-1Bingtail nodded and looked out for Dudleywind, who was already nearby Milleypelt and Colombusclaw. Pozzospeck was walking over there, too, so Bingtail trotted up. "I hope they're OK…" he started, nodding off as he saw the despair in Milleypelt's eyes. Busterpaw was not the brightest apprentice and often got himself into trouble without thinking. Milleypelt had had a rough time getting him ready to become a warrior, but it looked like he still didn't listen.
Dudleywind gave a gruff lead call and warily exited the ravine, which was surrounded by thorn shrubs. Under the High Bush, Rocketdogstar had her own little burrow with moss covering the entrance, while Dudleywind's was a few feet away. The warriors slept in a larger burrow with no moss. While Rocketdogstar's and Dudleywind's dens had thin, narrow tunnels, the warrior den had one large, rounded "room". The elders slept in the most comfortable of all, though the only elder currently was Youssarianwind. For now, with no other warm bodies, he slept with Rocketdogstar. When another senior warrior joins the elders, he would go sleep in an aboveground den, a rough, sketchy outside filled with thorn bushes. The inside was lined with moss completely. The nursery was similar, though there wasn't enough moss around and the queens slept on sand. Apprentices slept aboveground, too. Their den was shaped out of rock that was once loose sand. The first medicine kats ever figured out a way to speed the hardening of sand into rock in just a few minutes, so for some reason it was for a medicine kat to know, not normal warriors. Even Daisylove hadn't shared the secret with Bingtail. The apprentice den was shaped out of the hardened sand into a dome, with a thin entrance. Barbed wire from nearby farms was put onto the outside for protection. The inside was made of soft sand and was quite comfortable. And there was the medicine kat den. It was a solid rock cave, ingrained into the side of the ravine. It was away from the other dens, too. It drew deeply inside, and, as the floor was made of rock, Daisylove stored her herbs in the neat pockets on the floor, symmetrically apart from each other in distance. Daisylove herself slept in a moss-lined nest at the back of the cave.
Once outside the camp, Bingtail put his nose to good work. Almost immediately, he picked up the scents of Busterpaw and Suggspaw, leading to, Bingtail realized with a sense of dread, the Bighand place. Bighands were several eland-horn lengths bigger than a meerkat, though elands themselves were bigger, and nothing they did made sense. They had small camps of their own, but this was the only one near the Clan territories. Bighands rarely visit Clan territories, but all meerkats feared them. From the looks on the faces of the others, Bingtail knew they too had sensed where the rowdy apprentices had gone too.
Bighands kept animals for no reason. There were the goats, the cows, the yappers, the scratchers, and the horses, but rarely did they take meerkats. Still, it was not uncommon that you saw a tamekat wandering around in Bighand dens and camp. It wasn't impossible that Busterpaw and Suggspaw could be captured.
Dudleywind stopped scrounging around for more clues for a moment and looked around. The sun was nearly setting, and it was time to go back. Dudleywind said nothing, just chirped and walked back. Bingtail followed without protest.
When they reentered camp, Dudleywind went off to tell Rocketdogstar what they had gathered, while Colombusclaw and Milleypelt went to go to retire early. Pozzospeck touched Bingtail lightly with his tail and said quietly "You go visit Daisylove and tell her the news while I tell Rockysnap and Mangocry. Their kits will be apprentices soon, you know. After that we can hunt before it gets dark.", glancing at the puny gathered-food pile.
Bingtail nodded and blinked gratefully at Pozzospeck. He went off to go tell the bad news to Daisylove. He found her experimenting with an herb mixture. Instead of walking in, he sat and watched her. Her golden pelt danced in the fading light as she bustled around, gathering herbs from her stores.
Bingtail walked in and greeted her with a light purr. Daisylove looked up at him, affection shining in her eyes. She walked over and touched noses with him. "No luck?" she asked. Bingtail shook his head.
"Thanks for bringing me the news." Daisylove said, "Now go off. I know you have to hunt with Pozzospeck before the sun disappears." Bingtail swiped his head on her shoulder in a farewell and dashed out to meet Pozzospeck. Their was now only a small grub and two scorpions in the gathered-food pile near the leader's den. Bingtail realized uncomfortably that coolsand was coming to an end and the long and harsh freezesand was nearly upon the desert. The Clan needed this gathered-food. It was freezing; so much that Bingtail could have wished it was the hottest day in scorchsand.
As he and Pozzospeck exited the camp and headed to the west, where they bordered LazuliClan, Bingtail began to stop every few moments and dig rapidly into the sand. He caught two scorpions within minutes, and adding Pozzospeck's 3 beetles, they had a respectable catch so far.
WhiskerClan live in the southeast of Clan territory. To their north, StarskyClan defended a small territory that yielded little. Ultimately, the territory was the downfall of GattacaClan. StarskyClan territory is mostly empty desert with dunes to the north. LazuliClan live west of WhiskerClan and live in a forested area. They seek out mostly mice and lizards as prey, while StarskyClan thrive on their desert beetles and other bugs. CommandoezappaClan holds the northwestern territory. It is shrubby and hard to survive in. CommandoezappaClan mainly feed on scorpions and occasionally rats. WhiskerClan territory is not dry but not wet, it is in between and yields a large amount of prey.
After catching a lizard and uprooting a bird's next and capturing an egg, Bingtail returned home, his large catch in his mouth. Concern stabbed at him as he realized that the gathered-food pile was empty! Luckily, a patrol was just coming back with more prey. Pozzospeck, Bingtail, and the patrol deposited their prey in the pile.
Bingtail headed to the warrior den and settled himself inside, next to Milleypelt. Pozzospeck came in a moment afterwards and settled down beside him. Slowly Bingtail nodded off into a deep sleep.