Warrior Cats: The New Course (STILL UPDATING)

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Hey there, here is another painfully slow update. This time it took another year to publish the next chapter. So sorry, my readers! :( I am still hoping to finish this book. These random bouts of creativity come from sudden gains of time, so I'm sure you understand. One day, this book may finally be complete! At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, stay safe and healthy indoors in the midst of this COVID19 mess <3.

Golden light filtered through the trees, casting wispy shadows over the forest floor. The air felt warm and pleasant, with a faint smell of heather and water that carried in the soft breeze. The only sounds that could be heard were the snapping twigs and the lapping lake that came from upwind, along with the occasional chirping of birds in the trees above.

As Icestar's patrol traveled closer to the border, he could see StreamClan territory ahead. The large willow tree that stood center in their island-camp gleamed against the sun, with long leaves flowing gently with the breeze against its wiry trunk. The tree's image reflected off the glistening water below. Hw spotted a few warriors swimming back and forth from the mainland to the island, probably apprentices learning how to swim.

He stopped walking once he reached the scent-markers, and turned around to face Dawnstripe and Volefur.

"This shouldn't take long," he said. "And remember, if you catch any rogue-scent, let me know."

Volefur snorted. "Those bullies should be long gone by now." He padded over to the edge of the border and began marking a tree.

I hope so, Icestar thought, remembering Stonetooth's urgency earlier that day. But the chances are, they must have found their way back to the territories.

"I'll keep my senses open," Dawnstripe said, rolling her eyes at her brother.

Icestar nodded gratefully as she dispersed to a different part of their section. He found his own spot and started to strengthen the scent of MoonClan as well, reassured that if the rogues chose to cross into their territory again, they would be doing so knowing well that they've trespassed.

If that's not a warning, I'm not sure what is, he thought, remembering how casually they crossed into other Clans. They shouldn't expect to be told nicely if they entered some other cat's territory! He'd make them regret ever coming near the Clan again.

Feeling more reassured now, Icestar traveled and marked up the border, picking up faint smells that he knew were only a few days old. Because of the endless rain they have gotten for the past quarter-moon, the smells had washed away almost entirely. Though his sense of smell wasn't that keen, he could still catch the mouthwatering voles that must have had a hollow nearby, as well as the smell of a rabbit.

I almost forgot what those taste like! he thought, remembering how scarce prey had been over the harsh and snowy leafbare. He hadn't tasted the rabbit Amberwind caught during her warrior assessment, but had looked forward to catching one of his own with the warmth of the seasonal change.

No, I can't hunt now. I must focus on keeping the Clan safe!

He continued to mark and scent, paying attention to every place a cat could possibly hide. He poked his head into a tree hollow and caught nothing but a very faint fox-scent. It must have lived there during leaf-bare but seemed to be long gone. There was no trace of a cat, however. He pulled out from the hollow and continued down the border, smelling the roots of bushes, old prey burrows in the ground, and even the undergrowth surrounding various plants and trees in MoonClan territory.

There was nothing.

He sighed as he continued to make his way down the border. By the time the sun had seemed to sink a bit past sunhigh, he finished his section of the border and wondered if the other two were finished as well. He padded downstream to the direction they had gone and suddenly heard faint hissing coming from up ahead past a holly bush. His ears perked up, but the hissing did not stop.