Warriors: Finding Home

Chapter Four

     He poked his head inside, and let his eyes adjust to the darkness before continuing. He couldn't see much, and what he did see was a faint outline of his own whiskers. He felt his way along the tunnel, which was narrow and cold. He could hear voices now, mere whispers, but voices nonetheless. He headed towards those, and he felt the walls around him widen out. Dim light poured through a large hole in the roof, and a steady trickle of water gathered at the bottom.

     "Intruder!" A voice boomed from the dark.

     Sootpaw didn't know what to do. He didn't expect to get this far. So he did nothing. He stood where he was, with a ball of lead weighing in his stomach. He wished his clanmates were with him. No. I have no clanmates now.

     He would see now, the light from the hole made everything visible. The source of the yowl was a white tom, an apprentice by the size of him. He must've just become an apprentice, too, because he hasn't been at any of the gatherings. A dark tabby purred at the white tom, most likely his apprentice. He recognized the warrior, he went by the name Falconwing. He had been made a warrior about a moon earlier. The clan leader, Ratstar padded in front of Sootpaw, and he looked him up and down. He turned, flicked his tail and headed toward a small hole in the base of the cave. Sootpaw followed.

     Ratstar sat opposite Sootpaw and stared at him through squinted eyes.

     "Hello young one. You are Sootpaw, of MoonClan, yes? What are you doing so far from home? And in the mountains nevertheless."

     Sootpaw gulped down the lump forming in his throat.

     "I am not a MoonClan cat any longer. I wish to join SunClan as an apprentice, that is, if you'll have me of course."

     Ratstar narrowed his eyes and looked at the black tom for a long moment before quizzing him again.

     "Word has it that you went missing for quite a while. And now you return only to leave once again?"

     "No! The river swept me away, past the clans. I returned and I was loyal! Only I-"

     He stopped himself from continuing any farther. But Ratstar pressed on still.

     "And?"

     Sootpaw sighed. He didn't want to spill any clans secrets, it was none of their business. It is not my clan! I don't need to keep their secrets.

     "And I don't think they trust me anymore. That's the only reason. Now if you could make up your mind, I can get going or stay. Your choice."

     Ratstar's muscles flinched beneath his brown pelt and his amber eyes gleamed.

     "I am willing to test your loyalty to SunClan. You have one moon to prove to me you really want to be here. You can start training tomorrow. I will notify Ivyfang that you will be her apprentice. Now go get some rest."

     Sootpaw obeyed happily, and he followed the scent of the white tom to a large den in a dip in the floor. He followed the trail, letting his eyes adjust now that the sun had set. He had brought some moss, and lined his small nest with a few feathers he found on the camp ground. He heard his denmates snickering from where they lay, and he knew they were talking about him. He was an outcast here. He would always be an outcast here.