
Stormwind flicked his tail, signaling for the cats of Witherclan
to gather so he could list the evening patrols.
"Woodpelt, Cootfeather,
Stripeclaw, and Jackaldust will patrol the north border. Minnowsplash,
Minkslide, and Doveheart, can you check the west?" The golden tabby
eyed the two suspiciously. If fighting broke out, Doveheart was there to
settle it.
"Fluffyberry, I know you like to have alone time, can you
take the southern border?" The silent shecat nodded.
"And.."Stormwind glanced around the group of cats, nodding to
Hawthorneclaw and Goldenpelt.
"You two check the east."At that point, the deputy began organizing the hunting patrols,
but Hawthorne couldn't hear a word he was saying. His mind was
entirely focused on the golden shecat who had sidled up next
to him. Minkslide walked by, eyeing Hawthorneclaw coldly.
"Hey, be careful with my sister. Being that close to her,
you might drown in fur!" His tone was joking, but his
expression was not. Goldenpelt's brother put a paw on her
shoulder, gently pushing her away from Hawthorneclaw. Haw
knew that Minkslide didn't like him because he was Minnow's
brother.
But why can't he see that I'm nothing like him?As soon as Minkslide left to go on his patrol, Goldenpelt turned
around and stuck her tongue out at the receding tom. A rebellious
look glinted in her eyes as she scooted back next to Haw. His
breath caught in his throat. He knew that the pale insides of his
ears were a deep shade of red; he could feel them tingling,
signaling the blood rushing to his face. His pelt felt uncomfortable,
but he wanted nothing more than to sit with his fur brushing Goldenpelt's
forever. Of course, he knew he couldn't do that. Haw nudged her.
"Ready
to go patrol?" She nodded.
"'Course I am!"--
Fluffyberry padded slowly to the camp entrance, her pelt lightly
fluffed. She had seen how Haw and Gold had been acting lately,
and it scared her. Most things did nowadays. But she couldn't
shake the feeling that something was wrong. Once she broke
camp, she dipped into a run, racing as fast as she could to
the forest that was growing along the southern border. Fluffyberry
always liked this part of the territory; she could hear the birds
chirping and the squirrels searching for food. And most Witherclan
cats didn't come here, because it was harder for them to hunt in the
forest than the open wastelands. But Fluffyberry had taught herself how,
and never went back to camp emptypawed.
She sat in the clearing that she so loved to visit, where sunlight
filtered gently through the treetops. Fluffyberry looked up towards
where the sky would be, and sighed.
"Why am I like this?" She
mewed softly. Her voice croaked from disuse. She wanted to talk; she
really did. But whenever she was around others... her vocal chords
just.. refused to work. She shuddered as she remembered the
nasty things that Ravenstar.. no, Ravencoat, had said while he was still
leader. Those thoughts were distorted, twisted inside Fluffyberry's mind
to create 'the monster.' 'The monster' always hovered just outside of her
thoughts, and was a constant nag. It was her mind's way to portray the
negativity and doubt that clouded Fluffyberry's thoughts. It was like a
veil that blocked her voice.
{Fluffyberry is open; Haw and Gold are open}