A bird called as Winterpaw exited, the bush leaves rustled the leaves as she stalked out. The sun beams shone onto her face. She blinked. It was hot today.
All cats sprawled out in the clearing in the welcoming sun. They were all embracing the sun rays, though one cat sat out of the beams: Tempestcrow. Tempestcrow sat in the shadow, her huge paws tucker under her mane. Her eyes were narrowed as she looked narrowly eyed at Owlfeather, her claws twitched across the stone.
Winterpaw's ears flicked down. Whatever Tempestcrow's intentions were they didn't seem good. Winterpaw stared at Owlfeather now as he called for patrols.
As warriors approached, along with Tempestcrow, Winterpaw sat down and started cleaning her after-sleep fur. Narrowing her eyes and listening in as Owlfeather spoke.
Owlfeather raised his voice so all warriors at the back could hear. "Now, Tempestcrow has reported to me about rouges along the border."
Winterpaw became aware of her heart beat as she looked up. That must've been what Tempestcrow was so worried about.
Owlfeather continued, "I need a ton of warriors, Tempestcrow said there was a lot of them. I will be taking her, Dahliaheart, Hallowedwisp, Mudsight and Plumflower. Remaining warriors will stay and protect the camp in case rogues invade the camp." He meowed, tail twitching.
It seemed clouds have covered the once welcoming sun. Winterpaw stood up and prepared to tell Smokeleaf about this. She hoped Dahliaheart would be okay, her belly was looking rather plump and Smokeleaf had mentioned that last sunrise Dahliaheart had announced her pregnancy to Smokeleaf and that she wanted to tell Reaperstorm later because she didn't know how he'd react, begging Smokeleaf to not say anything.
Dahliaheart quickly strode over to Reaperstorm, nuzzled him, and ran back to the patrol.
With a nod of Owlfeather's head, they all set out. One by one they followed the deputy's pure-white tail.
Winterpaw now sat in the medicine den, she was throwing out dead leaves with Smokeleaf, opening her muzzle in announcement. "Owlfeather said that Tempestcrow spotted rogues around Carrionplace, I think we should prepare poultices for battle wounds. He brought five warriors and himself to go chase them out. They may be a lot but I still think we should make sure."
Smokeleaf nodded. "Okay. Good idea, Winterpaw." She smiled, a purr erupting from her throat.
Coalpaw emerged from a part of the den, her after-sleep fur still there. Her fur smoothed as she cleaned it. Smoothing her tongue over her paws.
Winterpaw unloaded the last dry herb, picking up what she could in her mouth.
Smokeleaf bent her neck beside her and collected the rest, folding the dead leaves gently into her maw. She carried it and swished Winterpaw forward.
Winterpaw trotted on forward, following her lead to go discard the herbs.
Winterpaw had came back worried after had hearing yowls from the warriors at Carrionplace.
Smokeleaf's tail twitched. "We should make poultices now and go over to Carrionplace as soon as possible." She mewed, gaze darting from Winterpaw to Coalpaw as the two of them trotted over to the herb shelf. "This is a test of both of yours knowledge, I hope of the right outcome."
Winterpaw focused. She held a leaf out on her paw as she collected the needed herbs. Moss, horsetail, goldenrod and marigold. She chewed the gathered herbs apart from the moss. The moss is for protecting the wound from dirt and debris. She revised.
Coalpaw had done the exact same as Winterpaw, putting one of the leaves to the side and getting started on her second poultice. Winterpaw began to do the same.
Smokeleaf nodded approvingly and picked up as many as she could once they finished. Heading out of the medicine den with her apprentices close behind.
Winterpaw and Coalpaw collected the rest, holding the poultices in their mouths as they strode on. Winterpaw gave a smile to Coalpaw and Coalpaw gave one to Winterpaw.
Smokeleaf and her apprentices arrived to the scene, a flurry of paws rumbled through Carrionplace, hissing rising between warriors and rouges.
There were tons of them, 15 rouges were going against the warriors. We're outnumbered! Winterpaw thought, her fur bushing up. A call screeched through the air, Winterpaw recognised Owlfeather's voice.
"Dahliaheart! Run for help!" Owlfeather screeched, his injured white tail peeking through the rise of dust.
Dahliaheart appeared out of the dust, a wound was on her forehead that slightly blinded her as she ran, swerving between trees not so swiftly as blood seeped into her eyes.
Winterpaw ran over to the bushes, Smokeleaf and Coalpaw leaped in too, placing the poultices down and watching from afar. Winterpaw frowned. She wished she could help them now.
Dahliaheart had returned, Plumflower, Foxfire and Willowskip were close behind, racing straight into battle. Claws unsheathed and fur rose up. Although it was now just 9 warriors, they were still much stronger with better skills, all working together.
The battle had ended as rouges ran away, but once the warriors cleared away from the pool of blood and heat of battle, one dead cat lay in the midst of it all. Owlfeather. Winterpaw walked out of the bush, eyes wide and fur bushy as she stared ahead. She dipped her head and frowned. Sitting beside Owlfeather's body and mewing. "He will reside in Starclan now."
Warriors limped closer, despite their wounds, they sat down and mourned him.
Smokeleaf whisperer under her breath. "Poor Swayfern." Turning back, she grabbed a poultice, heading over to Hallowedwisp and going over to him. "Winterpaw, Coalpaw, tend to the warriors."
Winterpaw walked over to Dahliaheart. I hope she and her kits are okay. "You put up a great fight Dahliaheart. Lay here and I will treat you in a second." She dropped her poultice and grabbed the moss, racing over to water it. Turning back with the damp moss in her jaw. Cantering over to her and spreading it around the open wounds. It blocks out dirt and debris.
Dahliaheart smiled. "Thank you." She looked down at her plump, fluffy belly. "I made sure to be careful, but great Starclan I hate rouges so much. I will always participate in every rouge fight there is. Nothing is more important then helping my clan and being a proud Shadowclan warrior."
Winterpaw nodded. "Good job, I'm glad you took good care of the kits, I can already tell that there'll be very lucky kittens in your care." She treated the wounds carefully, reassuring Dahliaheart after she winced slightly.
Dahliaheart smiled awkwardly. "Thank you, I can't wait to see Reaperstorm's reaction when he finds out." She started purring, part of it to help her heal and another part of her is simply just happy.
Winterpaw smiled at Foxfire after mending her wound. Looking around as warriors started to have all of their wounds bandaged and cleaned up.
Arriving back at camp, Soulstar was sitting there. He had just been made announced to the news and now there was a sad look on his face. "I hope Owlfeather is hunting amazing prey in Starclan." He sighed, pawing at the grass as Moonhigh put every cat besides him and Tempestcrow asleep.
"Mhm. He fought well." Tempestcrow meowed. Her huge shape shadowing menacingly over Soulstar. "He was a great deputy. Who do you think you will be making deputy now?" Her voice was deep and dark as she asked. Almost as if she was hypnotising Soulstar.
Winterpaw's ear twitched and she snuggled herself closer into her nest, a leaf accidentally tickling Crimsonpaw's nose as he woke up and sneezed, an angry expression returned to the blueish gray she-cat. "Ha. Sorry." She looked at Crimsonpaw with an apologetic expression.
Crimsonpaw waved his paw, dismissing it. "It's fine." He dipped his head back into his paws and immediately started snoring again.
Winterpaw frowned. How in Starclan was it so easy for him!? She dipped her head into her belly and finally, slipped into sleep.
Dawn filtered through the apprentices' den and she heard cat's around her stretch and yawn. She opened her eyes and looked around. Just a bit longer...Smokeleaf can teach me herbs in a second. She curled in closer till Swiftpaw shook her awake.
"Winterpaw! Soulstar is going to pick deputy!" Swiftpaw mewed, racking Winterpaw side to side with her strong paws.
Winterpaw shoved her away. "Ok, ok!" She shook the leaves out of her fur yet hardly of them came out. Then her head lifted and her ears popped up. "Wait..he's choosing deputy now?"
As Swiftpaw was about to open her mouth to respond, a voice broke out all conversations and ringed across the clearing.
"Let all cats old enough to stalk through the darkest shadows, sit beneath the Shade Rock for a clan meeting!" Soulstar exclaimed. His gaze sad but determined.
Warriors gathered closer, hope glittering in the senior warriors eyes. The younger warriors, have had apprentices or not, still kept content, ears perked. Their eyes bright.
Soulstar's tail curled, asking for silence. Once the sounds had died down, he spoke up again; "I say these words before Starclan, so that our warrior ancestors hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of Shadowclan is" he sighed, eyes sat on the clearing, "Dahliaheart."