Wildheart silently stalked the small mouse nibbling a nut five tail-lengths in front of her. Although she was of RiverClan, the she-cat often had a craving for something other then fish. Not that she didn't like fish – it just got too monotonous after a while.
Slowly, she sneaked up on her unsuspecting prey. About one fox-length away, its ears pricked up in alarm, but it was too late. With a sudden sprint and pounce, she caught the mouse andbit its neck. Joyfully carrying it in her mouth, she returned to the rest of the RiverClan patrol were waiting.
Wildheart was lucky – she had two good friends with her on patrol. Although Mossface was much older then Mudheart, he still managed to keep up with the best of them. It saddened her that he would be joining the elders soon.
As she approached, Mossface yawned and stretched. He was a rather skinny pale tom with dark Siamese markings and blue eyes. Wildheart fancied that he was part Siamese, but when she asked him, he always answered with an amused purr, "My mother was a tortoiseshell and my father was pure white. I don't think Siamese blood produces those colors." Still, she had to ask.
Mudheart was munching on a silver-scaled fish, fresh from the river. He was a handsome orange tabby with green eyes. Apparently, he was darker when he was born, which was how he acquired the Mud prefix, but turned lighter over the seasons. As she brought back the mouse, he rolled his eyes. "You know, Wildheart, fishing is so much easier. And quicker too."
"Maybe I just like woodland prey," she retorted. Putting her catch down, she took a large bite. It was warm and juicy, and flooded her mouth with a delicious salty flavor. Wildheart looked up warmly and asked Mossface, "Would you like some?"
Not unkindly, he shook his head. "Eating on the job just gets my lazy these days."
Nodding, Wildheart continued to eat. She and Mudheart finished at the same time, and the patrol continued along the river bank.
The wind was slight that day. It flowed like the river, ruffling Wildheart's fur. Resisting the urge to purr in pleasure, she added a little prance to her walk. It was a beautiful day – the sun was shining on her cinnamon coat with tabby markings and there wasn't a cloud in the great blue expanse of sky. The breeze blew toward her again, but this time it brought a scent of invaders. ThunderClan!
Wildheart hissed warningly as she spied them on the opposite bank. They might not have been attackers, but she still felt the fur on her hackles rise. There was one tom and two she-cats, and they were all cats she knew.
The leader of the patrol was Leopardbelly, a black queen with a mottled brown underbelly and blue eyes. She was well-known her agility and amazing hunting skills, even in other Clans. She nodded respectfully to the deputy of RiverClan. The cat behind her was a younger she-cat named Spottedheart. Her cream coat with tabby markings bristled and she snarled openly at RiverClan, blue eyes flashing. Wildheart could feel her own lips lifting.
Bringing up the rear was small fawn-colored tom with blue eyes called Bramblemask. Wildheart remembered him from the last gathering. Supposedly, Spottedheart was his littermate, but he seemed much calmer then his sister. He was well-known for his strength, despite his size.
Wildheart felt a pelt gently but warningly brush her flank.
"Watch yourself." The wind carried Mossface's whisper to her.
"Well, ThunderClan isn't exactly at the top of my fresh kill list."
"You still must watch your actions."
Wildheart sighed. "Thanks. I'll remember next time." This wasn't how the deputy of a Clan should be acting. Swallowing her pride, she stiffly nodded her head to Leopardbelly, then flicked her tail to command her patrol to keep moving.
Something drew her back to look at Spottedheart. She was pretty, yes, but no more then any other cat. In fact, there were hardly any distinguishing features about her that made her noticeable. Then why did Wildheart get an uncomfortable feeling when she saw her? She shook it off and continued along the bank.
Wildheart had the strangest sensation, and quickly turned her head over her shoulder again. Spottedheart was watching her. As she saw Wildheart's green eyes gaze back at hers, her cold baby-blueones twinkled with something almost like victory. With a casual nod, Spottedheart bounded up the hill to follow her patrol.
For some odd reason, Wildheart couldn't suppress a shiver.
A/N: Yeah, I didn't include one of these on the prologue because... I didn't. Anyway, just as a warning, there are a lot of Bramblesomethings and Somethinghearts. So please don't get confused.
Please review. Constructive criticism is always helpful, along with a few comments.
My life is a bit hectic, so if I don't update in a while, it's not because I hate you or anything, it's cause I've got writer's block and I don't have time to dwell on it. But I enjoy this story and would like to continue it if I get some reviews.