Fall of the Panther || Chapter 4

Instructions

Shimmersnow shook herself, the cool breezes of leaf-fall ruffling her coat. The oranges, reds, and yellow of leaf-bare were not vibrant, but instead seemed closer to a sickly brown. The whole forest seemed to sag underneath the weight of Mistlefern’s passing. Shimmersnow spotted everyone walking with their head drooped and eyes on their paws. The lively chatter which had once filled the clearing had vanished, leaving a hollow, empty space between the great redwoods that towered over them. Shimmersnow dragged herself out of her den to the prey pile, picking out the best mouse she could find. But even it was faded and wrinkly. She sniffed, taking it back to her nest – Mistlefern’s nest – and sat down, taking a heartless bite. It had been around a moon since Mistlefern's passing, but still the Clan hadn't fully recovered. Shimmersnow thought she'd never get used to sleeping in the old deputy's nest. After all, she had never deserved it in the first place. She recalled, with a sickening lurch, that Pantherstar had only picked her because of their past… A cat cleared their throat, breaking Shimmersnow’s thoughts. She looked up as Brownflash approached her. The deep brown warrior stared back unblinkingly until Shimmersnow remembered -- the dawn patrol! She had completely forgotten! She leapt up, the mouse abandoned, and cleared her throat. “Ah, Brownflash! Not to worry- I've already made plans for who will go on the patrol! It's me, you, um… Locustburn- wait, no, she's the medicine cat- so… just me and you, then! And- wait- Chasingpaw can come- but I sent her on two patrols yesterday! Uh….” She trailed off quietly as Brownflash hissed, eyes narrowing. “You were supposed to– never mind, urgh! You're useless! Just come on, already. You and me, then.” She marched off, frustrated. Shimmersnow followed her out of camp, tail hanging low in embarrassment. She trailed behind Brownflash like a scolded apprentice, looking at her paws. The patrol was silent, Brownflash’s steps landing heavily through the crunching leaf litter. The air bit into their fur, as if it were angry at them. Shimmersnow shivered, watching the trees for any sign of prey, but the unusually chilly leaf-bare had driven them all underground or away from the forest. Normally, the leaves would’ve gently fallen down, an array of warm colors. But as Shimmersnow watched the leaves plop down, shriveled and dull, she felt her heart sink. This wasn’t the forest she had grown to love. “Old badger den ahead. Be careful.” Brownflash grunted, breaking the silence. “Yes, Brownflash.” Shimmersnow tried to hold herself high as she said it, but she couldn’t help but feel like Brownflash was more qualified to even be leading this patrol. She let her pawsteps grow lighter as they approached the den. It faintly smelled of badger, but the scent was stale and covered by a new scent. “Ru— Rogues.” Brownflash stammered angrily, as if speaking Shimmersnow’s thoughts out loud. She nodded, sniffing the area heartlessly. She felt her head go blank as she suddenly realized: “The rogues are living inside the den.” She spoke softly, ears pricked in case the rogues came back to their home. “I know there’s only the two of us, but we need to chase the rogues off. It’s too dangerous for them to be this clos-” Brownflash growled, cutting her off. “We will do no such thing! Because- because it’s foolish! You really think they’ll leave us alone if we chase them from their home? They’ve come for the shelter. You’ll do well to keep that in mind, deputy.” Without another word, she swiveled around and began trotting back to camp. Shimmersnow followed miserably. It was only her first moon as a deputy, and she had already messed it up. Again. ___________________________________________ (Continuing below! Trying something new today :3)