Cedarleap lashed his tail, Snakestorm remained calm.
"What do you mean you're taking Blizzardpaw on as an apprentice?! Lilypaw is still out there-!" Cedarleap cried, pain edging his mew.
"Cedarleap, it's been a whole season. I think it's time to let go" Snakestorm's tail rested on Cedarleap's back as she comforted the black and white tom.
"But we can't! I'll tell Snailwillow to send out more patrols, I'll search the ends of the forest for my friend!" Cedarleap stepped away, hissing.
"He isn't coming back"
"you said that about Shockpaw, you made the whole clan give up on her too. I'm not letting you abandon my friend" Cedarleap spat.
Snakestorm went silent. Betrayal flashed in her eyes before she yowled
"GET OUT"
~~
Blizzardpaw yawned, his small white frame barely visible among the other apprentices.
There was Mothpaw and Kestrelpaw, Blizzardpaw's brother and sister. There was Leopardpaw, who'd been more distant since the barn cats' arrival. And then there was Sparrow's sons. Maplepaw, Stripepaw, Mousepaw and Mosspaw.
There was originally five, but not even a moon after they'd settled, Snowkit went missing in the night as did Sparrow.
Mosspaw rolled ontop of Blizzardpaw with a yelp
"MOSSPAW You mousebrain! You're gonna crush him!" He heard Mousepaw yowl, he felt the larger tom heaved off him and started laughing
"guys I'm not that small!" He giggled, Leopardpaw stood and walked outside. Mothpaw stretched and looked around.
"Shall I fetch breakfast?" He smiled, Kestrelpaw stood and nodded.
"I'll come, before Cedarleap takes all the best prey!" She laughed, bounding out into camp.
Blizzardpaw looked at Maplepaw.
"Is it true you're becoming a medicine cat?" Maplepaw asked, looking sad.
"yeah- without Lilypaw I really don't have anyone to back me up when I say I don't want to" Blizzardpaw mewed sadly.
With the shortage of warriors, some had taken two apprentices. Thrushwind had taken both Blizzardpaw and Maplepaw together seeing as they were both small toms eager to achieve. Leopardpaw was a little upset her mother had just taken two apprentices when she was still in the apprentice den.
Mothpaw and Kestrelpaw returned with two birds each to share between all 7 apprentices. Blizzardpaw, Maplepaw and Mousepaw took a blackbird between them and started eating.
"I'm so happy the prey is back" Blizzardpaw remarked, remembering how the prey pile was almost always empty when he was a kit and when it wasn't it went straight to the queens and elders.
"why did it leave in the first place?" Mousepaw asked, making Blizzardpaw wince
"we don't know."
"why not?"
"only StarClan knows" Blizzardpaw finished his share of the bird and walked out into camp.
"Blizzardpaw! Come taste today's catch!" Cedarleap yelled, walking into camp with the dawn patrol. Blizzardpaw shook his head.
"I've already eaten!"
"what did you eat? There's barely anything missing"
"I shared a blackbird with Mousepaw and Maplepaw" Blizzardpaw smiled, Cedarleap padded up to him.
"you know you can actually eat your fill now, right-? The prey isn't going anywhere" Cedarleap sighed gently, looking at the ribs showing through Blizzardpaw's pelt.
"I-I guess I'm just still in that rationing mentality" Blizzardpaw stuttered, Cedarleap pushed him a vole.
He wolfed down the vole then looked up at Cedarleap
"thanks-"
"no problem"
YOU ARE READING
Lucid Tides book 1 - Flowering Hearts
FanfictionLilypaw is a ChervilClan apprentice, but when he finds a mysterious kittypet in his territory, his world is flipped upside down. When his Clan and friends are threatened by strange signs following a famine, the Clans need to find a way to survive.
