Warriors: The star lake fanfiction

Chapter 11

Smokepaw ate in warriors' den that night with Dawnfern, Flamesnout, Whitefur, Proudstep, Wrenpaw, Darkpaw, Spiderpaw and Hollowpaw. Blackpool couldn't eat with them during sundown because of cats that needed to be healed, but he made sure Smokepaw knew how disappointed he was in his leader.

Smokepaw looked at her father, who was lying in the corner of the warriors' den eating a rabbit.
He voted for her to be punished.
She thought he would have stood by her.
Clearly this experience at least told her who was really a loyal friend of hers.

"Make sure, if you encounter a predator, to either run or go for its eyes." Proudstep reminded her.
"And if you run into any cats outside of the clan, try to be peaceful." Dawnfern added.
"Have you thought of a plan?" Spiderpaw asked.
Smokepaw stayed silent. She thought of multiple plans, but none of them would have worked.
Her first idea was to return to ShadowClan, but she would have to see her real parents again and see her clan every moon which she couldn't bear. Her clan would believe that she really was a traitor if she went to them, and technically she would be. If she searched for hospitality in an enemy clan, she could share secrets and grow attached. The cats would never let her back in.
"Smokepaw?" Hollowpaw's voice snapped her back to reality.

"I'll come up with something. I'll just make sure I go somewhere with water and prey. I'll just follow the river away from the clans or something..."

...

That night, Smokepaw didn't feel like talking to Crimsonpelt. She could ask him for guidance tomorrow. She just wanted to sleep, but her thoughts prevented her from doing so.
Her eyes were closed but she was still awake.

"Psst." A voice whispered to her.
Her head snapped up to see Flamesnout at the entrance of the apprentices' den.
He jerked his head, signalling for her to follow him.
She got up and he led her to the warriors' den.
"What are we doing?" She asked him.
"I thought you might be a little restless. The last thing you need tomorrow is to be tired. Sleep here with me."
His expression was stern, but his tone was sincere.

She laid down and he curled up beside her to warm her. She slowly drifted to sleep, leaning into Flamesnout's warmth.
"Thank you..." was the last thing she said before her first happy dream in over a moon.

...

Smokepaw awoke to Flamesnout's blood coloured ear tickling her nose. His ears had flopped in his sleep and one was now in her face. She was still huddled up close to him.
She pushed away carefully, trying not to wake him up.
Once she was up, she carefully poked her head out of the den's entrance. She saw Hoverstar passing in front of his den under the rising sun.

She swiftly and silently dashed over to the apprentices' den. She wanted to say goodbye to her friends before leaving. She squeezed in, seeing that Hollowpaw was awake.
"There you are. I thought you might have left already." He nuzzled into her.
"I'm going to leave soon. Hoverstar said first thing in the morning, which means I have time to say goodbye before I go as long as we're quiet." Hollowpaw nodded.
The two rubbed heads and intertwined their tails.
"Please come back to us." Smokepaw nodded.

They waited for the other apprentices to wake up so she could say bye to them too.
Spiderpaw's goodbye was brief, but she knew he was sad. Wrenpaw's ears were dropped from the moment he awoke, and spent about ten minutes saying how much he loved her. She returned his affection, but she knew it was time to go.
She slowly stepped out of the den and faced Hoverstar, along with a few other cats that had just woken up.

"I bid you farewell, Smokepaw. Good luck." Hoverstar dipped his head.
Flamesnout stepped out, looking like he just woke up.
Smokepaw turned to her clan, almost all of which were now awake and watching her.
"Goodbye, ThunderClan. I will return soon, and I will be stronger when I do."
Flamesnout nodded to her, which she returned.

She trotted out of the camp, taking in her friends' faces. She strode through ThunderClan's territory, stopping only when she arrived at the thunder path. She was still too scared to go back to the river, but this was how she could find her way back when she needed to.
Follow the thunder path.