Disclaimer: Okay, first off, I don't own the Warriors idea/plot/plan, but I own the characters.

Starved

Thicketpaw woke up and instantly curled right back up into his balled-up sleeping position. The air was freezing. Thicketpaw tried in vain to shut out the cold but it was no use.

Stretching his aching muscles, Thicketpaw let out a gaping yawn. He trotted out of the apprentice den and suddenly fell up to his chest in cold powdery flakes. Thicketpaw let out a yelp and with a flurry of paws leapt back inside the apprentice den, knocking poor Wolfpaw right off his paws and into the pile of mossy bedding.

"Oof!" said the winded apprentice. He jumped to his feet, shaking moss from his fur. "What was that for?"

Thicketpaw grinned sheepishly. "Sorry to wake you up, Wolfpaw. I didn't see where I was going with all the snow outside."

Wolfpaw froze. "Did you say… SNOW?"

Thicketpaw nodded excitedly, and now it was his turn to be bowled over. Wolfpaw sprinted out of the den and leapt into the deep drift, yowling in delight. He rolled over and over in he snow, squirming and wiggling through the solid cold until he sat up. Thicketpaw could barely suppress a mrrow of laughter; Wolfpaw was covered from head to tail with white flakes!

"You look like you were caught in a blizzard!" Thicketpaw purred, leaping on top of his friend.

Brindlepaw and Fernpaw emerged together out of the den. They looked sleepy and disgruntled, but both she-cats' eyes opened wide when they saw the snow lying thickly on the ground. They let out yowls of delight and plunged into the snow sea.

Their happy play was interrupted when Fungusear trotted across the clearing toward them. He gazed meaningfully at the lump of snow that was Thicketpaw. The apprentice lowered his head and followed his mentor out of camp. Once they were out of earshot of the camp, Fungusear turned around.

Thicketpaw was expecting the worst. He was sure that Fungusear was angry with him. But instead, his mentor asked, "Looks like you like the snow. Today I'll teach you how to hunt in it." Thicketpaw looked up expectantly.

"I'm ready!" He exclaimed.

Fungusear nodded and trotted off into the woods. Thicketpaw followed. "Hunting in winter can be a bit hard," Fungusear said. "Most animals have gone into their burrows. If they haven't, then you must be light on your toes and test the snow with each step when you hunt. There is a thin crust of ice on the surface that will crackle and break if you apply too much weight." Thicketpaw nodded.

Fungusear stopped and turned to face him. He bent down into a flawless hunting crouch and cautiously crept forward. "Notice how far apart my legs are and how my paws are spread to evenly distribute my weight. Keep your tail out and low to the ground for extra balance," Fungusear explained. He sat up. "Now you try."

Thicketpaw mimicked Fungusear's crouch and tried to slither forward on top of the snow. The ice gave way and his paw fell through to the powder beneath. Thicketpaw hissed in shock and leapt backward. His hind paws plunged through and Thicketpaw found himself up to his chest in snow.

Fungusear's whiskers twitched with amusement. "You must be light on your paws. Try to think of it like sliding on the ice, not stepping. Don't pick your paws up." Thicketpaw blinked his understanding and tried again. He slid his front paw lightly over the surface of the ice. It didn't collapse this time. Thicketpaw moved each paw in this manner until he had crossed the span of five tail-lengths.

"Try your pouncing," encouraged Fungusear. The apprentice pushed off with his hind legs. They instantly fell beneath the snow, which Thicketpaw had anticipated. He flopped forward a few inches.

Fungusear meowed, "That's okay, it was your first try. Here, let me show you."

Apprentice and mentor trained until sundown. Thicketpaw had even managed to catch a mouse that was still foraging. When they got back to camp, Thicketpaw dropped his catch in the fresh-kill pile. He realized with a jolt that the pile was very small. Leaf-bare had finally settled in.

Thicketpaw padded into the apprentice's den with only sleep on his mind. He licked most of the snow off of his encrusted paws before he circled his nest and lay down. Wolfpaw was snoring softly beside him as he faded into a deep sleep.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Well, here it is!!