Bluestar's Prophecy/Chapter 14

Chapter Summary
Bluepaw's PoV
 * Newleaf has nearly arrived for the forest, and Bluepaw goes out on a hunting patrol with Sunfall, Smallear, and Sweetpaw. She soon spots a squirrel and begins to chase after it. Determined, the blue-gray apprentice pursues her prey for some distance before preparing to leap on it. However, as she is getting ready to pounce, the creature suddenly springs up onto a fence and out of the blue-gray apprentice's reach. Bluepaw realizes that she has chased the squirrel all the way to Twolegplace and off of ThunderClan land. She knows that she cannot follow the squirrel any further, because Clan cats aren't allowed to hunt outside of their territory.


 * As she turns to leave, Bluepaw hears a voice call in greeting to her. She looks up to see a ginger tom perched upon a branch overhanging the fence. The kittypet stares curiously at her, asking her if she is a forest cat. He inquires about what life in the woods is like and asks who feeds her. Bluepaw responds that the forest cats feed themselves by hunting mice, voles, and squirrels. The tom responds that this seems like hard work, and asks Bluepaw what they do when it's cold. The blue-gray apprentice responds that their dens are warm, and the ginger kittypet asks her if dens are like baskets. The ThunderClan cat stares blankly at him, not knowing what baskets are.


 * Pinestar spots Bluepaw speaking to the kittypet. The reddish-brown tom scolds her for being in Twolegplace and for talking to the ginger tom. She defends herself by saying that she had chased a squirrel there, and that the kittypet had spoken to her first, not the other way around. The Clan leader leads Bluepaw back to her patrol, ordering her not to go back to Twolegplace again. Before the two ThunderClan cats are out of earshot, the ginger tom calls after them that his name is Jake and that if they come back sometime, he will show them his nest. Bluepaw and Pinestar rejoin the patrol, although the blue-gray she-cat has nothing to show for her day's hunting after having missed the squirrel. Sunfall, disappointed in his apprentice, tells her that she will have to go out hunting again tomorrow at dawn in order to make up for her failure.


 * Back in camp, Snowpaw pads out of the apprentice den to greet her sister. Bluepaw is surprised that she hadn't gone to speak with Thistlepaw instead because the gray-and-white tom has just returned home as well. The blue-gray apprentice explains that she has to go out hunting at dawn since she hadn't been able to catch anything while on patrol. Snowpaw offers to come with her, saying that she wants to spend more time with her sister. Bluepaw is suspicious of this, and asks her if she has been fighting with Thistlepaw. The white she-cat responds that she hasn't and that she can be close with both apprentices simultaneously. Bluepaw shrugs, and thinks that this is true as long as Snowpaw doesn't expect her to be friends with the gray-and-white tom.


 * Bluepaw wakes early the next morning, and she and Snowpaw head out hunting as decided the previous evening. As the two sisters leave the ravine, they meet Thrushpelt, who is guarding the camp. The sandy-gray tom is surprised that they are up so early, but wishes them good luck at hunting. Bluepaw and Snowpaw decide to try hunting by the ShadowClan border where the forest is the thickest. There, the blue-gray apprentice spots a rabbit, much to her surprise – rabbits, commonly found on WindClan's moor, are rare to ThunderClan territory. She and the white she-cat chase after it, determined not to lose another piece of prey. When the rabbit dives into a hole, Bluepaw exclaims that they must follow it down into its tunnel. Snowpaw is unconvinced, but Bluepaw argues that it's a big piece of prey that the Clan cannot afford to lose. Without waiting for answer, the blue-gray she-cat plunges into the rabbit hole.