Lightpaw woke up in his nest, yawning. He stretched, unsheathing and sheathing his claws. He blearily trotted out of the apprentice den, head high and alert. It was nearly dawn, and it was still dark, a dusky sky cascading overhead.

Lightpaw knew it was dawn though, because he heard Pebblestar assigning cats for the dawn patrol.

"Okay, I want... Morninglily, Whisperstone, Rockrunner, and Thunderpelt on patrol this morning." He mewed with a flick of his tail. 

Lightpaw perked his small cream-colored ears as he heard his mentor's name get called. Lightpaw suddenly had a twinge of curiosity spark inside of him. He never really knew Whisperstone, until his apprentice ceremony. 

Maybe if I see how Whisperstone is on a daily basis, I'll know what to expect in training! 

Lightpaw waited for the patrol to fan out, and then he set off on his trek, nose twitching to pick up his mentor's scent, which he could obscurely remember that it smelled of juniper berries and heather. Finally, after a bit of searching, he saw the white tom. 

Then, Lightpaw's creamy kip bristled. Whisperstone wasn't even patrolling. The tom already passed through five faint border scents that needed marking, but he didn't even stop to go mark them.

Slacker... Lightpaw thought to himself, narrowing his hazel eyes. But then it got much more suspicious, when Whisperstone went up to a tree. He kicked it with his hind paws, a move Whisperstone was known for. Then he continuously clawed the bark off the tree, hissing menacingly. Every now and then, Whisperstone would gingerly perk his head up, his brilliant green eyes scanning the area. 

Lightpaw watched attentively, curiosity spiking him greatly. 

"I'm going to kill Plainfoot..." Whisperstone murmured, eyes glinting with menace. "That cat won't know what hit 'em..."  The tom kneaded his paws anxiously into the ground, claws unsheathing.

Lightpaw's heart jolted, and his pupils dilated. "Oh no..." He mumbled, becoming deathly still. "I need to warn him!"

Lightpaw swiftly and cautiously made his way, ducking behind some undergrowth. There he pelted back into camp, breathing heavily. "Plainfoot... I need to get him..." He murmured, padding anxiously into the den where Plainfoot was sleeping.

Written by Animal! 🐛