River (Book 1) A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 19

•Sunpaw•

Sunpaw watched in dismay as his only friend besides his brother left the camp. He struggled to pay attention to the rest of the Clan meeting, though Moonpaw told him everything in their nests that night. Apparently, Lightstar was going to go to the Moonpool to consult StarClan about who was actually his father. Sunpaw honestly didn't care at this point. Too much was racing through his mind, each thought faster than the last, trying to win first place. Sunpaw wanted the race to end already, but he was still aching for answers. He decided to get up and go to Willowleaf. As he entered the medicine cat's den, she whipped around like usual, her expression just as fierce, but something softened when she saw Sunpaw.
"Hey, Sunpaw." She said, her tone even less cool. "What do you need?" Sunpaw gulped nervously.
"Answers." He finally replied. She cocked her head, and Sunpaw soon found himself pouring out everything that had happened. Words came tumbling out like a rush of water, and the streams of sentences flowed freely. Soon, he felt wet tears slide down his cheek. Willowleaf listened intently to it all. After he had finished, she looked toward the stars for a moment. She then sighed and looked the golden apprentice in the eye.
"I think StarClan would only send you visions if you were meant for something very great. Your mother, well honestly Sunpaw, I have no idea why StarClan would take your mother, but StarClan does everything for a purpose. Brackenstar coming back to his body is a miracle, and my guess is that StarClan had not yet proclaimed him dead, so he was still able to go back to his body. As for your career, Sunpaw, I just want to say that I am very sorry. I think I made a grave mistake when I told you to become a medicine cat. I think that you are destined to be a warrior. I can just imagine you in battle, now. Please consider what I've told you. And Sunpaw, I know that I have been terrible to you this past moon, and I'm so sorry. Sunpaw, you've become like a son to me and I will miss you in my den, but this is not your destiny." Willowleaf was crying too, and Sunpaw was astounded. He was shocked at her current behavior, but he was so thankful for her words. Willowleaf leaned toward Sunpaw and hugged him close. He embraced her, and they sat cuddled close for a long time.

***

When Sunpaw awoke the next day, he blinked for a moment before he realized that he was in the ThunderClan medicine den. He and Willowleaf had cuddled up in her nest together, and Sunpaw had fallen asleep. Willowleaf wasn't in the nest now, but she was in the den sorting herbs. She muttered a quick "Mornin'" before going back to her work. Sunpaw could have sworn that she had just sorted her herbs yesterday. Barkpaw was still asleep. Sunpaw was still a little fazed by Willowleaf's behavior last night. She had been indifferent to him this morning. Sunpaw hurriedly out of the den to go talk to Lightstar. As he neared the den, Lightstar and Stormheart beckoned him closer.
"Well, Sunny, you sure caused a ruckus coming home yesterday. I'm grateful that you're back, though." Lightstar rested his tail tip on Sunpaw's shoulder. Sunpaw purred in acknowledgement.
"I wanted to tell you that I'm going to train as a warrior again." Sunpaw held his head high as Stormheart looked skeptical.
"Are you sure that's best?" The deputy asked. "You've missed more than a quarter moon of training."
     "Yeah. Are you sure you don't want to sit around and sniff herbs all day while we hunt and fight for you? Or are you going to run off again at the first sign of battle?" Dustpaw whispered in Sunpaw's ear and sneered as he walked past. "If I were you, I would stay in that dusty old den."
     "Says you whose name is 'Dustpaw!'" Sunpaw retorted quietly. He looked around to see if Stormheart and Lightstar had heard, but they were watching with sparkling eyes. Dustpaw glared at Sunpaw with those cold, pale eyes.
     "What did Dustpaw say to you?" Lightstar asked, as the dusky brown tom walked off, tail held high. Sunpaw began to speak, but then he stopped. He didn't want to be a snitch or create tension.
     "He was-was just welcoming me back to the apprentices' den." Sunpaw decided to say. "He said he was glad that I didn't have to mess around with dusty old herbs, now. I just pointed out that his name is literally 'Dustpaw.'" He fake-chuckled, as though trying to make his point. Lightstar nodded. Sunpaw breathed a sigh of relief, as it seemed the leaders of the Clan believed him.
     "So are you going to be a warrior apprentice?" Stormheart asked. Sunpaw nodded.
     "I'll go alert Briarpool." Lightstar said, but Sunpaw shook his head.
     "May I?" He asked, and Lightstar dipped his head.
     "Very well." The white tom replied. Sunpaw raced off to the warriors' den. He picked his way around the nests until he got to Briarpool's near the back of the den. Briarpool was one of the senior warriors, but she preferred a nest at the back of the den. The younger warriors were fine with that.
     "Briarpool!" Sunpaw hissed. "Briarpool! It's time to go train!" Briarpool blinked sleepily, but once she saw Sunpaw's face, she leapt up and rubbed her muzzle against the top of his head.
     "Oh Sunpaw! I've missed you so much! Are you going to be my apprentice again?" She bounced around like an apprentice fresh out of the nursery. Sunpaw nodded, and she purred so loud that another warrior woke up and scolded her. They both just laughed at the warrior. "Oakpool, I do not care! I have my apprentice again!" Briarpool playfully hissed at her brother—Oakpool. He only growled back softly before curling up and falling asleep again. Briarpool dashed out of the den, then turned around and swished her tail.
     "Well? What are you waiting for? Come on! We're going to train!" She kneaded the ground as Sunpaw picked his way through the nests a little more carefully. He grinned at she purred again, even louder this time. They both raced for the camp entrance.
     "Where are we going?" Sunpaw asked. Briarpool didn't reply, but kept running until they reached the training hollow. She took a deep breath.
     "Let's tussle." She finally answered, preparing to leap at him, but he beat her to it, leaping onto her back. She yowled, but Sunpaw knew she was just messing with him—literally. They play-fought until Sunpaw's stomach growled so loud that Briarpool sat up and laughed. The sun was high in the sky by then. "Let's take a break and eat. Then we'll hunt." Sunpaw was too hungry to disagree, though he was aching to practice his stalking again. They raced each other back to camp, and Briarpool barely won. They slowed at they approached the camp entrance.
"Sunpaw, I think that you have grown a lot since you were last home—both physically and mentally. While you still have a lot of growing to do, you cheeky little mouse-brain, you've matured a lot since I last saw you. You seem bigger, too, more powerful in a way." Briarpool, stopped, as though admiring his thick, golden fur that shown like the sun he was named after. Sunpaw felt embarrassed by her praise, and his pelt prickled self-consciously.
"Er-thanks, Briarpool. We'd er-better er-get back to camp." His stomach growled again, as if on cue. "I could eat a badger." He added awkwardly, and Briarpool laughed, her eyes seeming to sparkle again. Sunpaw suddenly thought that she looked rather beautiful. He looked away and his fur felt hot.
Mouse-brain, he thought. She's my mentor, and besides, I'm still an apprentice. Another part of his brain argued with him, though. She's not that much older than you, and you're not going to be an apprentice forever...maybe she sees you like that, too? Sunpaw shook his head to clear the thought away, but he couldn't stop staring at her tortoiseshell pelt as he devoured a thrush. It seemed to taste extra good as he sat next to his mentor.
She scooted a little closer. "Do you want a bite of my lark in exchange for some thrush?" She came even closer, and added, "I know you like lark." Sunpaw felt hotter and pricklier than ever, and he mumbled a quick, "sure," before passing his thrush to her. He had to admit that the lark was quite good. They spent the rest of sunhigh exchanging their prey and catching up about the events of the past few days. It felt like Sunpaw had been gone for a lifetime. He suddenly missed his companions very intensely.
"Are you okay, Sunny?" Briarpool pressed close to him, her eyes round. "It seems like a lifetime doesn't it?" Her voice grew soft, and Sunpaw ached with gratitude for her warm body against his. He couldn't reply, but he nuzzled her thankfully. Briarpool seemed to understand, and she just sat there with him. The sun was starting to set by the time they got up. A couple other warriors were looking at them funny. Briarpool glared at them, and they turned away. Sunpaw just closed his eyes and pressed against her, not really caring, but grieving, for Brackenstar, for SkyClan's loss, for who-knows-what. They sat down again, and they stayed there until about moonhigh. Sunpaw finally got up and stretched, bones aching. He was surprised to see that his mentor wasn't asleep; the pretty tortoiseshell simply yawned and stood up with him.
"Want to go for a nighttime hunt?" She whispered. Sunpaw nodded and raced for dirtplace tunnel. "Why there?" She asked, as she bounded across the clearing beside him.
"I don't want to be questioned by Mouseblaze, who's guarding right now. I just want to slip away." And be with you and you alone, he added in his mind. He shook his head for the second time that day. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Do you seriously have a crush on your mentor?? Do know how incredibly stupid and pathetic and desperate that is? He sniffed, checking for prey scent, trying to chase away his thoughts of more than a mentor-apprentice relationship. Briarpool didn't say anything, but she followed him into woods as he began to track a rabbit. She turned and dashed off to circle around and cut off the rabbit's escape route—she was letting Sunpaw make the kill.
He nodded to her and crouched down for wait for it. It must have strayed from the moor, he thought absently. Suddenly, a very alarmed looking rabbit came crashing through the bushes, with Briarpool on its heels. Sunpaw dashed forward to cut it off and kill it. He leapt, and grabbed it in his teeth, holding it down with his forepaws. As he tried to bit down on its neck, it kicked him hard in the stomach. He gasped and let go. Briarpool caught it and killed it, before running to check on him.
"I'm okay." He said, before she could ask. She snorted.
"That's not what I was going to say actually. I was going to say that the rabbit might make a good ThunderClan warrior; it seemed as though it was hunting you." She started laughing, but Sunpaw looked down at his paws sullenly. "I'm sorry Sunny, don't be upset. I'm not shaming you at all, it was just a little funny to watch a rabbit hunt its hunter. Don't worry, I still caught it. We'll bring back fresh-kill for the Clan at dawn!" She nuzzled him and purred. He felt a little better as they dragged the huge rabbit into camp as the sun rose above the dark green treetops. Briarpool said he could rest until sunhigh, when they would begin training again.
As he laid down in his nest, Briarpool came in to sleep by him. "There's no one in here but you and me, and there's no one in the warrior's den, so who's going to judge? I'm just here to spend time with my apprentice—and best friend." She purred and cuddled up next to him to sleep. Sunpaw was grateful to have her beside him, but he felt a pang of disappointment. Stupid, he told himself again. I'm so stupid to think that she would ever like a little brat like me. I'm just her friend. He did have to admit that it felt nice that he was her best friend. Now he was two friends besides his own kin.
He breathed her comforting scent—like lavender and honey—before starting to drift off to sleep. It seemed like his life was turning a corner. It really did feel that way. Sunpaw inhaled lavender again before breaking away from the conscious world. Maybe in his dreams he would be as happy as in that moment.

A/N: Is anyone else getting Draco Malfoy vibes from Dustpaw?? Is it just me? Also, what do y'all think of the development with Sunpaw's relationships with Willowleaf, Lightstar, and Briarpool? I think this is going to be good for Sunpaw. What do you guys think?
Also, if anyone is shipping Sun x Briar, Briarpool was only just made an apprentice when Sunpaw was born, so they are only six moons apart. If anyone ships Sun x Willow, that's just a no-no. The age difference = 🤮. Willowleaf is old enough to be his mom.
I'm not saying that Sun x Briar is going to be canon, unless I am convinced by you guys, the readers. Let's say five comments (from separate users, no alt accounts) saying yes to this makes it canon.
     Edit: I like this ship XD The above statement is void.

     May StarClan light your path as always,
                                 -Fawn