Warriors: Project Star

Chapter 7 | Leafpaw | Birds of a Feather

Edited : 6/6/23

Stunned, Leafpaw started to look up at the sizeable swirling snowstorm that spun around the AuroraClan territory. "Do you think they'll be alright?" Leafpaw meowed to her mentor Cindercloud. At first, Cindercloud didn't respond, only staying fixated on the storm that raged on.

"Hmm? Yeah. They've had worse." Cindercloud dismissively mewed, lifting his scarred head. Leafpaw just sighed in response. Her mentor was never interested in the world. Despite that, Leafpaw still immensely cared for him.

"Shall we finish the border patrol?" A brown and black tabby she-cat murmured annoyedly. "I have more patrols to guard." Sunleap worked as a Guard, who would guard patrols against any birds or enemies that would try and attack them, stopping deaths related to birds of prey.

"Is four of you not enough?" Leafpaw innocently inquired, interested if Sunleap just wanted to get back to camp and slack off.

"Nah, fours enough for the 0 patrols we send every day." Sunleap meowed sarcastically, her bright and shining yellow eyes still alert. To be fair, being a guard didn't seem like much fun at all.

A black tom with deep blue eyes emerged from a nearby bush, a small and fluffy ginger green-eyed apprentice following him.

"We're done here. Let's head back." Nighttuft, the black tom, grumbled, his voice always having a slight twinge of annoyance. Or was it anger?

The smaller apprentice next to him, Cherrypaw, let out a small sigh as Nighttuft immediately turned around. She grinned at Leafpaw before she turned around to follow her mentor into the forest. The two had been friends since kits, almost inseparable.

Leafpaw then turned to her mentor who trotted after them, his head in the clouds. Cindercloud usually wasn't this airheaded - she would have to ask him later about this.

Just behind her, Sunleap was on guard, her ears up and alert and her fur bristled. Wait, why would her fur bristle if nothing is coming after us? As quick as a cat chasing down prey, something slammed into her body, knocking the air out of her and pushing her close to the ground. A sharp stone cut her leg, drawing blood. The grass cloaked her as she lay, barely conscious on the terrain. Am I going to die here?

Slowly and painfully, she gingerly twisted herself to see what was happening. Sunleap, who had pushed her out of the way, was close to her and battling off a large eagle, arching her brown and black fur as she leapt for it. The eagle flapped its wings trying to bat her away, letting out a screech of pain and rage as outstretched claws ripped its side, drawing blood.

Cindercloud was soon on it, the scarred grey and black tom attempting to bring it down as well. The eagle shook itself ruthlessly, launching Cindercloud onto a rock where a sickening thud played out.

Leafpaw let out a cry of shock but stayed still, the pain overtaking her. Cindercloud!

Sunleap was also knocked off, however, she stuck the landing. Seeing its chance, the eagle charged for the unconscious Cindercloud, but its charge was cut short by a cat leaping on its back from a nearby tree. The eagle crashed to the ground where its life was quickly and mercilessly ended.

A last screech escaped its throat as Nighttuft dismounted it, rushing for Cindercloud. Both Leafpaw and Sunleap followed, limping from the encounter.

"Quick, grab him and lift him onto my shoulder," Nighttuft instructed Sunleap, taking on the leadership role immediately. "Sunleap and I will make our way to camp with him. I know you're injured Leafpaw, but try your best to run ahead and explain what happened to Clovermist. She needs all the time to prepare..." He let out a small choked sob. "If we want him to carry on being a warrior. Cherrypaw has run ahead to tell them someone may be hurt - she left before this happened."

Leafpaw nodded, and limped ahead, going as fast as she could go. She had to do this for Cindercloud. "I don't think you should have phrased it like that - what if she blames herself? There is a high chance he will never become a warrior again." Leafpaw barely heard Sunleap's concerned meow.

"Let's just hope," Nighttuft grunted.

Leafpaw didn't want to hear this. He had to be ok. He was her mentor, he had always treated her well... Surely StarClan wouldn't be this unfair to someone who was so radiantly warm and nice to her.

She felt herself getting a bit choked up. She ignored the pain as her paws swiftly moved, briefly touching the grass or rocks underneath her before they pushed off.

Why would this happen?

Why could the world be so unjust? Cruel even.

She had reached the camp entrance. Eyes turned to the anxious and puffing apprentice, as she tried to form a sentence.

"C-Cindercloud is injured!" She meowed, sounding like a tiny kit. "S-sent flying into a r-rock!"

The sickening thud flew back into her mind. For a second she was there again, helpless as her mentor crashed into the rock in slow motion. Her paw extended but never connecting to his body. The past never changed. She grew dizzy as it kept replaying, as she helplessly lay there...

She felt something push into her. Leafpaw's eyes darted around. A small ginger tom with black accents was meowing something she couldn't understand. Her head was still caught in the scene.

"....p.w, pl.... .a.e ..!"

"L..f..w, .l.a.se ..ke u.!"

"Le.f.aw, p..ase w..e up!"

"Leafpaw, please wake up!"

The world she was in vanished. Her mind finally put things into pieces. The ginger tom who was trying to get her to snap out of her thoughts was Foxpaw.  "I'm so sorry, I-" She started, realising she couldn't find the words.

"Let's get you to Clovermist. Now. You're not okay. Someone's already told her, she's preparing."

"For me?" Leafpaw suddenly sat upright.

"For both. Don't worry, you're going to be fine. Lean on me." Foxpaw reassured, motioning for her to follow his command.

"Let me go! Cindercloud!" Leafpaw wailed, extending her claws as more clanmates rushed in to help.

She was almost carried to the medicine den, and she could tell when Cindercloud, Nighttuft, and Sunleap arrived when gasps rang out around the camp. She tried to crane her neck, but Foxpaw kept her in place. "It's going to be fine." She just hissed in response.

Authors Note: Whoops trauma already, soz kind of had to do a little kickstart to the book.

Also those who ship based on simple reactions that friends would do are gonna have a field day on this chapter :)