THUNDERCLAN TERRITORY

Bravepaw was curled up, lying in his warm nest, peacefully sleeping next Redpaw when Hazelfur, one of the warriors, hastily entered the apprentices den and gave a slight shiver. "Brr, it's really started to get chilly out there."

Bravepaw opened his sleepy eyes to see that it promised to be another damp, bleak day without the morning sun making its usual appearance over the east hill.

"At least it's not raining anymore," Willowpaw yawned, as she stretched lazily in her nest.

"Sparrowpaw wake up! We're going on morning patrol." Her mentor Hazelfur gently prodded her on her side.

Sparrowpaw opened one eye then quickly shut it again, snuggling deeper into her nest, "It can't be morning already! The sun isn't even up yet."

"Just because the sun isn't going to come out today doesn't mean you get to spend it sleeping in your den! Meet me out in the clearing as soon you pull yourself together. Velvetfoot and One-ear are already out there waiting."

"Oh how I despise morning patrols," Grumbled Sparrowpaw to her sister Willowpaw, as she quickly licked down her messy mud-colored fur and then darted out of the den after her mentor.

Bravepaw arose from his sleeping place and neatly stepped around the sleeping Redpaw, who apparently could sleep through an invasion of foxes! "Well, I wonder what Grayleaf has planned for me today. I guess I should go and see if there's any prey left over for breakfast this morning."

An unwelcoming cold wind blew onto Bravepaw's face as he padded over to the freshkill pile. Reaching his paw into the small surrounding rocks that shielded the prey from the rainy weather, Bravepaw chose a small shrew.

"Well this definitely doesn't look like the juiciest prey I've ever eaten, I suppose some-cat has to eat it before it goes completely stale though."

After making sure there was more prey in the rock hole, in case other cats hadn't eaten yet and wanted prey there would still be some left. Satisfied that there was, he made his way to the side walls of the camp to be shielded from the wind and to enjoy his morning breakfast.

It wasn't long before Grayleaf and Ashnose exited from the warriors den. As Grayleaf spotting her apprentice, she whispered something in Ashnose's ear and padded over to Bravepaw. "Well you're up awfully early."

Bravepaw tucked his paws closer under him. "Hazelfur came in to wake up Sparrowpaw for the morning patrol, and so I decided to wake myself up instead of just lying there listening to Redpaw snore."

Grayleaf purred amusedly as she looked at the half-eaten shrew, "The prey doesn't taste very good after the night's rain, does it?"

Bravepaw slowly shook his head. "It sure doesn't."

"Ashnose has gone to wake up Redpaw, we both were going to go on a hunting trip ourselves, but since you were already awake we can catch twice as much and have some fresh prey for the elders and maybe some extra for Briarnut. A cat that's going to have kits needs to be kept well fed with lots of prey." Grayleaf meowed turning as Ashnose and a tired Redpaw padded over to them.

Poor Redpaw, he looked so funny when he was tired! He apparently hadn't even had time to slick down his fur. Bravepaw thought to himself.

Ashnose looked over at the camp entrance, "Well I'm ready when you all are. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back to the nice cozy shelter of our dens. Redpaw, do you want any prey before we go?"

Redpaw barely seemed to register the question, and instead answered, "Oh yeah, I'm ready. I was born ready." He gave a long yawn, which didn't coincide with his statement.

They all just gave a slight chuckle as they started a quick trot and headed out of camp.

As they were making swift progress across their territory, Bravepaw slowed his pace as he whispering in Redpaw's ear, "Have you noticed how chummy Ashnose and Grayleaf have been lately?"

Redpaw looked at him with a knowing light in his eye, "I've noticed! I think they might want to be mates."

Really!? Bravepaw exclaimed but the instantly lowered his voice so to not be heard.

Redpaw bobbed his head up and down like squirrel. "Uh huh! But Grayleaf doesn't want to until we become warriors, cause she doesn't want it to interfere with your training," He whispered back to him. "I heard Dewdrop talking to Oakfang while I was doing elder-duty the other day. She was talking about how she thought they were a perfect couple and had hoped they would become mates soon and that Grayleaf wouldn't wait till she was too old to be a mother!"

"It totally makes sense now!" Bravepaw's eyes lit up with understanding, "That's why we get to train together so much and they sometimes send us to practice moves by ourselves!"

Redpaw hit Bravepaw's shoulder playfully. "Well I'm sure glad Ashnose didn't like Hazelfur! Then I'd have to do a lot more training with Sparrowpaw!"

"Sparrowpaw isn't that bad!" Bravepaw meowed with a humorous glimmer in his eye, "Besides I'm sure you two would get along just great! You both hate getting up in the mornings!"

"Hey! Well some of us need to get our beauty sleep!" Redpaw countered.

Bravepaw then meowed with a huge grin on his face, "Oh yeah, you sure need lots of that beauty sleep!"

Grayleaf and Ashnose stopped up ahead while Ashnose sniffed the air. "I can't smell anything, there's too much wind!"

Grayleaf nodded. "You're right, perhaps we should split up."

"We can go this way and you and Bravepaw can go over there," Ashnose suggested, pointing his muzzle in each opposite direction.

"We'll meet up here again with our catches," Grayleaf meowed, her voice being caught up with the wind.

They had only caught a small mouse the whole time they had been gone, and it seemed as if all the prey had hidden down in their holes where they knew they would be safe from any fear of being blown away with the wind. None-the-less, he and Grayleaf continued padded silently through the forest, ears and eye alert for any signs of un-expecting prey.

Just as they were about to give up and turn around, Grayleaf pricked her ears and signaled for Bravepaw to be still, following her eye movement, Bravepaw spotted a lonely vole chewing a berry by the trunk of an old maple tree.

His mentor then quietly instructed him to creep up behind the vole and scare in her direction where she would be waiting.

For once Bravepaw was thankful for the howling sounds of the wind. It was so loud that the unsuspecting vole barely knew he was there, as he silently padded up behind it. When he was three tail lengths away from it, the vole intently pricked his ears, Bravepaw saw the perfect time as he made a jump that gave the vole such a scare it blindly ran into the direction where Grayleaf speedily took over, before the vole knew what happened, Grayleaf's paw came down expertly on its spine, killing it instantly.

"Well done, Bravepaw," Grayleaf meowed, "I would've hated to return to camp with just that measly little mouse! Let's go meet up with Ashnose and Redpaw."

Back at their appointed spot Ashnose and Redpaw were already waiting for them. Ashnose pointed dismally at their meager catch, it was a solitary mouse though it was much bigger than usual. "We didn't have very much luck. This wind has really seemed to scare all the prey back in their holes!"

Grayleaf padded up to Ashnose so that their fur was brushing. "We didn't do so well either. Let's just bring this prey back before the wind gets any worse."

"May Redpaw and I go on ahead?" Bravepaw asked, "Maybe we can catch more prey if we're not all traveling together."

Ashnose looked at Grayleaf to determine whether it was a wise idea, "I suppose if you're careful. Just don't go too far ahead where you can't see us."

"We will!" They meowed in unison, they then started off at full run, trying to put a wider distance between them and their mentors. When they slowed down, Redpaw panted, "We won't see any prey if we keep up this pace!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Bravepaw meowed, "Wouldn't that be great though if we caught some prey without our mentors! It would be as if we were already warriors!"

They didn't have to go far before their opportunity came. A squirrel was burying a few hazelnuts in a pile of leaves just up ahead of the two apprentices.

Bravepaw's hazel eyes lit up at the chance to catch more prey, he looked over at Redpaw and noted he saw it too.

Unexpectedly the squirrel must have seen them, because he left his hazelnuts and started running through the woods.

Redtail started at a full run. "Come on, Bravepaw! We can catch him!"

Already tail-lengths behind Redpaw, Bravepaw dashed after him, "Get 'im, Redpaw!"

When it seemed as though Redpaw was closing in the gap, he suddenly staggered, then tumbled as his back paws came flipping over his head and he rolled to a stop.

Bravepaw's heart learched at the sight.

"Redpaw!"

Redpaw lay moaning on his side," I think I stepped in a rabbit hole."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so," Redpaw replied while trying to stand up again. He quickly pulled his front right paw off the ground though. "Ow!"

"Are you okay? Do you think it's broken?" Bravepaw asked as he took a closer look.

"I sure hope not!"

Bravepaw looked back up, "Here come, Ashnose and Grayleaf. Boy, are they gonna be mad at us!"

"Well they can't be mad at me!" Redpaw exclaimed, "I'm injured!"

"Here lean on me as you walk, that should make it easier. Maybe they won't notice."

Ashnose rushed forward, "Redpaw what happened to your paw? Why won't you stand on it?"

Redpaw lowered his gaze. "I stepped in a rabbit hole while trying to chase a squirrel and I did something to it. I can't walk on it."

"Oh that's too bad." Ashnose meowed sympathetically, "Let me take a look at it." Bending down he continued, "It doesn't look broken to me. We better get you back so Elmfur can take a look at it. Here, lean on me."

The four cats continued on in a slower pace as they headed back. They were completely unaware of the pair of light green eyes watching them closely from the cover of the woods.

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Author note/ Thank u all so much for reviewing, following, favoriting or reading my story! U r all great and deserve a pop-tart! So… I'm giving u an imaginary one! Haha! Help yourself to a pop-tart everyone! Those who review, get a pop-tart AND a cupcake;P! I love to hear (or technically see;) ) what u guys think. So if you're not too busy, please review! :)