Magpie Flying Alone- a Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 3- Not a Story of Love

Magpiepaw sleepily opened her eyes, startled at how late in the morning it was. Figpaw strolled into the den, seeming happy and energetic. Magpiepaw realised that the den seemed more... empty. "Where did Fireflypaw and Twigpaw's nests- Oh!" she exclaimed as the realisation hit her. "Did I miss their ceremony?" Figpaw kept smiling, and nodded. "That's Fireflytail for you," she announced proudly. "A-and Twigfall." she added hurriedly, and Magpiepaw tried to hold back her smirk. "Lorikeetkit's apprentice ceremony in half a moon," she said brightly, changing the subject. "Magpiepaw!" The she-cat heard Frogspots' voice from outside. "See you later!" she called to Figpaw as she went towards her mentor. 

"Why didn't you wake me?" She quieried as she approached her mentor. Frogspots shrugged. "I figured you were tired from the gathering, so I let you sleep. You're not upset about missing the ceremony, are you?" Magpiepaw shook her head. "It's fine. Do you want me to hunt, or go on patrol?" She questioned. "No, you relax. just take some prey to the elders, and take some for yourself too." Magpiepaw obeyed, staggering with the weight of the prey. She reached the elders den, where Lizardstrike greeted her warmly. "Hello, Magpiepaw." She dropped the prey in front of the two elders, and Wavecrash purred. "Your mother is watching, and she keeps insisting we tell our incredible love story to you, and force you to love someone," Magpiepaw tried not to groan, strongly disliking the idea of once again being told she needs to find a mate. Even the leader's brother disagrees with me, she thought gloomily

"I think you're very capable without a mate," Lizardstrike chipped in, catching Magpiepaw off guard. "I didn't have a mate for a while I was a warrior, and Wavecrash was just my best friend for a long time. Even after all we've been through, having Wattlebranch and joining the elders, he still is. Sometimes that's all you need, a good friend by your side," Magpiepaw's mind flickered to Figpaw, and she agreed with the elder. "Swanriver was always saying that," He sighed wistfully. "Shadestar was heartbroken when his daughter died. Did your mother ever tell you about her sister?" Magpiepaw shook her head, intrigued.

"Swanriver was Hazelthorn's littermate. Even when they were kits, Swanriver outshined her sister. Even though it was Hazelthorn who so wanted to get a mate and have kits, it was her glamorous sister who had tom after tom falling for her, and Swanriver who rejected them all." "Why?" Magpiepaw asked curiously. "Because she was in a situation a bit like yours, Magpiepaw. despite her beauty, she insisted she was better off on her own." "Did your mother ever tell you the story of her and your father?" Lizardstrike asked, raising an eyebrow. "No." Magpiepaw answered quietly. When she was younger she had asked, but her mother always responded with the same thing: 'your father isn't around anymore' and left it at that.

Wavecrash continued. "You see, there was a young tom who, like many others, fell in love with her.  As usual, she turned him away, but Hazelthorn was in love with him. She asked and asked until she was practically begging for him to love her, until they could finally agree on one thing: the clan needed more kits. So Hazelthorn fell pregnant with his kits, but to her despair, they didn't stay together like the happy family she had dreamed of. When you were born, he only visited once in the half moon you were in his life, before he ran off to become a loner and was never seen again," 

Magpiepaw's eyes were wide as she absorbed the story. "So what he's saying is," Lizardstrike muttered. "your hypocrite of a mother barely had a mate at all."

***

"Rogues! We need help!" Screeched Twigfall as he burst through the fern tunnel. every head turned towards him, fur fluffed up. "Rogues... on the border... threats..." Twigfall managed through pants. Elkpaw charged forward, and several others followed him. Magpiepaw ran with the crowd, a blur of pelts and grass and trees.

They ran for a while, towards the border, until at last the reached a clearing. a group of rogues surrounded an angry and terrified-looking group of cats: Silentsong, Fireflytail, and Figpaw. Magpiepaw gave a screech of fury for her friend and charged towards a rogue. Shadestar intercepted her with a paw, muttering. "We don't know if they're aggressive. We'll try to talk before fighting." concern for Figpaw churned through Magpiepaw, but she obeyed the wise leader and stepped back.

"Hello, strangers!" Shadestar greeted the cats. "What can StormClan help you with?" A large black she-cat, presumably their leader, came forward, snarling. "By giving us territory! You and your other so called 'Clan' have this huge forest, and yet you insist on not sharing a single piece. surrounding this land is houses for days." Shadestar dipped his head. "The clans are much bigger than what you've observed, with elderly cats and she-cats with kits. We need this forest to survive." 

"So do we!" A grey she-cat pitched in. "My three daughters need to survive just as much as you do!" Shadestar sighed. "We will discuss it with the other Clans as soon as we can. for now, you may continue living on the border." the leader she-cat nodded stiffly. "That will do for now, I guess. You are..?" "Shadestar." He replied. "I am Nova. We will meet again very soon, Shadestar. I'll make sure of it."