Warriors: Drizzlestar's Change

Chapter 8

  Drizzlefrost padded into the nursery to check on Pricklekit. It has only been a few sunrises since she saved the kit from the tom.
  Drizzlefrost blinked her eyes, her vision adjusting to the dim light in the den. She spotted Dapplefern curled around the little she-kit. The other queens and kits were asleep.
  Pricklekit stirred as Dapplefern lifted her head up, looking at Drizzlefrost.
  "Sorry I woke you," Drizzlefrost apologized. "I just wanted to see how Pricklekit was doing."
  "You've checked on her everyday since you found her." Dapplefern purred with amusement. "Pricklekit is fine. If anything happened to her, I would tell you."
  Drizzlefrost nodded. "Okay." She replied. "Thanks for taking care of her."
  Drizzlefrost turned back towards the den entrance and exited the den, only to see Bloodfire and Blackstorm.
  "Why could I scent a WindClan cat on our territory, along with your scent?" Bloodfire demanded to Blackstorm.
  "A cat just crossed the border, but I chased him out. I don't see what the big deal is." Blackstorm replied angrily, lashing her tail.
  "I just don't want you to get hurt." Bloodfire said calmly, resting his tail on her shoulder.
  Blackstorm glanced at him, shaking his tail off. She padded away, her ears flat against her head.
  Drizzlefrost watched her friend leave then looked at Bloodfire, who sighed and sulked to the warriors den.
  What was that about? Drizzlefrost thought before shrugging. Never mind them, I should take the time to get to know my clanmates today.
  Drizzlefrost stopped by the fresh kill pile to pick up a squirrel before walking to a group of warriors. Jaggedclaw was among them.
  Drizzlefrost dropped her prey at her paws. "Mind if I join you?"
  "Of course!" A tortoiseshell she-cat, Duskheart, replied cheerfully.
  "As long as you don't mess things up." Jaggedclaw silently growled, but loud enough for Drizzlefrost to hear.
  Drizzlefrost ignored her sister and lyed down, taking a bite from the squirrel.
  "So, Drizzlefrost, when do you think Oaklight will choose a deputy?" Scorchpelt flicked a pebble with her claw. "There has to be a cat to lead when... you know." She trailed off.
  Drizzlefrost looked down, not wanting to think about when Oaklight would have to join StarClan. "I... I don't know. I think he's waiting for the right cat."
  Jaggedclaw snorted. "His choice his obvious, don't you think?"
  Doeheart tipped her brown and white fluffy head to the side. "Drizzlefrost, right?"
  Drizzlefrost blinked in surprise.
  But Jaggedclaw laughed. "Um, no. I was talking about me!"
  Scorchpelt smiled. "Yeah, I was thinking of Jaggedclaw."
  Before anyone could argue anymore, Drizzlefrost spoke. "Let's not think about this anymore. Oaklight is still alive and well. He has many moons to think about who he wants as his successor."
  "Agreed." Duskheart meowed.
  "But has anyone else noticed how much Blackstorm has been leaving the camp, then returning a long time after?" Doeheart pointed out, curious.
  Jaggedclaw rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and she only brings back little prey, sometimes she doesn't bring any prey back at all."
  "Blackstorm's probably just patrolling the territory or something like that." Drizzlefrost protested.
  "If you say so." Scorchpelt shrugged.
  "Besides, what else would she be doing?" Duskheart meowed. "Hanging out with a cat from another clan?"
  They all laughed and Drizzlefrost smiled.
  "You're probably right Drizzlefrost." Doeheart looked at her. "Blackstorm's probably just patrolling a lot."

  Pricklekit had just awoken and was sitting down outside of the nursery den with the other kits. Drizzlefrost was there with them.
  The only other kits were Flamekit, Cinderkit, Moonkit, Redkit, and Bluekit. Though the two other kits, Wolfkit and Flashkit, were born not to long ago.
  Drizzlefrost watched as the kits play fought. Flamekit squeaked as she barreled into Cinderkit.
  Cinderkit stayed to the ground. "Ow." She mewed dramatically.
  Moonkit and Bluekit laughed, Drizzlefrost smiling.
  Pricklekit pounced on Bluekit, batting his head with her paw. Pricklekit was a lot bigger than him, so Drizzlefrost guessed she was almost six moons old.
  Bluekit giggled then quickly turned around, pawing her muzzle.
  Pricklekit squeaked in surprise before jumping off of him. Pricklekit then turned to Drizzlefrost and pounced on her back.
  "Badger Ride!" Pricklekit said with excitement. When Drizzlefrost looked over her shoulder to the kit, Pricklekit added; "Please?"
  Drizzlefrost smiled. "Okay. Just this once."

  Drizzlefrost sat on the ground, tired out. All the kits had asked for a Badger Ride and Drizzlefrost spent a long time giving them the ride.
  Leapfrost walked over to her, sitting down beside her. "You tired?"
  Drizzlefrost nodded. "Yes! I know I'll never give all the kits a Badger Ride one after the other ever again."
  Leapfrost laughed. "I guess so. Anyways, Eaglefeather wants you on his hunting patrol. I came over here to get you."
  Drizzlefrost got to her paws and shook her pelt. "Okay, lead me there."

  "Scorchpelt, Featherpaw, and I will head near the river." Eaglefeather said. "Drizzlefrost, Leapfrost, and Rosepaw will go near the city. Don't get to close to it though."
  "Of course not." Leapfrost gave the warrior a curt nod before taking the lead towards the city.
  Drizzlefrost followed him, Rosepaw at her heels.

  Drizzlefrost stopped beside Leapfrost, looking at the city in the distance.
  "Let's split up to cover more ground." Leapfrost suggested. "Meet back here in about an hour."
  "Couldn't I hunt with you?" Rosepaw asked him with a smile.
  "No," Leapfrost replied. "We can hunt more prey if we hunt separately." He added quickly.
  Rosepaw sighed. "Fine." She ran off, leaving Drizzlefrost and Leapfrost alone.
  "That was close." Drizzlefrost said.
  "I know." Leapfrost agreed.
  "See you later then." Drizzlefrost told him.
  Leapfrost nodded and raced away, Drizzlefrost running the opposite direction.

  Drizzlefrost smiled in satisfaction as she brought her prey back to the meeting place. She had caught two squirrels, three mice, and one bird.
  Drizzlefrost dropped the prey and looked up at Leapfrost, who was already there. "Where's Rosepaw?"
  "I don't know, she should be here by now though." Leapfrost replied. As soon as he finished his sentence, a yowl came from the distance; "Help!"
  Drizzlefrost pricked her ears. "Rosepaw!"
  Leapfrost took the lead towards Rosepaw's wail. Drizzlefrost widened her eyes as she saw the apprentice in a cage, trapped.
  Drizzlefrost skidded to a hault besides the cage, Leapfrost was next to her. She looked at Rosepaw. "What happened?!"
  "I-I saw a piece of fresh kill in the c-cage, so I went after it." Rosepaw stammered, shaking in fear. "N-next thing I know, I was trapped."
  Leapfrost started to bite down on the cage. He stepped back, looking worried. "It's no use, I can't bite through it."
  "We need to keep trying." Drizzlefrost urged, biting onto part of the cage.
  Leapfrost stood beside her and helped. Rosepaw gasped in fear. "Twolegs! Coming from behind you!"
  Drizzlefrost turned around just in time to see two twolegs coming towards them. She looked at Leapfrost. "Leapfrost, we need to go."
  "We can't just leave Rosepaw." He protested.
  "We don't have a choice!" Drizzlefrost snapped.
  Leapfrost sighed but nodded. He looked at Rosepaw. "I'm so sorry."
  Rosepaw's eyes widened. "No. Please, don't leave. There has to be a way out!"
  "There isn't enough time." Drizzlefrost said, looking behind her. The twolegs moved closer. They clapped their hands in joy and raced towards them. Drizzlefrost turned to Leapfrost and shoved him away, leading him into a bush. She crouched down, Leapfrost crouched down beside her.
  Drizzlefrost watched as one of the twolegs picked up the cage, examining it. It shrugged and then walked away, the other twolegs following. Rosepaw's yowls grew quieter as the twolegs's shapes got farther away. Drizzlefrost looked down as the twolegs were out of sight, and Rosepaw's yowls couldn't be heard anymore.