Life's Game

Prologue
A brown she-cat raced through the woods, heart thumping in her chest. ''What did I ever do to these cats? Their territory? What is that?'' She kept racing through until she stopped at a rise. Cats were chasing her, and they started to corner her. "What do you want? Please... I'll do anything!" One of the cats stepped up.

"Rogues like you are pests, and we don't want you around," he snarled. "I didn't know," she whimpered. "But on one condition, you can live." She looked up at the black tom, his eyes dark. "And what is that?" She started to feel braver. "Join us," he snarled. "As a prisoner?" She remembered serving a group of cats. "No, as a warrior," he hissed. "Okay," she whispered. "My name is Sky." The tom looked deep into her eyes, but suddenly pulled his gaze away. "Mine is Nightfrost," he replied gruffly. "Um... That sounds... Kinda evil?"

He looked at her, his sharp, icy, gaze causing a brilliant spark in her. She felt happy, scared, and humiliated at the same time. "Man, sorry." She shuffled her paws. A brown tom fell in next to her. "Hey, my name is Tiger," he meowed. "I'm Sky," she replied. "Nice." His purr sounded flirty, and filled with love.

When they arrived, they were in a forest pathway clearing, filled with cats. There were three with leaves in their mouths. "Who are you?" Sky looked at the cats carrying bundles of... Herbs? "I'm Cinder," greeted a dark gray one calmly. "Leaf," mewed a tortiseshell. "Featherwhisker." The tom, Featherwhisker, looked sleek, and he had a tuft of hair at the end of his tail. Cinder had a strand of hair covering one eye, but she quickly whisked it away, as if it were bothering her. Leaf was pretty, she was skinny, and she carefully weaved her way through the trailing brambles and vines. Cinder had broad shoulders, and so did Featherwhisker, but Leaf... Did not.

"Get a move on," called a gruff voice. It was a tall white cat. "Snowstar, this is a new recruit, Sky," mewed Nightfrost. He was shuffling his paws, looking sad and humiliated. His eyes were filled with longing, but Snowstar ignored him. "Hello, Sky," he snarled distrustfully. "Would you like to take a warrior name?"

Sky didn't know what to say, but "Yes!" burst out of her.