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

//chapter twenty-one\\

Night fell upon the forest like snow as Nightpaw crawled into the shelter of a hollow tree. His pelt blended in with the shadows, and he shivered, feeling lonely and cold. He was determined to make it through the night, however. He would prove to Rainheart --- and especially Mossyspark --- that he could fend for himself.

Maybe that'll prove it to Robinpaw and Rubblepaw too.

The thought hit him hard. He looked around the hollow log, and became suddenly hungry. His stomach ached and he realized he hadn't eaten in a while. Peeking around the exit of the brown trunk, he saw nothing but tall grass and only a few trees. The land was covered in snow, but that was what he saw mostly these days.

He laid down back inside. There couldn't be anything to catch out there. Not even a worm or a simple beetle. Then, another thought came to him. Didn't some herbs help with hunger? He quickly canceled the thought. It was Leaf-bare, how could he even think of herbs! They'd all be frozen over.

Sighing, he rested his head on his paws. He couldn't even find the herb Dustshine had requested, even if it was actually still alive, untouched by the freezing weather. But that, Nightpaw knew, was impossible. He was about to try falling asleep, but he heard the subtle crunch of snow beneath paws.

"Hello?" The strange voice called. Nightpaw didn't answer, for he was scared it would be some nasty rogues that was ready to feed on his flesh.

A pure white tom cat with curly, sheep-like fur came into view, and stood at the front of the exit. His fur immediately bristled, as did Nightpaw's. "A-are you one of those nasty Clan cats?" The tom's voice shook and his one blue eye widened. "I thought you had all left!?"

Nightpaw instantly knew what the tom was talking about. He was remembering the old Clans that left the lake territory. Curiosity sparked in Nightpaw's golden eyes, vanishing all thoughts of hunger and loneliness. Perhaps he should pretend he wasn't one of them? It would keep the strange tom from leaving, and would allow Nightpaw to learn more about the old Clans. "No, who are these Clan cats?"

The white tom narrowed his one blue eye. "Cats that tore out my left eye! That's who! How have you not heard of them? Are you new here?"

Nightpaw nodded. "Very new... Perhaps you could tell me about these cats?"

The one eyed tom shook his head vigorously. "I don't even know you, how can I trust you? How do I know you aren't playing dumb?" The tom started to back up, but a clean stare of defiance was written on his face.

"You don't," Nightpaw struggled to find words. "But what harm will any of it do, even if I was one of these Clan cats."

"Alright... Tell me your name, and then I'll tell you." The white tom moved away from the entrance, and shook out his pelt. There he sat in front of Nightpaw, his eyes boring into the black tom's golden ones.

"Night," he quickly responded. His name would give away his role in the Clan, so he decided just to take away the paw, and perhaps it would be alright.

The white tom snorted. "Certainly fits you... Well, greetings, I am Marion. I come from the barn up by where WindClan used to live." Marion shuffled his paws. "They came through the barn when WindClan left the territory. They headed west. They were never friendly towards us barn cats."

Us? Barn cats? Nightpaw decided not to ask anything.

"They were all angry, and on edge when they passed through. Muttering something about StarClan, and how they'd been abandoned. Also about starting up a new Clan... And I sure hope that Clan never came true. Their leader, Woolstar, killed my littermate Ocean." Pain and grief seemed to course through the white tom, and Nightpaw felt a flood of pity. "I should've helped... Not hide inside a hay stack."

Wait. Woolstar... I remember that name from somewhere! Nightpaw reached for the memory. Finally he found it. One of the elders had told Nightpaw of a cat named Woolpaw, who craved for leadership. He remembered how Woolstar had left the Clans. Could it be the same Woolstar that killed Marion's littermate? Could it be that Woolstar became leader of the new Clans, and left for revenge on MoorClan, CavernClan, LagoonClan, and CreekClan?

Nightpaw's eyes widened as the unsolved pieces of his puzzle we're finally solved, and he realized that Marion was staring at him distrustingly. "I-I have to go! Sorry! Maybe I'll see you around?" With that, Nightpaw pelted out of the tree trunk, ignoring his protesting muscles and growling stomach.

Before he could go a few paces further though, he collided with a cream tabby. He breathed in deeply, recognizing Hollypaw's scent. "Nightpaw! What are you doing here? We're supposed to be doing the assessment alone!"

Assessment..? "What? I wasn't told of an assessment!" Nightpaw scrambled to his paws, stunned at the sudden information. Thoughts if all his knowledge that had coursed through his head today made it ache, and his thoughts were conjumbled.

"You weren't? It's a practice assessment. I heard what Rainheart, Mossyspark and Dustshine did to you. You didn't know it was all a set up to get you determined that you could survive alone?" Hollypaw looked genuinely confused.

"A-a set up..?" Nightpaw felt dizzy with all the information. He almost wanted it to be a dream, but he knew it wasn't. As he tried to piece all his thoughts together, he felt his legs give way beneath him. He looked up into Hollypaw's concerned green gaze.

Shaking his head made his mind a bit clearer. He got to his paws and nuzzled Hollypaw affectionately. He knew he was very impulsive, but it felt good to finally have a friend again. The cream tabby purred in return.

"Well.. I guess I better be off. We are supposed to this assessment alone. Besides, we don't have much longer. It's just Moonhigh, and we can come back in the morning." Hollypaw fluffed out her fur and with a wave of her tail bounded down along the rolling hills.

Nightpaw watched her leave, the wind blowing his fur to the side. He sighed. He needed to make his way back to the hollow tree, but first he needed to catch something to eat. He padded along the snow covered moorland, searching for even the smallest morsel of prey. He also hoped Marion wasn't around anymore. That would only make things more difficult for the apprentice.