Checking Up On Life

Littlestar padded out of his den and scanned the clearing. Life in the clan moved at it's usual pace. Cats left to hunt or patrol or just to have time with themselves, and cats came in with fresh-kill or not, then to retire to their dens or mingle with their clanmates. Littlestar loved the peaceful movement of his clan and clanmates.

He walked away from his den slowly. He felt out of place now. He didn't feel like he was really apart of the clan like he had been when he was a warrior. Now he felt that his clanmates treated him with... too much respect. They seemed to perk up just a little when he was near them, like they had to do things with a certain... etiquette? He felt like the only cat he could properly share tongues with was his deputy, Blacksnow.

He grabbed a small mouse from the pile. It was the smallest one there. His clanmates needed the fatter kill more than he did. He walked over to the large boulder that was often used, and meant to be used, as his sitting spot for clan meetings and jumped on it before climbing to the top. He looked down at the cats below, mouse still in his jaws.

Littlestar sighed before laying down on the large boulder and taking a bite of his mouse. He chewed slowly as he started to think. He felt a little alone in his place and position. He was given nine lives from StarClan and he had so much to deal with that the other warriors, apprentices, queens, elders, kits, not even the deputy had to deal with. So many secrets he seemed to have to keep, so many decisions to make.

Never truly understanding, the clan members always seemed to think it was so easy. He remembered those days when he felt every decision was as simple as catching a mouse. He wished it was that easy, but wishes don't often come true.

Littlestar's ears lowered and his tail moved around absently. He felt, and looked, truly and utterly depressed.

Ferretflight, who was just returning from another prey-less hunt, saw Littlestar sitting on his rock. She called up to him "Hey Littlestar!"

"Yo,Littlestar!"a loud,raucous voice meowed. Shadefall beamed up at his leader,gray eyes blending into his pitch black pelt. "Be a little more respectful! He's the leader now,or can't you tell?"Ravenflight whispered to him,bowing her head with respect to her new leader.

"Oh calm down, Ravenflight. Just because he's leader doesn't mean he can't be friendly. He's still just another cat, right?" Ferretflight contradicted.

Ravenflight rolled her eyes and walked off,waving her tail in farewell. "Whenever you get your ears clawed don't blame me,"she grumbled,thinking of what the elder warriors would think.

"Great StarClan! What dog's been chasing her up a tree?" she asked as Ferretflight approached Shadefall.

Littlestar quickly swallowed his food when he heard the mews of Ravenflight and Ferretflight. He looked down from the boulder at the two cats. He finished his mouse with another quick bite and jumped down from the rock to the two warriors.

"It's quite alright," he said with a smile on his face. His pelt fluffed out as a cold gust blew in from the cave entrance and filled the cave with it's icy chill. He had always loved this cave because it gave a cool shelter from the hot rays of the warm days, but now, he resented it. It only made things colder.

Shadefall shrugged. Then he smiled,seeing Littlestar appear. "Yo!"he mewed exuberantly,waving his tail in greeting.

Ferretflight smiled and stifled a laugh at Shadefall, then dipped her head slightly. "Hello Littlestar. How are you?"

Littlestar chuckled at Shadefall's enthusiastic greeting. "Hello, Shadefall, Ferretflight," he said, giving them both nods. "I'm doing fine actually," he said with a grin, "I was just doing a little thinking up there." He pointed his tail the huge, smooth boulder that he had just been laying on not too long ago.

"Well, I don't mean to pry, but anything serious?" Ferretflight asked, getting slightly woried.

"I'm concerned about this leaf-bear, but other than that, I'm not finding any concerns with anything else. I've just been having a little... nostalgia." He nodded and looked around the clearing again. "Believe it or not, I miss those days as an apprentice when all I had to do was change the elder's bedding, hunt, and train." He chuckled as he remembered those days filled with worry and arrogance.

Ferretflight could see how much he really missed those days. "Don't worry Littlestar, every warrior misses those days every now and then. We'll pull through Leaf-bare, every Clan does."

Shadefall frowned. "I don't! Those elders nearly bit my head off because the bedding was a little stale! I'm glad I'm a warrior now." Even though he'd been a warrior for less than a moon,he still appreciated that the apprentices respected him,even though they sometimes tried to pounce on his tail.

Littlestar chuckled at Shadefall. "You may not miss it now, but you sure will in the future, I assure you." He looked at Ferretflight. "I sure hope we do. I have a feeling that this leaf-bare holds harder times than the rest." He sighed. The fresh-kill pile was already depleting as it already was. He didn't like the looks of it all.

"I can go hunting now,if you want."Shadefall mewed instantly,eyes bright with enthusiasm. "I can catch a rabbit big enough to feed the whole Clan!"

"You can go if you want," Littlestar nodded. "Do you mind if I come if you do?" He hadn't done any hunting in at least three days. He felt like he was neglecting his duties and clan. He had to help with the clan, not sit around and act like a king!

"Sure!"Shadefall said easily. He wasn't at all freaked out by the fact that his leader was asking to hunt with him.

"I'll tag along with you. I checked out the border with WolfClan and couldn't find any prey there. We should probably go to the other side of the territory." Ferretflight suggested, flicking her tail towards the entrance for Littlestar to lead the way out.

"Good idea, Ferretflight." He knew a good spot too. Littlestar started towards the entrance so they could start their hunting. He wanted to practice up on his skills again, and he knew he had to work on his fighting too, since he hadn't had anything to keep him in practice. Maybe he could spare with someone later..?

He went out of the entrance of camp and started towards the hunting place.

OOC: I'll make a threadzy...