Warriors AU: Fire and Ice

Chapter 11

"Another day of sunshine!" Sandstorm purred to Silverstream, feeling his pale ginger pelt glow in the weak morning sun. Thanks to the fine weather, he had visited Olive nearly every day recently, slipping away to see her between patrols, hunting, and training sessions. Now he walked with his friend along the short trail to the sandy hollow where Cinderpaw and Sorrelpaw would be waiting.

"Let's hope it stays clear for the rest of leaf-bare," Silverstream meowed. Sandstorm knew how much his thick-coated friend hated rain—when Silverstream's fur got wet, it clung to him and stayed damp long after Sandstorm's shorter fur had dried off.

The two warriors arrived at the edge of the hollow just as Cinderpaw pounced on a pile of frosty leaves, sending them flying in all directions. He leaped and twisted to catch one as it fluttered back to the ground.

Sandstorm and Silverstream glanced at each other, amused.

"At least Cinderpaw will be warmed up and ready for today's assignment," Silverstream observed.

Sorrelpaw jumped to his paws and looked up at his mentor, his eyes wide. "Good morning, Silverstream," he meowed. "What is today's assignment?"

"A hunting mission," Silverstream told him. He padded down into the hollow, followed by Sandstorm.

"Where?" mewed Cinderpaw, dashing toward them. "What are we going to catch?"

"We're going to Sunningrocks," Sandstorm replied, suddenly sharing his enthusiasm. "And we'll catch whatever we can."

"I'd like to catch a vole," declared Cinderpaw. "I've never tasted vole."

"I'm afraid everything we catch today goes straight back to the elders," Silverstream warned. "But I'm sure if you asked one of them nicely, they'd be happy to share."

"Okay," mewed Cinderpaw. "Which way is Sunningrocks?" He bounded up one side of the hollow and peered into the forest, his tail sticking straight up.

"This way!" meowed Sandstorm, leaping up the opposite side.

"Okay." Cinderpaw raced down the slope, across the hollow, and up to Sandstorm's side, sending fallen leaves flying everywhere.

Silverstream leaped up and caught one as it drifted past his nose. He pinned it to the ground with a purr of satisfaction and saw Sorrelpaw staring at him. 'Er, never miss a chance to practice your hunting skills," Silverstream told him quickly.

The four cats made their way along the familiar scent trails to Sunningrocks. The sun was above the trees by the time they emerged into open territory. Ahead of them, a slope of rock rose out of the soft earth, its smooth surface lined with cracks. The cats had to narrow their eyes as they looked at it. After the shade of the woods, the flat rock face reflected the sun with dazzling glare.

"This is Sunningrocks," Sandstorm announced, blinking. "Come on!"

"Mrrrrr! It feels nice!" mewed Cinderpaw as he raced up the stone slope behind him. Sandstorm realized he was right. The stone felt comfortingly warm and smooth after the ice-cold forest floor.

They rested at the top, where the far side fell away steeply to the forest. Sandstorm listened for the gentle bubbling of the river that followed the Riverclan border, flowing down from the uplands. It touched the Sunningrocks before turning to run deeper into Riverclan territory. He could barely hear it—perhaps the water was low after the dry weather.

Sandstorm stretched out, enjoying the warmth of the rock beneath him and the soft heat of the sun on his pelt. He closed his eyes, feeling proud to be lying here, a place where generations of Thunderclan cats had come to warm themselves, and which they had battled hard to keep.