Pineclan #1: Journey to the Unknown

Chapter Four

Cloud sat on the fence, licking her paws nonchalantly, thinking about her dream. I know I have to go in the woods again, but what was the deal with the sad kit story? And why did Robinsong tell me the descriptions of the two parents? Nothing makes sense! She switched from cleaning her paw to her pelt. The tabby stripes glittered in the light, while the blue over coat shone dully. Why can’t I think? Okay, calm, focus. Robinsong said that Squirrelsight was a blue cat… and Emberfoot a black tabby…Hrmm… Maybe it has something to do with their kit… Just then, the fence shook. Whipping her head around, Cloud saw Snow finish pouncing on the fence. 

“Hello!” Snow said warmly.

“Hi,”

A pause.

“Wonderful weather, isn’t it?” Snow tried awkwardly.

“Yea,” Cloud looked up at the clear blue sky, then back down at Snow. “What would a kit look like if its parents were, say, a black tabby tom and a blue she-cat?”

Snow looked confusedly at her, but answered. “To my knowledge, they’d look kind of like you. Why?”

Cloud was shocked. Is the kit me? That would explain why Robinsong told me. But am I to ‘raise the lost Pineclan’? How? She realized Snow was still watching her, so she replied. “No reason. Just wondering.” Snow was still quizzical, but Cloud would say no more.

After Snow left, Cloud decided to go explore the forest. After all, she thought, Robinsong said those cats in there were important. Cloud landed with a thump, and stealthily stalked into the wood. This time, the dark shadows cast on her blended perfectly, even though she wasn’t covered I mud. Following the stale scent trail, she found where she had run from the three other cats. She raced on, following the track. Soon, it took her to the fence, where her scent stopped. The white tom and Sam’s headed the other way. She tracked them until the scent began to grow steadily stronger. Pausing, she sniffed the air to see if they were near. A light breeze picked up, ruffling her fur the wrong way. Uh-oh. Wrong direction! The breeze had undoubtedly carried her scent to the other cats. They’ll come to me soon. She smirked. But that would be no fun, would it? Cloud continued on the trail, alert for any signs of the cats’ passing. She lifted her head and lowered her tail proudly, then took the last paces. She busted in on a small clearing, a tree in one corner, with moss growing on the bottom, in the other corner a stack of prey. The tortoiseshell she-cat lay on the ground, hearing the vibrations of Cloud’s footsteps. 

“Hello, Bud, back early from your hunt?”

Cloud assumed the air of the white tom and grunted. She hoped the real Bud wouldn’t get back anytime soon. The she-cat was still blabbering, though.

“Didn’t go so well? Help yourself to a piece of prey! I’ve had some already, but I didn’t know what to do with the bones, so I put them over there.” her tail flicked towards a pile of miniscule bones. Cloud laughed inwardly, and padded over to the fresh kill pile. She picked out a fat thrush and went to lay beside the white she-cat. She caught the scent of Sam and Bud returning, and threw away all caution of being found out. Loudly crunching the thrush and its bones, Cloud made the she-cat look up just as Bud and Sam emerged through the bushes. All three gasped simultaneously, and Cloud smirked. Bud was the first to speak. “H-h-how did you get in here?”

Sam hushed him and stepped up menacingly. “Violet! How did this cat enter our camp?”

Violet closed her eyes and started to say something, but Cloud cut her off. 

“I came when the wind was dead, and Violet thought I was Bud. That’s all there is to it.”

Sam still snarled viciously, but sat after getting a mouse and a vole. “What are you doing here?” he asked hotly. Cloud’s grin vanished as she answered. “I don’t know, really. What I do know, though, is that you guys are not just here for no reason, you have a purpose.”

Sam remained expressionless, clearly weighing thoughts in his head. “Talk.”

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. “I had a dream. In that dream a cat came to me…”

Cloud finished her story and waited for an answer. Sam stood and called his companions together, they began to whisper secretively. Cloud strained her ears to pick up their conversation, but all she got were a few tid-bits. “I think she…No!…Of course…You really think so?….sorry…I know…shh!”

Cloud was very confused, so she sat up and began to lick her belly fur in puzzlement. More growls came from the circle, then ceased. Violet, Bud and Sam split and lay side by side. Violet nudged Sam, and he spoke up. “We used to be kittypets li--”

“What’s a kittypet?” Cloud interrupted.

“A kittypet is what you are, a house cat. Anyway, we all used to be kittypets, living on cream and dried twoleg food. I used to live in a small twoleg garden, as happy as could be. Violet and Bud were my two neighbors, and we had twoleg collars and everything.”

“What happened?” 

“Dreams.” Cloud gasped and Sam nodded. “Greyshadow came to all of us, telling us to go to a forest he would show us. Yes, he lead us here. When you shared your story, it clicked. This is the place.”

All the cats looked at their paws, solemn and realizing the hugeness of their mission.

Finally, Cloud spoke up. “We were called to do this job. We will do it! We will rebuild Pineclan!” All the cats gathered were yowling their agreement. Cloud silenced them with a flick of her tail and continued. “First we need more cats. There are many kittypets and we may find rouges or even loners. Whatever it takes, we will not betray Pineclan!” She whirled toward Bud. “Bud and I will go to the kittypets and ask them to come to a gathering tonight.” This time she swung toward Sam. “You take Violet and go see if there are any loners or rouges. Got it?” She was met with yowls of agreement. They split and went their separate ways.