Book 1: Frost's Decision

Chapter 3

Frost was sitting on top of the fence with the wind smelling of crisp clean air. The sun was rising to be Sunhigh. She sighed, her blue eyes gazed at the forest hoping to see a glimpse of Lionheart. Cinder was still sleeping in their bed, she didn't want to disturb her so she quietly went outside. Rocky came out of his home and stretched while yawning. His light brown pelt with white patches groomed to perfection.

"Hello, Frost!" He called. He bounded towards her and jumped on the fence with her.

"Good morning, Rocky!" Frost purred, "What brings you out here?" Frost smiled friendly at her friend. He usually stayed inside with his owners, but from time to time he would come out to see his garden.

"Just stretching my legs. So how has Cinder been?" He asked. His leaf-green eyes sparkled with interest waiting for an answer.

Frost looked into his green eyes and meowed, "She's been well, but I don't think our owners are coming back. So tomorrow we might set out into the forest."

The last part made Rocky jump a little. Many of the cats here had warned her that no cat could trust a wild cat. But she knew Lionheart was different, Rocky rested his tail on her shoulder trying to comfort her. 'Why had her owners really left her and her kit?' She wondered to herself. Frost sighed and looked into the forest.

"Are going to look for the wild cat?" The tom asked. Frost nodded at him still hoping that Lionheart hadn't left her because of Cinder.

"I j-just have to see if he's there or not. And besides I want Cinder to meet her father." She explained. He nodded and meowed goodbye and left to go inside his home.

'I just need to see him! And I don't want Cinder growing up not knowing what happened to him.' Frost told herself. She sighed gazing one last time at the green forest before jumping down and heading inside the home. She poked her head inside to see Cinder stirring around in the nest. 'What is she dreaming about know?' Frost thought to herself amusedly. Cinder opened one blue eye then the other. She yawned and looked up at Frost.

"Hi mama!" Cinder yawned with sleepy eyes. Frost padded up to her and licked her forehead. Frost started to groom Cinder's gray-and-white fur while Cinder squirmed trying to get away.

"Mama I'm clean! Let go, I want to see Mimi!" Cinder whined.

Mimi had been very close to Cinder. When Frost was sick and couldn't take care of her when she was a week old, Mimi had offered to help. Frost had been grateful for the she-cat's help. Cinder always wanted to visit her everyday. The white she-cat stopped grooming her kit's fur and purred in amusement as Cinder shook her pelt.

"Cinder, I'm going to take you to Mimi's home for a few minutes while I get some... things. Alright?" Frost meowed. Frost was going to see if she could find Lionheart in the forest.

"What things?" Cinder asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Just some things we need if... our owners don't come," Frost stammered. "And you get to see Mimi while I'm gone." Frost tried meowing without wanting to answer any more questions.

Cinder's eyes glittered with joy as she thought of being with Mimi. "Okay!" Cinder cheered and raced out of the cat door throught the dew covered grass. Frost sighed and bounded after her kit. Cinder stopped by the fence and waited for her mother.

"Alright, let me carry you up the fence." Frost panted. The smokey gray-and-white she-cat nodded nervously at her with round blue eyes.

Frost purred, "Don't worry you will be fine."

Frost grabbed Cinder's scruff in her jaws and jumped on top of the fence. Cinder gave a shriek of surprise as Frost balanced on the wood-brown fence. The white she-cat started walking on the fence then stopped and hopped down as she reached her friend's home. Frost padded up to Mimi's cat door and set Cinder down beside her. Frost poked her head inside and called her name. In a few moments she saw Mimi padding towards her.

"Hey, Mimi can you do a favor for me?" Frost asked once she was in earshot.

"Umm... sure why not, my owners are gone right now. What is it?" Mimi asked. Mimi sat down in front of white she-cat.

Frost flicked her tail towards the forest hoping she understood what she meant. Mimi must have understood because she nodded her head with sympathy in her gray eyes.

"Thank you very much! Okay, Cinder I will be back in a few minutes so stay here and do everything Mimi says. Understand?" Frost meowed looking down at her kit. Cinder looked up at her mother and nodded.

"Right, I'll be off. Bye Cinder I'll be back before you know it." Frost called as she ran up the fence. Cinder had sat down next to Mimi watching her until they vanished inside the home.

Frost jumped down on the other side of the fence were she faced the forest. She took a deep breath and padded into the enormous lush, green forest. Frost sniffed the air wondering if she could pick up Lionheart's sent, but she couldn't. With so many smells of the forest and the leaves it was hard to find anything. She sighed loudly thinking if she would ever find Lionheart.

She suddenly heard a loud menacing growl behind her. Frost quickly spun around, her white fur fluffed out in surprise and her blue eyes wild with fear. She saw a gray tom with amber eyes, well muscled and baring his teeth to show long, sharp yellow teeth. Beside him was a young dark brown tom with claws unsheathed revealing unusually long, sharp claws and his amber eyes blazed in angry. Beside the young tom stood a blue-and-gray she-cat with brilliant blue eyes, hard-muscled with soft, thick, long fur and a torn ear.

"What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" Spat the gray tom with amber eyes burning in rage.

Frost took a step back fear and worry growing inside her. "I... I... didn't know this... was your territory." Frost stammered in fear.

The young dark brown tom spit at her baring his sharp white teeth. "Kittypets will always be kittypets!" Growled the young tom.

"Enough!" The she-cat growled to the toms. "You shouldn't have been this far into the forest. Go to your Twolegs before you get hurt or lost here." The blue-gray she-cat warned, her voice softening.

"Bluefur you have always been to soft! This kittypet should be taught a lesson!" Snarled the gray tom. "Tigerpaw what do you think?"

"I think she should be taught a lesson!" Smirked the dark brown tom.

"Well then, why don't you go and teach her a lesson." The tom meowed.

Bluefur hissed with annoyance and looked at the white she-cat with worry in her blue eyes.

Frost stared at Tigerpaw. He lunged at her with sharp claws extended. Frost smoothly dodged the attack and faced the tom. Bluefur gasped in shock to see her dodge the attack swiftly. Frost remembered when Lionheart had taught her some battle moves. Thistleclaw huffed out an irritated sigh and glared at Tigerpaw.

"Are going to be beaten by a kittypet?" Yowled the tom.

"No, Thistleclaw! I will beat this kittypet!" Snapped the young tom.

Frost didn't unsheathed her claws, she would run when she got the chance. Tigerpaw lunged again barley missing her cheek as he flew past her and landed in the ground.

"Stop this at once! I will tell Sunstar if you harm this she-cat!" Hissed Bluefur. "You may go back to your Twolegs."

"Thank you." Frost breathed. She ran past the clan-cats not wanting to run into them again. Frost heard Thistleclaw growl to Bluefur that she shouldn't have let her go.

Frost ran all the way towards her home and jumped over the fence. Glad to be back, she went to Mimi's home to get Cinder and tell her that they were to leave tomorrow.