A growl rose in my dry throat as I dragged my aching feet across the pine needle covered forest floor. The other clans would happily be exploring there new territories – enough prey in each to feed all four clans for a moon – were as we were stuck in this stark landscape, nothing but pine tree, after pine tree, after pine tree... ShadowClan deserved better than this. Our new territory looked like the unwanted leftovers of the other clan's paradise.
"TawnyPelt, what was going through your tiny brain when you agreed to this being our territory?" I growled dryly.
She didn't answer, but the look of embarrassment on her face was more than satisfying.
"It's not that bad..." Oakfur murmured half-heartedly. He was a loyal warrior that always spoke his opinion and stood up for what he believed in. Number 12 in my most hated list.
I grunted impatiently and shoved pass him to walk next to BlackStar.
"Why are we following ThunderPants here?" I said nodding towards TawnyPelt, the former thunderclan cat.
"She claims to have found a camp." He said bleakly, keeping his eyes on the path ahead of him. BlackStar is the only member of my liked list. Lucky him.
"It's only an option..." she replied wearily, as if giving up.
BlackStar gave a heavy sigh.
"Excuse me BlackStar, but WhisperSlash's cut has opened again and LittleCloud needs to stop to treat it." Snowstorms's deadly blue eyes looked solemn (no change there) as she sprinted ahead to ask the question. Her angular black and white face made BlackStar's sister look like a fox caught in a snowdrift.
BlackStar yet again gave another heavy sigh, and reluctantly sat down with a casual flick of his tail to indicate for the rest of the clan to follow. I flopped down next to him as ungracefully as a pregnant dog.
"Why have we stopped?" Thistlepaw chirped in that annoying way he does. After being an apprentice for barely a moon, he had already made it onto everyone's most annoying list.
"Because the sky is falling, obviously. Apprentices are so dumb these days." Frostbite's sarcastic comment got a few sniggers from Tanglefoot and Weedtail. She had been planting rumours about some of the less respectable WindClan warriors from dawn till dusk last night. Some of the better ones even reached the victims themselves; the look on Webfoot's face was one to remember. I made sure she got what was coming to her though, it should have been me doing that kind of thing, however I was on watch. There'll be a next time though.
I had a look at our surroundings. It had changed mildly, the ground was boggier, and there was a large clump of foxgloves next to where the clan was resting. I heard Oakfur telling Talonpaw that the herb was deadly poisonous, but the apprentice looked uninterested. I found it hard to believe that this stocky, patient cat could be even distantly related to Thistlepaw, let alone brothers.
"That should do it... But if the cobwebs come lose again Whisperslash, you must tell me straight away. None of this 'I'm too strong to need herbs' junk." I caught the end of Littlecloud's conversation, and the killer look Whisperslash gave him as he stalked off to join his mate Snowstorm.
"Right Blackstar we can set of again now." The medicine cat said triumphantly with his tail held high.
"Thank you Littlecloud. Tawnypelt, how far now?" Blackstar didn't even look at her as he asked the question. He looked so uninterested it made my fur crawl.
But she carried on obliviously. "Oh it's not far now, after the foxgloves there's a large clump of brambles and then we're at the camp." I saw her glance at me to see if I would make a witty comment, but I had run dry, so I just pulled a face. I felt disappointed as she got up with the rest of the clan to carry on the journey; I suppose after all the moons of living with me she had gotten used to my tormenting. Thunderclan snob.
I really didn't want to carry on, but as deputy I had to look strong and set a good example, well, the best I could manage. They just have to get used to my attitude. For I am Russetfur, their deputy, and totally irreplaceable.
~ooo~
A big, wet, raindrop splattered my nose. Another landed on my back, then my whiskers, and before I knew it I was drenched.
Fitting, I thought as I peered round a clump of ferns at the entrance to our new camp. Only to see a whole forest more. I heard a few other cats stifle a gasp, as they to realised the terrible truth. Like I had suspected, our new camp sucked.
"Well... at least it's sheltered..."Oakfur said at last.
"Yeah! Oakfur's right! As long as there are trees over our heads we can do this!"
"Well Rowanclaw if you're so good at playing deputy why don't you just kill me now and not prolong the agony? Making decisions is for leaders alone!" I snapped at the arrogant tom.
"I was just trying to make light of the situation! Is that a phrase you haven't come across yet? Making light? I thought not!" He retorted with furious eyes.
"ENOUGH!" Blackstar roared. "Here in ShadowClan we have better things to do than quarrel! There are dens to be made and prey to be caught! Get to it NOW!" the clan watched in silence as he shouldered his way into the camp through to thick wall of ferns. Blackstar didn't often shout like that, but when he did, it was far beyond terrifying.
I did my best to keep my head held high as I flounced after him, giving Rowanclaw a cold stare full of hatred just for good measure. I really didn't need his competition right now.
It was the best I could do not to fall over as I forced my way into the camp. I found myself in a small clearing dappled with watery sunlight reflected in the small puddles that were forming on the soft ground. My mind seemed to clear for a few brief seconds as I took in the peaceful tranquillity of the place. Soon to be ruined by Thistlepaw, surprise surprise, barging through exclaiming, "Dibs on biggest den!" I just couldn't resist casually sticking a paw out and tripping him up, leaving him face down in the dirt.
"Biggest isn't always best!" Dizzypaw raced in after him oblivious to his little... accident, shall we say, and tripped over him. I screeched with laughter as they lay in an undignified heap on the wet floor.
Still grinning, I looked up at Blackstar, whose shadow now loomed over me like a raincloud. I stopped smiling immediately when I saw that he was not.
"Russetfur, perhaps you would like to take the apprentices out to collect some moss? You all seem quite restless at the moment." He looked at me sternly, clearly not impressed. I glared back at him as I trudged out of camp, beckoning the young cats who lay squirming on the floor with my tail. They followed obediently out of camp where we found Talonpaw lying down on the muddy floor, panting heavily, with Littlecloud crowding over him.
"Talonpaw?" Thistlepaw's mew sounded worried as he bounded over to his brother. "Littlecloud, what's wrong with him?" His big amber eyes staring intently at the overstressed medicine cat.
"I'm not sure..." He said distractedly, he seemed to be checking the young apprentice's pulse.
"He could just be tired..." Dizzypaw mewed hopefully. But she looked just as concerned as Thistlepaw.
"Keeping him outside in the rain surely won't help, Oakfur, help LittleCloud carry Talonpaw into camp." I ordered sharply. Probably the most useful thing I've said in moons.
"I'm on it." Oakfur bounded over to help Littlecloud. Where did he get all that energy?
"Russetfur, will Talonpaw be ok?" Thistlepaw whined feebly. Great StarClan why was this so difficult?
"How should I know?" I snapped irritably. "Now go and get Timidpaw so we can go and find this moss!"
~ooo~
"I'm hungry and my paws ache!" The apprentices had been wailing throughout the whole journey.
"If you don't shut up I'll cram this pinecone down your throat! Now get to work!"
"But Russetfur... We don't know how to pick moss..." Timidpaw trailed off.
"What?" What do you mean you don't know how to pick moss? Picking moss is what apprentices are made for!" I cried, outraged.
"Well... We were apprenticed just before the great journey began, so we didn't-
"How can you call it the great journey? It was the worst decision the clans ever made! Smokepaw died on the so called great journey! Don't you care at all you little brats?"
"Err... Russetfur?"
I swung my head around abruptly, to see Rowanclaw standing beside me, a confused but not surprised look on his face. Looks like I was so absorbed in lecturing the apprentices that I had not seen the chestnut and white tom approach.
"Yes?" I snarled.
"Blackstar wants you back in camp... immediately..." he added hastily before scampering quickly back through the trees.
"Son of a queen..." I grumbled under my breath, and trudged after him. I turned back to see that the apprentices weren't following.
"Well come on what are you waiting for?" Let's see... plus those apprentices that makes it 267 cats that are terrified of me. For some strange reason I don't feel happy right now.