Warriors: A Brand New Start

                                                        Warriors- Erin Hunter

Chapter 1

Darkheart woke up from her long slumber in the Medicine Cat's den and stretched out. "Darkheart!" a young gray tom walked towards her. "Yes Icepaw?" Darkheart purred. Icepaw nudged her flank and she nudge his back. "I am ready for today's training!" Darkheart nodded and padded over to the herbs. "Now, what kind of berry can kill a cat?" Darkheart glared at Icepaw for a answer. "A deathberry!" Icepaw exclaimed with a loud purr. "Very good!" She nudged his small muzzle.

The leader of the Ashclan, Leafstar, howled off of her tree bark "Everyone who is capable of catching their own prey, come here!". "I guess that means us." Icepaw shrugged and padded down the steap slope to the bark with Darkheart close behind. "I wonder what  the  meeting will be about!" Icepaw exclaimed, his tail swaying with excitement. "Be quiet it's going to start!" Darkheart hissed. The two cats looked above at their leader standing proudly on the tree next to her brave deputy Lionclaw.

Leafstar waited for us all to gather and then she  looked straight at the clouds."Fellow Ashclan warriors, I am proud to say that the twolegs have officially left our territory!" she meowed loudly. Yowls of agreement and joy filled the air. Leafstar waited for the sound to die out before she spoke again. "I have also another small announcement of good news. Our dawn patrol stated that we will be rich in fresh kill this Newleaf!" Leafstar twitched her tail happily. Yowls of joy hung about in the air.

Darkheart looked up at the misty clouds and noticed something bad was going to happen-- the fur on her neck tingled with fright. "There will be a unnecessary death today!" Darkheart muttered under her breath. Icepaw overheard and shook with fright. "Should we tell Leafstar?" Icepaw exclaimed nervously twitching his ears. Darkheart nodded and slowly the two cats worked their way up to the tree.

"L- Leafstar." Icepaw stuttered his face filled with fright. "Yes Icepaw and Darkheart?" Leafstar meowed cautiously glaring at Darkheart. "The sky..." Icepaw spat before he sank down into his paws. "What about the sky?" Leafstar stared at the sky with her tail flickering nervously. "There will be a unnecessary death today, Leafstar." Darkheart  meowed. Leafstar's fear scent  blew up into the air. Lionclaw's eyes turned into small slits. "Could this possibly be for our clan?" Lionclaw paused at the screaming of a cat. "Hurry! Icepaw! Darkheart! Come quick! Something happened to  Goldtail!".

The five cats continued to the spot where Goldtail layed almost motionless. "Do you have any idea of what happened?" Darkheart hissed. "No. I found the poor elder having a breathing problem." the tabby meowed. "Icepaw! Go to my den and grab some moss and dip it in the river!" Darkheart spat as Icepaw nodded and dashed away . Darkheart hopped on a big stone near the elder and put her paws on his chest. She pushed on the elders chest keeping a fast and soft pace.

The elder made a coughing noise and started to breath again! "Keep it up Darkheart!!" Lionclaw meowed encouragingly. Icepaw dashed in and hopped on the rock next to Darkheart. The small apprentice layed down the moss next to the elder. "Bite the moss Goldtail. Drink up the water so it will clear your lungs." Darkheart meowed as she nudged the moss in front of him. Weakily, Goldtail drinked the water from the moss. "You feeling a slight bit better?" Icepaw nudged the old cat's flank.

"Yes.Thanks to you two, I am still alive. I am sure Starclan spared my life. I hope they spare yours too when your time comes." Goldtail purred and got up limping. Slowly the old tom crawled back into the elders den. "You did good Icepaw. I am sure you will make a absoulutely great Medicine Cat." Darkheart purred and nudged the young apprentice's leg. "You too." Icepaw nudged her flank.

I thank you so much Silversky for helping to save Goldtail's life. I would like to see you in my den." Leafstar meowed. Leaftstar flicked her tail and summoned Lionclaw  and Silversky to come with her. The three cats padded away into the den. "What should we do  now?"Icepaw questioned  peering up at the gloomy sky. Darkheart thought at all the things the young cats could do. "I say tomorrow we should take a small trip to the Moonstone to share tongues with Star Clan." Darkheart purred.

"Really! I can't wait!" The young tom purred and his eyes glittered with excitement. "But before we go, we need to collect some herbs. We can't leave the clan with nothing!" Darkheart meowed stretching her thin body. "Let's go now!" Icepaw jumped up and padded toward the camp  exit. "Fine." Darkheart purred thinking about how energetic the cat is. The two Medicine cat's dashed through the forest endlessly searching.

Darkheart sniffed the air for any herbs nearby. Juniper Berries!  "Icepaw come." Darkheart meowed while she leaped up a few rocks. Icepaw slowly padded behind looking troubled."What is it?" Darkheart scarcely looked at Icepaw. "Taste the air. I smell badger near by." Icepaw scowled at the stench. Darkheart smelt the stench too. It was a freshly made scent. "Let's quickly get the berries and hurry out of here." Darkheart padded up to the bush and took as many as her mouth could hold, but enough to saver some. "Run!" Icepaw hissed running  dropping some berries as a badger came tearing behind them.

Darkheart dashed for her life keeping the same pace as Icepaw. The two cats hopped down from the rocks, then peered behind their backs to see if the badger was still following them. The badger stopped at the top of the rocks and snarled. The two cats scurried as fast as they could  back into the camp. Icepaw dropped the berries and ran outside the leaders den. "Leafstar!" Icepaw meowed poking his head in. "Come in Icepaw!" Leafstar faintly said. Icepaw went in while Darkheart scooped up the remaining berries and placed them in her den.

"Darkheart?" Lionclaw padded in looking troubled. "Yes?" Darkheart purred while putting the berries down. Normally Lionclaw comes for advice or sometimes asks on Icepaw's knowledge. "Well.." Lionclaw moved his paws  nervously sheathing and unsheathing  his claws. "I think Icepaw should get his warrior name.." he blurted out. "Really? So do I!" Darkheart meowed happily twitching her tail. She organized the rest of the herbs and placed it in the corner.

"I think your here for another reason." Darkheart mewed staring at Lionclaw. The tom nodded and padded closer. "I think we might have to tell Icepaw about his mother." Lionclaw muttered. Darkheart closed her eyes and thought about Icepaw's mom. She was a beautiful  young tabby. Her sandy pelt kept her greatly camoflauged with her bright white tuff of fur. Her name was Sandheart.

Sandheart was a noble cat. She mated with Lionclaw's littermate, Thrushfoot. When Sandheart was kitting, she never made it through. Thrushfoot was stricken with grief. Icepaw's littermates were Raggedpaw and Dapplepaw. They all made it through thanks to the queen, Gorsetail. Ever since the 3 apprentices opened their eyes, they thought Gorsetail was their mother. Putting the thoughts in the back of her mind she saw Lionclaw staring at her.

"I say we tell all three of the apprentices. We shouldn't let just one tell the others. It would be much easier to tell them all." Darkheart meowed. She took a quick glance around and sat down. "I believe your right Darkheart. When should we tell them?" Lionclaw quickly sat down. "I say when-" Darkheart was interupted with Icepaw padding in with Leafstar a fox-length away. 

"Hello Darkheart. Are you okay from the badger attack?" Leafstar said looking around the den warilly. "I am fine, thanks for asking." Darkheart meowed standing up. Lionclaw moved to the  leaders side.  Lionclaw whispered something in Leafstar's ear and she nodded. "Icepaw, please get Dapplepaw and Raggedpaw." Leafstar ordered. 

Icepaw nodded and dashed out of the den. "We will hold a warrior ceramony." Leafstar stated walking out the den  entrance. Darkheart was full of happiness. Icepaw and his littermates are becoming Warriors! Lionclaw padded up and whispered in Darkheart's ear "We should tell them about their mother at their vigil."

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That's the end of the chapter ;D. Hope you'll like the next one .