Chapter 5: Birth of the Clan
The cats in the room gaped at her, especially Crowfeather. “Make a Clan?” he gasped.
“Can you do that?” asked Sasha dubiously.
“Surely it’s against some kind of rule,” agreed Sparrow.
“Can I be an apprentice?” squealed Otis.
“Where would this Clan live?”
“How would you find enough food?”
“I wanna be an apprentice!” Stormy yowled.
“There have always been just four Clans...”
“I-”
“Otis, shut up.”
“But Moth-!”
“Otis!”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Crowfeather, I don’t want my kits to live as rogues,” Leafpool said firmly. “I’m sure if StarClan was against it, Spottedleaf wouldn’t have helped us during my kitting.”
The gray-black tomcat meowed, “I suppose.”
“Once my kits can travel, I’ll find a place for my Clan. There will be plenty of food, water, and herbs where I go.”
“What if you don’t find this place?” asked Sasha skeptically.
“I won’t stop until I do,” promised Leafpool. “I can’t go back to the Clans by the lake. StarClan are still watching us. In a Clan, you are more protected than you are on your own. Who is with me?”
“Me!” pealed Otis, quickly to be echoed by Stormy.
“You need to stick with your parents,” advised Leafpool, their enthusiasm inspiring a glow of pleasure beneath her pelt.
Immediately the two kits rounded on Moss and Sparrow. “We have to go with Leafpool!”
“It’s not that easy,” murmured Moss, a torn look in her brilliant green gaze.
“I’ll miss the barn,” commented Sparrow. “But from what I’ve heard of the Clans from the two of you, then it seems like a good lifestyle. We’ll have a meaning, instead of being just rogues, just surviving.”
Moss gave her mate a very long look, and then she turned to face Leafpool. “We’re in.”
“YES!” yowled Otis and Stormy. Raindrop didn’t add her voice, but her beautiful azure eyes were shining with happiness.
“You know what I’m going to do,” declared Cody. “I was a kittypet all my life. I’ve known nothing but an easy life. I know I wouldn’t survive the hard life Sasha has lived. But that’s not the only reason. I want to make something more of my life. I think I’d be heartbroken if I had to say goodbye to you again, Leafpool.” The former kittypet’s blue eyes shined with warmth as she said, “I’ll join too.”
“Sasha?” Leafpool asked hesitantly. The tawny rogue was a very proud, independent cat; Leafpool was absolutely sure what she would say.
“I started my life as a kittypet,” Sasha admitted. “But fate decided I would become a rogue, so that is what I became. I was very close to joining ShadowClan, several moons before you were born, Leafpool. Had I taken ShadowClan scent, things would have been very different.
“However, I remained a rogue because of Tigerstar. I loved him, but I didn’t trust him. Ever since then, I have lived alone. I am very capable of living alone.”
Leafpool dipped her head, feeling disappointed. They could have used a strong, experienced cat like Sasha.
“But.”
Leafpool pricked her ears in shock.
“Change is a fickle thing. And I think it’s time I changed too. I will join your Clan,” meowed Sasha, her soft yellow eyes glowing.
‘Astonished’ was too weak a word to describe was Leafpool was feeling. ‘Utterly stupefied’ was a much better term. She had never expected the proud rogue to take on Clan scent.
There was one last cat who had not pledged himself to the new Clan.
“Crowfeather?” Leafpool murmured, her heart pounding. She was so afraid he would refuse. Maybe he had just stayed with her because he was a good cat, this would be the perfect chance to leave without losing face...
“Leafpool.” Crowfeather’s voice was very low but understandable. “You have known your whole life what my decision is.”
Happiness blossomed in Leafpool’s heart when she realized that his decision, too, was yes. She looked down in pride at her four kits. They were Clan cats, as their parents before them had been born.
“To our Clan!” yowled Sparrow.
“To our Clan!” echoed the eight other cats.
“What’s our name?” asked little Raindrop, her blue eyes round and curious.
Leafpool and her mate exchanged a glance. They hadn’t thought of that.
“BloodClan?” suggested the ever-violent Otis.
Both of the previous Clan cats flinched.
“Uh, no.”
“What Clans were the two of you from?” Sasha asked, gesturing towards Leafpool and Crowfeather.
“ThunderClan and WindClan,” meowed Crowfeather, sounding a little puzzled. “Why?”
Sasha’s eyes narrowed to blue slits. “StormClan.”
“StormClan?” echoed Leafpool, mystified.
“StormClan,” Sasha repeated. “A time in which both thunder and wind is present.”
“I like it!” chirped Stormy.
“I think BloodClan is loads better,” grumbled Otis mutinously.
“StormClan it is,” said Leafpool briskly. “Nice thinking, Sasha.”
The former rogue dipped her tawny head, a hint of pleasure deep in her ice-colored eyes.
StormClan was born.
I've personally always loved the name StormClan, so I'm happy to have finally been able to use it. Though Sasha helped give me a reason too. x3