Warriors; Thin Ice

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The wind was roaring when Blackfeather was sent out on patrol.

It had been two nights since Darkstar and his patrol had returned from WindClan and ThunderClan, with only one visit being successful. But Blackfeather wasn't worried at all.

Soon after being crowned a warrior, he was leading his first patrol. Behind him, Sparrowstripe and Shadepaw trailed, with Grayfern behind both of them, at the back of the patrol. They padded to the ThunderClan border, Blackfeather with his ears laid back. He hated the silence but for the wind. It scared him, but he didn't want to make it obvious. He laid his fur flat, but the wind ruffled it again. He figured a storm was coming, which would probably turn out as a blizzard.

Grayfern padded up next to him, shivering. "Let's make this quick," she mewed, beginning to remark the border. The scent was nearly gone with all the melted snow water, and found he was groaning inwardly. He'd have to do this many times during Leaf-bare.

Overhead, thin clouds were running over the white sky in lines. He shook his pelt as a wet drop landed on his shoulder; rain, just as he had suspected. To his relief, no more rain fell but for a few drops, and the clouds revealed the sky again, but it was still cold.

Stepping through piles of snowmelt, he helped to remark the border. It went fast, with all four cats helping. He remembered when he had irritably refused to help Sparrowstripe and decided he would try to get the tom not to hate him later.

As he turned his head, the bushes across the border rustled. A pure white she-cat popped out, rushing toward them. Blackfeather unsheathed his claws, braced for a fight, but she had no other cats with her, and she skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Send help," she urged them. Blackfeather opened his mouth to respond, but she interrupted. "Please. ThunderClan needs help."

Blackfeather glanced back at his Clanmates. They nodded, crossing the border silently. "Be careful," he meowed, giving his brother a meaningful glance. Shadepaw nodded and he bounded easily through the thorns and twigs.

The white she-cat gave him a nod. "I'll get more warriors and alert Darkstar," Blackfeather mewed. He turned and sprinted back to camp, more concerned about his Clanmates than ThunderClan. "They refuse our help, and now they want it?"

When he reached the camp, he made his way inside and sought out Darkstar. The tom was in his den, clawing something in the dirt. When Blackfeather padded in, the tom looked up and stood up, placing himself in front of it coolly. "Blackfeather," he said, nodding in greeting.

"ThunderClan needs our help. I ran all the way here from the border," he meowed. He was proud of not having to pant from the run; the skill and speed came easily to him. "The rest of my patrol is there, and they'll need more warriors to help."

"If only RiverClan wasn't so big," Darkstar mumbled, and then pushed past the warrior, out of the den. Blackfeather peered through the dark at what he had etched into the ground; battle tactics.

"ShadowClan, I need many strong warriors and some to stay behind at the camp," he mewed. He leapt down from the branch above his den, and Blackfeather watched, amazed, as two groups easily formed with just his few words.

Blackfeather leapt after him and placed himself in the group that would battle. He looked down at his sister, who was flexing her claws. He flicked her ear with his tail. "Keep your claws in for now," he meowed.

"I can't believe you're a warrior already," his sister responded. "Ordering me around like an apprentice."

"You are an apprentice," he reminded her before bounding after Darkstar, into battle.