•[Moongaze]•

Dirtstar nodded and pushed though the bushes at the edge of the clearing and my clanmates followed.
Smallpaw scurried away, turning around and giving me a look as if to say goodbye. I flicked my tail in acknowledgement.
Pushing through ferns, I found myself outside Silverstones and tagged onto the back of the patrol going home.
Streaks of pink and orange covered the dawn sky, and the rising sun was only just about visible over the mountaintops on the far side of our territory.
I wonder if anyone has ever been there, I thought before realising how rough and cold it would be so high up.
Of course not, rabbitbrain!
We reached the top of the hill by the time the sun was halfway to sun-high. That's where our camp is; a dip in the ground, surrounded by bushes. I remembered reinforcing it with brambles as an apprentice and shuttered. My pads were covered in pricks by the time I was done with it.
Leappaw walked proudly into camp with her head high and her chest puffed out. Her and her siblings, Windpaw and Gorsepaw, were newly apprenticed and she relished in the cats cheering her name at the gathering.
She's such a show off
Pushing though the gorse tunnel into camp, I scanned the clearing, noticing Mistywater, my mother, licking her paw and running it over her ear.
"Mistywater!" I called, knowing she was probably too caught up in her thoughts to notice me.
She mumbled something before looking up, blinking in confusion.
I sighed, but I reminded myself she was grieving, and she wasn't quite right.
She hasn't been right for 14 moons!
And I'm 14 moons. She's been grieving for my siblings for so long.
I was weak when I was born, at least- I was strong to survive, unlike my siblings, one was stillborn, and the other only lived for a couple heartbeats.
Maybe it was a punishment that I have blurry eyes. Maybe I wasn't meant to live.
Eagleclaw was the one to save me. Most cats think he's annoying, but he's almost a friend to me- and that's the furthest I'll get.
Brightsun told me of how Eagleclaw rubbed my fur the wrong way to help my heart start beating.
But Mistywater still couldn't see past her grief and be grateful she had an alive kit.
I padded up to her, giving her ears a brisk lick. "Would you like some fresh-kill?"
She nodded, so I grabbed a thrush from the pile and lay it down at her paws.
Mistywater crouched down and began chewing.
Mothmuzzle beckoned me with her tail, and I walked up to her.
"You should eat and sleep now, you're assigned to the sun-high patrol," she mewed, pawing at half of a rabbit, nodding at it.
"Alright," I tucked in, savouring the sweet flesh. I pulled tufts of the fur out and lay it beside me, knowing it could be used to soften the nests.
When I was finished, I stood up and shook my pelt, giving my shoulder a brisk lick before curling in my nest of moss and feathers in a dip in the wall where the warriors den was.

Antleg's scent wreathed around me as he poked me in the side with a fore-paw.
"Wake up, it's time for patrol," his voice was soft but drawling, with little-to-no expression in it.
Antleg had always seemed to find talking hard. He was apprentice when I was a kit, and had trouble communicating with his mentor and other cats.
I stretched till my tail quivered and walked out after him, joining at the back of the patrol.
Leappaw was bouncing around Antleg, mewing excitedly.
"I'm going to catch the biggest rabbit ever for Runningriver, and she'll be soo impressed!"
Antleg purred with amusement.
"-So impressed she'll tell Dirtstar about it and I'll get my warrior name for being so good at hunting!" Leappaw continued, crouching down and wiggling her hindquarters in the air before pouncing on a twig.
"Hey, hey, slow down; if you become a warrior instantly, you would'nt have completed half your training!" Wetwhisker purred, giving his daughter a lick between the ears.
Finchswoop, who was leading the patrol, sniffed the air.
"We'll head for the Fallen Oak," he mewed, and headed down the slope towards PineClan territory.
Leappaw ran down the hill, leaping over loose stones sticking out of the ground and dodging though the heather.
Antleg sprinted after her, tail waving in the air, and Wetwhisker sighed.
"I wish I had as much energy at this time of the morning as they do."
I

nodded wearily but quickened my pace.
The rich scents of the forest filled my lungs when I reached the border. I could hear the scuffles of prey underneath the leaves and the distant yowls of cats training - probably their battle moves - deep in the heart of PineClan territory.
The patrol began sniffing along the scent line, stopping to leave their scent on nearby bushes and plants, and even a couple trees scattered closer to the BushClan side of the border.
Finchswoop flicked his ears and stalked through the tall grasses, creeping up on an unsuspecting rabbit nibbling flowers.
Antleg started circling to the opposite side of the rabbit, masking his scent by hiding in a gorse bush.
Finchswoop lunged for the rabbit and it squealed, running straight for Antleg. Antleg leaped out of the gorse and the rabbit ran away from the two cats.
I took chase, Leappaw a fox-length behind me. The rabbit skidded to a halt infront of me and I snapped at it's neck, missing by a whisker-length. The rabbit escaped from my paws and my clanmates gave an audible groan.
My ears burned with embarrassment and behind me the screech of the rabbit was cut off as Leappaw bit it's neck.
We returned back to camp, Leappaw bouncing by my side.
"What did you think you were doing? That rabbit was right in your paws!" She questioned.
I sniffed. "I missed? Ok?"
"Are you sure you just didn't see it?" She teased.
I knew she didn't mean it, but I could feel anger burning up inside of me. I hated it when cats teased me about my eyesight. I turned on her, baring my teeth.
"I missed! Is that too much to ask?! What else am I going to say!?" I yowled.
Leappaw's fur stood on end, and then her eyes watered, and she let out a wimper. "Moongaze's scary!"
I awkwardly stumbled at the back of the patrol, keeping away from crying Leappaw who was burying her head in Wetwhisker's fur. He gave me a stern but questioning look when I passed him going into camp. I don't think I made a good start to the day...