Prolouge
Mosstail stepped into the soft moonlight, careful not to wake the camp.Her feet treaded softly on the new-fallen snow, marking the gentle pawprints that would mark her leave forever. But, no matter how bad her heart ached, no matter how much she wanted to turn around and leave, she wouldn't. She couldn't. This was her destiny, she was made to do this. And, without looking back, Mosstail stepped out of the camp, leaving behind her only known home. But it wasn't her home anymore, nothing was.
Chapter One: A sunny new-leaf morning
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the tallrock for a clan meeting" SkyStar Yowled across camp.
The cats rushed up and gathered below, watching with intent eyes. Frogkit was bouncing with happiness, her golden eyes shining in the rising sun. I walked slower, feeling the steady gaze of my clan staring at me. Today i would be an apprentice, one with an important task.
"Mistkit, please step forward..." Skystar told me, and the rest of her words became fuzzy as I stepped up to her. I clumsily touched noses with my new mentor, Hawkfur, and sat back down, nervous, and afraid.
Soon I sensed Frogpaw sitting down near me, her cool breath brushing my sholder. "We're apprentices!" She sqealed, "Aren't you happy?" She looked at me with gleaming eyes, then, not waiting for a response, she bounded off to her new mentor, Waterleaf. I was left alone, now, resting my tail on the cool ground and feeling blank.
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"Frogpaw, do you miss Mosstail?' I asked, dreading the answer.
"Mosstail? Oh, her.She was as traitor, she broke hearts, left cats behind her. She shouldn't have gone. I hate her for it." Frogpaw, said, voice filled with nothing but pure loathing.
"Yes, I know, but do you miss her?"I asked again.
Frogpaw stopped, thinking. Her face softened a bit and i thought she was going to say she did actually miss her. "...No. Why would I?" And she stood up and stalked off.
I walked sulenly over to the fresh-kill pile, and chose a feathery sparrow. Little did I want to admit it, but I missed Mosstail dearly. Why she had left, no one knew. But unlike most, I was sure there was a reason for her absense. She couldn't have just left on her own will, she was too nice, too kind. She would have at least told us anyway. But no one else thought that way, and I wasn't one to dissagree. Let them believe what they want, that was fine with me.
Chapter Two: Training
Hawkfur prodded me in the back. "Come on Mistpaw, get up, time for training!" She grumbled moodily.
Just my luck to get stuck with Hawkfur. She's a good mentor, and a great fighter, but we don't seem to see eye to eye about most things. "Just a minute," I mumbled, my mouth still full of my breakfast, a mouse, "I'll be ready in a bit," I gulped down the last bit of food and followed Hawkfur off to the training hollow.
"Now, I am going to attack you, and you need to fingh back. This is to see how good you are at fighting with no skill." Hawkfur told me, grinning. I sighed, and swerved as Hawkfur launched her brown body at me.
"Nice..." Hawkfur muttered, then lashed out, claws unsheathed. I jumped to the edge, narrowly missing her outstreched paw, and landing on the cool dewy grass.
"Average fighting skills for a newbie, I wouldn't expect any more from you anyway." Hawkfur scoffed, eyeing me dutifuly, "Now lets see your hunting,"
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"Okay, not bad," Hawkfur said as we settled down after a long day's training. Most cats had gone to bed, except for me,and Hawkfur. Hawkfur had insisted to keep me training until the last rays of sun finally dissapeared. My muceles were aching, and I felt like I could fall asleep right then and there.
"Was training fun?" I heard a voice ask me, and I turned around to see Frogpaw standing next to me, Hawkfur had dissaperared.
"Not bad," I replyed, "Hawkfur says I'm about as good as I should be for now. But she's been working me really hard. How was your training?"
"Okay. But you're sooooooo lucky to have Hawkfur as your mentor." Frogpaw smiled, and I found myself feeling glad that I had such a great sister- and friend.
"Training won't help me for what I'm going to do," I said, then instantly regretted it. Frogpaw was staring at me, her eyes widening, a look of loating and anger spreading across her face. I shrunk back.
Chapter Three: Friends no More
"I knew you would do it, you traitor. You freak! Whenever you're going, wherever you're going, I hope you never come back. This clan would be better off without you." Her eyes glowed amber, and she glared at me, seeming to forget that just a moment ago she had been my best friend. Tail high, Frogpaw walked off, her shadow flickering in the sunset.
Her words stung like thorns. Frogpaw...my best friend, my only sister, the cat who never let me down. She hated me.
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Hawkfur smiled cooly. "What's this your kind sister tells me?" She asked.
"I-I...I don't know what you're talking about...."I stammered, feeling my heart begin to race. Who was the traitior now, me or Frogpaw?
Hawkfur smirked at me, "Whatever you may be doing, I advise you to consider the facts. You are merely 6 moons, barly trained, with no one to help you." then lowering her voice, she said, Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I like you Mistpaw, you're a good kid. Anyway, back to training"
Dizzy with relief, I continued to sniff out the faint smell of mouse drifting by. Then another smell- Frogpaw. She was walking up the slope, completly ignoring me. I felt so empty inside.
Chapter Four: Lost
Mosstail limped out into the night, blood falling on the dead leaves below. With effort, she heaved herself onto the ground, her blood spattering the forest floor.
"Who is it, tell me!" Someone, unseen screeched.
Mosstail, with her soul halfway to starclan couldn't bare it anymore. The pain was to much. "Mistkit..." She choked out
"And does she know?" The voice asked.
Mosstail seemed to consider this for a moment, then said, "Yes, yes- I think she does..." and became completly still.
Chapter Five: A Last Goodbye
I opened my eyes, shaking from head to tail. That had been the worst nightmare ever. Funnil enough, when I tried to remember it, all I cold remeber was a screechy voice, getting lost in the wind. Strange.
I looked around the den, most apprentices had already left, but I saw Frogpaw whispering something to Lilacpaw. Lilacpaw smirked at me. Frogpaw smiled, satisfyed. Since when did Frogpaw hang out with Lilacpaw? Lilacpaw had always been my friend.I shook my, tring to forget about it. Shrugging the last of sleep of me, I headed to Skystar's den.
"Skystar? It's me, Mistpaw. I-I've come to tell yo something.
"Come In," Skystar called from within his den.
"Um...."I began, not knowing where to start, "Skystar, I'm le-"
"I. already. know." Said Skystar coldly, "Your lovely sister told me. And if you do do it, you will be banished. We will not welcome you back."
"Fine," I said, "Now I'm going to go get some traveling herbs, tell the clan I'll miss them." I was an apprentice. With a very important task.
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The sun seemed to glare at me as I walked out of camp near night-time. My herat was thumping so hard it felt like my chest was breaking. I gazed out at the clan, of which I would never see again. "Goodbye, everyone." I whispere, and the words seemed to stick in my throat. Was this how Mosstail felt, when she took her leave? Suddenly, I remembered something Mosstail had told me when I was Only a tiny kit. "You are special Mistkit. Remeber that." Now that I came to think about it, why had she told me that? It didn't make sense. Anyway....
Eating my traveling herbs, I smelled my clan's border. My last chance to turn back, before it was too late. But I couldn't, not now. Anyway, how would the clan treat me now?
Chapter Six: Unknown
My legs ached. My paws hurt from walking. I was tired, hungrey, and my traveling herds had long since been depleted.
The sun seemed to glow in little speckles on the forst floor. The leaves crunched under my feet, hard and brittle, unlike home. Home. I hadn't seen one single sent of cats since I walked through my clan. I had searched hopefully for any trace of Mosstail, but found none. I was already regretting leaving the clan, I was wrong.
I stopped, frozen with fear. What was that? A low, crunching noise of feet on dead leaves sounded. My heart pounded. I ducked behind a nearby lavender bush, hoping the sent of flowers would disquise my sent and hide me. The cat walked past me, and I smelled a mix between rouges, kitty-pets, and all the clans. The cat looked around, its shaggy and matted black fur hanging loosly around it's skinny frame.
He had a ripped ear, a short, crooked tail and large grey eyes. I had a feeling that he sensed I was here.
I pressed myself father back among the lavander, into the shadows. A twig spapped beneath my paw. The cat spun around to face me, his bloodshot eyes staring crazily. Then he spoke, his voice rasping, "Whos there? I know you're in there!" He looked crazy, bloodthirsty. There was no way I was coming out. Nothing would make me.
Something large, gray and dog-like burst out, snarling and growling. Nothing would make me move. Except that. I fled after the strange cat, who had started running like crazy in the opposite direction. What was it?
Chapter Seven: The Wolf Pack
The huge animal charged after me, saliva dripping from it's open mouth, yellow eyes glinting meaincingly. I darted to the left, but I was so scared that I didn't see the ditch until I was in it. There was no escaping now. I was cornered. The wolf was looking down at me- it was so close. I could smell it's foul breath, see it's yellowed teeth glinting. And then a howl souned from beyond, and the wolf looked up, momentarily distracted.
In a second, I was up, running under it's feet before it could realize I was gone. I ran blindly through the trees, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. There was a clearing up ahead, where sunlight filtered through. Just like the clan camp. I though, and was so home-sick that I didn't notice the shapes moving in the clearing.
I ran straight into a wolf, then another. But they didn't attack. Instead they pushed me into the center, and I didn't struggle against them, incase they got vicious. There was another cat in the center, the rouge, and a body lying there motionless. When I was close enough I could see the face of the dead cat. It was Mosstail.
All energy seemed to flow out of me. This journey had been hopeless. Mosstail was dead, and now I was as good as dead too. The rouge cat was watching me. Then, suddenly, he hissed, "They didn't- I mean the wolves. They didn't kill her," There was an icy, unsettling tone in his voice, almost mocking. It sent shivers up my back. But the knowledge that the wolves didn't kill her sent and little bit of hope back into me. So maybe the wolves won't kill me.
Wishful thinking. They were circling me and the other cat now, all looking hungry, bloodthirsty, terrifying. I got into the pouncing position, ready to make a run for it if they attacked. The wolves were closing in, making their own tightly knit circle around me. Then one lunged, and I felt powerful jaws snapping the air