Warriors- A New Era: The Lost Clans

Chapter Five

Hi gang!!! Here is chapter five! Petalpaw's pov again ;D! Comment and review!

Petalpaw stood in a strange forest. The trees were so tall that she couldn't see the top of them and the whole area reeked of rotting plants. Her sleek paws sank into the sloshing mire beneath her and she shuddered. Petalpaw squinted through the haze. 

Is that a cat approaching?

"Hello," started the cat warmly. He had snow white fur that stood out harshly against the dreary background and light blue eyes that reminded her of chips of ice. "My name is Snowtuft," he continued, while purring happily. "I am here to train you in the ways of a warrior."

"What? What are you talking about? I've already became an apprentice. I don't need anyone to teach me 'the ways of a warrior.'" Petalpaw snorted.

"I know." Snowtuft looked amused. "But the clans are being soft on their apprentices recently. I am offering you a place to battle train with me. I saw your performance against the rats and your sister and I know that you could be so much stronger if you gave me a chance to train you more harshly. I promise that I will train you so well that you will be unstoppable during battle. Are you with me, or not?" 

Petalpaw blinked, astonished at Snowtuft's knowledge. How does he know about my fighting moves? I've never seen him before in my life!

When he saw Petalpaw hesitate, he leaned in closer and mewed, "Don't doubt your heart. I know you want to say yes."

Petalpaw thought more for a moment before answering. 

Would Acornpaw say yes? she wondered. Wait, why does it matter? Snowtuft said it himself. I should not doubt myself. I know what I have to say.

"I want to train!" she mewed determinedly.

Snowtuft looked very pleased. Then he mewed quietly, "Then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Then everything melted away and Petalpaw was plunged into blackness, the sounds of Acornpaw's screams filling her ears.

***

"Acornpaw!" As soon as she awoke, Petalpaw leaped upwards yowling out her sister's name. "Oof!" Petalpaw jumped so high that her head smashed against the bracken ceiling of the apprentices den.

"FOR STARCLAN'S SAKE, SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!"

Petalpaw whimpered as she crashed back to the ground and onto her nest with a muffled thump. Maplepaw was glaring at her from the other side of the den, his eyes full of fire. "Sorry," she muttered and she turned away from the angry apprentice. She could still feel the grouchy tom's gaze burning into her pelt, melting the fur and flesh on her back.

"Shut up, Maplepaw."

Petalpaw looked up to see Pouncepaw glaring at the tortoiseshell tom, his grey fur bristling angrily. "Leave her alone."

Maplepaw opened his mouth to give a reply but Pouncepaw silenced him with a glare that made even Petalpaw wince with its intensity. Then, he turned to look at Petalpaw, his gaze full of something that she had never seen before. 

What is that?

Pouncepaw mewed, "Sorry about him. Apparently, he woke up on the wrong side of the den." Pouncepaw looked thoroughly pleased when she purred with amusement and he let out a little rumble.

For the first time since she awoke, Petalpaw realized that Acornpaw's nest was empty and cold, as if she had left early in the night. "Where's my sister?" she demanded.

"Oh," mewed Pouncepaw, his tone changing and his lip curling in a scowl. "Her. She was gone when I came in last night."

"When did you come to sleep?"

"Pretty soon after you went to your nests. Why do you want to know, anyway? Acornpaw is a very capable cat who can be easily distracted. She's probably out in the forest hunting for the Clan or something. No need to worry!" Pouncepaw flicked his tail cheerily. 

"Okay," Petalpaw mewed but she couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

***

Petalpaw and Pouncepaw were wrong. Acornpaw didn't come back the following afternoon and Foxlegs had gone missing too. Wolfstar sent out three search patrols, all looking in different parts of the territory but each found nothing.

But these weren't the worst of ThunderClan's problems. She had heard from Hawkeye, her father,  who had gone to the gathering, that Harestar, leader of WindClan, had claimed that ThunderClan had stolen prey from WindClan and was now dangerously hostile to ThunderClan. Leaf-Bare had arrived as well, bringing shortage of prey and cold hearts, that were fueled by empty bellies and Clan rivalries. 

The snow that had been coating the hollow for days had turned into a grey slush that got clogged up in fur and soaked the remaining prey. She was disgusted by it, and admitted that she could be slightly vain at times. And though she tried not to let it show, Petalpaw was terrified for her sister. 

What will happen to her? Where has she gone? 

Thoughts and questions raced through her head in a never ending circle. 

What if she left the Clans? She wouldn't, mousebrain. But what if she had something really important to do? She would have told you. Would she? Yes! I'm not sure that I actually believe that statement. Well, you should. I don't though. Argh! What if... What if... What?! What if she is dead? Well, erm. Well then you have a dead sister. That's not very helpful, Petalpaw. I just can't believe that she is dead. I can. Shut up, Petalpaw. Maybe she left Clan territory?

Days past. Still no sign of Acornpaw or Foxlegs. Soon, it had been a whole quarter moon since the strange disappearance of her sister and Petalpaw could feel her terror for her family rise every paw-step on the way to the fresh-kill pile.

When she had finished the scrawny thrush that she had picked from the fresh-kill pile, Petalpaw looked up and found Shadestep gazing at her, looking anxious.

"Are you all right?" he asked. He said it as if her sister never left. "You know, I'm about to leave on a hunting patrol. Why don't you come with me?"

Petalpaw shook her head. The last place she wanted to be was beside other warriors from her own clan. "I'm fine here, but thank you for the offer," she responded with polite coolness.

"Okay." Shadestep looked almost hesitant to leave her but he shook his fur and padded out of camp after a uncomfortable moment of silence.

It might not be a bad idea to take a walk in the forest, though. To clear my head.

Petalpaw padded out of camp after Shadestep, careful not to let the gazes of her Clanmates wash over her. 

 As soon as she was out in the forest, anger washed over Petalpaw. Everything that she had always managed to hide and in her control rushed out, flushing her cheeks and pricking her pelt. 

Stormclaw and how he was always dissatisfied with her work, however hard she tried. Acornpaw, who just left, leaving her poor sister alone in ThunderClan. ThunderClan, who had always turned to Acornpaw for everything, hurting Petalpaw, on the inside. Her hunting skills, which had embarrassed her more often than she could count. Her mother, Silverbreeze, and her father, Hawkeye, who had always seemed to favor Acornpaw over her.

She turned to the ash tree which she was standing beside. She hooked her claws into the bark and hauled herself onto the first branch. Stupid Stormclaw. She lugged herself up two more branches before leaping up to cling to a spindly, short branch which shook back and forth with her weight. Stupid Acornpaw. Stupid ThunderClan. Petalpaw pulled herself up further. The branches were thinning now. Stupid hunting. Petalpaw pulled herself up onto the final branch that could hold her weight. Stupid parents. Stupid family. 

Wham! 

A sudden gust of wing shook Petalpaw's branch violently and Petalpaw clung on furiously. Pain shot through her paw and Petalpaw could only stare at the blood gushing from the spot where her claw used to be. Then, another gust of wind tugged at her fur and Petalpaw tumbled off the side of the branch. Her fur and streaming tail caught on tree branches on her descent and she scraped herself multiple times on the way down. With a loud thud, Petalpaw crashed to the forest floor, and everything went black.