redemption • a warriors fanfiction

chapter one.

"Stop slouching, Poppypaw, you'll make us look bad."

The dark ginger and white molly perked up, her ears pinning to the back of her head. She glanced up at the Great Oak, which held the leaders of the four Clans. The night air felt cooler than usual, a sign the leafbare was arriving. She blinked. It was an honor to be at a Gathering. In all her moons of being an apprentice, never had she once been to such a special event. Maybe it's because they don't trust me, she thought, her eyes still trained on the leaders.

It wasn't fair! She hadn't done anything wrong! It was all her stupid mother's fault. Why couldn't she have accepted the position as deputy? the apprentice thought lividly. She looked at her paws. There must be some way-

"What're you thinking, Seedpaw?"

Poppypaw's ears perked up as her brother's whispered in her ear. She nudged him playfully, licking his ear. The red tortoiseshell shook himself, settling down next to his sister. "So?"

Poppypaw's ginger paws scuffed the sodden earth. "Er, I, uh . . ." She trailed off, feeling a gaze burn into her pelt, which lifted with worry.

"Why are you two worm-brains talking? You had enough time to converse when we got hear, now listen." Poppypaw squeaked, nodding profusely. Chervilpaw rolled his viridescent oculars.

"Yeah, whatever, Eldersnow," As the snow-white feline sauntered away, Chervilpaw turned back to Poppypaw, who's gaze was still fixated on her paws. "What were you gonna say again?"

"I was going to say that I think that it's unfair that we're being punished for what our mother did. We are not her, we are our own-"

Chervilpaw cut her off. "You're right, but I think that it was selfish and cowardly of Shellstar to exile her. What about us? Growing up without a mother nor a father isn't easy, they should have a little empathy."

The ginger and white feline's ears pricked. "W-what do you mean 'selfish and cowardly'?" Her voice was no lower than a whisper. "She tried to kill them!"

Chervilpaw shrugged. "I guess it would just be good practice. Our mother was a very good fighter."

Poppypaw sneezed. "O-okay. I think we should listen now."
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Plop. Plop. Plop.

The feline parted her jaws in a yawn, squealing as a raindrop hit the tip of her salmon nose. She shook herself, getting to her paws and arching her spine in a long stretch. Poppypaw licked her chest fur before padding outside.

The Clan buzzed with activity. A tar-black molly stalked inside the encampment, reed fronds quivering as her patrol followed her, carrying with them a few fish and a water vole.

"Oof!" Poppypaw gasped as she felt a figure hit her rear. She whisked around, crouching defensively.

"Watch where you're going!" She hissed, narrowing her amber optics. She recognized a ginger speckled tabby pelage. Stupid Honeypaw!

"How about you don't stop wherever you please?" The tomcat shoved past her. She glanced at her paws. He's right, I really shouldn't stop anywhere I want.

"Poppypaw! Why are you up so late?" A harsh voice rasped.

"Sorry, Vixenfeather, I guess the Gathering wore me out, is all. I'll make sure I wake up earlier next time."

The russet she-cat muttered something incomprehensible under her breath before flicking her tail. "Come on. You've already wasted half the day away. Fallenwhisker bas places is on sunhigh patrol," The ginger feline nodded and ambled after her mentor.

"The apprentices' den is leaking," she mewed quietly as they got into the forest. Vixenfeather nodded.

"I'll tell Fallenwhisker. Why don't we work on some battle moves?"

Poppypaw groaned. Battle training? In this weather? She sneezed as a raindrop landed on her nose again. Her mentor sniffed as they reached the Training Hollow. The russet feline sneezed, sniffing. "Okay," she began, crouching down. "In order to-"

"You seem sick,"

Vixenfeather narrowed her eyes, a slight snarl in her voice. "I am not sick. You are not a medicine cat. Now-"

"I didn't say you are sick. I said you seem sick."

Poppypaw's mentor bared her teeth. "Of course!" She growled, glancing up at the sky. Smoke-gray billows covered the sun, but the rain had stopped, leaving minuscule globules of rain on the sodden ground underpaw. "Always trust one of Dawnclaw's kits to be disrespectful."

Poppypaw cringed at her words, which stung like herbs on an open wound. "I-I'm not trying to be-"

"Be quiet," Vixenfeather mewed simply, a hard edge to her voice. She straightened, the already tall feline looking taller— and more intimidating. "Fine then. If you want to play medicine cat and tell me if I'm sick or not, I'll go see Ferretshine, and we'll see what he has to say." Poppypaw nodded, swallowing the words that she wanted to say. She was already in enough trouble— she didn't want to get into any more.
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Poppypaw arched her back, her paw slowly gliding along the small squirrel at her paws. The brown rodent had bite marks in its throat, a sign that it had been killed by the wound. Blood had dried up there. She took a bite out of her, purring at the succulent taste.

"Hey, Seedpaw, mind if I sit with you?" Without waiting for a reply, Chervilpaw settles down next to his sister, wrapping his tail around his paws. "That squirrel looks really small."

"I wanted to save the bigger ones of the kits and elders." Poppypaw mewed simply.

"Oh," Chervilpaw looked at his salmon. He nosed some over to the she-cat. "Uh, want some?" The dark ginger and white apprentice shook her head, quickly gulping down her prey.

"I'm going to go to sleep now." The red tortoiseshell, licking her ear. Chervilpaw looked like he was going to protest, but her just shrugged and looked back down at his meal.

"Goodnight, Seedpaw."

"Goodnight, Rootpaw."
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i swear my writing normally isn't this bad sndndndj either way this is the first chapter of redemption!! aaa i'm so happy that it's finally out <3