ClawClan (Season 1: Episode 1-The Beginning) -Warrior Cats Fan Fiction-

Chapter 1

The sun rose above a new clan, giving out rays to light up and warm the dens and the clearing of this said clan. The light shone through a hole of a boulder, the leader's den of the clan. The beams was now upon the leader himself: ginger, scarred from his latest battles, and -when awaken- golden eyes that appeared dull due to his age. The old tom was trembling whilst looking around his den, reciting what had happened in his nightmare. Is this true, or is this another dream within a dream? Who and where is the tomcat, how did he get here? After the running train of thoughts, he calmed his breath as he slowly answers his rapid questions. Fangclaw... I am Fangclaw..., he thought, and slowly he spoke out loud. "T-this is my den... I'm.... I am a leader." The limbs of Fangclaw died away and the leader's hyperventilation was over, ending with a relief sigh that the nightmare is truly over, Fangclaw is now in reality. The memories of the nightmare was gone. The ginger cat was unable to grasp it and memorize--not like he was upset about it; it was a nightmare anyways. Whatever he was dreaming, he wouldn't care for now; the brightened sun indicates that is time for Fangclaw to start his duty as a leader. Then, the nightmare flowed back suddenly, so unexpected, the leader thought. Now having the nightmarish events, Fangclaw, when shutting his eyes, can almost see faint blood on the grass and visualized the sounds of hissing and yowling. The tear of flesh and blood spurting out of a now dead host can be heard. He visualized clan-cats, or the cats who are in a different clan, running away as soon as somecat yelled to 'scatter.' 

ClawClan, the new clan which Fangclaw leads, won the battle, meaning that part of the woods is their territory, not LeafClan's. This was the nightmare the leader had? Unexpected, even though it was the ginger tomcat's choice to have a battle with the Clan-cats and won. But there is a reason to it. He didn't wanted this at all, he wanted to give his clanmates freedom; he didn't asked to be the leader, but he burden the responsibilities anyways. Soon, he handled the duties easily, and took a liking to his responsibility; although, how can that word bring up such a horrific dream? The old tomcat investigated further, only to be interrupted by mumbles of awoken cats. So he left it alone and begun his duties.  

Twisting around, Fangclaw faced the outside world, out of the den. He could see trees further behind a wall consisted of brambles. As he looked up to the milky blue sky, he accidentally eyed the blazing sun, which blinded the leader. He let out a sharp hissed and took a few pawsteps back, bumping into a stone wall of the den. He turned his head away, mumbling how the mouse-dung of the sun always get him by surprise.

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Now able to cope with the sun's beams, Fangclaw stretched into a clearing. There were dozens and dozens of cats roaming around inside the camp: warriors besides apprentices were walking, discussing training sessions; a queen and a staff gossiped over something that Fangclaw finds quite uninteresting; and... no kits played around, hopping over each other or having fake fights. It was two moons since ClawClan claimed a part of these woods, there was not much mating in that time, except one. The said queen (who was speaking to a staff) was Minkbounce, mate of Troutclaw, the Right-Hand and a friend to Fangclaw; they had met before the battle that gained ClawClan freedom.

Old-gold eyes of the old tom examined his surroundings. Four dens: made up of plants and brambles as well as branches are separated, each one in a corner. The upper right den was the nursery. No milk scents or kits mewling. A second den, to the left, was the Apprentices' den, full of...well, apprentices! Fangclaw knows that each apprentice will have an asset to the clan, and that they will become strong warriors. Another den, downwards left, is the Warriors' den. Then, the last den in the corner is the Elders' den, though no elders had came in or out of that den; the only elder here is Fangclaw. The leader chuckled at his wisecrack. Then there is an additional boulder-den: The 'medicine cat' (a term used in the clan-cats' society) den which is between the nursery and Apprentices' den, as well as being across from the leader's den. Between the Elders' den and the nursery is a large patch of tall grass with a bramble-y entrance. That is the Staff's den, where they make any plans for ClawClan's future or adding a tradition to the clan's code, which was established a moon and a half ago. And across of the Staff's den was the entrance into the forest.

Does the leader ever get tired from checking these dens one by one? No, not really, he thought. It didn't bothered him and it was a nice time-waster. Besides those reasons, another is that, when he earned this position,  it gave him a new view. His leadership powers didn't corrupt him, but it did change him. Ever since he became leader, he brought up a new moral for himself... for his clanmates. He is rough and hard on his clanmates. In reality, Fangclaw watches with care and consideration at each den and clanmates to make sure they will be shaped into great cats that will protect ClawClan,  keeping their freedom from being stolen or broken.

The scarred ginger cat stood on top of a tree stump. The mystery of what happened to the trunk was always in the leader's mind, but he shoved the thought to the back as it was unimportant to him right now, plus he has a promise and a duty to keep so he doesn't want anything to distract him as he searched the clearing and give assignments with Troutclaw. It was boring. Soon patrols left to do whatever they're assigned to do, leaving a dead silent camp. DEAD, very much dead than DeadClan, a clan of ClawClan's ancestors.

 Fangclaw looked around the empty clearing, then twisted his head to stare at the medicine cat's den's entrance. He looked closely only to find a young black and white she-cat scrambling around the den, seems to be mumbling to herself indicated by the slight movements of her jaw. Kitten, the leader noted. The she-cat was captured as a kittypet, forced to be part of the clan. She was forced to share tongues with the ancestors of DeadClan and to announce their news and wishes to the whole clan. Everyday, when watching Kitten, Fangclaw swears that he can see the deadness in her aqua-blue eyes. The ginger tom soon turned away from the scene as the dawn patrol rattled the entrance and entered the camp, Troutclaw at the lead.

"Fangclaw, Yarnpaw was injured by kittypets," Troutclaw reported, glancing anxiously over his shoulder at Deadeagle. The large tom was holding a tiny golden brown tom that was Yarnpaw on his back side. Fangclaw shared the uneasy glance with Troutclaw and at the injured apprentice. The apprentice had his left ear nicked and his cheek was scratched. The ginger tomcat thought that the damn kittypets had forgotten the incident. It seems they did not. The leader cannot blame them; what can they do after they were betrayed and treated badly? Then the Right-hand went on to report that the patrol had seen clan-cats sniffing at some herbs, plants that can be good for nursing clanmates who were ill and injured, especially ones who has a nicked ear. The older tomcat glared at the ground, and forced the reports into the background of quivering branches and birdsongs. It saddens Fangclaw when there's no cat in ClawClan who knows anything about herbs and medicine. What is a leader supposed to do when harsh times like these kept coming and coming, and there is no stopping it?

Reluctantly, Fangclaw forced himself to glare at Yarnpaw. He then locked his narrowed eyes onto Troutclaw. "Tell him to walk it off!" he growled at his friend, regrets leeching onto the leader's pelt, and guilt sweeps into his heart.  The silver tabby was shocked and mouth agape. Without giving the Right-Hand another second to speak out, the ginger tomcat left the warrior and his patrol-mates behind and padded up to the Leader's den. He lapped on top of the mossy bed, then pulled himself down to sleep. He pleaded for DeadClan to bring an ancestor down and teach somecat, a clanmate, about herbs. Ending the prayer, Fangclaw watched the sun still raised in the sky. Slowly closing his eyes, he fell asleep.