« Empty Bellies and Fox Frets »

      Brightpaw shuddered as a frigid breeze whisked through his pelt. It seemed as if with each passing day, the weather grew colder and colder. He could barely ever feel his paws in the morning anymore.

      The golden-furred apprentice wrapped his tail around his paws, hoping to keep them at least somewhat warm. He sighed. Why did he have to wait so early? The sun had barely risen when he was woken from his slumber by Ratpaw.

      "You're hunting with us this morning," he had said, before bounding off without another word.

Brightpaw felt a prickle of annoyance, but it quickly eased away. The hairless tom was one of his best friends. He couldn't ever be mad at him. A rustle in the nearby bushes startled him. With bristling fur, the golden tabby apprentice stared frightfully until he realized it was only Frogbounce, the deputy.

The gray tom nodded in greeting. Behind him were Spottedpaw— his sister— and her mentor, Robinthroat. "Hello," he meowed.

"Hello, Frogbounce!" Brightpaw dipped his head respectfully, bounding over to the tom, relieved that the patrol would finally begin.

Spottedpaw lashed her tail. "Great, I have to patrol with the Clan's favourite cat!" She sighed dramatically and exaggeratedly rolled her eyes.

Ever since Hollypaw had come rushing into camp, spouting out the cryptic words of a prophecy, Brightpaw's Clanmates treated him as if he was special. But he didn't feel as if he was a cat of great importance. He didn't even want to be a prophecy cat. All the golden tabby wanted to be was like every other cat in ShadeClan; normal.

Deciding to ignore his littermate's comment, he padded past her to catch up with Frogbounce as he and Robinthroat set out for the patrol.

"Do you think those foxes are gone?" Robinthroat murmured, his dark brown pelt rippling fretfully.

Frogbounce shrugged. "I hope so. They were much closer to our territory than what Blizzardstar announced," he murmured.

At the last Gathering, the leader of StormClan had warned ShadeClan of a group of foxes. Brightpaw had not been invited, but his father, Foxtail, told him and his littermates everything. It turned out that the massive white tom lied to them. He felt worry worm in his belly. What if they or some other cat ran into those mangy creatures?

"Willowtail says she scented fox near the Tall Pine yesterday," the warrior muttered, looking around anxiously.

The Tall Pine was an extraordinarily tall pine tree. The elders would say that it was older than even the ancient tribes. It was near the Pebble Hollow, where apprentices would train. That's close to camp! Brightpaw realized with a gasp.

Spottedpaw scoffed. "I could take down a whole pack of foxes," she boasted, puffing her chest out.

      Frogbounce turned around and gave her a stern look. "Don't be foolish. A fox could kill even the strongest of cats," he chided crossly.

      She huffed and dropped her bright green gaze to her paws, scowling. Brightpaw heard her mutter something incoherent but found it unimportant. The four cats then traveled in silence, all wary of a possible ambush of foxes.

      My nose is too frozen to even smell anything, thought Brightpaw with a shiver. He couldn't even catch the scent of prey. His stomach snarled hungrily. Leaf-bare was causing the cats of ShadeClan to starve. Every cat's bones were showing, expect for maybe those with thick fur like his uncle, Pinetooth. Instead it just hung off his scrawny frame. For a moment, he felt envious of RippleClan and their sleek pelts and plump bellies. It made him want to learn how to catch a fish, although he remembered what his father had said about the fish-eating Clan's offer.

      As if echoing his thoughts, Robinthroat said, "It was kind of RippleClan to offer fish to the Clans every couple sunrises. I can't believe Blizzardstar didn't accept it!"

      "He's too proud," muttered Frogbounce, flicking an ear. "That fat old tabby would refuse help from his own medicine cat if he had a massive gash in his throat."

      The red-chested brown tabby let out a mrrow of amusement and Spottedpaw joined in with the warrior and deputy. Brightpaw didn't find it funny. The StormClan leader terrified him. He grew up being told that Blizzardstar was as cruel as blizzards themselves. Hearing that the tom denied RippleClan's kind offer and seeing his Clanmates occasionally return, ruffled from their conflicts with his cats, Brightpaw didn't find it difficult to believe.

Time seemed to have slowed as the patrolled the borders, until Robinthroat came to a halt, frozen in place. Confused, the apprentice crept over to the warrior, gasping. The carcass of a rabbit lay, rotting in the snow. It reeked of fox. Brightpaw gagged at the stench, his blood curdling in disgust as he backed away.

"Gross!" exclaimed Spottedpaw, her tail bristling.

The gray deputy sighed. "This is bad... we must alert Marshstar immediately. Come on." He beckoned the warrior and two apprentices, turning in the direction of camp and racing away.

      Brightpaw hesitated for a moment, his pale gaze stuck on the piece of crowfood. He couldn't help but stare. What if one of his Clanmates became like the rabbit? The tom gulped. What if he returned to camp and his mother and father lay dead in pools of their own blood? Panic rose inside the young tom and he bolted to camp, haring through the snow in Robinthroat and Spottedpaw's pawsteps.

      He ducked under a fallen tree that was propped against another, wincing as some of the trunk scraped his shoulders. His breaths caught in his throat like a trapped bird as his worry grew. Eventually, the apprentice ran so fast that he passed the deputy.

      "Slow down!" Frogbounce shouted from behind him, but he was deaf to the grey tom's words as cold wind howled in his ears, battering his whiskers.

      Brightpaw burst into camp, swinging his head and looking around, eyes wild with panic. Everyone paused from what they were doing to stare at him. Relief washed over the tom. ShadeClan, and his parents, were safe. He collapsed to his paws, gasping for air as his lungs burned.

      His mother, Morningbird, raced over to him as the rest of the patrol pushed through the camp's entrance. "What's gotten into you? You look like you came face-to-face with a group of badgers!"

      "He just suddenly bolted off," said Robinthroat, looking at him.

      Frogbounce parted from the cats, padding towards the log where Marshstar's den was. His tail tip twitched anxiously.

      "I always knew he had bees in his brain," Spottedpaw scoffed, scowling as Morningbird cleaned the golden tom up, making him look presentable once more.

      Many cats approached Brightpaw, murmuring concerned things such as, 'Are you okay?' or 'Are you hurt anywhere?' He let out a sigh, pushing past the crowd of worried Clanmates. They treated him like he was so special. I'm just a normal apprentice! he thought with a prickle of annoyance.

Brightpaw stalked into the apprentice's den. He wanted to take a nap, feeling exhausted from the dawn patrol. With a heavy yawn, the young tom curled up in his nest. His eyes shut almost immediately as he drifted off into sleep.

[A/N]:
Howdy!
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