Heavy Thoughts [o]

[Willow]

SNAKEHEART

Snakeheart was not a happy cat. Her fur bristled and her eyes blazed as she paced around the Sunningrocks. The events of the gathering were long gone, but they still burned in Snakeheart’s mind. She remembered every word spoken that night as if it had been only yesterday. And every word brought a hint of a snarl to the she-cat’s throat and a little leap of flame in her eyes. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. It hardly seemed real, like some nightmare and nothing more. If only.

The brown tabby turned her gaze to the fourtrees where, beyond that, lay WindClan. And Viperfang. Snakeheart hissed and took up her pacing again. Her traitorous sister had joined Vixenfang the mutineer on what was a quest doomed to failure. They had five cats across the moor. Five. Five verses the might of ThunderClan, RiverClan and ShadowClan. They would not win, they would not even thrive. Eventually, each and every one of them would die whether by the claw or by gnawing hunger in their belly. They would all die, Viperfang along with them. And Snakeheard would not mourn the death of her sister. Her actions showed that she was no sister of hers, no family of hers.

Claws unsheathed and clicked against the warm stones that bordered the river as she continued to pace. And where had their yellow-bellied leader gone? Where was Elkstar when they actually needed her? Disappeared, that’s where. She was a coward and she ran away from the changes in the forest. Snakeheart sat with a long hiss and looked around. Her stomach rumbled, asking for food. Hunting should take her mind off things.

Sunningrocks was usually crawling with prey but her fuming must have scared more than a few away. Yet… she heard a faint scrabbling noise. “Yes,” she hissed softly and stood to follow the noise. It was a little vole, barely a meal. But it would satisfy her hunger. Snakeheart crept forward and pounced. Her aim was true and she landed on the little creature and sank her teeth into its neck, ending its pathetic life.

Feed the Clan first.

Snakeheart scoffed as she remembered the basis of the warrior code. What Clan was there to feed? Who hadn’t disappeared or gone to WindClan? And besides, she was part of the Clan, was she not? With a satisfied smirk, the brown she-cat dug her fangs into the vole and began to enjoy a well earned meal.