Loudpaw's Aching Pain: A Warriors Fan Fiction

Chapter 1

 Current Time: In the middle of Leaf-fall.

Chattering and murmers spread throughout the clearing. The only other thing you can hear is the soft gurgling of the river and waterfall that's up the slope away from camp. Archstar raised his tail for silence, and bowed his head. "Please. I know this decision sounds mouse-brained, but I wish that you cope of what we have here."

  Weedleaf rose from her spot near the medicine cat cave entrance. Bearpaw watched with a hint of curiosity in his eyes up at his mentor. "Archstar is right." The pretty she-cat glanced at every clanmate in the cleaeing. "With leaf-bare not too far away, we can't handle anymore casualties." She said the last part a bit quieter. Everybody heard it and fell silence. Loudpaw looked down at her paws, her ear tips twitching. 

 Many moons ago, Rippleclan suffered a great loss of clanmates from the opposing clans. It was during leaf-bare. Cats from Solarclan fought violently with Rippleclan for a long stretch of a grassy field. They were all foolish enough to fight during this season, when prey was supposed to come back to the clan. Warriors died from this. Kits were lost from the freezing cold. Queens and elders died of lack of prey. It was a horrible time for Rippleclan. It took a while, and the support of Echoclan to help regain strength and more warriors.

 Archstar nodded gratefully at Weedleaf, and continued. "I have come to the conclusion to send our bravest and fiercest warriors outside their comfort zone and on a long journey for their clan. I have lost faith in Echoclan helping. We can have allies, but we can't stay that way forever."

 Loudpaw moved her eyes over to where Dimlight and Frozenflare were sitting. Their fur was bristling and their claws were flexing. Possibly remembered how Echoclan betrayed them. Clearsky lashed his tail around, narrowing his eyes at the toms. With a hiss of annoyance from Dimlight, both cats fell silent.

 "Any protests?" Clearsky called out, setting his calm gaze throughout the clan. Quietdawn, true to her name, surprisingly stood up. "Uh... when the journey is o-over... how will our elders and kits travel so f-far to our potential n-n-new home?" She was trembling like a shrew. Loudpaw rolled her eyes. Can't she speak properly?

 Archstar glanced at his deputy, then to Quietdawn. "Good question. But, it's a prediction. We don't need to worry about that now. Perhaps pur warriors will be done by the end of leaf-fall. You never know." Quietdawn dipped her head awkwardly and sat down next to Poppyleaf, Loudpaw's mentor. Archstar fixed his green gaze on the clan. 

 "The cats who I call out are those who are chosen to go on this long, hard journey." Every cat stiffened. Some warriors' pelts bristled with anxiety and excitement. Archstar flicked his tail  tip at Clearsky, and the deputy rose and padded up to his leader on a boulder. They mumbled to eachother for a bit, then looked back at the clan.

 Archstar closed his eyes and let hsi voice echo throughout the clan. "BURNINGGAZE! COUGARSPIRIT! DIMLIGHT! APPLESTRIPE!" Dimlight scurried to the front of the clearing, with adventure lust in his eyes. Cougarspirit and Burninggaze walked confidently to the front together. Applestripe grinned wide and scrambled over to settle herself next to Cougarspirit. Right as the clan was about to yowl out the names of the warriors, Archstar quickly said "And..."

"Loudpaw!" Cats gasped a little at the decision of letting an apprentice tag along. Loudpaw looked up, her eyes wide. Dimlight looked back. He frowned and flicked his tail. The young she-cat flattened her ears and padded silently up to the front, no questions asked. She squeezed in next to Burninggaze and smiled awkwardly. The tom licked the top of her head for comfort. 

   Frozenflare looked a bit hurt that his brother Dimlight got chosen. Windfoot leaned over to Gemlight's ear and semi-whispered "Archstar's going to start training rabbits as apprentices now." The ambitious she-cat smirked at Windfoot's comment. It was loud enough for the cats around to hear. Loudpaw's pelt bristled. Why are they smiling like that?