A/N: Hello! It's me, StarSpecks! I'm sorry for deleting my other stories; I decided to put the Alphabet Series in a one-shot book. To add to that, I'm going in order as well. This first one is Ashpaw's Accident.
Today's story: Ashpaw's Accident~
Summary: The day after they became apprentices, Amberpaw and her brother, Ashpaw were playing in the woods. "Tag!" Amberpaw laughed, flicking her brother's shoulder with her tail before disappearing into the thick foliage. "Hey!" Ashpaw darted after her, running onto the hard, black surface. His eyes widened as he tasted the unfamiliar tang of the Thunderpath, the flickering eyes of the monster. . .
Next story: Birdfeather's Banishment
I don't own Warriors!
Ashpaw's Accident
"Ashpaw!" Amberpaw called to her gray-pelted brother. "Let's go play in the woods!"
"But we're not supposed to," Ashpaw argued. "We're not kits anymore!"
"C'mon, Ashpaw!" Amberpaw teased, nudging her brother playfully. "Are you afraid?" Ashpaw stood up and puffed out his chest. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "But still, we have to get our mentors' permission." Amberpaw sighed.
"Ashpaw, when will you learn that rules are meant to be broken?" she said, exasperated. She leaned down and grabbed her brother's tail. "Let's go," she said, her voice slightly muffled, and she attempted to drag her brother out of camp, drawing strange looks from nearby cats. Ashpaw laughed nervously and darted after his sister. He chased her deep into the woods, close to ShadowClan's territory.
"Look over there," Amberpaw whispered. "ShadowClan. Yuck." She made a face. Ashpaw frowned at the large, flat, black stone in front of them.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Doesn't matter," Amberpaw said dismissively. "Let's go back." They went near the training area, where they had fun making paw prints in the sand and kicking up dust. "Tag!" Amberpaw laughed, flicking her brother's shoulder with her tail before disappearing into the thick foliage.
"Hey!" Ashpaw darted after her, running onto the hard black surface he had seen before. His eyes widened as he tasted the unfamiliar tang of the Thunderpath, and the flickering eyes of the monster blinded him...
The last thing he felt was pain before he blacked out.
"Might not survive..."
"Is he alright?"
"He needs space..."
The voices swirled around him, but they all sounded the same. Ashpaw took a deep breath and winced as a jolt of pain went through his leg. He took in the scents of the medicine cat den. He smelled poppy and horsetail, mint and honey, and-
"Amberpaw," Featherheart's impatient voice said. "If you want Ashpaw to get better, you need to give me space. Besides, you still have to fulfill your punishment by tending the elders."
"But-" Amberpaw started. She gave a sigh, then padded out of the den. Ashpaw opened his eyes, squinting as sunlight blinded him. Featherheart was bustling around the medicine cat den, grabbing herbs off shelves and muttering to herself. Ashpaw looked down at his leg, which was heavily bandaged, and almost screamed.
The cobwebs wrapped around it were bright red with fresh blood. The herbs that were packed tightly underneath it were also soaked. Worst of all, his leg was twisted the wrong way, pointing away from his body.
"Featherheart?" he croaked. "What happened?" Featherheart looked up from where she was sorting herbs. Her face was sad.
"You've broken your leg," she said softly. "It will never heal." Ashpaw's throat closed up; he couldn't breathe. It will never heal, Ashpaw repeated. Never.
A few moons later, and Ashpaw still wasn't recovering. Featherheart worked day and night, struggling to keep the apprentice alive. Dewdrop, Ashpaw's mother, was worried sick. She spent a long time sitting by him, murmuring comforting words. You'll get better, she said once. You have to.
One day, Ashpaw woke up to find himself in a starry world. "Where. . ." his voice trailed off. His father, who had died during a fox attack when he was little, was padding towards. There were no scars to show his throat had been slashed, no tufts of fur missing. He looked as healthy and energetic as a young warrior.
"Flameclaw?" Ashpaw asked. "Where am I?"
Flameclaw lowered his head. "My son, you are dead," he murmured.
"What?!" Ashpaw shrieked. Flameclaw led him to a pool of water where Ashpaw's body was being laid in the center of camp. Amberpaw was sobbing into his fur, and Dewdrop sat next to her, tears streaming out of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Amberpaw kept whispering.
"Your leg got infected," Flameclaw explained. "It was too late for Featherheart to save you."
"No! I have to go back!" Ashpaw protested. "I have to tell Amberpaw I forgive her!"
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," Flameclaw said. "Let's go." Ashpaw glanced at the pool one last time. "I forgive you," he whispered, then followed his father into the unknown world.
