ASTERNOSE

The coolness that came with leaf-fall filled the canyon quickly, creeping down the red rock walls and into the camp like a silent, deadly poison. Asternose, sleeping on the outer edges of the warrior den, woke to find frost in her pelt.

    Rising from her nest, the cream tabby had the good sense to leave the den before shaking the crystals out of her fur. Some of the warriors could be as cranky as the elders when it came to mornings.

    The first of the sun's rays were peeking over the cliffs, which meant the dawn patrol would be leaving soon. If she got lucky, she might be able to tag along and hunt. The freshkill pile was slowly diminishing with the colder weather.

    Palethorn slunk out of the den, muttering a good morning before descending the cliff to join Runningheart, Badgerclaw and Emberpaw. Asternose rose to follow, though she hardly looked forward to a patrol with Emberpaw; the apprentice resented her for earning her warrior name before she did. Now that the tortoiseshell's wounds had healed and she was able to resume her Clan duties, she often glared at Asternose, as if the newly named warrior were getting in her way.

    Before Asternose could approach the patrol, two figures appeared on the path before her. Both looked extremely tired.

    "Good morning," she mewed to Martenfur and Leafpelt, who had been guarding the camp overnight.

    "Morning," Martenfur yawned back. His red-brown tabby pelt was still coated with frost.

    "Unless you're on the dawn patrol, I'm not sure why in StarClan's name you're already on your paws," Leafpelt added, stretching his mouth open in a wider yawn than his brother.

    "I was going to go hunting, actually," she replied.

    "Alone?" The tabby's green eyes shone with concern. Confused by his reaction, Asternose nodded.

    Martenfur flicked his brother's ears forcefully with his bushy tail. "I mean, I can join you, if you'd like," Leafpelt explained.

    The cream tabby let out a purr of amusement. "Well, you're good company when it comes to hunting."

    "I'll leave you two to it then," Martenfur said, already moving off to the warrior's den.

    "You're not coming with us?" his brother called after him.

    "I value sleep," the tom replied. "Even more than pretty she-cats, I'm afraid. Happy hunting!" With that, he disappeared into the den.

    Asternose's pelt burned in embarrassment, even though she was used to Martenfur's flattery after a half moon in the warrior den. Looking to Leafpelt, she said, "What about you? Do you value sleep more than pretty she-cats?"

    Leafpelt couldn't quite meet her gaze. "No. Well, I mean, yes."

    She twitched her whiskers in amusement, flicking her tail at him.

    "What I mean is, I value hunting for my Clan more than either," the tom explained. "Now come on, before all the prey disappears." He took off up the cliff.

    Following him, Asternose almost felt something like disappointment at his response.

    They arrived in the fields quickly and he turned as if asking if they should stop. She shook her head, flicking her tail in the direction of the Carrion Place. Nodding, he lead the way.

    She pulled up beside him as they ran and he shot her a mischievous glance. The she-cat returned it and both picked up their pace, bursting forward into a silent race. Her paws pounded the ground, tail streaming behind her as the grasses parted before her nose. He, however, was much quicker, brown tabby pelt disappearing into the fields.

    When Asternose reached the copse of trees, she saw Leafpelt sitting under a small pine, waiting. He rose as she joined him, purring at her lack of breath. Flicking him with her tail playfully, the she-cat scented her surroundings.

    A dry, brittle scent reached her, no trace of the flood left in the trees. The leaves under her paws crackled angrily, as if there had never been any rain at all. The prey scents, too, were few and far between.

    "First too much rain and now not enough," Leafpelt commented beside her, moving carefully over the leaves underfoot. They moved side by side, keeping alert for signs of prey.

    "Maybe it's best," Asternose returned. "We wouldn't want another flood." Her ears pricked at the sound of a twig snapping but the bird was gone before she could locate it.

    "No," the tabby tom conceded. "But we also don't want a drought, especially with leafbare coming so quickly." He gazed pointedly up at the branches, twisting wooden bodies coated in red and yellow.

    Asternose felt tempted to stop and enjoy the scenery. She enjoyed spending time with Leafpelt on hunting patrols, more than any other Clanmate. If they caught prey quickly their time together would be over too soon for her liking.

    But the desire to provide for her Clan, and the pride she held in doing so, kept her from stopping. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the sound of rustling leaves caught her attention. Moments later, a rather thin mouse hung from the she-cat's jaws.

    "Great catch!" Leafpelt said. "But look what I found." With a mischievous look on his face, he leaped, landing back down on the carpet of leaves with a thud and sending the foliage up in a great wave. Asternose purred in amusement, but it soon turned into a hiss of disgust as she realized what the tom was talking about.

    In the air all around them buzzed insects, hundreds of green and brown bodies that nearly blended in with the surrounding trees. The hum of wings filled the cream she-cat's ears and she growled under her breath, the sound almost too much to bear.

    "What are they?" she cried, watching the strange creatures settle once more around her. Moving closer, she realized they were chewing on the leaves and moss - anything they could get their pincers on.

    "I'm not sure," Leafpelt replied. "I was only an apprentice when RockClan lived on the plains, but I think they're called grasshoppers."

    "Why grasshoppers?" Asternose moved towards one of the insects curiously.

    "Because they hop over grass. Watch."

    Dropping into a hunter's crouch, the tom approached one of the grasshoppers, poking it with his paw. Asternose watched as the insect jumped, bounding away over the leaves.

    "See? They're actually quite tasty too." Before the she-cat could stop him the tabby pounced, snatching a grasshopper out of the air with a crunch. Looking proud of himself, he dropped the offering before her.

    The she-cat sniffed at the insect suspiciously, avoiding the scent of death it carried. Somewhere, in the back of her head, she recognized it, but she pushed the thoughts away. Taking a deep breath and wrinkling her nose, she crushed the insect between her sharp teeth, swallowing before its juice had a chance to fill her mouth.

    Leafpelt watched, twitching his whiskers. When she looked up, still wrinkling her nose at the taste he said, "Rather terrible, aren't they?"

    It took all of her willpower not to throw herself onto the tom. "You tricked me!"

    "Maybe," he replied vaguely.

    Dropping into a hunter's crouch, Asternose pounced, sending up leaves and grasshoppers behind her. The tabby tom, still purring in amusement at his mischief, half-heartedly swiped at his attacker before she barrelled him over.

    "Your turn, beetlebrain," Asternose said, snatching up a grasshopper and pressing it against the tom's mouth. Underneath her, Leafpelt shook his head but, good-naturedly, let her have her revenge.

    "How was that?" she asked teasingly.

    "Absolutely delicious," he replied, swiping his tongue over his jaws for good measure.

    For a moment, Asternose stared at the tabby, blinking her green eyes at his matching ones. She could feel the warmth of his fur beneath her, the sturdiness of his body. They were so close their noses almost touched.

    "Good," she finally breathed out, letting the tom up.

    He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the crack of a twig. Ears pricking, Asternose snapped her eyes up in the direction of the sound. Peering through the undergrowth, she spied two big, yellow eyes staring back at her.

    She opened her jaws to hiss but no sound came out. Her fur bristled, her claws dug into the leaves underfoot, but she felt paralyzed. Those eyes seemed so familiar - where had she seen them before? Narrowing her own, she tried to get a better look only to find darkness in the undergrowth.

    Leafpelt's tail running over her back caused her to jump. "You alright?" he asked.

    Asternose nodded, pretending to be engrossed in the actions of a grasshopper sitting atop a cluster of small white flowers she recognized to be chervil. The insect's mouth moved quickly, petals disappearing in a matter of a blink.

    A feeling of unease beginning to grow within her, the she-cat swatted at the grasshopper. It's wings fluttered angrily as it took off, robbed of its midday snack. Landing on a large green fern, it began to eat away once more.

    "Leafpelt," she said as the realization hit her. "They're eating everything." Bending down to nip at the chervil's stem, she showed the herb to the tom.

    "This is chervil, one of the herbs Otterheart and Pebbleheart have been looking for," she continued. "It's no wonder they haven't been able to find any. The grasshoppers have been eating all of it!"

    The look of admiration on the brown tabby's face was evident, but he picked up where Asternose left off. "And with leafbare coming so quickly..."

    Both warriors darted off in the direction of Carrion Place without a second thought. This time, Asternose payed no mind to Leafpelt overtaking her, too focused on the implications this discovery might have for her Clan. Already, Goldfur's coughs could be heard throughout the night and Brightkit's little body was racked with fever.

    Up ahead, she heard Leafpelt swear under his breath and her heart dropped into her stomach. Rushing over to help, she clawed at the insects, trying to get to the catmint underneath before it vanished.

    Their efforts, however, seemed futile as each grasshopper was replaced by two more. Asternose's paws moved in a blur, crushing the insects beneath them and staining her pads with their strange blood.

    "I've got an idea!" yelled Leafpelt over the whirring of wings. The she-cat nodded, stepping away just in time to avoid being hit by the tom's long tail. It traveled over the tops of the catmint leaves, brushing the insects off in one, giant sweep.

    Seeing her chance. Asternose dashed forward, pulling a couple of leaves free before the grasshoppers swarmed the herb once more. Giving a shout of triumph through the leaves in her mouth, the she-cat jumped in once more when Leafpelt repeated the move.

    Jaws full, the cream tabby moved away from the grasshoppers, stopping only when she reached the plains on the other side of the copse of trees. Dropping the leaves on the dry ground, she felt a slight disappointment at how small and damaged they looked. Several had circular holes where the grasshoppers ate through them.

    "At least we've got something, right?" Leafpelt said quietly, sensing her disappointment. She nodded, thinking of Goldfur and Brightkit.

    "I picked up that mouse and chervil you found," he continued. "You did some good work today."

    The words served to cheer her up a little and she turned to see the handsome tabby unbearably close to her. Everything about him was warm - his body, his eyes, his breath. Suddenly, Asternose found it hard to breathe.

    Then, she felt his tail twine with hers. "I have to admit, hunting with you beats sleeping any day."

    She swallowed, unsure of how to respond. "By hunting, do you mean scattering grasshoppers?"

    This earned her a twitch of his whiskers, his green eyes alight with laughter. "Naturally," he replied, voice a deep purr as he brushed his muzzle against hers.

    The action both startled and pleased her and she wanted nothing more than to let the flood of emotions overtake her. Instead, she pressed her nose to his cheek before pulling away, the sense of duty to her Clan pushing her to act.

    "Those grasshoppers will be back," she said quietly. "We should get back to camp before they find the herbs."

    The tabby tom nodded, gazing into her eyes and keeping his tail twined with hers for a moment longer before moving in the direction of camp.

    Looking back at the copse of trees one last time, Asternose thought she saw a cat-like shape move through the undergrowth. She tensed, remembering the yellow eyes from earlier, but nothing stared back this time.

    Hearing Leafpelt call her name, the she-cat picked up the catmint, both relieved and disappointed to be heading home.

A/N: Yay, an update! This story has been put on the back-burner, unfortunately, as Unmasked is taking up my full attention, but I'm glad I managed to get this chapter in. Hopefully the next is not too far off!