Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 17

"Rayfrost, you can lead a hunting patrol... Take Silkpaw, Waterfall, Featherheart, Leafdawn, Patchfire, and Treetail," Barkstripe mewed.

Midnightpaw watched the replacement deputy organize patrols.

She had been training as a medicine cat for five moons now. Things were looking good. And there had been no sign of any rogues.

The one thing Midnightpaw was worried about was Mintleaf. The medicine cat was getting old, she could tell. He hadn't been taking her out to do battle training. Instead, he had been sending her with Silkpaw and Rayfrost.

"Could Midnightpaw come with you?" Mintleaf poked his head out of the den.

"Sure." Barkstripe shrugged.

Midnightpaw stood up, glancing at her mentor, and padded over to Silkpaw. Leafdawn was near her.

"All three of us can hunt together!" Midnightpaw grinned.

"Yeah!" Leafdawn exclaimed.

Silkpaw said nothing. When Rayfrost called to go, she quickly caught up to the tom.

"Do you know what's wrong with Silkpaw?" Midnightpaw asked Leafdawn as they started walking.

The tabby shrugged. "She's your sister. I don't know."

They were both silent, padding through the fresh ground of newleaf. Midnightpaw loved newleaf. It wasn't too hot, prey (and herbs) were plentiful, and it was beautiful, She loved to go out gathering herbs and just watch the forest, alone.

"Where are we going?" she wondered.

"Tallpines, I think," Leafdawn replied.

Tallpines. Horsetail! That's where it grows. But Midnightpaw and Mintleaf had lots of it. Not very many battles had happened, apart from a couple of skirmishes with RiverClan over Sunningrocks. It was still strange that the rogue Clan hadn't shown themselves.

"Could we hunt on the way?" Patchfire asked Rayfrost.

The patrol leader looked back. "Assuming you're quick."

Patchfire nodded enthusiastically, tasting the air.

Midnightpaw did the same, hoping to catch something fast on the way to Tallpines. She caught a whiff of squirrel. She stopped and looked around. There it was, out in the open! She dropped into the hunter's crouch and slowly crept forward.

The wind must have changed direction, for suddenly, the squirrel looked up. Seeing Midnightpaw, it squeaked and started to run.

Midnightpaw took off after it, remembering how she and Leafdawn had hunted on the moor.

But this time the squirrel was too quick. It scurried up a tree. As Midnightpaw slowed down, a sharp pain pierced her bad.

"Ow!" she yelped. She lifted her paw to examine it and saw that a thorn had gotten stuck in it.

Midnightpaw knew how to get rid of a thorn. Grasping it in her jaws, she yanked it out after licking around it. Then she licked it again to get rid of the blood.

She caught up to the patrol.

"No luck?" Leafdawn asked.

Midnightpaw shook her head. "I almost caught a squirrel but it got away."

"Maybe you'll have more luck at Tallpines," Silkpaw mumbled. She was still staring forward, her gaze not meeting Midnightpaw's. Midnightpaw watched her silently, wanting Silkpaw to tell her what was bothering her. But it seemed like Silkpaw wouldn't do that.