the shore line until you scent many cats. 

Finally Flame reached a scent line. She could see reeds in the near distance. This has to be it... she thought.

  Padding further into the reeds, she felt uncomfortable. This is nothing like the forest... she thought, glancing around. Suddenly, she heard voices. 

"Now, Emeraldpaw, what do you scent?"

"I...I scent... I don't know what that is! It smells of forest..."

"ThunderClan?"

"No..."

"Hmm..." after a brief pause, the older cat continued. "That is loner. It came from the woods that are farther up from the scent line." Flame's heart pounded. What should she do? Was this a patrol? Shadowstripe didn't warn her of cats that weren't part of a patrol! Panicking, she dashed ahead, rustling the reeds. 

"Tigerdash! The loners headed forward! In the direction of camp!"

"Then they are going to camp... Let's go!" Flame ran harder. What am I thinking?! They are going to catch me when I get to their camp! 

Slowing her pace down, she stopped. Tigerdash and Emeraldpaw spotted her shadow through the reeds and rushed over. 

"Hey! You’re on RiverClan territory!" Tigerdash spat, unsheathing his claws. 

"Tigerdash? Should we take her to camp?" Emeraldpaw said quietly. 

"Good idea. The first victim for Fangstar..." Fangstar...

  "All cats come here at once!" Fangstar roared. He was standing on top of... a pile of fish and bird bones! Animal blood circled the small pile and a scrawny ginger cat had a dead fish in his claws, pulling the meat out and adding the bones into the pile. 

 "Now, since this is only the beginning of RiverClan's take over, we won't kill this cat. Or take her as prisoner. We won't do anything with her, except leave a few... trademarks. My good and faithful deputies, Ripplefang and Clawsting, you may leave our trademark that we talked about. Demonstrate how to make it. Oh, and Clan... there have been a few changes. One, we will no longer be RiverClan, but FangClan. And every cat that we take prisoner will get this trademark..." he nodded his broad head to Clawsting and he nodded back. Ripplefang leaped forward and batted Flame to the ground. While holding her down, Clawsting shuffled forward and made a skinny 'V' shape on Flame's shoulder.

"It looks like a fang..." whispered a small blue gray she cat. 

"Yes! It is a fang!" Fangstar said out loud. Red blood trickled out of the wound. "Now, I need all the apprentices and kits to start making this design on the shells that are in the dens. The warriors need to split up. One half is doing patrol, the other half is catching prey and de-boning it. I want this pile to be as high as three of me stacked on top of each other by the end of the day! Only then will any cat be able to eat.... and little ginger cat? What is your name?"  

"F-Flame..."

"Flame..." he repeated the words scornfully. ”Light your own path back to your home. you should know the way if you came here yourself. Now go! Or else I and the deputies will make you..." Flame quickly got to her paws and raced out of camp, her shoulder blade stinging with pain.