Shadepelt was carrying her catch back home; one fish and a skimpy rabbit on the WindClan border. She was dying to eat it all in one ravenous gulp. But, the elders must be fed first.
Shadepelt smiled at her little joke. They were all elders, including her. It had been three days since the Clans had left to find a new home. Mudfur had died the day before, after a day of being unconscious. Shadepelt and Loudbelly had stayed by his side until he died. Frostfur and Speckletail had kept their distance, respecting the fact that they wanted time alone with their medicine cat.
After Mudfur died, the two ThunderClan elders had buried him next to his den, leaving Shadepelt and Loudbelly to their memories.
But now that was behind them, and the four elders had to survive. Shadepelt, being the youngest, caught the most. Speckletail and Frostfur tried their best to find land prey, but it had taken its toll on them. Loudbelly just complained.
So far, the Twolegs had not bothered them. The island that had once been RiverClan camp was sheltered nicely, and the elders did not have to walk far for fresh water.
Shadepelt carried her prey to the middle of the island, where the other elders had gathered. She dropped the rabbit by Frostfur and Speckletail, knowing they would rather eat that than fish. They nodded gratefully, then bent down to eat it.
She walked over to Loudbelly, and they began to eat. The fish was salty and fresh. It satisfied Shadepelt's hunger, but also made her crave for more.
After finishing, Loudbelly grunted his thanks. Or maybe it meant he wanted more. Either way, he went to go share tongues with Speckletail, while Frostfur came over to her.
"No luck?" Shadepelt asked.
"No, not even a whiff of prey. At this rate, we'll be dead before the full moon." Shadepelt opened her mouth to protest when Frostfur continued. "Face it Shadepelt, we're not as young as we used to be. You can't hunt for us everyday, and even if you could, prey is scarce. Don't try to argue with me."
Inside, Shadepelt knew she was right. But she couldn't give up that easily. She was born a warrior, and she will die fighting to help these cats.
Frostfur stood up. "You coming to the den?" Shadepelt looked up at the sky, the moon was already rising. She saw Speckletail and Loudbelly get up, and walk side by side to the old warriors den. "Yeah. I'm coming."
. . . . . . . .
When Shadepelt woke up, she noticed she was alone in the den. She walked out to see that all the elders had gone out, even Loudbelly. She picked up their scent leading towards the river. At the river, she saw Loudbelly teaching Frostfur and Speckletail how to catch fish. They were all standing stock-still, waiting for a fish to swim by. Eventually, Loudbelly reached in with his paw and scooped out a small, wriggling fish. He scooped it on shore and killed it.
Frostfur and Speckletail turned their attention back to the river, scouring the banks for more fish. Shadepelt silently came over and sat down, only nodding a hello.
By sun-high, the elders started getting fidgety. It was clear no more fish were going to appear, so they got up and went back to camp, with Loudbelly carrying his fish. They gathered around it, and each ate their small share. Shadepelt noticed Speckletail and Frostfur cringe at the first bite, but they didn't say anything.
Everyone was tired, so they skipped sharing tongues and went right to bed. Frostfur curled up beside her. "Goodnight Shadepelt." But Shadepelt didn't respond. She was too tired, and too hungry, and just wanted to fall asleep.