Chapter Two,
Beginnings,
Vole thrashed awake as a warm, liquidy texture was lathered into her leg. Yowling in surprise, the kit lept upwards and arched her back. "Jeeze kit, you're jumpy," a hunchbacked grey tom commented. Vole blinked and warily relaxed. "Who are you?" The grey Tom looked at her with no emotion in his expression. "Chameleon," he replied. Vole recalled seeing the large, green lizards hissing at her when she got close. She always thought it was odd how they changed color at the sight of her. Suddenly, she felt the warm liquid spreading on her fur. "What is that?" Vole wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell. "A poultice. It's a mixture of marigold and dock," Chameleon replied. Vole tipped her head to one side, but said nothing. "They stop infection," Chameleon answered her unasked question. Suddenly, Vole went rigid. "Ember and Lake! Where are they?" Chameleon only shrugged. "You're free to walk around camp, but be careful on that leg," he replied. Vole lept to her feet and bounded into the clearing. "Ember! Lake!" Her yowl echoed in the camp, causing almost every cat to look at her. Vole felt hot under her pelt, and she began to walk low, her belly fur brushing the ground. The cats slowly turned their head and back, and Vole tread more easily around the clearing. A black and white head shot out of the nursery. The kit squeaked and shot back inside. Vole heard whispering among five kits. "Let's attack!" One said. "How can I attack?" Another mewed miserably. "Bat at her!" The first one replied. Silence followed the mews, until Vole was tackled to the ground. Four kits batted her with sheathed paws, and one other kit lay off to the side and tried to find a spot to join in. Vole fell limp and waited for the kits to stop attacking. "Is she dead?" The white kit whimpered. "I dont know," another kit replied. "We win!" The third kit had yowled. Vole suddenly lept to her feet. "I'm not dead yet!" The kits squealed in terror and rushed back to their mother. All but one. The final kit, grey and bearing only two forelegs scrabbled desperately at the ground. Vole felt a rush of pity and nudged the kit towards the Nursery. The kit turned towards her and blinked gratefully. A queen poked her head out, her gaze hostile. "Don't mess with my kits, rogue," she spat. Vole winced and nodded. Suddenly, a large, heavy body crashed onto her. "Got you!" The stranger yowled. Vole thrashed around and threw her attacker off. Standing up to fluff out her fur, she whipped around. Suddenly, her fur flattened. "Ember!" "Vole! I heard them talking!" "Who?" Vole tipped her head to one side. "Sanddune and Reedtail!" Ember frowned as he saw confusion still clear in her eyes. "Reedtail is the leader of BeachClan, and you know Sanddune. He's the one with the scar," he replied. Vole nodded. "What did they say?" "They said we could join! They'll announce it later!" Vole bristled. Join? Join a strange group of cats she barely knows? All because they saved her from a bramble? Vole sniffed. "I don't like it here though," she grumbled. "But me and Lake do! You have to join Vole! We could get super cool names like Sanddune," he insisted. "Wonder what mine would be." "Probably something boring like Emberfur," she snickered. "No way! I'd be something like.. Emberfang." "I would be Lynxclaw! I don't like Vole," Vole replied. "Right, because you're as scary as a Lynx," Ember teased. Vole was about to reply when a yowl sounded from the Dune. Lake trotted over to them, fur bristled in excitement. "Let all cats gather beneath the Dune!" Vole stared up at the lanky tom with a very long tail. "Yesterday, we came across three kits, all of age of apprenticeship. We have decided to allow them to join if they wish," the tom announced. "Well? What's your answer? Would you like to join?" Ember was the first to agree. "Yes!" Lake nodded vigorously. The pair looked expectantly at Vole. Vole glanced at the two hopeful kits. Perhaps it really wouldn't be so bad. "I will join."