Post by Spottedfur on Jul 15, 2008 15:11:34 GMT -4
Chapter 1
The Coming
I padded along silently, opening my jaws to taste the air. Vole and mouse flooded in, with the strong ThunderClan scent from my left. The camp was near; I knew it was, just as I had planned. I had to gain their respect if I planned to live here. I had been driven out everywhere else. Not that I blamed them. Slinking into a hunter’s crouch, I sneaked forward, downwind as I kept my eyes on the mouse, which was too busy grooming to notice me. About three fox-lengths away, I pounced, landing successfully with enough force to break its neck. Picking the fresh-kill up in my jaws, I brought it close to the nursery, where Ferncloud’s kits played.
“Die, ShadowClan scum!” Foxkit yowled, jumping on his sibling playfully.
“Psst.” I hissed to them.
Their ears perked and they looked up.
“Come here.”
They padded up curiously, practically stumbling over themselves.
I hate that I can never have kits.
“Look, a gift.” I said, pushing the mouse out.
“Hey, why doesn’t you paw have fur?” Icekit asked.
I quickly retracted my paw. “I… I’m a little different from cats.” I mewed. I had figured this out long ago, how I had to bathe in the lake at night, how grooming with my tounge wouldn’t work, how I had to wear the pelts of other animals. It was embarrassing, but I had no choice.
“Who are you?” Foxkit inquired, taking a bite of the mouse as his sister chowed down.
I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “A friend” I said with a purr. Well, my best imitation of a purr.
“You sure smell funny.”
“Now that’s rude. Perhaps I think you smell funny?” I asked with amusement. “All that milk in your fur, when what the last time you bathed?”
Foxkit looked away shamefully.
“Now where’d you get that?” Ferncloud said, craning her neck to sniff the mouse. I flinched- what if she deciphered my true scent?
“From a friend!” Icekit chirped.
My eyes widened in fear as I crept backwards. No! She can’t know who I am- not yet!
“Who’s that?” Ferncloud said, wrinkling up her nose slightly as she looked to the kits.
“Our friend! They’re right over there outside the barrier.”
I barred my teeth in fear and panic, my blue eyes as wide as saucers as she turned her green gaze to mine. My jaw quivered as she leaned foreword. “Wait, you’re a….”
“No!” I cried and turned heel, running though the forest. They don’t trust me yet! I can’t let them see or scent me!
I looked back, chest heaving, to make sure no one had followed me. Satisfied with the stillness of the air besides my panting, I rested. What if she tells Firestar? My progress will be ruined!
I hadn’t realized where I had run to was the top of the gouge that surrounded the camp.
“Hey.”
I looked over to find Foxkit picking his way through my legs, coming up beside me.
“Why’d you run?”
I smiled sadly. “You mama won’t trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because… because of what I am.” I replied.
“What are- AHH!” his paw slipped off of my soft skin, plummeting over the edge of the gorge.
“Foxkit!” I cried, leaning over the edge to catch his scruff as I slipped, pebbles spraying over the camp as I switched my grip from my back paws to my front, heaving myself over just enough to put Foxkit down safely.
“A Twoleg!” one of the cats cried from below.
My head whirled around in panic as I saw the cats coming out, some of the warriors growling. I kicked franticly at the stone in vane, my claws slipping from the little grass at the top. I yowled as I landed on the ground in front of gasping group of cats. I scrambled up against the side of the rock, pressing my back against the stone as I fell on my rump, wide-eyed at the group as they began to hiss and approach me with extended claws.
“No, wait!”
The cats looked up above my head. “Hey, catch me!” a voice called. Foxkit?!
I looked up just in time to see the red little tom leap over the edge.
“Foxkit!” Ferncloud wailed.
I thrust myself to my hind legs, catching the kit’s scruff in my teeth.
“Oh!” Ferncloud sighed in relief as I put the kit on the ground.
A ginger tom padded through the group of cats, eyes narrowing as he looked at me. “What is your name, Twoleg?”
I sat up, attempting to flatten the little hair on my head, having cut it recently, and place my paws on the ground, pushing out my chest in a proper manner. “Star.” I proclaimed. “My name is Star.”
(so yeah, that's the copy and pasted chapter one from the fanfic contest. I'm just adding ob from here, so it's not part of the submission)
The Coming
I padded along silently, opening my jaws to taste the air. Vole and mouse flooded in, with the strong ThunderClan scent from my left. The camp was near; I knew it was, just as I had planned. I had to gain their respect if I planned to live here. I had been driven out everywhere else. Not that I blamed them. Slinking into a hunter’s crouch, I sneaked forward, downwind as I kept my eyes on the mouse, which was too busy grooming to notice me. About three fox-lengths away, I pounced, landing successfully with enough force to break its neck. Picking the fresh-kill up in my jaws, I brought it close to the nursery, where Ferncloud’s kits played.
“Die, ShadowClan scum!” Foxkit yowled, jumping on his sibling playfully.
“Psst.” I hissed to them.
Their ears perked and they looked up.
“Come here.”
They padded up curiously, practically stumbling over themselves.
I hate that I can never have kits.
“Look, a gift.” I said, pushing the mouse out.
“Hey, why doesn’t you paw have fur?” Icekit asked.
I quickly retracted my paw. “I… I’m a little different from cats.” I mewed. I had figured this out long ago, how I had to bathe in the lake at night, how grooming with my tounge wouldn’t work, how I had to wear the pelts of other animals. It was embarrassing, but I had no choice.
“Who are you?” Foxkit inquired, taking a bite of the mouse as his sister chowed down.
I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “A friend” I said with a purr. Well, my best imitation of a purr.
“You sure smell funny.”
“Now that’s rude. Perhaps I think you smell funny?” I asked with amusement. “All that milk in your fur, when what the last time you bathed?”
Foxkit looked away shamefully.
“Now where’d you get that?” Ferncloud said, craning her neck to sniff the mouse. I flinched- what if she deciphered my true scent?
“From a friend!” Icekit chirped.
My eyes widened in fear as I crept backwards. No! She can’t know who I am- not yet!
“Who’s that?” Ferncloud said, wrinkling up her nose slightly as she looked to the kits.
“Our friend! They’re right over there outside the barrier.”
I barred my teeth in fear and panic, my blue eyes as wide as saucers as she turned her green gaze to mine. My jaw quivered as she leaned foreword. “Wait, you’re a….”
“No!” I cried and turned heel, running though the forest. They don’t trust me yet! I can’t let them see or scent me!
I looked back, chest heaving, to make sure no one had followed me. Satisfied with the stillness of the air besides my panting, I rested. What if she tells Firestar? My progress will be ruined!
I hadn’t realized where I had run to was the top of the gouge that surrounded the camp.
“Hey.”
I looked over to find Foxkit picking his way through my legs, coming up beside me.
“Why’d you run?”
I smiled sadly. “You mama won’t trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because… because of what I am.” I replied.
“What are- AHH!” his paw slipped off of my soft skin, plummeting over the edge of the gorge.
“Foxkit!” I cried, leaning over the edge to catch his scruff as I slipped, pebbles spraying over the camp as I switched my grip from my back paws to my front, heaving myself over just enough to put Foxkit down safely.
“A Twoleg!” one of the cats cried from below.
My head whirled around in panic as I saw the cats coming out, some of the warriors growling. I kicked franticly at the stone in vane, my claws slipping from the little grass at the top. I yowled as I landed on the ground in front of gasping group of cats. I scrambled up against the side of the rock, pressing my back against the stone as I fell on my rump, wide-eyed at the group as they began to hiss and approach me with extended claws.
“No, wait!”
The cats looked up above my head. “Hey, catch me!” a voice called. Foxkit?!
I looked up just in time to see the red little tom leap over the edge.
“Foxkit!” Ferncloud wailed.
I thrust myself to my hind legs, catching the kit’s scruff in my teeth.
“Oh!” Ferncloud sighed in relief as I put the kit on the ground.
A ginger tom padded through the group of cats, eyes narrowing as he looked at me. “What is your name, Twoleg?”
I sat up, attempting to flatten the little hair on my head, having cut it recently, and place my paws on the ground, pushing out my chest in a proper manner. “Star.” I proclaimed. “My name is Star.”
(so yeah, that's the copy and pasted chapter one from the fanfic contest. I'm just adding ob from here, so it's not part of the submission)
