The Warrior Within: #2: Fallen Stars

Chapter 11

Jayfeather ordered everyone out. He needed to be alone. And so did Plumepaw. He didn't understand.
I thought Bramblestar had nine lives? He thought. Was he really that old? Isn't Graystripe to old to lead a Clan? He should be an elder!

Plumepaw didn't know Bramblestar enough to really grieve his death.

But it was not the same for the rest of ThunderClan. Plumepaw couldn't even talk to No-claw without getting swatted at. He headed over to the fresh-kill pile where it was neatly stacked and sorted. Must have been Barkpaw who sorted, Plumepaw thought. He picked a gerbil and went with it. But he stopped to think; gerbils live with Twolegs. . . How odd. Whoever had caught this would have had to go to Twolegplace. He decided to drop it and take a mouse instead.

No-claw walked over and swatted at Plumepaw, barely missing his nose.

   "'Ya don't just drop this here fresh-kill wherever 'ya wanna put it! 'Ya go place it on the pile, and-- Nah, 'ya know what; I'll take it. 'Ya go take one of them there mice."

Plumepaw wasn't going to argue with the cranky old tom. He picked up a brown mouse and made his way into the den. Barkpaw was curled up in her nest with her head under her paws. Autumnpaw was sitting in the corner, staring at his paws, his tail flicking. Something was bothering him.

   "Autumnpaw?" Plumepaw mewed.

Autumnpaw looked up at him with sudden alert. He pushed past Plumepaw and dashed away. Well that was short, Plumepaw thought.

But Autumnpaw came back within a heartbeat, a juicy vole in his jaws. He sat in front of Plumepaw and dropped it at his feet.

   "A dinner's chat?" Autumnpaw asked.

   "Yes," Plumepaw replied. He needed to get his thoughts into words.

   "So?"

   "I. . . I just think Graystripe's to. . . You know. . . Old."

   "I know. . . I think Whitefeather is going to be new deputy. I can tell by the way he looks at her."

   "Yeah."

   "You know what?" Autumnpaw mumbled, finally taking a bite of his vole.

   "Wfhat?" Plumepaw also was chewing a chunk of mouse-meat.

   "I saw Pebblecoat leave with all her seven kits just before everyone knew about Bramblestar's death."

   "Ohf?" Plumepaw swallowed the last morsel of mouse in one giant gulp.

   "Sorry. Oh?" He added.

But Autumnpaw was curled into sleep already. He decided to do the same.

He soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, and soon all worries fadded away. . . .

For now.