The Abandoned Warrior

Chapter 14

            Snowpaw had turned ten moons today, receiving a copious amount of training from the two StarClan she-cats.

            Snowpaw hadn't even known how she had worked this hard. Her warrior ceremony would be in nearly two moons and she knew she would be prepared.

            Snowpaw still thought back to her family, wondering if they missed her as much as she missed them. She wondered if Wavekit and Oceankit had gotten to SnowClan safely.

            Snowpaw awoke in the night in her log, yawning. She had been dreaming about having a mate and kits lately, something that had just recently crossed her mind.

            What would happen after she became a warrior? She would find a clan certainly. Maybe then she would have a mate and kits. She knew that hoping for her family to return was hopeless, but hoping for a mate and kits, not really.

            Snowpaw sat, not able to fall asleep with these thoughts circling her head wildly like a cat chasing a mouse.

            But soon enough, her eyes drooped, and she fell back asleep, lost in her dreams.

            Snowpaw awoke to see that no snow had fallen. In fact, leaf-bare was beginning to end. It would be over fairly soon, and then new-leaf would come, bringing much prey to all.

            Snowpaw yawned, getting out of her log and stretching, letting out a purr. It seemed as if her depression stage was beginning to end, though sometimes she still sat in the forest at night, longingly whispering her mother's name, calling for her siblings that most likely had new names by now, her father too. Was he leader?

            "Good morning, Snowpaw," Stonecloud said, smiling at the she-cat.

            "Good morning," Snowpaw replied. "I'm going to catch my own food today."

            "Suit yourself," Stonecloud said, the StarClan she-cat drifting around the camp.

            Snowpaw nodded, padding into the forest, pricking her ears for any sound of prey passing by.

            She glanced around, padding through the small layer of snow. As she walked, she stopped, nearly gasping at what she saw.

            She looked, seeing a small plant sprouting from the fragile ground. A small flower- not bloomed yet- hung from it.

            "The first sign of new-leaf," Snowpaw breathed, quickly turning around and running back to her camp.

            "STONECLOUD! STONECLOUD!"

            Stonecloud stood up, glancing around. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

            Snowpaw laughed and shook her head. "New-leaf is here! I saw a plant sprouting from the ground moments ago!"

            Stonecloud laughed. "Your first new-leaf," she purred. "I remembered mine, seeing that first sign of life be known to the cats. That must mean the prey is returning. Go catch some food. I bet you'll find more than usual."

            Snowpaw nodded, padding back into the forest, passing by the small plant again. She didn't know why, but she thought of it as her mission to make sure this plant lived. Snowpaw glanced around, then carefully pushed the snow away from it, leaving a nice amount of space around the fragile flower.

            Snowpaw smiled, then headed back to looking for prey. Almost instantly, she noticed the tail of a squirrel zipping by and racing up a tree.