Fawnleap's Heart [Warrior Cats]

Chapter 6

The front of Fawnpaw's chest was damp from the moss she carried in her mouth and under her chin. She wanted to bring back as much as she could, trying to prove to herself how useful she really was.

She pushed through the entrance and peered into the clearing, a few cats huddled by the nursery, and a few close by straining their ears for news of the clans future warriors.

Her paws carried her to the entrance, her shyness being lost as once again that feeling came over her. As if she belonged in there right now, as if something was pulling her into the den. Fawnpaw shook the thought from her head, and mumbled to the surrounding cats to get their attention. Lakeberry collected the moss, and was right back at Rainpelt's side, but mumbled his thanks before resuming his duties.

"It should be just about time, please clear out the nursery and give Rainpelt some room." Lakeberry's calm yet commanding voice filled the den. Branchpelt paced around the den, his tail flicking and his pelt standing on end. While Rainpelt lay calmly on her side, her grey and white flank rising and slowly falling, breathing as Lakeberry instructed. It was clear who the calmer one of the pair was.

The calico she-cat turned and walked towards the apprentices den, a part of her hoping to find Lionpaw, and a part of her hoping she never had to see his flame coloured pelt ever again. She felt warm at the thought of him, and licked her chest to distract herself from the feelings that tingled from the tips of her ears to her white toes.

"Hey Fawnpaw! Creekshine told me to come over and get you." Fawnpaw jumped at the sudden voice and turned to meet Mousepaw's gaze. She nodded and turned to see Creekshine and Foxnose talking near the entrance.

"Are we doing battle training?" Fawnpaw asked, flicking her tail in greeting to Fogpaw as he walked by with a small mouse in his jaw. He smiled through his mouthful of mouse and flicked his tail back towards her.

"Yup! Normally I'm training with Lionpaw so it'll be a nice change to train with you!" Mousepaw smiled warmly to Fawnpaw.

The group of four fell into a comfortable silence as they walked to the sand pit, which was one of the main sites for battle training.

Her and the brown tabby quickly got into their battle stances and did the moves as their mentors instructed them. In the end although Fawnpaw thought that Mousepaw would be the stronger opponent to battle against, it seemed as if she herself was the more tricky one to pin, her smaller physique made her faster than her more bulky opponent; Mousepaw. Fawnpaw surprised herself with her seemingly natural aptitude for battle. Her and Fogpaw had usually always been evenly matched, but her scrimmages with Mousepaw instilled her with a newfound confidence. But unlike Mousepaw's muscular and cocky brother, she wasn't one to gloat over her mini victories, and the training ended with no animosity between the she-cats.

"Woah..." Mousepaw panted as she smiled towards Fawnpaw. "You're really fast! How did you do that underbelly swipe and twist? You need to show that move to me sometime!"

Fawnpaw licked her chest, and smiled back towards Mousepaw. "I sure will! But you need to show me how you did that move that barrelled me off of my paws!"

The two she-cats along with their mentors walked back to camp, Fawnpaw was reminded of Rainpelts kitting as she once again saw her clan-mates waiting nearby the nursery, straining to hear of any news. But it was oddly quiet, and a somber mood seemed to fall over the clearing.

Mousepaw stopped just as Fawnpaw did, Branchstar sat outside of the nursery, his tail draped across the ground behind him. Lakeberry came out and shook his head. But before he could gesture him to go inside, Branchstar had already shoved past, his shoulders drooping low as he disappeared in through the nursery.

The cats around the clearing had seen this too, and Foxnose beside Fawnpaw touched his tail to her flank, she looked up at him, a knowing look in his green eyes. "You and Mousepaw can go share something from the fresh-kill pile. Take it into the apprentices den." Foxnose immediately turned away, Creekshine following close behind.

Lakeberry hung his head by the nursery, but occasionally cast his glance upwards to see if any clan members were trying to enter into the nursery.

Fogpaw then emerged from the nursery himself, carrying a few broken twigs out first. His eyes were wide with terror, and his pelt stood on end, his muzzle was stained a slight reddish grey. He cast his glance towards his sister; Fawnpaw.

"Pick anything you want, I'll meet you in the den in a minute." Fawnpaw said abruptly, and then darted to her brother.

"Fogpaw, how did it go? Is everything alright?" Her eyes now mimicked his as she waited for a response.

"She had four kits."

"Well that's fine but why-"

"Only one survived."

Fawnpaw felt a sudden rush of sadness flow through her. Her paws tingled with a sudden rush to go into the nursery, now stronger than ever. She needed to see the kit. She couldn't hear her brother anymore, although his mouth was moving, and she knew he had to be talking. All she could think about was a small kit nuzzled into Rainpelt's side. Next to its three dead siblings.

"Fawnpaw?" Fogpaw interrupted her chaotic thoughts.

"Sorry... what?"

"I said that she had two she-cats and two toms, three of them were identical to Branchstar, the other is a dark grey with white toes and a white underbelly, like Rainpelt"

Fawnpaw felt her stomach twist with sadness. She couldn't understand why this news made her feel physical pain, but yet it did. She shuffled her paws, trying to ignore the burning desire to burst through the nursery and see the weak grey kit.

"Why were you in there?"

"Lakeberry said he needed me, to get poppy seeds and cobwebs and twigs for Rainpelt to bite down on." Fogpaw cast his glance to the camp entrance, and then back to his sister.

"Well, I'll let you go get washed up?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks." Fogpaw didn't waste time pushing past Fawnpaw, and out of the camp.

The orange and chestnut calico turned her gaze to the nursery once more, before padding in the direction of the apprentices den.

"I picked out a smallish rabbit for us! I hope that's alright?" Mousepaw smiled at Fawnpaw, but was quick to realize something was up. "Fawnpaw...? What's wrong?"

Fawnpaw looked to her paws, a soft murmur escaping her mouth. "Rainpelt.... she..." Fawnpaw trailed off, looking to meet Mousepaw's gentle gaze.

"I know... I can't even imagine how she feels right now." Mousepaw said sympathetically.

Fawnpaw didn't say anything else about the kits, not wanting to show how much it truly hurt her, and how she had a pretty good idea of how Rainpelt felt right then. She took a bite of the rabbit, and shifted the conversation to battle training.

But as her and Mousepaw talked about Fawnpaw's first gathering, and of Mousepaw's obnoxious brother, thoughts of rude Lionpaw and her new friend Rockpaw were far from her mind. All she could think of was a small dark grey kit, fighting for his life.