Longing for Home

Birdflight's life after she moved to ThunderClan.


 * /Allegiances/

Prologue
"No, no no, don't take my kits!" a pale tabby she-cat mewed in her sleep, "my kits are all I have left!"

"Birdflight!" a beautiful silver tabby hissed from across the warm den, "Wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Birdflight blinked awake and looked at her belly where her kits had barely stirred, she licked each of their heads before turning her head to the silver tabby.

"Thanks Echosnow," she mewed, grateful to the small she-cat.

"I just didn't want you waking my kits, or Plumspeck, for that matter, you know how grumpy she-cat be" Echosnow replied with a purr, "have you been having more dreams lately?"

Birdflight nodded, "More nightmares than dreams really."

"What are they about?" Echosnow asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Different things, like my kits being taken away, and SkyClan never finding a new home," the brown she-cat tried to explain.

"Well don't worry, you know that you're welcome here," Echosnow reassured Birdflight in a motherly way, even though Birdflight knew that it wasn't necessarily true.

"Thanks," Birdflight mewed, grateful to the calming, motherly she-cat, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Echosnow replied, wrapping her tail around her kits before laying her head down.

Birdflight felt her eyelids grow heavy but she couldn't forget the ominous words from her dream; you kits will change a Clan, but to change a Clan means sacrifice of the highest level.

Chapter 1
Birdflight turned over to face the entrance to the warm nursery, her kits suckling at her belly, she missed her old home in SkyClan and their safe nursery. ThunderClan's territory was the most like SkyClan's territory. but it still didn't feel like home to her.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" Redstar called, his voice echoing around the camp. Birdflight figured she was now a member of the Clan and she was old enough to catch her own prey so she slowly stood up, pushing her kits into the soft, feather-lined mossy nest and she followed Echosnow and Plumspeck into the clearing. Most of the Clan had already gathered and she noticed a few familiar face, most from former Gatherings she had attended when still a member of SkyClan. Amberclaw, Nettleclaw, Seedpelt, Fallowfur, and Milkberry.

She crept up carefully and was going to sit near the back, but Echosong nudged her forward, "Come sit with Fallowfur, Leafpad, and me." The kind she-cat mewed.

"Thanks," Birdsong mewed, sitting between the silvery gray she-cat and Leafpad.

"Hi, how're you settling in?" Leafpad mewed, a kind gleam in her eye.

"Great, thanks," Birdsong mewed, with a twitch of her tail.

Once the Clan was gathered Redstar cleared his throat and all of the cats looked towards the highrock.

"First of all," the dark ginger tabby mewed, "I'd like to welcome ThunderClan's three new members, Birdflight, Spottedkit and Gorsekit."

A few in the Clan, Milkberry, and a long-legged she-cat named Tawnystalk both murmured greetings, but others, like Echosnow's mate, Nettleclaw, his apprentice, Conepaw, and the bluish she-cat Lakesplash looked at her with undisguised hostility.

"I'd also like to make two apprentices warriors," Redstar mewed, continuing with the meeting, "Breezepaw, Clawpaw, come forward."

"I, Redstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

"Clawpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Redstar mewed.

"I do." both apprentices said eagerly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Clawpaw, from this moment you will be known as Clawshadow. StarClan honors your thoughtfulness and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Breezepaw, from this moment you will be known as Breezewing. StarClan honors your courage and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Clawshadow, Breezewing, Clawshadow, Breezewing," the Clan shouted.

"The name fits him," Echosnow whispered in Birdflight's ear about Clawshadow, "his mother named him Claw- because he's so meek, and shadow fits him."

Birdflight nodded, from what she'd seen of the apprentice, she knew that it was true.

"In other news," Redstar nodded, "Sloefur visited our camp yesterday and warned us of two cats, Grayleg, and Silverhawk who left RiverClan and are dangerous. They have a whole group of rogues following them and they're dangerous, they want revenge. I want a patrol sent out immediately to be sure that they haven't crossed here, Amberclaw, you can lead it, take Leafpad, Bramblethorn, and Lionpaw with you."

The cats nodded and Amberclaw started out of camp with the others behind him.

"The meeting is over," Redstar mewed, leaping off of the rock.


 * more coming soon