Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter

…

Duskfang picked his head up and stretched yesterday's long run hadn't even left him sore. But he sure as hell didn't want to relive his arrival announcement ever again. In fact he wouldn't mind leaving Nightclan right now. All the dirty glares he was getting where getting annoying.

But he had promised Redfern he'd stay at least for another few days. He was planning on visiting Firesoul's grave today, At least after his daily training.

He stood up shaking bits of moss out of his coat. The nest had been comfortable and he mentally thanked Redfern for it. Starclan knew he had done it enough yesterday.

Starclan… It was amazing how he still believed in it. He had kept his faith even after his exile. But it didn't mean he bowed down to their words anymore.

He walked out of the den and looked around. The sun had just risen and the clan's day was just beginning. He saw Lionfang getting morning patrol ready. He walked past them and all of the warriors turned toward him all narrowing their eyes.

He made his way to the entrance when he was stopped by a familiar face.

Nightshade growled at him lashing his black tail "Where are you going?"

Nightshade had been a decent enough cat when Duskfang had been in the clan, but his short temper and sharp tongue usually made others avoid him; Although the kits had loved to annoy him. He didn't seem any different now, except now he was more hostile then before. But that probably had something to do with him believing Duskfang was a traitor to Nightclan.

Duskfang looked back at the tom and blinked nonchalantly "To the training hollow anything wrong with that?"

"You can't go there." Nightshade snarled.

"What, am I a prisoner?" Duskfang narrowed his eyes.

Nightshade grumbled under his breath. Lionfang turned toward them "Why go you need to go to the training hollow Duskfang?" He asked.

"To train."

Nightshade snorted "Lionfang, may my apprentice and I have permission to watch this 'training'?" he hissed.

"If Duskfang is okay with it then you can." The deputy said.

Duskfang shrugged "Fine by me, bring the entire clan for all I care." He turned around and began to walk again followed by Nightshade and his apprentice Lightningpaw.

They entered the training hollow easily enough. Duskfang then walked up to tree's limb and began to pull.

"What are you doing?" Lightningpaw asked.

The branch broke off then he pulled it to the center of the training hollow "Ever trained alone kid? You have to improvise." He stuck the branch into the ground.

He walked away from it then crouched down into a stance. His eyes intent on the stick "Get out of my way."

And the two cats did just that.

….

Moonpaw woke up to a familiar brown tabby face. She grumbled a bit and then picked her head up. "What is it Loudpaw?" she asked. She had yet to apply her oak leaf for the day but was keeping her blind eye closed.

"Hey there Moonpaw, where's your leaf? It's so weird to see you without it. It's like a part of your face is missing. I never noticed that stripe there before it looks kind of like a tree branch. And…"

"Why are you here Loudpaw?" Moonpaw interrupted as she sat up. She did a quick scan and found that Redfern wasn't here.

"Its Duskfang," Moonpaw looked up shocked as Loudpaw continued "he's in the training hollow Dewdrop told me to come over here and tell you to keep an eye on him since… Well actually she told me to get Redfern but since she isn't here I thought, why not get Moonpaw instead so I woke you up, although I do wonder where Redfern is because…

"Okay, okay I'm coming."

Moonpaw snapped she rested her eye on an oak leaf and quickly placed it on her face.

"Let's go."

They walked over to the training hollow and Loudpaw babbled on. Moonpaw blocked her out for the most part.

Moonpaw was shocked to see a small crowd of cats gathered around the training hollow. She made her way past them to where Duskfang was.

He was apparently oblivious to the group of cats. His black claws where unsheathed and he was crouched down into a hunting stance. In the center of the hollow was a branch that was sticking up and completely covered in deep scratch marks.

Duskfang then leaped going so fast it was hard for Moonpaw to follow. Where Duskfang had passed there was a new scar on the branch. Moonpaw couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

He stood up, and seemed to notice the crowd for the first time. He blinked then turned back to the branch.

Moonpaw heard the crowd grumble about something, she looked around and then walked up to the tom before he made another leap for the branch.

"I think that branch has suffered enough," she said. Duskfang turned to look at her. "Look at the poor thing it's going to fall to pieces soon."

Duskfang narrowed his eyes "You're protecting a branch?" his voice was slightly coated with sarcasm, so faint she doubted if it was real.

Moonpaw rolled her eyes "Well after you cut it up like that I think it deserves some pity." She looked at it "I also pity anyone who has to face you.

Duskfang seemed like he was trying to force himself not to smile when a voice from the crowd yelled out.

"Oh please!" Lightningpaw walked over to the front of the small crowd. "Any cat could do that to an enemy that doesn't move."

Duskfang and Moonpaw turned to the apprentice. He was only a little shorter then Moonpaw, his grey fur was so dark it was almost black, it was streaked with jagged yellow white markings that looked like lighting. His yellow eyes where narrow. But they where no where near as bright and golden as Duskfang's.

"Why don't you try fighting someone who'll actually dodge?" He snarled out.

Duskfang looked down at the apprentice "Like you?" he twitched his tail, which Moonpaw took as bemusement.

"Ya, you aren't so bad. I don't get why the elders make such a big deal out of a rogue like you."

"Okay then fine, fight me."

Lighting paw's eyes widened surprised but they where soon replaced with hostility again.

"Good, Moonpaw stay here because I think you'll be healing a lot of wounds." He turned around and walked a fair distance away and went into a battle stance.

Moonpaw shook her head Lightningpaw was known for getting in over his head. He'd once claimed he could beat a badger on his own. He wasn't a bad cat though, he had never snapped at the elders, was favored by all the kits save for Molekit who would just watch them play, and was loving towards his sister Sweetpaw.

"Cocky apprentice," Duskfang muttered. But he looked toward the black cat with admiration in his eyes. "Moonpaw could you…"

Moonpaw leaped out of the way and in the front of the crowd. She stayed though; something told her that she'd be needed here, just not for Duskfang.

Lightningpaw launched himself at the rogue letting out a battle cry. He was a fast but Duskfang was faster as he rolled under Lightningpaw's leap and picked himself up with an unbelievable speed.

Lightningpaw turned to face the rogue and almost made it, but almost had never gotten anyone anywhere in a fight.

Duskfang had run up to the apprentice and when he was close enough he turned stretching his back legs out so they made contact with Lightningpaw's legs. Before the apprentice could react his legs where knocked out from under him. He hit the earth with a thud and in a flash Duskfang had the apprentice pinned.

Moonpaw blinked. The way Duskfang had Lightningpaw pinned down in an unfamiliar but effective way. He had one paw on the apprentices back and another on Lightningpaw's two front legs that had been stretched away from the apprentice.

Lightningpaw was shaking trying to get out of the rogue's hold but no such luck. He soon was satisfied with just glaring at the older cat.

"Never let your enemy get behind you." Duskfang flicked his tail "But that wasn't bad for an apprentice, you're pretty quick. But if you where trying to scare me with that war call your going to have to do better then that." Duskfang backed off from the apprentice his cold golden eyes watching him cautiously.

But Lightningpaw wasn't a complete idiot. He knew when to quit. He picked himself up still glaring at Duskfang.

There was a bunch of growls from the crowd but somehow a voice made it through.

"Lightningpaw, you mouse brained idiot!" Lightningpaw stiffed. Moonpaw turned to see his sister making her way through the crowd.

Sweetpaw was a pretty orange she-cat covered in darker flecks. Her violet eyes looked worryingly at her brother despite her insult. She sat next to him casting a both wary and hostile eye at Duskfang who just twitched his ear in response.

She looked at Moonpaw "Is he okay?" she asked.

Moonpaw walked up to the apprentice at did a quick check. For all the quickness and ferocity that Duskfang had used Lightningpaw was unharmed. Probably the only thing that was bruised was his ego but that would heal.

"He's fine." Moonpaw said.

Sweetpaw looked relieved she then turned towards her brother "What where you thinking Lightningpaw!"

The apprentice looked down ashamed. It didn't help that there was a crowd of warriors and that his mentor was scowling.

To save the apprentice from anymore humiliation Moonpaw made it clear that she wanted them to leave.

"Well I wonder if the fresh kill pile is being restocked, but with so many of our warriors here it should be filled with dozens of pieces of prey right?" She tilted her one good eye to them.

They took the hint and left the training hollow.

Lightningpaw looking down at his paws as he followed the crowd, his sister walked with him still scolding.

"Amazing." Moonpaw spun around to face Duskfang who was sitting down and partially leaning on a tree.

"What is?" she asked, very aware she was alone with a murder. Her fur prickled uneasily she tried not to show it.

"Nothing." There was an awkward silence and Moonpaw felt even more nervous. Her white tail tip twitched.

He looked at her with his shinning golden eyes and finally stood up. He walked toward her and she flinched. But he walked past her and headed to the exit.

"Where are you going." Moonpaw asked, although she swore it had sounded like she'd croaked.

Duskfang glanced at her "I'm going to visit Firesoul's grave." He said.

"I'll come with you." She said.

Duskfang looked surprised.

"What?"

"You know who Firesoul is?"

Moonpaw nodded "Redfern visits the grave all the time. I go with her sometimes." She gazed at him "Firesoul is your mother right?"

Duskfang looked away and nodded. "Ya… but why do you need to come with me?"

"I think it'll be easier for you if I come along." She said carefully.

"Hmph…" He knew she was right.

XOX (Author's note: I'm not entirely sure whose point of view this part is…)

They left the hollow easily enough. Moonpaw walked by Duskfang's side, the fear that had taken a hold of her in the hollow didn't come back, and now that she thought back she felt ridiculous.

"Where's Redfern?" Duskfang asked casually.

Moonpaw stopped for a second realizing she really didn't know. "Ummm… I think she went to collect herbs." She said.

Duskfang slowed down so she could catch up "Being a medicine cat is hard huh?"

Moonpaw nodded "Its worth it though, It's a great honor to be a medicine cat."

Duskfang pricked his ears those words sounded like they where coming off of a script. Like they'd been chiseled into her mind but never truly believed. Duskfang thought about what Redfern had said about Moonpaw not really wanting to be a medicine cat.

His eyes wandered to the leaf on the left side of her face.

He remembered Silversong she was a cat with high priorities but… no… she wouldn't be like that towards her own kit even if one eye was blind. He shook his head he was reading way too much into this. It wasn't any of his business why Moonpaw was training to become a medicine cat.

They arrived at the grave in a few minutes and Duskfang looked at it lovingly. The red flowers where in full bloom. Moonpaw couldn't help but think that they looked joyful and wondered if Firesoul was happy that her son was back.

Duskfang crouched down next to the grave and took in the flower's scent.

Moonpaw felt awkward standing there and backed away letting Duskfang have his privacy.

"Hello mother." He whispered "It's nice to visit you, after so long. I'm sorry that I left… that everything went wrong… that I didn't…"

At that moment he was grateful to Moonpaw for giving him his privacy as he felt tears begin to fall. He shook from them. The tears he had held back for a long time. For the past year he had held it all back thinking he had no more left after the exile, but now back at his mother's grave with no reason to hurry he let more out.

"Are you proud of me? He asked. His only answer was silence he felt anger grip him. "Damn it why wont you answer me!" he screeched.

Behind the bushes Moonpaw flinched. Not at his yelling though but because of his questions. "Are you proud of me?" she looked at her paws and tried her best to shut him out not wanting to ease drop anymore.

Duskfang looked at the flowers as more tears flew down. The scent of the flowers engulfed him and he took a deep breath. Letting peace fill him, he sat up and let out a sigh.

Since last year he had let out his frustrations in training never feeling the need to cry but back here even training hadn't done it. Maybe he should leave just like…

Moonpaw walked out from the bushes tilting her head at him.

She really did look like Silversong, he thought.

She walked up next to him "We need to go back." She said "I doubt any one will like it much if you stay out any longer."

"Okay." Duskfang said. He went into an emotionless state once again; maybe that was what was wrong. Penting up all him emotions like this wasn't helping one bit.

"Just a few more days" he told himself "Just a few more days and you can leave and never look back."

Moonpaw glanced at Duskfang, when he had been talking to his mother it had been the voice of some one who'd been wronged in life. Starclan knew she recognized it. She looked forward again and began to wonder what had happened when Duskfang had killed Warscar.

XOX

Redfern ran back to the clan feeling disappointed. She had gone to Silver Tree hoping to get some answer from Starclan about what the prophecy meant, but she had learned nothing. She had arrived to Silver tree before dawn had risen and had fall asleep and had arrived in Starclan's forest. But her calls only met echoes and she had woken up frustrated and no closer to understanding the prophecy.

And now to save what precious time she had with the cat she had raised. She doubted that Duskfang was enjoying his visit much.

She grabbed some herbs and entered the clan and spotted Duskfang lying down in the sun, his mind else where but he brightened up when he spotted Redfern.

Moonpaw walked over to him carrying some prey in her mouth. She dropped a mouse in front of him and he looked up at her surprised. Moonpaw made a gesture to it then trotted off to eat on her own. Curious kits eyed the exile from behind a stone.

Redfern walked toward Duskfang and let out a small smile.

….

Longest chapter in the history of OCTC

I liked adding Moonpaw in here more since before you only saw a few paragraphs with her. DO any of you think of her differently now?

Okay I'm so sorry that there is no Willowleaf, Dawnbird, or Eagleflight. I actually had a Willowleaf scene planned but Moonpaw kind of replaced her. And the other scene with her would actually fit better in a later chapter. Flame me all you want about it its not going to change.

Please Review, like really review not just telling me to update soon because it won't help much. I don't care if you're flaming me; just give me some kind of critic. Also after reading this where do you think the story is heading?