A Stream of Ice

Chapter 9

Aldertail woke up in his nest, around him most of the cats still slept. As he looked around him though, he realised that Leopardheart was not in his nest and Aldertail knew that he wasn't greiving for Sandypaw. Aldertail yawned.

       Although he was very tired, the cream tom knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep. Memories of the fox attack haunted his thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about how he would feel if it were one of his sisters who were killed or even one of his kits. He was very glad it wasn't.

  He stretched out in his nest and sleepily went over into the clearing. It was empty except for the grieving cats who lay around the corpse of Sandypaw. All of the apprentices were crowded around as well as her mentor, Cricketfur, and her father, Rowanspot. Whitepaw and Icepaw sat together, their noses tucked in her belly fur and Aldertail remembered that Sandypaw was their Foster-Sister. When the two she-cats were born, their mother and two brothers died as well so Hazelflower took them in. However, soon after the cats were made apprentices, Hazelflower had died in the Green-Leaf season.

    Cricketfur looked up at Aldertail, gave Sandypaw a final nudge on the shoulder and came other to him. “Hi” he meowed, “Why are you up so early?”
“I couldn't sleep. Also, have you seen Leopardheart? He's not in his nest” Aldertail replied. Cricketfur stopped to think for a moment
“I think I heard some one leaving the camp, but by the time I looked up, the cat was gone.”
“I wonder where he is” Aldertail muttered curiously.

    Rustling in the bushes stopped the two tom's conversation. Leopardheart strolled out and seemed surprised to see Aldertail and Cricketfur outside looking inquisitively at him.
“Where have you been?” Cricketfur asked. For a second, undisguised panic flashed in the spotted tom's eyes.
“I couldn't sleep so I went for a hunt by the StreamClan border.” A hint of aggression sounded in the way that he spoke but Cricketfur still questioned him.
“Didn't you catch anything?”
“Obviously not. There wasn't any prey near the FrostClan border!” he growled quietly. Cricketfur glanced at Aldertail before looking back at Leopardheart.
“Your lying.” Leopardheart opened his mouth to speak, but Cricketfur flicked him before he could. “You said FrostClan border, yet the first time you said StreamClan border. You obviously don't know what your on about.”  Leopardheart growled to himself and crept to his den.

    Aldertail and Cricketfur exchanged a worried glance. He knew that the ginger tom was thinking the same thoughts. 'What was the tom up to and why was he so annoyed?'

    Aldertail shrugged. “Do you want to go hunting?” he asked. Cricketfur nodded. “We need to please our she-cats!” Aldertail purred and headed for the exit out of camp.