Warriors | Broken Spirit (Draft 1)

Chapter 5

Pyramis gaped widely, looking around. The camp was huge. 

There were cats milling about everywhere. There was a great white mangrove in the corner of the clearing, right beside the entrance through the reeds. The silver tabby that had been watching Pyramis was sitting at its roots, he blinked slowly at the young mottled tom, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

The camp was huge, next to the mangrove was a large pile of boulders with a gap between them, presumably leading to a cave. Pyramis glanced down at the mangrove, discovering a large hole beneath its roots, there were rocks around the roots, creating a waterproof seal to protect what was inside. Next to that, the boulders created a large veranda, where a circle of purposely placed rocks held in an elevated nest of moss, safe from the mud and rain. Inside two young cats were hanging out, probably about the same age as Pyramis. One was asleep while the other was chatting to her, the sleeping cat flicking her ear in annoyance.

Next to the young cat's den was a small hollow in the ground, protected by a hand woven barrier made of bracken and thistle. Two cats were sitting at its entrance, grooming each other's pelts in the early afternoon sun.

There was another cave hidden some ways behind that, in the entrance sat a she-cat with three kittens jumping around each other, playing with a feather that was getting muddier and muddier every time it hit the ground. There was a large, leaning pine log that had fallen against the cave, there was a hole in the side and a small tom was climbing up it and on top of the cave to look over the border wall. The log covered a small cave, pressed against the reeds with a hand made wall surrounding it, an old tom sat behind the screen of hanging lichen draping from the leaning log. His ears perked when Pyramis broke the reeds. 

Pyramis looked around for a second more before HoneyWhisker flicked her tail for him to follow and led him over to the den beside the first cave. The young cats lifted their gaze and frowned at the tom before them, a black she-cat with green eyes even hissed loudly at him.

"Stand by, SagePaw," HoneyWhisker told the molly, who closed her mouth and sat up, her ears still flat against her head and claws out. "This is Pyramis, he will be joining our clan from today onwards."

"So the rumours are true?" The other she-cat meowed, eyes wide and ears perked in curiosity and awe. SagePaw flicked her ear, cooling down a little but staying prepared. "There's a kittypet joining us?"

"Yes, WillowPaw, he will be," HoneyWhisker confirmed. 

"Will he be keeping his kittypet name? it sounds weird," WillowPaw mowed, her brown tabby fur twitching the bugs away as she stood up and sniffed Pyramis over.

"Pyramis will be getting an apprentice name, don't worry," HoneyWhisker assured the curious cat. "Will you and SagePaw please show him around camp and show him to a nest please."

"Yes, HoneyWhisker," WillowPaw nodded. HoneyWhisker nodded a quick goodbye to Pyramis before wandering over to the cave next to Pyramis and going inside.

"Hey, I'm WillowPaw," The tabby moggy smiled, touching noses with Pyramis excitedly. Pyramis sniffed her a little. She smelled strongly of water, mud and fish. 

"I'm Pyramis, but you already know that," The young tom giggled. "It's so cool here!"

"Isn't it? So did you like, always want to be a warrior? Did you get kidnapped?" WillowPaw asked quickly, speaking so fast it was hard to keep up with. 

"Uh, no. I knew what the clans were since I was a kitten, I only wanted to join when I got caught up in the woods."

"How did you get that scar on your face?" She oogled.