River (Book 1) A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 13

•Sunpaw•

     Sunpaw's eyes were wide. He watched as Brackenstar was carried away by several she-cats. Dewy, Snowy, and Green, if he wasn't mistaken. Riverstorm was still fighting against Cranestar and another dark colored tom. He, Mossypaw, and Beepaw were being held back by two toms. They were blocking most of their view of the fight, but Beepaw was the littlest of the three, so he spied between the toms' legs. He reported everything he saw to Sunpaw and Mossypaw. The latter watched between the toms' legs on the other side.
     Sunpaw was stuck being bored, waiting for news from his fellow apprentices. He wasn't actually bored, rather anxious for more news. He paced around in a small little circle. All he could do was wait. Beepaw suddenly turned around. "They've stopped fighting." He whispered. One of the toms reached down and cuffed Beepaw on the ear.
"Hush." He growled. "Stop chattering like a little bird in a tree." He was a dark, stone gray tom, with a scar slashed across where his right eye should have been. He also had a slash across his right shoulder with three clawmarks. Sunpaw noticed that the other tom, which he had just realized was the Growler, had an almost identical mark on his shoulder. It only had two scratches, though. Sunpaw peered more closely. What could it be for?
"Stop staring, kit." The Growler said in his head. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to stare?" Sunpaw rolled his eyes.
Did your mother ever teach you that it's creepy to talk in someone's head? The Growler got quiet.
     "My mother didn't know, Sunpaw. Only you, me, and Riverstorm know."
     Riverstorm? Sunpaw interrupted. How can Riverstorm know?
     "You are not the only special one around here, kit. I can go into anyone's mind." The Growler was still again.
How? Were you born with this power? Sunpaw was aware that Beepaw was whispering something to him, but he paid no attention to his friend. The Growler was silent for a moment.
     "No, I was not born with it." He answered simply. Suddenly a third tom came running up.
     "Sharp Stones! I was looking for you! Stormy is dead!" The gray tom jerked his head up.
     "Stormy is dead? How? Are Thorny and Calm okay?" The tom broke the gap in between him and the Growler for a moment. Sunpaw nodded to Beepaw and Mossypaw before taking off. He darted in between the toms' legs. He weaved in and out of the crowd, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure his fellow apprentices were still behind him. He took off running even faster once he was past all the Descendant she-cats.
     "Beepaw! Mossypaw!" He shouted. "Is anyone following us?" Beepaw shook his head. Looking back, Sunpaw couldn't imagine trying to drown himself yesterday. He had made several new friendships since then. He couldn't imagine leaving them behind. He suddenly wondered where the Descendants had taken Brackenstar. "Where is Brackenstar?" He asked. Beepaw looked away, as did Mossypaw. "Where's Brackenstar?" He repeated. Mossypaw glared at him before looking down at her paws again.
     "He's dead, Sunpaw. Brackenstar has lost all his lives." She broke down in sobs at the last words. Beepaw went to her side. Sunpaw knew they were grieving, but he was too curious.
     "How many lives did he lose in that fight?" He asked tentatively. He earned himself a slight glare from Beepaw. The young orange-and-white tom huddled with his Clanmate.
     "Five." Mossypaw choked out. Her beautiful tabby coat shone in dying sunlight. Night would fall soon. Sunpaw glanced around.
     "We should find shelter soon." He suggested, changing the subject. "Any ideas where?" Beepaw flicked his tail toward the grove of trees ahead of them. Sunpaw nodded, ready to go. Mossypaw slowly got to her paws. She leaned on Beepaw as they set off. Sunpaw turned his head every so often to make sure that the other two apprentices were following him and didn't need any help.
     Suddenly, Sunpaw a shape racing toward them in a blur. "Beepaw, Mossypaw! Someone is following us." He called. Beepaw made eye contact with him. They both stepped in front of the SkyClan medicine cat apprentice. The approaching cat slowed to a halt in front of them. It was a pure white tom about the same age as Sunpaw. Sunpaw's eyes widened.
     "Moonpaw!" He cried. His brother rushed to touch noses with him. Mossypaw broke through of the two tom apprentices. She sniffed, as though disgusted.
     "Who is this 'Moonpaw?'" She asked. Sunpaw's eyes shone with happiness. Moonpaw stood beside him, his head held high. He took a step forward as he spoke.
      "I'm Sunpaw's brother." He said. "I came from ThunderClan to find him. I'm here to take him home." Sunpaw jerked his head up. He looked at Mossypaw, then Beepaw, and then Moonpaw again.
      "Moonpaw, you can't. I need to be here with Beepaw and Mossypaw right now." He tried to explain, but hurt flashed in his brother's eyes for a moment before being replaced by excitement.
      "Then I'll come with you. If that's okay with you," he added, with a nod at the SkyClan apprentices. They nodded begrudgingly. Sunpaw was overjoyed. He had so much to tell his brother about what had happened in that past two days. He had made and lost friends. He knew he had made the right choice to stay here with them.
     As they made makeshift nests under the trees, Sunpaw told his brother everything that had happened. They made nests right next to each other. Moonpaw cuddled up right next to Sunpaw. He listened wide-eyed as Sunpaw related his journey. his face turned to one of fear when Sunpaw told him how he had tried to drown himself. Moonpaw buried his head in Sunpaw's chest.
      "I'm glad you're safe and here with me." The white tom murmured. Sunpaw could only nod as his eyelids drooped.
                                                                                                            ***
     The next morning, Sunpaw awoke to smell of fresh-kill. His stomach growled hungrily, and he realized the last time he had eaten was two days ago, in the ThunderClan camp. He sniffed again. Then he opened his eyes. Next to a small pile of fresh-kill was a dark gray tom. Sunpaw leapt out of his nest.
     "Riverstorm!" He cried. Moonpaw, Beepaw, and Mossypaw all started and leapt up. The SkyClan apprentices quickly relaxed when they saw the RiverClan warrior, but Moonpaw stayed tense. Riverstorm stiffened when he saw the white tom.
     "Who is that?" Riverstorm whispered hoarsely. Now that Sunpaw looked closely, he realized that Riverstorm was battered from his fight with Cranestar and the strange, dark brown tom. He seemed to have some injury on every part of his body. His fur stuck up in bloody clumps. His ear was torn and ragged on one edge. A red scratch ran down his face, running from his torn ear to his chin. Fur was ripped out along his flank and on his tail. his hind leg was twisted at an odd angle. Blood dripped from a dozen wounds or more. No wonder the gray tom was crouching on the ground, his eyes glazed over in pain. He seemed exhausted.
     "That's my brother, Moonpaw." Sunpaw said. "Moonpaw, this is Riverstorm, the best warrior in all the Clans." Riverstorm gave a weak chuckle.
     "I don't about in all the Clans." He rasped. Sunpaw laughed. Moonpaw fidgeted.
     "How about the best warrior in RiverClan, then?" Sunpaw teased. Riverstorm nodded slightly and closed his eyes. Sunpaw needed some answers before he could let the battered warrior rest.
     "Where and how did you get the fresh-kill?" He asked. "How did you escape Cranestar and that dark tom? Can Mossypaw tend to you?" Riverstorm cracked open an eye.
     "A couple of Descendant she-cats. I don't know, but I think it was the Descendants. Yes, please." He croaked, answering each of Sunpaw's questions. With that, he was silent. Mossypaw quickly asked Beepaw and Moonpaw to fetch her a few different herbs. She went to Riverstorm's side. She felt his hind leg and checked the rest of his pelt for more injuries. The two worst injuries he had were his leg and the slash running down his face. Mossypaw was still checking him when Moonpaw and Beepaw came running back with a bundle of herbs each. Mossypaw took them and immediately began applying certain things to Riverstorm's scratches. The RiverClan warrior was unconscious. Sunpaw felt useless, just sitting there.
"What can I do to help you?" He asked the SkyClan medicine cat apprentice. She didn't even look at him.
"Pray that Riverstorm doesn't have the same fate as Brackenstar." She replied. Sunpaw was worried.
"Is it really that bad?" He asked. She glanced over at him as she worked.
"Look at him, Sunpaw!" She exclaimed. "Have you seen him? He's bloody and unconscious! Of course it's that bad!" Sunpaw suddenly felt very anxious. What if the RiverClan warrior didn't survive? What would happen then?