Iron didn't feel anything. If she did feel something, it wasn't barely warm den that mother made. In fact, she felt something different than the warmth of the den. She opened her heavy eyelids and saw a green meadow. It was beautiful. There were flowers, or what she assumed to be the alluring, colorful things resting in the meadow were.
When she lifted her head, there were instead of the dull gray skies that poured down snow that covered the ground, it was blue, weather less skies with small fluffy white clouds. She looked up, feeling a presence around her that felt welcoming towards her. "Hello there little kit." Iron jumped at the voice. She looked around and spotted a dark gray cat many paw steps away. Her fur was ghostly, and she seemed to fade in with the grass around her paws.
Iron slowly approached the cat, her head low to the ground. She was wary of the cat, not trusting anyone like her mother once told her. "Don't be afraid little one. I'm only here to help you." Iron lifted her head slowly and looked into the she-cat gentle blue-green gaze. She was a beautiful she-cat, her sleek pelt was groomed nicely compared to the mess that was Iron's.
"What's your name, little one?" She quietly meowed out to her when Iron sat a few paw steps away from her. "My name is Iron." The she-cat's gaze seemed to lighten up with joy. "What a great name for a kit like you. My name is Nightspot, and would you like me to help find a home?"
Iron's heart soared out on a bird's wings when she meowed out those words. "Y-yes please Nightspot!" Iron licked her chest fur a few times because of embarrassment for meowing that out so fast. Nightspot mrrowed out to the Iron, "Don't be embarrassed Iron. It's only natural for me to offer help to you." Nightspot got up from where she was sitting and padded towards the fog on the edges of the meadow. "Come here Iron. I will explain to you the clans and then you can pick which one you would like to call home."
Iron raced after her, following her into the fog. The fog was thick, yet she could clearly see Nightspot a few paw steps in front of her. When they came into the open, Iron was amazed at the site of the snow cloaked forest. The whole area wasn't in a blizzard any longer and just gentle snowflakes fell from the cloudy sky.
She saw many cats entering an area and she followed after them, Nightspot following closely behind her. "This is Thunderclan's camp. That cat on the rock is called Owlstar. He is the leader of the clan." She flicked her tail towards another cat. Iron looked towards where she was pointing with her tail and noticed a cat speaking to Owlstar. "That cat is the deputy. He helps run it and eventually after the leader loses their nine lives, the deputy will become the next leader. His name is Fallendawn."
Iron nodded, but was still confused with the whole concept of a 'clan.' Nightspot continued on, "Thunderclan are loyal cats that fight for their loved ones, not pride. They are strong cats, yet they aren't as nimble as another clan you'll get to meet later on. Thunderclan shares the border with the clan we're visiting next." Nightspot turned away from Iron and didn't wait for her however. She was already returning to the fog that engulfed the trunks of the trees.
Iron glanced back at Thunderclan's camp, feeling something eerily horrible from the camp and its residents. This time when Iron entered the fog, it felt as though she was suffocating. She picked up the pace quickly, wanting to get out of the fog as quickly as possibly. The fog started to clear up once again and suddenly she was in a completely different territory.
"This is Riverclan's territory. Obviously, these cats hunt on the river instead of in the forest." Ironheart watched as a tortoiseshell cat waited on the river's edge, watching for fish to come close to she could grab it.
"The cats here grow fat on fish and laze around in their camps. They're nothing noble like Thunderclan." Nightspot puffed out her chest proudly. Did Nightspot belong once to Thunderclan? Iron questioned, and shook off the thought. Nightspot seemed to have a connection to Thunderclan, and Iron wanted to know about it. "That cat by the water is called Stormflower. She is one of Riverclan's newer warriors and she's one of the finest I've seen in the most recent moons."
Iron watched in amazement as the fish drew nearer towards the she-cat without it ever knowing she was ever there. In one swift moment, Stormflower hooked the fish straight out the water without struggle with her claws quickly. It seemed to not harm the fish in the moment she did snag it as she muttered something.
Iron looked towards Nightspot, "What did she say Nightspot?" She questioned the she-cat and Nightspot seemed to hold her head up higher. "She's following the warrior code. One of the rules of being a cat in a clan is that you thank your ancestors. Your ancestors are called Starclan." Iron's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Aren't you such an inquisitive young lynx? You'll learn about the code in due time young one." Nightspot brushed her tail against Iron's shoulder. Her tail seemed to phase through Iron's body, but Iron didn't worry about it as she thought it was something Nightspot was accustomed to.
"Let's go little kit. There's still two more clans that you must meet." Nightspot started padding towards the fog, and Iron held her breath as she entered the smothering thick air. She continued going until the air cleared and she was in another territory. The pine trees were covered to the brim with snow. It seemed that no snow could penetrate the woods. Nightspot beckoned Iron onward, and she followed the dark gray she-cat towards the camp.
"This is Shadowclan. These cats are slick with their techniques and use the shadows to their advantage. The pines gives them shelter that the regular oak trees can not." Nightspot flicked her tail to the bush in the distance. "Look closely Iron to that bush there. Can you see movement?" Iron narrowed her eyes and watched closely. She did see movement, yet she couldn't see anything other than the leaves rustling. "There's a cat hidden underneath there. Watch as they slowly come out."
Iron watched in amazement that there really was a cat all along. She was a light brown tabby that would blend in easily with the environment around her. There was a young cat waiting in front of the bush and it perplexed Iron. "That cat that came out of the bush is called Deerstep. The cat in front of her is Patchpaw, an apprentice training to become a warrior of Shadowclan." She flicked her ears back and her tail was swishing back and fro. Nightspot stopped talking to Iron, like she had lost patience with this clan already.
"Shadowclan cats are untrustworthy cats Iron. Never listen to what this clan is saying. They've caused many problems for the forest over the years with tyrannical leaders reigning from their clan. Some of them near brought the downfall of the clans themselves. Even though some cats are kind, most of this clan could care less for an outsider like you. They're spineless cowards at heart that yearn for the bloodshed of other cats." She meowed surprisingly calmly while it sent shivers up Iron's spine.
"Why would Shadowclan do that? Why would you let such a cat lead when they aren't good?" Iron questioned while Nightspot shook her head. "That is a question I cannot answer because I do not know. Cats can lead a facade on for a long time little one, even when it seems suspicious." Nightspot turned away from Shadowclan with Iron. "We're going to the last clan, though I think you might like this one the most."
They both went into the fog, and Iron was slowly getting used to the feeling in the suspicious substance around her. When Nightspot and Iron emerged from the fog, Iron was just where she had fallen asleep. At least she thought she had fallen asleep. There was no way to know unless there was someone watching Iron.
It would've still been impossible for anyone to see her because of the blizzard. Speaking of the blizzard, it had cleared up to a light snow. In the distance, she saw two strangely familiar creatures walking across the snow.
That's mother and Tin! Iron thought with glee and started making her way towards them. "Iron-! Young cats these days!" Nightspot groaned and ran after Iron, running stride for stride with the young lynx. "Mother! Tin! It's me Iron!" She yowled out to them with glee, yet they didn't hear her. They kept on walking, and even her mother seemed happier with just Tin. Both of them seemed happier, which slashed Iron's heart. Even her own litter mate doesn't care about her.
Nightspot slowed down next to her and meowed gently to her, "I'm sorry Iron, I did not want you to witness that." Iron looked at Nightspot, her meow breaking, "Why would even the only one who knew me do that?" Nightspot looked at her sternly. "Cats, lynxes, it's all the same. Some don't have love in their hearts to share Iron. That's something you'll have to learn quickly in the clans. Some will accept you, some will not. You'll just need to find ways to cope with it." She spoke as if she knew it from experience.
"Let's just go and see this last clan." Iron said, dipping her head low to the ground. Nightspot looked saddened by the young she-kit's mood, but she tried her best to not let it faze her. Ginger fur blazed across Iron's vision and it startled her. "Come on Sharpsnap! You're taking forever!" The tom said giddily and Sharpsnap pounced on top of the ginger tom. "Arthur you're the one who didn't get out the nest this morning!" Sharpsnap nuzzled into Arthur's fur happily.
"Well excuse me fluffypaws but the kits kept me up all last night! Longkit kept needing the bathroom while Whispykit was constantly hungry!" Arthur groaned flipping them over so he was on top. "Good thing they're nearly apprentices. I swear other cats didn't tell us that fathering 3 rowdy kits was going to be this difficult. At least Redkit is quiet."
Arthur looked Sharpsnap straight in the eyes and touched his nose. "At least I got to raise them with you in the clans. Did I tell you I love you? Because I do, quite a lot actually." Arthur purred while Sharpsnap pawed him in the face. "Yes you do. On a daily basis. Now can you get off me before the cats think I'm the queen that gave birth instead of Silentsplash?" Sharpsnap meowed amused and Arthur bounced off him. "Race towards the camp fluffypaws?" Sharpsnap met him with determined eyes. "I'll win this one kitty." He purred and raced towards camp. "Hey-! That's not fair get back here!" Arthur yowled out as he took off after him.
Nightspot faked barfing when the two toms left. "Great Starclan was that sickening. I hope you never become that lovey dovey with a cat one day. However, those are two of Windclan's warriors. Most cats don't accept them because they're not traditional mates. In fact, Sharpsnap broke the code by being mates with Arthur. Yet when the time came for Arthur to make a decision to live the life of a kittypet or be with the love of his life, he chose Sharpsnap. They even got to raise a litter together." Nightspot's gaze softened as the two toms disappeared from view.
"Windclan are cats that love to run. They enjoy hunting on the moor and even though it may seem cold to a cat outside of the clan, it'll always be home to those cats within. They aren't spineless cats like Shadowclan, or even lazy like Riverclan. They're more seen as skittish and quick to flee a fight. They aren't as strong as Thunderclan, but hold the same loyalty to each other or even more than any other clan around." Nightspot meowed out to Iron.
Iron had made a decision. "I want to be in Windclan, Nightspot." She said firmly. "If those two can live there without any cat wishing they were dead everyday of their lives, I would like to be there. I-I mean, if that's ok with you Nightspot." Iron dipped her head to the dark gray she-cat. "I thought you would chose Windclan. Even before you saw camp even." Nightspot purred and turned her body towards Iron.
"This is where we part ways for now Iron. You have made your decision to live with Windclan. I will visit you one day." Nightspot touched her nose to Iron and everything started to fade. "Be the best warrior you can be..." Nightspot's voice faded from Iron's ears and the world around her went dark.