Shadows of the Forest }{ UF Adventure/Romance

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Title: Shadows of the Forest (totally uncreative, I know)
Chapters: First time writing it...no clue XP
Author: Rockywave
Pairing: N/A
Rating: PG
Summary: Wavepaw, Duskpaw and Highpaw have had a hard life--their father, the ex-medicine cat, Fallenfeather, was banished, their mother sacrificed her life for Highpaws', their brothers, Starrypaw and Solarpaw, were slaughtered by a rogue, and one of their best friends was exiled for cruelty of her mentor. But now, StarClan has a new destiny for them--to save WindClan from an unknown threat.
Warning: Some violence.
Disclaimer: If I owned Warriors, Brambleclaw would have died and Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw wouldn't be his kits-they would be Ashfurs'. Alright Bramble fans, you can bash my head in now.
Beta: N/A
Cover: N/A

Chapter One

Wavepaw was in the WindClan camp. Bored, as her daily training was over, she decided to leave the valley and go find a rabbit or something like that. Suddenly, a flash of ginger appeared, and she caught a glimpse of whatever-it-was biting her leg as pain rushed up it. Wavepaw screeched in pain. "Come on!" yelled her friend Chillpaw. The blue-gray she cat couldn't see him, but she knew the white toms' voice.

"I can't," she yowled in pain as her white paws frantically clawed at point blank. "It got me."

"Seriously." replied Chillpaw. "Lightfire's going to get mad if you don't wake up." Wavepaw opened her eyes and found herself in the nearly empty apprentice den. So it was all a dream. Wavepaw had been having the same nightmare every night since a quarter moon ago.

"Where's she waiting?" Wavepaw asked, scanning the camp for her golden tabby mentor.

"Over there, with Berrystripe, Rosepetal, Brownpad, Weaselfur, my sister, and your siblings." meowed Chillpaw. "They look like they're going to leave without us."

Wavepaw almost expected to see Starrypaws' flecked black pelt and Solarpaws' strange gray eyes alongside Duskpaw, Highpaw, and Columbinepaw. With a pang, she remembered. Grief still tore through her, as sharp as a badgers' claws, the memories of their deaths were far too fresh. "Okay, let's go." They raced across the clearing and came to a halt at Weaselfurs' paws.

"Sorry we're late," Chillpaw huffed to his mentor.

"It's fine," replied Weaselfur. "It's not like we're going to the Moonstone or anything-just training together for once."

"What are we going to do today?" prompted Highpaw, the overeager one.

"We're going to learn some new fighting and hunting techniques over there." replied Rosepetal, flicking her tail towards the lakeshore-a perfect place for training. There were always prey drinking there, and the soil surrounding the WindClan part of the lake, unlike other territories, was dry and cracked.

The group walked down the steep hills to the flat shore. Highpaw nearly ran down, her gray pelt unusually shining in the warm leaf-fall sun. Rosepetal purred at her apprentices' enthusiasm. Because a thin sheet of ice covered the lake, the red-ginger warrior issued a warning to Highpaw. "Be careful," she called. "You know what happened to Cinderpelt when she was Firestars' apprentice." Highpaw apparently didn't hear.

"You have it better than I do," joked Weaselfur. "If he had gotten there just one second later, I would have made a search party for Chillpaw."

"Wavepaw too." added Lightfire with a warm smile.

"Hey!" the apprentices mewed in unison. Everyone laughed. As the mentors began to talk among themselves, Columbinepaw raced up to Highpaw, and Duskpaw caught up with Wavepaw.

"You don't seem yourself today," he said quietly. "What's wrong?"

"It's that dream again..." said Wavepaw.

"Oh," interrupted Duskpaw. "Then I guess you're alright." But before Wavepaw could protest, Columbinepaw stopped in her tracks.

"I smell dog," announced the white and gold apprentice. "And it's fresh."

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Chapter Two

"Dog?" meowed Brownpad sharply. "Fresh dog? Your nose must be as dull as a Twolegs', Columbinepaw. There hasn't been any sight or sound of dog since twelve whole moons ago." Wavepaw could smell Columbinepaws' rising anger.

"Be quiet!" she hissed furiously.

"What did you just tell me?" said Brownpad is his quiet, extra-extra angry voice.

"Shut your mouth! Shush!" growled the yellow-splotched apprentice. "I'm sick of you critisizing me!" Here Columbinepaw proceeded to make a mock voice of her mentor. "That bird is too scrawny, it wouldn't feed a kit! You're fighting like a crippled kittypet! Your nose is a dull as a Twolegs'! If you really beat Flowingpaw in battle, Columbinepaw, she must have been sick! Me? Take you on hunting patrol? You'd scare all the prey from here to the sun-drown-place!"

"Why-you-little-" spat the cream colored tom. Wavepaw watched as his brown paw cuffed Columbinepaw over the shoulder. She recoiled, but used the teeth grip technique on Brownpads' tail while scratching the back of her mentor.

Wavepaw could do nothing but stare as Chillpaw joined in on the fight. It lasted for a while longer, but ended when Brownpad reared up and brought his full weight on the siblings, knocking the breath out of them. The tom then pushed them up.

"Todays' training is now over." he snapped. Wavepaw was down. She had been looking forward to learning new hunting skills. It wasn't Brownpads' right to just cancel it because a couple of apprentices gave him what he deserved.

"It hasn't even started yet!" she exclaimed. Brownpad leaned in her face until their noses were almost touching.

"I said," he mewed. Wavepaw could feel his hot breath on her face. "Todays' training is now over." Columbinepaw and Chillpaw walked over to her.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" mewed Chillpaw. "I mean-we attacked a Clanmate. Isn't that against the warrior code or something?"

"Physically, yes." replied Wavepaw. "He started that. But verbally, which he started also, no."

"I want a new mentor," growled Columbinepaw, still flexing her claws.

"After you tell your side of the story," meowed Wavepaw. "Brownpad will probably be banned from mentorship."

***

The cats arrivied at Ashstars' den. "Good sunhigh, Brownpad, Rosepetal, Weaselfur, Lightfire, Berrystripe, Wavepaw, Columbinepaw, Duskpaw, Chillpaw and Highpaw." the gray leader greeted them."Back so soon?" Brownpad shoved Columbinepaw and Chillpaw forward.

"These apprentices," Brownpad snarled, "attacked me because I made a little remark." Columbinepaw shot her mentor a withering glance.

"Is that so, you two?" she meowed.

"Of course not!" spat Chillpaw vexedly. "This lump of fox-dung attacked us!"

"It seems we have two sides." mewed Ashstar. "You first, Brownpad?"

"Well," he opened. "It all started when Columbinepaw thought she smelled dog. I joked that her scent should be checked, and the next thing I knew, she and her brother were all over me."

"Now you, Columbinepaw."

"I smelled dog," she said. "and for the fiftieth time Brownpad critisized me. He said that my nose must be as dull as a Twolegs'. So I told him to stop, and then he attacked me. Chillpaw just joined in." A small smile crept across Ashstars' face, oblivious to Wavepaw. A glance was exchanged with Brownpad.

"Well," she meowed at last. "I've decided. Come on, I shall call a Clan meeting."

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Chapter 3

Ashstar was in the middle of talking to WindClan about the hunting patrol. Wavepaw felt a twitch of sweet revenge inside her. This'll teach Brownpad for being nasty! "As leader of WindClan," Ashstar finished. "I hereby exile one cat from WindClan." Here it comes, Wavepaw thought. "Columbinepaw." Wavepaw felt a wave of utter shock ripple throughout her body. She shook heavily, then gathered up her breath.

"No!" roared Chillpaw. "She just acted in self-defense!"

"Maybe you would like to go with your sister, Chillpaw?" smirked Ashstar wickedly.

"Maybe?" growled Chillpaw. "I'll go, of course. There are only six decent cats in WindClan-Duskpaw, Highpaw, Crimsonwing, Boragebloom, Weaselfur, and--and--" Wavepaw could here the trembling in his voice, as if this last cat he thought was 'decent' he couldn't bear to leave behind. "And Wavepaw." As he said that name, her name, Wavepaw almost felt as if she should go to Crimsonwing to help soothe this reoccuring shock.

"Well, Wavepaw," purred Ashstar, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Chillpaw obviously likes you. Do you want to leave with him?" Wavepaws' pelt bristled as a surge of anger tingled in her paws. How dare Ashstar exile her two greatest friends, and then question her own loyalty?

"No, Ashstar." she meowed boldly, aware that all eyes were on her. "I agree with Chillpaw-most of the cats in WindClan are either mouse-brained, wicked, or both. But I'm not about to leave the cats I do like-not including you, Brownpad and Ashstar." Ashstar hissed, but Wavepaw knew that she couldn't exile her for calling her that.

"Watch yourself, Wavepaw." she muttered coldly. "Or you might be joining your friends."

"We are becoming nothing but a second ShadowClan." continued Chillpaw.

"I haven't forgotton yesterday, Ashstar." put in Columbinepaw.

"Leave, apprentices."

"You drove out an innocent ThunderClan medicine cat, -, Jayfeather, I think?-who only wanted to speak to Crimsonwing."

"SILENCE!" exclaimed Ashstar, leaping down. She leaped down, raking her ear.

"YEOOOWWWW!" yowled Columbinepaw, slitting the bridge of her nose.

"Leave now or be killed!" replied Ashstar, letting go of the former apprentice.

"You know what will happen if you come back!" growled Brownpad after the fleeing siblings. Wavepaw watched, sharp thorns of pain piercing her heart, as her two best friends vanished from sight.

[ashfoot]

plz write more

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Chapter 4

As night fell, Ashstar jumped up on the Tallrock. "Tonight for the Gathering, Crowfeather, Crimsonwing, Heatherbreeze, Whitetail, Brownpad, Lightfire, Highpaw, and Wavepaw will be coming with me." Wavepaw was surprised that, after what had happened this morning, she could even go at all.

"That's Crowfeathers' seventh Gathering in a row!" whispered Highpaw. "You can tell he's Ashstars' son."

"Yes, of course." replied Wavepaw. "I miss Onestar." Wavepaw was only a tiny kit when the leader died (at a very old age), but she remembered how he had made WindClan strong and independent. But now, Ashstar was pushing it. She had took Onestars' legacy and twisted it so, like Chillpaw said, WindClan was nothing but a second ShadowClan.

Ashstar led the cats across the fallen log. ThunderClan was already there. "Hello, Ashstar." said Brackenstar.

"Hello, Brackenstar," replied Ashstar coldly, leaping up onto the Great Oak beside the young leader.

"How is WindClan doing?"

"We save that for the meeting, Brackenstar." Wavepaw lost interest in the cats' conversation, and padded off towards a ThunderClan she-cat apprentice about her age.

"Hi," said the apprentice. "What's your name?"

"I'm Wavepaw." replied Wavepaw. "And you?"

"I'm Ledgepaw." There was an uncomfortable silence between the two cats.

"Erm," said Wavepaw, trying to make conversation. "Anything new happen in ThunderClan lately?"

"Poppybloom had a litter," offered the pale brown cat. "And WindClan?" After a bit of thought, Wavepaw decided to tell Ledgepaw about what had happened that morning.

"Well, this morning, several other apprentices-my siblings Duskpaw and Highpaw, Columbinepaw, and Chillpaw-were going to train all together, in one big patrol-like group. It was supposed to be fun. But then when Columbinepaw thought that she smelled dog, her mentor, Brownpad, criticized her for the hundredth time. And Columbinepaw got really angry..." As she retold the story carefully and the other Clans arrived, several other apprentices gathered around to hear the tale. Even an very young ShadowClan apprentice, a ginger she-cat, came. "...we were all waiting for Brownpad to get exiled, but Ashstar said that Columbinepaw and Chillpaw were to be exiled instead. So all of us were extremely angry, because Brownpad deserved to get exiled, instead."

"What did you just say?" said a familiar voice from behind her. A knot began to form in Wavepaws' stomach. She forced herself to turn around, and found herself face-to-face with Brownpad.

"Nothing at all." Wavepaw stammered. "I-I was just telling these apprentices how Columbinepaw and Chillpaw deserved to be exiled. Right?" Ledgepaw and the others nodded quickly. By Brownpads' face, she could tell he doubted it, but he stalked away anyway.

"Mousebrained little furballs," Brownpad muttered, loud enough for the apprentices to hear.

"See what I mean?" muttered Wavepaw. She finished her story, and as if on cue, the meeting started right after. Reedstar, the RiverClan leader, let out a long yowl, and all of the cats' attention turned to the Great Oak. How serene and majestic the silhouettes of the leaders looked, even Ashstar.

"Cats of all Clans!" called Reedstar, his face now illuminated by the moonlight. "Welcome to the Gathering!"

"I shall start," meowed a pure white she-cat, who Wavepaw figured must be Snowstar, one of the newest leaders. It was hard to believe that such a gentle looking cat could be ShadowClans' leader. "We have made a new apprentice. Ivyclimbs' daughter, Vibrantkit, is now Vibrantpaw. Her mentor is Dawnmist. Prey is plentiful, though we had a little issue with water a few quarter-moons ago."

"Just a little issue?" snorted a RiverClan warrior at the back of the crowd. "Then please explain how we caught Tigerstripe, Flowingpaw, and a few others on our territory, drinking at the river!"

"Yes, Snowstar," added Reedstar, in a voice that was calm, but not taunting. "do tell." The once gentle aura about Snowstars' face vanished as she snarled. Snowstars' amber eyes flared up, like a flame.

"It's none of your business!" she flamed. "Don't act so high-and-mighty. It isn't like we have never caught your warriors on our territory! We never brought it up at a Gathering! But we'll remember this the next time we find RiverClan one mouselength over the border!" Wavepaw could tell that Snowstar could have gone on and on if it wasn't for Brackenstar.

"Snowstar!" he scolded. "Calm down! Do you not remember the full-moon truce?" Snowstar responded with a sniff. How embarrassing it must be,, thought Wavepaw, for such a proud leader to be chided by another leader. "I suppose you should go next, Reedstar."

"RiverClan is doing well. Icewings' kits, Palekit, Boulderkit, and Hazekit, are now Palepaw, Boulderpaw, and Hazepaw. We had a run-in with a fox who was drinking at the stream, dangerously close to the camp, but Beechfur, Dapplefoot, and Mallowbloom chased it off. Brackenstar?"

"Poppybloom had a litter with Mousepelt. The kits' names are Argentkit, Whisperkit, and Flarekit. But, with new life, other life must leave. Our extremely old elder, Longtail, recently joined StarClan. Ashstar, would you like to share news?"

"I'm afraid that WindClan doesn't have good news. A band of rogues attacked our camp, and Graywater, Solarpaw, Starrypaw, and Owlwhisker were killed. Fallenfeather has been exiled, for it has been discovered that Graywaters' remaining kits, Wavepaw, Duskpaw, and Highpaw, were his kits, so Crimsonwing has taken his place. And, most recently, two of our apprentices attacked Brownpad. Nearly killed him.

If any of you see a white tom and a white-and-gold she-cat who call themselves Chillpaw and Columbinepaw, drive them out." Wavepaw growled. She searched around the clearing for Ledgepaw and Vibrantpaw. She Vibrantpaws' gaze, and it was of disbelief-not of Wavepaw, but of Ashstar. Clouds began to sway towards the moon, but no one except for Wvepaw noticed.

"Where, pray tell, did you drive the rogues?" asked Reedstar menacingly.

"Well, we could have driven them out of Clan territory, into ThunderClan territory, or onto your territory. Either way, it's not our problem anymore." The gray leader smirked like a ShadowClanner.

"At least tell us, so we know whether to prepare for battle or not," meowed a ThunderClan apprentice, most likely Ledgepaw. "We don't want to suffer losses like your Clan had, no offense."

"Why do WindClan care if some cats in another Clan join StarClan? It isn't of our concern." Ashstar turned to face Ledgepaw. "And you, apprentice, shouldn't be talking. You're lucky you even got to come at all." she spat. Ledgepaw hissed in defiance.

"The moon!" cried the ShadowClan deputy, Primrosebloom. All eyes turned upward, which were promptly splattered by raindrops.

"This Gathering is over!" yowled Ashstar. She apparently thought that it was all Ledgepaws' fault. All Wavepaw could do was run with her Clan, dodging the water.

[Tigerfur]

This story is FANTASTIC! ;D I hope you update again soon! ;D

[Ghostfeather]

PLZZZZZZZ update
I think ur story's great so plzz keep writing ;D

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Okay, guys, I'll write a little more now. My main project's Watching the Tide right now, so I won't be updating this again for awhile until I finish it.

[Tigerfur]

Alright, we'll try waiting until then.

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Thanks. It's only a couple more chapters and the epilouge, so I'll be done soon.

[Morning]

Hello again, Rockywave!
zomg, I loffles this ficcy! It starts with a bang, and you narrate(sp?) all of Windclan's problems. I love the banishment, and I really can't wait until you write more (lol, in ALL your fics!)
No criticism, except space things out a leeeettle more, 'kay?
Good jod, and good luck!

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Morning-Thanks! Okay, I'll try to.

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Okay, I finally finished Chapter Four. It's probably the longest chapter in the whole fanfic.

[inkflower]

*bashes head* BRAMBLECLAW!! BRAMBLECLAW!!

[;R.o.c.k.y.w.a.v.e;]

Wow, Inkflower.
Anyway, I ACTUALLY SURFACED after about a million years! Yay, now I can update!