Ghosts of the Clans

Chapter 2

"Hey, Minnowtail, I'm back," Pinefur's mew jolted her back to the present. Minnowtail had been watching Mossykit and Hollowkit chase each around the camp, and she herself had been feeling sleepy, basking in the warmth of the sun.

'Oh, wha- ok, sorry," Minnowtail mumbled, blinking and getting to her paws and stretching until her hind legs trembled. Mossykit and Hollowkit rushed toward their mother, tails lashing excitedly. "Pinefur, you're back! Minnowtail played with us earlier, and she was so fun!" purred Hollowkit, winding himself among the brown tabby she-cat's legs.

Pinefur nuzzled the dark brown tabby tom then gave Mossykit a lick on her cheek. "Well, I'm back from hunting now. Want me to tell you about it?" "Yes, of course!" squeaked Mossykit enthusiastically, jumping into the air. Pinefur led them away from Minnowtail into the nursery, meowing, "Well, I caught this giant carp! You know, I almost drowned while catching it..."

Minnowtail watched them go, surprised to feel a pang of longing in her heart. For a strange reason, the ThunderClan warrior Mousewhisker's face flashed into her mind. When they were apprentices, he had quite obviously had a crush on her, but Minnowtail never felt anything towards him.

Pouncetail fell into step with her. "Minnowtail, I saw you playing with the kits before. Don't tell Pinefur, but I think she almost never plays with the kits, leaving them to play by themselves and wth the apprentices. I think it was a good thing you played with them- Pinefur always tells them to sleep!" Minnowtail spun around to face the ginger-and-white tom, her amber eyes wide. "Pouncetail, isn't Pinefur your mate? She literally has your kits, and there you are, complaining about her!"

Embarrassed, Pouncetail licked his chest fur. "I know, Minnowtail. But to be honest, I don't love Pinefur anymore. It was her who approached me first anyway, confessing that she liked me. I never loved Pinefur, Minnowtail. I like her, sure, but I've never loved Pinefur. If you ask me, when I was an apprentice, I liked you, Minnowtail."

Before Minnowtail could meow something, Pouncetail hurriedly added, "I don't anymore. But Minnowtail...I saw Pinefur hunting with Rainstorm and Duskfur. Yeah, Duskfur is her littermate, but Pinefur and Rainstorm were so close!"

Awkward now, Minnowtail flicked her tail and muttered, "Uhh, I've got to go hunt." She hurried away, her neck fur prickling with discomfort. She never had a mate, so why was Pouncetail confiding in her? And he liked Minnowtail as apprentices? She never knew, or noticed, that!

"Hey, Mistyfoot. Can I join you three?" Minnowtail called to the Clan deputy, who was leaving camp with Blackclaw and Robinwing. The pale blue-gray she-cat looked faintly surprised but agreed, signalling for her to join Robinwing at the rear.

"Okay, we'll hunt here," Mistyfoot paused at the stream, where trouts, carps and salmons were usually found. "Icewing's kits are going to be apprentices tonight, and they love salmon. Let's catch one. Blackclaw, hunt with me and Robinwing can go with Minnowtail."

They separated, and Minnowtail chose one part of the river where she could see a shoal of trout swimming beneath the surface. Flashing out a paw, she hooked one out skilfully, killing it cleanly with a bite to its spine. 

"Nice catch," Robinwing had caught a carp. He flung it to the pile and sat beside her. "Do you think you'll get an apprentice?" he questioned, keeping his pale green eyes fixed intently on the water. "I hope so. Too bad Pricklekit died; if he'd survived, there would be more chance that we would be mentors," Minnowtail replied shortly.

Feeling the urge to dive in overpower her, Minnowtail waded into the stream, letting the cool water lap at her paws. Strength flowing through her body, Minnowtail dived into the slightly deep water, startling some minnows. Well, I can't be picky. She grabbed four in her jaws in one bite and burst out of the water, flinging them onto the pile, gasping for air.

Robinwing let out a short purr. "My turn." He dived into the water while Minnowtail scanned the land for prey. Darting forward to grab a small water vole, she reflected that leaf-fall was coming soon. The Clan will need to stock up prey!

At last, the pale tortoiseshell-and-white tom emerged from the surface, panting and looking triumphant. In his jaws was a massive salmon! "Well done, Robinwing!" Mistyfoot and Blackclaw had arrived, with their jaws overflowing with prey. Minnowtail's jaws watered when she caught the mouth-watering scent of chub, her favourite prey.

"Let's get back to camp," Mistyfoot mumbled around her haul. Gripping the trout, minnows and water vole, Minnowtail noticed that although Robinwing was friendly, he wasn't too friendly. That's what I like, she thought contentedly.