Warriors: Setting Sun: Returning Sky #2

Chapter 5

Nightpaw stalked through the undergrowth, her eyes on a mouse. She leaped forward, her paws  catching it. She quickly gave it a killing bite. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but she knew sue couldn't eat this mouse. It was skinny though, so what use would it be to her Clanmates?

Nightpaw grasped the mouse in her jaws, then dug a hole in the snow. After dropping its corpse in, she covered the hole. She ducked under a dying holly bush, sniffing the leaves for any scent of prey. Shivering, she sniffed when a snowflake touched her nose. This leaf-bare has been horrible! 

Nightpaw lashed her tail, her yellow eyes scanning the leafless trees for any bird or squirrel. But there was nothing there. She grumbled slightly, then turned, her paws kicking up snow. Needlehawk will be disappointed. Mudpaw's probably catching more than me.

"Hey, Nightpaw," a soft voice whispered.

Nightpaw gasped and flinched back. "Spirepaw, you scared me!" She growled. He had a small lizard dangling from his jaws. As he stepped closer, his ribs seemed to stick out.

"I came to bring you this lizard. I think you'll like it," Spirepaw purred, dropping the prey at his friend's paws.

"I-I  don't need that. You look pretty hungry though, so why don't you eat it?" Nightpaw asked.

"I can't eat it, I shouldn't," Spirepaw mumbled. "I thought maybe you had caught prey, and I could trade in this lizard for it," he admitted. He looked to the side. "This leaf-bare has been so harsh, there's hardly prey or herbs. Applefur's kits have greencough," he added.

"I'm sorry," Nightpaw whispered. "We're low on herbs too," she meowed. "But I do have a mouse I can give you."

"You're very kind, Nightpaw. I hate to ask but..." the black-and-white tom trailed off. "Could you spare some catmint, please?" He asked.

"I wish I could, but I can't take from our stock! What if one of ThunderClan's cats gets greencough but we don't have catmint?" Nightpaw questioned, lashing her tail.

"Think about this. These are kits. They're very young, they still have life ahead of them," Spirepaw pointed out. "Please, try to sneak some for them. I'll be waiting by the border when the moon is highest in the sky."

Nightpaw leaned back, sighing. I'll be breaking the code. If I'm caught, I'll be in trouble, and I'll never become a warrior! But... it's kits, I won't allow them to die. "Fine, I'll do it. But you better wish to StarClan that none of our cats get sick."

"Thank you! You're the best, Nightpaw!" Spirepaw purred. Without warning, he pressed his muzzle to her shoulder.

Nightpaw stood still, her tail drooping. For some reason, she felt warmth beneath her pelt even though they were standing in the snow. What's wrong with me?

Nightpaw trudged into camp, disappointed that she only had this small lizard. She would've had that mouse, but she had given it to Spirepaw. Needlehawk will make me clean the elders' nests. 

Needlehawk was talking with Graygaze. Her head turned, her eyes fixing on Nightpaw. She meowed something to the blind tom before quickly trotting to her apprentice. "I see that you only have a small lizard," she meowed, disappointment edging her voice.

"I-I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything. It's this weather's fault," Nightpaw sighed, flattening her ears.

"Whitewing's kits are sick. It's Quartzkit and Copperkit," Needlehawk suddenly informed. "They have whitecough, although Leafpool says it's dying down. I'm going to send you out to catch something for our hard working medicine cats," she meowed. "Why don't you get Mudpaw and go to Ivypool?" 

"Alright," Nightpaw dipped her head. She dropped her lizard in the fresh-kill pile, then padded over to the apprentices' den. Ducking in, she saw Mudpaw cleaning the two nests. 

"Hi, Mudpaw," Nightpaw greeted.

"Oh, hi Nightpaw!" Mudpaw purred. 

Nightpaw's eyes wandered to the nest in the back. It was Featherpaw's nest, and it looked fresh. Mudpaw's yellow eyes flashed, and he stepped forward. "You made up Featherpaw's nest?" Nightpaw asked.

"Yeah. We don't want her coming home to a dirty nest," Mudpaw meowed, licking his paw. "I miss her. You miss her too don't you?" He asked.

Nightpaw looked down. "Well, what if she doesn't come back?" She asked.

"Nightpaw, why would you say that?" Mudpaw gasped. 

"Well, she's crossing the mountain. Who knows what's beyond that point? It's cold up there, and I bet there's hardly any prey. And there's probably big cats up there. And what about that tribe? We don't know if they're bad," Nightpaw explained.

"But she's got three warriors with her, and a medicine cat!" Mudpaw argued. "And if they really find SkyClan, then they'll be protected!" He added.

Nightpaw stared at her brother a moment longer. I do miss Featherpaw, but what if she doesn't return? She turned, her tail flicking. "Come on, we have a hunting patrol to be on."