“How about here?” Just then Pebblefur stopped and glanced down at Acornpaw. “Let’s see if we can spot any rabbits at this location.”
They had settled on a small clearing in the big moor with lots of bushes and brush. Acornpaw knew that all these plants made great hiding places for cowering rabbits.
The other three cats on the patrol calmed down, and Acornpaw dropped into the best hunting crouch ever done. Not even a rustle could be heard coming from any cat behind him.
Carefully Acornpaw edged forward, keeping his eyes locked on a bristly prickle bush in which he had seen a swish among the thorny branches.
It was almost perfect- no brittle stalks of bracken, no pine sticks- even the dead leaves had disappeared. Acornpaw tightened every one of his muscles as he neared the bush. He prepared to pounce...
SNAP! A loud noise emerged from under Acornpaw’s foot as he leaped, dislodging from the ground, disconnecting with the earth.
Acornpaw dove into the shrubs, madly searching for soft tawny fur that belonged to a rabbit. His claws dug into the first warm and furry thing he found, which was his own tail.
Holding back a yowl of pain, the brown tom pushed forward, ignoring the brambles that bit at his legs like an attacking warrior.
There had to be a rabbit somewhere! No, have I scared them all away until the next Gathering?
All of a sudden, Acornpaw froze. And he listened. A tiny little rustling could be heard barely ahead of him. He inched forward, feeling fur being pulled away by the sharp, thorny limbs. A rabbit, oh yes, a rabbit!
Excitement surged through Acornpaw as fastened his claws into a real, true rabbit. For a heartbeat he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it, but then he recalled an example from Pebblefur.
Acornpaw killed his prey with a sharp swipe to the neck- he wasn’t quite ready for the tooth-kill yet. But he had done it!
“I did it!” announced Acornpaw proudly as he pranced out of the bush. Thorns decorated his fur and many patches of pink skin intruded through his light brown pelt. He may have labored a great mess, but Acornpaw had accomplished his achievement, his goal.
However, Pebblefur, Swiftsprint, or not even Fastpaw congratulated him. Not a tail flick came from them.
That was because the trio was staring at two dead bodies. One gray-and-white and the other ginger.
As if I couldn’t guess, thought Acornpaw, abandoning his rabbit and rushing over to see.
***
Dovecry’s still form stared up at the sky blankly as Acornpaw trudged up.
“How could this be?” murmured Pebblefur in astonishment. Swiftsprint shrugged with a frown on his face and Fastpaw looked on in horror.
A saddening ache swelled in Acornpaw’s chest. He was young to have lost both parents. His father as a kit, and now his mother as an apprentice....
Ducking his head, Acornpaw sniffed, devastated, and forced himself to glance up once more. Beside Dovecry, Hazelstar was stiff and frozen. Blood still spilled around his neck, making Acornpaw shiver. Who murdered him?
While the other three examined their leader in awe, Acornpaw noticed two squirming bundles mewling at his mother’s belly. Dovecry and Hazelstar had had kits!
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