Loudpaw's Aching Pain: A Warriors Fan Fiction

Chapter 2

   Dimlight swiftly turned his head to Loudpaw, his teeth barred and eyes blazing. "It's your fault, you mouse-brained apprentice! I knew I regretted Archstar's decision and should've argued... now we lost our herbs and a warrior!" Loudpaw flinched back at the way he snapped in her face. She cleared her throat and her fur bristled. She thrust her muzzle in his face, snarling.

 "Well sorry! I should've known better to let our pelts be ripped off!" She snapped, thrusting her muzzle up against his and making him flinch back. Burninggaze cuffed Dimlight and Loudpaw behind the ear, growling. "Stop! Arguing won't help." Cougarspirit answered, seperating the two. Dimlight lashed his tail, that was no longer white; it was cloaked in a black dust somehow. 

 Burninggaze gave the white tom a long look, his green eyes on fire. Dimlight hissed and hunched his shoulders, still lashing his tai. Cougarspirit sprang up, his ears twitching. "There's still barking!" Loudpaw got up quickly, straining her ears so she could hear. It was a faint noise to Loudpaw. 

 There was a scrambling of paws, and the ginger she-cat jumped into the garden, landing on Dimlight. Her fur was bristling with fear, and her eyes were wide. "Great Starclan, that dog was fast!" She panted, then sprang off of the white tom. The barking died down and became low growling, then whimpers, then silence. Dimlight stared at Applestripe with surprise, completely forgetting that she landed on him.

 Cougarspirit purred as he groomed her, cleaning off some loose dirt and grime that was stuck to her fur. Loudpaw gaped and sat in front of her. "How did you get out?" Burninggaze sat next to Loudpaw, puffing out his chest and allowing the wind to buffet his fur. "I want to know, too."

She caught her breath and wheezed, and allowed herself to relax. Cougarspirit sat back, blinking slowly. Applestripe looked around with shock. "How else? I- I ran! And I had to let go of the herbs." She explained simply. Dimlight made his tail twitch in annoyance, and gave a sharp glance at Loudpaw. "Let's keep moving then. Burninggaze, you know this area more than we do. Save our pelts and breath, and lead us up north." He demanded, standing up and giving his shoulder a swift lick. Loudpaw didn't appreciate his tone.

  "Alright." He answered while drawing his tounge over his lips. "There's an abandoned twoleg den and grass field up ahead. There's plenty prey there." Applestripe immediately got to her paws and trotted ahead, jumping up the twoleg fence. She slipped and fell on the cold ground below, shrieking a bit.

 Loudpaw choked back a laugh when she heard the thud, and went up the fence. This time she dug her claws into the fence. The toms followed Burninggaze in a line, slowing down for the she-cats. Loudpaw helped Applestripe up, and they continued onward. 

 After crossing a twoleg foot path, sure enough, they arrived to an empty field. Loudpaw sniffed the air as the wind roared in her ears. She shivered and looked sideways to Dimlight. "There's a faint smell of cows and rouges, but nothing else." She updated them. Applestripe stumbled farther into the field, forcing the group to follow even if they were exhausted.

 She flopped down in the grass, grunting. "I can sleep for a moon..." She said, half closing her eyes. Then her eyes flew open when her belly growled. "...not until  I eat first." Dimlight sighed sarcastically and settled himself. " The prey aren't going to come jumping in your paws." Loudpaw flinched, forcing a sharp retort back in her throat. "I'll hunt for you." She said, touching Applestripe's nose with her own.

Applestripe chuckled and looked around for agreement. "And to think I was going to argue about bringing an apprentice along." She said, her ear tips turning red. Dimlight nodded briskly, then put his head in his front paws. "I'll go with you." Burninggaze answered, "I think you might need help because of all these scents." Loudpaw hesitated, then nodded gingerly.

 Cougarspirit sat down and curled his tail over his paws. "I can fancy a wood pigeon, please." He croaked, pretending to sound like a cranky elder. Loudpaw looked back and giggled when she saw him scrunch up his face and look disgusted. "Keep that wet moss away from me!" He said in his best Birdsong voice. Loudpaw smiled and felt her spirits be lifted.

 Burninggaze looked ahead in silence for a while, then quietly said, "You'd make a good deputy." Loudpaw glanced up, then at her treading paws. "Not a leader?" Burninggaze gave a crooked smile. "You stilll need some experience. You're a bit too hot headed. Rosedeath told me your aggresive, but determined. You have mood swings, don't you?" Loudpaw felt her fur bristle, then relaxed.

 "To admit it, yes." She chuckled nervously. She felt a bit uncomfortable for some reason. She halted when the smell of a chafinch hit her nostrils. Burninggaze stopped and laid his ears flat. They both looked at eachother and smiled. "Go for it." The huge tom insisted, and Loudpaw trotted north at once. 

 The bird was fatter than she expected. She felt her mouth water and her claws unsheath. She lowered herself down to the grass, and moved closer when only the wind was blowing towards her. In one swift movement she leaped out the grass like a leopard and extended her paws toward the unsuspecting bird. A sudden jolt of pain shot up her back legs and made her haunches sore. "Fox dung!" She shouted, twisting sideways.

 The chaffinch flew away, and Burniggaze came bounding over. "What happened?" His green eyes were full of concern. Loudpaw hissed in frusturation and sat up, trembling. "I missed because of some cramps... now? Running cramps now?" She whispered the last parts angrily to herself. Burninggaze now had a hint of amusement in his eyes. He grabbed her by the scruff and helped the small she-cat.

 "You can make it up by catching that mouse over there." He said. Loudpaw was about to ask where when she spotted it to her left side. Without thinking about her hunting tatics, she leaped and killed the plump mouse in one swift swipe. "Nice." Burninggaze praised, despite her recklessness.

"Thanks", she said muffled underneath the mouse. It wasn't as fat as the bird, but it was still a bit plump. They hunted for a bit more until they had a good amount. Burniggaze was dragging a scrawny sparrow and had a rat's tail dangling from his jaws. Loudpaw carried her mouse and even caught a different chaffinch, but only normal size.

Applestripe gleamed when she saw the haul. "Wow! You guys are amazing!" She gushed, staring directly at the mouse. Loudpaw dropped her prey next to Burninggaze's load, blushing. "He helped me a lot."

"But you were the one who caught it."

"But you were the one who corrected me!"

"But you were the mouse brain who went into a bramble patch for that stupid bird."

Dimlight prodded the rat and grumbled. "I guess it'll do." Cougarspirit sniffed, and stared at the picky white tom. Loudpaw shrugged and dug into the sparrow. Applestripe had stolen the mouse when she wasn't looking.

 Well fed and tired, the cats formed a sleeping pile and slept next to eachother against the hard winds. Loudpaw lay next to Cougarspirit and purred. It wasn't the same as sleeping in the apprentice's den with fresh moss, but it felt equally nice. She tried to sleep but Eclipseshadow's face was glued in her mind. Will I ever see him again? Will I be there for him when he goes to Starclan?

Loudpaw reassured herself rather harshly and forced herself to sleep. Nightmares of blood streams and Eclipseshadow's screams filled her head all night.