The Tigress
{Petalfoot's POV}
I got up and raised my head, annoyed by my early awakening. I then saw my sister's amber eyes gazing at me softly. "Get up, Petalfoot. We're on the dawn patrol!" she mewed playfully.
I rose to my paws, as alert as I could be. "Oh right. I completely forgot that Firestar wanted us. Where are we going, Sunheart?" I asked, shaking my long gray pelt. Sunheart smiled. "We're supposed to check out Sky Oak. The apprentices are doing a climbing session there at sunhigh, and Firestar didn't want any unexpected suprises." I nodded. "Better get started then. Is anyone else coming?"
Sunheart looked around nervously. "No," she whispered. "Just us. I…insisted on it" The golden cat looked down at her pale paws. "What is that about?" I wondered. Is she hiding something? I pushed the thoughts aside. Sunheart didn't keep secrets! "Alright…" I murmured. "Let's head out then."
At Sky Oak, I saw something strange. Well, smelled something strange. It seemed to be coming from the roots. I went to check it out. "Sunheart? Can you come here for a moment?" I asked. Sunheart seemed a bit distracted as she padded over. I had to stifle amusement as she tripped over her own front paws.
"Take a look at this." I said, using my tail to point out a burrow that had been made between the roots. It was defenetly fairly new. Sunheart sniffed the air. She had always been better at identifying scents. Her eyes widened. "Fox, no doubt about it. But I don't think it's home." I nodded. She had confirmed my suspisions.
"Better report this to Firestar. Guess the apprentices will have to practice somewhere else." Suddenly, the wretched scent of fox found its way into my nose again, much stronger and to the left. Sunheart and I noiselessly moved our heads toward the vicinity.
A big, male fox was staring at us, growling. We backed away slowly. I didn't want to have to show my claws, but if that mangy piece of crowfood dare try to hurt my clan, things wouldn't be pretty.
The fox lunged at my sister Sunheart. "Oh no you don't!" I threw myself into the mass of claws and fur, yowling. Sunheart and I fought as one, powerful cat. We were as powerful as Lionclan together!
Soon, the fox knew he was beat. He turned tail and ran toward the abandoned twoleg nest. He would remember how he got his scars. I examined the wounds on Sunheart. There was a nasty looking bite on her back leg, but besides that, she was fine. I simply had a scratch on the left side of my flank. Nothing serious.
"We should head back and get that leg looked at." I said. Sunheart nodded. I shook my pelt once more and we headed off. After a few tail-lengths I turned around. For some reason I felt I was being watched. But when I looked back, I saw nothing but the giant tree.
{Tigerstar's POV}
I was watching my living Clanmates. They were only just awakening. Two she-cats had just returned from the dawn patrol and reported to my life (and death) long enemy, Firestar. One was silver and had white paws. She didn't look too impressive. I may have overlooked her, if I hadn't seen her fight.
"There was a fox at Sky Oak, living in the roots." She announced. "We fought it, and it ran towards the abandoned twoleg nest. It shouldn't bother Thunderclan anymore!"
Firestar nodded with approval. "I'm glad to here that it didn't seriously hurt you and your sister. But who attacked first, Petalfoot? The fox or you and Sunheart?"
So, the she-cat's name was Petalfoot? It seemed to weak a name for such a strong cat. However, we were obviously different. Why was it that she and her sister didn't wait until after the fox attacked? Why not before? She could have been seriously hurt if she had been unprepared for the fox to leap.
Why did I care, though? Wouldn't less Thunderclan fools be better in the long run? Unless the Thunderclan fools can become allies…. I smiled for the first time in moons. Petalfoot would be the perfect ally! As soon as the fox attacked Sunheart, Petalfoot was a lion. That could come in handy in the battle.
Of course, that's when I saw a flaw in my foolproof plan. Petalfoot was loyal to Firestar! That wouldn't do. Maybe there was a way to change her loyalties? I had to watch her more to be sure. But I would convince her to join the Dark Forest, one way or another.