Warriors : Rise of the Weather [2] : The Brightest Star (OLD/DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Five

Fog hovered lightly above the ground, streams of sunlight trickling through the thick branches of a few elderly oak trees, and small buds of grass poked their green tips through the snow. The sun sat comfortably at its peak, and Snowdrift stirred under its warm light. Dew clung to the white tom's whiskers, and he quickly shook it away with a twitch of his nose.

Streamflower's makeshift nest was empty, a gentle scoop in the ground cold and empty from where she had rested. Rising from his own nest, Snowdrift felt a small gust of warm air brush against his fur in calling to the oncoming newleaf.

As the white tom slipped out from under the bush, he was met by the warm scent of freshly caught prey. His blue eyes swept the small clearing between the few trees that littered the rough terrain, and he found Streamflower's beautiful gray fur easily distinguishable against the blinding white of the snow.

"Good morning!" The former warrior purred, her voice laced with warmth. "I caught you some prey." She swept forward and butted her head gently against Snowdrift's.

Snowdrift smiled. "That's great! It seems you had quite the haul." he complimented with a glance at the stock of prey, a rabbit and two mice.

Streamflower bobbed her head. "I actually had to make two trips — no loss, though!" She added quickly, her muzzle wrinkled in a teasing smile.

Snowdrift laughed. "Splendid! I suppose the strange cat held some sort of grudge against me, and me only." He quirked his muzzle, earning a mrrow of amusement from Streamflower.

"Here, you can have the rabbit." She offered, nudging the large prey forward. "I caught it especially for you." Streamflower said quickly before Snowdrift could interject.

With a small huff, he nodded. "Alright then. Thank you, Streamflower." he smiled at the she-cat, who returned the expression.

The two ate their share of food before heading on their way once again. Sunlight dappled the forest floor, and time gradually slipped by, the cool air of night gently settling upon them. A small storm rumbled on the horizon with a few flickers of lightning striking like snakes through the clouds.

"How can you be so certain this is the right direction of the brightest star?" Streamflower asked lightheartedly, flicking her tail against Snowdrift's shoulder as the sun's evening light shone against their pelts.

The white tom shrugged, pausing for a moment. "I'm not sure. I just feel this — tug, you know? Like StarClan is calling me forward in this direction." Snowdrift's whiskers quivered as the scent of fresh rain touched his nose. There would certainly be some snow melt after this storm.

Streamflower gave a small, slow nod. "I've never been summoned by StarClan before, so I'm not entirely sure if I'd know what it's like." she purred in amusement, earning herself a small chuckle from Snowdrift. "But I think I understand what you mean."

"That's nice." Snowdrift breathed. "How about you go on ahead and rest? It's about time we found a place to sleep for the night." He inclined his head to the sky, where the sun had begun to set and the storm he had seen was beginning to set in.

Streamflower smiled. "Are you sure you can handle some prey on your own?" She joked. "Wouldn't want anymore food running off after it was caught."

Snowdrift barked a laugh. "I'm sure I'll be fine, Streamflower." He purred, touching his nose to hers. "But thanks for the concern."

Streamflower grinned, quirking back her head. "Anytime, Snowdrift."

Snowdrift smiled, and watched as with a flick of her large tail, Streamflower vanished into the undergrowth. He'd follow her scent trail when he got back from hunting.

Padding off into the snow, the white tom searched for prey, accidentally inhaling a few clumps of snow. Sneezing out the freezing liquid, Snowdrift advanced further on, nearing the sound of rumbling water. The terrain gradually smoothed itself out, and the forests thinned ever more. Scent of a snow hare could be detected along the rise of the slope ahead of him, and the white tom stalked forward. A gorge could be heard over the rise, and Snowdrift took a mental note to keep a safe distance away from the aggressive water. Suddenly, the white hare's head whipped up, it's beady eyes round with fear.

To Snowdrift's surprise, the hare raced in his direction rather than away. The tom outstretched his claws, bracing himself for the kill, when a shape rose up behind the hare.

Frozen with shock, Snowdrift felt the hare undoubtedly dart past him in a blur of white. With a streak of gray, Snowdrift was tackled to the ground, claws tearing into his skin and ripping out clumps of fur. A yowl escaped from Snowdrift's throat as the feline pinned him down, green eyes ignited with fury and claws raking down Snowdrift's stomach.

Scrabbling to escape the feline's vicious claws, Snowdrift finally managed to roll out from beneath them, a small spray of blood hitting the snow. Panting in desperate attempt to catch his breath, Snowdrift thrust a blow across the cat's muzzle. The opposing feline spat furiously, and latched its jaws around Snowdrift's ankle.

With an agonized yowl, Snowdrift raised a paw and struck the tom's head. Dazed, the gray tom staggered back, his green eyes foggy for a few moments before clearing in reflection of the sunset sky. Thunder rumbled ominously throughout the air, and Snowdrift took the moment to identify the feline. To his shock, he realized that he recognized the tom.

"Mosspounce?" Snowdrift gasped, voice strained with shock and horror as he took a shaky step back. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing here?"