Stars Without Borders

12

Softpaw sprawled out in the medicine den trying her best to keep her annoyance down. This was exactly what she had been avoiding, being stuck in camp. Of course Leafpool said that there wasn't much wrong with her and that she should heal in no time, but that didn't stop her from keeping Softpaw close by. Hollypaw avoided her completely, her aggravation with the former kittypet evident as she huffed around the herb stores. The two didn't stay long though as they went out for battle training, leaving Softpaw alone. It wasn't long before she drifted off.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below Highledge!" Her mentor's call caused Softpaw to jump from her sleep, but she shook it off and padded outside the medicine den and looked up at her leader. She noticed Graystripe and ThunderClan's deputy by his side, but the frost at her feet and the sleep that still clouded her mind made it hard to focus and before she knew it, the cats in the clearing dispersed. Softpaw watched her mentor closely before padding out of camp silently. Firestar was busy and no cat had given her anything to do. Softpaw studied the trees as they swayed in the gentle breeze and she almost longed to go back to the edge of the forest, but her fight with Breezepaw made her weary of going back for now. No sound could be heard from her paws as she seemingly glided over the forest floor. Suddenly she spotted a plump squirrel in a tree and her tail lashed back and forth and her paws itched as she stared at it. She had never claimed a tree before, but that didn't stop her. Sinking her claws into the bark she began climbing her way up slowly making sure the squirrel kept it's back to her and when she made it to the branch it was sitting on she paused. What if she leapt too far and missed the squirrel and fell? Fear suddenly knitted in her belly as she looked down at the forest below and she swayed slightly closing her eyes shut tightly. The squirrel hadn't noticed her yet and she could hear it trying to crack open it's acorn. Suddenly she remembered she had a Clan to feed. Keeping herself low she crawled forward, out onto the branch trying to get as close as possible before she sprang. She felt it's bushy tail hit her chest as she landed on top of it and her claws sunk into the bark and she quickly bit into its neck before it could unbalance her or get away. Sighing in relief the she-cat made her way down the tree cautiously trying to keep her prey in her mouth when she heard it. The yowls and screeching of battle cats. She dropped immediately and quickly threw dirt over her prey before taking off in the direction of the angry battle cries. She could only hope her clan mates were going to be ok.