Chapter 3: Waiting

It was already sun-high before they stopped outside the MoonClan border to rest and search for prey. Greywhisker's belly was gripped by hunger as strong scents of rabbit drifted to his open mouth. Instinctively, the young tom dropped to a hunting crouch and followed the scent into the last parts of the forests. The cold stopped trees from growing near the frozen mountains, but they were far enough to have some plant growing, for shelter and for prey to be alive and about. Using more of his hearing than his eyes, Greywhisker pinpointed the young rabbit nibbling on some frost covered grass behind a bush. Before the small creature heard him coming, he pounced squarely onto it and killed it swiftly.

Prey was scarce in the middle of leaf-bare, especially beyond the northern territories of MoonClan. Carrying the small rabbit back to the tree-less clearing, Greywhisker saw his apprentice, Silverpaw, already eating together with Softstep. Padding over, he notices that Silverpaw was sharing prey with the she-cat warrior.

"Where's your catch, Silverpaw?"

The young apprentice looked up at Greywhisker with surprise. "I didn't find any prey...Sorry, Greywhisker..." She looks down at her paws in embarrassment knowing that her mentor found out that she didn't catch any prey.

"She tried her best you know," Softstep looked up from the small chaffinch she was tearing at and gave Silverpaw a sympathetic look.

Greywhisker didn't want to hurt her feelings, especially since Silverpaw is his first apprentice, so he decided to go easy on her. Besides, she is still young. "You can have my rabbit. But try to bring back some fresh-kill next time."

Seeing his apprentice's eyes lit up, Greywhisker stalked back into the grassier part of the partly frozen forest. Almost immediately, he picked up the scent of squirrel. He crouched down low onto his belly and pounced. However, the small creature heard paw steps on the hardening snow before the hunter sprang out, and it ran. Greywhisker gave chase, and pressed it down with one paw before it dashed onto the nearest tree. Just when he was bending down to give the squirrel a killing bite, he looked up in surprise.

There, some distance away from where he stood, was a half-burned tree, and under it lay a motionless brown body.

"Thunderstripe!" Greywhisker recognized his clan mate instantly. Rushing to the broken tree, he didn't care that his squirrel dashed out from under his paws and disappeared into the bushed; his friend was more important.

Greywhisker stopped a mouse-tail in front of Thunderstripe. Crouching down, he touched Thunderstripe's dusty, cold body with his nose.

"Greywhisker!"

Turning around, Greywhisker saw Grassdew, Softstep, Firepelt, Silverpaw, and Squirrelpaw bounding toward him.

"What happened? We heard you yowling," the old ginger tom, Firepelt, asked with sympathy.

"Is...is that Thunderstripe?" Softstep stared at the dead body of her friend with shock and sadness.

Greywhisker nodded slowly, and turned back to mourn for Thunderstripe.

Grassdew moved beside his sister to whisper some comforting words to her, "Don't worry, Softstep. Thunderstripe hunts with StarClan now."

"Hey, what's that Greywhisker?" Squirrelpaw was staring at something under Thunderstripe's extended paw.

Curious, Greywhisker carefully lifted the dead warrior's paw, and underneath was a beautiful white flower. The young grey tom watched silently until a warning hiss broke the silence.

There were other cats prowling around in the bushes.


Who or WHAT could it be? X.x Find out in the next chapter! R&R if you can! P

Snowstep