Warriors: Starbound Paws

Starbound Paws: Chapter 6

Hunger gnawed at Badgerpaw's stomach. His pelt was still unwashed from that morning, but he still had not had time to deal with the tangled mess. The nursery had been cleaned out and Sunpelt had finally chosen a good spot for her nest. Soft pigeon feathers lined the freshly laid moss, making it the most comfortable nest Badgerpaw had set his eyes on. Next up was the elders den.

"Mudfur?" Badgerpaw called into the medicine den, receiving a muffled grunt in response. "I need mouse bile for the elder's ticks," he shouldered his way inside the den. Mudfur was at the far end of the den, his patchy brown fur catching in the small beam of light streaming through the roof. "I can come back," he mewed.

The brown body dislodged itself from the rock wall, a small wad of moss in his jaws. "No, I've got some right here," he trotted over to where Badgerpaw sat. "Remember to carry it with your mouth open, and don't let it touch your tongue!" Mudfur gently laid the putrid smelling moss at his feet, "you'd taste it for the next moon!" Whiskers twitching with amusement, Mudfur turned back towards the leaf storage.

"Thanks," Badgerpaw muttered. He gingerly hooked his teeth in a dry part of the moss, making sure to keep the sides of his mouth wedged open. At least the smell made my stomach stop growling, he thought, sighing inwardly. Maybe the elders would be kind enough to share their prey with him. He padded up the small dirt pile leading to Smokestar's den, taking a sharp turn at the top towards the elder's den.

"I smell tick relief!" Snowear purred as Badgerpaw approached. "Just in time, I can feel a ripe one on the back of my neck," Badgerpaw groaned through the moss. Looking over to the unmoving body of Brownclaw, Badgerpaw felt a pit forming in his stomach. "Oh, he's fine; the big lug just doesn't want to be checked. He thinks he can do it himself," Snowear struggled to her paws and limped over to Brownclaw, giving him a gentle lick to rouse him.

"I'll start on you, then," Badgerpaw mewed through the bundle of moss. Taking it over to where Snowear sat, he placed it gently beside her silky black pelt. He felt around for the tick that Snowear had mentioned, feeling the slick body of an over-engorged tick. "It's a big one," he murmured.

"It's been there for some time, I just didn't want to bug you apprentices," she purred. "I know you're busy hunting and training to keep us bone-bags safe and warm." Badgerpaw kept silent, placing the mouse-bile on the tick and latching onto it with his teeth. With a rough tug, it dislodged, a small spurt of blood covering Badgerpaw's face. "Ow!" Snowear flinched, her smooth fur beginning to ruffle.

"Sorry," he apologized. Placing the moss at his feet once more, he ran his paws over Snowear's pelt, not feeling any more ticks on her. "I think you're done," he mewed.

"I'll check you for fleas," a voice mewed from the entrance. Looking up, Badgerpaw was surprised to see the creamy pelt of Spottedpaw standing there. "Start checking Brownclaw," she ordered, making Badgerpaw's fur stand up. Whatever, he hissed inwardly, I'm in enough trouble, so I'm not going to argue.

Straining to make out anything on Brownclaw's pelt, Badgerpaw became faintly aware of Spottedpaw's scent enveloping him. He was tossed back to his nursery days, where he and Spottedpaw would play catch-the-tail all day long. "Would you two like to hear a story?" Snowear offered, looking over to Badgerpaw.

"Sure," Spottedpaw answered between her teeth. Her eyes were shinning excitedly, despite the flea that was being crushed between her teeth. "Could you tell us about Yewtail?" She asked, cracking another flea body.

"Oh, Yewtail," Snowear sighed. "He was a brave cat," she began, "he wasn't afraid of anything. Foxes, badgers, even twolegs!" Brownclaw stirred underneath Badgerpaw, his ears flicking in turn. "As you know, he's no longer with us," Spottedpaw nodded.