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

-l-e-o-p-a-r-d
Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and I were all silent, staring at Thornpaw. Neither of us knew how long he had been there, or how much he had heard. Jaypaw was the first to break the silence. “Sorry, Thornpaw, but we’re only going to the mountains to check up on the tribe.”

Thornpaw tilted his head. “The tribe? I’ve always wanted to see the tribe. Please, please, can I go?” I glanced at Jaypaw. His blue eyes were narrowed and emotionless, while Hollypaw kneaded the ground with her forepaws.

“Well, I guess,” Jaypaw meowed. “But you can’t tell anybody! Espically any of our denmates; we only need four cats to go!” Thornpaw nodded quickly before bounding away, his tail lashing. Hollypaw glared at her brother. “Great! Now we have two cats going that aren’t even in the prophecy.”

I said nothing as I followed Jaypaw through the trees. Clouds covered the moon, and I fought to see where I was going.

“Hey!” I turned my head sharply to see the pale mottled grey tom from the fight earlier this morning. “What are you doing?” I hissed, my tail lashing. I could barely make out his shape, and it made me curious that I was able to see his mottled pelt.

“I’ll have to reschedule our meeting to tonight,” he whispered as he padded through the bushes. “What?” I growled. My belly was prickling with disbelief. “Yeah! Isn’t it exciting?” He trotted around me in circles, the tip of his tail brushing my nose.

I swatted at it, and the tom quickly came to a stop behind me. “My name is Pebblepaw,” he said, moving in front of me. “You?”

“Leopardpaw.”

“That’s a nice name, even though you look nothing like a leopard.”

I hissed at him. “Go! Now!” He looked a little hurt, but I couldn’t let my guard go down. “At least tell me what’s going on with RiverClan.” Pebblepaw sat down and curled his tail neatly around his large paws.

“Twolegs are messing with our river,” he began. “And poisining our fish. Tomorrow at the Gathering, Mistystar is going to ask all three Clans to give up a little bit of their territory so that we can have some food.”

I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward. “Well, you had better leave right now!” I snarled, “because Firestar isn’t giving up any of his land because of the river.” Pebblepaw bristled a little, and I crouched down, my lip curled back.

“We need food,” he insisted, a tiny note of desperation in his voice. “Please let me hunt here...” I leaped onto him, pinning him beneath me. “Don’t you dare beg!” I snarled. “Get out of here before I get a warrior!”

Pebblepaw sighed as I got off of him. He got up, dust and mud caking his slick pelt. I could count every one of his ribs.

“I...I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It’s just that... my Clan needs food, and I would go to the end of the forest to help them, you know?”

I tilted my head slightly. These cats were starving... “Fine!” I growled. “Take one rabbit. If you take anymore, I’ll claw your fur off and line my nest with it!” Pebblepaw brightened a little, and grinned.

“Thanks, Leopardpaw!” The RiverClan tom bounded away, and I couldn't help but smile.

-p-e-b-b-l-e

As I padded into camp, I froze. Daisy was facing Brambleclaw, her cream fur fluffed up, lips curled into a snarl, blue eyes flashing with anger. Brambleclaw had his amber eyes narrowed, yet he wasn’t snarling. His head was just tilted to the side a little, and his fur was flat against his bulky frame.

“The forest is a dangerous place!” she snarled. “What’s new?” Dustpelt snorted. He had been grooming himself underneath the Highledge, his amber eyes sparkling with amusement. It had been a few moons since he and Ferncloud had broken up, and the tom had been more grumpier then a fox in a fit.

“I’ve taken my kits away, and I’ll do it again!” Berrynose, Hazeltail and Mousewhisker were a fox length away, their eyes wide as they watched their mother.

Brambleclaw blinked. “But they like it here,” he pointed out. “Wouldn’t you want your kits happy?” Daisy snorted. “Of course, mouse-brain!” I flinched. I had never seen the queen so upset. I was much more used to her whining about her kits.

“What I do with my kits is none of your business!” She stomped past Brambleclaw and began to shove Berrynose, Hazeltail and Mousewhisker towards the barrier.

“Come on! Lets go!” Toadstep and Rosepetail watched a few pawsteps away. “Aren’t we your kits too, Daisy?” challenged Toadstep, rising to his paws.

Daisy glared at him. “Yes, but you’re forest-born. These three have been living in a Upwalker- I mean Twoleg barn for moons. It was a mistake to bring them here- oh, how could I have been so mouse-brained!” Honeypaw darted forward to stop the horseplace cat.

“No!” she cried. “You can’t take Berrynose- I mean, Berrynose, Hazeltail and Mousewhisker away! They belong in the forest!”

Daisy shook her head. “No, Honeypaw. They belong with me- and that is with the Upwalkers.” She began to shove her kits away. Berrynose lashed out at his mother, barely missing her ear. “No, Daisy!” he hissed. “I will not go with you. I want to stay in the forest- Honeypaw is right,” he added with a glance at the brown tabby, who brightened at the cream tom’s praise.

Daisy rolled her eyes. “Come on, Berrynose. Don’t be mouse-brained. Leaf-bare is coming soon- wouldn’t you rather be living in a barn with food already caught for you, and a warm place to sleep?”

Berrynose looked down. For once, my mentor was speechless. He bowed his head, amber eyes full of sadness.

“Lets go, kits.” Daisy flicked her tail, and her kits walked after her, heads low. Hazeltail looked up and smiled weakly at Thornpaw. “Hey, it would’ve happened eventually,” she murmured, then her head fell back down and she disappeared after her kin.

I blinked. It had happened so quickly that no cat had been able to react. Brambleclaw shook out his pelt. Cloudtail bounded over, his blue eyes bright with anger. “Aren’t you going to do something?” he demanded. Brambleclaw sighed. “We were able to bring her back last time; I doubt she will want to come back now...”

Cloudtail bristled. “I knew you would be quick to get rid of her again,” he snarled. Brightheart walked over and pressed against her mate, her single eye twinkling with sympathy. “It was Daisy’s decision to leave,” she murmured.

“I know,” sighed Cloudtail. “It’s just that she was a great addition to our Clan; well, the nursery that is,” he added with a half-hearted purr. His mate smiled.

I padded to the apprentice den. All the day’s work suddenly hit me like a blow; my shoulders sagged and my eyes were heavy. I collapsed on my nest and sighed and fell into a deep sleep. I wondered who Firestar would make my new mentor be.

-b-e-r-r-y

-l-e-o-p-a-r-d
A paw prodded my side, and I lifted up my head and started into familiar amber eyes.

“Berry-?”

“Shh!” My former mentor shoved his paw into my mouth, and the taste of ThunderClan and other cats filled my mouth.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed as he dropped his paw. I was glad that Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw were gone- Jaypaw told me that they were going to discuss some things about going to the mountains. He told me that I needed my rest. Thornpaw was training with Brambleclaw, his new mentor. Honeypaw had been sulking ever since Berrynose had left. Her sister, Poppypaw, had tried to cheer her up, but the light brown tabby refused to let any cat get her happy. “No cat could make me happy,” she had whimpered. “Only Berrynose could.”

“Hazeltail and Mousewhisker are hiding near camp,” he whispered. “We left Daisy at the barn- she thinks we’re out making dirt.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Leopardpaw. We had to play along with Daisy- will you come with me to tell Firestar?”
My mouth gaped. I never knew my self-centered mentor could be so smart.

I closed my mouth and quickly nodded. I followed him, but I skidded to a stop as Berrynose bounded toward the barrier.

He came back with his littermates following him. "Lets go," urged Hazelwhisker, her tail lashing. Then she swiped her tongue over her lips with disgust.
"I can't get the taste of kittypet food out of my mouth! Daisy made us eat some, claiming that it 'was better then mice.'" Hazeltail snorted.

I scraped the ground in disgust. Daisy had been eating all of our prey, claiming that her kits needed as much food as possible if they were to grow up and be big, strong warriors.
I led the way to the highledge, scrambling up onto the blue-gray rock. We quickly entered the den. "Firestar?" I called. "Yes, Leopardpaw?" My leader looked up, his green eyes bright in the dark light of his den.

"Oh, Berrynose!" he cried. "Mousewhisker, Hazeltail! It's you? What are you doing here?" Berrynose quickly explained that they had tricked their mother into believing they wanted to be loners again, and how they had came back to the Clans. Firestar looked up, pride flashing in his forest green eyes.

"You are loyal, brave ThunderClan warriors," he told them. "Come," he added with the sweep of his tail. "Let me tell your Clanmates."

He padded out of his den and into the night.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar yowled. My Clanmates filed out of their dens, blinking sleep out of their eyes and fluffing out their pelts against the cold night.

Dustpelt turned his head and looked at the nursery, and his tail drooped as he saw Ferncloud in the entrance, her green eyes bright with curiousity. She didn't even turn to look at her former mate.

"Berrynose, Mousewhisker, and Hazeltail have come back," he began. "They tricked Daisy into thinking they wanted to be loners, and they have come back to the