Warrior Cats: Shadows into Light (book 1)

Chapter 5

Today was the first day of delivering mouse bile to the elders and helping them with their ticks. Nightkit held the stick and moss with mouse bile wincing at the stench of it. She walked in to the elder's den and turned back to look outside seeing her brothers playing in the snow. Smokepaw was in their with her getting ticks out of the elder's fur. After picking many ticks out of the six elders pelts it was sun high. She waited by the entrance of the elder's den because she knew that Cloudspirit would take her to the large oak tree just outside her camp for moss for their bedding. Cloudspirit walked in her paws shuffling only slightly as if she was nervous. "I'm going to carry you, some other warriors, the deputy, and me were talking to Foreststar. The others said they recently have found fox dens and I fear for your safety," Cloudspirit said nervously. "You aren't my mama I can walk by myself," Nightkit hissed in response to what she said. "I am a warrior don't disrespect me," Cloudspirit hissed as she picked Nightkit up. Cloudspirit is being odd I wonder what would make her this nervous, it can't be just  foxes. They walked to the oak without saying a word. Cloudspirit dropped Nightkit with a loud thud. "That hurt you know. You can't just drop someone on the ground thats like the feeling of the medicine cat forcing herbs down your throat," Nightkit snarled in her face. "Trust me it doesn't feel like that. You have never had that happened to you and there are much worse things than being dropped on grass,"Cloudspirit responded with a snarl in her voice. Nightkit shrugged her adverse voice and started to pick up moss for the elders nests. They occasionally argued over things while collecting moss but most of the time they stayed silent. Nightkit noticed Cloudspirit's ear was twitching which meant she heard something. Why is she being so agitated, she used to be really calm before Quietcry's death. Maybe because she doesn't get the chance to see her like I do. Nightkit was distracted with her thoughts while picking up moss and she heard a yowl from Clouspirit. Nightkit turned her head to see what the commotion was about and saw a very large, hungry, and ravenous fox. Nightkit let out a squeaky mewl in fear while Cloudspirit picked her up and ran from the fox. All they left behind them was dust and moss at the oak tree. The fox barreled after them while Nightkit yowled and screamed in fear as they went. "Mama! Brothers! Help me!" she mewled and started crying large tears flew past her in the wind. Cloudspirit's paws crunched on the snow, running faster with adrenaline pumping through her. Nightkit noticed a starry figure running with them, it was Quietcry. Just as Quietcry came she disappeared in a starry mist and it began to snow. They landed in the middle of clearing and once again Cloudspirit dropped Nightkit. Iceheart was sitting outside the nursery and looked at them in confusion. Grassflight a dark brown tabby with light green eyes spoke up "What are you doing back? Sunset hasn't come yet!" Cloudspirit responded "A fox chased us back here." All of a sudden Foreststar yowled from the highcliff "All cats old enough to catch their prey, gather under the highcliff!" Warriors, elders, queens, and apprentices gathered under the small cliff looking up at their leader. Nightkit still stood there even though it wasn't her place to be at a clan meeting. She saw that cloudspirit was nuzzling her mate, Fernear. Fernear was a tom that was white with orange tabby stripes on his tail, ears, and one paw. He also had fiery orange eyes that could scare the biggest badger away. Foreststar noticed Nightkit listening but he felt that she should hear this. "Oatpelt has given us a message from Moon Clan. They say that a blizzard is coming a big one. The blizzard can give white cough and green cough just from tonight. So I would like the apprentices and warriors to start building bramble barriers with undergrowth on it," Foreststar spoke with a twinge of nervousness in his voice. Soon Clearsong was ordering collecting patrols. Oatpelt bolted out of the clearing to get a specific herb for green cough and white cough, Catmint. Apprentices got brambles and undergrowth just outside of the bramble barriers that protected the clan. Every cat was at work in the clan.

Art by: Maplespyder