Warriors: Snow (Warrior Cats Fan Fiction Book One)

Chapter Three

Weatherpaw was eating a squirrel alone at the edge of the camp clearing when he heard a wail from the entrance. His head shot up from his meal and he was met with a horrible sight.

Rockflight and Marshpelt were carrying a body between them... a dark gray pelt covered in blood. It was Glareheart, a Snowclan Warrior, and she was dead.

"No!" Tigersong, a Clan Elder, cried, running over and burying her nose in the body of her kit. Ruffface, another Elder, sat by her side and rested his head on Tigersong's shoulder.

It broke Weatherpaw's heart to see Tigersong sob. Shrewheart, Glareheart's sister, walked over and sat on the other side of her mother, wide-eyed as she stared down at Glareheart. She was so shocked, she had no tears to cry.

"What happened!?" Thornstar exclaimed, coming out of her den and surveying the scene with wide amber eyes. "Who did this?"

"The wolves are back, Thornstar." Marshpelt said gravely.

Weatherpaw's heart sank. He had heard many stories about the wolves growing up. The giant gray dogs had attacked the forest many years before he was born. Pitchstar, the leader before Thornstar, had sacrificed herself to defeat them. But now, it had all been for nothing, if the wolves were truly back.

"Rockflight fought off the wolves, but they'll be back," Marshpelt said, looking with pride at the light gray Warrior.

Rockflight nodded curtly, but looked sadly down at the body of Glareheart. "I wish I could have fought harder," Rockflight whispered. "I couldn't save Glareheart."

"You did your best," Marshpelt said. "You bought us more time by driving the wolves away." She then turned to the grief-stricken Tigersong. "I'm so sorry about your daughter," she said gravely. "Glareheart was my apprentice. She was a truly skilled Warrior, and her loss will affect the Clan for many moons to come."

Tigersong nodded to Marshpelt, too sad to speak.

Thornstar leaped onto the Round Rock in the center of the camp to address the Clan.

"We will send out patrols to look for the wolves," Thornstar said. "I will lead one myself today..."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hilltail spoke up. He was Thornstar's brother, and not afraid to challenge her, even though she was the leader. He looked impatiently up at his sister. "Given that you recently lost a life..."

"That doesn't matter right now," Thornstar snapped. "I am the Clan leader, and I will decide what to do. I will lead a patrol to look for the Wolves, and in the meantime, more guards will be posted around the camp, and hunting and border patrols will include more members going forward. We all must be on the lookout when we go into the forest... we never know where the wolves will strike next. Poor Glareheart met her fate because we didn't know the wolves were back. We will hold her funeral tonight. I won't let any other cats die by the claws of those creatures, not while I'm leader."

As Thornstar jumped down from the Rock, the Snowclan cats started to murmur amongst themselves. Weatherpaw remained at the edge of the clearing, looking out at everyone else and barely taking anything in. He was suddenly very scared... the wolves were dangerous. Glareheart was already dead... who would die next?

"Weatherpaw," Thornstar was walking over to him. Weatherpaw snapped out of his thoughts and bowed to his leader as she approached him. "I want you to come on the patrol with me," Thornstar said.

"Me?" Weatherpaw gasped. "I'm honored, but I'm just an apprentice!"

"Don't sell yourself short," Thornstar said, smiling at him. "We're leaving right now, so do hurry, won't you?"

Weatherpaw leaped to his paws and gathered himself together. He couldn't let fear overtake him now, not when his Clan Leader had chosen him for the patrol. I'll show her how skilled I am, he thought. As scary as the whole situation was, he couldn't help but think that this was his chance to prove himself. What if he was able to pull a Pitchstar, sending the wolves running off and saving the Clans? That would be something... he thought.

As Weatherpaw turned to go, Briarpaw ran up to him.

"Be careful!" Briarpaw whispered, his dark green eyes glistening with worry. Weatherpaw knew that he was thinking about the prophecy.

"Don't worry," Weatherpaw told his friend. "I'll be fine, and if I get hurt, you can help treat my wounds."

"Oh, I hope that won't happen!" Briarpaw murmured. He pressed himself close to Weatherpaw and then quickly pulled apart. "I'll see you when you safely return."

"I'll always come back, I promise," Weatherpaw said.

"Come on, Weatherpaw!" Darkstorm called from the camp entrance.

Weatherpaw nodded to Briarpaw and tried to give him a reassuring smile, then he ran over to his mentor and followed him, Thornstar, Stormsplash, and Hilltail into the woods.

"We have to be careful," Thornstar muttered. "The Wolves could be anywhere..."

"I'll say," Hilltail grunted. "Don't go drinking out of cursed puddles while we're out here..."

Thornstar chose to ignore her brother as they marched forward.

The cats walked through the woods in silence. Weatherpaw jumped at every little sound, but tried to hide his fear. Despite his bold words, he was secretly terrified of running into the wolves. Every small sound or movement made him think the wolves were nearby. He had never actually seen a wolf, and he pictured the most vile creature. Suddenly his delusions of grandeur of defeating the wolves faded from his mind, and he suddenly wanted to turn tail and run back to camp like a scared kit. But he quickly pulled himself together. He was almost a warrior, and he had been chosen for this.

He could do this.

Eventually, Thornstar stopped short and tasted the air.

"This is where the wolves were last time," Thornstar whispered. She gestured with her nose to the clearing beyond the bushes, where a large cave loomed in front of them. "The Wolf Cave."

Weatherpaw peered through the bushes and shivered at the sight of the large black hole leading into the cave. Were the wolves in there now?

As if answering his question, suddenly three shapes came out of the cave. They were all huge gray creatures, with long snouts and sharp claws.

"The wolves," Thornstar whispered. She started forward, but Hilltail shot out his paw to hold her back.

"Not now," the tan tabby murmured, glaring at Thornstar. "We know where they are now, but we don't have enough warriors or strength to fight them at the moment. Leave it be, we'll come back later."

Thornstar nodded reluctantly, then signaled with her tail for her Clanmates to follow her away. They crept quietly through the undergrowth until they were a ways away from the cave, then ran rather hastily through the woods to get away from the dangerous dogs. They didn't stop running until they arrived at the camp entrance. 

"Now you've seen the Wolves," Darkstorm said to Weatherpaw and Stormsplash as they slowed down and paused for breath. "They're scary, aren't they?"

"They are," Weatherpaw muttered. "I've never seen such big creatures!"

"My mother died when she killed the leader of the previous wolves long ago," Darkstorm said, sadness glittering in his blue gaze.

"Wait, Pitchstar was your mother?" Weatherpaw gasped.

"Yes," Darkstorm said. He turned to his daughter and touched his nose to Stormsplash's head. "And your grandmother, my dear."

"Wow," Stormsplash breathed, her eyes wide. "She was a hero. But now the wolves are back... oh, what are we to do?"

"We're going to fight them," Thornstar said, pulling up beside them. The leader looked determined. "If they attack us again, we'll be ready. I say let them come."