So, here’s ANOTHER Fan-fiction, this time off of my OC Birchlight-uhhhhh BirchPAW. YEAH. Tallminnow is Birchlightpaw’s soon to be mate. Shout-out to… Uh, XxMaddithewolffoxx I think is her name… XxMaddithewolffoxx on Roblox, who roleplayed as Tallminnow. So yeah, before you read, it,

*C R I N G E W A R N I N G*. It’s really cringey. Careful X3 sooooooo here it is…

Chapter One

Birchkit bounded out of the nursery to see Dappledstar leaping up onto the HighRock. ‘What’s going on?’ she thought as she looked around the camp. She saw Petalsky, her mother, approaching her with a grim and exasperated look on her face. “For StarClan’s sake. Clean yourself up!” She hissed, pinning Birchkit down and rasping between her ears. “Hey!” She mewed in indignation. “I can groom my own pelt–” She rolled her eyes as her mother ignored her and began licking her flanks. Then her father, Silverlight approached. “Big day today.” He beamed, looking kindly at his daughter. “You’re becoming an apprentice!” He purred, his yellow eyes warm. “Too bad Bonekit couldn’t be made one too…” He mewed. “Next moon, huh? You’ll be able to train together!” He flicked his tail on her ear. “You’ll do great.” He purred. Birchkit smiled as she looked at Silverlight. “Thanks, Dad. I sure hope so.”

“You will, don’t worry.” Silverlight purred back. “You should get going, now. Dappledstar should be calling a meeting any moment now– as a matter of fact, there she is!” He flicked his tail to the HighRock, and Birchkit looked up as the leader yowled. “Let all cats old enough to swim the river gather beneath the HighRock for a clan meeting!” Her yowl rang across the clearing like an eagle’s cry. Petalsky let go of her daughter and let her bound off over to the spot where her Clanmates were beginning to gather. “Today is a very special day where I get to perform one of my favourite tasks.” Dappledstar meowed. “The making of a new apprentice. Birchkit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice.” The she-cat paused, her gaze scorching the clearing until she yowled again, “Tallminnow! You are a strong and loyal cat, and I trust you will train this apprentice hard and pass all you know onto her.” Dappledstar nodded to the tabby tom with an air of importance and leadership that only RiverClan’s beloved Dappledstar possessed. “Thank you, Dappledstar.” Tallminnow meowed respectfully and padded over to Birchkit, who reached up to touch noses with her new mentor.

As soon as his nose touched hers, she felt a feeling of exhilaration pass through her. Not the fact that she was now a warrior apprentice, or that she had a decent mentor, but a feeling of– she didn’t know how to explain it. It spread through her muzzle onto her pelt until finally it lay to rest on her paws. She blinked slowly and a small purr made its way through. Then when Tallminnow drew back his nose, the feeling left as soon as it had come and the purr disappeared. Caught off guard, she looked around as she heard her name being yowled. “Birchpaw! Birchpaw! Tallminnow! Tallminnow!” The cats of RiverClan were yowling her name. And Tallminnow’s. ‘Birchpaw and Tallminnow…’ how perfect did that sound together… She shook her head to clear it and snapped back to reality. “Training tomorrow.” Tallminnow meowed briskly. Birchpaw nodded. “For now you should get some sleep. It’s almost moonrise.” Birchpaw nodded again. “Tallminnow,” she mewed tentatively. The tom looked at her. “Er, nothing. I just wanted to say that I’m glad that I got such a good warrior for a mentor… And I’ll train as hard as I can…” Birchpaw avoided her new mentor’s eyes by pretending to become very interested in an ant scuttling across a rock. Tallminnow nodded. “Thank you. I’m honered to have such a kind apprentice.” He purred. “Formalities aside, you really should get some rest. Big day tomorrow.” He muttered, and stalked off into the warriors den.

Birchpaw looked at the spot behind the brambles where he had disappeared. She would go to the apprentice’s den, but first, she padded to the nursery. “Hi, Bonekit.” She mewed as she entered the den. Bonekit, her brother, was lying in the moss, sulking. “Hey.” He muttered, not looking at her. “Oh, relax. Just one more moon. Besides, you should’ve known better than to sneak out again. You know how angry everybody was–” Birchpaw stopped at the look on her brother’s face. “Sorry,” she muttered, dipping her head. “Oh, it’s fine. What I really need right now is my ‘wonderful’ sister yowling at me telling me I should’ve known better.” He hissed sarcastically. “Sorry– sorry! I didn’t mean it like that…” She mewed quickly, knowing how Offended he would get and how seriously he took anything critical. Bonekit, however, ignored her, busying himself with a thorn imbedded in his nest. Birchpaw shook her head. “That child takes everything personally.”

She muttered, padding into the apprentice’s den where she found Crowpaw and her brother Lichenpaw chatting in their nests. “Oh hi, Birchpaw.” Crowpaw mewed. “Congratulations on becoming an apprentice!” She purred. “But it’s not really all that great… Tick duty, mostly.” Lichenpaw meowed. Birchpaw got an uneasy feeling, but soon saw that there was a joking look in the black tom’s eye. “Oh.” She mewed, giving her chest fur an embarassed lick. Crowpaw smiled. “He’s just joking.” She mewed kindly. “Well,” butted in Lichenpaw, “It was more passive-agressive, but yeah. I was joking.” He purred. Birchpaw snorted and padded into an empty nest. “What were you guys talking about?” She asked, trying to sound unconcerned. “Hm? Oh, just– er– Littlekit tread on Deepcry’s tail earlier, uh, and the look on Mornin– Deepcry’s face…” Crowpaw stammered. Birchpaw gave her a skeptical look. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s going, on, that’s your problem. But you could at least come up with a more convincing excuse.” She mewed disdainfully. The black she-cat shuffled her paws. “Uh, yeah…” She muttered, turning back to her brother. Birchpaw shook her head, and lowered it and slinked into sleep…

Birchpaw woke to a paw prodding her in the side. “Rawr!” She hissed, jumping out of her nest. She looked up to see Lichenpaw with an amused look on his face. “What was that for?” She muttered, letting her bristling fur lie flat. “Tallminnow asked me to wake you.” He meowed with a smirk. “Ok, but still. No need to scare me out of my fur.” Birchpaw growled irritably. “Sorry,” Lichenpaw meowed, still suppressing a laugh. Birchpaw shook her pelt. “Tell him I’ll be there in a minute–” she mewed, beginning to groom her pelt. “Sure.” Lichenpaw meowed, and stalked out of the den. Birchpaw sighed and looked around at the empty den. There were so few apprentices… What did Bonekit do to irritate Dappledstar so much she had to risk the strength of RiverClan just to punish him? She sighed, gave her pelt one last lick, and padded out of the den into the freezing rain. It had been raining for the past moon now, and everything, (and everyone, for that matter,) was soaked. That meant you had to be extra careful where you stepped, for about three quarters of the ground was mud. Which meant it would either pull you down and make you sink so you suffocated, or make you slip on it, half of the time making a mudslide. Birchpaw shook her pelt, trying to get the water droplets off her pelt. Silverlight bounded up to her and gave her ear a lick. “Good luck. You’ll do great, don’t worry! Tallminnow’s over there.” He flicked his tail to the camp entrance where the tom sat. “See you after training. He purred.” Birchpaw smiled and nuzzled her father. “See ya.”

“About time.” Tallminnow meowed when she padded out. “I wasn’t that long.” Birchpaw protested. “Never mind, let’s just train.” He mewed briskly, avoiding Birchpaw’s gaze. When they got to the training hollow, they found Crowpaw and her mentor Morningwish standing inches away from eachother, snarling insults. Birchpaw started forward but Tallminnow stopped her. “Wait.” He murmered, keeping low.

“You just can’t do anything right can you?!” Morningwish was growling. “It’s not my fault you think I’m the worst apprentice in the clan!” Crowpaw hissed back. Morningwish looked furious. “You are the worst apprentice in the clan! You just don’t listen! You can’t focus, you do everything wrong! I didn’t even want an apprentice in the first place! Especially not you!” She yowled. Crowpaw bared her teeth. “You think I wanted you either?! No! No, I didn’t exactly want the most critical, judgemental, stupid cat in the clan!” She was screeching. “NO! IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A FOX-HEARTED IDIOT, IT’S BECAUSE YOU. RUINED. EVERYTHING!!! EVERYTHING!” She panted, and Birchpaw swore she could see steam coming out of her large ears. Morningwish took a step back. “I ruined everything. I ruined. EVERYTHING?! HOW?! HOW MAY I ASK, DID I RUIN EVERYTHING?!”

Crowpaw glared at her mentor. “You know what you did.” She said coldly. “I’m ashamed to call you my mother. I’m ashamed to be half-clan. I’m ashamed to have to act and say Jetnose is my mother. I’m ashamed to say my own stupid mother trains me.” She snarled. Her furious gaze suddenly turned to upset and hurt. “Why?” She mewed simply. “Why did you have to make my life so much harder than it would’ve been?” Her green gaze stared at Morningwish deeply. “It’s not fair. I would’ve been perfectly happy believing that Duskfeather and Jetnose were my parents.” She suddenly took a step back and sank down, as if she were about to curl up and sleep. Morningwish sank down beside her, her gaze a mixture of apologetic, hurt, pity, sadness, and most noticeable, pain.

“I’m so sorry…” She mewed, her voice barely a whisper. “I had no idea you really felt this way…” Crowpaw stared at her paws. “Why?” She mewed again. “Because… Dark and I… We truly loved eachother. We had to be together. And I thought you should at least know who your true parents are.” Morningwish murmered. Crowpaw looked up. “I’m half rogue.” She mewed, as if to make it clear to herself. “I’m not pure RiverClan.” She took a shaking breath and bended her head forward to bury her nose in Morningwish. “I’m sorry.” Morningwish murmered to her daughter. “I wish things could be simpler, too.” Crowpaw didn’t respond, just buried her nose deeper into her fur. Tallminnow laid his tail softly on Birchpaw’s back. She flinched, startled, and, to her horror, found herself sliding down the slippery mud into the hollow.

She clawed desperately at the ground, but even if she could find a pawhold, it would crumble away at her weight and join the falling mud. Birchpaw unsheathed her claws, trying to dig them into the mud, but before she even made any other effort to stop herself barging in on the the two cats’ moment, there she was, in the middle of the hollow, soaked in mud and rain, barging in on their moment. Crowpaw jumped up, fur bristling, eyes wide with horror and embarassment. Morningwish looked the same, except with one more quality; Fear. Probably for her rank in the clan, but the two she-cats immediately changed their expressions to blank. Obviously hoping Birchpaw hadn’t seen everything. Speaking of Birchpaw, she was standing in the centre of the hollow, legs splayed out and eyes wide. She got herself together and tried to pretend that she had not seen the cats’ moment. “Um, oops…”

She mewed in her best attempt at an embarassed and innocent face. One of them, she didn’t have to act to look. She was humiliated. She had just watched a… She didn’t even know what to call it– and fallen down a mudslide into the situation. “Sorry,” she mewed briskly, trying to pretend she hadn’t seen what had happened between the two she-cats. “We just got here and I slipped…” She muttered as Tallminnow leapt over the mud down into the hollow. He nodded briskly, going along with Birchpaw’s story. “We were just coming down to train– I told her she ought to be careful not to slip. But here we are, I guess.” He meowed, rolling his eyes in fake exasperation. Crowpaw and Morningwish seemed to relax a bit.

“Oh… Ha, she’s only a new apprentice, Tallminnow. Can’t take it too hard on her.” Morningwish mewed tentatively. Birchpaw pulled out an indignant look and stuck it on her face, but remained quiet as Tallminnow meowed, “We should probably train before it gets dark.” He glanced up at the sky. “Did you two get any training in?” It was Crowpaw who answered. “Yes, plenty. We should leave you be, now…” She mewed with a silent look to Morningwish. Morningwish seemed to understand the gesture and followed her out of the hollow. Birchpaw looked at the entrance to the training clearing until all rustle of leaves were gone and mewed to Tallminnow, “Did you know?”

Tallminnow shook his head. “Not the faintest idea. I guess I never really thought who Crowpaw and Lichenpaw’s father was… They’re half-rogue… Huh.” Birchpaw nodded slowly. “I suppose it would make sense,” she mewed thoughtfully. “I mean, they do seem to want to… Rebel from the Warrior Code at times… Do you think she had just told Crowpaw then?” She asked. “Hm, no… I think they knew before… I think Morningwish would’ve told both of them when they were in the same spot– maybe I’m wrong… I don’t know Morningwish all that well…” Tallminnow responded. They stood there for a moment, thinking,when Birchpaw broke the silence and shook her head to clear it. “Anyway– shouldn’t we get to training…?” She mewed. Tallminnow seemed to snap back to reality. “Oh– right. Yes. Okay, so here, just leap at me.” He said, innerly facepalming. Birchpaw looked at him, surprised. “Okay… Are you sure?” She asked in a fake concerned voice. Tallminnow laughed. “Yes. Just leap at me.” Birchpaw gave him an uncertain look and mewed, “Okay, if you really want me to–” as she spoke, about on “really” she took a great leap at Tallminnow, catching him off guard. He stumbled back, surprised. “Well ok… Alright then.” He meowed, purring in laughter.

Birchpaw smiled. “That didn’t work as planned, huh?” She purred smugly. “Alright, alright. Now, jump at me again.” Tallminnow meowed with an irritated twitch of his tail. Birchpaw padded back to where she had been before, and crouched down, ready to leap. Tallminnow crouched down as well, swaying from side to side a very small bit. Birchpaw pounced at him, but as soon as her paws left the ground, the tom fell over on his back and swatted his paws in the air. Birchpaw would’ve landed on him, but his flailing paws knocked her backwards onto her back. Tallminnow immediately leapt up and pinned her down, pawing her underbelly, claws sheathed. Birchpaw let out a hiss of frustration. Tallminnow smirked. “If I were a rogue you’d be dead by now.” He mewed conversationally. Birchpaw snorted. “But you aren’t a rogue. And a rogue wouldn’t be telling me to jump on them.” She meowed, shaking him off.

“One more time.” Birchpaw insisted, crouching down again. Tallminnow sighed. “Alright.” He crouched down and braced himself. Birchpaw dropped into a crouch, wiggled her hindquarters, then leapt. Tallminnow dropped onto his back and batted the air again, but instead of catching Birchpaw and flinging her back, Birchpaw somehow managed to get hold of one of his paws, using it to propel herself forward, and landed square on his face, her butt covering his nose… He let out a muffled yowl. (“Girt– off mm!”) Birchpaw laughed and leapt off the tom’s face, landing gracefully on the sand. Tallminnow leapt up, his black face specked with white fluff from Birchpaw, and absolutely fuming. His tail was fluffed out, fur bristling, and his eyes were empty yellowness with a single thin line of black swiping across his eyes. Birchpaw actually felt her fur bristle with uneasyness for a moment, the cat looked so mad. Then he blinked and his fur flattened. “Let’s not ever do that again, alright?” Birchpaw laughed. “Alright.” Tallminnow shook his head irritably and jerked his head.

“C’mon. Let’s get back to camp.” Birchpaw obeyed and trotted alongside him. She flinched as she felt his tail begin to rest on her back. Tallminnow jerked his tail back and Birchpaw could feel embarrassment practically radiating off him. She wanted to yowl, NO! DO IT AGAIN! And even attempted to reach her tail to rest on his back, but there was a slight issue that was; her tail was a stub. So she just padded alongside him, her paws in step with his, and they padded back to camp silently. When they arrived, the clearing was empty except for Nightstreak and Featherbush, who were lying outside the elders’ den. “Where is everybody?” Tallminnow asked the two elders, looking around camp. “Dappledstar didn’t tell you?” Nightstreak rasped. “They’re getting ShadowClan back for what, eight moons ago?”

“And they took all the cats? Where are the kits?” Tallminnow exclaimed. “In the nursery. They’re confined to it. Suspect the queens told them ShadowClan would attack if they weren’t quiet, for how silent they are.” Featherbush answered. “Are you two going to fight?” She asked. “I am. Birchpaw isn’t, though.” Tallminnow shot Birchpaw a glance. “Yes I am! I’m coming with you.” She retorted, tail lashing. “No, you’re not.” Tallminnow hissed. “You just became an apprentice, and I think it’s safe to say that there are enough cats at the battle, as every warrior and apprentice is gone.” He bared his teeth, though his eyes did not have anger, just concern. Birchpaw looked at him, considering this. “Yeah, well all of ShadowClan will be there too, as it’s on their camp, and ShadowClan is bigger than us.” She argued.

Tallminnow gazed at her and flattened his ears. “Some of the warriors will be protecting the nursery and elders, in fact, most of them will be!” He flicked an ear. “Then why don’t you stay here?” Birchpaw challenged. Tallminnow opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, and flicked his tail on Birchpaw’s muzzle. “Fine.” He muttered. “If you can keep up.” He turned to her and grinned, leaping away and running out of camp. Birchpaw pricked her ears and ran hard after him, yowling, “You little mouse-brained cheater!” She raced through clumps of grass and watermint, not loosing sight of her mentor’s tail. She flattened her ears, and put on a burst of speed. She caught up with Tallminnow and dashed through the tunnel beneath the Thunderpath. When she emerged out the other side, what she found was a shock.

Birchpaw stared in horror as what she saw hit her. She blinked, making sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. They weren’t. There in front of her, blood oozing from a scratch in his neck, limp and lifeless, lay Silverlight. It was as if Birchpaw had gone numb with shock. She stared at the tom’s limp body, scratches covering his pelt, dead. The breath had been knocked out of her, and all she could do was stare at the lifeless form. She heard pawsteps behind her, but didn’t turn. Birchpaw recognised Tallminnow’s scent. She heard a gasp from behind her, and felt Tallminnow’s tail rest against her back. She gazed, shocked, at her dead father.

She sank down, not taking her eyes off of him. Tallminnow lay down beside her. “It’s okay…” He murmered, pressing his flank against hers. “It’s alright… He watches over us from StarClan…” Tallminnow licked Birchpaw’s ear soothingly. “No… He can’t be dead…” Birchpaw mewed, her voice barely more than a whisper. “He can’t.” She tore her gaze from the silver form and looked up at Tallminnow. “Can he?” She whispered, her eyes searching. Tallminnow turned to her, his eyes filled with sympathy and greif. “He is.” He meowed, voice cracking. “It’s okay…” He murmered. And they sat there, his tail on her back, Birchpaw’s head leaning against his, and for just a moment, everything was okay. Everything was alright. For just a moment, they could sit there in silence, and peace. “When my mother died,” Tallminnow meowed, “I was heartbroken, too. It felt like the world had ended. I didn’t know what to do… Had no guidence, my father had disappeared…” He trailed off, his voice pained.

“…But I had a friend. A close friend, a good friend, a real friend. She helped me through when times were hard. And when I was upset, she comforted me, and helped me relax. She made me feel like things were okay sometimes.” Birchpaw buried her muzzle into his fur. “What happened to her?” She whispered. Tallminnow sighed. “She… She died, too. But she had been around for long enough to make an impact on me. She helped me feel better, and whenever I start to think of Almondnight, I think of her.” He responded, laying his head on Birchpaw’s. “What was her name…?” Birchpaw breathed, her muzzle still deep in Tallminnow’s fur. “Her name was Blacktail. She was a kind cat, always… Willing, to help–” He cut himself off, taking a sharp breath. “Can you be like Blacktail was to you… To me?” Birchpaw murmured, looking up at the tom. Tallminnow gazed at her. “Of course.” He whispered, giving her ear a soothing lick. They lay there, Birchpaw’s nose still buried deep in her mentor’s fur. Tallminnow rested his head on hers, murmuring soothingly. Birchpaw lifted her head, and risked a glance at Tallminnow. She swallowed hard and finally mewed; “I’m okay. We can go fight now.” Tallminnow looked at her uncertainly. “Are you sure?” Birchpaw nodded bravely. “I’m sure. Let’s go.”

Tallminnow smiled at her and mewed, “I don’t know how you’re so confident. Your dad- uh, you just suffered loss, and now you want to fight.” He purred. “I wanna avenge whoever killed Sliverlight. They’ll be sorry.” She growled, furious. “Calm down… A warrior kills only to survive, not for sport. Remember.” Tallminnow licked Birchpaw’s ear. Birchpaw nodded and shook her pelt. “Let’s go.”