Patrol Part 1

Spottedbelly sat by the river that ran through RiverClan's territory. She closed her eyes and let the crickets' chirping and the water slushing soothe her. She let the humid morning air soak her and dig into her fur, while dew clung to her hair tips from the grass she was upon. She let the shade from the overhanging trees dapple her fur as the sun streaked the hazy blue sky gold. Fidgeting from the scratches of plants, Spottedbelly opened her eyes once more to the morning around her. In the low hanging fog that swelled among the trunks of the trees, Spottedbelly fancied herself as invisible as she licked her grey coat. She licked a paw before getting to her feet. She stole a glance back at the river as she began to pad back to camp. Yet again Spottedbelly fancied herself as a mythical member of LeopardClan; stalking through the exotic shubbery. As slender as she was, Spottedbelly raised her shoulders and made herself look strong and big.
"Like I don't already," She mused as the camp came into sight. "Ah, the Dawn Patrol..." She mewed as she crossed the stream that surrounded the camp and entered. With a purr she looked around the dew covered camp to see if any warriors or apprentices were up. None were except for a senior warrior and his apprentice. "Greetings, Swiftstone. Would you and Breezepaw like to partake in the Dawn Patrol?" The black apprentice sneered as Swiftstone nodded. Spottedbelly glanced down at him and hissed, "Behave, little one." Swiftstone flinched and glared down at his apprentice. "I'm sorry," he meowed quickly in defence for Breezpaw's behavior. Spottedbelly did not take her eyes off the apprentice as she said nothing. Turning her attention back to a awkward looking Swiftstone, she mewed, "Could you go inform Reedfur and Pebblepath that I would like for them join...and I will be attending this patrol as well." "Yes," Swiftstone meowed while looking down at Breezepaw once more. "Go retrieve Ripplepaw and Minnowpaw," he said to the apprentice, "they would like to go with their mentors." Spottedbelly watched the two cats go back to their dens to wake their fellow freinds. She sighed, "to have an apprentice." They returned with the cats she had asked for. Pebblepath and Reedfur nodded to Spottedbelly as they approached. Ripplepaw and Minnowpaw tussled on the ground while Breezefur rolled his eyes at them. "Come on," Spottedbelly growled as she raised her tail as a signal to follow her. As the warriors and apprentices exited camp,
Spottedbelly lagged behind and waited for Breezepaw to come up next. when he did she rested her tail on his thin shoulders and hissed politely, "you stay with me." Breezepaw growled as they exited and saw the others watching. "Lets go," Spottedbelly meowed as she went to the head of the party with Breezepaw reluctantly traling beside her.

Spottedbelly desired for the patrol to be short and quick, and since there were so many cats in this perticuliar patrol she made the cats split up. The deputy reminded them all that if there is any trouble to yowl their guts out. She assigned the groups carefully. "Pebblepath, Reedfur, Ripplepaw, and Minnowpaw, you check and scent the ThunderClan border. Swiftstone, Breezepaw, and I will check the ShadowClan border." Spottedbelly got a wary look from Swiftstone at the idea of his deputy patrolling ShadowClan's border. "But, Spottedbelly," the senior warrior said as quietly and respectfully as possible, "you as we all recall are not on the best terms with ShadowClan." To him and everone at the same time she hissed, "RiverClan as a whole are on bad terms with everyone now-a-days. They are suspicious of us and think we steal prey when we aren't," Spottedbelly flashed her eyes back and forth as if eyeing rival warriors in battle, "Twolegs may be
making us hungry and wary, but we are strong and cunning. We will prevail. ShadowClan is more threatening though at the moment, for so as they have waged accusitions more than ThunderClan. It's best that I go, for a deputy could maybe prove that we are strong, and aware of their hate and critisism. Remember, we are strong." The warriors lifted their chins in pride at their deputy's words. Even Breezepaw seemed inspired. The young tom lashed his tail and growled, "Even if ThunderClan does take more action we'll be ready...especially if ShadowClan does so as well." The apprentices yowled softly in agreement. Spottedbelly nodded in approval and flicked her tail as a sign to go refresh the borders.
Spottedbelly slinked through the forest to the dank smelling border that they shared with Shadowclan. Strangely enough, she always noticed how ShadowClan territory was darker then anywhere else. "Like NightClan..." Spottedbelly shook the thought off and continued foreward while her fellow RiverClan warriors trailed behind. They reached the boundary quickly enough. Swiftstone and Breezepaw moved on to mark the borderline while Spottedbelly surveyed the dark forest of ShadowClan before her. "How come we asscociate ShadowClan with evil?" Breezepaw asked as he bounded away from the border with disdain towards her. Spottedbelly was caught off guard by the question. Swiftstone came up to them as well and opened his mouth to say something in her aide, but nothing came out. With a glance at the border and the forest darkness beyond, Spottedbelly growled, "I don't know, I really don't know..."

Purestar walked over to the freshkill pile, it seemed much smaller than the day befor. She picked up a chaffinch(sp?) out of the measily pile at trotted tword the elder's den.
'Purestar has seemed on fur's end lately, hasn't she?' Scaleear mewed while swallowing a mouthful of fish.
'Yes. She hasn't been acting like such a great leader lately.' hissed another.
'Did you see the way she was last night, she acted like a mouse-brained fool!' Onescale snickered. Purestar wouldn't even dare face them now. Is that anyway to treat a leader? Her eyes clouded with pain. She carried her meal over to her den, dropping on the ground as her shoulders slunk.


Ooc:- soo writers block! -.-

Spottedbelly, Breezepaw, and Swiftstone met up with the other cats by the camp entrance. None of them had anything to report. With a delighted nod of the head, Spottedbelly let them enter camp ahead of her. Once they all disappeared behind the ferns did she enter. Breezepaw sprang out to her when she stepped into the main hollow. "Can there be a hunting patrol? Can I be in it?" Spottedbelly rested her tail on his jittery shoulders and purred in amusement.
"Of course," she purred, happy to see that he was joyful again instead of angry, "go find Swiftstone and some others who want to join." Breezepaw elatedly backed away from her and bounded away toward the fresh kill pile where Swiftstone was. Taking a glance at it herself, Spottedbelly sighed at the few peices of prey. She let her eye wander over to a soft grey cat who hunched over a some fresh kill. Purestar looked troubled to Spottedbelly. The deputy padded over silently to her leader. Spottedbelly watched her finish her meal and then meowed, "I am issuing some hunting patrols..." She stammered as she caught Purestar's eye, "What's the matter?"

Her eyes clouded with grief. Though she tried to hide it from her deputy. 'That's fine. But I want to make sure breezepaw goes. He needs the excersize, and practice.' she said softly, ignoring the question. She stood up slightly and stretched out her forepaws, her legs quivered as the sleep escaped them. 'Spottedbelly, do you ever wonder if there is some others of your family out there? Like you know someone belongs to your family. Though you don't know them.' she asked softly, gazing at the clouds.

Spottedbelly looked at the ground and then looked up at the sky, mimicking her leader. They looked almost identical as she meowed, "Before I came to RiverClan, I never had any simblings. I had no parents that I knew of...I was just there. My old leader and mentor treated me like there own though and I was content with it. But now that I'm here, I wonder...who-who am I?" Spottedbelly lowered her gaze and looked at Purestar. Spottedbelly laughed a little to herself and whispered, "I'm not making any sense again am I?"

She nuzzled her deputy's cheek, giving herself comfort. 'My siblings were taken by my father, and my mother died shortly after.' she whispered softly. 'I knew I my siblings were still alive, and sometimes I can still smell them.' she added softly. Then looking at Spottedbelly, her eyes more calm. 'But you must never tell this to anyone.' she added softly.

"Of course, Purestar," Spottedbelly whispered as the afternoon sun stroked the forest in yellow. Letting the warmth soak her fur, she said, "I understand. Our pasts our fragile things." The deputy turned to look at the other warriors sharing tongues in the clearing. Breezepaw, Swiftstone, and others came into camp with only a couple peices of prey. Spottedbelly's heart sank at the sight of a not-rising fresh kill pile. She took a last glance back at her leader to see if she had anything else to say.

Purestar's whiskeres twitched with amusement. 'It's like you read my mind.' she stated softly. 'But don't let me bother you anymore, go and eat.' she added. Walking back twords her den. 'Oh, and Spottedbelly. Thanks.' she called.

Spottedbelly watched her leader disapear back inside her den. When she had gone completely, Spottedbelly turned to a crestfallen Breezepaw. She padded over to the young tom and meowed, "you are doing well." Breezepaw sulkily glanced up at her and then back at his paws. "I barely caught anything," he meowed sadly. Spottedbelly looked down gently at the apprentice, "keep a good heart, little one. You did fairly well under our circumstances. An experienced warrior couldn't have done better." The black tom perked up at that. "You must be hungry," he meowed, "Come eat the giant water vole I caught you. Everyone agreed for you to have it." Spottedbelly twitched her whiskers in amusement as Breezepaw padded over to the fresh kill pile. He grasped a giant vole in his jaws and carried it over to the deputy with a happy swish of his tail. Spottedbelly placed her paw on it and said thanks to the apprentice. Breezepaw glowed with pride before he turned to the Apprentice den where Minnowpaw and Sandpaw were sharing tongues. Spottedbelly ate the water vole quickly. When she had finished she thought about what to do. A whim came to her mind as she padded her way out of camp and towards the ThunderClan border to fish.