The Forest Behind the Stars. Chapter1 Part2

Instructions

continues from part one... “I’m going in. I’ve had dreams! These weird stary cats keep coming to me in my sleep, saying I need to join this clan called ‘Featherclan!’ You’re not going to stop me!” Maple leapt off the fence and ran over to the edge of the woods, while Snowball and Dixie stayed on the fence, talked for a moment, and then they followed her to the edge. “We want to come with you Maple, we knew you were gonna go, you talk in your sleep, can we just postpone it, and leave at sunhigh so we can see what's going on around us?” Dixie said, and Snowball replied “yeah, it’s much smarter, and safer, plus, then we can get some extra rest and be a bit more ready.” “Fiiiiiiine! I guess we can do that.” Maple said, and dragged herself back across the grass over to her fence. She leapt onto the fence and sat for a moment. She looked back into the woods, and shapes seemed to move right in front of her. Cat shapes. Maple leapt down from the fence and ran over to the edge of the woods, and Dixie and Snowball yelled as they chased after her. Maple’s eyes saw the shapes more clearly now, two cats, one around seven moons of age, the other was too hard to tell the age. “Who are you? Why are house cats out this early skulking around in the dark of the dawn?” Maple asked, and Dixie ran up behind her. “WE are NOT house cats, you filthy thing!” the larger newcomer scowled. “Maybe if I could see who in the bird brains you are, I won’t call you that! Yeesh!” Maple called back. She walked a little closer, and the smaller cat stepped out. “Um, excuse me? I’m Birdpaw, and this is my mentor, Bobcattail. Sorry for us to have to get off on the wrong paws. What are your names?” the little one said, who was now known as Birdpaw. “I am Dixie, the large grey and white is Maple, and this furball is Snowball.” Dixie said as she stepped forward, and nudged each cat as she said their names. “ I did not ask!” Bobcattail yowled at them. “Why don’t you get off Featherclan territory, before I rip you to shreds! And you, how dare you ask that to our enemies! Don’t you know the warrior code?” he added, and he snapped at his apprentice. He stepped back and flicked his tail. What did it mean? Bobcattail turned around so fast, he looked like a blur. He leapt at Maple and she just barely dodged his attack. She jumped back in retaliation and swiped by his ear, trying to let him know she would defend herself even if some “clan cat” came to attack her. Maple arched her back and hissed, and Birdpaw leapt forward, but Snowball jumped and knocked him out of the way. While Snowball didn’t hurt little ones, he could still pull up some courage to keep swiping . He liked to use his brute size to scare off others. But he had a big sweet heart inside. Bobcatail ran over to Dixie, who was cowering on the other side of the fence. She wasn’t much of a fighter, so her owners never trimmed her claws. “Dixie! Claws!” Snowball shouted, and turned back to Birdpaw and grabbed her by the neck and tossed her back to the edge of the woods, however he was careful not to hurt her. Maple came pounding after Bobcattail, and just when she got close enough, she leapt up and landed on his back, and she bit down as hard as she could. Bobcattail yowled so loud, it got the attention of another cat. Rowanwood. He stepped into the clearing with a mouse in his jaws, but he looked confused. Why were they fighting? Maple flicked her tail for him to come over and help, and with his feelings for Maple, he came over to help out too. “What in the name of bird brains is going on?!” he yelled, as he shoved Bobcattail off Dixie, who got up and ran over to the sidelines to clean her cuts. Dixie whimpered as Bobcattail turned his attention to her, and he started his gaze looking for weakest points. But Maple found his weak point first. “Pesky little thing” Maple clawed at Birdpaw, scraping her underbelly and back. Then she went in for a bigger blow, she grabbed the apprentice by the scruff and threw her against a nearby tree. Birdpaw collapsed on the ground, and Bobcattail screamed at Moonclan. Even the dawn birds couldn’t beat that level of high pitch noises. Bobcattail ran over and screamed for help. “What did you do?! She did nothing! Please help me! Help her!” He grabbed the little she cat by the scruff, and dragged her back to the forest, leaving a small trail of blood behind them as they left. They limped off into the woods, and Maple felt a small pang anger. But she shook that off quickly. Dixie fell to the ground, from loss of blood, and the other three ran over and took her twolegs home. They dragged Dixie over and cleaned her as best as they could, and then let the twolegs do the rest. Maple left for her own home, and tried to get some extra sleep. But the image of poor Birdpaw, of what she did to little Birdpaw still haunted her mind. She fell asleep, and was visited by another stary cat. But this was a dark river cat. This cat was different. Right?