Day 22Username: lovage
Clan link: fogclanPrompt:snow was heavy on the ground and cats gathered about around the hunting patrol that just returned. they hoped for some freshkill to fill them up a bit. but, as the cats of fogclan approached, they were met with confusion over a snow white vole. voles were a rare sight in fogclan already but a snow white one was even rarer. most cats seemed to be pleased at the prey the patrol came in and some felt off putted by it. “is it sick?” iceheart asked as he sniffed it. no overwhelming smell of sickness came from the cold yet it was still weird. a vole this fat and one so white had to be something. it sent a shiver down his spine.
“there was not a scent of illness or any weird movements when we killed it,” tawnystrike growled. it was his own catch and a lucky one at that as it would feed a few cats decently well unlike the skinny mice that the others caught. “are you questioning my decision to catch a perfectly good vole?”
“no, but it is pure white. i’ve never seen anything like it,” iceheart said in disbelief.
“you’re pure white and we don’t question you about it,” jayflight butted in. her tone was hostile and her eyes hungrily looked down at the vole. “it is fresh kill, and leafbare has been mean to us this is a blessing. we should just eat it while it’s still warm.”
“hold it, jayflight,” tawnystrike said. “we will wait for one of the healers to see it. they have better noses for illness than any finder in this clan, i’m not risking green cough or anything of that nature due to our hunger clouding our judgement.”
“you aren’t even in charge of me, flea brain,” jayflight hissed. her claws were out and she would fight anyone just to get a few bits in of the juicy and warm vole.
“i hold a position of leadership for this clan even if it is just for the hunters, so hold your tongue,” tawnystrike warned. his tail lashed out in frustration and he could easily defeat that scout. “i would put those claws away before you regret it, we shouldn’t fight over freshkill.”
“what is this commotion?“ rainingecho asked as her shadow goldencry flanking her.
jayflight was quick to answer. “tawnystrike wouldn’t hand over the vole he killed. all over a sickness that no cat smells, we are starving and-“
“i would have hoped better from my own apprentice,” goldencry scolded his old apprentice. jayflight looked flabbergasted at that comment. “i taught you better than that, jayflight. though tawnystrike isn’t the lead scout, he is still in a position of authority and you should respect the decision he made to withhold prey over concerns. where is the prey in question?”
“here, goldencry,” tawnystrike said as he pushed the snow white vole towards him. “this vole is pure white and weirdly plump for leafbare. i thought it may have been sick due to these oddities.”
“we have iceheart who is pretty much pure white, but do we question that he is ill? and, we have cats who are remain plump year about regardless of what they do, and do we question them then?”
“no, i do not. but, it barely seemed to be concerned when i jumped and it could even be a sign from starclan of some omen or something,” tawnystrike defended himself. he was not too pleased at the council member’s question of his reasoning.
“rainingecho, what do you think of this?”
“this vole doesn’t smell of any illnesses that would be common here. i have seen animals like this before. pure white in coat without that coat causing any harm to it,” rainingecho said. “each time something just signaled a small period where the animals seemed to be coming out more willing, either you haven’t hunted there in a little bit or warmer weather will be coming here soon. so, no omen, only a white coat that means barely anything.”
tawnystrike dipped his head and passed the prey off to freshkill pile. with the mystery solved, the clan went about with their duties on that snow ridden day with hopes of a slight warm period to come according to rainingecho.
[713 words]
