Warriors: Snow (Warrior Cats Fan Fiction Book One)

Chapter Six

 Weatherpaw waited a few days before talking to Rockflight.

It wasn't like he was trying to avoid her. Rockflight had been busy; volunteering for every hunting, border, and scouting patrol. One day, Weatherpaw saw her talking to Stormsplash, their heads huddled so close together that no one could hear their whispers. Weatherpaw suspected that Stormsplash had told him about their conversation, and that they didn't want him to overhear them again.

I bet Rockflight's avoiding me. Weatherpaw thought. He knew he was making excuses, and he was running out of them. Instead of feeling at ease due to his procrastination, waiting to talk to his sister was making him feel even more anxious about the inevitable confrontation. I have to get it over with, he thought, there are things that need to be said!

One day Rockflight returned to camp with Flightbreeze, Blizzardflight, Dawnglide, and Brownstep trailing behind her. Weatherpaw swallowed his saliva and pride and took a step forward to go talk to her, but he froze when he saw that all five cats were covered in scratches!

"What happened!?" Marshpelt cried, racing over and lapping at her kits' wounds. Brownstep quickly pushed his mother off of him, looking embarrassed, while Dawnglide pressed her dark cream and ginger body against her mother's, trembling and sobbing.

"It was the wolves!" Dawnglide gasped. "They attacked us when we were out!"

Hilltail and Thornstar raced over to join the group while the rest of the cats in the clearing gathered to hear the patrol's report with wide eyes.

Not the wolves again!  Weatherpaw thought, horrified. Will they ever go away?!

"Are you all alright?" Thornstar asked, surveying her cats.

Flightbreeze nodded, a scratch on her nose and flank. "The Wolves ambushed our patrol," she whispered. "Luckily we all got away mostly unharmed, but they took our fresh-kill!"

"They're stealing from us now?" Hilltail hissed, also fusing over his kits with his mate, Marshpelt.

Briarpaw, Lightpaw, and Brightpaw suddenly ran over to the returning cats with Firenose following close behind.

"Mother, are you okay!?" Lightpaw cried, reaching Flightbreeze and staring up at her.

"Yes little one, I'm fine," Flightbreeze said, licking Lightpaw's head. "No need to worry."

"Do you need me to treat your wounds?" Briarpaw asked his mother as his mentor, Firenose, checked the other cats.

"It can wait," Flightbreeze said.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Brightpaw sighed. "We can't lose you, we'd be all alone!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Flightbreeze said gently, her eyes filled with love for her kits. "I promise."

Watching, Weatherpaw once again remembered that Flightbreeze was all Briarpaw had. He looked around the clearing for his own parents, Cloverfern and Silkfeather, and saw them sitting near the Warrior's den staring at the returning patrol. He remembered his awkward conversations with his father and realized that he didn't even talk to his mother. 

But they don't talk to me, Weatherpaw thought icily. It's not my fault!

Meanwhile, Hilltail turned to Thornstar and lashed his tail in frustration. "This has to stop!" He meowed. "We have to do something about the wolves!"

"We will," Thornstar said, drawing herself up and narrowing her eyes.

"I know that look," said Hilltail, narrowing his own. "What are you thinking?"