Newcomer

[Icestar]

Icestar paused for a brief moment as they approuched the clearing where her camp was positioned. She turned to look at Wireclaw. "The clan is very close, so do not be offended if they do not immediatly welcome you. I'm sure you know how clans can react to outsiders." She continued down the incline to the camp entrance, pausing to greet a warrior that was emerging from the brush.
"Greetings, Finepelt." The cat, a sleek-coated female, nodded to her clan leader respectively, then looked at Wireclaw in question. Icestar introduced them, then Finepelt smiled.
"Well, if you're a friend of Icestar, then welcome."

[wireclaw]

Wireclaw nodded at Icestar's first statement. She knew how clans treated outsiders alright... She nervously stared around the camp. Such strange cats. Walking slowly into the camp, the silver cat was happy to here a voice of greeting...
"Thanks," she said in her city accent, "I don't plan ta stay long."
Wireclaw realized that could be taken as an insult, and quickly added, "I plan to move on to another city, soon."

[Icestar]

Icestar hid a smile of amusement. She was proud that her clan did not look at the stranger with hostility. Seeing the stranger in the company of Icestar reassured them. "Over there is the Highrock, where I speak with the clan as a whole." She nodded to the large rock that jutted out of the ground. "My den is behind it," She continued to explain the other areas of the camp, such as the warrior's den, the elder's den, where the nursury was, and their medicine cat's den.

[sandclaw]

But Icestar over looked one cats hostile look at Wireclaw.
Sandclaw did not aprove of Icestar welcoming a strange cat into the Thunderclan camp. Icestar had done this without asking her or anyone else in the clan.
Sandclaw slipped through the crowd to speak to Icestar.
She dipped her head in respect when she reached Icestar. "May I have a word with you in your den?" Sandclaw asked her leader.

[wireclaw]

Wireclaw looked at Sandclaw, trying not to be nervous. This cat obviously didn't like her. Not moving- the silver cat wondered whether to dip her head in respect. She decided against it. Her best course was to act invisible.
With effort, she managed not to shrink from the strange stink of forest all around her. StoneClan. She thought fervishly of StoneClan.

[Icestar]

Icestar nodded. "Very well, Sandclaw. Wireclaw," She turned to address the city cat. "Please wait here for me to return." With a flick of her tail the clan leader indicated for her deputy to follow her to her den.

[sandclaw]

"Why did you let that strange cat into our camp?! With out consulting me or any other cat?! If that cat joins Shadowclan, or something, she'll know all about the camp to our disadvantage!" Sandclaw hissed once inside Icestar's den.
Sandclaw didn't mean to be so disrespectful to her leader, but she was strongly agaist her letting a cat outside Thunderclan into the Thunderclan camp.

[Icestar]

Icestar looked calmly at her deputy.
"I understand your concerns, Sandclaw, and you know I value your council. Wireclaw was cast out from her city clan because she helped a forest cat. I saved her life near Snakerocks, and I beleive that she is trustworthy. I showed her our camp to show her the life of a forest cat, and I offered her the safety of our clan." She flicked her gray tail.
"I know she values clan loyalty very much, and she will not willingly betray the trust I have shown her. I am giving her the chance to live in the forest. Otherwise she has no other home."

[sandclaw]

Icestar had a good point. Sandclaw looked down at the ground, embarrassed. She felt like a kit.
She dipped her head in respect, still looking at the ground, and left Icestar's den.
She told Finepelt that she was going hunting and left the camp. She had to find someone who she could talk to, she needed comfort.
She finally looked up from the ground, and headed in the direction of her secret place........

[wireclaw]

Wireclaw watched Sandclaw emerge from the Leader's den with mild suprise and huge amounts of curiousity. Icestar... the cat had impressed her, alright. Blinking, Wireclaw tried to remain sitting still. She wasn't quite sure what to do, in any case, so the former deputy just thought...

A lot of stuff ran through her head- but she kept remembering Steelfoot. Steelfoot, yes, before he became Leader. The silver tabby had very often wondered what went on in Highstones... Like most cats, she had not been privileged to be allowed in. Whatever it was, it had changed her mentor. Sometimes for the wiser, sometimes for the stronger.... sometimes for the worse. But no leader could make good decisions all the time. Idly, she wondered who was deputy now. Probably not Carjump... he was too flighty. Most likely not Smogpelt either. That was a good thing- young Car' and the stubborn senior warrior really had in for each other. Copperclaw... he would be a good choice, sensible, powerful, streetwise. Ambitious, but who wasn't? Besides, Copperclaw was absolutely loyal to StoneClan.

Wireclaw lapsed back into thinking about StoneClan. About this time of day, apprentices would be being drilled in the Covenant that StoneClan honored, as well as the Warriors Code....

[Icestar]

Icestar watchedher deputy leave with a flicker of regret. She wished that Sandclaw had not taken her words so heavily. She had not meant to sound upset. She sighed and stood up, padding from her cool den into the sunlight. Spotting Wireclaw, she made her way over to the city cat.
"Forgive Sandclaw, she's a very loyal clan member, and takes her position as deputy very seriously. She'll come around, you'll see. And now, would you like to tour the camp?"

[wireclaw]

Nodding absently, Wireclaw continued to chant with her mentor in her mind. As Wirepaw, of course.
And what comes next, young Wirepaw?
Um... Protect... protect the helpless and homeless, something something keep the peace 'tween clans, not steal kits an-an- it is a Leader's duty to run a the clan a deputy-
The word deputy snapped her back to reality.
"Sorry! Yes, I understand. It's the deputy's duty to protect and preserve the clan." Wireclaw's voice went hollow for an instant.

[Icestar]

Icestar cocked her head and furrowed her brow. "Have I said something wrong? You seem troubled."
She wonderred if perhaps the newcomer was reminiscing about her former clan.

[wireclaw]

"Nothing, nothing at all." Wireclaw managed to say, then forced a pleasent expression. "So, is that it? Do I need to do anything, because if not, I'm very tired." The statement was out before she could stop it. Ouch. Obviously she couldn't sleep with the warriors- she wasn't of Thunderclan, and it wouldn't feel right to be with the Elders or the apprentices. "Er, I could sleep outside the camp. I'm pretty sure I can catch my own prey, so I don't need to be a burden, and I can be on my way in the morning." She still held the hope of finding another city clan...

[wireclaw]

...And nobody posted for a really long time....

[Icestar]

((Sorry! I know I've been really busy for a while, and haven't gottten on!))
Icestar nodded. "I understand. Yes, you may sleep outside the camp if you wish. But before you intend on leaving tomorrow, please come speak with me again."

[wireclaw]

(It's fine! Beh. Writer's block, so it's a crappy post. Sorry.)

"Yes, Icestar. Thank you for your hospitality." The silver-she cat padded out of Thunderclan camp.

* * *

An undersized mouse was all she caught; hunting in the forest was nigh impossible to her. And how did one catch those funny... vole....things? Or the squirrel? Where city squirrels were fat and lazy, these were scrawny, lean, alert. Gah. After a lifetime of having prided herself on being able to bring down a street rat, this was just plain embarrassing.

At least I won't be depriving them of freshkill. Wryly thinking this thought, the former deputy curled up in the lee of a tree...

Wirepaw ran across the long bridge, the Deathbridge. She wouldn't have done it later in life- but a young and overconfident apprentice will perform many idiocies to prove herself. Besides, Carpaw dared her to. It was a skinny, one way bridge with no room for anything but the monster to squeeze by, and the river it crossed was Deathtrap, a shallow, rocky place that flowed with the speed of a motormonster.

Laughing, she turned to look at Carpaw. "See! Told you I co-"

Midway across, she paused. Behind him stood Streetstar, the siamese colored leader of Stoneclan. Her stomach sank.

"Young Wirepaw!" Leaping onto the Deathbridge himself, eyes gleaming, he stalked towards her.

In her sleep, she rolled over fitfully.

Buffeting her with a paw as he reached her, he hissed. "Steelfoot will hear about this, see if he doesn't." Cringing, the apprentice imagined her mentor's reaction as she scampered towards the land, even as she touched shore, hearing the big cat, so like a father to her, his potential reprimands and punishment duty echoing simultaneously in her head.

It wasn't even a car, but a skinny little motormonster that Streetstar didn't see.

He plunged into the water, thrown ruthlessly into rock after rock, life after life, even as Carpaw yowled. Unconciously Wirepaw's feet moved- she raced along the bank, unable to help.

And the dream changed.

After the seventh rock, the leader went limp for the final time, Carpaw turned to her, aging into Carjump even as she stayed an apprentice. "You killed him! Bring back my kits!"

Turning into Steelstar, "Forest cats and city cats don't mix, Wirepaw. Leave us, and don't come back."

Shame ran through her, grief, pain. How could Steelstar do this, as even before her eyes the apparition changed into something even more terrible, a vision of two walking kits, two walking, dead, beat up kits... Carjump's and Ashfur's... Why didn't she save them? Why didn't she save Streetstar? As the kits came closer, they finally became skeletal, whining, mewing in distress...

With a yowl, Wireclaw awoke.

[Icestar]

After having a fulll night's sleep, Icestar lay at the entrance to her den, her chin resting on her paws she the gray female thought. She pondered on many things, planning for the clan, but one cat strayed into her thoughts. Wireclaw. Did Starclan intend for Wireclaw to find her clan? What had her life been like before she arrived, and what had driven her to come to the forest?

[wireclaw]

It was dawn.

Just as well, I don't think I'll be asleep again, not for a while.

She hadn't had the nightmare about Streetstar since... since...

Since I became Wireclaw. As if to shake the night's taint off, she leapt, performing a dancelike furious excercise of energy, tearing through the trees in random circles, ripping up underbrush.

At last, exhausted, she stopped. The ending had been different. Of course it had. It was just stress. Begin life in a new clan, as an ordinary warrior, worse, as an outsider. They might even put her through apprenticeship again. City clans could be more mistrustful than savages. Forest cats. Unless she still thought of Icestar as a savage? Surely the leader was no less of a cat than Steelfoot. Steelstar... Steelfoot. I need your help. Rolling on her back, she looked mournfully at the sky, trying to bring back the fatherly ways of the cats she had known before he became leader. Silence. Steelstar would never help her; Steelfoot was gone for good.

I had better get going. Icestar wanted to see her first. Still tired, now feeling lost on a deep level, she trufged towards the Thunderclan camp.

[Icestar]

Icestar was heading out of the camp when she ran into Wireclaw. The cat looked depressed and lost. Icestar paused, concern on her face.
"Wireclaw, you look terrible. What is troubling you?"

[wireclaw]

I must be going deaf if I didn't hear her!

Startled, Wireclaw's head jerked up, quickly composing her expression. "I'm just thinking... Death tolls have been unusually high in StoneClan these past few Leafbares... they may have kicked me out, but I still worry about them." And I'm almost positive I could never think of myself as part of another Clan.

She was sure she didn't want to tell Icestar about Streetstar or her dream just yet- changing the subject, she added, "Are you ready for me to leave? I don't wish to impose on your territory nay longer." Outsiders were always a burden.

[Icestar]

Icestar looked gravely at the other cat. "It is Leafbare, I realize that, but I offered you my help, and have not yet withdrawn it. If you need to rest in my clan until you are ready to move on, then you may, and it is no imposition."

[wireclaw]

( >.< I can't think of how to deal with this... Wireclaw's pride won't let her stay on sufferance, but if she moves on, she'll just disappear from the site. I'll post when I think of something.)

[Icestar]

((Maybe she'll decide to just rest for a few days on the clan's land, and decide from there. Do you actually want to join Thunderclan?))

[wireclaw]

(Not sure.)

[wireclaw]

"Do you mind?" The she-cat sighed. "I hope you understand, I will do my part for your Clan, no matter what you need me to do."

Up to and including caring for the Elders.

Anything, so long as she wasn't taking charity. Wireclaw's pride would never allow that.

"I will move on after leafbare."

[Rainpaw]

"I am nothing but a kit.... But I wouldn't mind sleeping with Wireclaw...... Nothing crazy though!" Rainkit dipped her head low, embarrassed for barging in!