Warriors AU (Shrewpaw x Squrrielflight)

Chapter 1

Silence only fell into his ears for a time until he heard distant mumbling that trembled ever so slightly as it got closer and closer. The voices soon became clear, and the first voice he recognized was the crying of his friend, Squirrelpaw.

"You stupid cat, you mousebrain, if you haven't gone for that dumb bird you would still be here." She wailed.

He heard footsteps coming forth that also sounded recognizable. "Everything is alright. I know how much he meant to you."

"He meant more to me than you will ever know Brambleclaw, oh why did things have to turn out this way..." She sniffed.

Shrewpaw also heard his parents. His mother, Ferncloud, wailing and cursing, while his father, Dustpelt, tried to reassure her. Everything started to come back to him. The forest is gone, the clan was now sheltering at Sunningrocks, and both of his young sisters had died. Then a great voice sounded above everyone. "Let us all sit vigil for our fallen apprentice for he has-"

Squirrelpaw suddenly shrieked. "Wait Firestar! I see movement!"

It was then that Shrewpaw felt his consciousness slip back to his body and his ears twitched and made a sharp grunt once he was finally awake. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the shocked faces of his clan members and seeing his mother and father both padding to him, covered him with affectionate licks and tears of joy. He heard his clanmates say "this is a miracle from Starclan!" Or "this must be a prophecy!"

He tried to stand up but ultimately collapsed and felt the support of his father trying to steady him. Dustpelt shouted. "We need to get him to Cinderpelt."

"Bring him over here Dustpelt." Cinderpelt mewed, pointing her tail to the medicine den she made.

Dustpelt nodded and with the help of Brambleclaw holding both of Shrewpaw's sides they carried him to the makeshift den. He could hear Dustpelt murmur, "everything will be alright son just stay with us."

That was the last thing Shrewpaw heard before he drifted off to sleep again.

-

When he woke up, the first thing that caught his attention right away was the strange warmth that hung on top of him. It was comforting in a way but it made his bones sore and he wheezed, once it became clear he can't breath. "Oh Shrewpaw I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean to harm you," Squirrelpaw mewed nervously. "I just wanted to provide you some warmth since you were stone cold when Dustpelt and Brambleclaw brought you in."

He tried to speak but his voice was raspy. It was hard to get the words out and after a couple of failed attempts, Squirrelpaw rested her puffy tail over his maw. "Don't speak, save your strength because I want you to live for as long as I can manage it."

Her eyes sparkled with sympathy. Shrewpaw forgot how beautiful she was. Her ginger pelt glowing from the small amount of light that hit the den. It got him well enough to finally rasp out his first words. "You don't have to worry about me Squirrelpaw."

"Well I have to. You're my only friend unlike that mousebrain that is Brambleclaw." She growled.

Shrewpaw sighed, remembering that Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw went away with warriors from other clans in search for a new home for the clans which is what they later found out. It was then that Cinderpelt came in with comfrey to mend his broken bones and daisy leaves to soothe his aching joints. "Eat these Shrewpaw, they'll help your aching joints."
She sighed, afraid of what she will say. "I think you have already noticed that you are slightly blind in one eye."

"What?!?" Squirrelpaw shrieked.

It was then that Shrewpaw noticed that he was slightly blind on his left eye and he pointed with his tail questioning if that was it, to this Cinderpelt nodded slowly.

Squirrelpaw looked at him more closely and buried her head to his chest murmuring in his fur. "You were such a stupid furball to think you can catch that bird."

Shrewpaw gasped, remembering everything.
The pheasant he tried to catch.
The monster that hit him.
His supposed fate.

He thrashed his head around now feeling a surge running through his body. Squirrelpaw shrieked as she tried to calm him down with rough licks on his ear. "Cinderpelt! What's happening to him?!?"

"He's having a seizure." She dashed to her storage and pulled out a couple of leaves. "Here, give him some dandelion leaves they'll calm his nerves and work as a painkiller."

Shrewpaw could not control himself as he kept throbbing his head, and his veins keeping him from sustaining. He felt his maw open and clamp down something chewy and for over a minute he kept fidgeting until he settled comfortably and finally the pain was gone.

The shriek of pain must have been loud enough for the whole clan to hear since his mother, Ferncloud, urgently padded in the den and had a horrified face when she saw her son limp. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"He's fine, Ferncloud. He's just distressed from the accident that's all." Cinderpelt reassured, setting her tail on Ferncloud's shoulder.

The last thing Shrewpaw wanted to think about now was the monster that hit him while he tried to catch the pheasant. Though it seems he got Squirrelpaw's attention as he started to tremble and she bunted her nose to his shoulder. "Hey, everything will be alright. You'll be alright."

Shrewpaw gently lifted his head to her as he tried his hardest to speak out the words. "That was pretty dumb of me to think I could catch that pheasant."

Squirrelpaw gave him a playful hit on the ear. "Yea it was." Her voice sounding amused.

They both gazed at each other for quite a while before Cinderpelt coughed, trying to gain both their attention while Ferncloud gave a snort of amusement. "Squirrelpaw it's time for you to go to the patrol to save our clan members."

Squirrelpaw gave a fake gasp. "Oh I completely forgot. Thank you oh so wise and great Cinderpelt."

Cinderpelt rolled her eyes. "Ok enough of you. Get out or I'll force you to eat food from the twolegplace."

It was Squirrelpaws turn to roll her eyes from the exaggerated retort. "You wouldn't do it even if you tried."

"Watch me." Cinderpelt growled.

"Whatever, anyway I'll see you later Shrewpaw."
Squirrelpaw flicked her tail goodbye before padding out of the den and on the patrol to what Shrewpaw could only guess was the rescue patrol.

"I'll be back I need to go back to the camp to grab some more marigold so don't go anywhere." Cinderpelt exclaimed.

"I don't think I could." Shrewpaw rasped.

"Well just stay there while I'm gone."

Shrewpaw saw the gray she-cat slip out of the den and it was at this time that he saw Ferncloud who had a playful grin on her face.

"I think she likes you." She mewed excitedly.

Shrewpaw grunted, positioning himself so he was lying on his paw. "We're just friends ma."

"My son already has a crush at a young age. Oh I can't wait to tell Dustpelt about this."

She padded out instantly and Shrewpaw lifted his head reaching out with one paw. "No wait... uhhhh."

A thought also came to mind when his mother left. 'Where's Spiderpaw?'
'It doesn't matter for now. He'll come to visit me later. Right now I need to get as much rest as possible.'