fallen stars ☆ a warriors fanfiction

the visitors

Fernpaw lay next to her sister as they basked in the dusk sunlight. The grey and white apprentice yawned and tucked her tail around her paws, watching her clanmates share tongues. "Do you smell ThunderClan?" Cedarpaw mewed, straightening up and peering over Fernpaw's head, trying to see the thorn tunnel. "ThunderClan? Have you got bees in your brain?" The she-cat purred, amused.

"Seriously! Look!" Fernpaw's green eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! It's Duststripe, the ThunderClan deputy! And... do you know who those cats with him are?" Cedarpaw shook her bark coloured head, rising to her paws. Fernpaw leaped down from the rock they had been sunning themselves on, and padded towards the visitors. Echostar was already facing them, Poppysong next to her. The red and cream tortoiseshell narrowed her eyes, cautiously watching the group. A black and white tom stood next to Duststripe, his amber eyes surveying the camp. A fawn coloured she-cat stood next to him, watching Echostar. "Echostar, Poppysong." Duststripe dipped his sandy coloured head, and after a brief hesitation, Echostar nodded her thanks. "Why have you come to our camp?"

The sand coloured deputy nodded towards his companions. "Shadestar has decided to take two rogues in." Only the slightest curl of his lip betrayed his feelings about his leader's decision. "I thought I would- I mean, we thought we should come and tell you, your clan being right on our border." Echostar tipped her head at the ex-rogues. "Care to introduce yourselves?"

"Magpiesong." The black and white tom mewed, his voice smooth like honey. "And this is Tumblepoppy." Magpiesong nodded to his companion, who flicked her ear. Cedarpaw nudged her, and the grey and white apprentice winced. "Hey! This is serious." Fernpaw's tail drooped, seeing their mother, Dovenose, heading towards them. "Dovenose!" Cedarpaw mewed irritably, knowing she was about to tell them to stop listening in. The pale grey queen let out an exasperated sigh. "I know. You're apprentices now- you shouldn't be treated like kits." Fernpaw brightened. "But." The apprentices groaned, and Cedarpaw flattened her ears. "There are some things that even apprentices don't need to hear. Come on- to your den."

"Muuummm!!" Cedarpaw groaned, ducking away from her mother's tail. Fernpaw sighed, and turned away from the crowd that was gathering around the visitors. She started padding towards the apprentices' den, and slowed down as her sister caught up to her. "I don't feel tired- we should find Juniperpaw and Seapaw." Fernpaw bit her lip, sitting down next to the entrance to their den. "Doesn't it bother you that Seapaw and Juniperpaw's mother was a kittypet?" Cedarpaw stared at her in surprise. "No, you?" The apprentice shook her head as the brown she-cat continued.

"It doesn't matter where they came from, as long as they are loyal." Cedarpaw finished, starting to wash her one white paw. "What about those rogues- Magpiesong and Tumblepoppy?" Fernpaw glanced at the ThunderClan patrol, which had just vanished through the thorn tunnel along with Hawkeyes and Foxwhisker. The dark brown tabby's whiskers twitched uncomfortably. "I don't trust them, especially Magpiesong." Fernpaw nodded her agreement. "Hello!" A pale brown apprentice poked his head into the den. "Juniperpaw!" Cedarpaw purred. "And me!" A muffled voice mewed. "We know, Seapaw." Fernpaw purred, rising to her paws and padding out of the den side by side with her sister. The apprentice looked up at the sky, which was slowly fading into dark purple. The first star was already twinkling in the night sky, and Fernpaw closed her eyes. StarClan... save my clan from the visitors. I don't trust them- and I'm not sure ThunderClan does either.