above: mousefoot. she's supposed to have light brown paws. 

chapter 5

.  .  .

I awoke in my nest at dawn, my ear flicking a fly away. 

It was my second sunrise as a warrior, and the day I and the rest of the patrol was leaving. I stretched, burying my nose into the warm moss and closing my eyes in pleasure. This was the last time I could have the privilege of a warm, mossy, feathery nest for a long time. 

I shuddered. I had just gotten this nest, and now I was leaving it. Why, Dustysky, why? By the time I would get back - if I ever would - Rosethorn's and Pinewhisker's kits would be apprenticed. I sighed, already feeling a mixture of negative emotions. 

I needed to get used to being in the warriors den, but then I also needed to get used to being on patrol all the time. All around me, warriors were beginning to stir, those who were going on the patrol were murmuring soft goodbyes to the others. Hailclaw smiled at me, a small smile that indicated change in our relationship. "Good luck," he whispered, before turning to Mousefoot and licking her over the ears.

A purr rumbled in my throat happily, and I bent my head to smooth down all my sleep-ruffled fur with swift strokes of my tongue. I picked out any thorns and thistles from my pelt and raised my amber eyes to the entrance. After I was groomed and presentable, I trotted out of the warrior den, blinded for a few seconds as an effect of the already bright sunlight.

Trotting over to the full fresh-kill pile, I stopped and nudged prey aside to find something that I wanted. After rummaging through fish and land prey, I chose a plump trout and settled down to eat it. Probably one of the last meals I don't have to work for.. I felt quite melancholy.

After finishing my breakfast, I straigtened, holding my head high, and waited for my patrolmates. Thunderfish and Redgaze was first to approach me, and we dipped our heads in respect to one another. Soon Goldenfern and Troutprickle joined him, then the rest all came bunched up. Beetleclaw and Stormywind took positions on either side of me as we waited for Lightstar to wake and send us off.

I was over aware of the others staring at me, but I held my head high and refused to meet their eyes.

"Clanmates," Lightstar announced, taking a seat, "This is a sad, eventful and momentous occasion. This season's Missing Patrol is going out. A moment of silence, please.." She closed her eyes and others did the same until I was the only one with my eyes open.

I felt a rumble of anger in my chest at her extensive word choice and her phrases. How dare she act like we were already dead? But I kept my eyes on her and stayed silent, no matter how much I wanted to speak against it.

Lightstar opened her eyes again, and I quickly blinked. Her voice sounded again, deep and sorrowful. "You may go, and I wish you the best of luck."

It was just like how the other Missing Patrols left. Lightstar sank into a bow, stretching out her forelegs and bowing her head low, and the rest of the cats followed like little obedient soliders. I curled my lip at the idiocity. Holding his tail high, probably loving the attention, Thunderfish turned and exited the camp, and I had no choice but to leave after him, feeling the stares of others burning my pelt. We all swam across the brook that bordered our camp, then after setting an easy pace to the border, and all abrubtly stopped. Thunderfish led us right up to the scent line, and we all hesitated. No one wanted to leave our comfortable territory.

I had never been outside the territory before, and I just was waiting for someone else to take the lead and go first . Then I quickly remembered Lightstar announcing me and Thunderfish as the leaders - I was going to have to be the one to take the first step across, if no one else was wiliing to.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped across the scent line. The grass felt longer, more wild, and not flattened to the ground like our territory because of the countless paws that had run over it. There were more herbs and flowers - speaking of herbs, Riverberry had taught Goldenfern any necessary herbs that we would need on our journey. Troutprickle and Thunderfish knew some, too, in case anything happened to Goldenfern. Knock on wood.

My hind paws joined the forepaws on the unclaimed lands, and one by one, my Clanmates scampered over to follow my example, fanning out on the other side.

Thunderfish gave me an approving nod, and feeling accomplished, I kept going, following only my instinct and the very stale and faint scents of my Clanmates before me going on the Missing Mission. I felt important, leading a mission I may not even come back from.

As we walked we fell into an easy format. Thunderfish and I, at the head, Redgaze, Troutprickle, Beetleclaw, and Stormywind, in the middle, with Beetleclaw and Troutprickle at the sides, guarding the flanks, and the two she-cats, Twigflame and Goldenfern, at the back, whispering to each other. We padded along in warm and easy silence, once in a while murmuring to each other. 

We were walking for a couple of days now without much trouble. We were starting to get tired but still kept up a slow and steady pace. I saw a Twolegplace fence and pointed it out to my patrolmates, fur fluffing up at the back of my neck. "What is that?" Goldenfern mewed, her golden fur slightly ruffled, as was mine. "Do we have to go through that?"

I rolled my eyes, flattening my fur and giving my chest fur a lick. "Of course not. We'll go around."

Flicking my tail, I turned and felt the patrol veer with me. We brushed up against the fence occasionally as we walked, and cast curious glances through the gaps. Tall Twoleg dens rose into the sky. All of them were circled around the big middle one. I wondered if it was a type of Gathering. As we walked on, I realized that this fence was endless. Just as I was about to muster some breath to say we needed to go through it, I saw the end of the fence in the near distance. My ears perking, I picked up my pace. As we neared, I heard the roar of what could only mean one thing.

"Waterfall..." Thunderfish breathed as we fanned out on the shore.

cliffhanger :D enjoy it!

i cant promise that the next one won't be a cliffhanger, though.. well, until next time.