Warriors: Fear and Hope

“Another day of sunshine!” purred Dashfang to Applefur. Her sky coat beamed against the sun. Thanks to the calm weather, she had seen Cloud nearly every day now! She had slipped away during patrol, hunting, and training sessions. She walked with her friend to the sandy hollow where Browniepaw and Redpaw were waiting for them.

“Let’s hope that this calm weather stays like this all leaf-bare.” Applefur giggled out. Dashfang nodded and smiled. She knew how much Applefur hated to get wet- if she did her fur would cling to her and it would take hours before it dried.

They had entered the hollow right as Browniepaw jumped on top of frosty leaves, flying them everywhere. One fell on him, and she pounced to grab it. He soon fell into more, getting them all into his fur. He blushed when he saw the two warriors.

The two friends purred with amusement. “At least Browniepaw is ready for our special exercise.”  Applefur purred.

Redpaw jumped up and he mewed, “Hello Applefur, what is our assignment?”

“A hunting mission,” Applefur mewed happily. She stood on the sandy hollow and Dashfang stood next to her.

“Where,” he mewed excitedly.

“We’re going to Sunshinerocks,” Dashfang mewed, soon sharing her excited look. “And we’ll all catch whatever we can.” She says with a nice smile on her face.

“I wanna catch a vole!” Browniepaw yowled, toppling over his brother’s head.

Dashfang laughed and smiled at the two. Applefur interrupted the happiness of the three cats. “I’m afraid all we catch will go straight to the elders,” she said in a solemn voice. Her cold voice became warm with delight. “However, if you ask nicely, I’m sure they would love to give you some.” She smiles to the apprentice and licks her head.

Browniepaw frowns and her ears were flat on her. “Okay,” then one ear perks up. “Which way is Sunshinerocks?” he asked, excited once more.

Dashfang smiled at his enthusiasm, and mewed, “This way, follow me!”

Applefur and the rest followed her. The leaves fell to the ground, and Applefur jumped on them. She purred with amusement, when she saw Redpaw staring at his mentor, surprised by his kit-like state. She blushed, and mewed, “Err, I never want to waste a minuet of hunting!” She smiles, and she gets up to dust herself off.

The four cats looked, and smelled, their way to Sunshinerocks. The sun glistened on all the cats’ fur as they crossed through Lightningclan territory. As they emerged through the bushes, they saw Sunshinerocks glistening under the trees. Browniepaw hopped onto a rock, and purred as the sunshine glows on top of him. “This feels nice!” she mewed happily.

Dashfang smiled, and hopped on with her. “Look Dashfang!” he yowled. “The river of Lakeclan!” she jumped to see the river from their side of the river. Dashfang nods.

“Well, why don’t we admire it from our side?”  Dashfang mewed as she walked over to their river.

Applefur’s ears prick as she hears a yowl of a Lakeclan cat. “Some kitties in trouble!” she yowled, and she stared down at the river. The cat swept off in the river, and Applefur jumped down to grab him.

Browniepaw called after him, “Applefur, you’re going to be in big trouble!”

Applefur did not listen; she just swam over to the drowning tom. She caught his scruff, and she swam over to the shore. Her paws were little, but she swam like a Lakeclan leader. She got to shore, and coughed out water. The tom coughed too, and looked up at her. “Am I in Lunarclan?” the earth tom asked.

Applefur giggled, and mewed to him, “Not yet you’re not.” She licked him clean. “What are you doing in Lightningclan territory anyway?” she mewed, still smiling.

He licked his paw, and rolled his eyes. “Uh, drowning.” he mewed sarcastically, and he kept licking his paw happily.

“Can’t you drown on your own territory?” she asked him, and he got up, shaking his water droplets onto Applefur.

The tom laughed, and asked, “Yea, but who would save me there?”

Applefur rolled her eyes, still smiling. “I don’t know!” she mewed, and her ears perked when she heard Browniepaw calling to her.

“Applefur get back here or you’re going to be in big trouble!” she yowled over to her.

Applefur laughed. “Alright, alright!” she mewed, “I better go, bye!” she ran over to Browniepaw and Dashfang. She looked back. “What’s your name?” She called out to the tom.

“Copperpelt!” he yowled back and he waved to the she-warriors.

As they trekked back hope, with plenty of food, Dashfang looked at Applefur. She stopped her with her wing. “Are you alright, you are really cold?” she asked as she looked at her friend.

“I-I’m fine.” She mewed, and she looked up. She shivered, and Dashfang looked back at her, stopping her again.

“You should go see Spitfire.” Mewed Dashfang and Applefur nodded.

She ran over to the medicine cat den, and Dashfang looked at Redpaw. He walked into the apprentice den, again tackled by his mother.

Dashfang smiled, and she saw Applefur walking over to her. “I have to stay in the warriors den for a while, I have a cold.” She mewed, with an annoyed look on her face.

Dashfang nodded, and followed her into the warrior’s den. She slept for a while, but when she woke, she saw no Applefur she saw flames of rainbows. There were brown specks coming out of it. She heard a scream, and she woke quickly. She still did not see Applefur, but she saw the rest of the warriors. She looked outside, and the moon was still in the sky. She saw Applefur’s fur on the ground, and she saw it next to the kit den. She squeezed in quietly, and she saw more of her friend’s fur in a little hole in the kit den. She ran off, in the cold, with a cold. She was alone outside. Or was she?