Chapter 1

BushClan/Fawnpaw

Four long moons had passed since Fawnpaw became an apprentice, her first gathering was coming up and far more quickly than she expected. Her sister and brother, Rosepaw and Hazelpaw, had gone with their mentors to the last gathering. Birdwater and Foxgaze had praised them well for their behavior with WillowClan's apprentices. Their first Clan-born kits as far as she was well aware. Her amber eyes glanced over to her mentor who was dipping her reddish-brown and white head to their deputy, Twilightsky. At last, the orders for the after sun-high had been given for them. She sat up carefully, trying to appear calm and not tingling with excitement from the tips of her whiskers to the tip of her tail.

Jaggedcloud's yellow eyes gleamed as she padded over to Fawnpaw, her tail raised in confidence. "We have a task today, we get to patrol near a far spot on our boarders where it is believed the remnants of FearClan have gone."

"Right." Fawnpaw spoked up, her voice cracking slightly from the excitement. She had heard the nursery tails from Poppyclaw and her own mother, Tumbleheart. They were a group of heartless cats full of cruelty and had slaughtered cats even long before her own mother was born. She was worried and concerned if they would ever rise up again or were waiting patiently to regain their numbers after the unexpected leadership changes that lead to WillowClan being created.

"I know your mother have told you the bloodied history, but I assure you, what she had seen is nothing compared to the things I have seen." Jaggedcloud meowed solemnly. "I know their leadership has changed, but we can never be too careful. We need to make sure they stay out. It doesn't matter what WillowClan says, I know how they can be. They can be quiet and seemingly harmless, and perhaps they are for now; but some day they will come back for blood. If not against BushClan, than against the cats who was once their own in WillowClan."

"What have you seen?" Fawnpaw asked softly, curious and yet afraid if it was too much to ask.

"Terrible things." Jaggedcloud whispered, turning to the entrance of the Clan. "I've seen more than what any cat should have seen and I don't want any cat to ever see it again."

Nodding her pale brown head, Fawnpaw followed her mentor out into the thin-tree forest in a respectful silence. She wasn't sure what it was her mentor had seen, but she did believe her in how terrible it must be if she was paranoid about FearClan's resurgence in the future. Swallowing thickly, the apprentice padded after the warrior's paw-steps as the world around her seemed to be full of life. The Clan worked differently then it used to, as her mother had told her as a kit, that warriors take shifts to do patrols and hunting by letting some take their naps and others working after their own naps now. Before they were so on edge they couldn't rest soundly between duties, leaving them to be full of the paranoia that was plaguing her mentor. Ever since the peace had begun, everything settled into a more natural rhythm for BushClan. A rhythm that felt like slipping into the ferns to vanish into their foliage while hunting.

"We're almost there." Her mentor whispered over her shoulder, her steps growing slower and more sure-footed than before.

Fawnpaw followed her lead, acting as though she was stalking through the forest as a distant roaring entered her ears. Eyes widening in horror, she could see flashes of color and even hear the sharp bellow of a beast that always made her legs tremble with terror. Wind buffeted the trees, making them hiss and creak high above her head while Jaggedcloud sniffed every step of the way, her jaws parted to try and pick up any unusual scents before freezing up.

Confused, Fawnpaw followed her example, tasting the air as the acrid scent of the thunderpath beyond the edge of the forest soured onto her tongue. Yet, just beneath it, was the scent of another cat. However, with the thunderpaths rank stench all around, it was hard for her to figure out if the cat scent was new, a loner passing through, or having been swirled through the air onto their territory from the patrolling monsters. Licking her lips, she padded up to her mentors side, standing a little taller than her no matter how much she tried not to. Despite the shudder that raced through her, she still found her voice.

"Perhaps it came from the other side of the thunderpath?" She suggested.

"I hope it did." Jaggedcloud replied. "I'm a seasoned warrior and I can't even tell if this is nothing or something to worry about."

"Would FearClan have no regards to borders?"

"They never cared about BushClan's borders before. They are used to free reign, or at least that's how I try to make sense of it." Her mentor admitted.

Fawnpaw nodded her understanding. "We didn't smell anything before getting here, so chances are it was a loner or some wanderer who didn't want to alert us."

"Those are hopeful thoughts." she mused aloud, before blinking warmly to the light brown and white she-cat. "I say you pass the scent assessment here."

"Scent assessment?" Fawnpaw echoed, confused.

Jaggedcloud's yellow eyes sparkled with mischief. "I met a loner this morning on a dawn patrol. I had them pass by here."

"And you were allowed to do this?" She gasped.

"Not quite." Her mentor admitted. "I only asked Twilightsky to help make sure you have enough skill to pick up a cat-scent in this area. Out of your siblings, you have one of the strongest noses. I want to make sure we use it to it's full potential."

Fawnpaw nodded, "I see. So, who was the loner?"

"Her name's Spruce." She explained. "She was only passing through on the outside of the border trying to find her way to the Twoleg Place. So, I told her the best spot to cross. I wanted to make sure she had done it and the best way was to have Twilightsky let us come here to double check."

"Honestly, now I see where Cootpaw gets it from." Fawnpaw chuckled as they turned away from the border.

"Of course, but I used it as a way to test your scenting abilities. The better you get at them, the easier hunting prey will be when times are tough." Jaggedcloud lectured gently. "You have hunted well last leafbare, but I want you to become even better at it. We need it in order for our Clan to survive when prey go into their holes and finally come out. As scrawny as they are, we have to do everything we can."

"Has the Clan ever faced a time of no food?" She suddenly asked.

The reddish-brown and white she-cat shook her head. "Not for as long as I have been alive that I ever seen or heard of one. It would be best to ask Poppyclaw or Jasminepetal since they have been alive longer than I."

"I'll be sure to when we get back to camp, then." Fawnpaw promised, "Now what will we be doing since that was finally finished?"

"Some hunting for us to do, mostly practice so don't worry if you catch anything or not." Her mentor meowed, leading the way further into the thin-tree forest.

Birds chirped and sang as they flitted from branch to branch. Almost as though they were teasing Fawnpaw and her mentor. Narrowing her amber eyes, she was swift to change positions to try and blend into the foliage around her. Perhaps if they thought they were gone they would come down and look for their own prey and fall into a sense of security before they could strike again. Jaggedcloud glanced to her, yellow eyes seeming to sparkle with amusement before she crept away as well.

"They might not come down for some time, but stalking around shouldn't hurt." She trilled softly, looking back ahead as she parted her jaws.

Fawnpaw followed her example, shadowing her steps with as much grace as she could muster. Her mind wandering against her will over how sleek and confident her mentor was in who she was. The way her pelt rippled with muscle and her tail flicked to give signals. She wished she had even a fraction of her confidence as she shadowed her movements until they found undisturbed prey to sneak up on. Four long moons and it was time to put all her practice hunts to the test.

Narrowing her amber eyes, she slipped closer and closer, keeping light on her paws, her tail kept level and still as she approached the sneaky mouse. It's small grayish-brown back was facing her as she crept closer and closer. Widening her eyes slightly to make sure she was judging her distance properly, she sprang and landed squarely on her chosen prey. The first prey she had finally caught and sank her fangs into to dispatch it. She held it in her jaws, looking to her mentor with bright eyes.

"That was an excellent catch." Jaggedcloud praised her warmly, "Even better than last quarter-moon with that squirrel!"

"Thanks." She mewed, not minding how her mew cracked for once, relaxing it just enough. "It was still hard, though."

"As it should be, not all catches are that easy, Fawnpaw." She advised her gently, "All prey are fast, mice are the easiest to hunt since their eyes aren't as good as a birds, but their ears aren't as twitchy as a rabbit. While birds can feel vibrations in the branches and ground better than any prey and a rabbit can hear a predator long before they could see or smell them. While a squirrel watches for any movement and checks it's surroundings quickly."

Fawnpaw put her catch down with a small rumble in the back of her throat. "That's a lot to remember."

"It is, but it will come instinctually when you see or smell your prey." She promised, "Just like how being yourself comes from your heart, so will hunting and patrolling. You learned to fight well and where to mark the territory. In two moons you will be assessed in mock battle and even hunting. Based on how well you do for those will dictate if you are ready to be a warrior."

"Did you ever have trouble?" She asked softly.

"I did." She admitted just as softly. "When I was apprenticed, the whole Clan discovered what that heartless she-cat, Cedar, had done to Bushstar. I learned to fight to take her down myself, I never did, but I focused so much on fighting that I struggled to hunt well. I was the first of the Clan's apprentices who were fifteen moons old when I was made a warrior. So there is no shame in it, you can get past it with determination and focus."

Fawnpaw nodded, feeling like she had unearthed a well hidden secret of BushClan. The secret that Bushstar's daughter had the longest apprenticeship in the end. It was hard to believe, but the fawn and white she-cat knew she had to believe it. Jaggedcloud would never lie to her, she knew that since her harsh judgement of her skills from the beginning. Ever since she was a queen in the nursery scolding her tom-kits for picking on her for being herself. Looking to her mouse, as small and pathetic as it looked, it was a start. That much she knew and understood clearly.

"Let's go, we need to keep hunting so stash it like I taught you to last moon." She ordered smoothly, looking ahead.

"Right." She obeyed, scratched dirt and leaf-litter over her mouse before following her mentor further into the forest. The forest was still full of birdsong, cooing of pigeons catching her attention as they found their way closer to the Twoleg Garden on the edge of their territory. It belonged to no cat, as far as they knew, so they could easily hunt there for an extra piece of prey as long as there is no Twoleg's nearby.

Swiftly, each stalking step brought her closer and closer to the Twoleg Garden. Soon enough, Fawnpaw could peer through the brush she crawled to, some pigeons were pecking and scratching at the dusty stretch of earth. Their beady eyes blankly staring as they lifted their heads every once in a while to check their surroundings with their stiff, bobbing motions. She knew they could go deeper, but she swallowed dryly at the thought of catching a pigeon. Carefully, she began to find her way around the brush, crawling under a bush to creep even closer to her quarry. Her amber eyes glancing around as she tried, desperately, to find a pigeon that was less aware of it's surroundings, or even potentially weakened from previous escapes from other creatures.

Fawnpaw parted her jaws to take in all the scents, picking up dogs and Twolegs and even a stray lone-cat on the wind. Yet it was all stale compared to the fresh scents of the pigeons before her. Steadying herself, she watched them a moment longer, picking the closest pigeon that she should be able to catch. It's feathers slightly ruffled, but possibly from a quick dip in the bird-pools that were high off the ground. Without a moment's hesitation longer, Fawnpaw struck, racing out from her hiding spot and into the heart of the pigeon flock. Alarmed screeches and calls of the pigeons were filling her ears with the whistling and slaps of their feathers. Yet, she leaped as high as she could with her powerful back legs, her claws outstretched as she snagged the tail feathers of her chosen prey. The pigeon cried out in fear as she dragged it back down, it's body slamming into the earth as it flailed it's wings in vain. Panting, Fawnpaw pounced, her claws digging into it's flesh as she bit into it's neck to try and dispatch it. Her paws and mouth were full of feathers as the pigeon struggled against her, far too powerful for a young cat like herself, but soon Jaggedcloud was beside her aiming closer to the body and sinking her fangs into the bird.

After the struggle, the pigeon was dispatched, the body limp as Jaggedcloud lifted it's body in her jaws. A content purr rumbling through her as Fawnpaw saw the look of pride in her eyes. Quickly, they went back into hiding on their territory in hopes the Twolegs wouldn't notice all the feathers as they stopped to make sure neither of them were hurt from the struggle. Her mentor carefully sniffing over her, her tail raising until it was upright with a quiver of excitement.

"That was an excellent stalk and jump if I say so, myself." She praised warmly, looking to her apprentice.

Fawnpaw purred softly. "Thank you. I was afraid I waited too long to pick a pigeon, but it was so strong, I don't think I could have caught it without you're help."

"I would imagine so, this is a healthy piece of prey." Jaggedcloud informed her. "But this is why you hunt in pairs, Fawnpaw. This way you can capture a piece of prey together. It's always better to have one piece of prey then none at all."

The fawn-and-white she-cat nodded with a purr. "I doubt I'll ever forget this lesson."

With the hunting finally finished, Jaggedcloud lead the way back into the heart of BushClan territory and carefully found their way back to camp from there. Both she-cats carried the prey caught, taking it to heart that they were closer and closer to becoming a wonderful pair of mentor and apprentice. Fawnpaw was more relaxed as she followed with the mouse in her jaws. Just as swiftly as it began, she found herself wishing she could hunt more. Yet, she understood that they just needed to take care in keeping their strength up for the Two-leg Bridge gathering. A moment that Fawnpaw had been both excited and dreading.

She was excited as it would be her first time meeting WillowClan warriors and their apprentices. In fact, she was positive they only had two of them! She always wanted to meet them, but she knew she wasn't like most typical cats. Fawnpaw was different from many cats in her own way, she just had to hope that they would accept her as well as her Clan had so far. Sure she had peers who picked on what she was most sensitive about herself, but she knew not all cats were the same. It was a hope, but it was becoming less and less promising in her mind. What if they were cruel? What if they didn't see her the way she saw herself?

Just as she was becoming more and more lost in her thoughts, she tripped over a root from some bush. With a wordless trill of surprise, she stumbled forward. Her mentor looking back with a puzzled expression, her head lowering to drop the pigeon she carried. Swiftly, Fawnpaw shook her head, gesturing with one paw to continue on. Her amber eyes begging for them to continue on a bit longer. With a nod, Jaggedcloud turned to face ahead and lead the way; thankfully, Fawnpaw felt a little less embarrassed for tripping and quickly followed her mentor. This time, she paid closer attention to the path and put her worries at the back of her mind.

.

The camp was as lively as it was before she had left that late morning. With evening beginning with long stretches of shadows, she could see cats rising from their midday naps and others taking their early evening naps to rest up for the gathering. The day before Morningstar had announced who would be going and which apprentices were to be allowed. Yet, it was always bound to change if the apprentice showed no notable improvement to their skills. While she placed her catch onto the preypile, she noticed Jaggedcloud starting to walk towards the leader's den. Her tawny tabby and white head turning to look at her over her shoulder, yellow eyes lit by the sun.

"I'll tell Morningstar the good news so you can keep your spot in joining the gathering." She explained, pride tinging her mew.

Fawnpaw dipped her head respectfully. "Thank you, I'll get some rest then."

"That would be a wise choice." She replied, turning away to continue loping over to Morningstar's den.

The nervous butterflies had returned to Fawnpaw's belly. Even if she was allowed to go, what if she was still not welcomed? Swallowing thickly, she turned towards the apprentice's den and carefully worked her way towards it. Rustpaw and Auburnpaw would most likely pick on her if they weren't out. So, she had to see if they were so she could rest fitfully. She hated having to wish to avoid them, but they were a Clan, a family of sorts in some way. Yet, it was still a dark shadow that they have cast over her mind and heart. They knew what she was sensitive about and they knew how to make her feel so terrible about it. She knew it was just words and they were probably teasing; but it never made it hurt any less.

With a gentle push of her head and shoulder, she felt her body visibly relax. Her brother, Sunnypaw was curled up in his nest with Cootpaw close by. Taking her chance, she carefully joined them, picking her way to her nest beside Cootpaw's and curled up to sleep. Her amber eyes flicking to the den's entrance as the worry rattled through her mind one last time. With a soft sigh of resignation, Fawnpaw made a choice. She would continue to fight to be seen as she saw herself. No one would stop her from that. She gently closed her eyes to seal the promise into her heart and mind. She didn't have to fight tooth and claw to affirm herself, she just needed to use her words and the best way to explain why she felt the way she had.

Not one cat or creature could ever tell her otherwise. Fawnpaw knew what she felt and who she was. It may not match what others saw or believed of her, but that was okay. She knew the truth and that was more than enough for her.

Author Note:

After writing on and off for two years, the first chapter is finally complete. The main goal is to at least reach 4,000 words. However, I will change it to be between 3,500 words and 4,000 to make it a bit more easier and doable.

Anyway, meet Fawnpaw, she's a special character I thought about towards the ending of the last series and I have been working behind the scenes to fully flesh out her story. So I can see the exact scene I'm going to and I want to reach it, but I will work towards it from start to finish to the scenes of after that are still shrouded in mystery.

Yes, I write by the seat of my pants, meaning there is minimal structure (just vague plans of what chapter will be about what) and based off of one vision I have in mind. However, I had an extra year to plan it so hopefully it will come out a lot better with a little more word count freedom. If my writing style changed towards the end, I apologize, that happens when I keep writing private drabbles for my friends and I learn by google docs correcting my terrible way to write.

Any who, thank you for stopping by and reading! Have a fantastic morning, day, evening, or night! - NightSky