Post by cloudjumper on May 20, 2019 17:10:38 GMT -5
Chapter 1
Got to get away. Don't look back. These thoughts and more were running through Cloud's head as she ran on the slender branches of the oak.
As she reached the end of the branch she, without hesitation, leapt from the tree and landed nimbly in the next. She could hear the barks of several dogs coming from the base of the trees, but she did not even allow herself to imagine what would happen if her instincts failed her and she dropped from the branches and into their drooling jaws.
Cloud skidded to a stop as she came to the end of a slender willow branch. The jump from this branch to the next was farther than she was used to and she wasn't quite sure she could make it. Cloud swallowed hard, feeling as though a bone was stuck in her throat. Looking down, she could see the dogs jumping up and down the trunk snapping their jaws and letting out loud barks.
It's now or never, she thought to herself and unsheathing her claws, she backed towards the tree then ran as fast as she could and leapt into the air. As she flew through the air, Cloud became certain that she had misjudged the jump and now she was going to die. At the last moment she reached for dear life and managed to sink her claws into the branch. Breathing hard, Cloud dug her claws in deeper and pulled herself onto the branch.
Not releasing her grip on the branch, Cloud crouched for a moment to catch her breath. She looked down and saw that the dogs were padding away, their gazes reluctant and hungry as they looked back at her. She guessed that the creatures' Twolegs must have called them back. At least Twolegs have some use. Now that the dogs were gone, Cloud realized her claws were aching and she slowly released her grip on the branch, careful not to tear a claw.
More slowly now that she was out of danger, Cloud descended the tree landing on the soft forest floor. Now on solid ground, she opened her jaws to taste the air and her fur bristled as she scented cats.
No sooner had she scented the cats that a well-muscled golden brown tabby tom stepped out from the shadows. "That was some pretty impressive jumping."
His voice was calm, not aggressive but Cloud slid out her claws and took several steps back. "What of it?" She growled.
"I was just paying you a compliment," the tom purred as though he was amused by her aggressive response. "My name is Thornclaw."
Annoyed by his amusement and the nonchalance of his demeanour, but now sure that Thornclaw meant her no harm, Cloud sheathed her claws and sat down, her tail wrapping around her paws. "I'm Cloud."
"So Cloud, you wanna tell me what in the name of StarClan you did to ruffle those dogs' fur?"
The she-cat had managed to flatten her fur when she had told the tom her name but now her neck fur fluffed up and she narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to know?"
It seemed that Thornclaw's patience was wearing thin as he flicked his tail in annoyance. "You brought those mangy furballs into ThunderClan territory and I am a ThunderClan warrior. I have every right to know."
"Alright keep your fur on," Cloud spat him. Most of the words he was saying meant nothing to her but she could imagine that if the tom was part of a Clan, that meant he had friends, friends that would not hesitate to claw her fur off. Better to just answer his questions so she could get away from the annoying tom. "I was hunting outside of a Twoleg nest just outside of the forest. There were 2 rabbits that were just sitting there so I thought it would be okay but the Twoleg saw me and sent the dogs after me. Once I managed to escape into the forest, I climbed a tree and just kept running."
While Cloud had been telling her story, Thornclaw had been watching her intently, his golden gaze fixed on her. "Well, I'm sure you didn't mean to bring them here," he began in a quiet voice as though he was thinking hard. He opened his mouth to continue but at that moment a large dark brown tabby shouldered his way through the foliage to stand at Thornclaw's side.
"Thornclaw, are you apart of my patrol or not?" His amber eyes were clearly annoyed and as he turned his gaze on Cloud, the she-cat felt as though her white fur was being scorched by the dark tabby's gaze. "Who is this?"
Cloud opened her mouth to reply but Thornclaw slapped his tail across her mouth. "Bramblestar this is Cloud, she was being chased by two dogs from the outside of our territory."
Bramblestar's amber eyes widened. "There are dogs in the forest?" He growled.
Cloud bit down on the golden tom's tail causing him quickly remove it from her mouth. "There were," she replied glaring at Thornclaw. "They went running back to their Twoleg."
Bramblestar's fur flattened somewhat but his amber eyes still looked worried. "We'll have to patrol this area carefully from now on in case they come back."
Thornclaw nods but the gleam in his eyes told Cloud that he was not worried about the threat from the dogs. "Bramblestar you should have seen her run away from the dogs. She was jumping from tree to tree, it was like she was flying. Those mange-pelts would have never even got close to her."
The dark tabby looked impressed. "Where did you learn that?"
Cloud shrugged. "I lived in a tree most of my life. My mother's Twolegs would bring us food in the tree and so I was climbing from a young age. My mother taught me to jump from branch to branch to catch birds and squirrels."
Bramblestar nodded as he and Thornclaw exchanged a glance as if he now understood why the golden tabby had been held back from completing his patrol. "Cloud have you ever heard of the Clans?"
The white she-cat shook her head.
"There are four clans that live around the lake," Bramblestar began flicking his tail toward the large expanse of water that was just visible through the trees. "ShadowClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan. I am the leader of ThunderClan."
Cloud threw a surprised look at Thornclaw. This is your leader? She wanted to growl this question at the tom but she held her tongue. "What does this have to do with me?"
Bramblestar twitched his whiskers impatiently. "If Thornclaw is not exaggerating about your climbing abilities, it stands to reason that you would make a fine ThunderClan warrior."
Got to get away. Don't look back. These thoughts and more were running through Cloud's head as she ran on the slender branches of the oak.
As she reached the end of the branch she, without hesitation, leapt from the tree and landed nimbly in the next. She could hear the barks of several dogs coming from the base of the trees, but she did not even allow herself to imagine what would happen if her instincts failed her and she dropped from the branches and into their drooling jaws.
Cloud skidded to a stop as she came to the end of a slender willow branch. The jump from this branch to the next was farther than she was used to and she wasn't quite sure she could make it. Cloud swallowed hard, feeling as though a bone was stuck in her throat. Looking down, she could see the dogs jumping up and down the trunk snapping their jaws and letting out loud barks.
It's now or never, she thought to herself and unsheathing her claws, she backed towards the tree then ran as fast as she could and leapt into the air. As she flew through the air, Cloud became certain that she had misjudged the jump and now she was going to die. At the last moment she reached for dear life and managed to sink her claws into the branch. Breathing hard, Cloud dug her claws in deeper and pulled herself onto the branch.
Not releasing her grip on the branch, Cloud crouched for a moment to catch her breath. She looked down and saw that the dogs were padding away, their gazes reluctant and hungry as they looked back at her. She guessed that the creatures' Twolegs must have called them back. At least Twolegs have some use. Now that the dogs were gone, Cloud realized her claws were aching and she slowly released her grip on the branch, careful not to tear a claw.
More slowly now that she was out of danger, Cloud descended the tree landing on the soft forest floor. Now on solid ground, she opened her jaws to taste the air and her fur bristled as she scented cats.
No sooner had she scented the cats that a well-muscled golden brown tabby tom stepped out from the shadows. "That was some pretty impressive jumping."
His voice was calm, not aggressive but Cloud slid out her claws and took several steps back. "What of it?" She growled.
"I was just paying you a compliment," the tom purred as though he was amused by her aggressive response. "My name is Thornclaw."
Annoyed by his amusement and the nonchalance of his demeanour, but now sure that Thornclaw meant her no harm, Cloud sheathed her claws and sat down, her tail wrapping around her paws. "I'm Cloud."
"So Cloud, you wanna tell me what in the name of StarClan you did to ruffle those dogs' fur?"
The she-cat had managed to flatten her fur when she had told the tom her name but now her neck fur fluffed up and she narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to know?"
It seemed that Thornclaw's patience was wearing thin as he flicked his tail in annoyance. "You brought those mangy furballs into ThunderClan territory and I am a ThunderClan warrior. I have every right to know."
"Alright keep your fur on," Cloud spat him. Most of the words he was saying meant nothing to her but she could imagine that if the tom was part of a Clan, that meant he had friends, friends that would not hesitate to claw her fur off. Better to just answer his questions so she could get away from the annoying tom. "I was hunting outside of a Twoleg nest just outside of the forest. There were 2 rabbits that were just sitting there so I thought it would be okay but the Twoleg saw me and sent the dogs after me. Once I managed to escape into the forest, I climbed a tree and just kept running."
While Cloud had been telling her story, Thornclaw had been watching her intently, his golden gaze fixed on her. "Well, I'm sure you didn't mean to bring them here," he began in a quiet voice as though he was thinking hard. He opened his mouth to continue but at that moment a large dark brown tabby shouldered his way through the foliage to stand at Thornclaw's side.
"Thornclaw, are you apart of my patrol or not?" His amber eyes were clearly annoyed and as he turned his gaze on Cloud, the she-cat felt as though her white fur was being scorched by the dark tabby's gaze. "Who is this?"
Cloud opened her mouth to reply but Thornclaw slapped his tail across her mouth. "Bramblestar this is Cloud, she was being chased by two dogs from the outside of our territory."
Bramblestar's amber eyes widened. "There are dogs in the forest?" He growled.
Cloud bit down on the golden tom's tail causing him quickly remove it from her mouth. "There were," she replied glaring at Thornclaw. "They went running back to their Twoleg."
Bramblestar's fur flattened somewhat but his amber eyes still looked worried. "We'll have to patrol this area carefully from now on in case they come back."
Thornclaw nods but the gleam in his eyes told Cloud that he was not worried about the threat from the dogs. "Bramblestar you should have seen her run away from the dogs. She was jumping from tree to tree, it was like she was flying. Those mange-pelts would have never even got close to her."
The dark tabby looked impressed. "Where did you learn that?"
Cloud shrugged. "I lived in a tree most of my life. My mother's Twolegs would bring us food in the tree and so I was climbing from a young age. My mother taught me to jump from branch to branch to catch birds and squirrels."
Bramblestar nodded as he and Thornclaw exchanged a glance as if he now understood why the golden tabby had been held back from completing his patrol. "Cloud have you ever heard of the Clans?"
The white she-cat shook her head.
"There are four clans that live around the lake," Bramblestar began flicking his tail toward the large expanse of water that was just visible through the trees. "ShadowClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan. I am the leader of ThunderClan."
Cloud threw a surprised look at Thornclaw. This is your leader? She wanted to growl this question at the tom but she held her tongue. "What does this have to do with me?"
Bramblestar twitched his whiskers impatiently. "If Thornclaw is not exaggerating about your climbing abilities, it stands to reason that you would make a fine ThunderClan warrior."