Hostile

47

Days quietly passed since the omen from StarClan. And more and more each day Frostcloud felt confident in the peace within PineClans forest.

Currently, she sat perched on a smooth grey boulder. The stream of the brook in front of her lapped at the stone, but failed to reach her paws. There was a breeze, and Frostcloud's ruffled her coat against the wind.

Beyond the gentle babble of the brook, and occasional rustle of leaves in the pine, the forest was tame and quiet. Frostcloud's belly felt sore and she splayed her legs out, then laid on the rock like a starfish. She sighed heavily and absorbed the cold of the boulders surface.

In her belly, the kits kicked in protest. "Oh, hush." She said quietly to them with closed eyes, "You'll be plenty warm in the nursery."

With every day that passed, Frostcloud was growing more and more eager to have her kits. Her enormous belly grew heavier every morning she opened her eyes, and Frostcloud found herself out of breath just walking across camp.

Pawsteps were approaching. Frostcloud swivled her ears in their direction but otherwise didn't move.

"Hello, Frostcloud." Foxfang chirped.

The warrior lifted her head and blinked at the cats padding in her direction. Behind Foxfang was Ferretfur and Leafear. "You look like a turtle." The tortoishell teased.

"I feel like one." Frostcloud groaned as she heaved herself to her paws.

"Will you be moving to the nursery soon?" Ferretfur asked with a cocked head.

"I should." Frostcloud considered. She would have her kits on less than a moon. But Mosspool had just joined the warriors den. And for the first time in moons, Frostcloud was sleeping between her two closest friends once again.

"Should you be out here alone?" Leafear asked with her head back squinted eyes.

"Er- what do you mean?" Frostcloud asked uncertainly.

Leafear shrugged, "Well. Even till the day I kitted, I had no issue moving around. I could still hunt and patrol if I wanted to, but with Dustclaw's insistence, I rested, of course. You, however..." Leafear looked Frostcloud up and down critically as her voice trailed off.

Frostcloud shifted the weight on her paws awkwardly under the warrior's scrutinizing gaze. Her pelt felt hot and the tip of her tail twitch in discomfort while she searched for her words.

But it was Foxfang who spoke up, "Yeah, you must be carrying half of PineClan, Frostcloud." She teased, "It's a good thing I was made a warrior when I was. You could hardly keep up with me before- imagine battle training now."

Frostcloud gave a playfully scoff, "We'd probably practice hunting twigs again when I got tired of you."

Foxfang purred loudly. "Well." Leafear chimed in once more, "Why don't we take you back to camp? Ferretfur caught a large squirrel. I'm sure that half-Clan of yours would love it."

At the notion, Frostcloud felt her belly twist in hunger, and several tiny paws kicked from within, as if begging for the meal. Leafear turned to her daughters, "Would you fetch our kills? We'll meet you back in camp."

Foxfang dipped her head before she and her sister bounded off into the trees. Frostcloud took a final drink from the brook before she and Leafear began the short trip back to camp. Although Frostcloud moved as fast as she could, she felt acutely aware that Leafear had dulled her pace to keep up with her.

Frostcloud clenched her teeth together to keep from panting. Though it was almost freezing out, her body felt hotter and hotter with each step she took.

"Great job!" Came Duskfur. Frostcloud's ears swiveled in the direction of his voice. Duskfur's tail was raised in delight as he watched something higher in his vision. Following his gaze, Frostcloud spotted Smallpaw lunging up a small, twisted tree. On one of the higher branches, Shaleshimmer was waiting.

Frostcloud twitched her whiskers when the apprentice reached the branch. Smallpaw celebrated, then suddenly, cried in excited alarm. Frostcloud followed her eyes towards the sky, where she spotted snow begin to sprinkle down the forest.

"Oh, StarClan. So it begins." Leafear murmured with disdain.

Leaf-bare was here. The dwindling fresh-kill pile will now almost constantly rest in a state of empty, and hungry moons awaited the PineCats. But, still, this was Smallpaws first time seeing snow, and Frostcloud couldn't help but share her excitement from a tree-length away.

"See that, Duskfur?" Shaleshimmer jested as she ruffled her fluffy coat boldly, "Your toes are about to be very cold."

The two she-cats continued on and soon left ear-shot of the other warriors and the apprentice. Not long after, they strode into camp. They hadn't even cleared the gorse entrance with Ferretfur and Foxfang caught up, each carrying prey.

Frostcloud collected her promised squirrel before she joined Mosspool and Slatethorn near the warriors den. Snow that floated into camp melted only moments after reaching the ground, but still, the next time it visited the forest Frostcloud couldn't expect it would be so temporary.