Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter

Chapter 2: A fox's heart

"Hawkpaw! Lightningpaw! Honeypaw!" The crowd chanted.

The three new apprentices proudly raised their heads, ears perked to listen to their new names.

"Honeypaw! Honeypaw!" Redkit chanted from the nursery, straining to see the three little figures on the ledge.

He happily bounced over to Honeypaw as she leapt down from the ledge.

"Congratulations!"

"Ma says we aren't allowed to talk to you." The cream apprentice stated, turning her head away.

"O-oh. Well maybe we could talk later, or if... You know... We don't need to talk to uh..." Redkit stopped as she turned to look at him, the look in her eyes said everything.

"Oh... Ok," Redkit mumble, "Uh... Bye."

They say goodbyes are never forever, but Redkit felt like that one was an exception. Even if he saw her again, she would seem as if she was on the other side of the lake.

Suddenly, a strange feeling came over Redkit. Time slowed down. Even though his ears were perked, the only sound he could hear was the ridiculously loud beating of his tiny heart. Breathing heavily, he looked behind him. Unable to shake the sense of dread, he continued to turn around, unsure wether or not to hope to see something. A putrid, indistinctly familiar smell reached his nostrils. He started to think of the animals with such a bad stench. It could be a skunk, or a badger, or a-

"FOX!" A cry rang out from a warrior Redkit didn't know of.

The great ginger beast burst through the entrance, white froth bubbling out of the sides of it's mouth. Without a moment's hesitation, it lunged for Cloudfoot, sinking it's teeth deep into his hind-leg.

With a squeal, Redkit ran in the opposite direction, not bothering to look where he was going. In a flash creamy-yellow, he crashed headfirst into a young apprentice. The two tumbled in the clearing. In a dazed panic, Redkit started batting at the apprentice to get him out of the way.

"Get off me!" Lightningpaw screeched, batting Redkit in return.

The cream-coloured apprentice shoved Redkit off, sending him flying in the other direction. He rolled across the dewy grass, closing his eyes in fear. Lightningpaw rushed off towards the elders den, yowling a battle cry.

Redkit jumped up, fur bristling as he tried to figure out where he was. The red giant creature blocked his view. It stood on it's hind-legs, emitting a growling/gurgling sound. Redkit closed his eyes as the beast raised his paw to strike.

Redkit kept waiting for the killing blow, but felt nothing. Rather, he heard a bloodcurdling screech just in front of him. Daring to open his eyes, Redkit saw his mother in front of him. She was laying down on the ground, blood seeping from a long wound running from the tip of her neck to her hind-legs. Looking up, he saw a deep brown cat clinging to the crazed fox, fighting like all of LionClan.

"Run, Redkit!" Brownstep yowled, ripping a chunk out of the foxes ear.

Redkit didn't need to be told twice, he ran all the way to the nursery. Once there, he ducked under the bedding, quietly trying to soothe himself.

He missed an exciting battle. With the help of Lightningpaw, Maplewish, Cloudfoot, and Brownstep managed to kill the beast, suffering bad injuries.

"That was... That... Was something..." Cloudfoot mumbled, looking a little dizzy.

"I've never in my life have I seen a fox act like that," Maplewish meowed.

"It was a sign from StarClan!" Dewfur yowled.

"If it was a sign from StarClan, shouldn't Leafpelt have noticed it?" Brownstep pointed out.

"All foxes are crazy," Lightningpaw argued, earning himself a scolding look from Ambertail.

"Maybe," Wolfstar padded over to his warriors, inspecting their injuries gently, his eyes glistening with worry, "you four should head to the medicine den."

"Especially you Cloudfoot, that bite doesn't look to good."

"I'm... I'll be fine," Cloudfoot insisted, wincing as his legs nearly gave out on him.

"I refuse to have my warriors get sick from an infected injury," Wolfstar stated sternly, "head to the medicine den."

Obediently, Cloudfoot stumbled into the den.

Looking toward the other side of the clearing, he noticed Fawndapple flat out on the ground with a hunched over Redkit nearby.

"Mom."

"Mom, get up."

"Come on ma, you have to get up" Redkit declared softly, nudging the queen.

"Redkit." The young cub stared up to the leader with wide eyes. "She's dead."

"What? No! She can't be!"

"-A-and it's all your fault." Wolfstar growled, his eyes flashing a colour that looked far closer to red than yellow.

"What? B-but how is it my fault?" Redkit asked, feeling a mix of grief, denial, and confusion.

"You are a fox, you lead that thing here. It's your fault that Fawndapple is dead!" Wolfstar yowled, his tone growing harsher and more certain by the second.

Redkit's eyes widened, as if unable to process this new information, he paused, silently deciding that he didn't hear him right.

"W-what did you say?

"Run."

"Wha-"

"Run, or I swear to StarClan I will personally kill you with my own two paws!" Wolfstar growled with such conviction that Redkit felt chills running up and down his spine.

Redkit fled.

He ran out of the camp, praying to all of StarClan for his legs to hold up. He pushed himself to run farther than he'd ever run before. Adrenaline racing through him as numerous paw-steps thumped from behind him. He kept running, faster and faster than he'd have ever imagined he could've run as huge claws tore his rear end to shreds.

Redkit didn't stop as a stench as powerful as the foxes filled his nostrils, or when the trees grew thick and prickly. Redkit no longer knew wether the whole of the clan was on his tail, or if he had left them behind, but for all the mouse-tails in the world he certainly wasn't going to check. He wondered for a moment if he would ever stop running.

His question was answered for him as he was hit and pinned down by a flying paw.

The young fox cub stopped struggling to look at the cat that had pinned him down, truly hoping not to see Wolfstar towering above him. Luckily for him, it was not Wolfstar. Rather a light-grey she-cat with piercing icy blue eyes.

"It's just a cub."

"Well what are you waiting for? Drive it out of the territory," a white, fluffy cat ordered, his coat was so thick that Redkit couldn't tell if his fur was bristling.

"No! No wait please! I can't be run out again I-I have nowhere to go!" Redkit pleaded.

"It can talk!" A young, wide eyed apprentice exclaimed, pushing ahead to look at him.

"I think we'd better let Tawnystar know about this."

With a sigh of relief, Redkit felt the pressure leave his chest.

"Do you need me to carry you?" The icy-eyed she-cat asked, her face not showing the slightest hint of emotion.

"N-no. I can walk," Redkit yipped.

"Good."

The patrol walked Redkit a long way to the heart of their territory. Just as he felt his legs begin to give out, Redkit noticed what looked to be an entrance. As he entered the camp, a tawny-coloured cat blocked his way.

"O-oh! Hi."

The tawny-cat stared for a moment before letting out a small purr.

"Welcome to ShadowClan."

Am I taking to long to make the next chapter? Chances are, I have writer's block. I'm not saying that I can't supply ideas for my own story. But if you have an idea, tell me! You can help move things along!

Was there something you didn't like? Did I make a mistake? If so, be sure to tell me!

Thanks to: Spiderweave, Guest, 12scorpio, Lolkat123, and WrenfootTheMeddieCat for reviewing!