The air was cold as it blew around the trees, causing it to become even colder. Lilyfall shivered slightly, gnashing her teeth. Growling, she let the wind blow through her fur. Pressed against her denmates, she looked around. A mighty snore made her ears merely twitch. She had been in here for a couple of moons. By now she had grown used to the sounds of her elderly companions. While she was just a young cat. Stuck in here.

Looking down at her crippled back leg, she sighed. She could still remember the feeling and hearing sound of rocks from the rockslide that had crushed her leg. Barkpelt and Cinderwing told her that she could still hunt if she wanted to, in hopes of making her feel better.

But it wouldn't ever be the same as being a warrior. Just like she knew it, SnowClan knew it too, and all they could do was try and support her.

"Hey Lilyfall, the apprentices brought us fresh-kill." Wildfur's mew broke into her thoughts. She looked from the white and black spotted tom before looking to the entrance of the elders' den. Sparkpaw, Brookpaw, Flintpaw, and Brightpaw each carried prey in their jaws.

"Thank you youngsters." Littlepelt rasped. Brookpaw dropped her mouse at her paws. "You're welcome!" She chirped, happy with her catch. Sparkpaw fluffed out his pale ginger fur. "Can Shadewhisker tell us a story?" He asked the other cats. Lilyfall turned her white head to the tom still snoring away in his slumber.

Littlepelt's gray and white eats twitched. "Why don't you all go entertain Violetpool's kits? I heard that they get rather lonely being the only kits in camp." She mewed sweetly. Brookpaw's bright hazel eyes gleamed. "Okay! Come on Brightpaw! Let's go tell them about the prey we caught! I bet they'll be impressed with my rabbit!" She boasted. Her white furred Clanmate snorted in disbelief.

"They'll obviously be way more impressed by my bird." Whitepaw called after the apprentice who raced for the nursery. Sparkpaw yawned tiredly while Flintpaw gave his ears a wash. A shadow loomed over the two young toms and they turned to see SnowClan's deputy, Olivepad.

"Alright, you two hunted good today. Get some rest. Icestar said we need to do an evening patrol around the territory." The mottled back she-cat mewed and turned away from the elders' den. Sparkpaw and Flintpaw make their way towards it.

Spiderscar swiped her tongue around her whiskers, her green eyes looking Littlepelt's way. "I haven't seen Icestar this edgy since she was the deputy." She commented. Her denmate nodded her head. "Yeah, she's really alert recently."

Lilyfall licked her chest. "Ever since that battle with PeakClan we lost, then the rockslide, she must feel like the weight of StarClan's on shoulders." She joined them. Spiderscar gave a curt nod. "An evening patrol in this weather? She really must be on edge."

Littlepelt dipped her head. "How is she even going to handle this?" She asked. Wildfur blinked, his eyes calculating. "She's SnowClan's leader, whatever happens, StarClan is by her side. Don't worry about it." The tom meowed as he dismissively flicked his tail.

Lilyfall exchanged a look with Littlepelt. "He's so casual about this." She mewed. The gray and white she-cat scoffed. "I don't see how. This might be the coldest leaf-bare since I was an apprentice." She mewed.

"That one's always been a non-worrier. Don't mind him. When the PeakClan or BoulderClan comes down on us like leaf-fall rain, maybe he'll get strength in his legs and give a cat a thing or two to think about." Spiderscar reassured her other two denmates.

"That would be great. Young cats today don't know the real ways of warriors." Wildfur meowed. Lilyfall blinked and curled into a tight ball. She honestly wanted to sleep for the rest of the day. Or if she could, the rest of several days.