fading silence ♡ a warriors fanfic (book one ♡ completed ✔️)

//chapter five\\

A quarter moon had passed, and Nightpaw's leg had gotten better. His throat had almost healed completely as well. Now, Nightpaw had found himself walking around the LagoonClan camp, though not quite relishing the marshy landscape that squelched beneath his paws. He usually helped Dustshine in the medicine den with the occasional injuries cats would complain about. Dustshine seemed to enjoy his company; Blazepaw had different opinions.

Nightpaw sat outside of the medicine den, his broken leg out to the side. He was enjoying the pale rays of sunshine as he watched the LagoonClan warriors bustle about the camp. And as he did, he missed his Clanmates more and more, and wondered silently if they had quit looking for him. No, Maplewish would never stop looking. Nightpaw reminded himself.

He gazed around at all the twisted trunks of the oak, rowan, cypress, and pine trees. And, with another pang, he missed the tree that he had always sat on. Nightpaw suddenly didn't know how to cope with his homesickness and wondered how he could ever survive in the LagoonClan camp for another quarter moon.

He also wondered how the hunting was in CavernClan. He knew Leaf-bare was still a little ways away, but prey would get more scarce by the day, though it would be plump. Nightpaw licked his lips at the thought of a juicy squirrel, and missed the taste of it. He had been eating mainly frogs, mice and lizards with the occasional crow. But, Nightpaw was grateful that he got any prey at all.

Most of the LagoonClan cats weren't happy to have yet another mouth to feed, and the warriors who hated having him most usually only gave him left over scraps from the prey pile. Nightpaw stretched out and looked around the clearing, ears pricked to see if he could listen in on any conversations. He knew it wasn't his place to spy on his temporary clanmates, but with nothing else to do, he began to get bored easily.

Mistpaw was lashing her tail excitedly and crouched down in front of her denmates. The apprentices seemed to be practicing battle moves. With a sudden realization, he realized he was falling way behind on training.

He noticed Slatepaw looking very uneasy about facing the strong she-cat. Suddenly, Mistpaw leaped over Slatepaw, and whipped around, grabbing his tail delicately between her teeth. Slatepaw turned and batted at Mistpaw's muzzle. The apprentice retaliated by tackling the tom, and easily pinning him on his back. She held her forepaws firmly on the gray cats chest, and Nightpaw stared in amazement.

Mistpaw caught Nightpaw's gaze, and he looked away quickly and shuffled his paws. The next thing he knew, the she-cat was padding toward him. "Hey, wanna practice with us? I know your leg is broken but surely you can do something without it."

Nightpaw looked up, hesitating. He knew he should. He was falling behind in training, and he would hate it if Rubblepaw and Robinpaw would become warriors before him. But what if he hurt his leg? Nightpaw sniffed. Dustshine and Blazepaw had gone out to collect herbs. Perhaps they would get back after he had finished.

For the first time in days, Nightpaw's golden orbs grew wide with excitement. "Sure," he mewed. He followed Mistpaw to the group, limping as he went. He hung his head, now realizing he had only learned the hunting crouch? Now you've really got yourself in a mess! He cursed himself.

Nightpaw hung his head, aware of Swamppaw's snort of disgust. "He can't even fight off a fox." The tom mewed. Nightpaw felt shame burn beneath his black and light gray pelt. Did Mistpaw regret saving him? He knew the other apprentices, except maybe Slatepaw, didn't want him anywhere near them.

Mistpaw simply flicked her white tail. "He's going to practice battle moves with us," she added more quietly into Slatepaw's ear, "he looked really bored sitting alone." The she-cat nudged Slatepaw forward. "Go on, take him first."