Warriors Fanfiction: Blackstripe's Legacy

Chapter 2

Scarstar and Frostear walked on each side of Snowball deeper into the forest. Surely the trees will come to an end sometime soon he thought to himself as little dots of sunlight shined on Snowball's pelt. Just when he thought the trees go on forever, the three cats stepped into a wide clearing with less trees. Tall blades of grass shifted gently with the breeze and bushes were dotted here and there.

"We're almost there." Scarstar's mutter made Snowball flinch. No cat had spoken in a while.

As a breeze swept by, Snowball thought he caught the scent of other cats; several of them. They all padded closer to the direction of the scent until he had seen a few dens with bracken draped over the entrances. Cats of many varieties sat outside of the dens. They all chattered away and groomed eachother. As Scarstar led Frostear and Snowball into the clearing, curious gazes of the strange cats swept over him. He heard a few mutter something to eachother, but tried to pay no attention to it.

Snowball started to notice the flame colored tabby head toward a large boulder in the center of the clearing. Scarstar beckoned him with his tail to join him on the rock. He told Frostear off and sat down.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beside the Great Boulder for a Clan meeting." he called to all of the cats. They wearily started to gather together beside the Great Boulder as told. Most of them obviously expected bad news until they saw Scarstar's face. Snowball stared at all the cats as they casted rather menacing looks at him. He felt a shiver go from his ears to his tail tip.

Scarstar raised his tail in silence and waited for the commotion among the wild cats to die down.

"As I walked into camp, you may have noticed this cat-" he gestured his tail toward Snowball "-walk in with me. Don't worry, he is not a threat. From the looks of it, he's a lost kittypet." A few cats hissed at the word "kittypet." What did these cats have against a kittypet? Against me? Snowball thought. "We need more warriors for the harsh days of leaf-bare ahead. That is why I have brought him here, that is if he wants to join SunClan." he looked at him expectantly, as if he were to instantly say yes. But Snowball had drowned in doubt.

"What would make you think I want to automatically join?" he asked challengingly. His fur began to bristle as the tabby stared at him in surprise. "I have no idea who any of you even are."

He should be back at home with his housefolk; with Butterscotch, his mate, which he longed to talk to. For some reason, he didn't feel safe at all around these strange cats, as if they would all suddenly leap on him and kill him. He cringed at the thought of having his fur ripped off for the second time today.

Scarstar was speechless, so was the rest of SunClan. They were trying to find the right thing to say, when Frostear had stood up and glared at Snowball.

"He shouldn't be welcomed here!" he spat in protest, "If he doesn't catch it, he'll scare off all the prey in the whole forest." Snowball felt his muscles tense as he fought not to leap at him again.

Scarstar was glaring at him with a cold stare in his eyes. He was very upset with him already. Frostear's tail tip just twitched with anger. He looked just about ready to shred Snowball apart.

"And think about the trouble the Twolegs would cause trying to find him. They'll scare off all the prey as well," he continued, "And when there's battles, he will be the first to die for lack of fighting moves."

"Then we will teach him," Scarstar meowed, "Something must have brought him into our woodlands. Perhaps StarClan had led his paws to join us." A ripple of agreement went across the Clan, only to die down a few heartbeats after.

At that moment, Snowball found himself agreeing with him. Something had brought him to the wild. Perhaps it was destiny?

Frostear was still glaring at him, anger flickering in his blue eyes. Snowball's pelt prickled as the white warrior's gaze burned into his fur.

"Kittypet, the main question is will you want to join? You could learn to defend yourself, and your Clan; or you could lead the soft, pitiful life of a kittypet, fearing to be brave." Scarstar's voice was deep and serious. He definitely wasn't joking about what he was saying.

Snowball swallowed hard, then asked cautiously, "If I join your Clan, may I at least say goodbye to my friend back at my home?" The great orange tabby stared at him for a minute, then spoke.

"Of course. I will send a warrior with you to safely take you to visit you friend for the last time." The last time?! Snowball wanted to wail aloud like a helpless kit. At least Butterscotch would know he was alive.

"Cloudwhisker, will you take him to Twoleg Gardens to say goodbye to his friend?" Scarstar called as a light-gray she-cat with dark gray stripes on her fur walked over to the white newcomer and greeted him warmly. Her white tail tip flicked him on the ear gently.

"Welcome to SunClan." she mewed warmly. Her green gaze locked on his his. He blinked at her with respect and gratefulness.

"Before you leave," Scarstar's voice made Snowball jump, "If you are to join the Clan, you need a warrior name. You shall be called Blackstripe, in honor of your black markings." The newly named Blackstripe thanked him with a bow of his head then turned around to follow Cloudwhisker.

The tabby's gaze followed him until he was swallowed up by the trees and bushes of the woods.