Warriors: Storm Clouds

Chapter Ten

Two sunrises had passed since the gathering.

     Emberheart was organizing patrols for the day.

     "Sageclaw, you're going to take Minkpelt, Leafpaw, and Rabbitflight on a hunting patrol."

     Brookpaw swore she saw Sageclaw roll her eyes at the mention of Rabbitflight, but she couldn't be sure. She watched as the mentioned cats slowly got up to leave the camp. The days were constantly chilly now, yet there still was no snow, leaving most of the cats in bad moods.

     "It always bugs me when we get a late leaf-bare," Duskpelt rasped, "Makes me think it'll be bad when it does come."

     Fantastic. Although Brookpaw was looking forward to seeing snow properly, she didn't want to have a bad leaf-bare. Duskpelt continued to talk as she replaced the old she-cat's nest with some new bedding.

     "Now that's going to be a bit cold as first, but you'll just have to warm it up," Brookpaw told her. "If you really want me to, I'll do it, but I don't want Ravenfoot to think I'm dozing off and not doing my job."

     Duskpelt chuckled. "That's alright Brookpaw, I'll just make Dustscar sit on it. Go on, make yourself useful somewhere else."

     Brookpaw put her tail on the she-cat's flank before stepping out of the den. Duskpelt had taken Mistfur's death hard, and it was good to see her cheering up. She'd refused to eat the past two days, and had chose to mumble on about how leaf-bare was terrible and cruel. Earlier Brookpaw had brought her a mouse, which Duskpelt had nibbled on, which was the first sign that her grief was ebbing a little.

     Emberheart had just about finished organizing the patrols when Hawkstar intervened.

     "If you don't mind, I'll lead a patrol near the river to check and see if Crowstar is upholding his promise."

     Emberheart gave him a look. "Are you sure?"

     "Would he be telling you if he wasn't sure?"

     Applefall had joined the conversation. Honestly, Brookpaw was surprised. She'd never had a problem with Emberheart, and wondered why her mother seemed to dislike her so much sometimes. Maybe if she told me about her past, I'd know. But that wasn't going to happen.

     Hawkstar picked up the tension between the two she-cats and meowed firmly, "I have thought this through. We can't just avoid the RiverClan border, or we are what Coyotefoot accused us of being, too weak to defend our borders. The patrol sizes will be larger now, since we've let off some on battle training."

     The dark tabby and golden she-cat nodded, understanding.

     "I will be taking Mapleclaw, Berrypaw, Ravenfoot, and Brookpaw with me."

     Brookpaw caught her mother's eye, then looked away as she padded up to Hawkstar. Ravenfoot fell in beside her, and Mapleclaw and Berrypaw dashed across the clearing towards them.

     "Let's go," Hawkstar murmured.

     The patrol set off towards the gorse tunnel.

     "Maybe we'll get to teach those mouse-brained cats a proper lesson," Berrypaw hissed under her breath. Only Brookpaw heard her.

     In truth, she wouldn't have minded swiping at Willowlight a few times, but starting a fight with the already angry RiverClan cats didn't seem like a good idea. Ouch! Her tail had caught in the brambles. Thankfully she'd been the last one to enter the tunnel. She managed to turn around and pluck her tail out with her teeth. This hasn't happened before. I must be growing or something.