Rogue - Chapter 1
Again, this story is ancient.
I don't own Warriors.
Chapter 1
The sun was just rising in over the gorge walls as Frostflower padded out of the warriors' den. She sighed. It had been almost a moon since Ashclaw's death. The Clan was getting along, but they treated her different, but if they knew the truth, Frostflower knew the consequences.
She sighed and padded further out into the camp and saw the Clan going around with their daily duties as usual. Rabbitleap and Creekfeather, the two Clan elders lay basking in the sun near the stream toward the nursery.
"Our nests need to be cleaned," Rabbitleap complained.
"Oh, hush, brother," Creekfeather meowed annoyed lashing his tail. "When we were apprentices we always thought that the elders were badgering us about their bedding when they just needed to be warriors and forget about it."
Frostflower's whiskers twitched in amusement and saw Airpaw and Breezepaw rush toward the elders' den after hearing the words. "Come on, Breezepaw, we forgot to change them!" Airpaw nearly yowled pelting toward the den.
"Foxkit would've loved this," she whispered remembering her son. She glared at the ground for letting herself bring back the pain. She shoved it to the back of her mind and padded toward the fresh-kill pile.
"Hey!" a voice cut her off before she could head toward it. "Frostflower, can you run a patrol?" a friendly voice asked.
She turned to see the Clan deputy—Bluespark. The bluish gray tom stood on Rockpile with the Clan leader—Moonstar—discussing patrols. He looked at her pleadingly. Frostflower guessed he'd run out of other warriors.
"Sure," she replied padding over. "Anyone in particular I should take with me?" she asked.
Bluespark opened his mouth to speak, but Moonstar beat him to it. "Take Crescentmoon and Airpaw," she instructed. "It's almost time for Mountainrain's kits to be apprenticed and for Climbingpaw, Airpaw and Breezepaw to become warriors. I want to see how they act."
Bluespark looked at her. "But Airpaw is Shortbreath's apprentice," he pointed out, looking frustrated, but why should he be? Moonstar was the leader, and he was the deputy.
"Because, Climbingpaw is helping Nightecho," Moonstar replied.
Frostflower nodded and dipped her head. "Yes, Moonstar," she murmured and ran off toward the warriors' den.
The sun was starting to climb higher and higher as she continued toward the den. She poked her head inside the den and peeked around. Fawnflight and Midnightclaw lay sleeping in their nests but there was no sign of Crescentmoon.
She decided to try the apprentices' den and bounded toward it to almost collide with the creamy-white pelt of Crescentmoon. The she-cat jumped back surprised. "Oh! Frostflower!" she hissed in surprise but his voice was thoughtful. "Where's the fire?"
Frostflower looked at her and wondered what her face looked like as she bit back a sharp remark. "Moonstar wanted me to take you and Airpaw on a patrol with another warrior," she informed her.
Crescentmoon nodded but looked confused. "How about Faithfulheart?" she asked flicking her tail toward her daughter. The extremely beautiful gray she-cat stood next to Jaguarclaw sharing tongues with him.
Frostflower nodded. "Faithfulheart!" she called from across the clearing. "When you're done, can you come on a patrol with us?" she asked half-teasing.
She heard someone snicker behind her and Faithfulheart blushed and nodded giving Jaguarclaw a quick lick on the cheek before bounding up toward them. She gave her chest a couple of few quick licks and nodded to say she was ready.
Frostflower felt for Faithfulheart. She was the most beautiful cat in the Clan and one of the smartest, but she couldn't speak. She could hear and see, but she couldn't talk. She had never been able to since the moment she was born. Nightecho, the medicine cat was baffled by it and had no clue what was wrong with her, but she couldn't.
Once Airpaw was there, Frostflower led the cats out of camp and toward the border with the rogues. The rancid smell of the Twoleg crow-food was overwhelming as Frostflower led on.
"Why are we here?" Crescentmoon asked.
Frostflower thought she heard yowls so continued forward, brambles and tendrils snagging at her pelt. As they came closer, the yowls became clearer and the others understood her motive and followed without any other protests. Frostflower could smell the terrified cats' fear-scents and felt bad for them instantly.
"Let's get outta here!" Airpaw suggested quietly as the stench of crow-food got closer as they continued. "I don't like this place."
"We have to make sure they're okay," Frostflower told the apprentice sharply.
"We don't even know them!" Crescentmoon protested.
Frostflower's lips curled into a snarl. "Whoever they are, they're cats and a warrior helps those who need it!" she growled. "What are we? Cats or mice?"
This seemed to ruffle their fur, all except Faithfulheart's who seemed to agree with Frostflower. Airpaw stomped a paw on the ground. "Let's help them! I'm not a scared little mouse!"
Frostflower nodded in approval but Crescentmoon didn't look convinced but followed. They reached the edge of the Twolegplace and the rotting crow-food scent nearly made them gag but they jumped over a wooden fence and down into the alley. The gray pavement under their paws was hard and dry, nothing like the grass in the forest.
"Now, I have to say now," Crescentmoon meowed. "If it's in our territory, then it's one thing, but this isn't our turf. I say we go back now and save our pelts."
Frostflower was reluctant to leave, but nodded. "Fine," she murmured the she-cat did have a point and jumped back over the fence and into the forest. The second her pads touched the grass, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. This is where she belonged.
Crescentmoon led the way back to camp, which really stuck to Frostflower's fur like an annoying tick. Why couldn't Crescentmoon just mind her own business? Why did she hate her so much? Frostflower then remembered one thing that might be a contributing factor to Crescentmoon's resentment. Tigerstorm was her mate now, but she remembered Ashclaw's words about Tigerstorm getting back at her for refusing to be his mate. Was that the reason Crescentmoon resented her so much?
When they returned to camp, Frostflower saw Peelfur and Cindertail bounding up the path toward them. Frostflower shouldered her way past Crescentmoon. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly.
"Nightecho's been attacked!" Cindertail gasped. "By some rogues, she's not doing so good. Noonpaw is with her now."
"Yes!" Peelfur concurred. "Climbingpaw was badly injured!"
Frostflower saw Airpaw's eyes widen at the mention of his sister. Frostflower shoved her way through pelting down the path into the gorge. Cats were crowded around the small entrance to the medicine cat den. Frostflower tried to peer through the pelts, but nothing could be seen.
Bluespark pushed his way out and toward her. "She's… she's dead," he whispered. Frostflower was touched and hurt for the deputy. Nightecho was his sister so he was probably feeling horrible. She rested her tail-tip reassuringly on his shoulder. He looked gratefully at her and Moonstar appeared from the entrance with Noonpaw behind her.
Moonstar bounded toward Rockpile with Noonpaw beside her and let out a yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" Her yowl rung out through the camp and cats began to file below the meeting place.
Rabbitleap and Creekfeather came out of the Elders' den and sat outside listening. Bluespark and Frostflower made their way into the crowd and sat below Rockpile. The queens were outside the nursery wrapping their tails around their kits to keep them near and in line.
Moonstar gazed out amongst her Clan her eyes somber. "We have some news, but I am afraid it is not that of pleasant announcements. You all had heard about Nightecho being attacked by a band of rogues on the far border on our territory while she was gathering herbs… I am afraid that our beloved medicine cat now walks with StarClan."
Yowls of anguish and murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. Frostflower gazed around the horrified faces of her Clanmates and then looked at Noonpaw. The poor apprentice's face was twisted in horror. She was being forced to be a full medicine cat now.
"Noonpaw shall receive her full name as a medicine cat the next time she shares tongues with StarClan at the Whispering Cave," Moonstar explained.
Murmurs of disapproval ran through the crowd like a wild fire making Frostflower's neck fur bristle and she flexed her claws hotly. Noonpaw was only an apprentice and they expected her to be able to save Nightecho after only being in training for two moons? Frostflower glared at the ground.
"Climbingpaw is injured, but by the looks of it, she shall survive. As for the rest of you, none of you is to go near that border unless you have two or more cats with you. We can't lose anymore warriors," Moonstar explained.
The cats nodded in agreement with her words as Nightecho's vigil began. Each of the cats came up to her body and licked her fur. When it was Frostflower's turn, she licked the black she-cat's fur and said a silent prayer to StarClan.
She couldn't help but wonder where she would end up. In StarClan, or in the DarkForest because she had killed Ashclaw? She didn't know, but she wasn't willing to find out.
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