Warriors: Lurking Darkness

Chapter 7

"Snakefrost is dead!" Fallenpaw hears as she is sitting in ShadowClan's camp of the past. She turns her head to spot an older dark gray tom drag the deceased tom into camp. Fallenpaw watches in horror at the sight of the lifeless body. She watches as three other cats, two of them seemingly older kits, rush to the deceased cat's body as the dark gray tom gently lays it on the ground, beginning to grieve over him. Commotion begins to erupt around her as many questions are asked.

"He didn't make it to the Moonpool, obviously," The dark gray tom explains, which Fallenpaw assumes is the medicine cat. "His Greencough managed to kill him before we arrived, sadly," he meows. "He will be missed."

"Who will be our leader then?" One tom asks loudly for everyone among the chaos.

"I don't know," The medicine cat responds. "Hopefully, StarClan will send us a sign. I just wish there was a way we could get Copperwing to choose."

Fallenpaw just watches in confusion, wondering who all of these cats are.

"Should we try to find a way to tell Copperwing?" The she-cat grieving over Snakefrost's body suggests. "We can't not have a leader!"

"Do you think I'm frog-brained?! Your father is deaf! He doesn't understand anything we try to tell him," The medicine cat responds grumpily.

"What are our choices?" A young dark gray-furred apprentice asks the Clan. "Who are all of the warriors who are qualified?"

Fallenpaw can't help but admire the young apprentice's knowledge, as she was thinking the same thing.

"Just myself, Toadpool, Stormsky, Rockshine, and Shadeclaw I believe," A dark brown tom meows. "I would say Silentstream and Cherrystem as well, but they're queens right now so they wouldn't be the best choices for our new leader."

"Yes, Cedarbranch, that's correct," A handsome black tom meows.

Both of those toms seem worthy. Fallenpaw thinks.

"I might go to the Moonpool and try to ask StarClan for guidance in this situation tomorrow, but today, we need to grieve over Snakefrost and celebrate his legacy," The dark gray medicine cat meows. Fallenpaw takes one last saddened look at the deceased Clan deputy and rightful Clan leader, watching the two older kits whine over his body as her dream begins to fade.

***

Fallenpaw is woken up by a heavy shove against her flank yet again. Fallenpaw lets out a groan.

"What is it?" She asks in a whine. "I wanted to know what happens next..."

Maybe I should ask one of the older cats in the Clan, like Daisystar. She might've heard stories about this. Fallenpaw thinks.

"Fallenpaw, Fawnbriar is missing now. No cat can find her or Stonepaw anywhere. I'm just going to let you know that our training session for this morning is cancelled since I was chosen to be on a rescue patrol," Plumnose informs her apprentice. Fear strikes Fallenpaw after hearing her mentor's words.

"What happened?!" Fallenpaw asks.

"No cat knows, but cats are starting to assume that Fawnbriar ran off to try to find Stonepaw on her own," Plumnose meows. "Please stay in the safety of camp. We don't want anything bad happening to you like what happened with Stonepaw."

"I will," Fallenpaw responds, although the cream tabby is already planning for it to be a complete lie.

Plumnose treats me more like her kit than my own mother. Fallenpaw thinks.

"Okay, see you later. I will try my best to find them!" Plumnose meows before dashing out of the apprentices' den. Fallenpaw begins to get out of her nest, but freezes after hearing a familiar tired voice.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" Hailpaw asks her.

"Oh, I'm just going to get something from the fresh-kill pile," Fallenpaw answers.

"Darn! I was hoping you were planning on sneaking out of camp, because I'd love to tag along," Hailpaw responds, beginning to get out of his nest. Fallenpaw then quickly heads out of the apprentices' den, trying to make it out of camp before Hailpaw, Plumnose, or any other cat catches her. After silently dashing through the camp's entrance, she made it out successfully.

I'm going to find Stonepaw and Fawnbriar, whether they like it or not! Fallenpaw thinks.