Warriors:Into The Wild AU (2024 Rewrite)

Chapter Nine

Sorry for the long wait, my most recent case of writer's block + exhaustion has made my mind turn to mashed potatoes. This chapter is more of a filler, save for the beginning, so sorry if it's boring. Pls enjoy, regardless.

It was still dark out when ice-colored eyes fluttered open drowsily, wondering for a brief moment where she was. She was not in bed with her Twolegs, as was her first thought, and then the memory of the day before caught up to her and she sprang to her paws. Her first day of training!

Briarpaw looked around the den and saw the others were still asleep, save for Dustpaw and Ravenpaw, who had been absent since last night. She wasn't sure where they were, but she was too excited to care. The black-and-white she-cat slid out of the den and looked around the camp.

The sun had yet to rise, and there was no one in the clearing yet, so Briarpaw shrugged and began to groom her sleep-ragged fur. She was concentrating on a stubborn patch of moss that had become entangled in the smoky-gray-and-white fur of her right shoulder when she heard something.

Her ears pricked and growing still, the new apprentice looked around cautiously before catching sight of a mottled, dark brown tail disappearing into Spottedleaf's den. Graypaw had not shown them that particular den the day before, so Briarpaw padded over to the fern-shaded corner cautiously.

As she brushed under the ferns, she saw a line of three nests tucked back under a large stone, and in two of those nests were Redtail and Ravenpaw. The injured warrior was asleep on his side, with Dustpaw curled up beside him, and Ravenpaw was curled up like a ball of yarn, his paws and ears twitching in his sleep.

There was no sign of the mottled tail that she saw earlier, so Briarpaw made to turn around and leave when she heard a moan of pain. Redtail was stirring, his amber eyes blinking open weakly. He coughed a few times, his breath rasping.

Spotted a pile of moss balls on a ledge further in the den, Briarpaw grabbed one and soaked it in a small spring she found under some of the ferns. She brought it to the deputy and watched him drink. He blinked gratefully at her before his gaze became confused.

"Who are you?" his mew was rough with sleep and pain.

"My name is Briarpaw, I arrived here yesterday." she explained, his eyes showed understanding.

"Oh, yeah, Bluestar talked about bringing two kittypets into the Clan. You're one of them, eh?"

"Yes, sir." Redtail huffed a little.

"Ah, at least you're the respectful type." He looked like he wanted to say more before he coughed again, grunting this time. "Think you could get Spottedleaf for me? My ribs are killing me."

Briarpaw nodded and slipped further into the den, past ledges and hanging vines that held all sorts of plants. The smells were confusing but she did manage to locate the tortoiseshell's scent, leading to a mound of long tortoiseshell fur behind a cracked stone. She gently prodded the tortoiseshell awake, the she-cat's eyes blinking open as she raised her head.

"Oh! Briarpaw, yes? What is it?"

"Redtail woke up, and he wants you," was all Briarpaw managed to say before Spottedleaf hurried past her to the former deputy's side. The tom purred before coughing again, causing Dustpaw to stir from his mentor's side.

The brown tabby raised his head and looked to Spottedleaf, and then past her to Briarpaw. His ears flicked back and he glared at Briarpaw as Spottedleaf made him get up.

Seeing the sky lighten through a hole in the den wall, Briarpaw dipped her head to Spottedleaf and Redtail and slipped out of the den, heading back to the apprentices' den.