Warriors AU: Fire and Ice

Chapter 9

Sandstorm woke to find Silverstream sitting beside him, hunched on his belly like a rabbit, his shoulders stiff and his fur fluffed out. "Silverstream?" he meowed quietly.

Silverstream jumped.

"Are you okay?"

Silverstream sat up straight. "I'm fine." Sandstorm suspected that his friend's cheery mew wasn't heartfelt, but at least he was trying to be more positive.

"It looks cold," Sandstorm meowed. Silverstream's words had billowed out in clouds. Sandstorm was still snuggled down among the warm bodies of the other warriors.

"It is!" Silverstream bent to lick his chest.

Sandstorm sat up and shook his head. The air tasted of frost. "What are you going to do with Sorrelpaw today?" he asked.

"Show him the forest," answered Silverstream.

"I could bring Cinderpaw, and we could travel together."

"It might be better if we travel alone today," answered Silverstream.

Sandstorm felt a bit hurt. They had been shown Thunderclan's hunting grounds together as apprentices. He would have liked to do it together again as mentors. But if Silverstream wanted to be by himself, then Sandstorm could hardly blame him. "Fine," he mewed. "I'll see you later. We can share a mouse and compare apprentices."

"That'd be good," Silverstream meowed.

Sandstorm crept out of the den. The air outside was even colder. His breath swirled from his muzzle like smoke. He shivered, ruffling out his fur, and stretched one leg at a time. The ground under his paws felt like stone as he trotted over to the apprentice's den. Cinderpaw was fast asleep inside, a fluffy gray heap that rose and fell as he breathed.

"Cinderpaw," Sandstorm called quietly, and the little gray cat lifted his head at once. Sandstorm backed out, and in a moment Cinderpaw bounded from the den, wide awake and enthusiastic.

"What are we doing today?" he mewed, looking up at him with his ears pricked.

"I thought I'd take you on a tour of Thunderclan territory."

"Will we see the Thunderpath?" asked Cinderpaw eagerly.

"Er, yes, we will," Sandstorm replied. He couldn't help thinking Cinderpaw would be disappointed when he saw what a dirty, stinking place it was. "Are you hungry?" he asked, wondering if he should tell him to eat first.

"No!" Cinderpaw shook his head.

"Oh, okay. We'll eat later," Sandstorm meowed. "Well, follow me."

"Yes, Sandstorm." The young cat looked up at him, his eyes sparkling. The pang of sadness that had been lingering in Sandstorm's stomach since talking with Silverstream was swept away by a warm feeling of pride. He turned and padded toward the camp entrance.

Cinderpaw raced past him and charged through the gorse tunnel. Sandstorm had to break into a run to catch up. "I thought I said follow me!" he called as he scrambled up the side of the ravine.

"But I want to see the view from the top," Cinderpaw protested.

Sandstorm leaped after him. He overtook him easily, climbed to the top, and sat washing a forepaw, keeping an eye on him as he scrambled from rock to rock. By the time he reached the top of the ravine he was panting, but no less enthusiastic. "Look at the trees! They look like they're made from moonstone," he mewed breathlessly.

He was right. The trees below them sparkled white in the sunshine. Sandstorm took a deep breath of cold air. "You should try to save your energy," he warned. "We have a long way to go today."