Capture >> Choose Your Story

Chapter Two

Last time, the majority chose option One >> Blink away the sleep and simply reply, "Fine."

The tom seemed to have been surprised by Fawncloud's obedience, judging by the look on his face. Fawncloud rose to her paws and in her nest made of crunchy leaves, reached out her fore paws and leaned back in a yawning stretch.

The second Fawncloud stood evenly on all four paws again, the tom spoke, "Now's the perfect time to show you around." Fawncloud turned to him, thinking for a moment.

I suppose I'll just go along with everything here. Maybe they'll let me go quicker, then, Fawncloud thought. "Okay," she mewed nonchalantly.

The tom turned and flicked his sleek tail as he padded forward. Realizing she was still a tad tired, Fawncloud stumbled a bit as she began to follow him.

The tom led her out of the small den she soon discovered she was in, and into a much larger cave. Smaller dens were carved out of the rock, and a few cats were in some. One gigantic boulder stood tall in the center, and a cat sat proudly on the top. Fawncloud was amazed at everything she saw. This group's habitat was so different from SmokeClan's.

Fawncloud looked behind her and saw a wide exit hole, less than a tree-length behind her. Right in front of it lay a wide, supposedly deep lake. Beyond the lake lay a dense forest, and even further, the fading from view mountain range that separated SmokeClan from this place. Fawncloud wanted to run and somehow swim across the lake and away, but decided not to as more strong-looking cats guarded the entrance who were probably much better swimmers.

The light brown tabby cat on the rock's head continued to move around, their gaze supposedly flickering from spot to spot. When their dark green gaze rested on Fawncloud, they rose to their paws and turned, walking to the back of the stone, where they seemed to jump down. Fawncloud's eyes widened with slight worry for a moment as she wondered how a cat could survive that high up a fall. Then she noticed the few stepping stones coming to the front along the side of the rock from the back as the tabby cat traveled down from them.

The slender, muscular-looking cat padded towards the smoky tom and Fawncloud. "I see that our guest has awoken, Flame," the tabby she-cat observed. She turned to Fawncloud. "How do you like it here?"

Fawncloud hesitated for a moment, then finally mewed, "Pretty nice cave, I guess..." her voice trailed off, as she didn't know what to say next.

"Well, Flame, show Flower around and get her used to this place," the she-cat ordered the tom in a stern tone. With that, she padded back up the stepping stones to her boulder, tail high in the air. She obviously didn't like the fact that Fawncloud wanted to leave.

The tom flicked his tail and padded towards the cave entrance. Guarding cats turned to look at the two, specifically at their so-called visitor. She turned to the larger tom. "What kind of a name is Flower? I'm Fawncloud," she mewed, relieved to finally have asked the question hanging over her.

The tom turned and looked down to face the shorter she-cat. "You live in this Tribe now, not a Clan. Your old life is gone, and your new life has now begun," he told her as though it were obvious. "Tribe cats have Tribe names. I'm Flame that Consumes Leaves, but more commonly Flame. And you're Lone Flower in Field, Flower for short."

Fawncloud wondered why such a name had been picked for her, but was also intrigued about Flame's. "Why the name Flame that Consumes Tree, and why such a name for me?"

Flame looked at his paws. "I'd rather not say why I have such a name," he muttered, barely loud enough for Fawncloud to hear. Then he looked back up to face Fawncloud again. "But you are alone here. A flower standing out in a field of familiar stalks of grass."

Fawncloud couldn't help but feel slightly offended. Sure, she was alone, but what did they expect? They dragged her from her home for an unnamed reason! She didn't voice her thoughts, though, but her expression was just as surprised as her tone would be.

Flame then turned serious, his amber eyes narrowed. "If any cat here so much as heard you mutter 'SmokeClan' in your sleep, it'll be the end of the line for you. That's not a threat, it's a promise." He then turned away, as though to hide possible guilt for the way he just acted towards Fawncloud.

I guess I'd better stop thinking of myself as a SmokeClan warrior if I ever want to get out of here, Fawncloud thought. I'll go with the flow, which will hopefully lead me back home. I'm Flower now until I get out of this cave once and for all.

Flower decided to speak back up again after the silence became pretty awkward. "When do we eat?" She asked, noticing the rising sun and her rumbling belly.

Flame perked up, seeming to be happy that Flower had shrugged off what he had said. He looked around and replied, "Looks like it's just about time now. In this Tribe, we share a piece of prey with another cat, and only eat one a day. One cat takes a bite, then the other."

Flower looked around and saw a few cats gathering in a small cluster around what must've been a prey pile. When the crowd cleared, Flame led her over.

"Who do you want to eat with?" He inquired. Flower thought for a moment. She decided that the best choices would either be to eat with the Tribe leader and get to know them more, eat with the two cats who took her to the Tribe, or with the cat she knew best already, Flame.

If she ate with the two cats who took her, she'd be able to privately ask why they took her away from her home, but she'd be risking who knew what, as Flame had promised.

If she ate with the leader, she could get to know her more and maybe earn their liking, but she'd also risk becoming pretty disliked by the tabby.

If she ate with Flame, she could get to know the tom more and maybe become friends if they weren't already. But she didn't want to get too attached and want to stay with the Tribe in the end.

Flower must now make a choice. Vote in the comments...

One >> Eat with the cats who took her.

Two >> Eat with the leader.

Three >> Eat with Flame.