fallen stars ☆ a warriors fanfiction

a meeting

Fernpaw froze, staring at the bushes. They had definitely rustled. She was sure of it. "Fernpaw?" Hawkeyes mewed, who had gone ahead, along with Volepaw, who had been apprenticed two sunrises ago. "One second!" The grey and white apprentice mewed, focusing on the bushes. She could hear the brown furred she-cat shrug, and mutter to her apprentice. "Probably just found some prey." Fernpaw listened to their pawsteps as they padded away. "I know you're there." She mewed, arching her back and hissing at the bush. Probably just a kittypet, but still better check anyway. A small she-cat emerged, her pale cream fur groomed to perfection, a brown circle of fur framing her pale amber eyes. Fernpaw noticed a small strip of green cloth around her neck- a collar, as Dovenose had called it. Her mother had told her stories about kittypets, cats who chose to live with Twolegs in their nests. But she'd never expected to actually meet one. "Why are you here?" The apprentice hissed, flattening her ears and bushing out her tail fur. Am I threatening enough? Her mentor, Skullmask, had covered border tactics, but it was a kittypet; decidedly not an enemy clan patrol. "Why shouldn't I be here?" The kittypet mewed, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws. "This is ShadowClan territory! Even kittypets must have heard the stories about the fierce wildcats living in the woods." Fernpaw spat, growling, although she did sheathe her claws. "Oh, yes, we know about you. Smokey is terrified of you. He almost fainted when I told him I was coming here today. No, wait; he actually did faint!" She purred, flicking her ears. "Me and Jacaranda. Jacaranda! Come out from there!" The kittypet glared at a juniper bush, and a dark grey tom slid out, looking sheepish. His bright blue eyes turned on Fernpaw, and he stepped away from her in alarm. "Jingle. This is a wildcat." The dark grey kittypet mewed, his eyes darting around the small clearing frantically.

"Yes, and?" Jingle mewed, turning a scathing amber gaze on her companion. "Smokey and Caribou said we shouldn't talk to wildcats!" Jacaranda bushed out his fur, his blue eyes wild with terror. "Smokey is downright terrified of them, and Caribou doesn't know anything. She's never actually been into the forest. I have." The cream she-cat glanced at Fernpaw. "Go back to your nest if you like." Jacaranda tilted his head and nodded frantically, before turning tail and vanishing in the direction of the Twolegplace. Fernpaw fluffed out her fur against the early leaf-fall wind and gazed at Jingle in confusion. "Why are you here?" she tilted her head. "I wanted to get away from the group of rogues in my home- you call it Twolegplace, do you not?" Jingle mewed, bending down to show a healing wound along her flank. "A group of rogues?" The grey and white apprentice mewed, suspicious. "Do you know anything about a black and white tom named Magpiesong? Or a pale brown she-cat named Tumblepoppy?"

"Their leader is called Magpiesong! Used to be just Magpie. And Tumblepoppy was a loner- she didn't fight like them, but she went with Magpiesong to join one of the clans. I do know what you're called, you know!" Jingle added, seeing Fernpaw's surprised expression. "That's not good. Tumblepoppy's okay- but I don't trust Magpiesong." Fernpaw mused, half to herself. "They've been talking about an attack recently, and I heard some of them have been stealing prey from the clan that lives by the river." Jingle added, her eyes wide.

"RiverClan!" The ShadowClan apprentice rose to her paws. "Thanks, Jingle. This is really important information." The kittypet nodded and stood up, turning around and vanishing in the direction of Twolegplace with a flick of her tail. Fernpaw padded towards the rest of her patrol, and she could hear Volepaw bounding towards her. "Fernpaw, look! I caught a rabbit!" He mumbled around a mouthful of his prey. "Well done!" The grey and white apprentice purred, and nudged his ear with her muzzle. As she padded towards a large birch tree to collect the prey she had buried, Fernpaw couldn't help wondering... Will I be able to help protect my clan against Magpiesong and his rogues? I'm only an apprentice, but I have information...