Into The Wild

Prologue
Cats were swarming into the clearing. They stopped at a shadowed bush, only eyes showing. A tom flicked his ear, and the cats leaped into battle. "Oakheart, you mouse-brain! Every cat knows this is ThunderClan territory!" screeched a dark brown tom.

"Hehe, after tonight, Tigerclaw, this will be ours." Oakheart flailed his paws to kick off the strong tom. "You and your sweet 'RiverClan'! We don't have room here in the forest," Tigerclaw sneered. "You may think so," Oakheart hissed.

Suddenly, a cry sounded in the night air. While Tigerclaw was distracted, Oakheart pushed him off and leaped back into the flurry. Tigerclaw spotted Mousefur, a dark-brown she-cat, and her attacker. "Pick on your own size, Mosspaw!" spat Tigerclaw as he pulled the cat off.

"Thanks," Mousefur gasped. She ran away. Then, a flurry of RiverClan cats surged over Tigerclaw. One yowled a battle cry and scratched his muzzle.

Tigerclaw flung it away. "Go away, cowards!" Tigerclaw slammed into one cat and bit down into it's throat. The sensation of blood overwhelmed him, but he loved it. "We have to retreat!" Tigerclaw heard a voice. "No, Redtail. We will not let RiverClan get away with this!"

"We will avenge this defeat, sometime," Redtail hissed. Then he leaped onto a rock and screeched, "Retreat!" ThunderClan pelt after pelt ran. As Tigerclaw leaped over the log, he looked back. RiverClan were yowling in victory. Cowards, that will be us one day.

He leaped the log, and the forest was silent.

***

A blue she-cat sat on a high rock. She sighed, closing her eyes. "Bluestar?" A sudden meow surprised her. "Spottedleaf, it's just you," she purred. "How is Mousefur?" she continued, eyes shining with worry. "Fine." Spottedleaf purred.

"The others?" pressed Bluestar. "They are fine, also," Spottedleaf replied. "Good. We need all the warriors we can get," continued Bluestar. "Newleaf is coming late. There have been fewer queens, nursing kits. ThunderClan has had enough of the hardships."

"Newleaf will be here soon, I assure you. There will be more kits then." She paused, maybe willing Bluestar to speak. "But we need warriors now!" Bluestar protested. "Has StarClan spoken yet?"

"Not for some moons," Spottedleaf mewed. Then, Spottedleaf's fur shook. "What is it?" Bluestar asked. Spottedleaf looked too stunned to reply, but finally, she mewed, "Fire alone can save our Clan. A prophecy from StarClan."

"Fire? But we all fear it!" Bluestar had an edge of surprise to her voice. "It was StarClan's choice of message." Spottedleaf shook her head. "You have never been wrong before."

"If StarClan has spoken, then it is so. Fire can save our Clan," Bluestar concluded.

Chapter One
A tom padded through the forest. He heard a tiny squeak, that of a mouse. "Mice, yum," he whispered under his breath. He silently stalked his prey. Then, he pounced, gracefully. He landed his paws on it, sinking his claws into it, making the kill.

But, then, he heard a weird noise. "What?" he meowed, then he woke up. "Just a dream." he tried to sleep again, but he was too restless. He padded out of his bed.

He took a look at his food. I'm not hungry. He leaped onto the windowsill. He could make out the outlines of a forest. "I need to go there," he whispered. He leaped down, then onto the fence. "Rusty?" a mew surprised him. "Oh, Smudge."

"Please, don't go into the woods. I saw a wild cat there a minute ago." Smudge's eyes were pleading. "I just want to look around." Rusty would not stay long. "No! I insist!" wailed Smudge. Rusty rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll just go near - okay?"

"Fine." Smudge's word sounded forced. Rusty leaped down from the fence and padded into the forest. "Look out!" Smudge was to late. Rusty felt a heavy wait on him and claws sinking into his belly fur.

"Get off my territory!" The stranger snarled. "Wait! I'll go!" cried Rusty. The attacker let go, nipping at his heels as he ran. "And don't come back!"

"Easy now, Sandpaw." a calm voice came. "What are you doing here?" The voice demanded. "I-I just came to h-hunt," stammered Rusty. "You mean take our prey," snapped the voice. "Y-yours?" Rusty was shaking. "I guess you didn't know." the voice sounded farther away.

Just then, a flurry of black-and-white leaped ahead of Rusty. "Don't hurt him!" Smudge was hissing, his teeth bared. "I won't," the voice promised. "Better not."

"My name is Bluestar." Bluestar flicked her tail. "What a weird name," Rusty commented. "Weird to you, kittypet." The attacker's voice sounded hostile. "Sandpaw! No fights," Bluestar hissed. "Sorry, leader." Sandpaw's voice was a whisper.

"Run along now." growled Bluestar surprisingly. "B-but where do you come from?" Rusty couldn't stop himself. "The Clans," Bluestar meowed. "Interesting." surprisingly, Smudge spoke. "You," Sandpaw hissed. Bluestar rolled her eyes. "If you're so 'interested', would you like to join ThunderClan?"