Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 21:

Brambleberry stared at Heatherfoot with worry as she had another bought of coughing. All the cats in the clan had become thin from lack of prey, and what was worse, most of them had greencough. Mistcloud, Ripplewave, Adderfang, Pebbleheart, and a few others had it, and they weren't doing so well. Blacktalon nudged his mate's shoulder and stared at Brambleberry with a sad expression.

He turned away from his parents and padded away, searching for Hawkwing. She was tumbling around with Pebblekit, Riverkit, and Snowkit as Brightface watched them with amused eyes. He was a couple fox-lengths away when he heard the silver tabby queen speak to the brown she-cat.

"You know, you would be a great mother. Are you sure you aren't ready for kits yet?" She mewed staring at her friend with amusement. Hawkwing rolled over onto her belly and groaned.

"Brightface, I'm sure I'm not ready. And besides, I don't want to have kits in Leafbare. Especially when we have little prey and are plagued with greencough." She mewed, staring down at Snowkit as he tripped over her paw. But he was up and playing with his littermates a couple seconds afterward. Pebblekit had somehow climbed to her head and was sticking his paws in her face.

Brightface let out a purr of amusement as she stared at the look Hawkwing gave her. The brown she-cat was frozen to the spot, trying not to move. She was afraid that Pebblekit would fall off and hurt himself if she moved. But he clambered off her head and rolled down her side to the ground, squealing with delight the whole time.

"Alright you three, let's go inside. It's getting too cold." Brightface mewed, nudging Snowkit as he passed by her to get into the nursery. Riverkit rolled away from Hawkwing's tail and bounded after her brother. Pebblekit glanced back at the brown she-cat with wide blue eyes and chirped a farewell before padding inside the nursery.

Hawkwing purred and turned around to pad away, but she crashed into Brambleberry and almost sent them tumbling to the ground.

For a moment, the dark brown tabby was reminded of the time the brown warrior used to crash into him and they were sent sprawling into the dust. It made Brambleberry's heart ache for times like that to happen again. But they may never happen.

Didn't stop him from hoping though.

Hawkwing scrambled away from Brambleberry, her fur fluffed up and eyes wide before they glared at him angrily.

"What in Starclan's name do you want now?!" She hissed, fur lying flat. Brambleberry blinked and looked around at the cats around camp. Most of them were too sick to do anything.

"Will you hunt with me? The clan needs prey and we're all they have left for hunters. Icewing is too busy trying to spend time with his kits, Brightface is stuck in the nursery, and most of the good hunters are stuck in the medicine cat den." He mewed, flicking his tail. Hawkwing frowned and looked around camp.

"Hmm. Alright, but only because we need the prey. And I could use a little air." She mewed, padding after Brambleberry. He bit back a purr of happiness and tried to fight the urge to leap for joy. Even if it was only because she was trying to help the clan, he didn't care because she was agreeing to go hunting with him.

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"We're going to have to learn how to hunt mice, birds, and other woodland prey at this rate." Hawkwing mewed as she stared at the lake. As soon as the snow had come, the lake froze over, giving Waterclan no food. They ate fish, and all the water was covered with ice, so they didn't have prey to hunt for.

Brambleberry looked at her if she was absolutely insane.

"We can't hunt woodland prey! We're Waterclan, not Cloudclan or Treeclan!" He spat out the other clans' names as if they gave him a bad taste. Hawkwing turned to him sharply and growled.

"Well we won't have a choice if the lake doesn't thaw out!" She hissed angrily. Brambleberry opened his mouth to say something when the bushes rustled across the stream and a Sandclan patrol padded out. Darkheart, Owlsong, Sandfang, and Cloudclaw spotted them and Sandfang growled at Hawkwing. She stood still and gave the small sand colored she-cat an emotionless look before she turned her gaze to Darkheart.

He dipped his head to her curtly and she did the same in greeting.

"Hawkwing, we should go back to camp." Brambleberry mewed, glaring at the grey and black Sandclan tom. Darkheart blinked his amber eyes and looked back towards Owlsong as she mewed something into his ear. He nodded and turned back towards his friend on the other side of the stream.

"We must be leaving now. Goodbye for now, or at least until the gathering, Hawkwing." He mewed before padding away. Hawkwing mewed a soft goodbye and her eyes traveled towards Brambleberry. She looked at him with surprised emerald eyes.

"I'm surprised you haven't jumped at the chance to claw their pelts off." She mewed, staring at him with narrowed eyes. Brambleberry blinked and turned to her.

"I wouldn't win. There isn't much prey and the clan is weak. I'm not about to give Sandclan a reason to attack us." He mewed, unsheathing his claws. 'Even though I want to fight them', he thought bitterly. Hawkwing sighed and padded away from the stream with Brambleberry at her heels. He glanced over his shoulder at the Sandclan border one last time before he turned away and continued to follow the brown she-cat.

This was going to be a long hunt.