#snowback

The smell of fresh herbs suddenly reached to her nose, distracting her from her duty. Way, way too sweet and ever - changing to be natural. Sure, it wasnt abnormal to smell flora during Newleaf, but as a leader, she knew the difference between normal herbs and their presence. Alright! Let's see what we are dealing with right now! She thought as she hurriedly buried the morsel right by the log. She adjudted her grip on the short blade quickly, than by using a long patch of grass growing by, she stalked deeper into the woods. She knew that the real danger had returned and she didnt want to be a scaredy mouse, especially as the leader of Sakura Clan!

She opened her maw as she followed the unwanted smell, because alongside it, she began to hear desperate meows of a cat, calling for his wizard. Ears perking up with curiousity, Palestar moved closer and closer. She could see a wizard, holding a fellow feline by his scruff. A huge, half open book was hovering over it as it walked at a Thunderpath and threw him there. Palestar's eyes widened as the cat hit and bounced off the hard ground like a moss ball. The book opened fully and it's pages flipped fastly as it spat out a short sword by him. The weapon dropped with a clank and shower of yellow sparks. For few seconds, the wizard stared at the cat before turning around and walking away with its spinning book.

Palestar glared at the intruders as they disapeared. Ugh! If not for that thing, she would've clawed the legs off the wizard! Whatever, she had to focus on rescuing this cat now. The Molly checked around before getting up and rushing towards the poor cat. While she was focusing on getting ready for the first burial of her Clan, she saw his chest rising and falling and heard the sound of breathing. Oh! Is he alive?

Palestar lowered her head to sniff his face until his one ear twitched, which made her blink. ''Hey, you,'' She mewed lowly. ''Why are you still laying down here? You should get up.''

''Why should i? I have nothing left to fight for anymore.'' The other cat mumbled as he curled up. ''No family, no job, no life, no purpose, no nothing.''

Palestar sighed out loud as she eyed him down. The way this cat just accepted death felt like flying or teleporting, so wrong and impossible. She shook her head firmly. ''I can't cure all of your sadness, unfortunately, but i know that i can give you a place to stay until you figure it all out. I can't let you die here. No cat can and should.''

He raised his head up to look at her with tired eyes. "Will you leave if i say no?"

Palestar shook her head. "Absolutely not. I want you to join us."

He blinked for a few seconds and then sighed. "Okay, whatever. I'm fine with it." He meowed as he uncurled and planted his paws down. Palestar rushed up to support him as he forced himself on his paws with a groan and took his short sword. Than both of them fastly padded away from the Thunderpath.

After Palestar led the stranger away from the Thunderpath, she heard him meow: "So, you used us. `Join us,` you said. What's up with that?"

"I am the leader of a Clan of survivor cats: Sakura Clan. I was hunting for my Clan when I realised that your wizards were nearby, so I decided to go and check and i found you." Palestar explained.

"Well, may I learn your name?" He asked.

She turned around to smile at him. "I'm Palestar. What's yours?"

"Rockjoy. My name is Rockjoy." He replied, also smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Rockjoy. Keep following me and I led you to our camp."

Rockjoy nodded and both cats padded deeper into the forest. As he walked closer to the camp, he saw one of his warriors sitting by one of the trees, holding his own blade. Suddenly, a brown apprentice bolted out behind the warrior, his tail twitching nervously, and his mentor's attention fixed in front of him. Palestar nudged Rockjoy encouragingly and both of them walked closer.

"Palestar, hello." Brownclover meowed with a nod of his head, a move which the apprentice copied.

Palestar stood in front of them. "Hello, Brownclover, Talonpaw. How did the hunting patrol go?"

"We could not bring anything, unfortunately," Talonpaw meowed shakily. "Snowback sent Robindust to hunt by himself after we returned, so we decided to guard the entrance."

Palestar nodded. "I see," Than he gently nudged the apprentice by the shoulder gently. "Hey, cheer up! At least neither of you was injured during the patrol, which is good!"

Talonpaw licked his lips. "I-I guess..."

Brownclover draped his tail over his apprentice's back while tilting his head. "Well, who's that?"

"My name is Rockjoy." The golden brown tomcat meowed.

"I just found him by the path after his wizards threw him out," Palestar started to explain. "So I offered our home to him."

Brownclover gave him a smile. "Oh, neat! Welcome to the Sakura Clan, Rockjoy!"

"Yeah, hello." Talonpaw meowed quietly.

"Thanks."

As his cats repositioned themselves, Palestar entered the camp and looked around. Gingerkit was playing with a moss ball in front of the nursery. Robindust wasn't around, just as Talonpaw said. Snowback and Waterpelt were standing by the healer's den, though, they turned towards her quickly. Snowback got up and trotted towards them.

"Palestar, hello." He meowed with a rough voice, before eyeing the stranger. "I didn't know you wanted to hunt cats when you left."

She chuckled quietly, than nodded at the outsider. "Well, he is surely a nice surprise. Now, Snowback, this is Rockjoy; I've found him by the Thunderpath." Her deputy let out a low grumble, which sounded like a half - proper greeting. "Rockjoy, this is Snowback; the deputy of Sakura Clan."

The golden tomcat took a step closer to him. "So, you are another cat of importance in this Clan, hmm?" He meowed, the somber tone from earlier gone and replaced by a voice smooth as a blade.

"Correct." Snowback replied shortly while licking his lips clean.

Rockjoy bowed his head down. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"The feelings are mutual," The deputy than took a step closer to him. "Do you have any injuries? Thunderpaths can be a gash on the side."

He shook his head and placed a paw on his chest. "Ah, definitely not. Although, the care you cats show already plants the seeds of love inside my heart."

Palestar flicked her tail. "Well, us cats have to take care of each other now. That's just how a community works." A community which all of these cats deserve! She added in her head.

"Correct." Snowback said again as he nodded gravely. "Will you join our Clan, Rockjoy?"

His face lit up. "Oh, I'd love to!"

"Well, than, consider it done." Palestar said with a twitch of her whiskers. Rockjoy looked at her like a kit allowed to eat before others. "I'll simply announce once Robindust comes back."

Snowback lowered his head. "I have no objections. İf anything, I'd be pleased to have Rockjoy with us."

The striped, golden brown tomcat purred with a smile. "You Sakura cats are way too generous for a stranger like me. What if other cats doesn't like the idea of me joining? Than what, will I be exiled back into the wild?" Despite the question sounding quite icky - yucky, he didn't sound somber, only curious relaxed.

She opened her maw to answer, but before Palestar could get a word out, the gray and black tomcat by her replied: "Nonsense!" He almost spat out, tail tip flicking. "The word of the leader is the law here! Whatever Palestar demands is to be carried out and if Palestar says you are joining, than you are! That's the final!"

Rockjoy tilted his head and blinked up at the older tomcat. "And what if they don't like that I'm joining them?" He asked almost innocently.

Snowback's eyes narrowed sharply, his gaze looking like bunch of dark dahlias as he stared back. "Then they can take their tails and piss off! There are 6 survivor Clans in this forest! Leaving one of them isn't the end of the world!"

Palestar snickered at the dark Tom's words and gave him a playful shove with her shoulder. "Woah! Very aggressive, Snowback."

Snowback shrugged, unaffected by the shove, though his tail tip paused it's twitching. "I said what I said, Palestar," Snowback meowed as he raked his intense gaze over the trees littered all around them. "I'm a deputy, not a bystander. Whatever it is necessary to keep Sakura Clan running, I'll do it."

Palestar couldn't help but flick her right ear at that, a smile growing on her muzzle as she tossed her tail over his light coloured back. She knew she had the right decision by making Snowback the deputy. He'll make a great leader when she lost her last life too. Ah, she almost couldn't wait to make him the leader of Sakura Clan! Snowstar sounded very cool too, now that she thoug-

"Oh dear Star Clan!" A young tomcat shouted with amazement from behind them, making everyone turn and look. And what they saw made few bellies rumble, especially Palestar's.

A dark brown cat was holding a large animal by its neck and trying to drag it into the camp. It's long ears were dangling down and there was a fearful yet blank look on it's eyes. It's branched up horns curved here and there, making it extra dangerous to carry. Palestar didn't even tried to stifle the purr that rose from her throat when her eyes drifted down to its bloody chest, where Robindust's own short blade stabbed deep in it. Hmmm, mouthwatering. She thought with a smirk.

Talonpaw stood right by Robindust, mouth still hung open, inspecting the prey with wide, wonder - filled eyes. Robindust sighed and swished his tail towards him. "Talonpaw, away! Or I might nick you with these horns!"

Talonpaw jumped backwards with a yelp and Palestar saw Gingerkit abandon the moss ball and wobble towards them. Talonpaw also saw the little kit and strode back at her, than placed a paw on her shoulder to stop her from moving closer. Robindust basically threw the prey to the ground and cracked his neck.

"Dear Star Clan, finally!" He groaned. "My neck was starting to ache!"

Rockjoy inched closer to sniff the Jackalope, but backed away when Robindust shot a critical stare on his way. Palestar pranced at it, feeling very smug and proud that one of her warriors could catch such a mighty prey. She gripped the handle of the blade and gave it few hard tugs. She smiled victoriously when she set it free from where it was lodged in. Ignoring the red, warm liquid splashing her tiny bit, she turned around to hand the weapon back to its owner. "There, Robindust."

Robindust's tail swished joyfully as he reached to take the weapon. "Thanks, Palestar."

"You're very welcome." She replied as she handed the sword back.

Despite knowing everyone is here, Palestar whirled around for a head count, than she smiled at the increased number of cats. She raised her own sword to get everyone's attention. It didn't even took a minute for everyone to look at her.

"Dear Sakura cats! Today is the day we are thriving as an united Clan!" Palestar began as she lowered her weapon. "Robindust's catch deserves to be celebrated and eaten as it is, and eat we shall! And after we are done, I have an important announcement to make! So please stick around!"

Gingerkit suddenly hopped to her paws with excitement, but Talonpaw only shook his head and leaned in to whisper something into her ear that caused her to sit back down with dissapointment. Palestar turned her head towards the healer, than Robindust, and smiled at both of them.

"Waterpelt, why don't i and Brownclover help you prepare the meat while Robindust seats everyone around?"

All cats nodded at that and Robindust dashed towards the warriors den, clearly excited to feed his Clan mates. Palestar flashed a grin at the chosen cats, seeing the excitement and hunger flash in their eyes. The thirst for blood and tearing this animal apart made her heart flutter. She grinned at them and meowed: "Let's get this gone. Alright, fellas?"