The rustling of the pine trees rang in Snakepaw's ears as his paws carried him through the forest.
Hunger clawed at his belly like a sharp thorn. All traces of leaf-bare were nearly gone with only the occasional cold chill reminding Snakepaw of the harsh season that had passed.
Leaf-bare was usually a hard time for the clans. All of the prey that the cats relied on for survival tuck away in their dens at the first sight of snowfall.
RiverClan usually did not struggle much- their cats were rarely underfed due to the surplus of fish that granted every cat a full belly.
Out of all the clans, WindClan likely suffered the most, as the hares on the moor tunnel deep into the ground as early as leaf-fall.
The long, intricate passages that the rabbits sheltered in were a perfect fortress for raising their young- and keeping even the hungriest of WindClan cats out.
Despite the common patterns that the clan cats fell into, ShadowClan was definitely left with the short end of the stick when it came to this season's leafbare, Snakepaw thought.
Even after many sunrises of nothing but warmth and sunshine, there were no traces of the prey emerging from their dens in search of food.
Frogs, which were previously considered to be a ShadowClan delicacy, were now the clan's only chance at keeping fed.
Snakepaw, Bluebird and Laurelheart were making their way to the marsh, sent on a hunting mission by Elmstar.
The deputy, Rednose, still had not fully recovered from his shoulder wound. He'd finally made his way outside of the medicine den and spent much of his time sharing tongues with the senior warriors, but Mintpaws had refused to let the tom leave camp.
Elmstar had taken Rednose's responsibilities, sending out patrols more constantly than was usual.
The majority of cats were sent out hunting, and the borders were scarcely being checked. Cats were sent to mark them and nothing else- and even then they were expected to return to camp with at least a piece of prey.
Once the patrol of three reached the marsh, Bluebird took a moment to sit and catch his breath.
Since the tom had become a warrior, he was much less worried about soiling his beautiful silver pelt.
Laurelheart, however, was still picky about her long silky coat, and refused to sit anywhere near the mud.
Tiny trickling streams and thick, slippery mud made the marsh a hot spot for frogs and toads.
"It does feel a little weird," Snakepaw eventually croaked, sitting next to the taller tom.
"What's that?" piped Bluebird in response.
"You and Laurelheart being warriors. Patchpaw and I were born when you were only a few moons old, yet you're a warrior with superiority over me."
Snakepaw spoke with fondness. He wasn't bothered by Bluebird's role change, in fact, it was quite the opposite.
It was convenient to have such a close bond with a warrior. It gave him a sense of significance, and most importantly, made him a first pick for any patrols Bluebird would be allowed to lead in the future.
Bluebird gently rested his short-furred tail on the ground, lightly curling it around Snakepaw's haunches.
"I don't feel any different," he said with a purr.
Snakepaw met his gaze. "Nor do I."
He could feel fur push against him as Laurelheart forced herself between the two toms, thwacking Bluebird in the muzzle with her long-furred tail as she passed.
"Flirting isn't going to fill empty bellies," she mrrowed, her whiskers twitching in amusement.
"Flirting!" Snakepaw exclaimed, pulling away from Bluebird and curling his tail around himself defensively.
Bluebird turned his head away, the tip of his tail flicking dismissively as he stood and continued forward with Laurelheart.
Bounding forward, Snakepaw followed the two warriors further into the marsh. His pelt was hot from Laurelheart's prior statement, and he felt like he'd been rude in his reply.
"We're due for another gathering soon," he chirped, changing the subject.
Laurelheart shushed him with the tip of her tail. "If you want to eat, we need to hunt. Keep your maw shut and open your nose."
Snakepaw lowered himself down into a crouch. He slowed down, letting Laurelheart and Bluebird hunt further in the marsh.
As he crept along the forest floor he continued to think about the cats he was patrolling with.
Snakepaw wasn't entirely sure how to feel about Laurelheart. She'd be described as kind, humble, and selfless by a lot of her clanmates, but Snakepaw only ever saw her as rude and self righteous.
Bluebird obviously didn't feel the same sentiment. Snakepaw thought it may be since they were littermates.
Snakepaw crept along the outskirts of the marsh. He kept his mouth open slightly, tasting the air for any hint of prey he could find.
The tom continued his search for prey,
the Twoleg Nest not very far from where he was.
A combination of both Kittypet and Twoleg stench filled Snakepaw's nose and clung to the back of his throat.
He lifted his head and shook out his head-fur, giving his whiskers a quick groom with a damp paw.
Intent on feeding his clan, Snakepaw paid no mind to the twoleg structure and continued to lurk within the safety of the pine forest.
He only broke his attention when he heard a scrambling of claws nearby.
A black plump cat was sloppily lifting himself on top of the wooden posts guarding a plot of land that bordered the twoleg den.
It steadied itself on the top, sinking its claws deep into the wood as it splintered in his grasp.
Snakepaw ducked down, flattening himself against the soggy earth. The tip of his tail twitched rapidly as his narrow gaze stuck to the unknown cat.
Thoughts flooded his mind. His muscles tensed under his pelt as he tried to determine whether or not to be afraid.
He'd known there were kittypets here- there was no mistaking the scent that plagued the outskirts of the twoleg nest.
None of the ShadowClan cats had ever reported seeing one, though, and Snakepaw had previously figured any kittypets in the territory were cooped up inside by their twolegs.
Obviously, he was wrong, and proof of this was staring right at him.
It knows I'm here!
A calm and unfamiliar voice called out to him. "Wildcat?"
Snakepaw tensed. Is he talking to me?
"I saw you between the panels in the fence," the tom pressed, his large pupils narrowing.
Snakepaw felt the tom's stare burn on his pelt. He slowly stood, stepping forward as to be easier seen by the odd cat.
He assumed the kittypet was a tom due to his lower voice. The cat was all black with a frame more plump than Snakepaw was used to seeing.
The well-fed tom sported something Snakepaw didn't recognize.
A soft, almost plush material was wrapped around the cat's torso and neck. It was bright yellow in color and almost seemed to have the texture of finely kneaded moss.
"It's rude to stare, wildcat."
Snakepaw could see the tom's whiskers twitching, even from multiple fox-lengths away.
"Why would I care?" Snakepaw snapped back. "I'm hunting for my clan, I don't need you to criticize me."
The black tom's fur bristled under his yellow clothing. "Clan? You're one of those, aren't you?"
"One of those"? You're a kittypet!
Snakepaw stifled a hiss. "Yes. A clan cat, or whatever kittypets call us."
He lifted his chin dismissively as he spoke. "Get back in your nest and leave me alone."
"I didn't realize you owned the whole forest." The black tom straightened his posture, sitting up tall and looking down at Snakepaw with hard eyes.
Is he challenging me?
"I can sit wherever I want. You wouldn't dare invade the home of my housefolk just to chase me back inside, would you?"
Snakepaw gave a disgruntled snort. "No, I wouldn't. But you're awfully annoying."
"Has the feeble kittypet tom gotten under your fur?" The kittypet teased, hopping down off the fence.
He pressed himself against the light-colored planking, giving off a purr as his fur brushed across the wood grain.
Snakepaw's fur stood. He stepped forward and gave the tom a curious sniff. "You don't smell like a tom."
"You don't smell like a barn cat," the ebony tom returned with a snide tail flick. Snakepaw returned the tom's attitude with a curled lip. He turned around and began to walk back into the forest, lifting his chin dismissively.
"My name's Bug!" The kittypet called from a distance, hopping up and standing tall on his paws. He didn't dare walk into the forest, Snakepaw assumed, and the tom stayed put near his twoleg nest as Snakepaw left his view.
He had no choice but to return to the camp empty-pawed. Prey was scarce, and Snakepaw's encounter with the kittypet had taken up more time than he'd wanted.
As Snakepaw brushed past the bramble entrance of camp he spotted Flyfur exiting the medicine den, Rednose following close behind her. He limped ever so slightly; Snakepaw wasn't sure he'd even be able to notice if he didn't know about the gash on the deputy's shoulder.
Rednose must've caught a glimpse of Snakepaw. He gave Flyfur an affectionate nudge to her flank before padding over to his apprentice. Bluebird and Laurelheart emerged from the forest behind Snakepaw. Bluebird had two small frogs in his maw, and Laurelheart held a small water vole between her teeth. A flicker of jealousy stirred in Snakepaw's chest.
At least they caught something, Snakepaw thought, trying to push away his self conscious line of thinking caused by being the only cat to not have caught something. Rednose didn't seem to notice; he stopped in front of Snakepaw with a purr.
"I'd like you to come down to the lake with me," Rednose started. "Crowwatcher already took Patchpaw out to patrol the borders, and Mintpaws is allowing me to stretch my legs outside of camp."
The fur on the back on Snakepaw's neck bristled, but he forced it to lie flat. They weren't going to get anything done, were they? Rednose had been unable to train Snakepaw since his injury nearly a moon ago, and Elmstar hadn't assigned him a temporary mentor to take over his training.
Is this going to keep me from becoming a warrior alongside Patchpaw?
Head full of thoughts, Snakepaw fell behind his mentor and made his way outside of camp. The two cats followed the sandy path down toward the lakeshore. Snakepaw began to wonder if Bug ever left his twoleg nest long enough to see the large stretch of water that surrounded the territory he lived on. He couldn't imagine not living in the forest; to lose the wind in his fur, and never getting to see the beauty of the lake that supported the life of so many cats.
The sound of overlapping waves brought Snakepaw back to the forest and away from his spiraling thoughts. Rednose sat on the sand that lined the massive body of water, patting the ground next to him with his tail. The calico apprentice replied with a curt nod, sitting close to his mentor.
Snakepaw's gaze focused on the distance Horseplace and barn. Bug had said he didn't smell like a barn cat. Are there cats that live at the barn? If there were, did they live outside of the code warriors were sworn by? Snakepaw wasn't sure what that kind of life would look like. Even Bug knew his role in the world- he was a companion to his housefolk. Cats living outside the code, and outside of the twoleg place, would only live for themself and have no role in the life of cats around them. How could a cat live like that?
A small mrrp came from Rednose. "Something seems to be troubling you," the white and ginger cat observed, his green eyes flicking toward Snakepaw.
"Do cats live in the Horseplace?" Snakepaw returned, looking over at his mentor briefly before curiously returning his attention to the distant twoleg structures.
Rednose nodded. "There are cats that live outside of the clans, either because they've decided to lead a different life, or they were born outside of the code."
"You mean cats chose to leave?" Snakepaw gasped, his pupils narrowing. "Why would any cat leave their clan, and the code that protects them?"
"Some cats just aren't fit for clan life," Rednose replied gently. Snakepaw's confusion didn't seem to surprise him. "-or they were exiled from their clan by breaking the code. We call exiled cats rogues, any other cat simply born outside our borders is a loner. Cats that willingly leave, too, could be referred to as loners."
The only response Snakepaw had was a disgruntled huff, followed by his head lowering to look at his paws.
If Rednose noticed Snakepaw's fit, he didn't do anything to make it known. "The clans used to be a lot closer than they are now."
Snakepaw looked up at Rednose and followed his gaze. He was looking toward the half-bridge that stemmed off the edge of the lakeshore. On the other side of the lake, parallel to the half-bridge, was a rough, more broken down half-bridge. It was close to the barn and marked the border between the Horseplace and WindClan territory.
"This used to be a massive bridge, many many moons ago. Even before Elmstar was born." Rednose lifted his chin and let the cool air of sun-down flow through his thick neck fur. "ShadowClan cats used it to get to the gathering island. If any cat needed quick passage to the other clans, the bridge was the way to go. It connected us, even when our camps were so far away."
"The medicine cats often used the bridge to transport herbs to one another," Rednose continued. "Getting from ShadowClan to WindClan would take all day, whereas using the bridge would nearly half the time it took to cross the territory."
Snakepaw squinted. Is this some kind of nursery tale? The clans were built to be separate. The only way they were intertwined was through century-long rivalries with each other.
"Some cats thought it was just a conveniently placed abandoned twoleg structure, but some cats thought it to be a gift from StarClan themselves. They were only sure of this once StarClan took it away." Rednose glanced back to Snakepaw expectantly. Snakepaw reacted as predicted.
"Took it away?" Snakepaw's gaze flicked to the long span of water between the two broken half-bridges. "StarClan did this?"
"The clans suffer when StarClan's gifts are abused. WindClan led an attack on ShadowClan using the bridge. They had a straight path to the camp once they reached the lakeshore."
"How did no cat see an entire patrol going across the lake?" Snakepaw's expression skewed.
Rednose's tail flicked impatiently. "The WindClan cats did major damage to the clan, both to the structures of the camp and the cats that inhabited it. When the patrol went to flee, the bridge was swept away by an unusually strong current. The patrol of cats went with it."
Rednose stayed silent for a moment. Snakepaw studied him, but couldn't catch any hint of how the tom was feeling.
"Only a few of the WindClan cats survived to tell the story, and ShadowClan never forgave them for the intrusion. The relationship between the clans was permanently damaged- and the bridge was gone."
By the end of the story, the sun was starting to set. It cast a layered scarlet and orange blanket over the lake. We're not getting any training done today, Snakepaw thought with a sigh. Rednose stood and stretched out his legs, unsheathing his claws and sinking them into the dirt before shaking out his pelt.
The tom stepped to the side and toward the forest. "Go ahead and catch something before you come back to camp," Rednose spoke as he began toward the sandy path that led back to the clan.
"But it's nearly dark!" Snakepaw piped, hopping onto his paws and trailing behind his mentor.
Rednose picked up his pace. "Then you better catch something fast," he returned with a teasing glint in his eye. Snakepaw slowly stopped, standing still and watching Rednose disappear into the forest.