Rootspring x Shadowsight fanfic (Warriors)

Chapter 1 - Rootspring

Rootspring bounced up and down at the thought of his first hunt as a warrior. All of his problems suddenly seemed to go away. The thought of Bristlefrost or StarClan. None of that concerned him. He was a proud warrior of StarClan. Even the previous gnawing of the sight of Bramblestar's seeming ghost had stopped.

Despite the heavy snow - probably the last of this year - Rootspring spotted a vole snacking on a seed, just two tail lengths over the ShadowClan border. No cat will notice. It will be more food for SkyClan when ShadowClan's fresh kill pile would stay the same anyway! He tried to chase away the guilt, but he stopped himself from pouncing with a sharp grunt. Do you want your first prey caught as a warrior to be over another Clan's border?  He asked himself, then shook his head. No. I want the prey I catch to be clean, plump, and respectable.

He backed away from the border and turned around, trying to leave behind the moment he almost broke the code for a tiny vole. It was so skinny, too! It wouldn't have fed any cat enough to really fill their belly. It would just be taking away a life, and taking away prey from a Clan who needed it more. 

"Good save. I saw your temptation." A high and squeaky voice sounded from the bushed, making Rootspring jump and whip around. He recognized that voice. Shadowsight! Thank StarClan. I need to unload on some cat about how my warrior ceremony went! His eyes glowed as he casually bounded across the border as if he were padding into his own Clan's territory. 

"Thanks, Shadowsight! I got my warrior name! I really like it, too. It's Rootspring," Rootspring told him, excitement glistening in his eyes. A smile spread across Shadowsight's muzzle. 

"Really? Awesome! I like that name, too. It suits you. So energetic today. Is it your first hunt after being made a warrior?" He asked, studying Rootspring carefully. Rootspring thought he might've seen Shadowsight blush slightly when his gaze dropped to Rootspring's paws, tapping the snow and switching from right to left. Rootspring even thought he heard the young tom mutter, "I've never seen him so excited! It's kinda cute." 

"Of course," Rootspring replied quickly, trying to shake off the edge and slight flattered-ness that he felt after being called "cute" by Shadowsight. Maybe Bristlefrost feels that way, too? "I was about to catch that vole across the border." 

"I saw," Shadowsight told him. "But it was really kind of you not to. I understand how eager you are to make your first catch." He observed how Rootspring had stepped over the border, and signaled him to slink over to SkyClan's side of pine forest, which Rootspring did immediately, his pelt hot with embarrassment. 

"Thanks," he ducked his head, his short-ish tail still lashing with excitement. "Sorry for stepping over the border there," he added quickly. 

Shadowsight smiled warmly. "It's nothing. At least, not while I'm here. It was a mistake. A lot of other cats wouldn't feel that way, though, so watch your back. A-anyway, I'd hate to keep you from making your first catch. I'd better-" 

"Nonsense!" Rootspring sang. "You can watch!"

Shadowsight grinned. "Are you sure my presence will be helpful?" 

Rootspring thought for a moment, then his smile returned. No, it wouldn't. But I like you enough to want you to be a witness! "Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyess, it totally will." Shadowsight snickered as Rootspring dropped to the forest floor and angled his ears around, trying to listen for some sort of bird or something.

Then, he heard it. The signature screech of a crow. No cat could miss it. Silently, Rootspring padded over to the creature, and then was taken aback by its beauty. And it was huge, too! It could feed the whole Clan! There was absolutely no way he was going to miss this. 

Without thinking, Rootspring look a mighty leap and landed directly on the massive black bird, killing it swiftly with a bite to the neck. He bounded over to Shadowsight, with one of the crow's wings in his mouth. "I did it, I did it!" He cheered. "I caught a crow! It's huge, too! SkyClan will eat well tonight!" He continued boasting about how large his catch had been before he noticed Shadowsight was silent. 

Once Shadowsight noticed he was staring, he stopped shuffling his paws and smiled warmly at Rootspring. "Great job! See? You couldn't have caught that beast on ShadowClan territory. It's a good day to be SkyClan," he added shyly. Rootspring smiled warmly at his friend. 

"Thanks! Well, I'd better be taking this back to camp before the blood turns cold. It's always nice to bite into warm prey in a cold leaf-bare. See you around, Shadowsight! I'll probably be over here tomorrow, if you wanna see me again!" He called as he and Shadowsight both bounded off to camp. 

"Me too! See you then, Root!" 

Rootspring snickered. Root? What a weirdo! He weaved between the tall tress with the crow in his mouth, making it water like nothing before. As he slipped through the tunnel into camp, cats around him gasped. 

Needleclaw hurried over to him. "Woah, Rootspring, that's incredible! You're incredible!" 

"Catching a huge crow wouldn't be a first for this cat!" Dewspring nudged him cheerfully before his gaze turned solemn. "I'll miss bossing you around, you know."

"Don't worry," Hawkwing mewed from being him. "My grandson will be spoken down to by older cats forever! All cats are. And Dewspring, you'll continue to teach Rootspring... forever. Until you join StarClan, then Rootspring will join StarClan with you and learn more there. You, and the warriors around you, will never stop being his mentor." 

Rootspring puffed out his chest. "But I'm no apprentice! I'm not going to claw a single tick out another elder's fur or I'm going to eat all the prey and camp and you all will suck it up!" He joked. Cats around him giggled and snickered, but Kitescratch's mouth was watering violently. 

"Could we quit joking and DIG IN?" He asked cheerfully.

"Of course," Leafstar mewed. "A very impressive first-warrior-catch from Rootspring. Good job. A see SkyClan's future with you in it, and it's wonderful," she told Rootspring with a grin. "Now then, who would you like to share with, Rootspring?"