C H A P T E R   2 

      The four leaders stared at the exhausted kittypet and listened to the murmurs of the crowd until Lionstar's voice rang out over the noise. "Why should we help you, a kittypet hardly old enough to be an apprentice?" The kittypet took a step back, obviously frightened by the huge black leader of ShadowClan. "We have better things to do than help a lost kittypet." He boomed again. "Actually," the ThunderClan leader mewed,"No, we don't have anything better to do. ThunderClan will help this young cat." The statement was promptly followed by a yowl from the Swiftstar. " Of course ThunderClan sides with kittypets! Kittypet blood still runs through their veins!" "Mind you," yowled Icestorm, the ThunderClan deputy and, as he made well sure everyone knew, the Clan cat with the closest ancestor of the ThunderClan leader, Firestar. "A ThunderClan leader by the name of Firestar--" This was followed by a groan from practically every cat in the clearing. "Oh yeah, remember him? He saved all of our clans many times, especially yours," He glanced at the WindClan leader. "and his grandchildren, which were part WindClan along with part kittypet, went on to do great things as well. I have to say--" Wildstar cut him off before he could openly insult the WindClan leader,"The moon is setting. This matter will be resolved at the next gathering. Until then, this kittypet, er--" He glanced at the kittypet. "Jon Claude," he mewed. "My name is Jon Claude." The leader turned back to address the crowd and said at little more than a whisper, "Jon Claude is free to stay with ThunderClan.