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

Chapter 3

Autumnwind?

"Autumnwind, what are you doing?" Fangclaw knew that voice of an angel... an angel that went through the Dark Forest and back more precisely. The tomcat saw how the graceful tortoiseshell she-cat fought against LeafClan. She was a muscular warrior, what can ClawClan do without her skills and strength? Now noticing the amber eyes of the angel Fangclaw blushed, his pelt burning with embarrassment. The angel was able to win anycat's heart, even the leader's. He shuffled his dark orange paws, waiting for the she-cat to reply.

"I said, I want a guard on me." she growled, barely sheathing her claws. The ginger tomcat leaped back from Autumnwind's snap. He noted himself that the she-cat can be  quite impatient at times and always gets what she wants. Unable to dare to talk back he called for Fallenshadow, a ClawClan guard. "Guard Autumnwind, please." Fangclaw ordered the brown tabby. 

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It felt like moons (yet it was 20 minutes ago) since Fallenshadow accepted the ginger leader's orders and took Autumnwind away into the forest. Fangclaw has a boulder inside his stomach. What if Autumnwind gets killed by a Clan-Cat or a kittypet or a dangerous predator? She'll be safe as long as Fallenshadow is with her, his second side reminded himself, trying to comfort the old warrior. Taking a deep breath, Fangclaw felt a lot better, but his whole anxiousness halted when the guard and the battle angel came back. A new scent was waving off in the area: herbs! Autumnwind yowled for Yarnpaw to get over here. As the apprentice did so, he stood still -as Autumnwind asked- to let the she-cat put on a sticky mush on the ear. The apprentice winced away, but he forced himself to roll with the punches, or stings. Fangclaw stared at him sympathetically, he can feel the stings as if he was getting the treatment.  

"I-it hurts!" Yarnpaw complained as Autumnwind dabbed another mush on the apprentice's grazed cheek. Fangclaw watched and purred, showing his soft side. He halted when a realization hit him in the brain: he was supposed to be the leader! What leader would he be if he let his warriors mewl for their mommies and complain about their booboos? With the support of his cold stare, Fangclaw growled, "Stop whining! Is just a nick on your ear and a scratch! Be like a warrior." he glared at the golden brown apprentice, who was now shaken in fear from Fangclaw's holler. Yarnpaw bit on his lip and hold back the pain. The bottom lip started to bleed. As the leader snapped his gold marbles on Autumnwind, he was faced with a death stare. 

After the nursing, the tortoiseshell she-cat told Yarnpaw to come back tomorrow for another check-up and ordered him to stay in his den. As the small apprentice sprint into his den, Autumnwind let out a hiss, "What in DeadClan was that?" she turned, and padded towards Fangclaw, eyes stared back at each other. The old leader then glanced at the Apprentices' den, guilt clouded the ginger tomcat's eyes.

Turning back, the upset she-cat narrowed her eyes to slits at the leader, making Fangclaw to flinch. She would be a great leader for ClawClan, Fangclaw thinks. But Troutclaw will become leader... maybe when Troutclaw will choose Autumnwind as Right-Hand. The ginger tomcat snapped back to existence, and waited for her to speak.

"Why are you always growling at everyone's hindquarters?" Autumnwind gently questioned the leader, showing signs of innocence. She wasn't unsheathing her claws and her eyes were calming. Too calming, and absorbing to the ginger tom. Fangclaw was watching space in her amber eyes and relaxed as if the troubles around him no longer matters and disappeared.

That moment was interrupted by the gentle voice of the strong angel. "You are the leader, why can't you be supportive of your clanmates?" she begged for an explanation, making her eyes wide and pout. Fangclaw looked away, trying to get out of the spell. Now head turned away from the cute she-cat awkwardly, he explained his usual roughness on others. As leader, he must challenge each clanmate to turn them into great warriors. Autumnwind was not impressed by his belief. She scowled at Fangclaw, narrowed amber eyes is now plastered on her face. Her claws, though, were still sheathed and she didn't bare her teeth, but her fur did bristled in annoyance. "You think that'll work for apprentices?" she spitted, taking her eyes off the ginger tomcat and glue it back to something. Following her eyes, he notes that the tortoiseshell she-cat seems to be looking at the Apprentices' den. Twisting his head back slowly, only to see the true eyes of the angel, the leader was surprised and winced; he had never saw true gentleness and  determination in Autumnwind's eyes. The beautiful angel's eyes were round and glimmered with what seems like empathy.

Fangclaw jumped as the pretty tortoiseshell turned back, her eyes were about to melt salty water. The old tomcat bowed his head, realizing that the molly might have experienced something tragic when she was in an apprentice-age. He could asked her what happened when she was young, but he decided that the best thing to do is to agree to show kindness and revealing sympathy to the apprentices, and left the tortoiseshell molly to her thoughts.