AN: Sorry if that chapter was a bit rushed, at least now we know why Onestar and all of Windclan are insane OOC madcats. More Sunpaw for this chapter, but Sootpaw will be introduced. Next chapter is a Swanpaw chapter, then after that it'll be Sootpaw
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, and never have. Question; do I have to put a disclaimer for every chapter?
Sunpaw moaned, the blurry and dark world slowly readjusting around her. There were tall trees with thin and pointy leaves; pine trees. The name appeared in her mind, and it was probably something she learned before . . . The Sickness, as she decided to call it.
All around her were shadows are darkness, nothing like the open and sunny Windclan camp. There was a strong and sharp scent, but it wasn't unpleasant or foul like the reek of Windclan. Looking around, Sunpaw saw a small tabby tom standing next to a dark gray tabby tom with a white tail and still green eyes. The familiarity he felt looking at the strange grey tom spooked him.
Then the smaller brown tabby spoke, clearing his throat "Sootpaw, you should go now. Oakfur's expecting you." Sunpaw pricked her ears at that. Oakfur was a clan name, which meant she had done it! She had succeeded in following Kestrelpaw's wish and found another clan!
The gray tom, Sootpaw rolled his eyes and flicked his tail "Littlecloud, you know Blackstar's going to make me your apprentice, we all agreed on it. I'm not cut out to be a warrior." There was a flash of regret in his haunting eyes, and then it was gone.
"But we haven't gotten a sign from Starclan showing they really want you to be my apprentice. Rogues don't usually make the best medicine cats as they have a lack of connection with Starclan. You've shown this isn't true for you, but I want a sign." Littlecloud replied, his sky blue eyes showing both concern and reluctance for the young apprentice.
Wordlessly, Sootpaw stalked out of the den, a look of irritation and hurt showing clearly on his face. Sunpaw still couldn't shake the feeling she knew the tom somehow. Glancing back at Littlecloud, she saw that his gaze was on her and looked down, her face hot.
"You know, nobody thought you were going to live. You came crawling into camp, half-unconscious and bleeding through those bandages. Not to mention you reeked of Windclan. We almost didn't save you, but we managed. Sorry about your tail though," Sunpaw blinked in confusion and looked down where her long and fluffy tail was. In its place was a tiny stub of golden fur.
"What happened to you is what I really want to know though." Littlecloud finished, tilted his head and flicking his ear in signal for her to speak.
"I was a prisoner of Windclan. You see, something went wrong with Onestar. Kestrelpaw said that he had some disease that made him crazy and cruel. A bunch of other cats got infected, and then they forced me to be prisoner, because I'm not really Windclan blood. A-And then they starved me, and they beat me and y-yesterday, or at least I think it was yesterday, they hurt me real bad and then Kestrelpaw told me about this dream he had and sent me to find another clan." Sunpaw explained as quickly as she could, trying not to give too many details about what was going on in Windclan.
Littlecloud let out a small gasp of shock "Your own clan did this to you? Starclan, this is worse than I thought . . ." His voice trailed off at the end and he shook his head, sighing "Well, welcome to Shadowclan. Maybe if you want, Blackstar will let you be an apprentice."
Sunpaw smiled nervously and shuffled her paws "Um, h-how long has it been since I came here?" it felt like moons, like her memories were only stories, seemingly unreal when she thought about it then.
"Half a moon. Actually, you've woken several times before this, but all you did was moan and try to wander around. You're still going to need some time to recover though, you had serious wounds, and several of them were infected." Littlecloud murmured quietly, nudging a small mouse towards her. Sunpaw devoured it quickly, feeling like she had never eaten anything so good. Maybe she hadn't.
Littlecloud smiled, his eyes filled with relief "Good, you'd be very sick if you didn't have an appetite, but I can see you're on the path to recovery. Why don't you go meet the cats of ShadowClan?"
Sunpaw immediately spring to her paws and nodded multiple times. Maybe she'd see more of that gray tabby, Sootpaw, as Littlecloud had called him. "I'd love that." She added, her voice shaking. Sunpaw never spoke when she was in Windclan. It only resulted in her pain.
Littlecloud smiled and turned to leave "Don't run anywhere and if your wounds reopen, come to me immediately." He ordered before disappearing into the Shadowclan camp.
Sunpaw cautiously padded out of the medicine cat's den and into the busy camp. At once a few cats turned to look at her, one of them being Sootpaw. Sunpaw felt her face turn red and she almost shied back into the medicine cat den. Something stopped her though; a wiry tortishell she-cat padded over, yellow eyes gleaming.
"Are you that sick Windclan cat?" She inquired, a sneer beginning to form on her face. Sunpaw felt her body freeze up and she found no words to reply with. Communication was not a strong point for Sunpaw, or even a weak point. She had no skills in talking with others, only knowing to shut her mouth and endure whatever was happening.
"What do you think genius?" A new, familiar voice cut in and Sunpaw turned her head to see Sootpaw padding up to the two, his emerald eyes unreadable as she last remembered them. "Really Ivypaw, you'd think with her being the one with a missing tail and cuts and bruises everywhere, plus that rabbit-y smell, you'd be able to figure out who she was." The tabby tom snorted, clearly not approving of his clan-mate's choice of words.
Ivypaw narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything else, stalking off with her tail lashing. Sunpaw opened her mouth to thank the tabby, but Sootpaw cut her off "Ignore her. She think much too highly of herself, you'd regret becoming her friend." He rolled his eyes then continued "Anyways, I'm Sootpaw. I'm supposed to be training as a warrior of Shadowclan, but I found I memorize herbs and poultices faster than I can a hunter's crouch."
Sunpaw cracked a smile and nodded her face feeling hot "I'm Sunpaw. I-uh, I was from Windclan. I think I was training to be a warrior, but I'm a little behind." She mumbled, looking down at her paws.
"Anyways, I'm supposed to be out training with my mentor, Oakfur. He's nice and all, but really he's kind of boring. I'll see you later." The tabby tom flicked his ear and padded off, leaving Sunpaw to herself.
Again she pondered the night Kestrelpaw sent her off. Every time she thought about, his words seemed more confusing.
". . . if the four don't fix everything soon,"
"Find the other three!"
"I'm one of the four?" Sunpaw frowned and thought it over again.
What are the four?