Drabble prompt! I can never get enough of your warrior kitties, so how’s about Birchfoot being a good father figure to Ratpaw?
Ratpaw watched with a heavy heart as ThunderClan gathered to go to the island. It didn't seem fair that his own father got to go to the Gathering when he couldn't, simply because he'd asked for another hunting assessment.
"C'mon," Bumblepaw meowed, gently nudging him. "Let's get some sleep."
Ratpaw saw, out of the corner of his eye, Weaselface sneaking a quick glance at them before vanishing behind Adderpelt, her belly heavy with kits. Slowly, he nodded.
It's not fair, he thought, once again, nestling his chin in Bumblepaw's shoulder blades. The molly had quickly fallen asleep, no doubt exhausted from a long day of doing proper warrior work. Ratpaw wished he could say the same. Bumblepaw stood up for me. We're friends. She should be at the Gathering with everyone else.
He'd started to fall asleep when a gentle paw touched his back, rousing him. Ratpaw raised his head to see Birchfoot hovering over them, tail-tip twitching with anxiety.
"You wanna go night hunting?" he meowed.
Ratpaw looked at Bumblepaw, then the warrior. Shouldn't he be asking her? She's his apprentice, not me. "Isn't that against the rules?"
"I got it cleared with Dovefrost," Birchfoot replied, shrugging. "What Spiderstar doesn't know won't hurt him."
Ratpaw felt himself smiling in spite of himself. He'd always liked the night; it was quiet, peaceful. Carefully disengaging himself from his fellow 'paw, he stood up and nodded.
Birchfoot smiled back and led the way. Just as he'd said, Dovefrost was guarding the brambles that led into the territory, and nodded them on without a second glance. Flintpoppy sat with her, and shot the white she-cat a look, but said nothing. Ratpaw had noticed she tended to be more subdued when with her littermate over her mate.
Into the night they went, and Birchfoot never once told him to stay close or demanded he choose smaller prey. He simply corrected his crouch and congratulated him on successful catches, brushing noses in a manner that made Ratpaw feel safe.
Not for the first time, he wanted, more than anything in the world, to be like Birchfoot when he grew up.
