Decisions (A Warrior Cats Fanfiction, Take Two)

Chapter Nine

Yellow, orange, red, and brown colored dead leaves spiraled towards the frosty forest ground. The wind blew cold air through the camp. Copperpaw shifted in her warm nest, glad she didn't have to go on the dawn patrol. She had been asleep until Sunpaw had stepped on her tail, on her way to do just that. Her friend and her siblings were 9 moons, so they could finally join the border patrols. With the rogues still bothering the Clan, young apprentices couldn't join border patrols.

Now she was laying her nest, pressed against Mistypaw, Birchpaw, Hiddenpaw, and Gorsepaw. Because she was the oldest apprentice, her nest was in the middle of the den. She was gratefully for this because even though it had only been leaf-fall for a moon and a half, the temperature was still freezing at night. Mistypaw was the only other cat completely surrounded by other apprentices. Sunpaw and Gorsepaw had already started arguing over who would get her nest when she became a warrior, even though that wouldn't be for another quarter moon or two, maybe even a full moon or longer. Copperpaw was only eleven moons.

~•~

Something grey and soft nudged Copperpaw awake. She didn't remember falling back asleep, and partly wished she hadn't. It would of been nice to wander around the frost covered camp clearing before everyone woke up. Well now she was completly rested, which was better anyway.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, too tired to make herself completely audible.

"We're on a morning hunting patrol. Wake up!" Mistypaw quietly hissed in her friend's ear, which meant some lucky cat was still sleeping.

Copperpaw shook herself awake, standing. The tiredness quickly drained out of her and she breathed in the pleasant, fading scent of icy air. Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw were still snoring, pressed closely together. Mistypaw moved over to a snoring Gorsepaw, flicking his ear playfully.

"Ouch." he muttered, rolling to get away. "What is it?" He opened one eye, examined the den, and then closed it.

"You're on the other morning hunting patrol. Its morning, half the Clan is awake, and everyone else is getting up. You need to too. Cedareplt said if you don't, you get to train with Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw instead of going on the sunhigh border patrol." Mistypaw told her brother.

"Ok, ok! I'm awake!" Copperpaw had never seen Gorsepaw get up so fast.

"Quiet!" Birchpaw grumbled, pawing at his ears.

"Sorry."

The three apprentices left the den, stretching and yawning as the sun hit their fur. The frost was already melting, the sun warming the camp. The three moon old kits, Barkit, Jaykit, Rainkit, and Ashkit, chased each other around in circles, sliding on the wet ground. Fernfur watched her kits protectively while Mossstar sat on the high rock, sprawled out in the new day's sun.

Two groups of cats waited at the camp entrance, the morning hunting patrols. Gorsepaw scampered away, surprisingly not the last cat his patrol was waiting for. Other cats slipped out of camp, all in groups of two or more because of the rogues, some to hunt, some to just enjoy the forest. Other cats were grooming each other or talking or resting in the sun, trying to squeeze in a few more moments of sleep before Clan life began. Copperpaw and Mistypaw headed towards Mousesplash and Archfoot who were waiting patiently. The other patrol was already leaving, Featherburr in the lead with Cedarpelt, Gorsepaw, and Fallenthorn following.

Mousesplash nodded at the apprentices kindly and turned, the elderly warrior exiting the camp.

Copperpaw kept her jaws open, tasting the air for scents of prey while at the same time looking for any signs something edible had been near recently. With the weather getting colder, prey was becoming scarce, but no cat was starving, yet.

Archfoot haulted, causing the rest of the cats to freeze automatically. Silently, he flicked his tail towards a blackbird, hopping around on the ground. The rest of the group staid silent as the warrior began to move forward. He crouched, ready to leap. He jumped and the bird fluttered, trying to escape. Claws dug into its wings, bringing it back down. Archfoot bit into the bird's back, killing it quickly. He buried it under some dirt and leaves to protect it from scavengers as the group congratulated him on the catch.

~•~

Copperpaw entered camp proudly with a shrew clamped in her jaw. Mistypaw stood next to her, a mouse tail clenched in her teeth, the body dangling at her neck. They brought their prey over to the fresh-kill pile and set it down. "Do you know if the elders, kits, and queen have been fed yet?" Copperpaw asked.

Mistypaw shook her head. She grey and white she-cat was about to say something until Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw came over. In the last moon, they had grown a lot. They could no longer be mistaken for kits, even six moon old ones.

"We did everything this morning." Birchpaw said, answering the question.

"Brought prey, cleaned bedding," Hiddenpaw added on to his brother.

"We were stuck hunting ticks while you were out hunting." Birchpaw finished with a groan.

Mistypaw purred at the toms and Copperpaw grinned a bit, not knowing what to say. She didn't know Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw that well, but they were denmates, so she shouldn't of really been surprised they had come to talk to the she-cats.

"You two got to sleep in. Poor Sunpaw was on the dawn patrol, what are you complaining about?" Mistypaw meowed.

"We're complaining about apprentice chores, weren't you listenning?" Hiddenpaw said, causing the four to laugh.

"So." Birchpaw stretched his paws out as everyone quieted, "What now? Hollystep and Eagleclaw seem to be on patrol."

"I heard they are together." Hiddenpaw said, sitting down. "For what we do, I guess we wait for a patrol to join."

Birchpaw nodded, sitting down. The two toms began to chat about Clan gossip.

The wind shifted, reminding Copperpaw and Mistypaw they were standing next to a pile of prey. Their stomaches rumbled in unison and they turned to the pile. "Lets share a fish. It will save prey for the other cats with it being leaffall." Mistypaw told her friend.

Copperpaw nodded, picking out a fish caught by the other morning hunting patrol. She and Mistypaw brought it over to the apprentice den, were they almost always ate. The thought of patrols reminded her of Gorsepaw. She took a few bites, unable to wait any longer, and swallowed quickly before asking, "Do you know what we're doing next?" to Mistypaw. She seemed to always know the plans. Mistypaw nodded. "We have climbing training with Morningsky at sunhigh."

Climbing? Copperpaw loved climbing. She looked up at the sky eagerly, disappointed to see the sun wouldn't reach the sky's peak for a little while longer. As she focused back down on her friend and their meal, she noted that Barkpaw and Hiddenpaw had disappeared somewhere, probably to join another hunting patrol.

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June 18, 2015
Why did Wattpad have to delete the lovely little text that told you when what part was published? Now I have no clue if I need to rush a update or not because I don't know when I last updated. At least they added the preview, so I can see how long my chapter will look to mews. -Katty