A bitter chill blew through the warrior's den, giving Swiftcloud a harsh awakening. The white and black patched molly shivered, rising from her usually shared nest to look around. It had to be mid day by now, seeing as most of the other warriors had left, Shadowfang included. But the sight at the den's entrance seemed to show otherwise. The world beyond the den's threshold appeared bleak and pale. Seeing outside was impossible. What was going on?
Only a quarter moon had passed since Swiftcloud accompanied a patrol of her clanmates to Treeclan's camp. Yet in that time, so much had changed. The wind blew colder now, the meadow dimming, plants dormant for the upcoming season. Birds had begun migrating in flocks away from the Land's Star to seek warmer weather. Treeclan was still receiving aid from Snowfrost, a fresh delivery of herbs traded off every other day. Life went on, adapting with the environment. But there was something ominous on the horizon. Though no one elsed seemed to sense it but Swiftcloud.
The patched she-cat fluffed her pelt against the cold, stretching out stiff limbs before leaving her nest. She blinked, clearing her mind from the fog of sleep and anxious thoughts. Frost was accumulating on the earth just by the rock's mouth, thickening as the warrior drew closer to the den's exit. When she finally poked her head outside, Swiftcloud realized why the world seemed so muted. The patched molly tilted her nose towards the sky, blue eyes widening at the sight. Soft white flakes cascaded down from the clouds, sticking to fur and the ground below. They were thick, falling faster after every moment. On the grass they seemed to glisten like stars.
"It's...snowing?" Swiftcloud ask herself quietly, looking at the camp in awe. When she was younger, she had only ever seen snow fall from the safety of her Twoleg's den. Only once had she actually felt the frozen white material, long after it had landed. It was a small pile, nearly melted away, but she'd been lucky enough to be outside to play in it. Then, Swiftcloud had enjoyed the feel of it on her pelt. But now the snow brought her a sense of dread. Before she'd had the comfort of her Twoleg's den to return to to warm her paws and recover from the cold. Now there was nowhere like that to go. But Swiftcloud could handle it, she knew she'd adapt. She was a warrior after all, warriors could do anything.
"Woah!" The squeal came from across camp, from a small brown and white cat. Tulippaw stood a tail-length in front of the apprentice's den, a look of wonder gracing her features. Swiftcloud let out a purr of amusement, prancing over to her. "What is this stuff?"
"It's snow," Swiftcloud replied. A large snowflake landed on Tulippaw's nose making her sneeze.
"Brr. It's cold!"
"It's suppose to be." Swiftcloud suppressed a mrrow of laughter, her nubby black tail wiggling in amusement. Tulippaw bounced in place, spinning around to chase her tail.
"What are you doing?" Swiftcloud's composure was lost as she couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
"Trying to look at the snow that's landing on me! I want to see what it looks like up close," Tulippaw responded as she caught her tail at last. She drew her nose close to her to it, sniffing at the flakes. But her breathe made them melt away faster than she could observe them. Tulippaw let out a noise of disappointment, shoulders sagging slightly.
"Why don't you ask another cat to let you see how the snowflakes looks on their fur instead? You might have a better chance of seeing the forms they take," Swiftcloud suggested. Immediately Tulippaw perked up.
"Ooh good idea! I'll catch up with you in a little while then, if thats alright. I hope later on we can go out and get some battle practice in. I want to know how to foght in weather like this," Tulippaw mewed.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Swiftcloud agreed. She watched her apprentice give another bounce before bounding off to find another cat to speak with. Swiftcloud began to glance around camp once more. Her vision eventually rested on the fresh-kill pile just a short distance away. Mistyleaf was there, picking her way through, probably trying to find something specific to eat. After a pause in her digging, the fur along the silver she-cat's spine rose. Her eyes grew as wide as a full moon, and an audible gasp passed her lips. Swiftcloud tilted her head in wonder as she continued to observe the other molly.
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Signs Of The Moon Book 1: Moon Rise
قصص الهواة"Swiftness will fortify your ranks. But hurry, Snow's unyielding frost threatens to destroy the balance of the Land's Star" A familiar tale of a kittypet joining a clan. Or is it? Follow a plucky young Japanese Bobtail as she learns what it means to...
