Warriors: Salmonstar's Fate

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Why?" Salmonpaw asked.

Flashfur looked at her. "Because the leaders started fighting," he replied.

"Salmonpaw, Aspenpaw, Coldpaw, return to camp," Icewhisker ordered. "We'll be back soon."

Salmonpaw was tempted to follow them anyways, but she didn't. The three cats walked back to camp. "Where's Icewhisker?" Falconflight, one of the cats who'd stayed behind to guard camp, asked.

"Oh, nowhere important," Aspenpaw meowed sarcastically. "He just went with Flashfur to watch the fire at the Gathering Island."

"What?" Falconflight shouted noisily.

It was loud enough to wake some of the warriors. Salmonpaw and Coldpaw both glared at Aspenpaw. "What Aspenpaw means is that StarClan set the Gathering Island on fire," Salmonpaw growled.

"Are our Clanmates okay?" Yellowfire asked worriedly.

All three cats shook their heads. "We don't know," Coldpaw responded.

The warriors gathered and prepared to leave, but Troutstar's voice suddenly pierced through the darkness. "It's okay! I think most of us are fine," the RiverClan leader yowled. "Flashfur and Icewhisker found a lot of us once we swam to the lakeshore. It's the other Clans who are having problems getting off of the island. But Ripplecloud is lucky he wasn't there tonight because he wouldn't have been able to swim across the lake. Now all cats that came to the Gathering go and stand by the RiverTree! We need to know who is missing!"

Salmonpaw stood and chatted with Coldpaw. "Who are your parents?" she whispered.

"Brightflame is my mother and Reedsplash is my father. They both went to the Gathering but I can see them in the crowd over there," the black-furred apprentice replied.

Aspenpaw joined them. "I wish I was there," she muttered.

"Me too. It would've been so cool to actually see fire!" Coldpaw was for once in agreement with her sister.

"Me three!" Salmonpaw declared. "I mean, there was actually a real fight!"

"What do you know about fighting? You haven't had any battle training! Don't tell me you taught yourself that too!" Aspenpaw snarled.

"Oh, shut up, Aspenpaw!" Coldpaw growled. "She can't be any worse than you!"

Aspenpaw was about to respond when Troutstar spoke. "RiverClan, I have a terrible announcement to make," she began.

"What?" Marshpaw shouted from the crowd. "That Aspenpaw hasn't been exiled from the Clan yet and she didn't run away yet either?"

Most of the cats couldn't help but laugh, but Troutstar didn't find it amusing. "No, Marshpaw, this is much more serious than your dumb jokes," the RiverClan leader meowed.

"What could possibly worse than that?" Marshpaw wondered. "Did she set a new record for how bad an apprentice can do in training? No, wait, did she accidentally kill someone useful? This fire at the Gathering is her fault for being so ugly that StarClan wanted to destroy her, but they unintentionally missed the RiverClan camp and hit the island!"

Salmonpaw was laughing so hard that she could hardly breathe. Coldpaw appeared to find it just as hilarious. "Marshpaw is the best," she whispered. "He's so funny!"

Aspenpaw looked outraged and she started to walk towards the RiverTree.

"Marshpaw! What is wrong with you?" Troutstar screamed furiously.

"Nothing! Other than the fact that I've seen Aspenpaw's hideous face!" he replied.

"Shut up!" Aspenpaw yelled.

"Follow your own advice!" Marshpaw replied cheerfully.

"Marshpaw!" Troutstar tried again. "Aspenpaw is a valuable member of this Clan! She has talent just like..."

"Talent? Aspenpaw?" Marshpaw interrupted. "What in StarClan's name are you talking about? If Aspenpaw has talent, then you're a kittypet!"

"Marshpaw! That is enough!" Troutstar insisted. "Aspenpaw has plenty of talents just like every cat in this camp!"

I can't believe he is actually still doing this!

"I never thought you were a liar, Troutstar," Marshpaw sighed, shaking his head with fake disbelief. "I'm certain that Aspenpaw has no talents and no hope for her future, but there are other cats in this camp with no talent as well."

"He's going to start on Mosspool now," Coldpaw hissed.

"Cats aren't scared of Mosspool because he has skill," Marshpaw continued, proving Coldpaw to be right. "No way. But when he's angry, some cats that are almost as dumb as Aspenpaw mistake him to be a badger. The most undersized, overweight badger in the world, of course."

"Marsh..." Troutstar started.

"Yes, it's true," Marshpaw went on. "Mosspool is the fattest cat in RiverClan. Fatter than the elders, even Dustcloud, if you can believe that!"

"Hey!" Dustcloud exclaimed indignantly.

"What? The only characteristic between you all and Mosspool that Mosspool might be better about is...well, let's put it this way. The RiverClan elders are the laziest cats around the lake!" Marshpaw announced. "You can't even breathe without demanding that an apprentice needs to waste perfectly good training time helping you!"

"Marshpaw! Don't even think about saying another word for the rest of this meeting unless you want to be confined to...no, not to camp, to the nursery for a moon!" Troutstar growled.

Marshpaw wisely decided not to ignore her warning and didn't speak again. "Meeting dismissed!" the RiverClan leader shouted, leaping down from the RiverTree.

"Troutstar, wait! What was the announcement you were going to make?" Icewhisker asked.

Troutstar quickly jumped back onto the branch where she had been standing. "Sorry everybody, a certain annoying apprentice made me forget why I'd called this meeting in the first place!" she apologized, shooting a glare at Marshpaw. "I have terrible news...two of our Clanmates are dead! Breezetail and Wavestorm are with StarClan now!"

Coldpaw gasped next to the red-furred apprentice. "Breezetail is your father, right?" she whispered. "Salmonpaw, I'm so sorry!"

Salmonpaw's Clanmates were probably more upset than she was. StarClan forgive me please...I'm not sad at all that he died. I don't feel anything at all for him. Well, maybe not quite nothing. I feel plenty of hatred for Breezetail.

"Don't be," Salmonpaw responded. "I don't even care. I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I hate him. A lot. And honestly, I'm kind of happy that he's dead."

A/N: Breezetail is dead! I hope you enjoyed Marshpaw making fun of a lot of cats, I thought it would be kind of funny :)