Papayadew's Message

Chapter 1: First meetings

The wind gently ruffled Papaya's fur as he crept through the marshy undergrowth. He stretched his neck to let the breeze flow through the dark red fur that was normally covered by his flimsy collar, which he had managed to wriggle out of just a few pawsteps back. He didn't normally venture this far away from his housefolk, mostly because they always kept a keen eye on him, but today they had let their guard down and given him the chance to chase that toad he'd been eyeing in the garden. He placed his paws carefully as to not accidentally startle the creature, ears strained forwards for any hint of a sound. The air was fresh and warm today, a pleasant change from the recent rain. The young cat breathed in deeply, letting the smells of the wild wash over his scent glands. It was so much nicer than the stuffy, stale air of his housefolks den.

A loud croak alerted Papaya to the toads location, and he very carefully shifted his haunches until he was facing it. He watched it flop through the grass and ferns, staring ahead with blank eyes. It didn't exactly look tasty, but he couldn't pass up the thrill of the hunt. The tom braced himself, digging his claws firmly into the ground, before leaping. His paws slammed down just a heartbeat after the toad leapt to safety, slipping in the mud for a moment before righting himself and giving chase. Papaya tore up mushrooms and clumps of grass as he pursued his prey, all of his senses honed in on his target. It couldn't outlast him for long. He bared his teeth in anticipation, pelt thrumming with energy.

Just as he was at the height of the chase, the toad only a whisker width away from his outstretched claws, Papaya slammed full pelt into a sturdy wall of fur. He was so caught up in the chase that he hadn't noticed the scents and sounds now overwhelming him. Loud caterwauling filled his ears, making the birds flee their nests, and the metallic tang of blood in the air threatened to make him sick. Fur and spit flew from the dozen or so cats fighting in the clearing. The large, golden dappled cat he had run into snarled down at him.

"Watch yourself, WillowClan scum." He spat. "I don't want to have to maim an apprentice."

"Willow wha—?"

The large tom swiped a paw at Papaya's head, cutting him off. The young cat ducked and rolled instinctively, but he could feel the sting in his left ear, and the trickle of warm blood down his fur. He scrambled away from his opponent, churning up mud as he ran. It wasn't long before he was confronted again, this time by a scruffy young she-cat who was panting heavily. He barely had the time to brace himself before she launched herself at him, yowling louder than a pack of monsters.

She dug her needle sharp claws into his fur and tossed him effortlessly into the underbrush, leaving deep scratches in his flank. Papaya heaved himself to his paws, pelt spiked in fear. He watched the other cat through wide eyes as she circled him, hissing. Her fur was spattered with mud and dirt, clinging to her thin body in patches. She looked strong, much stronger than he was, and much faster too. He eyed her up carefully.

"What, forgot how to fight? You look like you just came out of the nursery." She sneered, stalking towards him. "Ugh, I can barely even smell that FernClan stench on you under all that mud."

Papaya matched her body language, slinking around in tandem with the she-cat. His tail flicked nervously as he prepared for her next move.

"What do you mean 'FernClan stench'?" He asked after a moment.

The tortoiseshell scoffed at him. "What, you didn't notice? You all smell like sap and leafmold. It's unbearable." She spat the words out like they left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I have no idea what you're even talking about!" Papaya cried. "I don't even know what a—"

He was cut off again by an ear piercing yowl from the clearing. A lithe black and white cat was standing on top of a fallen tree, head thrown back as she called to the other cats. Half of the fighting cats turned their heads to her, finally pausing in their battle.

"Fall back, FernClan! It's not worth it." She mewed darkly. "We did what we came here to do. Back to camp, all of you!"

As quickly as that, it was over. The 'FernClan' cats peeled off into the shadows, disappearing into the undergrowth as if they had never been there. The tortoiseshell that had attacked him threw her head back and yowled in victory. Papaya inched backwards, hoping that this was his shot at escaping these wild cats. His wounds burned and left him unbalanced, though, and he stumbled into a clump of nettles while trying not to make the damage any worse.

The she-cat whipped around with a snarl already plastered on her slim face, stalking towards him with purpose. Her sharp teeth pierced his scruff as she dragged him out into the open. Papaya hissed and writhed in a desperate attempt at escape, but the other cats grip was firm.

"Cricketstar!" She yowled through the mouthful of fur. "I caught this apprentice trying to sneak away!" She crowed, tail held high in pride.

'Cricketstar? Apprentice?', Papaya wrinkled his nose in confusion. These cats were mad! What did any of those words even mean?

"Well done, Sunpaw." A large, mottled brown tom cat nodded his head, inspecting Papaya closely. He instantly shrunk in on himself under the strong cats gaze. Eventually the cat—Cricketstar, he had been called—huffed at him.

"Take him to Juniperdrop. He may be useful later on." Cricketstar waved his tail in dismissal.

Sunpaw dropped Papaya onto the hard ground, poking him harshly in the ribs as he groaned.

"Get up," She hissed. "I'm not carrying you all the there!"

His fur rippled in fear. He was sure she could smell it, and that only made the sense of impending doom in his stomach grow.

"All the way where...?" He asked weakly.

The tortie gave him a hard stare.

"To our camp, mousebrain! Were you born yesterday?"

****

Hey! Just a quick authors note before the next chapter, please give it a quick read!

This is the first piece of writing I've done in a long while, and it's mostly for fun and some practice. I say this because I'm definitely a little rusty, so apologies for that! Feedback and kind words are much appreciated! ^^

-Jackal