Meow
Chapter 9
The pattering of the rain outside died down. Meadowleap peered outside the warriors' den to see that it was only a drizzle now. She leaped from the warriors' den and landed next to the river and turned towards the clearing. Only two cats were sharing tongues in the grassy clearing. Meadowleap crossed to them.
"Good morning Meadowleap," Dovesong greeted the young warrior. She was sharing tongues with Pouncetail.
"Good morning," she mewed. She sat down near them. Pouncetail smiled.
"My Dovesong is expecting kits soon," he chided. Any cat could've guessed that!
"Dovesong, have you moved into the nursery yet?"
The light gray she-cat opened her mouth to reply, but her mate answered for her. "Yes, just a couple sunrises ago."
Meadowleap smiled at the couple. The light gray she-cat got up and started for the fresh-kill pile. The weight of her kits made it difficult for her to steady herself after every step. Her mate rushed over to her. He urged her to sit back down. Meadowleap sprang up and trotted over to the pile. She selected two thrushes and brought them over to the two cats.
"Thank you," Pouncetail mewed. They both quietly ate their fresh-kill. Meadowleap watched and started to think about the prophecy again. It kept on over taking her thoughts and distracting her. She wondered if Yellowpaw had the same problem.
The pale ginger she-cat noticed more cats streaming into the clearing. The deputy, Harestep, called her over. She turned and mewed goodbye to the expecting queen and her mate and trotted over to him.
"You are going on a hunting patrol with Graybriar, Yellowpaw, Foxbound, and Lilacfur," he ordered. Meadowleap nodded and stood next to Foxbound and Lilacfur.
The light ginger she-cat watched as Graybriar said goodbye to his mate, Willowbreeze, and collected his apprentice. They joined the patrol.
"Is this everyone?" he asked.
"Yup," Foxbound replied. He let the big gray tom take the lead and finally trotted after him. The rest of the patrol followed. They jumped the river and headed towards the DarkClan border, where there were more trees and bushes for prey to hide. They split up and headed in different directions.
Even though it was Newleaf, snow still lay in clumps on the ground. The grass was wet and springy under the snow. Meadowleap bent down and liked up some of the cold snow. Refreshing. Paw steps sounded behind her.
Foxbound was stalking a mouse. His tail was flicking across the ground. With one great leap, he trapped the mouse and killed it with a swift blow.
"Nice catch," Meadowleap congratulated.
"Thanks," the ginger tabby tom mewed around a mouthful of mouse. He quickly buried his catch and the two cats headed towards the training tree.
The sweet scent of vole hit Meadowleap's nose. She paused and looked at Foxbound. He nodded. The younger warrior crouched down and headed towards the smell. She could visually see it now. It was nibbling on something that she couldn't make out. The lithe she-cat slowly padded forward. Her paws didn't even make a sound. The cold snow was reaching towards her belly fur as she brushed past it. Then, she pounced, trapping it in her long claws, and killed the vole with a swift bite to the neck. She proudly turned around to show her prey to Foxbound.
He smiled. The pale ginger she-cat padded towards him with her plump vole. She buried it and stood up.
"Wanna try by the Cliffside?" he asked.
Meadowleap nodded and they turned towards the cliff. Graybriar came out of a hazel bush and Yellowpaw followed him.
"Gather your prey," he nodded towards the two ginger cats.
Once the patrol had all their prey they headed back to the grassy clearing.
"Ack!" Yellowpaw exclaimed, dropping her small squirrel. Everyone turned to her. The fluffy gray apprentice's paw was stuck in a big mud pit. As she tried to free herself, the mud clenched and glopped. Finally, she managed to drag her paw off and they continued to the grassy clearing.
Meadowleap distributed her prey on the pile and sat down next to Yellowpaw. She was furiously washing her paw. Meadowleap noticed all the cats staring at them. They hadn't forgotten about the prophecy.
Yellowpaw finally looked up from washing, "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to remind you that we are going to the Tall Pines tonight to meet with the others," the pale she-cat whispered.
The apprentice stopped mid-wash. Then she nodded and padded out of the clearing, towards the cliff.
Meadowleap sat alone, with the gaze of all the cats in the clearing on her. A small shape approached her. It was Pebblepaw.
"How are you doing?" the gray tabby mewed, hoping to flare up a conversation.
"Fine," Meadowleap answered, thinking about tonight.
"Something wrong?" Pebblepaw's golden eyes were filled with concern.
Meadowleap shook her head. Pebblepaw saw her friend, Mousepaw, and looked back at her sister. Meadowleap nodded for her to go off and play. Pebblepaw raced over to the brown tom and they started talking.
I wish I could talk to someone as easy as she can.
Meadowleap got to her paws and watched as some of the older warriors stared at her. She quickly left the muddy clearing and jumped up to the warriors' den. She found her nest and curled up, fast asleep.
Just wondering how many of you have ever gotten yogurt in your hair...
O.o