Warriors: Flesh and Bone

Chapter 1

Scarleg crouched slowly in the undergrowth, scanning the lake-side ahead of her. It was a cool, misty morning, and the lake water stood still like a giant cloudy mirror, the opposite shore invisible through the fog. She raised her head to sniff the air, opening her mouth to ensure she caught everything there was to smell; the faint traces of a thrush, last night's patrol. No Thornclan.

She let out a sigh, enjoying the silence of the morning, the crisp air rustling her fur. She shut her eyes, relishing in the peaceful wild for a moment more, focusing on the call of a blackbird somewhere far away...

"Stupid mouse!" Finchpaw's shrill hiss interrupted Scarlegs focus, causing her to jump, yelping a bit as the tabby apprentice came tumbling into her legs. He spat, shaking his head, a dirty leaf-colored heap on the ground. "Hey, you better watch-" He blinked up at Scarleg, flattening his ears to his head.

"Excuse me?" she growled, twitching her tail behind her. Finchpaw gulped.

"Oh, Scarleg. My bad. Thought you were a tree."

"Perhaps you'd find hunting mice much easier if you didnt scream insults at them before pouncing mindlessly," Scarleg grumbled. Patchnose came padding through the growth after him, her patchy pelt all fluffed up, huffing in annoyance.

"I've been telling him the same thing!" Patchnose shook her head, waving her tail for Finchpaw to follow her back the way they came. "Come on, you fuzz-brain. I bet you went off chasing a falling leaf, thinking it was a mouse, just like yesterday."

"It really was a mouse this time!" Finchpaw whined, walking quickly after his mentor. Scarleg sighed, following the two. They were out on the morning patrol, at Snowstar's orders; there was an increase in patrols since the night war was declared against the two clans a few moons ago. Things had been surprisingly silent on Thornclan's end, but they were taking no chances.

Scarleg padded back to Maskclaw, Sagefur and Cricketpaw. Sagefur shook his head as Patchnose and Finchpaw came walking up, sighing.

"I expect you to hold yourself with more dignity, Finchpaw. I didnt take you and Cricketpaw along on this patrol for you to behave like squirrels!" Finchpaw grumbled while Cricketpaw gasped, looking to her father.

"Hey, he's the only squirrel here!"

Scarleg chuckled, shaking the moisture from her pelt. "Come on, we've renewed the markings and patrolled the border twice now. Let's return back to camp."

"Yes, let's. We've been out long enough." Maskclaw shook his back leg, a grumpy scowl across his face. Scarleg tried to ignore him; the sense of camaraderie that followed the attack with Pebblestar didn't last long, and he was already back to his usual bad temper.

"Patchnose and I are going to stay out a bit with Finchpaw and Cricketpaw," Sagefur mewed, "show them around the territory a bit. We'll come back later with fresh-kill, if we can."

"Fine, but I'm going back. Leopardeye is sure to be awake by now," Maskclaw grunted, already turning away back to camp. Scarleg huffed a sigh of annoyance, bowing her head towards Sagefur.

"Sounds good. The day patrol should be heading out soon after us, I'll alert them you'll be moving across the territory."

"Thank you, Scarleg." Sagefur twitched his whiskers at where Maskclaw had disappeared, grinning. "Poor Leopardeye will have no alone time in the nursery with that one constantly at her tail. Can't say I blame him, though; I was just like that when Dawnleaf was expecting."

Scarleg forced a smile, rolling her eyes as she turned to follow Maskclaw back to camp. "Good luck on your patrol, Sagefur, Patchnose." She gave one final look back, mewing, "and you two, don't give your mentors grey pelts while they're still young!" Cricketpaw and Finchpaw called mews of farewell as Scarlegs ran off, sunlight filtering in through the leaves above.

Padding under the large mangrove root leading into camp, Scarleg noticed the camp was unusually active so early in the morning. Suntail had most of the warriors busy repairing dens from a wind-storm a few nights ago. Maskclaw had his head in the nursery, waving his tail back and forth. He's as excited as a little kitten, she thought, shaking her head as she padded up towards Suntail, standing near the half-tree.

"I suppose Maskclaw immediately rushed to the nursery, so I thought I'd fill you in on the morning patrol," Scarleg mewed, bowing her head to the deputy. Suntail nodded with a twitch of her whiskers. "The patrols are quiet. No signs of Thornclan anywhere; their own markers are faint."

"I'd guess they'd be too scared to show their faces anywhere near the border," Suntail scoffed. Scarleg didnt reply. The lack of Thornclan cats worried her, but it seemed to calm the rest of the clan, so she kept quiet. Suntail nodded her thanks, continuing to oversee the repairs, and Scarleg padded over to the nursery. Leopardeye must've finally gotten Maskclaw to leave, since the entrance was now open, warmth coming from outside. She crouched to peek her head in, mewing a greeting. Leopardeye lay on her side near the front, smiling.

"Oh, good, Scarleg. I was sure it was Maskclaw again."

"Nope, just me. I thought I'd see how you're holding up in here."

"Im perfectly fine," Leopardeye sneered, rolling her eyes. "I'm not some soft-belly, you know! I still think it's too early for me to be in here. I should be out there with you, on patrols."

"Maskclaw would never allow it. He's been crawling straight out of his pelt every day since Webear announced you were expecting, you know."

"I believe it," Leopardeye sighed, looking back into the nursery towards Opal and Berryface. Opal had her eyes closed, Honeykit cuddled close to her mothers belly. "At least the company in here is nice." Scarleg took a moment to look over Honeykit, who was growing everyday. Her eyes blinked open, looking curiously at Scarleg. They were the same piercing amber as her father.

Scarleg bowed her head back towards Leopardeye, shuffling out of the comfy den. "I'll leave you three. Cricketpaw or Finchpaw should be back soon with some fresh-kill for you." Leopardeye purred as her friend left, and Scarleg felt a twinge of sadness; she missed spending the days with Leopardeye, running through the forest, hunting and fighting. The demands of being a queen kept her tied to the nursery, and Maskclaw guarded her closely, not letting many cats inside. It was ridiculous, but Maskclaw was defensive, and she didnt have the energy to stand his nasty attitude. Instead she began assisting the fellow warriors in the repairs of their den, attempting to distract herself somehow.

Sparkwhisker must be out hunting, she thought to herself, sighing. She hadn't had much alone time with him lately, with him always being on the hunting patrols. Waiting for his return, she busied herself with her work, listening to the soft chatter of the clan around her. The day was warm and held a promise of good hunting; Sparkwhisker shouldn't be long.