Gathering

Allegiances

Leader: Black - A big black tom.

Deputy: Scar - A grey tom with a scar over one eye.

Medecine Cat: -

Warriors

Grey - A grey she-cat.

Stripes - A stripy, light brown tom.

Leafy - A mottled brown she-cat.

Honey - A sweet honey-brown she-cat.

Windy - A grey-black tom.

Queens

Strawberry - A reddish she-cat, expecting Windy's kits.

Apprentices

Chapter 1



Stripes and his sister Leafy were curled up in their nest with their Housefolk when the call came. A cat leapt on the window sill. They both saw him, and, as he beckoned with his tail, they rushed to the cat flap and leapt out.

"Hello." Stripes meowed wearily. He knew the strange cat, but only by sight and hearsay. He said his name was Black, and he came from far away. He wanted to start a Clan under StarClan, and he wanted people to join. He had already gathered two cats, they were rogues, and twins. Now, he wanted Leafy and Stripes to join. He said they would be warriors, in his new Clan, RainClan.

"Well?" Black asked. "Have you thought about my proposition?"

"We have." Stripes replied.

"And?"

"And... we would like a trial period in your Clan. If we like it, we will stay. If we do not, we will leave."

"Granted." Black said easily. "How long will the trial be?"

"A moon."

"Done." Black beckoned again, and led the way away from their nest.

Chapter 2



Stripes glanced around the camp, his pelt brushing his sisters. It looked nice enough, in the middle of a forest, with dens, surrounded by thornbushes, without even a tunnel.

"How do we get in?" he asked.

Black leapt up onto a nearby tree without answering, then bounded down into the camp. Stripes watched Leafy go next, then followed her. Once inside the camp, he saw Black greeting a grey she-cat. Black saw them watching, and introduced them.

"This is Grey, and this is her brother, Scar."

Scar was identical to his sister, except for the scar over one eye that obviously gave him his name.

"Would you like to come out with me, Stripes? I am gathering more cats for the Clan."

Stripes nodded, with a glance at his sister.

"I'll look after her." Grey said.

Stripes trusted her, hoped Leafy wouldn't be murdered while he was away, and leapt high back into the tree, then away.

Chapter 3



Stripes saw Black in a garden, talking to a beautiful honey-brown she-cat. He name was Honey, and she had already agreed to be in RainClan, but she had needed an escort to the camp. Stripes provided the escort while Black went to find more cats. Stripes liked Honey. She was sweet, and kind. She was also looking forward to being in a Clan. Her enthusiasm raised Stripes hopes about RainClan. They soon arrived back, and started helping Scar set up dens.

Scar was very like Stripes, Stripes soon discovered. He was determined to get things done. He was bossy, but in a helpful way. He bossed cats because they weren't sure what to do. At times of stress like joining a Clan, Stripes found this knowledgeable bossing very helpful.

It wasn't long before Black returned with the last two cats. They were mates, Windy, and Strawberry. Strawberry was bearing kits.

"Our first queen." Black said proudly. Then, of course, he had to explain what a queen was.

Stripes was not sure he liked the idea of hunting to feed elders and queens first, but he reasoned cheerfully that there weren't any elders.

Chapter 4



Now, Stripes, Leafy and Honey were being taught how to hunt. Scar was doing the teaching, while Windy, who had been a rogue, hunted further off.

Stripes didn't find hunting easy, but he didn't find it hard. It was sort of...inbuilt. He knew a lot by insticnt, he just had to refine his techniques.

Leafy did almost as well as her brother, but didn't like the idea of killing for food very much. Scar said she'd get used to it.

Honey hunted very well, but had the same moral issues as Leafy. However, she reasoned that Strawberry must be hungry by now.

They arrived back at camp, found the tree a bit difficult to jump carrying prey, but made it, then, back in the camp, Stripes discovered that black and Grey had built a tunnel. He was quite reasonably annoyed.

Black started up the first frsh-kill pile, and explained to the others that you took prey from it. He also explained that a cat on a hunting patrol never ate, but brought everything back to camp. Stripes didn't like this idea particularly either.

Chapter 5



Now, Black decided that they needed Clan names. He explained about the kit, then paw, names, then called them all up. They sat beneath the treestump and he called upon StarClan to look down on them. He then asked them to take a vow. Stripes mewoed "I do." with the rest.

Scar became Scarface. He had asked for it, saying he liked being reminded of his looks.

Grey became Greyfur.

Stripes became Stripedpelt. He liked it.

Leafy became Leafear.

Honey became Honeyfur.

Windy became Windfoot.

Strawberry stayed the same, as Black said it was close enough to a Clan name, and very pretty.

Now only Black had to find the Moon something, and get his nine lives and name.

Stripedpelt hadn't realised that leaders got nine lives before. He liked it.

Chapter 6



Stripedpelt went with Black to find the Moon. They found a tree, growing in an underground cave. It shone. Stripedpelt did like it, a lot.

"Stripedpelt, sit here. I will touch the tree, and sleep. When I awake, I will be Blackstar."

Stripedpelt nodded, and waited. He waited for a while, but eventually Blackstar sat up and said: "It is done. We have made contact with StarClan, and I am a true leader, RainClan lives!"

END OF BOOK 1



Book 2 is called The First Kits.

Please visit Zaffie's talk page and user page to vote in polls, leave comments, and see other stories.

<p style="text-align:center">Zaffie 22:35, January 30, 2010 (UTC)