I sat by Mousefur as we shared a rabbit. She was muttering about how rude the apprentices were while I was dozing off. "And don't even get me started on Cloudpaw! That cat can work a cat's nerves in a heartbeat!" she snapped. My eyes were drooping and I struggled not to pass out.
"Yeah… lousey apprentices…" I murmured.
"I know right? Honestly! If you can't- are you sleeping?!" Mousefur snapped. My head fell into our rabbit as I snored. I looked around in confusion as squirrels were dipping and diving through the sky. What is this? I felt a paw whack my head roughly and I jumped awake.
"Squirrels can't fly!" I exclaimed.
"I can't believe you went to sleep in the middle of our conversation!" Mousefur snapped. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.
"More like your complaining." I muttered. I immediately regretted saying that as I felt another smack to my head. "Ow!" I snapped.
"Leopardstorm, you were my apprentice! You should know by now not to talk all that fox dung to me!" Mousefur hissed. I groaned and slammed my head into the rabbit. Then I felt a prod in my shoulder.
"I'm not asleep, Mousefur!" I snapped.
"No, you idiot! Riverclan is here!" Mousefur retorted. I jerked my head up and grunted as my neck cracked at the force. Leopardfur, Mistyfoot, Stonefur, and Riverfang were following Fireheart into camp. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Mousefur.
"Why are they here?" I asked. Mousefur looked at me with her mouth open to reply but she froze as she saw my face. "What?" Mousefur snorted then started to laugh. I rolled my eyes and walked over to Riverfang. "What are you doing here?"
"Well we-" Riverfang broke off as he saw my face. He flattened his ears in amusement and covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "Uh, Leopardstorm… you got some um… rabbit bits on your face." he said between snorts. I looked into a puddle and saw rabbit meat in my whiskers and all over my cheeks. I shook them off and blushed in embarrassment. So that's why Mousefur was laughing!
"Oh." I chuckled nervously with flattened ears. Riverfang chuckled and flicked my ear.
"It's alright. I think you look cute when you're embarrassed." he purred. Then his paws shuffled awkwardly as he realized what he just said. I looked at the ground. "I mean… I…" Riverfang struggled to find the right words. I chuckled and forced a smile.
"It's alright! Stop trying to get your tail in a twist!" I chuckled. Riverfang sighed in relief and flicked his ear in embarrassment. "Now what are you doing here?" I asked again. Riverfang opened his mouth to answer but Bluestar was padding out of her den.
"What's going on?" she asked. Leopardfur looked at Bluestar with her head held high.
"We've come to take back the kits." she announced. I gasped and Fireheart looked at the Riverclan cats with wide eyes.
"You can't take the kits! They're the only things Graystripe has to live for!" he protested.
"Be quiet! This isn't your right to speak!" Tigerclaw hissed.
"Graystripe's my best friend!" Fireheart retorted.
"I said silence! Don't make me tell you a third time." Tigerclaw snarled. Fireheart raised his haunches and dug his claws into the earth while Tigerclaw bared his fangs into a snarl.
"Enough!" Bluestar snapped. Then she turned to Leopardfur. "The kits are half-clan. One of our queens are taking care of them so they'll be fine."
"But their mother was from Riverclan. They deserve to be in their mother's clan." Leopardfur insisted.
"The kits are too young to travel." Bluestar meowed.
"You're just making excuses!" Leopardfur snapped.
"No, I'm just not foolish enough to risk their lives trying to cross the river." Bluestar retorted. "Let them get older and then we can talk. Until then, they're staying here." Leopardfur hesitated then gave a brief nod and led her clan out the camp. Riverfang waved his tail at me. His eyes were hopeful as he waited for my wave. I looked at my paws uncertainly then looked at him. He stared at me expectantly. I sighed but gave a small smile and waved back. Riverfang smiled and followed his clan out the camp. Tigerclaw followed them out. I padded back to Mousefur and settled beside her. She was finishing the rabbit without offering me a bite. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.
"So you would let me go out looking like I just devoured a rabbit?" I asked. Mousefur gagged as she choked on a piece of her rabbit from her laugh.
"You're the one-" she broke off as she coughed. I slammed my paw down on her back causing a piece of rabbit to fly out her mouth. I wrinkled my nose in disgust while Mousefur cleared her throat. "You're the one who slammed your face into the squirrel! You know why? Because you were falling asleep while I was talking to you. That should teach you a lesson on respect." she meowed. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Then we watched as Longtail switched duties with Dustpelt of watching Brokentail. We both growled under our breath as Brokentail yawned lazily. "I can't wait for the day I get to wipe that smug look off his face." Mousefur hissed.
"Don't bother. Because by the time you'll get the chance, I'll already have my fair share." I snickered. Mousefur rolled her eyes and shoved me.
"Don't you know elders get fed first?" she snapped. I widened my eyes and looked at her.
"You're going to eat him?" I asked.
"No-" Mousefur broke off with a scoff and cuffed my ear. "You're not the brightest are you? Why would I eat something as rotten as him?" she snapped. I chuckled and licked my paw and drew it over my face. Cloudpaw ran into camp in a hurry. I narrowed my eyes as I saw his panicked face. Then a yowl broke out.
"Thunderclan is under attack!"