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

Chapter 12

Fangclaw can smell something putrid that hung in the air: a fever. Its scent is stronger in the Warriors' Den.

"You doing alright, Fallen'?" the ginger leader can hear the heavy pitch of Wolfhowl, a gray giant-like warrior. Fangclaw puts his ear softly against the branch-y walls.

"I-" Fallenshadow sneezes, "Doing fine, cross my heart to DeadClan."

Fangclaw knows that it wasn't true. Fallenshadow seems to have a cold, or worse.. something that might harm ClawClan. The old warrior backed away, only to see Wolfhowl giving an uneasy glance to the leader.

"I noticed, too," answered Fangclaw to the gray cat's silent question, worriedly.

Soon, Fallenshadow came out of the den, eyeing the two nervous clanmates. "What?" he asked. The scarred leader could see a wet spot on the lean, strong warrior's pink nose, and the bags under his eyes.

Eyeing the old medicine den (the one that is owned by The Messenger), Fangclaw demanded the guard to stay in there until his 'harmless' cold is gone, to which Fallenshadow protested at first but followed the order.

"Are you sure the herbs are all gone?" Wolfhowl muttered. Fangclaw had not answered.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Guard wheezed and coughed as sunrises go by. The snow came down onto the stone den of Kitten's. It was odd to the dark ginger leader when The Messenger doesn't have a cold yet; however is not the same for Wolfhowl and Brightdawn. They were sent to The Messenger's den, too.

Coming by the Nursery, Fangclaw puts on a fake smile as he talked to Minkbounce and her kits.

"They aren't causing trouble, aren't they? Even Hiddenkit?"

Minkbounce shook her head and rasped, "They and Hiddenkit are doing well," She gripped her kits and softly shoved them to her skinny side.

"Came up with a name for this one?" Fangclaw pointed to the ball of pale gray and white fur. His eyes were still closed.

The queen sighed and shook her head again. "I just couldn't think of any...."

Feeling his fur burn, the leader scooted away and went over to the corner. "I think you'll come up with one soon," he encouraged. He turned his head onto The Doctor. "Anything, Autumnwind?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Fangclaw, but there is no herbs left to treat this cold or whatever in DeadClan the Clan-Cats used to call." the young tortoiseshell furrowed her brows in frustration as the Assistant shook her tiny head.

"Fangclaw, Autumnwind is not in a good mood right now...," warned Rosepaw, keeping her distance away from her mentor.

"But... but what about the last herb? Can it help Fallenshadow and the others?" the elderly leader pestered, making the Doctor furrow her invisible brow more.

"Fangclaw!" she roared, slamming her paw down on a medium-sized rock. Rosepaw took a step back and leaned her head down, shaking it. After the older molly calmed herself down, she faced the leader, amber eyes to golden eyes. "The last herb does not function with this cold, so please stop badgering me and just go....Please?" she brought her head down and sighed as Fangclaw decided to say another word and left the Nursery.

"Take care," he said to Minkbounce and her kits. As he got out of the den, a paw tapped his thigh. Turning his head to look at his side, he could see the younger molly, the Assistant. 

"I'm sorry for Autumnwind's snapping; she got a lot in her mind ever since she tried to stop the cold to spreading through the camp.

"That or something is blocking her mind from thinking, irritating her," the light ginger she-cat went on.

"How would you know?" Fangclaw asked, not convinced of Rosepaw's theory. 

"When you been around a smart cat like Autumnwind, all I can say that her knowledge passed on to me," Rosepaw chuckled.

Fangclaw, sat down and watched the sky. The sun is at the highest, meaning that it is now noon, and the morning patrols should be coming back. Without noticing, the Assistant was still on and on about a distinct, non-related, subject.

"Although she" -Autumnwind she mentioned- "do like answering questions, but sometimes it can be a handfu-"

"I have to go, sorry Rosepaw," the dark ginger warrior left the clearing without letting the Assistant to say goodbye, and stood on the stump, watching for the Fresh-kill patrol. No cat came in....

Then the bushes of the entrance rustled and the head of Crimson popped up. The head moved forward, revealing the red body with a white chest of the warrior. Soon, he was followed by Deadeagle, who was holding a plump squirrel; and Viperbite with a scrawny mouse in his maw.

"Anything to report?" Fangclaw stepped on the frosted grass and walked up to Crimson, who reported nothing, but said that Deadeagle found a good meal for the first queen. "Thank you, Deadeagle," Fangclaw praised, to which the gray tomcat responded with burrowed brows against his ice-cold eyes.

"Hmph," he (Deadeagle) grunted, leaving the leader's sight. The dark ginger warrior eyed the young ginger cat questionably.

"Something dug up to his rump apparently," Crimson replied, leaving to the Warriors' den to rest. As for Viperbite, he rested the scrawny mouse onto the short pile of fresh-kill and followed shortly behind Crimson.