[MillietheWarrior]

Bearpaw growled. "Speak for yourself." She grumbled once more as Stormypaw leapt onto the other side, and headed into the forest. As Bearpaw followed him, she shuddered. The young she-cat could not shake the feeling of being watched. Blinking her brown eyes, she strayed closer to Stormypaw, as they entered the foreboding forest looming ahead of them.

"This is it?"

Bearpaw sniffed incredulously at the expanse of trees stretched out before them. "All it is, is a forest. Just a bunch of trees, trees and more trees." She flopped onto the ground, heaving a large sigh. "I don't see why this is such a special place."

[MillietheWarrior]

Stormypaw growled, his eyes scanning the tree trunks for some sign of movement. After a moment, he dropped down on his belly, his tail brushing the ground. Sneaking forward, he leapt high into the air, and came down on top of something that shrieked horribly. Bearpaw leapt to her feet, eyes wide and fur bristling.

"What was that?" she demanded, stalking forward cautiously.

"Just some dinner," Stormypaw mewed casually, picking up the small mouse and padding back to his companion to drop it at her paws. "Why not give it a try?"

Bearpaw nearly gagged, and made a face. "Ew! Sick! That's not food, it's..."

"ThunderClan prey."

[MillietheWarrior]

Both sets of eyes turned to the harsh, grating voice that had growled at them. Bearpaw took a step back, her eyes fluttering wide open, while Stormypaw stood his ground, fur bristling protectively. A dark brown tabby tom stood before them, flanked by a smaller golden tom, a little cream colored tom, a pale gray tom, a long haired white tom, and a small grey she-cat.

Stormypaw stepped forward, his amber eyes crackling with a challenge. "And? My friend and I were hungry. We had to eat something. Or would you rather us starve?" He stood tall, his tail lashing behind him as Bearpaw watched the scene with a mixture of horror and fear. She was wedged between Stormypaw and a tree, and there was little chance that the two of them could take on all these cats at once.

[MillietheWarrior]

The dark brown tabby tom stepped forward, growling as his fur bristled sharply. "That still gives you no right to hunt on our territory. Now get out, before we make you."

The smaller golden tom eyed Bearpaw curiously, his amber eyes seemed inquisitive, and he sniffed in her direction. The small gray she-cat and the cream colored tom seemed interested in her as well. They each gave a sniff in her direction, following the golden tom's lead.

The dark brown tabby tom growled, and all three backed up to stand beside him. Stormypaw seemed unperturbed by this and stood his ground. "We won't leave. We came here to join ThunderClan." He dipped his head, his fur lying flat once more. "I am Stormypaw, and this is my friend, Bearpaw."

[MillietheWarrior]

The dark brown tabby tom looked skeptical, and shook his head. But there was a hint of amusement in his amber eyes, and he seemed to consider them for a brief moment. "I am Brambleclaw," he said at last. "I am the deputy of ThunderClan."

The white tom dipped his head as well, though anger flashed through his eyes as he glanced at the deputy. "I am Cloudtail, warrior of ThunderClan."

The gray tom that was with them seemed more accommodating, and he smiled at the two as he flicked his ears in Bearpaw's direction. "I am Ashfur, also a warrior of ThunderClan. And this is-" his tail swept towards the golden tom and his fellow apprentices, who smiled brightly.

[MillietheWarrior]

"Lionpaw, apprentice of ThunderClan," the golden one mewed, blinking at Bearpaw inquisitively.

The grey she-cat only smiled gently, her eyes full of excitement and happiness as she eyed Stormypaw. "And I'm Cinderpaw. Nice to meet you."

The cream colored tom seemed more inclined to look the other way, but mewed reluctantly when his mentor, Brambleclaw, sternly touched his shoulder with the tip of his tail. "Yeah, yeah. I'm Berrypaw."

[MillietheWarrior]

After the introductions, Brambleclaw led the small group back to camp. Stormypaw followed close behind him, his head held high and pride shining in his eyes. He was just so happy to finally be home, even if none of his former would-be Clanmates knew him.
Bearpaw was another story, she hung back, not wanting to be near the strange cats. This was all so foreign and unfamiliar. She didn't know what to make of it. The pale gray warrior, Ashfur padded along beside her, offering her a few curious glances every now and again.

When she glanced his way, feeling his gaze for the umpteenth time, he smiled lightly, flicking his ears towards her. "Bearpaw, huh? A nice name. Where do you and Stormypaw come from?"

[MillietheWarrior]

Bearpaw was at a loss. She focused her gaze on her paws, her brown fur rippling with each step she took. Ashfur took the time to wonder about her, and why she was here. Clearly, she was well-fed and well taken care of. Her fur was shiny, her belly full, and her eyes bright when they were not downcast. All in all, she was a very pretty she-cat. He smiled inwardly. She'd cause quite a stir in the Clan, that she would. But why leave a home that obviously took such good care of her? Had they been forced out, like the Clans had been not so long ago?

"Well," Bearpaw's voice broke him out of his musings, and he turned beck to her, pretending his mind had not been drifting. "We're, uh, not from around here, obviously. We come from...The other side of the...human houses..."

[MillietheWarrior]

Ashfur blinked in confusion. "Humans houses? You mean the twoleg nests?"

It was Bearpaw's turn to look confused, but, for the sake of ending their conversation, she nodded. "Sure, that's what I meant." Ashfur fell silent, letting the topic drop, but he still felt as though she was not telling him the truth.

Lionpaw had been listening to their conversation with quiet interest. Human houses? Bearpaw certainly had an odd way of describing things. She and Stormypaw were not like any cats he had met before. He wondered if she and Stormypaw liked one another, or if they were just traveling companions. The circumstances were suspicious. It was not often stray cats just wandered into the forest, even if they were hunting prey. He shook his head.

Maybe Firestar could make sense of it all.

---

[MillietheWarrior]

As the group entered the camp, there were stirrings and murmurings from the individuals who resided there. Many of the cats cast wary glances in their directions, some even flattened their ears and narrowed their eyes. Some still, smiled in a welcoming fashion, but there were few who did the latter.

Bearpaw stuck close to Stormypaw, who touched the tip of his tail to her shoulder in a comforting manner. Bearpaw could hear her heart pounding in her ears, the steady rhythm giving her a sense of security as she strayed into the middle of a potentially hostile camp.
As Brambleclaw led them to the middle of the camp, Bearpaw could hear distinctive murmurings coming from various places. Cats that were not there previously began to emerge from dens and bracken and a large mound of something that looked like a thorn nest. She gulped, edging closer to her companion. Stormypaw too, seemed to edge closer, and the two stood side by side, their black and brown pelts mingling together as they huddled close.

[MillietheWarrior]

A sharp yowl interrupted their thoughts, and both of the young cats snapped their heads in the direction it had come from. Standing on a large rock, was a flame colored tom, his amber eyes locked onto the two new cats.

"And who is this, Brambleclaw?" he asked after a moment of studying the new arrivals. "Have we picked up two more strays to add to our ranks?" His tone was light, and merry, but there was a dangerous meaning hidden in those words. If they were there to cause trouble, trouble was what they would find.

[MillietheWarrior]

Brambleclaw eyed them carefully, before turning to his leader. "I suppose you could say that, Firestar. This is Stormypaw and Bearpaw. They say they want to join ThunderClan. What do you think?"

Firestar gazed at them critically, his amber eyes narrowed in thought. At last, he seemed content with what he saw, and leapt down from the high rock. The cats that had been gathering outside of the small circle of the patrol, had now come in for a closer look at the two newcomers.

[MillietheWarrior]

A loud yowl came from the back of the crowd. "You can't possibly want to let them into the Clan, Firestar!" Many sets of eyes turned to the speaker, a dark brown tabby tom. "ThunderClan is already viewed as the weakest Clan in the forest because we take in so many kittypets and strays. We couldn't possibly afford to let them join. Think of what the other Clans will say! They would think we were weak!"

[MillietheWarrior]

Firestar shook his head. "I am well aware of what the other Clans will say and think, Dustpelt. And I do not care. We will offer them a place in our Clan. If they decide they want to leave, then they may. If they want to stay, I will accept them as ThunderClan cats in their own right. Do you think it wise to allow them to leave, to perhaps join WindClan, or RiverClan, or even ShadowClan?" There were murmurs of assent in the crowd, and many cats were nodding, agreeing with their leader. They did not wish for the other Clans to have two more strong and healthy apprentices in their ranks.

[MillietheWarrior]

"Now," he turned back to the two newcomers. Bearpaw, seeming to finally gain some nerve after all, stepped forward slightly, coming out from behind Stormypaw.

"Please," she said at last. "I don't really know what I'm doing here, but..." She glanced at Stormypaw for confirmation, but received only a confused stare instead. "I think I am supposed to be here. I think this is where I belong..."