WarriorCats 1: The New Clans

Chapter 15

"Buzzpaw, have you seen Brindlepaw by any chance?" Larkfeather asked desperately, her wide eyes anxious and worried.

"Nope, not since he ran off last night. Me Fernpaw and Dewpaw were playing and we saw him racing by and completely into no where. Dewpaw true to go after him. but we stopped her in case anything happened to her out there." the pale golden apprentice replied calmly, turning around to see Fernpaw, the while and gray she-cat. They would be becoming Warriors today, just after Sunhigh.

"You didn't stop Brindlepaw yet you stopped Dewpaw?!" Larkfeather exclaimed angrily. "Does Dewpaw just mean more to you? Is it because of what happened? I can't believe you! Either of you!" she snapped turning to follow a worn old scent of her kit. It took her towards the Crystal River and past it, through a little bit of MistClan territory, and then completely lost. The scent was gone, she was lost, and there was nothing she could do.

It has been two Moons since they have started searching for Brindle, and Larkfeather might just have found him... She hasn't stayed out of camp though, kept coming back and out. This is her 12th time searching.

"Mother?" a strong voice asked, sounding more than surprised. The tom that spoke looked nothing like her kit, yet looked everything like him. He was bigger, looked stronger, and with a strangely clean coat. No no, this couldn't be him, could it?

"Brindlepaw?" Larkfeather asked hopefully, suddenly spotting Fawn. "Who-who's that?" she spoke bluntly, as if not wanting to know.

"She is my mate, Fawn. Now please, go back to DawnClan. I belong as a rouge." Brindle replied softly, sounding wiser than when he left.

"But Brindlepaw-"

"No. I am just Brindle, now go." he demanded, turning back to Fawn. He licked her ear and took one last glance at Larkfeather before trotting swiftly back into the distance, his pelt brushing with the creamy fawn-colored she-cat. With a heavy heart, Larkfeather turned and galloped back into DawnClan, sighing and curling up in the Warriors' Den, even as the sun rays bounced in through the gaps of leaves and twigs.

"Larkfeather! Found anything?" Thistleclaw asked nervously, bounding in and gently touching her shoulder.

"Yes. He's a rogue. A Loner. With this she-cat called Fawn, they're mates now. I tried to bring him home, but all he did was tell me to leave." Larkfeather replied miserably, hanging her head.

"Hey, it's okay, at least we know he's safe, and not alone anymore. It was Brindlepaw's decision to leave the Clan, and we couldn't have done anything about it. He'll survive out there, I'm sure. Just tell me where he lives and I can try to persuade him." Thistleclaw said gently, nudging his mate's nose softly.

"That's the thing. He's now just Brindle, and he's one of those traveling rouges. He ran away from me with this Fawn cat." Larkfeather explained hopelessly, looking up as a pretty ginger she-cat padded in.

"Are you okay, Larkfeather?" she asked softly, touching the tortoiseshell and white cat on the shoulder.

"I'm great, thanks, Dewdrop." Larkfeather sighed, watching as her youngest kit padded back out, lifting her nose to the sky and opening her bright green eyes to the Clan.