Warriors: Book One: The End of the Forest

Chapter One

Swiftpaw blinked open her pale green eyes and peered out of the nest she shared with her siblings. She sat up and looked down at her sister, purring as Snowpaw flexed her paws in her sleep. She hopped out of the nest and shook her brother Gingerpaw awake, "Come on lazy lumps! Our mentors would be pleased if we got up before they come to get us!" She mewed. Gingerpaw growled, shutting his dark red eyes, and sat up, licking his fur while Swiftpaw woke Snowpaw. Swiftpaw paced around Gingerpaw while he rubbed his eyes with a licked paw. Snowpaw got up and shook out her fur to fluff it, "Let's go if we are going!" She growled, blinking her dark blue eyes in the dawn light that filtered through the den walls. Gingerpaw snorted, "You're even grumpier the I am!" He mewed, blinking his eyes playfully. Swiftpaw butted him in the shoulder with her head and shoved him out of the den, "Let's go!" She mewed, following him with Snowpaw. Quicktail looked up from her washing, "Morning sleepy furballs! 'Bout time you got up!" Swiftpaw shook off the mist and bundled over to her mentor, "What are we doing today, Lightningpelt?" She mewed. Lightningpelt yawned and got up, "Let's tag onto the dawn-patrol." He mewed. Swiftpaw bounced happily and dashed over to her siblings. Quicktail shook her head, "That cat has too much energy for her own good." She murmured. Lightningpelt nodded and padded over to the cats grouping up for the dawn patrol, beckoning his apprentice. Swiftpaw pressed against her siblings and scampered after him.

Swiftpaw sniffed along the forest floor, "Can we do some hunting after the patrol?" She called to Lightningtail. He glanced back at her, "One thing at a time! Focus on the patrol." He called back, whiskers twitching in amusement. Snakeflower flicked her tail angrily, "And do it quietly! Even WindClan could hear you over the wind on their moor!" She snapped. Swiftpaw hung her head and ran to catch up to the patrol, skidding to a halt next to her mentor "Sorry, Snakeflower." She muttered. Frosteye's sister, Bluesky, licked Swiftpaw's ear, "Don't listen to my mother, she's just got her tail in a tangle." She whispered. Swiftpaw nodded, purring, and lifted her head to taste the air, blinking in confusion when she detected a strange scent. Lightningpelt lifted his tail to halt the patrol, "I smell ShadowClan." He hissed. Bluesky edged closer to Swiftpaw and leaned down to Swiftpaw's ear, "Remember the fighting moves Lightningpelt taught you, ShadowClan won't hesitate to start a fight with ThunderClan." She hissed. Swiftpaw nodded and tasted the air, hoping to pinpoint the ShadowClan cats by scent. She could smell the strong scent of ShadowClan, but under it she could smell a more familiar scent. She gasped in alarm, "I can smell my sister, Tinypaw!" She mewed, terrified. Bluesky reached out her tail, "We'll get her when we've taken care of ShadowClan, we could run headlong into an ambush if we went after her now." She promised soothingly. Swiftpaw ducked away and hurtled into the trees, following her sister's scent. Snakeflower jerked her head around furiously, "Swiftpaw! Get back here right now!" She yowled, digging her claws into the ground. Swiftpaw flattened her ears, ignoring the call, and shot through a clump of ferns, "Tinypaw!" She hissed, flattening out and wiggling forward under a thorn bush, "Tinypaw, can you hear me?" She whispered, hurtling forward with her belly brushing the ground. Tinypaw pushed her way out of a bramble, nearly crashing into Swiftpaw, "Swiftpaw! Oh, thank StarClan! I thought I was crowfood!" She whimpered, pushing her nose into Swiftpaw's side. Swiftpaw licked her ears comfortingly, "Let's get out of here before-" She broke off with a gasp as a huge black and brown tabby shouldered through the bushes, blinking down at them in surprise, "Before what, kitten?" He growled, showing his teeth in a malicious smile. Swiftpaw shoved Tinypaw behind her and faced the tom, trying not to tremble, "This is ThunderClan territory! Get out!" She snapped, fluffing out her fur aggressively. More cats pushed up behind him and glared down at the apprentices. Swiftpaw backed up in alarm, pushing Tinypaw with her, "Just leave! We don't want a fight!" she mewed, her voice cracking in fear. A ginger and black she-cat stepped forward, grinning, "What are you going to do? Cry?" She snickered, raising a clawed paw. She swiped Swiftpaw aside as if she weighed no more than a rabbit, leaving a deep gash in her shoulder and side. Swiftpaw tensed, prepared for another attack, as the ShadowClan cat towered over her with one paw raised to strike. Tinypaw scrambled over to the ShadowClan she-cat and bit down on her tail,"Get away from my sister!" She snarled, digging her claws into the ground. The she-cat whipped around, yanking her tail free, and reared over Tinypaw. Swiftpaw shot forward and leaped up to claw her nose before she could slam her paws down on Tinypaw, "Run Tinypaw!" She yowled as the she-cat whipped around to face her again. Tinypaw shot away and Swiftpaw tore after her, digging her claws into the ground and stretching her legs desperately. Tinypaw skidded to a stop, narrowly avoiding crashing into Gingerpaw and Snowpaw. Swiftpaw halted panting and shook herself, "We can't stop here! We have to keep going, or they'll catch us!" she gasped out over the sounds of the ShadowClan cats crashing after them. Gingerpaw's eyes narrowed and he nudged Tinypaw up, "We can fight them if we work together." He mewed determinedly, "There are only five of them." Swiftpaw lined up between Tinypaw and Snowpaw, trying to steady her frantic heartbeat, "I hope your right, Gingerpaw." she whispered nervously. The she-cat broke out of the bushes first and hurtled towards them, snarling furiously. Swiftpaw reared up with her littermates and met her with furious swipes. She stumbled back and shook her head, calming herself and lining up with her warriors, "We'll teach you to attack the ShadowClan deputy! Kits like you should stay in the nursery where you belong!" She snarled. Swiftpaw gasped as all five cats charged them, "Fox dung! They're going to turn us into crowfood!" She yowled as she leaped over a lithe tom, clunging onto the tabby tom's back. She wincing as his teeth met in her side, ripping at her flesh. Tinypaw reared up, barely avoiding being flattened by the deputy, and rolled away. She strained to stare into the trees over the fight, "Look!" She yowled, leaping through the battle to Swiftpaw's side. Swiftpaw leaped off the tom's back, ripping her side free from his grasp,  and reared up to look, wobbling unsteadily, "Lightningpelt!" She yowled desperately, spotting the yellow-orange tom leading the dawn-patrol towards the battle. Swiftpaw dropped onto all fours and dashed forward, sinking her teeth into a white tom's leg as he pinned Gingerpaw, "Leave my brother alone, mange face!" She snarled, filled with confidence they'd win now. Bluesky charged over to them and grabbed the tom by the scruff, pulling him away. She began swiping at his face with furious claws until he yowled and tore away into the trees. Snakeflower and Smokefern leaped over to Tinypaw's side and sent the ShadowClan deputy flying, "I knew you were a coward, Flowershadow, but attacking half trained apprentices is low, even for you!" Smokefern growled as he clawed at the ShadowClan deputy's side, leaving deep gashes in her flank. Flowershadow struggled up and back away, blood running from her whiskers and flank, "Retreat!" She yowled as she hurtled away into the trees, towards ShadowClan territory. Swiftpaw flopped down, her side stinging where the tom had bit her and ripped out clumps of fur, and watched the ShadowClan cats flee. Lightningpelt trotted over to her, "What were you thinking! Running off like that! You could've gotten killed!" He snapped. Swiftpaw sat up, "I had to help Tinypaw! They could have killed her." She mewed, glancing at her smallest littermate. Lightningpelt sighed, "Fine, whatever! Let's just get back to camp." He mewed, hanging his head in exhaustion and padding off.