Warriors Fanfiction: Evils of Darkness: Shadows and Light

Chapter 21

In a heartbeat, he jumped into the bush and a rabbit fled out of it, stamping into the dust wildly. It skid to a stop right in front of Greyshard, just as she pinned it down and snapped its neck with one clean bite. It fell limply in her claws; its large black eyes open wide.

"Thanks Flamepelt," she smiled, feeling some of the anger melting off and down her pelt, as if she had just climbed out of a stream and was warming herself in the sun.

He nodded, smiling back and meowed to the two apprentices, "And there you have it - a perfect example of group hunting! I hope you learned something from that!"

Skunkpaw nodded vigorously, still staring at the rabbit, while Rockpaw yawned and made a noncommittal sound.

Greyshard held back a scoff. Instead, she announced, "Let's go farther down into the territory."

"Maybe near the Twoleg farm?" Flamepelt suggested, "Nobody's hunted there for days."

Nodding, Greyshard buried the rabbit in a spongy patch of moss and pine needles and led the patrol further down the territory. For a good amount of minutes, she followed an unused rabbit track through thick walls of ferns, before stopping in a small clearing, that positively over-flowed with prey.

She turned and murmured to the hunting patrol, "Let's split up. Flamepelt you go in that direction, towards the barley field." She pointed her tail South. "Rockpaw and Skunkpaw, can you stay in this area? And I'll go further East, towards the border. Is that fine with everyone?"

They all nodded and rumbled agreement, except for Rockpaw. He, for a change, didn't look rebellious and obnoxious, but rather, curious and half confused.

"Weren't we supposed to stick together? I thought Owlstar said that we have to keep each other in sight or something?" Rockpaw asked, flicking his ears.

Greyshard felt a sudden urge to claw at his ears. She took a deep breath and replied smoothly, "You'll be fine. I doubt any tunnels will be falling onto you from the trees." Flamepelt took a quick, whistling breath. "And if you do get into trouble, perhaps with a giant squirrel, then all you have to do, is yowl at the top of your lungs and hope by StarClan that we hear." She smiled, somewhat friendlily.

"Let's meet back here in... let's say... just past sunhigh?" Greyshard added.

The patrol nodded. Rockpaw dipped his head and led Skunkpaw into the clearing. The two warriors waited for a few moments, before they heard a quickly-cut-off bird call. Flamepelt smiled and meowed a farewell to Greyshard as he departed. She called back and started to trot in the other direction.

When she made sure that all of the patrol was at least two tree-lengths away from her, she started running. After another few tree-lengths, she stopped, panting slightly. Greyshard sniffed the air, opening her mouth to let the scents of prey enter it. Soon, she detected the scent of a rabbit.

Slowly, Greyshard looked around, scanning the undergrowth nearby for any signs of it.

I wonder how...? She though, still searching for the rabbit, How the ancient WindClan travellers survived in such territory. A frond of fern rustled nearby. I thought they were used to giant moorlands and rolling hills, not... this! Pine forests and Twoleg farms. Ha! That sounds like ShadowClan! Greyshard chuckled silently as she circle the ferns. I guess we've gotten used to it, but still. It's weird to think that AirClan is anything like ShadowClan, or NightClan. Greyshard peeked through the long, sharp-edged grass at the patch of ferns.

Suddenly, the rabbit stood up on its hind legs, its front paws lying on its chest in an almost adorable way. Greyshard tensed her muscles to leap but was momentarily frozen by the how the rabbit looked like. It's short fur was a light greyish-brown with surprising hints of blue-grey and weird white splotches on its under-body. Its large, glassy black eyes blinked slowly, and its huge nose wrinkled like crazy as a dandelion leaf disappeared into its mouth. It blinked a few more times, and hopped a couple of steps towards Greyshard, stopping no more than a tail-length or two away.

Stupid, dumb, adorable thing. Why does prey have to this cute sometimes?! Greyshard demanded silently.

She leaped and landed on the rabbit's back. It didn't struggle much, to Greyshard's surprise, but it flicked it paws around, batting Greyshard's legs. Then it feel flopped onto the grass, unmoving, as Greyshard bit down on its throat. She grabbed its scruff and started to pull it away.

Soon after, she saw a thick copse of out-of-place oaks, surrounded with elder bushes and bracken. She turned around, the easier to pull the rabbit past the bushes. Glancing behind her every so often, she backed through the undergrowth and into the clearing.

Greyshard straightened up on the other side, flexing her shoulders and neck. She shook out her pelt, and, with the rabbit lifted as high as she could, she turned around.

The sight that welcomed her was not a good one. Not at all.

With a dull thud, the rabbit fell to the ground, sprawled unnaturally on the ground. The grass around its pierced neck fur gleamed red with blood, just like the grass a fox-length away.

Word Count: 1523

Yes! I'm keeping my update streak!

Hope you like it!