Signs of Snakerocks

"You've done well, Swiftpaw, you'll be a warrior soon enough," Nightfrost complimented his black and white apprentice. Several days had passed since the news of Tigerstar's return to the clans as Shadowclan leader. "We'll return to camp now to see what we have to do today."

Swiftpaw nodded and padded after his mentor back to camp, bringing freshkill with them. They dropped their prey to the fresh-kill pile. Swiftpaw padded of to the elder's den with prey. Nightfrost looked around camp. The shady walls of fern begining to grow back around the edge of the camp, and the bramble thicket firmly interlaced with twigs to shelter the nursing queens and their kits.

Nightfrost turned his head to the rustling of leaves as the dawn patrol returned with Whitestorm in the lead. Fireheart sat there, waiting for the white warrior's report.

"Any sign of ShadowClan?"

Whitestorm shook his head. "Nothing," he meowed. "Just the usual scent markings along their border. There was one thing, though…."

Fireheart's ears pricked. "What?"

"Not far from Snakerocks we found a whole stretch of undergrowth trampled down, and pigeon feathers scattered all over it."

"Pigeon feathers?" Fireheart echoed. "I haven't seen a pigeon for days. Is some other Clan hunting in our territory?"

"I don't think so. The whole place reeked of dog." Whitestorm wrinkled his nose with distaste. "There was dog dirt there too."

"Oh, a dog." Fireheart flicked his tail dismissively. "Well, we all know that Twolegs are always bringing their dogs into the forest. They run around, chase a few squirrels, and then the Twolegs take them home again." He let out a purr of amusement. "The only unusual thing is that it looks as if this one caught something."

Not always, Fireheart. Nightfrost looked up to the sky. Usually, Twolegs avoid burned places, making it even less reasonable for them to bring pets.

"Okay," Fireheart meowed.

Both warriors padded to the fresh-kill pile, to where their apprentices are. Brightpaw and Cloudpaw. His apprentice was already there.

"Look at this!" Cloudpaw complained as Fireheart came up. He turned a vole over with one paw. "There's hardly a decent mouthful on it!"

"Prey is scarce," Fireheart reminded him. Nightfrost stared at the pitifully small pile, even when Swiftpaw and he had hunt eariler. "Any creatures that survived the fire can't find much to eat."

"We need to hunt again," Cloudpaw meowed. He bit into the vole and swallowed. "I'll go as soon as I've finished this."

"You can come with me," mewed Fireheart, selecting a magpie for himself. "I'm going to lead out a patrol later on."

"No, I can't wait," Cloudpaw mumbled through another mouthful. "I'm so hungry I could eat you. Brightpaw, do you want to come with me?"

Brightpaw, who was neatly tucking into a mouse, glanced at her mentor for permission. When Whitestorm nodded she sprang up. "Ready when you are," she meowed.

"All right then," mewed Fireheart, slightly annoyed. "Don't go too far from camp," he warned.

"But all the best prey is farther away, where the fire didn't reach," Cloudpaw objected. "We'll be fine, Fireheart," he promised. "We'll hunt for the elders first."

He was about to dash off when Cloudpaw caught his apprentice's amber eyes. Swiftpaw glared at Cloudpaw and glanced at him. "Aren't you tired, Swiftpaw?" Nightfrost asked.

The black and white apprentice shook his head. "No, besides the clan needs more prey. I can go on another hunt."

Nightfrost nodded and the three apprentices raced away, with Brightpaw at the front, not noticing Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw glaring at each other the whole time.

"Apprentices!" Whitestorm purred as he watched the three young cats bounding away. "Dawn patrol, and now they're off hunting. I wish I had their energy." He dragged a blackbird a little way from the pile of fresh-kill and crouched down to eat.

Nightfrost bite into a robin.

As Nightfrost finished his bird, he saw Sandstorm padding to them, or more specifically, Fireheart. "Do you want to come and hunt with me?" he asked as she approached.

"Looks as if we need it," Sandstorm replied, surveying the pitifully few pieces of fresh-kill that remained. "Let's go now—I can wait to eat until we catch something."

Fireheart looked around. "Where your apprentice?"

"Nightpaw is helping Yellowfang by gathering herbs right now."

"Okay," Fireheart mewed and looked for another cat to join them.

"How is Nightpaw?" Nightfrost asked.

"She's a great learner and a hunter. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if Ravenwing had taught her how to hunt."

"He probably did, Sandstorm. There were plenty mice where they used to lived."

Sandstorm's eyes twinkled. "Really? We can go there to hunt for the clan."

Nightfrost shook his head. "No it's too far away for that. They used to live between Windclan border and the Mothermouth."

Sandstorm twitched her ear. "Oh. That is far. I guess we can't go there then."

"Hey, Longtail!" Fireheart meowed as the cat padded across the clearing with his apprentice. "Come and join our hunting patrol."

Longtail hesitated, as if he wasn't sure whether that was an order from his deputy or not. "We were going to the training hollow," he explained. "Cinderpaw needs to work on her defense moves."

"You can do that later," Fireheart mewed. "The Clan needs fresh-kill first."

Longtail flicked his tail irritably but said nothing. Cinderpaw was looking more enthusiastic, her eyes bright. Lionheart's kit seem ready to be warrior, having grown up to her mentor's chin. Fireheart took his hunting party out, leaving the two friends alone.

"It's almost time for Lionheart's kits to be warriors now, Nightfrost," Whitestorm mewed, laying in the sun.

"It is. Come to think of it. Brackenpaw never got a new mentor, have he?"

"It seems Fireheart is training him with Cloudpaw. Must be hard on your brother, training two apprentices."

"I have to agree about that. It's about for Swiftpaw to become a warrior too. Cloudpaw as well."

"So, Swiftpaw, Brightpaw, Cinderpaw, Thornpaw, Brackenpaw, and Cloudpaw. That leaves Nightpaw, Fernpaw and Ashpaw as apprentices. And it's almost time for Tawnykit and Bramblekit to become apprentices."

"I wonder who will mentor the apprentices?"

"Bluestar should be choosing them, but with her condition these days...Fireheart will be the one to make the decisions. These are hard times for any deputy."

Nigthfrost nodded in agreement with Whitestorm.

"How has Nightpaw been, Yellowfang?" The black tom asked.

"She's doing well, a bit thin, but she'll be fine. Honestly, I would love to have her as an apprentice. Now-"

Just as Yellowfang was about to let her sharp tongue go, Fireheart padded in with a fish.

"Perfect timing, Fireheart," she mewed as the deputy dropped the fish. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Have something to eat first," Fireheart urged her. "Look, Graystripe caught a fish for us."

"Thanks but no thanks, Fireheart. I already ate a vole. Give it to Nightpaw, she hasn't eaten since sunrise," Yellowfang meowed, "but this is urgent. StarClan sent a dream to me last night."

"What was the dream about?" he asked.

"Voices rushing though the forest, but they weren't cat...something horrifying." Yellowfang shivered. "They keep calling out 'Pack, pack. Kill, kill'."

"Do you know what it means?" Fireheart asked.

"Not yet. However, Starclan has sent us a warning, and we should be heeding to it," Yellowfang mewed.

Fireheart nodded. "I think about." His brother padded back to Sandstorm, saving a vole for him. He passed by Nightpaw, who was carrying a mouthful of herbs. The apprentice padded into the the ruined den and spat out the herbs.

"These are all the herbs I could find, Yellowfang."

"Thank you, Nightpaw. I'm surprised you found this much," Yellowfang mewed, staring at the small pile. "Did you made sure to leave a few behind so they can grow?"

"Of course. The forest have started to heal, so there were plants here and there."

"I see, I guess I won't be gathering them until a quarter-moon later. Oh, and this fish is for you, Nightpaw. Graystripe caught it for us."

"Thanks!" Nightpaw mewed and took a bite, chewing, before spatting out something shiny. The apprentice then pawed at the fish, taking the scales off. Nightfrost turned back to the medicine cat.

"So, what did the voices sound like?" Nightfrost asked.

Yellowfang shook her head. "I don't a single clue, but it reminds me of one of the dogs the Twolegs sometimes bring into the marsh."

Nightfrost flicked his tail.