The Outcasts

Chapter 1

As sunlight beamed through the trees, a young she-cat sat in the shade, and she watched leaffall leaves float to the ground. The colors akin to her own with shades of orange among a shadowed background. Her long limbs stretched as she rose from her seat of rest and walked into the dappled sunlight. The dying grass crunched under her pawsteps and she looked up at the clear blue sky. A dark orange leaf fell towards her and caught her interest. As the leaf fell, she chased and tried to catch it in her small, clumsy paws. She had almost caught it when she tripped on something and fell into a pool of cold wet mud. Splashing on his pelt, an older warrior glared her down with the strength of the sun itself. A stone grey tabby tom stared at her before wiping the mud off his fur, "If you wouldn't mind, watch where you're going." Amberkit sheepishly smiled at him while standing in the mud puddle. "Absolutely, Adderfur.", she mewed before slipping back into the mud. He rolled his eyes and and headed back into the forested camp. But as Amberkit struggled to get up only to fall back down, a shadow cast over her. She slowly turned her head to see a powerful, smirking gray she-cat. Cinderpaw. She tried to shrink away but ran into a rock. "Amberkit?" Cinderpaw inquired tauntingly, "More like Bumblekit." Her friends, Smokepaw and Duskpaw, sat and laughed at the tortoiseshell she-cat with the gray apprentice. She tried to run but got picked up by her scruff by Smokepaw and dropped her in front of Cinderpaw, "Aw, look, the little half clan runt is trying to run." The sun shined into Amberkit's eyes, causing them to water up. "The whittle mouse heart's gonna cry. Wah wah." The large she-cat cried mockingly. No one could see them as the apprentices brought Amberkit behind a bush. Her heart pounded in her ears like thunder. What do I do? What do I do?!. Her pupils dilated as she mewed in fear and embarrassment, "S-stop! You fat pieces of mousedung!" The three apprentices stopped laughing instantly, and Duskpaw began to shrink away while Smokepaw approached the kit with Cinderpaw. Smokepaw put a paw down on Amberkit's head, forcing it into the mud, "What did you say, skunk?" But before Amberkit could reply, a voice called out from behind them, "Leave her alone!" All the cats whipped their heads to see who had called out to them only to see a white tabby she-cat whose fur was as radiant as a full moon. While all of them stared at her, another cat tackled Smokepaw, pushing him off Amberkit. She gasped for air as the black tabby tom hissed at the other apprentice, "Yeah, see how you like being pinned to the ground.". Cinderpaw's pupils dilated for a split second before she smiled hauntily, " Well, well, well, if it isn't Shadowpaw and Moonpaw, the Clan tributes?" Moonpaw glared at her, unphased and possibly more irritated than earlier, " Give up your antics, Cinderpaw. Your mentor will hear about this." Cinderpaw dramatically fell over and pretended to be terrified. The tortoiseshell kit scrambled out of her way and dashed upon the crunchy grass to hide behind Moonpaw. " No!", she yelled with sarcastic terror, " Anyone but my mentor! Please, I'll do anythi- ", she burst into laughter. "Y- you really are stupid. I couldn't care less what fat softie thinks about me. Please, I don't actually need her. I could bet most of these warriors with one paw." The white apprentice slowly turned away to leave but looked back, "Then Greystar shall hear about this." A look of fear flashed over Cinderpaw's face before reverting back to its usual condescending nature, "Yeah, go run back to mommy. And Clutzykit.", Amberkit looked back into the shadowed bushes, "This isn't over." The three apprentices turned and disappeared into the brush and woods. The she-cat sighed in relief only to be faced with the Moonpaw and Shadowpaw looking her down with frustration. Smiling awkwardly, Amberkit mewed, " Hi guys, what's up?". "Do we look like we're joking around, Amberkit?" Shadowpaw hissed, " You have to be more aware of your surroundings 'cause Moonpaw and I won't always be able to protect you." As he shook his head, he continued on forward. "Come on, Shadowkit. You don't have to be so harsh with her." " Yes, I do or she'll never learn anything." " Greystar told us to watch her." " That doesn't mean we have to defend her from the world." As Moonpaw and Shadowpaw continued to talk, Amberkit slowly drowned them out. They were just like everyone else, thinking she was a mistake or mud blood or whatever. So what she was a half Clan and so what she wasn't the strongest. It didn't mean she was worthless. She would prove it to everyone.