Warrior Cats: Icetail's Enemy (COMPLETED ✔️)

Chapter Four

Edited ✔️

Icepaw followed the hunting patrol to the CloudClan borders, far away from DarkClan. The blazing sun beat down on his gray pelt and he stopped, feeling hot and thirsty. Today, Sagepelt was leading the patrol, and Ashtail remained in camp for a rest since he was tired. Dewpaw and his mentor remained in camp as well, having to do apprentice duties.

Icepaw looked around, since it was his first time being in the territory nearest to the moors. He wondered how CloudClan could possibly stand the sun, with no shady areas to rest in. Skypelt, the other tom in the patrol, looked up to the sky, his eyes clouded with thought.

Icepaw stared at Skypelt. He felt that Skypelt was thinking about Ripplefur, since she was going to give birth to her first litter soon. Sometimes the first kitting never went well. Icepaw trotted up to the young warrior.

"Are you okay, Skypelt?" he asked with worry in his tone.

Skypelt looked down to Icepaw with surprise. "Oh, yeah," he said, his voice low. "Why wouldn't I be?" He gave Icepaw a reassuring look.

"Are you sure?" Icepaw asked again. Sagepelt stopped at her tracks and turned to the two toms.

Sagepelt sighed. "He's afraid that when Ripplefur's kitting is done, Sandstar will order her warriors to steal the kits," she meowed. "That happened to you once, and Volepaw and his sisters." Icepaw nodded, understanding now. "Only low-lives steal kits, anyway. We'll be able to defend ourselves."

"Oh," Icepaw said, knowing mainly that the reassuring was for Skypelt. The white tom nodded gratefully, and then the patrol began to walk again. Now silence engulfed them as they padded through the trees. The smell of the moor was becoming stronger.

Sagepelt took in a deep breath and looked around the area. "We're here," she said, turning to Skypelt and Icepaw. "Now, each of you go your own ways, but not too far. We only want to catch prey. Meet back here when you're satisfied. Try to remember what Ashtail has taught you so far, Icepaw."

"Got it!" Icepaw meowed, beginning to walk away. Skypelt and Sagepelt were going in opposite directions, too. When Icepaw thought he was far enough, he sniffed the air to see any signs of prey, only to find nothing.

He went in a different direction, checking there too, but still found no scents fresh enough to pursue. Finally, Icepaw did find something. He began to scent a rabbit, and since the wind blew in his direction, he knew that the prey wouldn't scent him.

My first rabbit! Icepaw thought eagerly. The Clan would be proud.

He began to creep forward into a clump of grass, and he spotted the brown rabbit hopping around the trees. Icepaw took a deep breath, and began to go forward. He was determined to catch the rabbit, since it will make his Clan very satisfied.

Icepaw's belly was low to the ground, and he came closer, excitement rippling through his body. Almost immediately, he leaped and pounced on it. The rabbit squealed in surprise and scratched Icepaw's underbelly, though he already had his jaws deep in it's throat. As Icepaw let go happily, a new feeling overcame Icepaw. It was pain.

He groaned, and his paw clenched at his stomach. The rabbit had hurt him badly, and his belly stung. "Ow!" he growled.

A sigh sounded from the other side of the MoonClan border, and he realized it was a CloudClan cat. "You know, tree cats really shouldn't hunt rabbits," he said. "You all should leave it to the moor cats. You know nothing about this."

Icepaw looked up, and saw a tom with a brown dirt-covered pelt, and he had blazing amber eyes that bore deeply into Icepaw. "Who are you?" Icepaw demanded, still clenching at his belly.