WARRIORS: Snowdrift's Promise

Chapter 7

Snowpaw woke in her nest, her belly rumbled in the middle of the night, waking her. 'That lizard probably wasn't enough to satisfy my hunger...' She thought to herself. Standing, she slunk out of the Apprentices Den and at the corner of her eyes she spotted two tiny bodies sneaking out of the Dirtplace Tunnel. Snowpaw purred in amusement. 'Clever, silly, kits...' She thought before rushing to keep up with the kits. Her blue eyes scanned outside the Dirtplace Tunnel and then spotted the two kits trying to go deeper into the marshes,"And where do you think your going?" The apprentice questioned, causing the two kits to whirl around and face her with wide eyes. One of the kits, Littlekit, looked at Snowpaw,"It was Shadekit's idea!" She squeaked, pointing to her dark furred brother. The small black tom stared at his litter mate in shock which soon turned to a look of protest,"I did not, mouse-brain!" He hissed, glaring at his sister with lovely violet pools. Littlekit glared at her brother until Snowpaw cleared her throat,"We must head back to camp, Windpelt must be worried about you." She mewed, herding the two protesting kits through the Dirtplace Tunnel and met up with Windpelt,"Thank Starclan you found them..." She sighed with relief and rushed over,"Both of you, back to the Nursery." She ordered her kits, watching them scamper off to the Nursery. Windpelt turned to the apprentice, her pale green eyes filled with relief,"Thank you Snowpaw, if it wasn't for you, my kits would've been out in the forest." She mewed gratefully. A purr rumbled in the apprentice's throat as she smiled,"No problem, Windpelt." She said, walking out of the Dirtplace with Windpelt. Windpelt touched her nose to Snowpaw's forehead,"You better get back to bed, you'll be woken at dawn for training." She meowed gently. Snowpaw nodded and went to the Apprentices Den, her silver fur brushed lightly at the bramble thicket that made the Apprentices Den. Making her way to her nest, she curled up in a small fluffy, silver ball. She slowly allowed sleep to engulf her as her mind went black.

Dawn soon came and Shadowstep's new sounded from the Entrance,"Snowpaw, wake up. It's time to start a hunting patrol." He mewed, his black and red tabby fur shone sleek on his muscular frame. "Alright, Shadowstep, I'm up." Snowpaw mewed and stood, shaking moss from her pelt. She went to the entrance and joined up with her mentor. "Go ahead and groom yourself and have something to eat. Witherpaw was whining to Sonicstep that your belly kept rumbling and kept him awake." The deputy stifled a purr of amusement. Snowpaw flushed slightly and then nodded to Shadowstep,"Ok." She mewed, racing to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a tiny yet scrawny shrew. "Why not get some plump prey, youngster? That tiny shrew isn't gonna fill your belly." Rasped a voice behind the apprentice. Whirling around, Snowpaw was face to face with Ironwill,"Well I... I felt I'm disobeying the Warrior Code if I take the plump prey without feeding my clan." She mewed, her tail twitched innocently. "But you were given permission." Ironwill soothed, her ears twitched when he noticed Windpelt pad over,"And you deserve the plumpest piece of fresh-kill! You managed to save my kids before they slunk too far into the forest." She mewed with joy. "Really? When was that!?" Ironwill gasped, looking at the young apprentice. Windpelt purred deeply,"Just after Moonhigh. I was asleep and my kits skunk away and she spotted them right outside the Dirtplace Tunnel." She meowed to the Elder. "Well well well. You do deserve quite the meal." He said, a shaky purr rumbled in his throat,"And don't say that you have had enough since you were apprenticed! I saw you pick up that tiny lizard. And that shrew won't do you as good as a plump rabbit would." Ironwill pointed out. His black fur was sprinkled with silver hairs indicating the fact he was old. Snowpaw sighed,"But it still feels wrong. I'll eat after the patrol." She then decided giving herself a few licks before rushing off to her mentor. Shadowstep looked at his apprentice,"Your not gonna eat?" he meowed surprised, her ears twitched. The she-cat apprentice shook her small wolf-like head and looked at the Deputy,"No, it doesn't feel right to eat before the elders and kits. Plus they were nagging me about eating a plump rabbit instead of that tiny shrew..." She sighed, running ahead of her mentor. Shadowstep shook out his black-tabby fur and rushed off to meet the pace of his apprentice,"Slow down! The slower you are the better you are at hunting." he mewed, his paws slowing down. Snowpaw obeyed her mentor and slowly began to bring herself into a slow, steady pace. She rose her muzzle and tasted the air for any possible prey. Her ears perked to rustling at her right flank, a mouse was searching the marsh-undergrowth for food. Dropping to a low hunter's crouch, she slowly began to creep forward, looking around her surroundings to be sure her paws weren't stepping on anything noisy. Bringing the strength to her haunches, she reared and pounced forward, landing a few tail-lengths ahead and her paws hit square on the mouse, squishing it. She puffed out her fur in triumph and notice the mouse was a carrying female,"Shadowstep! Come look at this!" She called to the deputy. The tom lifted his head with a plump blackbird and a small shrew hanging from his jaws,"What is it?" he asked, his voice muffled in the feathers of the blackbird and the fur of the shrew. Snowpaw picked up the dead, pregnant mouse,"This mouse is expecting kits! Maybe Windpelt should eat this mouse so her milk supply stays and the kits can have extra nutrients!" She suggested with glee. The black and red tom gave a nod of approval,"Good idea Snowpaw. Here lets put our prey under a pile of leaves and hunt alittle more before returning to camp." he suggested, covering the three pieces of fresh-kill under the moist leaves. After a few minutes, Snowpaw and Shadowstep had a blackbird, a shrew, 2 mice, and a vole. Snowpaw picked up the mice and vole in her jaws while Shadowstep picked up the shrew and blackbird and took it back to camp. Snowpaw dropped her catch in the fresh-kill pile and picked up the dead, expecting mouse and went to the nursery. "Windpelt, look! I caught a expecting mouse and I thought you should have it!" She mewed happily. Windpelt looked up, blinking away sleep and purred,"Thank you, Snowpaw, the unborn fetuses inside the mouse has good nutrients." She mewed and ate the mouse taking two of the five unborn fetuses out of the mouse and giving it to her kits so they could eat it fresh and then ate the other fetuses. Joy surged through Snowpaw as she rushed out and got Ironwill a vole and took it to him,"Here, I'll be back soon to clean out your bedding." She mewed, running off to get the moss and cleaned out the Nursery and then went to the Elder's Den. Windpelt and Ironwill watched as Snowpaw looked more intrested in caring for her clan then herself.

Windpelt ruffled her fur,"Ironwill... Im scared she'll die from lack of energy with all she does for the clan, is it safe that she keeps going like this?" She looked at the old tom. The former medicine cat shook his head,"Im afraid not, she must be postponed to as many duties for a couple of sunrises. She can sleep in the elders den with me and be cared for like an elder." He mewed. "That will do her some good, she was always a sickly kit from the start." Windpelt replied, giving her chest a few good licks. "Come on, Darkstar should know about our plan." He mewed and led the way to the Leader's Den with Windpelt at his heels,"Darkstar?" He rasped. The silver tom rose his head and responded,"Come in." He called out. Ironwill and Windpelt padded in,"Darkstar, we are worried about Snowpaw, she is overdoing her duties.." She mewed with a worried tone. Darkstar's head rose as he turned to look at the queen and elder,"Why do you say that?" He questioned, his whiskers twitched. "You know how sickly she's been... Over doing it like this can make her sick again... Me and Ironwill have spoken and we think she should live in the Elders Den for a few sunrises and be treated like an elder while she learns it's better not to over do things." Windpelt mewed, her silver fur puffed out slightly. Darkstar thought for a few heart-beats before nodding,"Alright. I'll tell Shadowstep. The clan can be told through him. It's better not to announce it like a ceremony." He mewed and rose from his nest,"She can have five days to a moon if needed. If she over does things again then she can have this accommodation for if she does too much." Darkstar mewed, he then sighed,"I seen how she eats... She picks the most pitiful pieces at prey when her duties are done and expects it to fill her belly..." He mewed softly. Windpelt nodded, concern filled her pale green gaze,"I know how you feel... She is taking her duties by heart, but, even that can overexert her." She mewed, shuffling her paws lightly. Her tail tip brushed her leader's cheek and purred,"I just hope this plan works..." She mewed with unease. Darkstar touched his nose to his mate's cheek,"I hope so too, Windpelt." He then nodded to dismiss his mate and the elder.