Warriors: Shooting Star Book #1 A Star Is Born (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 19

Something cold and frosty landed on Wolfpaw's back, making the apprentice jump in surprise. He turned to see a pile of white stuff on the den floor. Wolfpaw looked out the apprentice's den to see the camp was covered in the same white cold. Wolfpaw recognized the cold air. The air he knew when he was born. Snow. Wolfpaw remembered feeling the cool air enter the nursery and seeing white land. Hazelnose kept him and Foxkit in the nursery until the snow melted and Wolfpaw's sister got sick.

Meadowpaw and Poundpaw pushed past the older apprentice and tumbled playfully in the snow. Poundpaw threw a wad of snow at his sister while she jumped around camp. Wolfpaw stepped out as warriors stepped out as well. The sun was beginning to shine through some brambles beside a fallen tree near the elder's den.

Wolfpaw looked to see Glaregaze, Poppystream, Stripeclaw, and Twitchwhisker walk out the warrior's den and stretch with yawns. Not wanting to slow the patrol down, Wolfpaw went to the fresh-kill pile and quickly ate a small scrawny mouse. The other warriors ate their share and made their way out the gorse tunnel.

Wolfpaw pushed through the snow with his short silver paws, trying to ignore the cold. He had grown used to Hazelnose's warm fur and the lovely days of new-leaf. He prayed this would be a fine leaf-bare, where prey wasn't as low.

Breaking from his thoughts, Wolfpaw realized Poppystream was walking with Glaregaze rather closely. Was his mentor sharing tongues with the ginger she-cat lately? Wolfpaw had been thinking of his father more than anything these pass few moons. Would new kits be brought to ThunderClan? With Berrybush, Foxkit, and Hazelnose dead, ThunderClan was going to need new warriors soon.

Then again, Glaregaze didn't really show much interest for kits. He even snapped at Wolfpaw a few times as a kit. Was the old tom willing to have kits? Wolfpaw didn't want any other cat to pained that their father never paid attention to them. One kit suffering was enough.

Suddenly, Wolfpaw could hear two voices talking not too far from where the patrol stood. They sounded low and their wording was so simple. The scent was strange as well. Were these dogs Wolfpaw was scenting? Should he tell his Clanmates? Twitchwhisker was the deputy, he'd probably know what to do.

"Um, Glaregaze," Wolfpaw mewed softly.

"What?" Glaregaze shot his apprentice a look.

"Uh... I think I smell dog..." Wolfpaw announced. Twitchwhisker and Glaregaze shared a look before the grey and white tabby deputy raised his head and opened his mouth to smell the air. He immediately turned away with a cringe.

"There are definitely dogs not too far from here." Twitchwhisker agreed.

"Should we go investigate?" Poppystream asked, her for beginning to bristle.

"No," Twitchwhisker answered to Wolfpaw's dismay, "they seem to be staying where they are, let's just continue with the patrol and I'll let Adderstar know when we get back to camp."

Wolfpaw lowered his head as the warriors made their way toward ShadowClan's border. He looked back to where the dogs were and followed after.

Wolfpaw made his marker and turned back to the rest of the patrol. Twitchwhisker was still eyeing the way they had come and where the dog were heard. Was he regretting not telling Adderstar when he heard? Or, not going to investigate what the dogs were doing?

Poppystream was looking around nervously and pressing close to Glaregaze. The grey tom glided his stripped tail comfortingly down her back as he eyed each frosted leaf that floated down to the ground.

Wolfpaw strained to hear if the dogs were still there, talking simply about bones and treats. He could hear laughing back that way. Meadowpaw and Poundpaw, he assumed. They were still playing with the snow, trying to hide the chill in their voices. Diamondeyes and Russetclaw were trying to get their apprentices to listen, but their laughing drowned out their orders. Wolfpaw prickled as the dogs voices silenced and were replaced by the sound of crunching snow.