Warriors: A Darkness Arises ~ One Shots (Fan-made RP)

Why?

Featured character(s): Snowtail (Snowpaw), Speckledpelt, Hawkwing, Duststorm, and Cloversplash.

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        "Oh! Yeah sorry, Emberpaw." Snowpaw jumped out of his pelt, "I, uh, I'll be there in a few. T-thanks though." The young tom stammered as he responded to the medicine cat apprentice. He had gotten lost in his thoughts again and did not realize that the other apprentices had started to leave. Thank StarClan Emberpaw had prodded him back to reality. Otherwise, not even StarClan could know how long he would have stayed there in thought. He lowered his ears in embarrassment, a warrior should be aware of everything around them not lost in his own head.
        Snowpaw rose to his paws with a long stretch, flexing each leg then shaking his pelt. He panned around the clearing before making his way to the den. However, he stopped in place. Across the clearing, near Ciderstar's den, sat RainClan's leader with the latest patrol. With his best guess, Snowpaw could tell what was going on was not good. There was tension in the air. From their movements, it seemed like the cats were speaking in urgent, angry, hushed whispers. Then suddenly talking stopped and eyes were directly on him. Uh oh... With the sudden attention placed on him, Snowpaw hastily made his way to the apprentices' den.
        As soon as he entered the den, Snowpaw was quick to tell the others what he saw, "Whatdoyou think's goin on?"
"I don't know, maybe they'll tell us tomorrow?"
"Ha. Probably not." Each of them theorized on what the news could be. Except for Snowpaw. He curled up in his nest, pretending to sleep as his clanmates chatted throughout the night. Why did they all stare at me? Did I do something? A part of him said the warriors only looked at him because they saw him watching them. But another part of him argued that the news was about him. Despite his best attempt, Snowpaw fell asleep with anxiety clouding his thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[Time Skip]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Sunlight burst through the opening of the large tree that served as the apprentices' den. While other cats may enjoy the warmth and feel relaxed and sleepy, Snowpaw hated the warmth from the sun almost directly on him. Unfortunately, when he had finally moved into the den the only spot for a nest was right where the sun would shine in. He had been to awkward to move or switch nests with other apprentices so now he annoyingly deals with it waking him up. When I'm a warrior, my nest will be furthest from the entrance. Huffing to himself, the RainClan apprentice rose to stand on his paws and begin his day.
        Speckledpelt waited across the clearing, talking to two other warriors Snowpaw believed to be Duststorm and Hawkwing. Oh! A patrol! It felt like forever ago since he was last apart of a patrol. Snowpaw hurried over to the group, all tiredness having left and been replaced with excitement. "Oh! Snowpaw, good morning."
        "Good morning, Speckledpelt!" He replied, then dipping his head in respect for the warriors, "What are we doing today?" "Well...." Hearing the tone in his mentor's voice, Snowpaw's excitement started to dwindle.
        "We warriors," Before Speckledpelt had a chance to finish what she was going to say, Hawkwing injected himself into the conversation, "are going on patrol. We're handling something important you don't need to deal with. After all, who knows what might happen if you knew what was going on. You might end up joi-"
        "Hawkwing!" Duststorm jabbed the white furred warrior, urging him to stop speaking. Both Speckledpelt and Duststorm looked horrified, with a mix of disgust on Speckledpelt's face. "Snowpaw would never! He-....Sorry Snowpaw, ummm...." She fidgited, hurrying for words, "Ciderstar needs warriors only for this patrol. I'll make it up to you though!" As she had finished speaking Duststorm had already dragged Hawkwing away. Speckledpelt rushed after them.
        Last night...it was about me... What did I do? What did Hawkwing mean? W-what was he going to say? Snowpaw stared at the entrance to the camp where the three had exited. His excitement had been replaced with anxiety and dread. What did I do? Did I do something? I mean I don't remember doing anything? Is...is Ciderstar mad at me? Am I going to be exiled? The young tom froze, Cloversplash! His eyes darted around the clearing for his mother. Surly Ciderstar would have told her what was happening if it involved Snowpaw. Finally! Cloversplash had just exited the warriors' den and Snowpaw wasted no time running to her.
        "Cloversplash!" He cried out, "Did I do something to make the Clan mad at me? Last night I saw the evening patrol talking to Ciderstar and then they all looked at me and just earlier I saw Speckledpelt with Hawkwing and Duststorm and I thought I was finally going on patrol but Speckledpelt was about to say something then," He paused to draw in a long breath. But before he could continue his worried rant, Cloversplash held up her paw for her son to stop.
        "Follow me." The she-cat spoke, walking towards the tunnel. Only once did she turn around to see if Snowpaw was following. A part of Snowpaw desperately wanted his mother's comfort and was hurt by how she seemed to not be so bothered. Another part of him knew, however, that he was soon to be a warrior and his mother had not always been the most emotional. Still, he was being torn to shreds by his thoughts, why was she not answering him?
        Eventually Cloversplash stopped and sat down, "Now we can talk, Snowpaw." After a moment's hesitation, Snowpaw sat down and immediately retold his mother everything. The muddy brown warrior was surprised and quickly assured Snowpaw that he had done no wrong. In her words, he was perfect and Hawkwing was horrible to make him worry. Although she did admit Ciderstar spoke to her, and Cloversplash knew it was the time to let Snowpaw know before the rest of the Clan.
        "Snowpaw, my dear," She began, "it involves your father, Rowanfur." At the mention of his father, Snowpaw grew confused, My father? I thought no cat knew where he was... He was still a kit when Cloversplash explained to him why some of the apprentices and warriors spoke down to him. He was not even an apprentice when he learned that his father was exiled. Snowpaw did not know the reason though, but he did know that no RainClan cat knew where Rowanfur was. Or at least they had not known previously. "Rowanfur was exiled for betraying RainClan. He had led an attack on the Clan with some rogues who were angry with us for not letting them steal our prey." Snowpaw sat in silence, he could not understand why his father would do such a thing, "And when the Clan found out it was him behind the attack, Ciderstar exiled him and ordered Rowanfur away from our territory. You weren't born when this happened, but it was very few moons afterwards that you were. That is why some of the Clan weren't as accepting of you. You...." Cloversplash faltered then sighed, "you look a lot like him."
        "But why'd he betray RainClan? And why's it matter now?" Snowpaw pressed for more answers, his mother's story was just adding onto his confusion. Cloversplash hushed her son, "No cat, not even me, knows why he did what he did. But it doesn't look like he is done with RainClan. Snowpaw, Rowanfur is now Rowanstar. He has started his own clan. The evening patrol spotted some of his Clan members on our territory and it lead to the discovery." Rowanfur was exiled for attacking us and started his own Clan? Rowanstar? Why? And why did Hawkwing say that? Did cats really think he would do anything his father did simply because of his looks. Just because Cloversplash says I look like him....I never even knew him... Snowpaw realized that Cloversplash was no longer talking. Either she eventually saw that he was not paying attention or she did not continue speaking and had been waiting for him to react.
        "Oh.....so Rowanfur- Rowanstar has his own Clan with rogues and loners now?" He looked at his mother's unreadable expression as she nodded to confirm. "Oh... That's why every cat is acting so weird. Ok." He spoke slowly, Snowpaw's mind was racing with confusion and mixed feelings. How was he supposed to be reacting? Was he even understanding it? "I guess I just want to go back to camp now? If that's ok?" The tom spoke with his focus on the ground. But he jumped when he felt his mother's comforting lick. As soon as he snapped his head up, Cloversplash had begun to walk back to RainClan's camp. Although he told his mother he wanted to go back to camp, and wish she didn't leave so quickly, Snowpaw was also glad she left. He stared up at the sky, "StarClan, why would you let this happen? Rowan...star betrayed us and left us. Why would you give him nine lives? And why would he leave me?"