Now on to chapter 11. Cherrynose's POV
CHAPTER 11
Cherrynose looked for her apprentice. She had a plan for hunting. She found Molewhisker beside Snowpaw, telling him the plan. The other apprentices were sleeping.
Her gaze dragged to the nursery where the kits were tackling with each other, while Mistkit, who was usually energetic, sat still, watching them blankly. She seemed to have her mind on something.
"Come and play with us, Mistkit!" Stonekit called. He broke off as Furzekit landed on top of him.
Cherrynose perked her head up as she heard swift paw steps. It was Jayfeather. Thornclaw was behind him, coughing.
"It's my fault! I trained her yesterday!"
Jayfeather reappeared, dragging Seedpaw's nest. Seedpaw was curled up in it, hardly breathing.
"I don't think so, Thornclaw. She's worse than you. I think she gave it to you.
"I guess so," Thornclaw mumbled.
"She has greencough!" Jayfeather called to his apprentice.
"Do we have any catmint?" Briarlight asked.
"Go and check."
Cherrynose stepped into the apprentices' den to wake the apprentices.
"How's Seedpaw?" Lilypaw asked.
"She has greencough, but she's in the medicine den now." Cherrynose replied. Lilypaw nodded.
Cherrynose nudged Amberpaw. "Wake up!"
"What?" Amberpaw stirred.
"We're going hunting!"
The ginger apprentice jumped to her paws. Cherrynose woke Snowpaw, and they were ready to go.
...
"Okay, mentor and apprentice, give the other two options of prey! Then they have to catch at least one of them in order to finish." Cherrynose explained.
"But if you come along something else, try to catch it!" Molewhisker added.
Snowpaw looked at Molewhisker. "Grouse!" he insisted.
Molewhisker frowned at his apprentice. "I don't think so, Snowpaw. I might get attacked. And besides, you only gave me one option."
"Fine! Mice!" Snowpaw hissed.
"Amberpaw, what do you want me to catch?"
Amberpaw thought for a moment. "Mouse or blackbird." she decided.
Molewhisker lifted his head. "Snowpaw, go to the lake and look for water voles. Look for a thrush in the trees."
"Go with Snowpaw." Cherrynose instructed her apprentice.
Amberpaw scampered off.
Cherrynose and Molewhisker padded toward the abandoned twoleg nest, where they figured it would be easiest to catch mice and blackbirds. She and Molewhisker split up. Right away, a mouse came into view. One pounce, and she'd caught it. Now she could hunt freely.
She had caught a rat and two pigeons along with the mouse when she found Molewhisker, who had caught two mice. "It's time to find the apprentices." she told him.
The apprentices were at the lake, as asked. A shrew swam to shore. Molewhisker hooked it out of the water and killed it. Amberpaw had caught two voles and a thrush. Snowpaw stood proudly over two grouses.
"See? If I can do it, you can do it too!" he insisted.
"Snowpaw, you didn't catch any of the options!" Molewhisker scolded. "You're not going back to the camp until you do!"
Amberpaw started coughing.
"Amberpaw? Are you okay?"
Amberpaw nodded, her eyes watering.
"I don't think so. You'd better see Jayfeather."
...
Cherrynose watched Molewhisker. He had a scratch down his flank from proving to Snowpaw that he could catch a grouse.
"Snowpaw will be punished for this." He mumbled as he passed her.
...
A few days later, Molewhisker walked by the nursery, only to have Mistkit and Willowkit jump on him. Willowkit's blind eye flashed, and Molewhisker couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
Taking advantage of his distraction, the kits pulled him down.
"WindClan intruder!" Willowkit squeaked, softly pummeling him with her paws.
"Dark Forest cat!" Mistkit hissed. That ended the play battle.
Cinderheart lifted her head from where she was resting. "Mistkit, get back in the nest! Where'd you learn about the Dark Forest?"
"Purdy." Mistkit answered simply.
Molewhisker snorted with amusement. His wound had healed. He had already gone on patrol today.
Then he heard commotion. A patrol had returned.
"WindClan are hunting on our territory! They've set markers on our side of the border!" Icecloud hissed.
"Are we going to attack?" Amberpaw asked Cherrynose, worried. She had come down with whitecough only a few days before, but was starting to make a recovery.
"We should attack!" Mousewhisker mewed.
Bramblestar came into the clearing. "Battles aren't always the answer. But if we must, we will fight."
"He's no Tigerstar!" Lilypaw exclaimed.
The clan turned and looked at her. Lilypaw ducked behind Dewpaw, his snowy gray fur hiding her.
"Anyway..." Bramblestar continued.
Squirrelflight stepped forward. "Foxleap, Leafpool, Mousewhisker, Lilypaw, wait for a patrol. Graystripe, Sandstorm, stay behind and guard the camp. The rest of you, hide in the bushes."
...
As suspected, there were WindClan cats in their territory.
"Hey!" Foxleap yowled, scaring away Leaftail's mouse. Sedgewhisker looked up, surprised, a squirrel dangling from her jaws.
"Put that down!" Leafpool hissed. "It's our prey!"
"It's ours now," Sedgewhisker growled, then sprang, clawing Leafpool's flank. Squirrelflight motioned to the rest of the clan, then Furzepelt bowled her over.
Molewhisker stayed beside Cherrynose. Together, they sprang at Leaftail. Cherrynose tried to attack, but stopped when she began coughing. Before Leaftail could move, Molewhisker sliced his ear. Leaftail screeched. Then he managed to catch Cherrynose and ran his claws down her back leg.
Cherrynose had stopped coughing. She retaliated, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. She didn't let go.
While Leaftail was distracted, Molewhisker ran his claws across the tabby's face. Cherrynose let go of his shoulder and ripped through his fur. Leaftail reared up and flung Molewhisker away. He landed, winded.
Leaftail had turned on Cherrynose, who was coughing again. He ran his claws along her flank. Molewhisker raced forward to help his sister. He raked Leaftail's belly.
Leaftail bit Cherrynose's ear, then fled. Cherrynose got caught in a strong bought of coughing. She had whitecough.
...
Oh, no! The clan is getting sick!
Please review! As soon as I reach a count of 9 total reviews I will post chapter 12