Warriors: Finding Home

Chapter Eight

Riverpaw took the lead and Nightpaw and Sootpaw padded just behind. Nightpaw would be receiving her warrior name soon, Riverpaw, too.

When will I get my warrior name? Sootpaw hoped it would be soon. Riverpaw was taking his small patrol closer to the border, where prey was plentiful. Aspen trees grew straight up from the ground, their white striped bark peeling off in layers. There were many squirrels and birds nesting among the trees, while rodents his in the dense undergrowth. When they reached the border, the three apprentices split up. Sootpaw watched Riverpaw's silver pelt disappear behind a juniper bush, and Nightpaw went in the direction of camp. Sootpaw sat down where he stood, and silenced himself. Then he waited.

Finally, he heard a rustling in the mulch in a tree just in front of him. Angling his ears toward the noise, and parting his jaw to let the smell soak in, he got to his paws. He did so slowly, as not to alert the small animal of hiss whereabouts. It was a mouse. He tiptoed slowly nearer the white tree, making certain to stay down wind of his prey. He tried going as close as he could, and when he got a visual of the furry prey, he leaped, spraying leaves in his wake. The brown mouse scurried away now that Sootpaw's cover had been blown. He cursed under his breath.

His attention was torn from the lost mouse when he heard paw steps. He sniffed the air to see if his denmates had returned, and Nightpaw's scent wafted over him. Two voles dangled from her mouth. Riverpaw was just behind, with three mice dangling by their tails. Seeing that Sootpaw carried nothing, he dropped one of his mice and Sootpaw graciously picked it up.

Sootpaw led the way back to camp, with his friends gazes boring into him, though he tried to ignore them. They returned ladened with their catch and deposited their prey on the freshkill pile. Sootpaw debated sitting down to eat, but decided against it. Instead, he trotted over to Bumblescar.

"I see you went hunting. We are going to need all the prey we can get before leafbare grips us with its claws. Was there something you wanted?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could patrol the mountain border,"

The gray tabby pondered the idea and looked back at the fluffy tom.

"Pollenheart and Duskfeather will be heading out when dusk arrives, tell them I said you could join them, so long as your mentor approves." He cast a pointed glance at Ivyfang, who was still lying with her she-cat friends. Sootpaw purred softly and walked over to the gray she-cat. She flicked open her eyes and smiled warmly at her apprentice.

"Hello Sootpaw. Did we have something planned?"

"Oh, no don't worry. I was just getting permission to go on a patrol with Pollenheart and Duskfeather."

"Sure, you can go. Have you hunted today?"

"I did, but with no luck. I'll make it up later I promise!"

Sootpaw abruptly stopped the conversation with his mentor and half ran half walked over to Pollenheart who was padding out of the warrior's den. The tabby tom looked alert and focused. Sootpaw's eye had adjusted to seeing in the dark, a quality all SunClan cats had.