(Finished!) Warriors Fanfiction: The Same Fate

Chapter 5

Alderfall trekked back to the camp after ridding herself of the wretched twoleg stench. She walked toward Dawnstar, her orange pelt sitting in the middle of the clearing.

After the first patrol was done reporting to Dawnstar, Alderfall sat in front of her, and asked if she could talk to her. Dawnstar nodded, and padded toward her den.

Once they were in the den, she reported what she had witnessed when she had followed Nightshade all the way to twolegplace, and had seen her eat twoleg food.

As Alderfall was explaining it, Dawnstar looked calm, but, Alderfall could see, she was mad.

"Where is she now?" Dawnstar demanded.

"She should be getting into the camp soon, but I left right as she was walking out of the twoleg nest," Alderfall meowed. "She probably also had to get rid of that twoleg stench, so that might keep her away for a while."

Dawnstar stood, "Report to me right away once she gets back."

Alderfall nodded, and padded out of the den, knowing she was dismissed.

Amberheart and Scurryclaw were sharing tongues near the warriors' den. Alderfall could just make out some of the words, "Scurryclaw, what if that cat comes back again? What if this time he takes out Dawnstar?" and a few soothing words from Scurryclaw before she saw Nightshade stumble into the camp, with a vole in her jaws. Nightshade dropped the fresh-kill, and Alderfall hurried toward Dawnstar's den. Dawnstar was resting, her chin on her paws. She looked up at Alderfall, but she already knew that Nightshade was here, because she got up and sauntered over to the Hardrock, and called the familiar call that showed that there was a clan meeting. At once, all of the cats poured out of the dens. She saw Nightshade tense.

"Nightshade, step up." Nightshade was looking around nervously. She probably had come across Alderfall's scent when she had left.

Dawnstar looked at her. "You have broken the warrior code, and for that you need to be punished," Startled meows came from the clearing, but Dawnstar ignored them, and went on. "You went to twolegplace, and ate disgusting twoleg food while your clan was starving from the lack of prey." Alderfall screwed her face up at the thought of eating twoleg food.

Nightshade's head inclined downward, looking down at her paws, not meeting Dawnstar's eyes.

"For the punishment, you will stay in the camp. You will eat fresh-kill last, unless you are given permission to,"

Nightshade looked at Dawnstar, then nodded. "Yes, Dawnstar," She started going on, but hesitated. "But what about my twolegs? They will worry about me." She looked in anguish. Alderfall understood. She had to choose between two things, and if she chose the wrong choice, there would be no coming back.

Dawnstar looked at her. "Then if you wish to stay with your twolegs, and become a kittypet, then you will go. But if you wish to stay with your clan and follow the warrior code, and be respected by your clanmates, then you can stay. You will give me your answer by tomorrow at sunrise," she raised her voice. "Clan meeting dismissed."

The cats went back to their regular duties, including the patrols that Alderfall had gathered. Some of them cast nasty glances at Nightshade, but didn't talk to her. She saw that Nightshade felt stressed, her paws shuffling from side to side. Alderfall started padding toward her, but she heard Dawnstar's voice. "Alderfall, come into my den."

She stopped and turned towards Dawnstar's den. She went past the lichen that was draping from the entrance.

Dawnstar was calm, but part of Alderfall knew she was worried about something.

"Are you ok?" Alderfall mewed.

Dawnstar looked at Alderfall. "What if Nightshade chooses to go to twolegplace?"

Alderfall was shocked that her leader took so much worry into this. Cats had left the clan to go to twolegs before, right?

Alderfall sat next to Dawnstar. "I am sure that Nightshade will choose the path she wants to take," she meowed. It didn't seem to calm down Dawnstar much.

Dawnstar looked around nervously. "We are vulnerable right now, Alderfall. The dark cat is after us, and so is SmokeClan... We need all of our warriors," She fretted.

Alderfall agreed. They couldn't take any chances. If they don't have enough warriors, then they might just have a fatal loss.