Warriors: Dawn Of The Forest

Chapter Three

(It's Fernstar mai duuuuds ^)

Fernstar trekked through the woods towards that gathering mountain, Berryfawn following close behind. She had chosen the medicine cat to follow her instead of Dawnpaw because it could by highly dangerous for the apprentice.
"Goodness, I haven't done this since my days in SandClan." Berryfawn chuckled, leaping over a fallen redwood tree.
Fernstar chuckled and began the climb to the agreed-upon meeting place. Icestar was there with a senior warrior of hers; Riverwing, a white tom with gray patches on his shoulders, and Snakestar had his apprentice Pouncepaw.
"Greetings, Fernstar." Icestar said, flciking her ear in welcome. Fernstar dipped her head.
"The last time we saw Berrypaw, she attacked our kit near the moss-rocks. Then a few days later she attacked Berryfawn closer to the swamp."
Fernstar said, twitching her whiskers.
"Then we'll start by moss-rocks and make our way towards the swamp and go from there." Snakestar affirmed.
The six cats headed towards ForestClan territory, wary for movement and scents.
"Gather herbs while you can, who knows who's gonna be attacked next." Berryfawn grimly said, going to pick some horsetail growing by a bush. Riverwing and Pouncepaw collected some too, stashing them in a tree dotted with wildflowers to collect on the way back.
Moss-rocks loomed up ahead, the silver lichen covered boulders adorned with moss was swamped with WolfClan scent. Old and faint, Fernstar could smell Berrypaw's now-rancid scent. A low growl echoed in Fernstar's throat as her fur bristled angrily.
"She definitely was here." Berryfawn hissed, kicking disdainfully at a half-eaten mouse swarming with flies and maggots. He buried it a few moments later, looking a little green.
"Thats disgusting." Snakestar gagged, and headed out of Moss-rocks. Icestar and Fernstar along with their chosen cats followed suit, eager to leave the stinky clearing behind.
The ground quickly became squelchy underpaw and the air was tainted with the foul scent of swanpwater. Here the scents of WolfClan and Berrypaw were quite strong, drifting from an island a little ways into the swamp. The twolegplace was farther away, on hard ground away from the marsh. In the mixed WolfClan scents, Fernstar could faintly smell a soft milky aroma.
Kits? Fernstar thought, narrowing her eyes. Berryfawn trotted up behind her and his eyes widened. "Lily pads! Brilliant herbs!" He said, reaching into the foul swamp water to grab a few. Fernstar looked at him skeptically.
"Let's get going." Snakestar growled, hesitantly putting a paw in the foul-smelling marsh water. Icestar glanced at Fernstar disbelievingly, the eventually began swimming after Snakestar. Fernstar sighed and leaped into the water, sending a cascade of droplets around her. With paws churning strongly, she hoped the stink of the swamp water was enough to mask her's and the other's scents.
The six cats' paws struck land a couple minutes later, the cats hauling themselves out of the water with disdainful snorts.
"How can these mangy nouse-brains live in such a horrid place?" Icestar exclaimed, shaking out her pelt.
"Suits them. Rotten and rancid just like they are." Snakestar spat, growling.
"Look!" Riverwing gasped, motioning to the cypress trees ahead.
An old twoleg nest stood, covered in ivy and lichen, and absolutely reeking of WolfClan.
"They live in a twoleg nest?!" Berryfawn's eyes widened.
As they slowly stalked to the nest, Fernstar felt an odd pricking in her spine, as if they were being watched, which they probably were.
WolfClan scent almost made her gag it was so Strong.
The six intruders could hear soft murmuring from inside the huge twoleg nest, and Berryfawn was brave enough to look in one of the covered homes in the wall.
"There are a lot of cats. Most look like about apprentice age, but there are lots of adult cats. And.." Berryfawn cut himself off, scanning the cats in the nest.
"And?" Fernstar pressed, looking at the medicine cat warily.
"And Berrypaw's nowhere in sight."
-=-=-=-=-=
"I've been expecting you."
The new, silvery, malicious voice made Fernstar's fur along her spine bristle, and the six cats turned to see Berrypaw, in front of a group of cats easily around the numbers of 60.
"Berrypaw.." Icestar growled, claws unsheathing instinctively.
"Actually, it's Berrystar. And my, my it looks like you're quite lost on WolfClan land." Berrypaw, now renamed as Berrystar hissed.
"You're leading WolfClan?!" Snakestar asked incredulously.
Berrystar's only response was a snarl and a nod.
As if on cue, more cats came stalking out of the twoleg den, surrounding the 6 cats with ease.
"I do hope you see yourself off of my territory." Berrystar snarled, lashing her tail.
With shared glances between the six cats, Fernstar stepped forward and drew her lips back in a snarl.
"We'll be on our way, Berrystar." She hissed, leading the other five cats.
The WolfClan felines stepped aside to make a gap in which the others could pass, and with one final hiss, Fernstar disappeared inside of the foul swamp water.
-=-=-=-=-
The six cats split off and sprinted to their respective territories.
"We need to get home, now!"
Fernstar yowled, and bolted towards the ForestClan camp.
The second they reached the massive camp wall, Fernstar crawled through the gap, heading straight for Snowfur, who was currently eating a chipmunk by the highrock.
"Snowfur, I've got to speak with you!" Fernstar hurriedly said to her Deputy. Snowfur swallowed the last bits of his chipmunk and followed Fernstar into her den.
"Berrypaw is leader of WolfClan now." Fernstar stated, head swimming from the gravity of the situation.
"Really? How many cats has she got following her traitorous mangy pelt?" Snowfur snarled, lashing His tail.
"An estimated one hundred to one hundred fifty cats. A lot of them are rouges or loners, most have been stolen from the twolegplace." Fernstar seethed, ears pinned.
Snowfur gasped.
"But, all of the WolfClan stuff aside, what's going on with Eaglewing?" Fernstar inquired, shaking off her anger.
"He.. he has officially begun a rebellion against you. He has around seven cats, but is constantly trying to sway others against you." Snowfur informed, flicking his tail.
"Which cats?" Fernstar growled.
"Cloudfire, Whitedapple, Nettlenose, Oakthorn, Hawkpatch, Redcloud, and Ashtail."
"Great.." Fernstar sighed.
"I'd say you need more warriors to help against this. Both the internal conflicts and external." Snowfur advised, sitting next to the gloomy leader and wrapping his tail around her shoulders.
"I don't know what to do anymore.." Fernstar confessed, nestling her head in Snowfur's incredibly soft fur.
"I-its okay," Snowfur stammered, clearly surprised.
"Sorry." Fernstar muttered, pulling away slightly.
"No, you're fine. You're stressed out and feel vulnerable." Snowfur murmured, licking the back of Fernstar's head comfortingly.
"Thanks, Snowfur." She said, smiling a little. "I think I'll make Dawnpaw and Cinderpaw warriors today."
"You go do that. Make them happy." Snowfur beamed, touching his nose to Fernstar's ear.
Fernstar nodded, still smiling and lept onto the highrock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!" She caterwauled, watching cats spill out of their dens at her call.
"Today two apprentices among us will become full-fledged warriors!" She yowled, raising her chin boldly.
"Dawnpaw and Cinderpaw, please step forward. Spirits of those in StarClan, I, Fernstar, leader of ForestClan call upon you to look down upon these two apprentices. They have worked hard to get where they are and I wish to add them to your ranks as warriors. Dawnpaw, Cinderpaw, do you promise to uphold and respect the warrior code and protect your Clan even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do." Dawnpaw solemnly murmured
"I do." Cinderpaw chirped, eyes shimmering.
"Then from this moment forward, Dawnpaw and Cinderpaw, you shall be known as Dawnfrost, in honour of your cunning and bravery, and Cindersplash in honour of your happiness and intelligence."
The clan erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Dawnfrost! Cindersplash! Dawnfrost! Cindersplash!"
The two new warriors smiled brightly and fluffed out their chests.
Dawnfrost trotted up to Fernstar and dipped his head.
"Thank you, Fernstar. I'll be happy to fight beside you." He purred, his tail curling in delight.