LEGENDARY | Warrior Cats #1

-Coming Home to This-

Thrushpaw had spent three days in her life as a loner. She learned all about life as a loner. She felt she was finally free from all of the stress that ShadowClan gave. But she still felt something that she used to feel in ShadowClan. Love.

"Hi, Lion," Thrushpaw greeted her new friend.

"Hello, Thrushpaw. How did hunting go?"

"Great! We have enough to feed a Clan." She joked.

"Good. It's getting late. I'm going to sleep. Are you coming?"

"I will in a second."

"Okay then. Goodnight."

"Night."

Lion padded over to his nest. He circled it for a few moments and fell asleep. Thrushpaw walked outside and sat down.

Oh, StarClan, she thought, will I ever be able to just walk away from this mess?

Deep inside she knew that she would always have stress, but love was the hardest. She would choose Eelstar being away from her over love any day. Finally, she padded over to Lion and nestled up next to him.

Lion woke up, looked at Thrushpaw and smiled. He lay down again and fell asleep.

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Thrushpaw woke early. It turned out Lion had woken up earlier because he wasn't in the sunlit den.

Thrushpaw sat down for a bit and finally went outside. The forest was bright and happy, unlike the one in ShadowClan. She purred, she liked a break from all the anxiety.

But she remembered her kin.

Graypaw, Onepaw, and Darkpaw didn't deserve this. She just had to hope Lostspring would tell them, too. But what if they wouldn't listen? Then it would be her fault this happened.

After hunting a bit and catching a mouse, Lion returned. His dark tortoiseshell pelt shone in the bright, early Sun. He had a rose in his mouth, it's thorns weren't piercing him, just adding to his grip.

"I found this when I was out there," he meowed after dropping the rose. "Wanted to give it to you."

Thrushpaw purred. "Thank you," She replied, her gray tabby pelt laying flat.

He dipped his head. "You've been acting a little weird," He meowed.

She nodded. "I sort of miss my old home,"

"Then why are you here?" He asked, curiously. Thrushpaw had told him about Clan life. Mainly about Sedgepaw, but she hadn't told him about Eelstar or his plan.

"Well...I can't." She meowed.

"Why not? You're a good hunter. I'm sure they'll let you back in ShadowClan," He said, kindly.

She sighed. "I never told them I was leaving." She looked away. "I abandoned them,"

"They don't know that," He told her.

They don't know...

"I guess I could go back but...you'd be alone.."

Lion shook his head. "If you want to go, then go." He said, his eyes soft and happy.

"Come with me," she meowed.

"I could, but-" He started to think, but he had no excuse. "Fine."

She smiled. "You're a good hunter, too." She meowed at him.

**********************

The two cats walked all the way to ShadowClan. When they arrived Sedgepaw quickly ran towards them.

"Thrushpaw! Where were you?" Sedgepaw asked. "Wait, who is this? Thrushpaw, did he hurt you?"

Thrushpaw rolled her eyes at him. "No, his name is Lion. He's a loner.

"You brought a loner here?"

"Yes. He wants to join ShadowClan."

"You'll need to see Eelstar, but he isn't very happy about what you did."

Her eyes widened. "Did he talk to my littermates?"

"Yeah, he's been questioning them all day."

"Where are they now?"

"In his den."

She ran into the den. When she got there she saw her littermates sobbing over a limp body. It was Russetcloud. She turned and saw Eelstar out of breath.

"You!" Thrushpaw growled at Eelstar. "You killed my parents!"

"Yes I did, and you're next."

He leaped onto Thrushpaw, but she shook him off. He charged again and she clawed his face. While Eelstar was catching his breath, Thrushpaw and her siblings ran outside. Eelstar chased them until they were cornered.

"Now I have you," he snarled.

As soon as he finished, Lion and Sedgepaw were in between them.

"You leave her alone," Lion snarled.

"Come on, follow me," Sedgepaw said to her siblings.

Lion charged at Eelstar and Thrushpaw clawed the leader's face once again. Eelstar tried to fight back, but he was hopeless. He fell to the ground.

"I give up, you stupid furballs," he said.

"Why?" Thrushpaw asked, sobbing. She raked Eelstar and heard him let out a yowl of pain. "Why?!"

"Thrushpaw, stop it. He's can't be in any condition to

confess," Lion said.

Thrushpaw buried her face into Lion's soft fur, still crying out in yowls. Suddenly, Sedgepaw walked in.

"Oh... I see," he said sadly.

"Sedgepaw, I-"

"No, I understand."