Misted Over by Skystarxx3 (classic children's novels .TXT) 📕

-x-x-x

Leopardpaw POV-

I padded behind my mentor, Berrynose. The clouds were fat and a dark shade of grey, rain threatening to fall at any moment. A chilly breeze ruffled my fluffed up golden pelt. The sky was purple-grey, with and the sun shone dimly, casting a pale gold shaft of light over the trees of ThunderClan.

Thornpaw padded alongside me, his golden brown pelt bristling. I slowed to a stop as Berrynose skidded to a stop and stuck his nose in the air, nostrils quivering. Thornpaw's mentor, Hazeltail, slowed down behind Berrynose.

"RiverClan," Berrynose hissed, lowering his broad head and lashing his stump tail. As he spoke, a patrol of cats burst into the clearing, their jaws full of prey.

In the lead was a small brown tabby tom, and behind him was a dark grey tabby tom and a mottled grey tabby cat. Crouched behind the mottled tom was a mottled grey tom.

"I believe you have stolen something from ThunderClan," snarled Hazeltail, taking a step forward. The leading brown tabby sniffed and dropped the squirrel on the ground. "RiverClan needs food," he grunted. "ThunderClan has more then enough."
I took a step forward, standing beside Hazeltail. "Go home!" I shouted. "RiverClan belongs in the river, not in the trees."

The mottled tom jumped out fom behind the mottled grey tabby and snarled at me, all the fur on his neck bristling. I winced at the fishy scent of his breath.
"Why don't you go back up the trees?" he hissed. I snarled and pounced, my claws raking over his side. I underestimated my enemy, and I grunted as he kicked me hard in the belly with his hind feet.

I fell backwards and flailed helplessly as he sunk his teeth into my lashing gold tail. I grit my teeth and kicked out my left hind paw, catching him underneath his green eyes. He yelped and squirmed as I took control, cuffing him over the side of his face.

He sunk his teeth into my shoulder, and I blindly clawed at his sides, hissing. I could catch glimpses of Berrynose and Hazeltail, fighting as one, driving away the brown tabby and dark grey tabby.
Thornpaw was wrestling with the mottled grey tabby, his teeth snapping at the cat's throat.
I yowled in pain as claws slashed over my forehead and blood dripped into my eyes, blinding me. I charged forward, grabbing the mottled grey cat by surprise, my head shoving against his chest and driving him into the thorns.

"Not so fast on land, huh?" I sneered as I watched the thorns pierce his slick pelt. He flailed in the bushes, brambles wrapping around his paws, thorns digging deep into his pelt.

"Help!" he cried. I snorted. How stupid could this cat be? But I grabbed him by the scruff and yanked him backwards. I dropped him on the ground, my eyes narrowed.
His hindlegs were still caught in the thorn bush, and blood was turning his mottled grey pelt brown.

“If you come back here again,” I threatened. “I’ll shove you into the bushes again!” He flattened his ears. “Meet me here tomorrow at moonhigh.” His voice was barely audible, and I wondered if I had heard him correctly.

“What?” I hissed. “Do you have clouds in your brain? ThunderClan and RiverClan are at their throats because of your little thief patrol.”
The mottled tabby let out a whimper. “Please. I’ll explain everything if you just come here tomorrow.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Fine,” I said at last. “But if you are planning anything-”
“I’m not,” he interrupted. I turned my head to see Berrynose chasing away the brown tabby, snapping at his heels.

“And don’t come back!” he yowled. The brown tabby yowled back, “Don’t count on it! RiverClan will be back!” And then he was gone.

I turned my head to see the mottled tabby disappear into the trees with the flick of his sleek tail. Thornpaw trotted up to me, his eyes bright with excitememt.
“Did you see me?” he demanded. “I had that RiverClan cat in a grip! Too bad he spends so much time in the river. He slipped right out of my paws.”

I only murmured something. I could still see the tom’s green eyes, his slick, mottled pelt, neat, round paws...

I shook my pelt immediatly. I don’t have time to moon over toms- espically RiverClan toms! With their nasty, fishy breath and wet pelts. I snorted with disgust just thinking about it.

I grunted as rain splashed onto my snout. “It’s raining!” Berrynose meowed. “Lets get back to camp and talk to Firestar about this.” I padded after my mentor. Hazeltail lagged behind, wounds covering her grey and white pelt.

I dropped behind and looked up at Thornpaw’s mentor. “Are you alright?” I demanded. Her shoulders were covered with scratches, and a long, thin scratch ran from her ear to the base of her tail. One of her ears had a nick, and blood dripped from a bad wound on her forehead.

“Yeah,” she grunted. “I’m fine. A tough warrior like me won’t let a few scratches bring me down!” I could tell she was putting up a act by the way her shoulders slumped and the dull glow in her green eyes.

I sighed as more rain came pouring down, drenching my pelt and making my wounds sting. As we entered camp, I didn’t know about the horrible things I would face.
-x-x-x

-b-e-r-r-y
As Berrynose and Hazeltail explained what happened at the border, I chatted with Thornpaw about the battle. Hollypaw, Lionpaw, and Jaypaw had came over to listen. Jaypaw had been born blind, but I guess StarClan had changed their mind and made him see.

“I had that RiverClan warrior in a death grip!” said Thornpaw, clawing at the sand. “You should’ve seen the look on his face! He won’t be coming back to our territory in a hurry.”
Hollypaw glanced at Jaypaw, her green eyes clouded. “But you didn’t kill him, right?” she demanded. Thornpaw blinked his yellow eyes.

“Do you think I’m a Dark Forest warrior?” he demanded, offended. “I would never kill a cat in cold blood!”

Hollypaw wasn’t convinced, and leaned over and whispered something to Lionpaw. Lionpaw snorted and gave her a sharp nudge on the side and I pricked my ears for his reply. “Stop fretting, Hollypaw,” he hissed. “Thornpaw would never break the warrior code.”

“But he said he had the warrior in a death grip!” Hollypaw hissed back. Lionpaw shook his head, not bothering to guard his annoyance. “Hollypaw, just because we’re in the prophecy doesn’t mean-” He stopped speaking when he noticed me listening, and he glanced at his sister, unease in his amber eyes.

Hollypaw glared at her brother, her green eyes round with fear. "See?" she hissed. "Now she knows, and she's going to tell everybody." I said nothing, turning my head away and lapping at the blood that seeped from my wounds.

But truly, my head was buzzing with questions. What prophecy? Did Firestar know? Why did StarClan choose them? I felt a twinge of envy. They were no older then me, yet StarClan chose them!

Was StarClan mouse-brained or what?

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" called Firestar, his ginger pelt lashing. Cats were already in the clearing, taking seats underneath the Highledge.

Berrynose and Hazeltail were standing beside him. Berrynose had his chin held high in the air, while Hazeltail was looking down, unease and awe on her face.

"As you know, Berrynose and Hazeltail were hunting with their apprentices when RiverClan was stealing our prey. Hazeltail," he added, with a nod at the white and grey warrior. "Please describe what you have seen."

Hazeltail opened her mouth to speak, but was harshly shoved aside by Berrynose. "Pardon me, Firestar," he said loudly, with a glare at his sister, "but I was leading the patrol, and I think that I should be the one to give the report."

Firestar narrowed his green eyes and began to speak, but a light brown tabby rose to her paws and yowled, "I agree with Berrynose! Let him speak!"

I narrowed my eyes at the she-cat. Her blue eyes were glazed with love and affeciton as she glanced at Berrynose, but the stuck-up tom didn't even look at her. His amber gaze was locked on Firestar, his chin lifted slightly as if challenging his leader to contradict his request.

Firestar sighed. "Very well." Hazeltail glared at her brother before stepping backwards, her green eyes still narrowed into slits.

"Well," Berrynose meowed, glaring down at the cats. I sighed at my mentor's arrogance. "My patrol was patrolling near the RiverClan border when they suddenly jumped out of the bushes and stole the prey we caught."

I stole a look at Thornpaw. His yellow eyes were slits, and he was digging his claws into the ground, tail lashing. My mentor was lying, but I dare not speak up. "So I jumped on the cat in the lead and clawed at him until he ran off, howling," Berrynose continued. "Then I fought off the rest single pawed." He swatted at the air, chest puffed out. I looked at Firestar, whose green eyes were glittering with amusement. He could tell that Berrynose was lying, yet my leader didn't say anything.

Honeypaw had sat back down, yet beside me, which was a mistake. Her blue eyes were wide with awe, tracking Berrynose's every movement. When the tom had finished speaking, she had grinned and said, "That's wonderful, Berrynose! You're such a great warrior!"

But once again Berrynose ignored her. His eyes were locked on me, with a tiny smirk on his lips. Honeypaw followed his gaze and frowned when she tracked it back to me. "What's so special about you?" she hissed, jealousy and scorn dripping from her voice.

I shrugged. "He's my mentor," I replied. "Maybe he wanted to prove that he is a good warrior." Honeypaw dug her claws into the ground. "Well, whatever. Just stay away from him, alright? If you make any sudden moves, you're crowfood!"

I blinked. Man... Honeypaw was way out of character. I glanced around to see Hollypaw glaring at me, and I felt a twinge of discomfort squirm in my belly. Was she still mad about earlier? I'd better talk to her later.

Firestar was speaking. "Keep a lookout for any RiverClan warriors. You are more then welcome to chase them out." He flicked his ginger tail to signal that the meeting was over, and he disappeared into his den.

I padded over to Hollypaw. She was talking to Jaypaw, her head bowed. "Ahem," I said,