Edited and spell checked by: Alderstar, thanks for the help! (Author's Note - Now goes by Fizzy: /c/warriors/page/user/fizzy-she-her/0Xxe_q7TafYZnJlbvPXZxG8kNj4eRPwBgmt7 )
"As long as I'm in charge, I say we catch something for Gingerleaf." Ferretstar decides, "It won't take long for me to find something for just one cat; the rest of us will eat later."
"Alright! Food!" Gingerleaf cheers. Cloverface rolls his eyes and starts to walk off. Ferretstar quickly stops him.
"You two wait here and guard Gingerleaf. I'll only be gone for a moment." Ferretstar explains.
The two warriors nod and she leaves them alone. Hopefully Lostnose would be able to put up with the two toms teasing each other the whole time.
Ferretstar quickly relocates the wren she scented before. She creeps silently along the forest floor, ears pricked towards the sound of its tiny feet hopping about. She spotted the bird struggling to dig up a worm. Well, it wouldn't be struggling much longer. Bunching up her muscles, the cream cat times her jump carefully, then pounces. Her paws hit the back of its neck with only the smallest chirp and then crack.
Ferretstar purrs in satisfaction of the kill. She offers a small word of thanks, but then tenses at a new smell. The warrior stashed the wren between some tree roots and continues after the smell carefully.
BreezeClan.
As Ferretstar crept closer to the border, she could see the enemy patrol was heading back towards their own territory. She breathes a sigh of relief when they fully leave her sight. Just a regular patrol, but still she was glad she decided to take a break now- it would have been bad for them to have seen Gingerleaf.
Ferretstar quickly returns to her patrol with the wren. She drops it at Gingerleaf's feet. "Sorry, that took a bit longer than expected," Ferretstar says, although she hadnt been gone long at all, "Hopefully your stomach didn't collapse while you were waiting." She teases.
Gingerleaf wheezes dramatically and crawls towards the bird. "I..is that... Could it be... I haven't seen prey in fifty million moons.." He pokes it with his tounge.
Ferretstar snorts a bit at his antics, and Cloverface rolls his eyes, but Lostnose seems to be getting impatient with him.
"Just eat it." The senior warrior says gruffly.
Gingerleaf snickers and keeps trying to grab it with just his tounge. Cloverface pushes it into his mouth. Gingerleaf coughs, mouth full of unexpected feathers.
"You best eat and be ready to go, Gingerleaf." Ferretstar warns, "We're headed away from the wind next."
Gingerleaf flicks his tail, pawing at his prey boredly.
Lostnose gives him a narrow eyed look, but directs her criticism to Ferretstar. Tilting her head, and seeming a bit disappointed the warrior asks, "You're not going even easier on him, are you?"
Ferretstar shakes her head. "No, I just spotted a BreezeClan patrol, we should head the other way now."
That catches Gingerleaf's attention. He had tensed up and now was eating very quickly. "I'm done, I'm done, let's go-!" He says, mouthful of unchewed prey.
Ferretstar smirks a bit, curling her tail around her paws. "Relax, Gingerleaf, just enjoy your meal."
Lostnose simply nods but Cloverface seems worried now.
"You're just messing with him, right?" Cloverface asks. Ferretstar doesn't answer.
Gingerleaf finishes up the bird nervously.
The whole patrol it silent for a good chunk of travel. They make it all the way to the other side of the territory near the twolegplace before anyone says anything.
"That's enough for tonight, let's camp out here." Ferretstar says. Gingerleaf lets out a breath he seemed like he didn't realize he was holding. Cloverface laughs awkwardly. Lostnose simply lays down.
"We're not anywhere near BreezeClan, are we?" Gingerleaf asks, kneading his paws nervously. Cloverface shakes his head. "No- if anything we're closest to SunClan right now." The young warrior answers.
The pink glow of sunrise was starting to shine against the warriors' fur and soft field of flowers Ferretstar had chosen to rest in. Cloverface stifles a yawn.
"Let's sleep in shifts." Lostnose suggests. Ferretstar nods in agreement.
"I'll take the first shift, then Cloverface, then Lostnose. Cloverface will be in charge of hunting for us all when we wake up."
The cats nod and settle down to sleep.
Nothing eventful happens while Ferretstar is on watch.
The only thing unusual she discovers is that Gingerleaf snores. A lot. Somehow this didn't bother Cloverface when Gingerleaf laid his paw around him in his sleep- but It certainly did when Ferretstar had to wake him up for his shift.
"Ugh! Gross!" Cloverface complains, squirming away from Gingerleaf and jumping to his paws. Gingerleaf rolls over but doesn't wake up. Ferretstar snickers a bit at the scene.
Cloverface quickly starts grooming himself, but then stops mid-lick "Did he drool on me?" He asks.
"Its probably just dew." Ferretstar reassures him, but lets out a small laugh.
"This is definitely drool!" Cloverface cries.
"Stay strong, Cloverface." Ferretstar chuckles as she lays down to sleep.
It is a bit difficult to get to sleep with Gingerleaf's steady snore and Cloverface's disgusted muttering, but eventually she manages it.
Ferretstar isn't disturbed again for her entire rest.
But when she does wake up, she finds herself nose-to-nose with a spotted tabby.
"Found you." Barkpelt smirks.
Gingerleaf panics and screams when Sandpaw wakes him up, mistaking him and Leaffur to be BreezeClan cats.
"You really are good at this." Ferretstar chuckles, shaking her head.
Cloverface flattens his ears from a few tail lengths away. "It's my fault, really; they spotted me while I was hunting-"
"Nope, too late, we've already decided me and my patrol are prodigy trackers." Barkpelt declares with a grin.
"You hunt well." Lostnose adds, appraising the prey Cloverface had caught. After seeing it herself, Ferretstar purrs in agreement.
"Let's all eat then, we've earned it."
Before Barkpelt and her patrol leave with Gingerleaf, she motions Ferretstar aside to speak with her.
"Hey, would you mind finding someone to train Frecklepaw while Leaffur is out? If you don't have time, I'm sure Brownflower will do it. I promised him his apprentice would have someone to look after him while he was gone."
Ferretstar purrs, "Of course, I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks a bunch," Barkpelt purrs, "We'll see you later- and I mean way later." The deputy adds with a confident smirk.
"We'll see about that." Ferretstar grins back.
On the way to camp, she contemplates idly who she would put in charge of the next shift. Maybe Dustclaw, Brownflower, or Ashtail? Whoever she sent out she wouldn't be able to speak with for a while, so she would have to choose carefully. And she had to make sure to leave someone left over to train Frecklepaw.
As Ferretstar reached the camp entrance a strong impulse was gnawing at the back of her mind. Right now her first priority was to...
Original Poll Options:
15 Votes
1. Visit Silvercloud and Mistkit : (46.7%)
2. Speak with Toby : 6.7%
3. Speak with Lostnose : 6.7%
4. Train Frecklepaw Alone : 26.7%
5. Group Train Frecklepaw and Molepaw : 13.2%