Disclaimers yay! I do NOT own warriors. I only own the names, myself(Fernpaw), and my buddy(Briarpaw).
And sorry for not updating. I have writer's block AND I'm writing an actual story. Plus, I have a friend being my editor now so it might take awhile for each chapter to finish. Now, ENJOY!
Badgerpaw shoved his head through the reeds and I stumbled back, afraid. He growled and lashed his tail, pouncing and pinning Fernpaw by her shoulders, "What are you doing on RiverClan territory?" he spat, black and white fur ruffled.
Fernpaw shied away, "I-I was hoping to join actually," she mewed, thinking of an excuse. She wiggled out from under him and shook out her pelt. Man, this was Briarpaw all over again.
Badgerpaw narrowed his eyes and kept his claws unsheathed, "Lilypaw! Come here!" he called over his shoulder.
The she-cat stepped out of the reeds, "Who is this?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"I'm not sure. What is your name?"
"Fernpaw," Fernpaw answered confidently.
He nodded then turned to Lilypaw, "Should we trust her?" he whispered in her ear, though Fernpaw could easily hear.
"Er... I'll get a warrior," Lilypaw mewed before padding away.
Badgerpaw circled Fernpaw, sniffing her, "Where are you from?"
"A long ways from here." She didn't know what to say.
He stared her straight in the eyes, "How far aw-"
A large ginger tom broke into the small space with Lilypaw behind him. He had big white paws and his icey blue gaze tore into her fur, "Who is this?" he glared at Fernpaw.
"Fernpaw," Badgerpaw stated, "She wants to join."
The tom sighed, "Dewstar will want to hear this," he meowed before turning and flicking his tail, "Follow me." Then, in a lower, quiet voice he told the two cats, "Walk behind her and keep a sharp eye.
Fernpaw followed him out of the reeds and through the river, shivering at the cold water. When they had made it to the bank, she didn't hesitate to scrabble out and shake out her now soggy pelt.
Badgerpaw looked at her confused, while the big tom just ignored her, pushing through a thorn tunnel.
Lilypaw padded beside her, "I don't see why they don't trust you. You seem really nice."
Fernpaw looked up at her, surprised, "Really, you trust me?"
"Of course! I'm Lilypaw by the way, my brother, the black and white one, is Badgerpaw, and the ginger warrior is Foxstep," She stopped, "You go first."
Fernpaw nodded and padded inside. The thorns brushed her skin, but they didn't hurt her. She felt soft, damp moss underpaw, which felt good on her aching and scraped pads.
Bright light shone at the other side, and Fernpaw rushed throught the tunnel, brambles tugging at her grey pelt. She stepped out into a large clearing. Her face was awestruck. It was huge!
Lilypaw squeezed out after her, "This is the camp. It's surrounded by slippery rocks and thorns, and we have a river circling around the inside of the camp walls. If any clan tries to get in, they'll step on thorns, fall off the rocks, and if they do get in, they fall in the water, which they hate. Plus, we have strong warriors to protect us!"
Fernpaw tilted her head, "Don't you fight?"
She shook her head, "No; I'm a medicine cat apprentice. I heal cats, not fight and injure them. I do learn some fighting moves, just in case, but I hardly ever have to use them," she flicked her ears, "Anyway, I'll take you to Dewstar's den." She lept a small river and padded toward a large den.
Fernpaw looked around. She noticed many cats staring at her.
Two she-cats huddled together, whispering, their bellies plump with kits. One was silver with a white patch on her chest and green eyes; she looked closer to giving birth. The other was multicolor with amber eyes.
A she-cat dropped a fish on a pile at the center of the camp, while two younger toms wrestled on the ground across the clearing. Ginger and blue-grey blended as they rolled around.
The ginger one pinned the other tom, then looked up at Fernpaw. He stepped off and called, "Hi!"
The other tom got up and jabbed him with a paw, "Shut up, Robinpaw. We don't know who she is," he growled.
"That doesn't mean we can't be friendly, Troutpaw," Robinpaw answered, shaking out his dusty pelt.
Fernpaw turned away from them. There were so many cats here. How would she remember all the names?
She tripped over a loose rock and fell flat on her face outside of the large den, where a light brown tabby she-cat was standing, with her green eyes staring down at Fernpaw.
Lilypaw and Foxstep were standing on either side of her. Badgerpaw was beside Lilypaw, snickering.
Fernpaw stood slowly and shook the dust from her pelt, "Are you Dewstar?" she asked nervously, suddenly feeling small and shy.
The she-cat smiled at her and nodded, "Yes, I'm the leader of Riverclan, and you are?"
"Her name is Fernpaw," Lilypaw was the first to answer.
"We found her in the reeds on the other side of the river outside of camp," Badgerpaw finished, eyes sparkling.
Dewstar ignored him, "So you wanted to join?"
Fernpaw smiled, "Yes."
Dewstar flicked her tail, "Badgerpaw and Foxstep, you may leave. Get Moth-heart and Larkstorm, please."
Badgerpaw frowned, but bounded away, leaving Foxstep to get the two cats.
Dewstar pushed through the dangling moss and into her den, so Fernpaw followed. It was roomy, but not too big, and there was a nest in the middle, made of moss, leaves, feathers, and decorated with small shells.
Fernpaw sat down, looking around the den in awe. She wrapped her tail over her paws and looked at the walls; they were woven out of long twigs, and shells and stones had been shoved in here and there to make it look more appealing.
Two cats stepped into the den; one was a navy-blue tom and the other was a dark grey she-cat.
"You needed us, Dewstar?" the navy-blue one asked, his cloudy grey eyes flashing. He flashed a glance at Fernpaw, and then looked away, as if not noticing her. Then he turned his head back to her, eyes wide, "Wait... Who is this?" He flicked his tail in her direction.
Dewstar met his gaze, "That's what I want to talk about, Larkstorm Lilypaw and Badgerpaw found her in our territory, and I want to now if I should let her join."
Lilypaw looked hopeful, while the two turned to eachother and whispered together.
They stopped a few moments later and Larkstorm took a step back. The she-cat looked confident, "We think she should join."
Dewstar nodded, "Then it's agreed. Fernpaw, follow me outside." She twitched her ears and padded out side, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words."
Fernpaw bounded after her, and once she was outside, she watched many cats flooding from large dens. The two queens and apprentices were out, along with many more cats.
Robinpaw looked at her and smiled, but Troutpaw shoved him and growled, "Quit staring at her."
Dewstar sat down and brushed the ground to her left with her tail, signaling to Fernpaw to sit.
Fernpaw followed her directions and sat beside her, looking at all of the cats in front of her.
Some looked at her questioningly, others glared and scowled, and few cats, like Robinpaw, smiled thoughtfully.
"We have gathered to welcome a new apprentice to the clan. I know we haven't done this before, but I've consulted with Larkstorm and Featherstep and they chose to let her join," Dewstar's voice didn't falter as she spoke, though Fernpaw could see some of the cats didn't look very happy to hear this, "Fernpaw, please face me."
Fernpaw turned and looked up at the leaader, her eyes shining like crystals.
"From this day forward, until you prove your worth and become a warrior, you will train in RiverClan. I welcome you to RiverClan as an apprentice, and hope Starclan approves." Dewstar's gaze swept over the crowd of cats, and her eyes locked on a brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and tail tip, "Ottertail, you will be mentor to Fernpaw. You were trained by Moth-heart and I hope you will pass down your knowledge and skills to your new apprentice, just like you have done with Poppytail."
Ottertail pushed to the front and leaned down to touch noses with Fernpaw, his gaze friendly.
"Fernpaw! Fernpaw! Fernpaw!" they all cheered. Robinpaw was straining to be loudest, while Troutpaw hardly cheered at all...