Warriors: The Prophecy of Frost - Danger Lurking

Chapter 7- The Cat

The tom woke up in a lush green forest. He looked around, surprised at the beauty and strangeness of the forest. He was used to seeing things looking like blocks than this.

"Where am I?" he yowled. Nothing, except a mouse darting out of the bushes, replied. One moment he was misbehaving, going to a place where his parents forbid him to ho, another he is in this strange place.

Out of fear, he began to run aimlessly. His light paws almost sailed past the ground and his fairly soft fur brushed the plants that was threatening to trip him.

Suddenly, he bumped into a cat. A she-cat. When she saw him, she growled, "Get out of ThunderClan territory."

She unsheathed her claws as a hint, but the tom didn't know. "ThunderClan?" he mewed in confusion. "What's ThunderClan?"

"Surely you loners would know!" she exclaimed. "The four clans that live in the forest."

"I don't," the tom replied. The she-cat rolled her eyes. "Well, even if you don't know, go away before a patrol comes along and rip you into pieces."

The tom was about to take off when a group of cats appeared, their fur bristling with hostility.

A light gray tom, with healing wounds on his pelt, stepped forward with a snarl. "Intruder!"

He pounced onto the helpless tom and he could only swipe desperately to defend himself.

"Rockpelt, stop!" a she-cat ordered. The tom, Rockpelt, stepped back, glaring at the tom.

"Who are you?" the light brown she-cat asked.

"My name is Ember," he replied. He saw the she-cat's eyes widened with interest. "I will take you to camp," she decided.

Rockpelt watched him carefully, as if he was a dangerous enemy. The she-cat that he met at first sighed as she followed the group of cats past a thorny tunnel.

"Appleshade, who is this?" a light gray and white she-cat spoke, jumping down from a tall ledge.

"His name is Ember," the light brown she-cat, Appleshade, mewed. She lowered her voice and mew something in the she-cat's ear and she looked surprised.

She then turned to Ember. "My name is Froststar. This is ThunderClan, and StarClan have sent a sign telling us that a cat who have a ginger flame pelt could help the clan."

Ember nodded blankly, and when Froststar noticed his blank look, she mewed, "StarClan is our warrior ancestors. They watch over us."

She stared at him for a while before mewing, "Do you wish to join ThunderClan?"

Ember began to thought over carefully. After considering, he mewed, "I would like to join ThunderClan."

Froststar nodded, jumping up the ledge and yowled, "Let all cats who are old enough to catch their own prey to gather at Highledge for a clan meeting!"

More cats than Ember have seen in his whole life appeared, their gaze curious and rather hostile.

"I found a cat that StarClan deemed worthy of letting in our clan," Froststar mewed. "And now, he shall be made an apprentice. From this moment on, this cat will be known as Emberpaw."

Her blue eyes looked around for a suitable mentor and she continued, "Silvercloud, you are a warrior of forethought and bravery. Pass these on to Emberpaw."

"Emberpaw! Emberpaw!" the clan yowled less enthusiastically.

His mentor, a silver she-cat padded to him and mewed, "I will show you around the camp before the tour of our territory."

Silvercloud led him towards a big den. "This is the warrior's den, where our warriors sleep."

A she-cat, whose pelt looked like honey, padded towards him and mewed excitedly, "Welcome to ThunderClan! My name is Honeyfrost."

"Honeyfrost, save your introduction for later," Silvercloud mewed reasonably. "There is much to show."

Honeyfrost nodded and bounced off to join a light gray she-cat with white patches at a pile of prey.

"Here is the medicine cat den," she announced, arriving at a smaller den. "This is our medicine cat, Stagwind, and her apprentice, Sunpaw."

"I'm receiving my full name tonight," Sunpaw mewed with pride. Emberpaw listened with interest as she talked about her meetings with StarClan.

After a few more moments, Silvercloud led him ouside the camp, out to the forest. He scented prey like scent of animals, but he could only identify the scent of a rabbit.

"Why don't you try catching that mouse?" she suggested. "See if you are a natural at hunting."

Emberpaw dropped into a crouch that looks somewhat close to the hunter's crouch and pounced.

He managed to grab the mouse's tail, and it squealed in surprise as it tried to escape. "Kill it quickly," Silvercloud mewed.

Emberpaw bit onto the mouse and it lay limply on the ground. "Not bad for your first try. Come, let's get on with the tour," Silvercloud mewed kindly.

As the pair went past the bushes, a non cat-like figure's eyes looked at them. "Make your parents proud, Emberpaw."

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A/N: Emberpaw is a more important character than you think. ;) You will see quite soon.