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

//chapter eleven\\

"Cats of all Clans," Amberstar bounded up on to a small cluster of rocks beside Witheredstar, Troutstar, and Stormstar. "Our medicine cats have told us of a serious issue. Many of you will protest... But it must be done."

Nightpaw watched the leaders closely beside Graytalon. He already knew what was in store, and what must be done. He glanced at Graytalon, who's gaze was fixed intently on the leader's, and his tail flicked impatiently as the gray tabby waited.

"Our homes... Have been lost," Stormstar hung his head low, but then raised it again as gasps and shrieks of protest rang from the large mass of cats below.

"We must be strong," Troutstar called from beside Witheredstar. "StarClan has found us a new home. By the lake."

"The lake?"

"But the original Clans live there!"

"How could we ever leave our home! We must fight!"

Confused and questioning looks were passed throughout the Clan cats, rippling like waves. Nightpaw simply stood and watched his siblings stand up, grief stricken. "The five original Clans have been destroyed. StarClan has asked us to rebuild them. We set off now!" Witheredstar called out. He gave the other leaders a threatening stare.

Now? Nightpaw thought, astonished. Sure, the sooner they left, the better, but... Nightpaw just shrugged the thought off. He just wanted a home again. When the other leaders didn't challenge him, the remaining leaders jumped down and the Clans separated into their own groups.

Nightpaw joined his Clanmates and fell into step beside the apprentices as the four Clans traveled into the unknown beyond.

***

A moon had passed since the group of cats had set off on their journey to the lake. There wasn't much prey, and cats were growing hungry. Leaf-bare was nearing quickly, and Nightpaw was half excited and half scared to see his first snow. He hoped he would see it when they reached the lake. After all, it couldn't be much farther?

The StarClan cats had been more secretive in their messages. They had left clues for the cats to follow, leading them the way to the lake. Nightpaw could only hope they were going the right way.

The Clans had passed the twolegplace where they had made their first temporary camp. They then had crossed a series of rivers and moorland with the help of the CreekClan cats, and had now entered another twolegplace. Nightpaw was surprised it had taken this long, but they had faced many challenges of getting through the first twolegplace.

They had encountered kittypets, hostile rogues, loners, twolegs, dogs, what Nightpaw learned to stay far away of, and a masked scavenging animal that came to be known as a raccoon. Nightpaw looked up now. The buildings weren't as tall as they were before, and it was rows and rows of twoleg dens.

Fences and soft, green grass lined the thunderpaths, and Nightpaw balanced precariously on a wide brick wall. As the Clans padded along the brick wall, he spotted two wide eyed, small white and gray kittypets. They looked to be only four moons old, and Nightpaw couldn't imagine what was running through their heads as the seemingly neverending line of cats passed by.

It was almost Sunhigh, and Nightpaw's legs dragged with exhaustion. They had been walking since before dawn, as Witheredstar had insisted they keep moving. Nightpaw wondered what made him change his mind. Witheredstar had said that they'd needed to rest up and fully heal first. Perhaps Witheredstar just didn't want to stay around the twolegplace anymore?