Halt! Who Goes There?

[Petrichor]

It had been a relatively peaceful day in RiverClan. Lionstar was sad and cats were talking about fighting ThunderClan, but none of that mattered to Minnowpelt. Until someone told her to go fight a battle or cheer up Lionstar, it was none of her business. Cats didn't like it when she intruded on their business. Which is why Minnowpelt found it rather rude when some cats barged into camp and started fighting. Minnowpelt fought a couple all on her own when they attacked her. She was good at fighting. But then one of the mothers yelled out that some of the kits were missing, and Lionstar yelled out for some cats to follow him in the direction the rogues had left in. That wasn't right, though. Minnowpelt had seen a couple of rogues go a different way. Every other cat seemed to be chasing after the other cats, but none of them seemed to want Minnowpelt to do anything, so she sat in the middle of camp and waited while chaos ensued around her. Until a cat yelled at her to "do something". The only "something" Minnowpelt could think of doing was to go find the cats who had scratched at her pelt, so she went in the direction they had gone to. It was almost sundown when Minnowpelt reached the waterfalls. This was where "that direction" ended, but she knew that sometimes cats could be sneaky, so she went in the water and looked around, her gills keeping air in her lungs. There was no cat at the bottom of the waterfall, so Minnowpelt swam back up to the surface and climbed out onto the shore. As water slid off her pelt, she noticed a cat off in the distance. It wasn't a RiverClan cat, because Minnowpelt knew all of the RiverClan cats. "Hello?" Minnowpelt cried out, sounding a bit like one of the kits she was looking for. "Who's there?"

[Mistress Tatl.]

Leopardfur had spent her day looking after Lionstar. Sometimes it seemed like that was all she ever did, but dogging at his heels was something Leopardstar never wanted to give up. While it could be ultimately exhausting, Leopardstar absolutely adored her leader and her love, and would never give up supporting him and being his shoulder to cry on. She wanted to help him be strong. For their clan's sake, and for his. She hadn't expected her typical day to be ruined.

Yet, that was how things often went, yes? When you didn't expect them, they happened. She had been fetching some fresh caught prey before going to check on Lionstar. Knowing him, he wouldn't have eaten in the time she's been absent to make sure the queens and kits were doing well. Suddenly, battle cries had filled the air, and Leopardfur was attacked by a strange cat that smelled of no clan. Rogues. Instinctually, she lashed out to slash the pelt of the intruder, engaging in a thrashing battle of claws and teeth. Yet, it seemed like in no time at all, the rogue had disappeared.

Looking around with wide eyes, she spotted Lionstar. Relief flooded her heart at the knowledge he was safe for the time being. In fact, he seemed more alive than usual, racing after the rogues. In the next instant, dread had flooded her. Kits had been taken. Everyone was in a panic. Immediately the she-cat bounded toward the nursery to see what she could do for the queens, but out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Minnowpelt setting off in a different direction than Lionstar had raced off in.

Leopardfur hesitated before bounding after the other warrior to make sure she was okay. Perhaps Minnowpelt had seen something the others hadn't, or maybe she'd just had another idea. Either way, Leopardfur felt she shouldn't be off alone at a time like this. It wasn't until sundown was nearing that she managed to catch up with Minnowpelt though, having to rely on tracking skills to find the other she-cat. Minnowpelt had surfaced nearby, facing another direction. Leopardfur immediately rushed up behind the other she-cat.

"Minnowpelt!" she hissed softly, to warn the other cat of her approach, following her clanmate's gaze. "What are you doing wandering off alone at a time like this?" Leopardfur's pelt puffed up slightly, glancing around. "You could have been attacked!" There was something very young about Minnowpelt (well, younger than 12 moons), and Leopardfur couldn't help but feel protective over her fellow clan-mate. Something about her motherly instinct.

[Petrichor]

Minnowpelt jerked up as Leopardfur snapped at her. Minnowpelt knew that the older cat was just worried, and the she-cat folded her ears and hunched back slightly in shame. "I-I'm sorry," she called back. "I just wanted to help, and I saw some of the not-RiverClan cats go off this way. I couldn't find them, though." The tan cat licked a paw nervously and ran it over your face. "I know, I know, something bad could have happened. Just don't tell Dad or Lionstar, please?" If Lionstar knew that Minnowpelt had failed to find the one of the cats who had caused so much trouble, she would go without dinner, and all the walking had made her really hungry. "Please?"