The Lost

The Clans are divided.The leaders are lost.StarClan is silent.War rages - between families,between rogues,between littermates.And when a young rogue named Lavender realizes not everything is as it seems,she has a choice.

The question is....

What will she choose?

Prologue
The little kit fell into exhaustion.She was pitifully small,as she hadn't eaten in...how long?Four days?Five?Hunger gnawed at her.Finally she couldn't stand it anymore.She fell to the ground.

The kit smelled a fragrance she remembered from the breif time she had with her mother before her murder.She remembered the herbs her mother had named.Her mother,Gentleberry.

She sighed.The scent was something familiar.Nothing had been familiar for the kit.

Something stood over her,blocking the sun.She didn't have enough strength to lift jer head,but she smelled a cat.She heard a silky mew from the tom cat.“Little one,little Lavender,why are you here?"

The kit groaned.The tom,sensing her hunger and exhaustion,piled the lavender around her as bedding and brought her a mouse.She ate the whole thing before she remembered the manners Gentleberry had taught her.But already the kit was drowsy.

And the tom let her sleep.

Chapter 1
“Lavender!"Robin called.

She lifted her head over the top of her nest.“It isn't time for needed-running,is it?"She asked.Robin nodded.

“Can you do trades-making today?"He asked.She nodded.

Sleepily,Lavender climbed out of her nest.The small den that Robin had built for her had been her only home.At least,the only one she could remember.

It wasn't a big den,but it suited them.A dome woven from brambles,with curtains of reeds dividing the living section from the trades-making place.Piles of whatever prey Robin caught,whatever herbs Lavender could trade for,flowers with wonderful fragrances.

Robin would be hunting if he asked Lavender to do the trades-making.She was just sorting the herbs when a skinny rogue came in with a mouthful of simple acorns.

“What can you give for 'em?"He asked,dropping the nuts at Lavender's feet.

She glanced at the piles and grabbed a small bit of sweet smelling flowers.“Take or leave,"She said.

The rogue's shoulders sank.“I can get more,if you could just lemme have dat dere mouse-"

“Take or leave,"she repeated firmly.

“Can dey be eaten?"

Lavender glanced at the flowers,then back at the rogue.She could count his ribs.A cat his age probably had kits and a mate,possibly more than one litter.Clearly he was in hard times.But weren't they all?

Lavender sighed and walked over to her herb pile,and grabbed a few leaves.She knew from what she gathered here and there that they would help with hunger and keep cats strong.“Here."She said.

The rogue looked at her with gratitude in his eyes.He scooped up the herbs and the small group of flowers and trotted out,a slight energy now guiding his paws.

A familiar face walked in soon after.“Hello Marigold,"Lavender said cheerfully.The golden she-cat had her two daughters with her,Cloud and Dawn.

Marigold dropped two fat voles,and Dawn set a bundle of catmint beside them.Lavender grinned.Marigold's family were better off than most in this uncertain time,and they were loyal customers to Robin and his adopted daughter.

“I can give you three bundles of flowers,and some horsetail,and a bird?"She offered.Marigold nodded.As Lavender went to prepare the trade,she noticed a small line forming outside the den.A busy day.Her favorite kind.

Marigold and her kits left with their trade,and Lavender added to the store what they had given her.Catmint,she knew,would fetch a good deal.

A young kit by the name of Jetkit was next.A Clan name,Lavender recognized.The kit was of Clan blood.Clan blooded cats had a more likely chance of survival,and often they had lots to trade when they came to The Alley.

The Alley was the largest group of cats living together in the forest.It was an old alleyway between to twoleg-nests that had been long since abandoned.Outside of twolegplace,it was the most populated - and most dangerous - area.

Jetkit dropped three small mice.“My mother,Applepelt,wanted some marigold,and some horsetail,and she said,if you have it,a bit of catmint,please?"

Lavender looked at the mice.“You can have the marigold and horsetail,"she said gently,“But catmint is rare.I need a bit more than this."The kit nodded in understanding.She accepted the herbs and scurried out.

All the day long,Lavender trades-maked,the business that Robin ran.Going through inventory,she found two of the small mice Jetkit had given her,and a good sized bird.She set the prey down in the living space for dinner.

Robin came in then.In his mouth he held several large leaves,all wrapped up.“What is that?"Lavender asked.

He unwrapped one of the leaves to reveal a poultice.“We can demand more prey for this than just the herbs alone.It be marigold,horsetail,and coltsfoot.Good for cuts,prevents infection."

He placed the bundles beside the herbs.“I found some catmint at a good trade,"he said,“But it will be gone tomorrow,if it isn't now."

Lavender said thoughtfully,“Sunset isn't for a while yet.Why not go check?"It was common sense to not go outside after sunset.Besides,all the trades-making places were empty.

Robin shrugged.“Anyway,anything good for dinner come in?"She nodded.She preffered fresh-kill,but running a trades-making place made food easy to come by.And if the prey wasn't eaten before it went bad,it was useless.No one would trade for it,and they would loose their business.

They ate their mice and bird in silence.

As the sun went down,Robin pulled brambles around the den,slid their trade into the living area,as was custom.The fighters who stole from trades-makers at night would need to enter their home before they could find the stock.

Lavender sat in her nest,grooming her fur.The nest was scattered with sweet flowers.Robin sat in the nest on the other side of the space.

Lavender sighed contentedly.

This was home.