Warriors: Long Forgotten

Chapter 1

Warning: This book takes place around the beginning of Thunder in the A Starless Clan series. MAJOR spoilers ahead!

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Jayfeather hated mornings. At night, in his dreams, he was at peace. He could see, he didn't have to worry about his Clanmates being thoughtless and getting themselves hurt.

But it was all fake. He was blind, and he always would be. And here he was, about to have to wake up and live through yet another day of the worst excuses a cat could give as to why he or she ran into a tree.

Who does that? Jayfeather thought, confused and disappointed all at once. I'm blind, and I know this forest better than my Clanmates.

Groggily, he pushed himself up to his paws. This felt earlier than he usually woke, but without being able to see the sun, he wouldn't know how early in the morning it was. He walked over to the patients' bedding area, probing around until he felt Blossomfall's flank.

Good, he thought. She was ready to run off yesterday when I told her she'd have to try yarrow one more time.

Blossomfall groaned. "Let me sleep, you old stump! Great StarClan, Thornclaw..."

Jayfeather wrinkled his nose. For all he did for his Clanmates, he only got disrespect in return. At least the insult was aimed at her mate, and not at Jayfeather.

Moving along, he headed for the den exit. He needed some fresh air. Suddenly, he felt something warm, fluffy, and soft under his paws and tripped, his face hitting the den floor. Anger flooded through him. Had anyone seen? He'd be so embarrassed. He never tripped. Never.

"Jayfeather?" Jayfeather heard Alderheart's voice behind him. Jayfeather forced the pain from his pulsing head and stood up. "Jayfeather, are you okay?"

"Alderheart!" Jayfeather screeched, understanding what had happened and what he'd tripped on now. "Why were you sleeping in the middle of the entrance?"

"It was warm last night, and I wanted to feel the night breeze. I was planning to wake up before you and Blossomfall so I could move." Alderheart meowed apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Jayfeather grumbled. "It's fine," he hissed, padding along. He paused to put his paw to his nose, which has gotten the worse of the fall, to see if it was bleeding. Thank StarClan, for one thing going right, he thought when he couldn't feel any blood.

"Jayfeather, you're up early." It was Bramblestar's voice, chillingly close. Jayfeather was surprised he hadn't scented the leader.

"Have you been in the forest?" Jayfeather asked the tom.

"Yes, yes I have." Bramblestar mewed calmly.

That explained the scent. Bramblestar blended in with the ThunderClan smell due to him taking an early morning stroll.

Jayfeather sat for a few moments. When Bramblestar didn't talk, he asked impatiently, "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Bramblestar replied, almost sounding a little hurt. Jayfeather felt a rare prick of guilt. Bramblestar was once his father, before Squirrelflight revealed the truth. Before Hollyleaf blurted it aloud for every cat to hear. For every cat to know that Jayfeather was nothing but Half-Clan crow food from a medicine cat and a grumpy WindClan warrior. No matter what, though, Jayfeather would always see Bramblestar as more of a father than Crowfeather.

"I'm off to gather herbs," Jayfeather meowed quickly. That wasn't his original plan, but he wanted to be far, far away from this awkward encounter. Things just weren't the same after the truth had been spilled, even if had been many sunrises since it happened. Plus, Bramblestar was stepping down from his duty as leader. He was letting ThunderClan down wen tensions in the Clans were already too high. Even though Squirrelflight, who Jayfeather had once believed to be his mother, would probably make a much better and suitable leader at this point in time, the Clan needed a stable environment.

Better than a wimpy leader, Jayfeather thought, but then he immediately regretting downplaying his adoptive father, whether it was in his mind or not.

"Okay," Jayfeather could hear Bramblestar shuffle his feet. "See you, Jayfeather."

"See you," Quickly, Jayfeather made his way to the ThunderClan entrance, getting out of there as fast as he could.

He made it into the forest and decided he'd take a trip to the abandoned Twoleg nest on the edge of ThunderClan territory. There was always catmint there, and while there wasn't quite a need for it at the moment, it could be useful. Plus, he wanted to check and see how this year's batch was going.

The way there was always easy. It was one of the forest paths Jayfeather knew best, and he'd always follow his past footprints, since he'd taken this way so many times.

When he got there, he smelt the wood of the long forgotten nest's walls, all so familiar. This was one of Jayfeather's favorite places, which were very few. he could be alone. He could think. But it hurt him, thinking about the past. He'd gone through so much, and thinking about the few good times he'd had-

No, Jayfeather stopped himself. Let's not go there.

His heart panged over and over in a painful pattern as he checked the catmint. He allowed his body to go numb and let his senses relax, going out of focus. He didn't want to think about that. Never again. It only hurt.