Warriors: The New Clans

Chapter One

 Sage was curled next to the bramble wall, her tail was curled close to her face. It wasn't until the soft nudge to her side did she wake up. She tiredly glanced up, noticing it was Salmon waking her. "Come on, Stone said we have to start moving again." She spoke with her normal soft words. "What about Mint? She can hardly move after the winter's harsh cold." Sage asked as she got up, shaking her pelt. Mint only seemed to grow worse as the days went by, hardly moving or eating. Salmon said nothing though, she just merely flicked an ear and slipped outside.

Sage followed after her, noticing cats were outside, quickly eating. Mint was no where to be seen. "Where is Mint?" Sage questioned Stone the moment she was near him. Stone turned from his mate Maple to look at her. "Mint left to live with the up-walkers. We must keep moving." Stone spoke with a grim voice, but his eyes gave away no expression. Sage's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. "You let her leave?! She is Salmon's mom! Heck, she was pretty much your mom as well!" Sage yowled, glaring at Stone. Her pelt prickled until Salmon softly touched her.

"Mint wanted to leave. We can't hold anything against Stone." Salmon mewed, before turning to Stone. "We are almost to the valley, we must make it, for Roaring Tiger...and for Mint." Salmon spoke softly, and Stone nodded in agreement. Sage was just silently growling, her tail flicking rapidly as the tom had to pass by.

"Don't mind him Sage. We can stay together at the next set of forest, we can start our clan there." Salmon promised, before turning and following Stone and the others out of the small clearing. Sage signed and followed after them, not caring to look back.

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The group carried on, they had traveled about four sunrises after Mint had left. Sage felt like her fur might turn into a solid rock with how cold it was. The group stopped to stay in a cave they had found, and Stone had already taken a patrol to make sure no bear or fox was inside. Sage waited until Stone had returned, and when he gave the ok she plopped down close to the small stream that rolled inside the wide clearing.

Sage almost fell asleep if it hadn't of been the quick movement of pelts. "What's wrong?" She asked, half awake. "Maple's stomach is hurting her, the medicine cats are making sure she isn't kitting. She shouldn't be, it's nearly five weeks early.." Echo mewed, who happened to be sitting beside her. Sage glanced up at him, noticing she could only see his outline and some tuffs of fur from inside the darkness of the cave. She then glanced over to Salmon, Sunny, and Moss; each cat close to Maple. Maple let out a pained groan, not able to raise her head. "I think she just ate crow-food, her belly is only making growling sounds." Moss commented, his tail flicking as he exaimned her. Sage noticed Stone was close, his eyes dark and worried.

"This means we can't travel for awhile though, we don't have the herbs to treat her, and we can't give her yarrow, it could hurt her kits." Sunny signed, shaking her head. "She's bird-brained to think it's alright to eat crow-food in the first place." Sage commented to Echo, who merely flicked an ear. Sage signed and got up, knowing she wouldn't get any sleep. "I'll go hunting, anyone want to join me?" Sage called, looking around. Moon slunk out of the shadows. "I'll join, i'd rather not listen to this." He commented. Echo got up as well. "I might as well go." The three padded then padded out of the cave.

It took a moment for Sage to adjust to the sun's bright lights, but finally she did. "Let's follow the stream down to the river, we could catch fish or hunt close to the trees." Moon commented, going ahead and leading. Sage knew the tom wanted to have a clan close to river, and he knew his brother Moss was going to be his medicine cat. Sage was curious about Echo though, the tom never said anything, and he didn't decide who was going to be his medicine cat. Sage decided she would ask before they returned, so until then she set off, bouncing after Moon and Echo.

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Sage had caught about two mice, and now she was after a black bird. It was pecking on a seed, and it didn't seem to notice her. Sage slowly padded along, her pawsteps muffled by loose snow. Suddenly she pounced, grabbing the bird firmly and killing it quickly. She gave thanks to Roaring Tiger before she picked up the bird. That was when Echo slipped threw the bushes, a fish in his mouth. He gently laid it down before nodding. "Good catch." He commented. Sage let out a purr before putting her bird down. "Actually, I have a question. Where are you going to be? Leading I mean.." Sage asked. Echo blinked and looked up from where they came from before looking back at Sage. "In this cave I think, it seems...like somewhere I would live. I'll have the river here, and there is a forest on the other side! If you don't take it I might." He purred in amusement. Sage blinked and looked to the other side. She padded along an edge before it stopped, and down the slope was the shore and the river. She noticed Moon was jumping in, most likely to catch an escaping fish.

Sage glanced from him to the river itself, then to the forest. Many different types of trees seemed to sit on that side. She breathed deeply in shock. She didn't even notice the forest on the other side. "We can travel there! Is the valley close?" Sage asked, spinning around to look at Echo, though he merely shrugged. "I haven't traveled, and I won't. We all need to travel some tonight and find a good meeting place, if you want to as well, you and Stone should travel and see if the valley is close." Echo mumbled before picking up his catch and padded threw the bushes again. Sage mumbled crossly. "Lazy kit." She growled before picking her prey up and racing after him.