Hostile

32

"Will Sunfur and Brambleshade still be joining us?" Frostcloud asked, approaching Slatethorn and Badgerpaw, who waited near the camps entrance. Foxpaw followed after her mentor, using her tongue to clean squirrel blood from her lips.

"I don't see why not." Slatethorn said, running his paw over his ear.

Frostcloud sat a tail-length from the tom. Would Brambleshade receiving his warrior name change the attendees of this hunting patrol? Likely not, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"I'm going to scald." Foxpaw muttered, casting her eyes into the cloudless sky above. It was nearly sunhigh, and the sun was so bright Frostcloud could practically feel its heat singe her eartips.

Badgerpaw's tail whipped back and forth on the ground he sat on, leaving indentations in the dirt.

"Maybe we could hunt near MarshClans border, where the trees grow thicker." Frostcloud offered, about as eager to hunt under the blistering sun as Foxpaw was.

Slatethorn nodded, "That'll give us an opportunity to check our border as well."

Badgerpaw flexed his claws, "Those mangy Marshcats... if we run into a battle patrol we'll shred them."

Frostcloud flicked her ear. Would the hunters run into a battle patrol? PineClan had sent their own just dawns ago... MarshClan would retaliate soon. Would the six cats be enough?

If not, as long as the Pinecats spotted the MarshClan patrol first, they could send one of their own to fetch more warriors.

Frostcloud had grown accustomed to be on constant guard. Any moment she could be attacked by a Marshcat.

"Sorry we took so long!" Sunfur mewed, padding hurriedly towards the hunting patrol. Her yellow and orange spotted, fluffy fur glowed in the sunlight. Two tail-lengths behind her, Brambleshade yawned, and his white teeth glinted.

"I overslept." The younger tom explained.

Badgerpaw flicked his tail, "How could you oversleep on your first day as a warrior?"

"He was up all night guarding camp." Foxpaw said shortly.

"You'll oversleep your first day as a warrior too." Sunfur said to the apprentice.

"I doubt it." Badgerpaw said. Then, to Slatethorn, "Can we start?"

The warrior cast his eyes to the others, "Are you ready?"

"I am." Frostcloud said.

"Let's go." Brambleshade agreed.

Getting to their paws, the warriors made way through their familiar forest. They started their hunt at Little Cave, and began making way for Sun Stones. Between the six cats, they had managed to make three kills already. Four now, as Foxpaw buried a chipmunk.

"You're becoming an excellent hunter." Frostcloud praised her apprentice.

Foxpaw shrugged, but there was a glimmer in her eye.

Frostcloud ran her paw over her whiskers. How much longer before Foxpaw herself earned her warrior name? It wouldn't be too long, but Frostcloud had to think of a test. Something that would prove her readiness.

Or maybe something would come up where Foxpaw would prove herself ready to be a warrior. Like when Frostcloud pulled Needlepelt back to camp after he'd fainted in the forest.

After Frostcloud had talked to Mosspool about the subject the dusk before, she had gone to find Cricketlegs. He was sharing a squirrel with Riverpelt.

When Frostcloud asked how to know Foxpaw was ready, both Cricketlegs and Riverpelt agreed that Frostcloud would just know.

The small warrior shook her head. What kind of answer was that! How could any mentor tell their apprentice is ready? There has to be some indication, right?