Warriors: Loyalty Dwindles (COMPLETE)

Chapter 15

Thistlejaw traipsed through the powdery snow, sniffing the air for any signs of prey. Sunlight peeked from the gray clouds and sent rays of light through the tree branches. All was peaceful until a sudden gust of cold air blew against his fur, causing him to shudder in response. 

Must be near WindClan's border. Still don't understand how cats could stand to live out in the open. 

He had not spoken to anyone about the prophecy he received that one night. If his mother personally came to him in a dream, why would he bother telling another cat? Especially when she was warning him to be wary even of his own Clanmates. 

It had caused him to feel incredibly on edge. To think that one of his fellow warriors would betray ShadowClan one day, was a heavy burden to carry on his shoulders. And to top it off, the nightmares never ceased. He was back on a nightly dosage of poppy seeds before he went to sleep, much to Tawnyclaw's concern.

A crack of a branch near a blackberry bush caught his attention and he lowered himself to the ground. His ears were perked up high to catch any other noises as he slowly approached the bush. 

His nose filled with the scent of a mouse. Though it would only make a meal fit for one cat alone, Thistlejaw wasn't going to let the opportunity for fresh prey to pass. He also loved the thrill of hunting and the satisfaction of bringing something to his Clan. 

A yowl of distress broke his concentration and the mouse scurried off into a hole near a tree. Thistlejaw made an attempt to pounce on it before it reached it's tiny burrow, but it was too late. 

"Fox-dung!" he cursed in irritation. 

The yowl sounded more frantic the second time, and Thistlejaw begrudgingly padded toward the sound. When he reached the source of the yowling, he saw a dusty brown and white tabby tom on top of a large, rotten,  fallen tree. The tom had wandered too far onto a branch and was dangling above the dark, roaring river. 

Something clicked in Thistlejaw's mind and he realized that he recognized the WindClan cat. 

"Adderpaw? What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Thistlejaw held back his snickering and stepped onto the tree to help out the tom. 

"It's Adderstorm now. Just...s-shut your mouth and save me! I could drown!" the tabby's claws were burrowed into the dying bark of the tree. Thankfully, Thistlejaw could clearly see a way to drag the WindClan cat to safety. 

"No kidding." He rolled his eyes and grabbed his jaws onto Adderstorm's scruff, dragging him off of the tree and onto the ground below. The tom made a cry of surprise when he lost his balance and fell face-first into the snow. 

Thistlejaw let out a chortle and jumped right beside him, "Wow, you WindClan cats have no sense of balance do you? Or maybe you're just a clumsy cat in general" 

Adderstorm lifted his head, his pale green eyes glaring at Thistlejaw. The young warrior hardly looked intimidating with white clumps of snow in his fur. More like a kit who was just out rolling in the first snowfall of Leaf-bare. 

"Why were you climbing on the tree anyways? Aren't you rabbit-chasers scared of heights?" he purred teasingly and laid out next to Adderstorm. He knew the warrior didn't particularly enjoy being called a rabbit-chaser. 

I don't mean any harm by it of course, I'm sure he knows that after the last time we met.

"I was following an injured raven, if you must know. Clans need all the prey they can get in Leaf-bare."  Adderstorm glanced over at the fallen tree, "Not that it was worth it. Thanks for saving me"