Chapter 14: BushClan

The sun was rising higher in the sky as Icepaw waited in the shadows by her mentor. The white and black splotched warrior was pacing back and forth impatiently, her green eyes boring into the medicine den. Finally, the dark ginger tom appeared with his apprentice. They had been waiting for ages as the dark brown tabby padded up to them.

"Sorry for taking so long, we had to double check on Minteye and the elders before we hurried here." Hawk explained.

Blackdapple snorted, turning away. "Just hurry up, we don't have much time to loose. We have fighting moves to practice since in a moon's time, leaf-fall will be here. We have to meet Nightstar's plans."

Icepaw rose to her paws, dipping her head in greeting. She had felt much more relaxed knowing that white cats could hunt. Although, she was worried she might be one of the few white cats who were destined to loose their vision. Nonetheless, she was going to do her best, especially for her mentor and clan. They needed her much more than ever with war only a moon away.

"Have you chosen a place for Icepaw to hunt so we know where to shadow her?" Poppyclaw mewed.

"Of course, she is setting out towards the rockier ground. It's open there and could give results faster." Blackdapple mewed.

"It would have been better to be in the same place." Hawk muttered to herself.

Icepaw couldn't help but agree, she needed the cover for the dust and dirt to blend in better. Still, she kept her jaws shut as Poppyclaw gave into her choices without much of a word. Blackdapple looked to her expectantly, her green eyes hard. She didn't fully know why only Poppyclaw and herself seemed to be fine with Hawk, other than she was born a kittypet who became a loner until now.

Regardless, she lifted her head. "I have to dust up my fur first."

"There is no time." Blackdapple growled lowly.

Poppyclaw growled louder, "There is plenty of time. You can dust up before leaving the shade of the trees and bushes."

"Thank you Poppyclaw." she mewed, slipping out of the camp.

"She is my apprentice-"

"And she is our patient." Poppyclaw snapped, "The dingy fur won't stop her eyes from being effectied. We need to see if she still hunts as well as she has been since yesterday."

Icepaw did her best to ignore their bickering as she trotted on ahead. Her clan-mates following her as she lead the way to the hunting grounds chosen for her. She could still hear them, so she tried to outpace them. Her legs were still short, even compared to her siblings, making her positive she was always going to be on the smaller size or at least shorter than her clan-mates. With a sigh, she enjoyed the birdsong from above her head.

She felt at peace, something she wished she could always feel without worrying about what her fur and eyes might bring for her clan. Swiftly, she bounded through the hilly forest and slowed once more to check the air. If they were close behind her, she wouldn't know. The winds were coming from where the sun set, twitching her whiskers she padded onward, slowly curving her path to be downwind from prey.

Icepaw carefully tore up the grass, the soft ground giving way with each pawful until she was able to lay into it and roll about. Her white fur turned brown, gray, and black with the soil. Smeared with it, she fought to shake out the clumps as she wiped her paws onto her face to help hide the white fur of her face. Peering through the dirt, she could only scent the earth-scent of the soil.

Satisfied, she padded into the open. Sunlight bathing her chilled body, cooled from damp earth, with warmth. Her blue eyes searched the vast expanse of hills with wiry tussocks of grass and weeds. Strands of heather rippling in the breeze as a rabbit hopped about the rocky terrain. She fell into the familiar hunter's crouch and began to sneak her way closer.

It's whiskers twitched and it's small, long ears perked up. She paused, holding still as the sunlight bore onto them both. The scent of rabbit wafted her way, making her wish she could wriggle in excitement. It lurched forward with a hefty, but soft, thump of it's hind legs. She slowly crept closer, picking her way between the scraggly grass that brushed against her fur.

The rabbit paused, ears twitching. Icepaw squinted as the rabbit stretched it's neck. If she sprinted she wouldn't be able to catch it. Narrowing her eyes further, her vision almost blotted out as she tried to pick out the familiar grayish-brown pelt. Dark eyes stared, she could see those clearly. She had to wait patiently as the rabbit went back to foraging, rustling among the grasses.

With a soft exhale, Icepaw moved again, slipping closer and closer until the rabbit jerked it's head up, sensing her presence. Before it could turn it's head enough to try and spot her, she pushed off the ground and pelted towards it. The rabbit let out a squeal as it bolted, racing away from her as she hared after it, stretching her legs as far as they could go to try and cover more ground. The bobbing tail of the rabbit was just before her.

Excitement erupted inside her as she gave one last jump, pouncing onto the rabbit's back and tumbling against the sharp stones and peaty ground. Her claws dug in as she bit hard behind the rabbit's head. Her teeth snapping the neck with relative ease. Finally, she had caught her very first rabbit. The scuffle was over and the rabbit was still.

"Excellent catch!" Blackdapple meowed, sounding happier than she had been in a moon.

Poppyclaw padded out with the warrior, his amber gaze looking over Icepaw and the rabbit. "It was a brilliant catch." He meowed plainly, glancing to Hawk. "Assess her."

Icepaw got to her paws, panting hard. The soil protected her ears and nose from the burning the sun usually gave her, but it did nothing for the strain her eyes felt under. It was like something was squeezing them out, like when Drizzlepaw had squashed her over a moon ago. She looked up to Hawk, who reached her and looked over her facial features.

"Can you open your eyes wide?" Hawk mewed gently.

She tried, but opening them further made her want to close them even more. Icepaw ended up shaking her head. "No."

"As I suspected." Hawk whispered.

Blackdapple practically shoved Hawk out of the way, "She just hunted well, she is going to be fine!"

"That may be true." Hawk mewed, lashing her tail. "But I can see red in her pupils. She has many moons to hunt and fight, but I cannot say how many more. She needs to do dawn and dusk hunting to ensure her eyes are well protected."

"That's absurd!" the warrior argued.

Poppyclaw stepped closer to the she-cats and growled lowly, "It's not. She is squinting a lot right now. She needs shade and to rest her eyes. There is nothing we can do, she is one of those white cats who might go blind. If she doesn't, that's fine, but it never hurts to play it safe."

"And if the war is at sun-high?" Blackdapple challenged.

The medicine cat hissed, "Then she can fight if Nightstar wishes. You just have to keep close to her."

Hawk watched the two, dismay in her pale green eyes. Icepaw felt some sympathy. The former loner was only trying to be a good medicine cat apprentice and offer advice. Yet, she was being challenged over every little thing. She was learning fast, almost as though she had to. However, even Icepaw could see it. Hawk felt as much of an outsider as the others treated her and there wasn't much any of them could do about it.