CotS #2: A Brighter Future (currently being rewritten)

Chapter Seven

They found a small den-like area and stopped for the night. Tawnystripe stopped gratefully, and most cats seemed pleased with the idea of getting some sleep. Even though Rainpaw hated sleeping because it was wasting time and she never saw her family in her dreams anyway, she still welcomed the rest. She was fatigued. But the Clan needed prey, so Rainpaw volunteered to go hunting. Rosestream went with her, looking extremely worried. As if only then remembering Rainpaw was actually his apprentice, Duckstep also volunteered, so three of them along with Goldenwind went out hunting. An awfully small patrol, but few cats were awake anyway because everyone was so tired from walking all day.

"How's training, Rainpaw?" Goldenwind asked her, as if trying to start a conversation.

Rainpaw shrugged. "Haven't really done any in a while." The truth. Rainpaw hadn't had much time to do any training because they had just been walking and walking and walking and walking and walking. Rosestream had promised to train her the next day, though.

Goldenwind purred, amused. "So cute!" she meowed. Rainpaw glared at her. She. Was. Not. Cute. Only Silverdusk had EVER told her that, and Rainpaw had cuffed her mother's ear. Still, she refrained from attacking the deputy because, well, she needed to stay on good terms with Goldenwind if she ever wanted to be a warrior.

They managed to bring back a tiny amount of prey: Three pigeons and a scrawny mouse. All the cats who were still awake ate the prey. No one seemed to notice that that meant Tawnystripe wouldn't get any, even though she was an expectant queen. Tawnystripe's swollen belly jutted out from a bony frame, and every cat knew she definitely wasn't getting enough to eat. Still, what could they do? She was expecting kits in winter. That was the norm.

In the morning they got up and trekked further. They passed a strip of Twoleg nests and the Twolegs offered them kittypet slop. Most of the warriors declined, but Skystrike and Nightfall had some and found they liked it. Soon enough, those two had become kittypets.

Wheatpelt's only remaining kit, Fluffytail, stuck closer to her mother than ever. Icestar was also terrified by the amount of cats they were losing. In one moon, Chiveleaf, Dawnmist, Silverysky, Duskypelt, Stormypelt, Barbtail, Bramblefrost, Lilypool, Skystrike and Nightfall were gone. Rainpaw didn't exactly care, but Icestar was worried about the future of her remaining cats.

"At least we don't have to split the prey so many ways anymore," Rainpaw meowed. "And we all know Barbtail was coming awfully close to expecting Bramblefrost's kits." She was trying, determinedly, to help Icestar see the bright side. Unfortunately, her leader's eyes narrowed.

"Rainpaw, new kits are a blessing," Icestar snapped, with a sidelong glance at Tawnystripe. The queen was scarfing down a tiny mouse. It seemed like only a little, but the rest of the Clan had about three cats sharing a tiny piece of prey. Every cat was hungry.

After three more moons of journeying and training, they finally found a strip of leafy green forests. Winter was over but sadly, not all of their cats had made it. Woodfur and Amberfire had starved to death together, and so had Oakbark.

Tawnystripe would be raising another litter on her own: Oakkit, Barkkit and Duskkit. They were a litter of all toms. Meanwhile, they had made new warriors. Brightgleam and Darkflame, and Silkyleaf, Glazeshimmer and Mountainpeak.

SeasonClan settled down in the lush green forest and hunted until they were all full. There was an abundance of prey and every cat was happy. However, there were other cats here, living on the moor and the river. They were BreezeClan and WaveClan.

So far, they were friendly, as long as SeasonClan didn't trespass on their territory. They were quite happy to give away their forests, as none of their cats hunted them. That was about the only thing pleasing to SeasonClan that day.