Wren the Rogue: Perhaps

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Dawnpaw sat in the clearing, grooming her long fur in the noonday sun. She and Flameclaw had just gotten back from a hunting patrol and she was given the rest of the day off to rest. So far Dawnpaw was enjoying it, but it was beginning to get a bit boring. After all, her denmates were still out and about training.

Grooming finished, Dawnpaw got to her paws and looked around, tilting her head slightly. The elders were out and about sunning themselves while the medicine cats were laying herbs down in the sun. In fact, Antpaw looked pretty excited. Dawnpaw allowed a small smile to appear on her muzzle as she watched the she-cat. After all, Antpaw was chosen to go to the gathering since she was a medicine cat apprentice.

Dawnpaw, herself, didn't know if she was to go to the gathering. Though, being a warrior apprentice, she wouldn't be expected to attend every gathering. After all, a warrior needed to keep their loyalties to their Clan only and not to the other Clans. Dawnpaw got to her paws and headed towards the fresh-kill pile, picking up a few lizards and heading over to the elders' den. Her tail swished behind her contently as she allowed a small pep in her step.

Sunrise lifted his head as Dawnpaw approached, a yawn escaping from his jaws. "Hello, Dawnpaw."

Badgerflame rolled over onto his side, squinting slightly as the apprentice approached. "Is that for us?"

"It is!" Dawnpaw responded cheerfully as she dropped the lizards in front of the elders. "I thought you guys wanted a snack."

Fawnwing let out a small laugh and sat up on her haunches. "That's kind of you," she meowed as Watermist shifted beside her. "We wouldn't mind some food."

Dawnpaw grinned and nudged the dead reptiles towards them. "Anything for the best members of the Clan!"

"We are far from the best," Sunrise grunted out. "Believe me, we all still want to be providing a service to our Clan."

Watermist nodded in agreement, her eyes clouding slightly. "There is no greater joy than serving your Clan and dying with honor in battle."

Badgerflame let out a growl and swiped at his fellow denmate playfully. "Being an elder is an honor too!" he argued with a flick of his tail. "We provide wisdom to our young and foolish Clanmates."

"Hey!" Dawnpaw protested. "I'm not foolish!"

Badgerflame fixed her with a look. "Are you sure about that?" He made a show of looking her up and down. "You seem like any other young she-cat to me. Padding after toms, having dreams of kits and mates and practicing hard to prove yourself as a capable warrior the Clan."

"Badgerflame!" Fawnwing chided, shooting him a look. "That's rude!"

"Not really," Badgerflame retorted with a snort.

"What's all the fuss about?" A small, weary voice accompanied a skinny and ragged looking cat as Cloudeye slid out of the elders' den. "I'm trying to sleep."

Dawnpaw bounded over to him and nudged a lizard in his direction. "Eat," she urged, gazing over his pelt. "You look like you need some food."

Cloudeye blinked at her and shook his head. "Food is way past helping, young one," he rasped out. "My time is coming."

Dawnpaw stared at him in horror and shook her head. "No! That can't be true!"

"Dawnpaw," Fawnwing's gentle voice turned Dawnpaw's attention away from the black tom and over to the fawn colored warrior. "Cloudeye hasn't been feeling well the past couple of days." Shooting a stern look in the tom's direction, the she-cat added, "and he should be staying in his nest, conserving his strength."

Cloudeye let out an amused snort. "I can move around as I please," he responded. "Just because I'm old and dying doesn't mean I can't enjoy the nice sunshine every once and a while."

"You should be resting!" Dawnpaw burst out, staring at the tom as if he had grown wings.

Cloudeye shook his head stubbornly and sat down, curling his thin tail around his paws. "I am fine right here and right now. StarClan isn't going to claim me just yet."

Dawnpaw shook her head exasperated by the elder's behavior. She pricked her ears when Cloudeye began coughing and turned towards the medicine cat's den. "I'll get Dapplepelt! He'll do something for your cough, Cloudeye."

"I don't need herbs," Cloudeye protested as Danwpaw raced over to the medicine den.

"Dapplepelt!"

The tom looked up, a paw raised to move some herbs, ears pricked, and head tilted slightly. "Yes, Dawnpaw?"

"It's Cloudeye," Dawnpaw responded, beginning to pace. "He's coughing and looks so skinny and weak! He claims that he'll be joining StarClan soon and-"

"Calm down, Dawnpaw!" Dapplepelt ordered, getting to his paws. "I'll get him some tansy, but only StarClan can help him I'm afraid."

Dawnpaw stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

Antpaw padded out from the medicine den and over to the herbs that Dapplepelt was sorting. The apprentice looked up and met Dawnpaw's gaze. "Cloudeye has been complaining of pain in his belly recently and that cough is just a cold."

"A cold that refuses to go away," Dapplepelt growled out as he shuffled through the herbs. "Plus, he's beginning to get a small bump behind one of his legs on his belly."

"We don't know how to treat it and it seems to be hindering his movement a little bit," Antpaw added as she sat back and watched her mentor.

Dawnpaw stared at them, eyes wide. "Are you saying that you're just easing his pain until death comes?"

Dapplepelt and Antpaw both looked away, both refusing to meet her gaze. Dawnpaw shook her head, shock and grief filling her at the thought of losing one of her friends. She turned, tail low and ears flattened when she felt a nose touch her shoulder. Dawnpaw looked over to see Antpaw giving her a reassuring smile.

"It's not that bad, I promise." Antpaw meowed confidently. "He'll be fine, just you wait and see!"

"But what about the Gathering?"

"Cloudeye will sleep."

"He won't die?"

"He won't, not tonight at least," Antpaw responded. She gave Dawnpaw a hearty nudge in the direction of the warriors' den. "Now why don't you go and find out from your mentor if you get to go to the gathering tonight!"

Dawnpaw gave her friend a worried look before letting out a sigh and steeling herself. Straightening up, she made her way over to the warriors' den and paused just outside the entrance, painfully aware that she wasn't allowed inside. She took a deep breath before letting it out before calling for her mentor.

Silence.

"Flameclaw!" Dawnpaw called louder.

It wasn't long before Dawnpaw could see movement in the shadowy depths of the den. Soon, Flameclaw's ginger pelt appeared at the entrance, the tom's jaws wide open in a yawn, his eyes bleary with sleep. "What is it?"

Dawnpaw took a few steps back so her mentor could slide into the clearing. "I was wondering if I was chosen for the Gathering tonight."

Flameclaw sat down and licked a paw before drawing it over an ear. "The Gathering?" he repeated drowsily before his ears pricked and he paused in his grooming. He turned his full attention to Dawnpaw, his expression slightly amused. "You do realize we don't find that out until almost the time it is to go."

Dawnpaw tilted her head slightly. "We don't find out sooner?"

Flameclaw let out a hum. "Nope," he eventually answered, turning back to his grooming.

"But Antpaw knows already!"

"Antpaw is a medicine cat apprentice," Flameclaw retorted. "Medicine cats are always chosen to go to the gatherings."

"You seriously can't tell me?" Dawnpaw asked with wide eyes.

Flameclaw shot her a grin. "I don't know about that," he drawled. "I'm not sure you're ready…"

"Flameclaw!"

Flameclaw let out a small laugh and got to his paws. He approached Dawnpaw and touched his nose reassuringly to her ear. "I'm only teasing," he meowed, taking a step back. "Froststar told me before I took a nap that we were chosen for the Gathering party tonight."

Dawnpaw bounced around, letting out a squeal of excitement before turning to face her mentor again. She bounded over and gave him a hard nudge. "You're such a tease!"

Flameclaw shot her a grin. "If I wasn't teasing you, then how could you handle the wild?"

Dawnpaw let out a snort of amusement. "Shadepelt could help with that!"

Flameclaw shot her an amused look. "Shadepelt, eh? He's a bit crabby at times and rude other times."

"But he's nice," Dawnpaw shot back. "I trust him."

"Everyone does," Flameclaw soothed calmly. "But ever since his father died, he hasn't really been his old self. He was close to Lynxfur."

"Lynxfur?" Dawnpaw repeated, the name unfamiliar to her ears. "Who is Lynxfur?"

Flameclaw glanced around before padding a few steps towards the camp entrance and looking around. He glanced at Dawnpaw and beckoned her to follow him. "I'll tell you in the forest," he meowed. "Lynxfur was a very noble cat but his name wasn't always Lynxfur and he wasn't always respected among the Clan."

Dawnpaw pricked her ears curiously and followed her mentor out into the forest.

I'll be summarizing Lynxfur's story vaguely in the next chapter so I don't reveal any spoilers for A Hard Path. If you want to read Lynxfur's story, I recommend checking out A Hard Path.

Thanks!