Underfoot, Cali, & Others

It had taken a good long while for Underfoot to lead the other three cats out of the heart of Atroe City and out along the sprawling country roads, but eventually they'd reached their destination. "Okay, this is it. I don't know what other tom cats are here... so watch yourself, Sabbath." Underfoot was whispering this to the male as she crouched down in the timberline, at the very edge of the large yard. From there, they could see the house, and the form of a mostly black border collie sleeping curled up on the porch. The scent of other canines and farm cats was strong here, but it would take some searching to find them.

Cali slunk up beside Underfoot and crouched down on her belly. The tip of her tail twitched faintly, and her ears rotated this way and that as different sounds came to her. "Mmmmm... guys, I smell rabbits!"

Sabbath

The muscular tom stalked next to Underfoot and looked at the feild and the house in the distance. A low hiss excaped him as he saw the outline of the dog and his ears flicked back and forth, listening for any cats that would try and sneak up on them. His night piercing yellow eyes scanned the area for any movement. So where are these cats we would recruit? he meowed to her, his voice low.

Squeaker walked up beside Cali and looked around curiously. This place was so...interesting. When Cali said she smelt rabbits, the she-cat opened her mouth a bit and breathed in the air, letting the scents flow over her scent glands in her mouth. Her mouth watered as she noticed it to. I do to. Hey Sabbath. Can we go hunting now!! she asked happily.

Sabbath hissed at her. Later. Plus we wouldn't want to get chased by that dog. Squeaker pouted at her brother and scanned the field with her curious green eyes.

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

Underfoot was eying the dog too, and not fancying the odor of dog that clung so heavily in the area. "It's hard telling; most of them stay around a barn that's just over the hill that way, but they also hang around the house here. That's where the humans sometimes feed them." She said that with a note of disdain, not liking the two-leggers, or having to depend on the big creatures for sustenance. "Keep your eyes and ears alert though, they're around here somewhere."

Imagining a big plump rabbit was making Cali's stomach rumble. She perked up when Squeaker suggested that they go hunting, but before she could pipe in and agree, Sabbath shot his sister down, and Cali wisely kept her trap shut. Scooting in closer to Squeaker, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "Maybe when they're distracted talking to those other cats, we can go catch ourselves a big fat rabbit."

So far, no rabbits could be seen across the vast lawn, but their scent was fresh. Where none of them spotted a rabbit however, the muffled crackle of a leaf being stepped on alerted the group that someone was approaching their hiding spot. Underfoot tensed and swiveled her ears to the sound, with eyes darting to try and see past all the fall foliage and low branches in the timberline where they hid. A few seconds later, an orange-striped tabby appeared, and she was a large girl that looked to be very well fed and very well muscled. "Excuse me, what are you doing here?" Her eyes, a deep shade of mustard brown, narrowed and passed over Underfoot and Sabbath in a scrutinizing way.

Sabbath

Sabbath's ears had swiveled towards the sound of something approaching and her quickly looked that way. After a while, an orange tabby appeared. She looked like she had well-toned muscles and she was well fed judging by her appearance. He let out a small hiss and his fur bristled, scanning her body with his yellow eyes.

Squeaker had looked towards the sound to and smiled when another cat showed up. A she-cat, and a strong one by the look of it. She asked the group what they were doing here and before Sabbath could say something, Squeaker piped up before her brother. We're hear looking for recruits for our new clan, she quickly thought of a name without consulting the other, NightClan. Maybe you can show us to any other cats around here, besides yourself. Her voice, even though more high pitched then a regular meow, had a lot of dignity in it and even seriousness in it.

Sabbath still looked at the she-cat. His fur laid flat now, but his body was still tense for anything as he let his sister talk. He was surprised when she came up with the name of the clan so quickly and out of no where, but he didn't say anything. He would yell at her later. Though, he had to say, it was a nice name.

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

In response to the hiss and bristled fur, the tabby's tail became more animated, swishing from side to side to display her irritation. She scanned him right back without reservation too, but she kept her poise and didn't hiss back or show any inclination that she might attack. "NightClan? I've never heard of it." Her eyes flashed to Squeaker next, and this big tabby wasn't the only one surprised by the name. Underfoot and Cali shared a look between themselves, both seeming to like the title of their new group. Cali, for one, was even more excited about it, now that it was becoming more official.

"There are several young cats that are itching to get out on their own. A few of my own kids, matter of fact." Her tail grew idle as she spoke, now that she knew that this group wasn't out to cause drama at the farm. It was bad enough having wild dogs and wolves killing the livestock; the last thing she needed were some feral cats running around killing the chickens and getting her in trouble for it. "Follow me." She set off, directly across the front of the lawn as she ambled towards the house, showing no fear for the collie sleeping on the porch. Cali immediately followed after, while Underfoot, even for her larger size, hung back warily.

Sabbath

Squeaker hesitated as she glanced at the sleeping collie but followed none the less. She ran towards Cali and walked beside her. Her tail twitched with happiness.

Sabbath hung back longer but soon followed, catching up with both of the she-cats. He walked by his sister and hissed lowly at her, making sure the she-cat they were following didn't hear him. Damn it, Squeak!! How could you make up a name without consulting us!! he hissed in a whisper.

The grey and white she-cat pouted. Aw, come on, Sabby. she meowed, using her nickname for him, I couldn't tell her we're starting a group and we don't have a name yet. That sounds unprofessional. So I came up with one on the spot. NightClan was the first thing that popped into my head.

Sabbath still hissed. Still! Consult us before you make decisions!

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

It took a few moments before Underfoot gathered up enough courage to slink out of the brush and follow the others. Cali on the other hand was keeping pace with Sabbath and Squeaker and piping up with all the excitement of a kitten, "Well I think it's a good name! NightClan. It sounds... mysterious." The darkly mottled cat flicked her big eyes to Sabbath next, "You have to admit, she did kind of save us back there."

The orange tabby led them across the yard and on towards the side of the house, where a number of cats were playing amongst a pile of firewood. "Children!" The sharp meow made Underfoot flinch and duck down, and look back nervously at the porch. The collie laying there twitched an ear in their direction, but didn't bother opening his eyes - apparently he was use to having a lot of cats hanging around the place. "We have some visitors today, come greet them."

Five adolescent cats bounded down from the pile of logs and swarmed towards the NightClan, showing little fear or reservation for meeting new faces. Among the young cats were one male and four female; three were the orange tiger stripe like their mother, and the other two were a black tortishell that looked remarkably like Cali. "Who are you guys?" One of the orange tabbies was the first to speak up, directing her words for Sabbath.

Sabbath

Sabbath winced also as the she-cat yowled for her children, glancing at the dog. He sighed a bit as it ignored them. He was even more surprised as five more cats bounded towards them.

Squeaker meowed happily and looked at the five cats. She walked towards them and pawed one of the tortishell females. Aw. You're so cute. she meowed with a smile.

Sabbath hissed at his sister and Squeaker pouted and backed away to sit next to his brother. The black muscular tom looked at the orange tabby who asked who they are. We are... he paused as glanced at Squeaker. She gave him a pouty face and he sighed. We are NightClan. And we're looking for cats who would like to join our clan. he meowed. I am Sabbath. This is my sister, Squeaker. Squeaker smiled at them, estatic at Sabbath acception of their name and of the possible new members. These two are Cali and Underfoot. he added as he flicked his tail towards the two sisters.

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

The adolescent cats were use to being pawed at and rough housed with, thanks to the dogs, so the torti female wasn't so bothered to have Squeaker paw her in the face. She merely drew back a little and swatted back at the cat's paw, with her back end wiggling as she prepared to pounce at Squeaker. Sabbath's reprimanding hiss stopped her, even though it was aimed at his sister, and she sat back on her dark haunches.

The orange tabby who'd spoke up first was the one who kept the conversation going among her siblings, "NightClan? Wow, that sounds..." "Awesome!" The smallest female in the bunch, a paler colored orange tabby, gasped in delight at the group's name. Her high-pitched, squeaky voice was hard to ignore, "My name's Nava. Can I join your clan? Where do you live?"

Underfoot was silently judging the small cat, not sure if Nava would be fit to survive out in the wild. On the other hand, the tiny feline seemed to have a lot of spunk and energy, which was always a good thing. Either way, Underfoot remained quiet on the issue, letting Sabbath have the first say on who would be allowed to join them.

Sabbath

Sabbath glanced at the female tortie that Squeaker had played with as she sat down but brought his attention back to the group as a whole as they started talking amoung themselves about his new clan. The tom then looked at the small tabby piped up, speaking in a high-pitched voice. Her voice reminded him of Squeaker's voice and it made him smile. She was perky like her also. He nodded to her. Yes. You can join. You have a lot of spunk and if you think you can live out in the wilds then come. We do not have a home just yet. We are going to find one soon. he said to her. Sabbath then addressed the whole group. Listen up. You are all young and have much potential. I invite all of you to come join. But, understand this. Living in the wilds is hard life. You have to learn to hunt. There is no kittypet food or you out there. The season of leaf-bare is hard. There are threats of deseases. Threats from other clans. We need strong warriors. He had stood up by now and was stalking a circle around them, a serious look on his face. You need to learn the Warrior code and abide by it. You need to believe in Starclan, the place of your ancestors. I will not take weak-hearted cats. Now let me ask you a question. Are you strong enough to join NightClan? The tom stopped in front of them and towered over them.

Squeaker just listened to her brother, watching the younger cats to see what they would do.

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

Underfoot was standing still and observing the interaction, with only the end of her tail twitching with movement now and then. Cali had settled back on her haunches to listen with the same sort of awe and excitement that the bunch of adolescent cats were displaying. It was the smallest tabby of the bunch that spoke again, having listened to all that Sabbath had to say as he stalked around them and leveled them with what they were to expect if they wished to join the NightClan. "I know I can be strong enough. I'm already good at catching grasshoppers and moths, and by next summer I know I'll be ready to take rabbits and birds." She spoke of her qualities with pride and excitement, not at all daunted by the hardships that she would be facing away from the safety and security of the Ranch. Some of her siblings seemed a little more unsure about these challenges though, and two in particular backed away from the group to stand near their mother.

"I want to join too, and I want to learn about Starclan." This was the original tabby who spoke, "My name's Cloey." Beside her, a paler orange sibling, the only male in the bunch, nodded his head and looked squarely back at Sabbath. "I'm also with you. I'm Catac."

Sabbath

Sabbath smiled dearly as the little one pipes up again. She was the first to say she would join, stating of her qualities with pride. Though two of the young cats backed towards their mother, the ther two spoke. They both wanted to join the clan and he nodded. It is nice to meet you, Cloey and Catac. He said to them. A wide smile was spread across his maw, very happy that another male joined. Now there were 2 males, not just him. And since you are joining. What would be your name, missy? He asked the smallest tabby.

Squeaker had stood up and yowled happily when they said they would join. She then noticed the two cats near their mother and went over to them. Are you going to join? she asked.

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

The smallest remained the most bright-eyed and eager of the bunch, or at least expressed her enthusiasm more openly than Cloey and Catac. Her chest was thrumming with a deep purr that gave a rumbling quality to her sharp voice, "Nava. Thank you for letting me join." To show her appreciation and readiness to follow them, the little tabby moved forward and rubbed against Sabbath's front legs, then minced towards Squeaker and Underfoot to do the same thing. Underfoot tolerated the gesture with the smallest of smiles, finding the little cat's attitude an endearing one.

The two sisters that remained by their mother didn't look quite so excited as the others. One of the tabbies shook her head, "No, we're going to stay here. It sounds fun, but I like when the humans bring us food, and we have dogs to protect us."

Sabbath

Sabbath smiled when Nava rubbed against his leg. He leaned down and licked her ear when she did this, nuzzling her and purring a bit. After, he went back to being serious and looked at the two sisters near their mother who talked to Squeaker. Before his sister, could answer them and try to convice them to come, he spoke. "I see. Very well then. You can stay here. I will not force you to come with us. It is your choice."

Squeaker smiled also when Nava rubbed against her leg and she did the same thing Sabbath did except she licked her multiple times and nuzzled her for a couple more seconds, purring more loudly. After she nodded to the two sisters after Sabbath spoke to them. She went next to her brother and sat next to him.

Sabbath smiled at his sister, his tail swaying a bit. His attention then turned to the three kits in front of him. "Listen. All of you that are joining. We will be leaving shortly to find a territory. Say your good byes. I shall allow you to visit on occation, even though it is against th warrior code. As long as you do not come back to live here, then you are allowed to visit. If you change your mind to not live in the clan anymore and come back here, you will be banned. That means you have broken the warrior code beyond what I accept. Do you understand?"

Underfoot, Cali, & Others

Nava's own purring was loud and rolled through her body on an endless note of happiness. This spunky young cat would be a great asset to the Clan, when it came to keeping morale up and tending to members that were upset or otherwise needing a friendly face to talk to. After rubbing against each of her new friends, she stood neatly between Squeaker and Cali, and was soon crowded around by Catac and Cloey.

All ears turned back to Sabbath for his final speech, where he laid down the law and let them know exactly what was to be expected, and what what would get them booted from the clan. Cloey, Nava, and Catac all stood where they were, accepting the terms and ready to abide by them, each giving a prompt "Yes, sir." to his question. And when they were given a moment to say goodbye to their siblings and mother, the three briefly sprinted forward to nuzzle up to them and share a few words.

A sparkle of light caught Underfoot's attention, turning her gaze upwards where a snowflake was cascading down from the thick winter clouds above. "Sabbath, I think it's time we moved out. If this snow gets heavy, we will have a difficult time navigating in it." Not to mention, if they were caught out in the middle of a blizzard, it would be bad for them all.

Sabbath

Sabbath watched as the kits said goodbye then turned his attention on Underfoot when she spoke. He also looked up, noticing the dark clouds and snow drifting from them. He looked back at Underfoot and nodded. “You are right. We should go.” He stood up and yowled. ”Listen up. It is starting to snow. We need to set out. Now. I don’t know where we will be going, but I can ensure that we are going into the forest and the wild. It will take us a bit to find a territory suitable for our clan. So let’s go.” He immediately turning and started walking away, signaling with a twitch of his tail for them to follow.

Squeaker had noticed the snow also. She smiled widely. Oh, how she loved the snow. It was so pretty and, despite being freezing to the touch, it was fun to play in. But, despite wanting to swat at the sparkling flakes, she notice her brother stand. She bowed her head to the mother of the kits. “We will take good care of them.” She meowed. Then she nodded to the kits, signaling them to follow and ran up to her brother, walking along side him.