Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series!
Title: Little Pawsteps and Lion Roars
Summary: Those Who Walk Strangely have destroyed the Tribe Of Rushing Water's home, sending them scrambling to ThunderClan for help. Lion, a loyal cave-guard to-be, is content with her life even after all that, but everything changes when she meets excitable apprentice Littlepaw.
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FanficTo-A-T- Oh, they do. Give it time. Like... Littlepaw's warrior ceremony, or thereabouts? Also (and this is to everybody) if you want to take a guess at Littlepaw's warrior name, I won't say yay or nay, but I'll give my opinion about the name itself. =)
FanficTo-A-T- They have let them be! The motherly love is strong with those two. =)
crystalfang- Not to worry; this is probably the least gory warriors fanfic out there! There'll be death, eventually, as there always is... but not anytime soon.
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Lion stumbled out of the medicine den, Tall leaning against her shoulder. Her littermate's tail was twitching irritably, but she acted like she didn't notice.
"I can walk across the clearing, you know." He snapped.
"Not until Fallenleaf says you can." She replied firmly.
Tall snorted. "Fallenleaf has bees in her brain. I'll be fine."
"She also has very good hearing!" A voice called from inside the den. "And you'd better listen to her if you don't want to spend even more time in her den!"
He grunted noncommittally. "Has the patrol returned yet?"
"It's not even sunhigh yet." She reminded him. "And you're the one with bees in your brain if you think Stoneteller will let you go with the next one."
Patrols had been sent back and forth to the mountains for the past moon and a half, but none had been successful. Lion had already denied going with one on account of her brother- Tall had been so furious he hadn't spoken to her for the rest of the day- and she doubted she or her brother were going to be put on another one anytime soon.
Tall should've been out of the medicine den ages ago, but he kept re-injuring himself in his impatience. Lion knew he was going stir-crazy, but it was no excuse for him to act like he was.
"Hmph." Tall pulled away from her slightly, then stumbled a few steps later. She was by his side soon after. "I'm not a kit!"
"You're right. A kit could walk better than you." She scolded lightly. A familiar scent wafted up into her nostrils. They both turned their heads.
"Hey." Littlepaw scuffed her paw against the ground, sounding surprisingly shy. "You wanna go hunting together? I could teach you the basics, if you want."
"I wish I could, but this mouse-brain can't be trusted by himself." She tilted her head towards her cranky littermate.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "He's still injured?"
"He keeps falling." Lion said, making sure Tall was listening. "He gets so restless when he can't run on his own. He's almost as bad as the elders."
"Hey, now." Longwhisker called from where he'd been sunning himself. Fernwillow's mate, Lion had heard that they'd retired together after their son, Owlpool, was made a warrior. "Don't compare us to him!"
"I wouldn't want to be like you!" Tall snapped. Lion cuffed his ear. Longwhisker's right; he's even worse!
"Alright, back to Fallenleaf with you." She turned tail. Tall hovered anxiously.
"But-"
"If you can't show the proper amount of respect to others, you're not fit to be in the clearing." Lion said firmly. He sighed and allowed himself to be led. "Do you want to go after I help him back to his nest?" She asked Littlepaw.
The apprentice backed away, ears down. "No, that's okay. You should take care of your brother."
Lion felt a pang of sadness as she watched the cream-colored she-cat slink away. They hadn't really talked since the Tribe's arrival to ThunderClan, and she really missed her company.
"Who put thorns in her bedding?" Tall grunted. He was watching the cat go curiously.
"She's just lonely." She answered absentmindedly. And so am I.
He scoffed. "She isn't the type to get lonely. She probably just doesn't want to be stuck taking care of the elders all by herself."
Lion bristled. "That's not it at all!" She spat, outraged at the toms assumption that he knew Littlepaw better than her. Neither of us know her. Not really. So why I am getting mad?
Her littermate blinked at her, surprised. "Alright, if you say so."
"Lion? My little Lion, wake up."
Lion blinked awake. Moss was gently running her tail over her side. Night had long fallen over the forest, and she could barely see the stars through the small holes in the den. The reminder made her feel claustrophobic.
"What's wrong?" She sat up, ready for any sort of trouble. But Moss shook her head.
"Look."
She stared out into the clearing. A small ball of yellow fur was padding out of the camp.
Littlepaw! "What's she doing?"
The prey-hunter shook her head once again. "I don't know. Why don't you go find out? I'm sure she wouldn't mind the company."
"But..." She glanced at her sleeping brother.
"I'll take care of him." Moss reassured her. "I know you miss her, and she misses you. Go talk while you have the chance." She urged.
Lion stood up and nuzzled her. "Thank you."
"Of course, my strong cave-guard. Be safe."
Lion burst out of the medicine den and raced out of the entrance. Moss followed as far as the clearing, then sighed and looked at the sky.
"Please, Tribe Of Endless Hunting. Let me be doing the right thing."
Lion found Littlepaw sitting by the stream she'd taken her to wash the mud off her fur when she'd first arrived, her head tilted towards the sky.
Is she praying? Lion thought, hesitantly stepping into the open area around the bank.
Littlepaw jolted and whipped her head around. "Lion?"
"Hey." She padded over to sit beside her. "Nice night, isn't it?"
"Yes." She agreed. "I-I was just doing some night hunting."
Liar! Lion bit her tongue. "I see."
Littlepaw chuckled softly and pushed her nose into her fur. "You smell like herbs."
"Do I?" She looked herself over, nose dead to the overpowering stench. I have been spending a lot of time in the medicine cat den recently...
"That stink is enough to scare away foxes! Did you roll in them?"
Lion suddenly felt sheepish. "I sleep near the stores. You know; to guard them."
Littlepaw threw her head back and laughed. The to-be found herself purring.
"Sorry." She said once she'd calmed down. "I needed that."
"We all do." Lion licked her affectionately between the ears. "Things are really tense right now."
"I missed you."
"I missed you too. It's no fun when there's nobody around I can really talk to."
Littlepaw went back to looking at the stars. Lion looked with her.
"I don't like it when we can't see each other." She whispered eventually.
"Me neither. But soon we won't be seeing each other at all."
Littlepaw whipped her head to the side to stare at her, eyes wide. "Don't say that!" She cried.
She's scared. Lion thought, noticing the claw marks she was gouging into the ground. Well, so am I.
"Littlepaw, do you believe in the Tribe Of Endless Hunting?"
She settled down a bit, sheathing her claws. "I do, but... not like I believe in StarClan."
"Exactly. I believe in StarClan, but my loyalty is to the Tribe Of Endless Hunting. What happens after we die?"
Littlepaw stared blankly at the water, trying to comprehend what had been put in front of her. Every word Lion had spoken felt like a trickle of cold water down her spine. "We'll never see each other again." She whispered hoarsely.
Lion sighed. "You're a Clan cat, and I'm a Tribe cat. Being close will only lead to heartbreak." One I'm not sure we can take. She added silently.
She didn't answer a long moment. Littlepaw slowly sat up and met her eyes with a piercing look. "So be it, then."
Lion shivered. Littlepaw looked strong and mature; like a warrior. "So be it."
The to-be left her side to jump into the stream, ankles quickly growing numb in the unfamiliar water. With no trees overhead, she could see the stars clearly. Lion threw her head back and yowled.
"StarClan, hear me! I'm not a Clan cat, but I trust in your noble code. When I die, take me! I want to be with Littlepaw, even in death! If I have to renounce the Tribe Of Endless Hunting to do so... then so be it."
She whispered the last part. It felt like a hole had been punched in her heart. If that's what I've got to do, I'll do it. She realized with a sense of growing horror. Tribe Of Endless Hunting, please forgive me.
Littlepaw joined her in the stream, touching her tail to her shoulder. Lion wrenched her gaze away from the starry skies.
"You'd do the same for me." She rasped, throat sore.
You'd do the same for me.
Littlepaw felt Lion's pelt pushed up against hers and sighed. Her mother had promised to take care of her brother, and had shooed her away to sleep in the apprentice den. The to-be had fallen asleep almost immediately, as though her star-lit declaration had worn her out.
You'd do the same for me.
A shiver ran up her spine. I would.
But would StarClan accept Lion, if it came to that? Would they accept her? The Tribe wasn't an enemy, but it wasn't ThunderClan, either. Did this still count as against the warrior code?
I don't care. She realized suddenly. I just want her by my side.
Lion was strong and sensible, but didn't live by the code she'd been taught by birth; at least not the exact version. Wise and skilled; but she couldn't hunt. She barely even knew that '-star' was a leader name!
Lion could never be a Clan cat.
But what about her? She didn't mind a bit of mud on her fur, especially if it was for camouflage. The mountain air would be hard on her pelt, but a cave would be sheltered, so she could sleep at night. She could never be a cave-guard, but she'd heard of prey-hunters from Lion's mother, Moss. Littlepaw could hunt prey.
She could never be a warrior, but maybe I could be a prey-hunter?
The thought of leaving ThunderClan terrified her. The thought of losing Place Where Lion Rests terrified her even more.
She gently pressed her nose into Lion's fur. "It's okay." She whispered, when the to-be didn't stir. "I think I know what to do now."
StarClan, please forgive me. I have to try, at least; for her.
Author's Note: I know there's a lot of staring at the sky in this chapter, but remember that the cats of the warriors universe are very devout in their beliefs; Clan or Tribe.
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