Leafshadow's War [Warrior Cats]

Chapter Two

A dark tabby she-cat stalked through a sparse forest of pines, scenting the air. Each pawstep was carefully calculated, all of her senses alert. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as she closed in on her target - a minor. It was sitting in one of the trees, on a low-hanging branch. She was downwind. This would go smoothly.

She froze as it glanced in her direction. Her dark pelt was suited to the marshy forests that were ShadowClan territory, and she blended in perfectly. Nonetheless she remained tense as it scanned the area. It quickly looked away again, suspecting nothing, and the warrior heaved a sigh of relief.

She took another cautious step forward, silently, dropping her jaw a little to scent the air again. There was no other prey around. Just the bird.

Finally, it came down from it's perch, and began foraging through the mud. She took two more slow steps forward, gathered her hind legs underneath her, then sprung out of the mud, killing it quickly by snapping it's neck before it had the chance to warn any of it's companions.

Leafshadow picked it up in her jaws and stretched, feeling stiff. I should head back to the camp soon.

She buried the prey under a pine tree, most of its needles shed already. She lifted her nose and scented the air. The same process, over and over. After all, the clan had to be fed.

She was at the edge of the territory. It would be a long trek back, but coming up here was always worth it. It was quiet, isolated. Besides, the forest was rich with prey, since not as many cats bothered to come out this far. Especially now that there were less cats to hunt. Ever since the sickness struck...

Sickness had gripped ShadowClan for some time now, and many of it's warriors were chained to their nests - Leopardflight and Risingpaw, the medicine cats, had never been busier, but they hadn't found a perfect cure yet. All they could do was treat each individual symptom until the cats recovered on their own. Only about five cats were healthy, and it was really taking it's toll on the clan.

Leafshadow pushed the thought away. Just hunt, mousebrain. Worrying about it doesn't help.

She dropped her jaw a little, tasting the cool, night air. Rain was coming. A fox had been here a few days ago. The patrol had been further upwind this morning. And...

Is that...cat scent?

She frowned. It didn't smell like ShadowClan - like the pine needles she called home. There was the faintest hint of twolegs - like the ones that invaded parts of the territory during Greenleaf - but there were certainly no twolegs around. A kittypet then? Lost in the woods? Leafshadow yawned. Better get them off clan territory before someone less tolerant finds them...

She began to follow the cat-scent, quickly realising that this kittypet wasn't alone. There was definitely more than one - possibly four or five - but the original one, a she-cat, had been here more recently than the others. They also carried the musty scents of the forest. She stiffened. Maybe it wasn't a kittypet?

Are we being invaded by rogues?

She pushed the thought aside. No. No, stop jumping to conclusions.

Nonetheless, she moved with more urgency, keen to find out the identities of the intruders. Maybe she should get backup - should she get backup? She flexed, her claws. No. No, I can handle it. Besides, Nightleap's probably within earshot.

She jumped as she heard a twig snap up ahead, smelling rabbit blood. She quickened her pace, leaping over the fallen beech tree, flattening her ears as she pushed herself between some low-growing bushes, to see a huge, heavily built black she-cat, with a stark white stripe down the centre of her rather broad face, and a long, plumy tail. "Hey!"