Chapter 3: My First Patrol
"Come on, Jaggedscar. Your vigil's over and you're on patrol." I grunted as I stretched my legs. As I got to my paws, Birchfall touched my shoulder with his tail-tip. "We have to stop the Windclan intrusions." I shook my head. Duh! I am in Eclipse!
Instead, I said, "Then there is trouble?" Birchfall shook his head as we headed to the thorn barrier.
"They're hunting in the forest on their side of the border. They could cross it anytime." I wasn't surprised. That was the last clue I needed to confirm when I was. That also made me worry. If Windclan was getting desperate, then the Great Battle must not be far off. I decided to keep my head down for now. I also needed to block off the tunnel entrance, if I could find it. If not...
"Come on, Birchfall!" Brackenfur was leading the patrol. Hollypaw was right behind him. My heart skipped a beat. Not on topic, but Hollyleaf is my favorite cat. I was bristling as we padded out of the thorn tunnel. I had no idea where we were heading. I grumbled. I was like a toddler with no parent. A tourist with no guide.
Suddenly, Brackenfur stopped. He sniffed the air and shook his head. I decided to test my new cat-senses and sniffed deeply. A musky scent hit my nose. That must be Windclan scent. I was surprised at how different it smelled from the Thunderclan scents around me. Brackenfur turned around, shaking me from my thoughts.
Brackenfur looked worried. "They've been hunting in the woods on their side again." Birchfall bristled, and Hollypaw's eyes went wide. I knew I was a new presence in Thunderclan, but my pelt started bristling. Cool. I was determined to help Thunderclan right it's future wrongs. I knew I would be able to help in the battle that was soon to come.
I decided to speak up. "Does it matter? I mean, they haven't crossed the border. We should be looking inside our own territory for Windclan." Brackenfur and Birchfall exchanged a shocked glance, while Hollypaw just gasped.
Birchfall narrowed his eyes. "And what would you know?"
I immediatly felt flustered. "Well, it's an educated guess. I mean, in Skyclan's territory, we had tunnels underground that lead everywhere."
Hollypaw suddenly started twitching her ear, and I knew I had gone too far for her taste. I started backtracking. "Or, they could cross the border when you're not on patrol. I think that's a more likely possibility." I hoped that my pretty lame excuse would work.
Thankfully, Brackenfur bought it. "It's an idea."
Birchfall nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me." I glanced at Hollypaw again. Her fur had begun to lie flat, and her ear had stopped twitching. Thank Starclan.
Brackenfur spoke. "Let's finish patroling the border, then we can hunt." I felt my stomach drop. Hunt? Oh, crap! I like meat and all, but I like it cooked. Like a hamburger or a juicy steak... Not a raw mouse or rabbit! Well, looks like that's where you're headed, buddy boy. I wanted to wail to the heavens. But before I could, I heard a rustling in the bushes. I thought to myself. You're on your own, man, my conscience said. I am NOT helping out now. I sighed. Better now than later, I guess. I rocked on my haunches, then leaped. I felt a strange rush as my claws met in the mouse's throat, and blood dripped onto my paws.
"Nice catch." The words were spoken with little enthusiasm. I whipped around to see Hollypaw standing behind me. She looked at me with an intensity that my mother wouldn't have been able to copy. "What do you know?"
I started panicking. "Oh, the usual. Like... uh... your name?" Oh, crap, crap, crap! She hadn't told me her name! I was screwed!
"And what is my name?" she meowed, a strange fire in her eyes.
I looked around the clearing. Brackenfur and Birchfall were nowhere to be found. I glanced at the sky. "Hollypaw! Your name is Hollpaw!"
Hollypaw was surprised. She backed away slowly, then said, "I'm not going to ask anything. Nothing at all. Because you're my Clanmate."
I relaxed. "And we must follow the warrior code at all costs."
She looked at me strange, then padded away. I looked at the sky wondering if God was watching me, or Starclan.
I spent the rest of the day hunting, and returned to camp with two mice and a small rodent which must have been a vole. I took a mouse for myself, and bit into it. Not half bad, I mused. Soon after, I went to the warrior's den and fell asleep. But my eyes flew open right away, and I found myself in a large forest. A blue-gray she-cat padded up to me. Bluestar! I was in Starclan.
"Come with me," Bluestar said. "We need to talk."