Mossface woke with a jolt in the warriors den. Swifttalon was beside her, but she still felt quite uncomfortable. She felt so alone without Spottedfire at her side, but Mossface knew that her friend had a job to do. Getting up, Mossface padded out of the den to stretch. She saw that the camp was already buzzing with activity. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. Blacksoul was staring right at her. Mossface padded up swiftly towards her, only to brush past her to get to the medicine cat den. Spottedfire was gone. Sighing, Mossface looked off to the exit of the camp. Nodding her head, she padded off to the camp entrance, and she decided to look for Spottedfire.
Mossface continued in the search, scents wafting up her nose of water and prey. Mossface went on, following Spottedfire's scent trail. Mossface soon found the pretty calico she-cat, and she smiled. She padded up to her, the smile still on her face.
"Hello," Mossface greeted her friend with a poke on her ear. Spottedfire looked up at Mossface, and meowed.
"Hi Mossface. Did you follow me here?" she looked back at the yarrow she was collecting, and flicked her tail, waiting for her friend's reply. Mossface nodded at her. Mossface's ear flicked, as a rustle was heard in the bushes. Nodding farewell to Spottedfire, she went to go catch the prey that was there. Dropping into a crouch, Mossface sniffed the air. Vole, she thought, as she soon spotted it. You're all mine now! Mossface smirked, and launched herself in its direction. Sinking its claws into his body, she swiftly killed it without a sound by a bite to the neck. Smiling proudly, Mossface went off to put it in the fresh kill pile. Ravenfeather peered up from her laying spot, and stood up to greet her friend, Swifttalon following along. The two smiled at Mossface, the tan she-cat meowed in greeting.
"Swifttalon, Ravenfeather," she nodded her head. Ravenfeather looked in the nursery.
"I wonder when we will get an apprentice.." she said, talking to herself. Swifttalon sighed, and turned to face her friend.
"There needs to be kits first, mouse-brain. Redpaw and Greenpaw are apprenticed to Flowerstar and Spottedfire, so that means we can't have one." Swifttalon's eyes narrowed at Ravenfeather.
The tabby opened her eyes fully again, and, after a moment of silence, a yowl sounded though the camp. All three turned their heads, Feathersong and Sparrowwing coming out of the elder's den, after helping the apprentices remove ticks. Spottedfire was racing into the camp, panting heavily.
"ShadowClan has invaded! ShadowClan has invaded!" she announced, her eyes wide in fright. Flowerstar came out of her den immediately.
"Swifttalon, Mossface, Feathersong, Ravenfeather, Sparrowwing, Ashtalon, and Greenpaw. Come with me. You come as well, Spottedfire and Redpaw. We'll need your assistance." Flowerstar raced out of camp, all of the warriors following. Mossface's eyes lit up. She was going to defeat ShadowClan with her fellow clanmates. She felt proud.
But they were there sooner than expected. ShadowClan don't live in this kind of territory. They move slowly in undergrowth, Mossface thought, as she saw the enemy clan's warriors moving though the trees. With a battle cry from Flowerstar, the warriors leapt into battle. Mossface took on a bracken-coloured tom. "You may be my friend, Pineclaw, but I won't back down!" Mossface growled, bringing her paw down heavily on his head. Pineclaw hissed at her, narrowly dodging her attack. Pineclaw jumped backwards, and leapt at Mossface, pinning her down. Mossface smirked at him, and began to claw his belly with her hind legs. Pineclaw growled, and jumped off once more. Mossface leapt back at him, blood pounding in her ears. Mossface stopped in front of him, only to rear up on her hind legs. Putting all her weight on her hind legs, she thrashed back down on him, her paws landing hard on his back.
With a grunt, he landed a top of the undergrowth, fleeing from the battle when he got back up. Mossface smirked, and went to help Feathersong with her opponent. Mossface nipped at his paws, while Feathersong nipped at his face, her face formed in a snarl. The ShadowClan apprentice growled in warning, and fled as well, after Pineclaw. The ShadowClan deputy growled, and yowled to abandon battle. The warriors pulled away from the victors, and fled to the pine tree territory where they belonged. The ThunderClan cats cheered in glee, and went to go back to camp. Sparrowwing had quite a bit of scratches on her, but Spottedfire was looking at her. Soon they entered the camp, and cats peered out of the dens. A lot of the cats went to Spottedfire's den to get treated. Instead, Mossface, Swifttalon, Feathersong, and Ravenfeather went to the warriors den to get some rest. Swifttalon went to go by Rockfang, and soon the two feel asleep by each other. Mossface watched as Ravenfeather went by Liontooth, and smiled at Ravenfeather. She was glad most of her friends had someone they could love. Looking to Feathersong, Mossface padded to the she-cat. She lay by her, and soon closed her eyes, deeping into her slumber.
The sun was just rising when Ashtalon woke her up. Mossface groaned, but straightened up to stand. She had nearly forgotten that she had dawn patrol. Mossface exited the den, trying not to wake Feathersong as she crept out. When outside, she began to stretch her limbs in the sunlight.
"Wake up Greenpaw." Ashtalon ordered Mossface. With a nod, Mossface slowly padded to the apprentice's den. Only two cats were in the rather large den, Redpaw and Greenpaw. Going to Greenpaw, she prodded him.
"Time for the patrol," she whispered to him. With a groan, he got up, his eyes narrowed. "I was just about to catch that mouse!" Greenpaw sighed, and he followed Mossface out of the den. Ashtalon was waiting for the two, Spottedfire with him.
"Spottedfire has to come along to look for herbs," and with that, Ashtalon lead the four cats out of camp, the sun beginning to warm the forest ground.
The patrol followed around the territory borders, and soon camp the lake. From there they could see RiverClan territory. Mossface wondered what Brackenthorn was doing there. Spottedfire looked at Mossface, and prodded her with her paw. Mossface was surprised, and looked at Spottedfire, her eyes wide.
"Your wondering about your friend aren't you?" she meowed to Mossface, her tone was worried.
"I'm fine." Mossface snorted. "Just leave me alone." Mossface's eyes narrowed at the medicine cat, and she padded off to keep up with the patrol.
"To much sight-seeing, Mossface?" Ashtalon smirked jokingly.
"Maybe. Let's just get back to camp as soon as possible." Mossface's eyes narrowed again, and tried to keep the sourness out of her tone.
Soon the group was back at the ThunderClan camp, prey held tightly in Mossface's mouth. She dropped it in the fresh kill pile, only to see a the tabby form of Swifttalon talking to Rockfang. Mossface smiled, and she padded over to the group. She noticed the tabby she-cat looked bigger than before. Is she visiting twolegs for food? Mossface wondered. Swifttalon looked at Mossface, and smiled. Rockfang followed her gaze, giving Mossface a curt nod. He smiled at Swifttalon, and padded away out of the camp.
"What was that about?" Mossface asked Swifttalon, her eyes burning with curiosity. Swifttalon looked back up to her, a smile craved into her slender face, blue eyes blinking and long whiskers twitching in excitement.
"I was talking to Spottedfire about two moons ago, and I was talking to Rockfang about it. She said…." Swifttalon looked to her paws.
" She said wha-?" Mossface was cut off by the appearance of Sparrowwing.
"Swifttalon, Flowerstar said she wanted you for a hunting patrol." Sparrowwing meowed, gently pushing Mossface out of the way. As Mossface walked away, she could hear Sparrowwing talking on about her morning hunting trip. Mossface rolled her eyes, only to mutter under her breath.
"Mouse-brain."
Mossface continued on, and padded to the medicine cat den. Spottedfire was her best friend, and her sister. She had to see her sometime. Mossface smiled as she saw the calico, but frowned at the sight of Tawnyclaw.
"Oh no. Tawnyclaw hasn't come down with a fever, as he?" Mossface could smell the scent of feverfew from outside in the camp.
Spottedfire looked at Mossface, and nodded slowly. Mossface sighed, and turned around towords the exit of the den. She flicked her tail in good-bye, and she padded out. She looked around for everyone. Then, she sighed. She decided to turn in. It was getting late, and she was getting tired. Mossface went into the warriors den, laying in her bed of moss. She sighed sweetly, and she closed her eyes gently, falling to sleep bit by bit.
Mossface soon awoke. Swifttalon, for some reason, wasn't in the den. Where could she be? Mossface looked around. It wasn't even sunrise yet! Swifttalon's scent entered the air. Had so much time passed since she had thought about her? Mossface ran out of the camp, following Swifttalon's scent. Suddenly, she heard a sharp yowl pierce the cold, leafbare air. Mossface rounded around the Sky Oak. She saw Swifttalon, laying on the chilly dirt, Blacksoul standing above her, her back to Mossface. Rockfang lay beside her, his eyes glazed, staring into nothingness. Swifttalon's eyes were wide, their ice blue eyes were full of the emotion of fear and sorrow. Mossface's lip rose. She growled aloud, and once Blacksoul turned to face her, Mossface leapt, her claws unsheathed. She looked at Blacksoul's claws. Inbedded between her claws, she saw Rockfang's fur. Mossface aimed to score her claws down her face.
"Murderer!" she spat at Blacksoul. Blacksoul hissed, as Mossface's claws stabbed into her eyes. Blacksoul fled as fast as she could. Mossface spat at her as she raced away. Mossface padded over to her friend. She gasped. Mossface noticed four little kits suckling at their mother's side. Three of them looked exactly like Rockfang. One looked like Swifttalon. Mossface pressed her nose into her best friend's side. Tears welled up in both of their eyes, as both of their eyes traveled to the large brown tom. Mossface stood up, and put a paw on his body.
"Deathly cold," she meowed, mostly to herself. She turned to Swifttalon, and she meowed. "What will you name them?" Mossface dared to meet her friends eyes. Swifttalon looked back up at Mossface, and down at the four kittens. She motioned to a dark brown she-cat, and meowed. "Deathkit." She looked to another dark brown kit, but a tom. "Revengekit." She looked to the tabby tom. "Lifelesskit." And lastly, her gaze slipped to the dark brown tom. "Gravekit." Swifttalon looked up to Mossface.
"I'm sorry for your lo –" Mossface began to talk, but was interrupted from an angry growl from Swifttalon.
"I don't need your pity!" she spat at her friend. She looked at Rockfang, and meowed after a moment. "I need some time alone." She looked at Mossface. Mossface nodded, and she ran off, towards the camp. She had to tell Flowerstar about the murder!