Lightning's Storm

Insomnia

"I'm telling you, Cherrytail was not that nice when I was her apprentice," Wolfshade said with a soft purr as we padded into camp, his grey-green eyes sparkling.

"You better keep your voice down, or she'll hear you!" I warned in an exaggerated whisper.

I shot Wolfshade a glance from narrowed eyes.

"And, Cherrytail is great. Are you sure that she wasn't a mean mentor, but instead you were just a difficult apprentice?" I teased.

"What are you implying?" Wolfshade's voice was deep and mockingly serious.

I just purred instead of replying, while he continued to look offended. We brushed through the ferns at the edge of the gorge, our patrol of Cherrytail, Tinycloud, and Ebonyclaw ahead of us. With a mischievous expression, Wolfshade opened his mouth to say what seemed to be a clever reply.

"Wolfshade!" Minttail interrupted, calling from across the clearing and beckoning with her tail for him to come over to her.

Wolfshade kept his gaze trained on me, but flicked his ears to let her know he heard her, and, to my disappointment, his mouth shut.

"See you later, Lightningpaw," he purred to me, green eyes warm.

"See you," I purred back, and watched him turn and bound away.

He reached Minttail and the two touched noses in a friendly manner before she began excitedly meowing something to him.

My paws suddenly felt heavy and tired from the long trek around our borders. I gave my pelt a shake, and the cold leaf-bare air stung at my ears and my nose.

There had been no scent of the ginger cat, Whisper, or the black-and-white cat when we went past the Southern border. I was hoping to bump into them again, and that they would be interested in coming back to camp with us this time. Their lack of scent was a bit worrying. Prey was very scarce now that leaf-bare was here in full force.

I hope they're doing okay. And, not starving to death.

I shivered as an icy breeze whipped around me, worming its way through my thick pelt to nip at my sensitive skin beneath.

Or, freezing to death.

I fluffed out my fur, trying to fight back the chill as I wondered how in StarClan's name cats were able to survive out there all alone without a Clan. I turned aside and headed over to the fresh-kill pile.

My mother, Leafstar, did it.

I imagined her stalking through the forest alone, returning to her den where she laid down with no other warm pelts around her.

It seems so sad. I don't know what I would do without my friends.

I picked up a small mouse from the pile and when I lifted my head I heard someone meow my name.

Briarpaw angled her ears at me, her delicate white paws resting on a half eaten starling. With a purr, I walked over to my friend and took a seat beside her to eat my mouse.

"You must be frozen to the bone after that long patrol!" she said.

Briarpaw pressed her pelt into my side, and I let out a grateful purr as her warmth spread to my skin. I curled myself closer to her, and I let her warm touch thaw any of my cold thoughts and worries about the rogues and life without a Clan and friends away. I mindlessly munched on my mouse, my gaze unfocused.

"You and Wolfshade look close," Briarpaw commented as I swallowed my first bite.

"Wolfshade?" I mewed in surprise, snapping back to attention.