Hostile

48

"Join me for a walk?" Warmheart asked, pulling Frostcloud from her slumber. She twitched her ears, and forced her fur to lie flat, as she didn't want to make it known she may have not a little bit irritated the red warrior pulled her from her sleep.

"I'd love to." She lied, ungracefully lifting herself to her paws.

The other warriors had cleared the den already, as it was just past dawn and the morning patrols were being formed and leaving camp.

Frostcloud felt exhausted all the time. If Warmheart hadn't woke her, she could have probably slept the entire day. Which, she had found herself doing more and more often. Several days had passed since she she had the squirrel Leafear offered. Since then, Frostcloud hadn't left camp.

Leafear was right. If something came after Frostcloud, like an owl or a porcupine, she wouldn't stand a chance against it. Guilt prodded at her for endangering her unborn kits.

Frostcloud followed Warmheart out of the warriors den. Frostcloud had to squeeze from the tighr entrance, which gripped her bubble belly uncomfortably.

Icy frost clung to the bramble surrounding camp and it cast a sparkle against the morning sun. Warmheart padded gracefully towards the gorse entrance, and Frostcloud followed suit, wishing she appeared half as put together as the senior queen.

"Thank you for joining me." Warmheart huffed as she circled camp briskly towards the brook behind the settlement. As she spoke, patches of fog escaped her lips and dissipated into the treetops.

"Of course." Frostcloud panted.

At her voice, Warmheart dropped her pace. "I'm sorry, Frostcloud. You're a half-moon further along than me."

The she-cats followed the brook slowly as the younger warrior caught her breath. Despite the irritation she woke up with, Frostcloud felt grateful to feel the warmth of her blood pump through her veins against the brisk morning.

"I don't know how you do this, Warmheart." Said Frostcloud after some time, breaking the silence. The cats neared MarshClans border. Fog fell from the dense trees across the territory line, rolling into PineClans land and altogether dissolving against the more open air.

"You will once you've kitted." Warmheart sighed longingly. "I think it's time I join the nursery."

"If you do, I'll join." Frostcloud said. She sat down heavily and sniffed the warmly-tinted fog ahead of her. "Buckheart's probably sick of my snoring." She joked.

Warmheart cocked her head, "Has he said anything?"

"Oh, of course not." Frostcloud purred.

"Good!" Warmheart chirped. "We all deal with his snoring. The last thing any tom should do is complain about his mates discomfort."

The she-cats began their walk back along the brook in the direction of camp. "The Gathering is in a few days. Will you be going?" Warmheart asked.

Frostcloud scoffed at the notion, "Whitestar would have to carry me if he even dared to ask."

Warmheart gave an amused purr. Frostcloud focused on putting one paw in front of the other as they continued their hike. When she arrived back to camp, she'd have to ask one of the apprentices to fetch her a new nest when they returned.

Frostcloud's tail touched Warmhearts as they continued their trek. She felt so grateful for the opportunity to share the nursery with the she-cat. Unlike Mosspool, Frostcloud wouldn't have to experience being in the nursery alone. She would have another experienced queen to ask for advice towards the complexity of motherhood.

The thick bramble that concealed camp peaked into view. The sky above was cloudless and bright blue, but regardless, the sun failed to warm the forest. On a walk that Frostcloud would normally be able to spot several different preys scent-trails, she hadn't caught a single one. Not that she would be able to follow suit after them anyway.

She hoped the remainder of the Clan was having better luck.