A Star Forgotten - Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 11

A light wind whistled softly through the endless fields. The breeze swirled through the thin, wispy grasses of the meadow. The air was thick with moisture and the greenleaf atmosphere was oppressively hot, clearly the makings of a greenleaf storm.

Ashleaf sat stiffly in the Great Clearing, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Pantherstep. Tonight was scheduled to be their premier training session together and she was not in the least looking forward to it.

The past few days in camp had been extremely hard to come by. After the dreadful battle with MeadowClan, after Loudpaw's holding hostage, Wisetail's death, and Ferneye's sudden kitting, StormClan was an utter disaster. 

After the initial shock of the horrifying events, grief overtook the camp. Ferneye refused to allow any cat into the nursery with the exception of Snowsong, the medicine cat, and Spotflower and her kit, Oakkit, who resided with her in the nursery. 

Lilyblossom, Wisetail and Ferneye's eldest daughter, now carried an unwavering hostility. Lilyblossom had not always been the most easy-going cat in the world, but now it seemed that the gray she-cat had a particular dislike for Ashleaf. 

Snowsong, however, had shown no signs of such hostility, but had fallen into a depression. Struck with the knowledge she had let a cat die because of her quote 'carelessness', she remained in her den all day, confined by her guilt. Ashleaf had given attempts to pull her dear medicine cat out of it, but Snowsong would rarely reply with anything but a whine or a hiss.

With her Clan in ruins, Ashleaf had no choice but to carry on and try to encourage her Clanmates. And the best way to accomplish that, she believed, was to train as hard as she possibly could. 

And thus, here she was, perched in the Great Clearing at midnight, waiting for Pantherstep to arrive. She dreaded it greatly. Pantherstep, like the she-cat Lilyblossom, lacked harmonious disposition.

The tabby leader gazed up at the milky moon. It was nearly full. Its pale light cast shadows along the dry earth of the clearing. Ashleaf thought dreamily, I love the moon. It's so pretty-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustle in the fronds of grass behind her her. Instinctively, she dropped into a hunters' crouch, but then suddenly, she tripped over her paws and landed with a thud on her belly. "Ouch," She mewed aloud, "I guess any prey in the whole clearing just got away," She purred laughter towards herself.

But in a heartbeat, a large shape barrelled into the side of her, knocking the wind out of Ashleaf. 

The muscular figure grasped her sides, raking at her ribs. Ashleaf and the cat rolled and tumbled, yowling and shrieking, and Ashleaf tried to fight back, but she lacked the strength to do so. She futilely batted her paws around while the figure bit and clawed at her fur.

Soon, the figure had her pinned up against the dry earth. Puffs of dust swirled up from where she lay. She coughed.

Ashleaf looked up to see Pantherstep's dark, lean shape above her. The black tom, claws unsheathed, had attacked her as some sort of grand entrance. His pearly white teeth glinted evilly in the moonlight and he had his amber eyes narrowed furiously.

"What...What are you doing?" Ashleaf rasped, bewildered, from under him, "Are you trying to kill me?!"

With a snort, Pantherstep released his grip on Ashleaf. Ashleaf gasped for breath, the warm air filling her lungs. "Oh, sure, I'd love to," Pantherstep growled bitterly, "I could have you slaughtered! I'd have you dead, blame it on a stray coyote, and inform StormClan of their poor, defenseless, amnesia-stricken leader! Wow, what a story!" He mocked dryly.