The silent air was rent with the challenging scream of a red tailed hawk, jerking the deputy awake. ‘An omen?’ he meowed to himself as he rose from the makeshift den he shared with two other warriors. Squeezing his way out of the low-hanging branches of a juniper bush the heavy-set tom gave a small glance across the small area his Clan now inhabited.
‘We aren’t staying here,’ he reminded himself with a sigh, tail drooping with sadness as the thought brought back memories of the old forest. I was only an apprentice, Skypaw, he thought suddenly. We have come far since then. Ringstar, Jackalstar and Nightstar all dead. As well as Birchtail, Kestralwing and Dustfur. Ah, so many friends and enemies alike lost.
Sighing with remorse Skyheart padded towards the temporary fresh-kill pile, noting with a growing irritation the emptiness of it. There are rabbits hopping around this plain like they own it. Our warriors have been slacking off their duties!
~
Stirring gently a ginger she-cat gave out a squeaky meow of annoyance at the deputy’s exit. ‘Another day,’ she mewed grumpily, pushing herself up into a standing position. Giving her fur a few strokes of her tongue the warrior cleaned herself thoroughly, albeit roughly.
‘Brambleslash,’ she hissed gently in a snoring tom’s ear. ‘Time to wake up.’
Backing away quickly when the tabby snorted with irritation and lashed out with one sheathed paw she gave a growl of frustration. ‘Come on, you don’t want to risk the displeasure of Skyheart and Raggedstar.’
~
Brambleslash’s dream was broken abruptly when Crimsonsky had prodded him awake with her mew. ‘No doubt Skyheart will want us to go hunting again. The prey gets eaten faster than we catch it!’ he exclaimed In a hoarse voice, testament of his bad sleep during the night.
Giving his ruffled chestfur a few licks the tom saved his sister an ornery glare before stalking out of the den with his tail held high, the fur around his neck ruffled with irritation.
~
Dusfeather’s long tail tickled her nose as she shifted in her sleep, making the she-cat sneeze loudly. Giving a loud meow of confusion the she-cat bolted upright wildly, shooting glances around the den. ‘Oh,’ she meowed with a sigh, giving her fluffy tail and disparaging look.
Sighing at the fact that going back to sleep was not possible the she-cat slipped out of her private den and snuck over to the fresh-kill pile, giving Skyheart a small and short nod of respect as she pa.ssed him.
‘Not much prey left,’ she meowed sadly, pawing at a limp robin that had been caught a few sunhighs back.
~
Smokewhisker gave a purr of delight as she padded back into camp, two sizable rabbits clamped in her jaws. Padding over to the fresh-kill pile she dropped them onto it lightly, giving Dusfeather a bright-eyed look.
‘Now there is,’ she meowed proudly. Her tail was curled up in her signature question mark, showing that the young warrior was pleased with her catch.
~
Skyheart gave the young cat an encouraging nudge in the shoulder, eyes twinkling brightly. ‘Go take one to the apprentice’s to share. Then you can get a good long sleep before we set out again,’ he meowed gently, grasping the larger of the two rabbits in his mouth, letting the she-cat take it gently before trotting off in the direction of the apprentice’s den.
~
Windpaw looked up brightly at Smokewhisker’s approach. The young warrior had been the first cat to greet Windpaw as a new apprentice and the small she-cat enjoyed speaking to her old friend.
‘Smokewhisker!’ she meowed happily in greeting, padding over to give the other she-cat a light sniff. ‘How’s the prey running.’
~
Smokewhisker gave Windpaw a mischievous look. ‘Well enough that I caught you and the other apprentice’s a breakfast. Look at the size of this rabbit. Sta—‘
Smokewhisker froze mid-sentence as she realized what she had been about to say. ‘Luck must have been with us,’ she finished lamely, a hot flush spreading through her pelt.