Ashstar's Tale ✅

Chapter 1 - Rabbit-brain

The trees were swaying, buffeted by the breeze. The tall grass tickled Ashfeather's nose as she crept silently after her prey. Two brown rabbits were sitting in the middle of the clearing, nibbling on grass. Without turning her head, Ashfeather saw Bluetail and Tigertooth split off from each other and take a wide approach. Snowbreeze crouched on the other side. Ashfeather checked her position. She was downwind. She checked her stance and what was under her feet. Perfect.

"Go!" Ashfeather hissed, and the patrol shot forward. Snowbreeze pounced on the smaller rabbit, driving it into Tigertooth's paws. The brown tabby immediately gave it the killing bite. The rabbit that Bluetail had sprang on had slipped under her claws and had gotten away, no matter how fast Ashfeather chased after it, she could not catch it.

"Rabbit-brain!" she cursed as she slowed her pawsteps, and heard laughter behind her at the curse.

The grey warrior turned around and pelted back to her patrolmates.

"It's okay," Snowbreeze sympathized, still wheezing. "You'll get some more prey later."

"I think I will," Ashfeather murmured as squirrel scent hit her tounge, nodding to her sister. "You guys go back, I'll try to catch this."

With that the patrol split up. Ashfeather looked up at the towering oaks, following the scent of the prey. She soon spotted the creature, sitting on the middle branches of an oak tree. Thankfully, there was a wide berth around it, and to leave the tree, the squirrel could only go down.

Flattening her ears and unsheathing her claws, Ashfeather began to climb. She climbed silently and swiftly, barely daring to breathe as she neared her prey. She unhooked her front paws from the tree, aimed...and pounced!

The squirrel looked up, terrified, but it had nowhere to go. Ashfeather bit it's neck and it fell limp.

I dont want to carry this down the tree.. she thought. Peering down, she saw a gap between the branches that went all the way to the forest floor. Carefully she dropped the squirrel and it gently hit the ground. She slid down the tree, sometimes jumping from branch to branch in the means of getting down.

Ashfeather dragged the squirrel through the camp entrance.

I'm so glad we found this place to live after RowanClan drove us away from the hollow. There's a stream in the middle of the clearing, but the kits drive us crazy trying to swim. There's prey everywhere! Some of it acts like it's never seen cats before. The dens are bigger than they were, back in the hollow, and the territory is sufficient for us, she thought, sidestepping aside absentmindedly as Streamkit bounced around, chasing after Nutkit and Acornkit, who had just hared past.

Amberleaf bounded up to Ashfeather.

"Hi, Ashfeather!" she said cheerfully. "Guess what! I'm expecting kits!" she bounced on her paws, waiting for her reaction.

Ashfeather dropped her squirrel. "No way! With Treestorm?" she asked, looking up into Amberleaf's face excitedly.

"Yes!" Amberleaf answered. "Goldenstripe says four moons to go!" Then she narrowed her eyes. "What about you? You should stop doing every dawn patrol and settle down with a mate and kits!"

Ashfeather licked her chest modestly. In truth, she really wanted to be the deputy. Her mother, Silverstar, had been a great leader, and Ashfeather wanted to follow in her pawsteps until StarClan claimed her to be one of them.

"I want to protect this Clan as much as I can!" she insisted. "I have no time for a mate or kits."

Amberleaf shook her head. "Well, there that goes. Good luck, I guess," she said abruptly as she bounded away.

Ashfeather picked up her squirrel again and put it on the fresh-kill pile. Looking up, she found Waterstar sitting elegantly outside her den, looking warmly at her former apprentice.

"Hello, Waterstar," said Ashfeather, narrowing her eyes respectively.

"Ashfeather," Waterstar greeted her. "How's the prey running?"

"All good, I caught a squirrel and a vole today," Ashfeather said.

"That's awesome! Alas, I have grave news. Featherwing is sick."

"How sick?" asked Ashfeather anxiously.

Waterstar shook her head. "Goldenstripe and Willownose are trying all they can, but he's getting worse. I will have to pick another deputy if he doesn't get better," she muttered and sighed, raising her eyes up.

I want to be that deputy, Ashfeather decided. Nutkit, Streamkit, and Acornkit are almost old enough to be apprentices, and me and my littermates are mature enough to be mentors. I just hope leader will choose me as a mentor. That's the only way I'll follow in Silverstar's pawsteps. With a pang she thought of her mother, who had died when RowanClan drove them out. She pushed the vision of Silverstar huddled against the rock, after the big brown cat had killed her, out of her head.

Ashfeather looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking, inch by inch into the trees, and the first stars were coming out. One star was right above Ashfeather, and she felt warmed that Silverstar was still watching over her from StarClan. She went over to the fresh kill pile and took a rabbit. Ashfeather bit into the flank, and warm meat flooded over her mouth. She ate it slowly, savoring every bite. After she finished and licked her lips, Ashfeather picked her way up to the roomy warriors den, which was in the space that the fallen tree had given, complete with brambles for the drafts and ferns to cover the entrance She lay down, clawing her moss up into a satisfactory lump, and closed her eyes. Before she drifted off to sleep, one thought came to mind. This is how life always should be. Peaceful.