changing seasons, falling leaves [c]

Mintglade had not taken particularly well to the famine that seemed to creep into Skyclan's territory. The lack of chirping in the air or chittering amongst the leaves, or even the lack of scuffling in the foliage made the forest seem much more daunting than it ever had been before. What should have been a time to admire the beauty of the changing seasons, of the vibrant splashes of color that now adorned the place she called home had instead turned into something else. Tense. Hollow. Dare she say it, fearful. There was something else going on. It was as if a predator lurked in the darkest shadows, hunting and taking all that gave the forest breath. Rare chirps instead were what drew the attention of clanmates, a startling sound rather than part of the perpetual drone that she had become used to.

It depressed her, truthfully. While already food had to be rationed, it seemed Mintglade's interest in it had waned significantly more than beyond the simple resources available. She was youthful-it wouldn't impact her too harshly. Saving the food for those who needed it more was all too easy of a task for the newer warrior. Her gaze searched for any familiar face, one who might keep her company and pull her from the storm in her mind that was slowly brewing.

Had she not spent so much time with the molly, she almost would have thought it was one of the elders as her gaze swept past that of her mentor. Well, technically former mentor, but part of her could never let go of that title. It was precious to her, to have a figure that she could learn from, when her parents no longer walked the forest. With stiff legs, Mintglade approached, her head hanging low in a way that hoped to make her appear as far from intimidating as possible. Not that she needed to, but something about the way Beechfang presently looked certainly made Mintglade feel that the slightest wrong words would end poorly.

"Hey," Her voice was gentle. Soft. "How are you, friend? Are you alright?" Friend. The first title that had ever been given to Beechfang, before that of mentor. It's what she called out with now as she settled beside the molly, instinct drawing her to want to groom some of the silver she-cat's ragged fur.

The days were beginning to grow shorter, and with it the winds had changed, taking greenleaf's warmth and greenleaf's prey. Beechfang was no stranger to the harsher seasons, but it seemed this leaf-fall was going to be much worse than normal on Skyclan's food supply. Her clanmates grew thin and haggard, and Beechfang along with them. She had taken to hunting more often, though with little luck today even the stubborn she-cat had reluctantly called it quits for the evening and returned to camp, stewing in her own thoughts. As of late, there seemed to be something at every turn seeking to tear Skyclan down from their lofty perch. She had known that the pleasantness of greenleaf was suspicious, had been waiting for the other foot to fall. She thought with the foxes and Bloodstrike, it had. Then Trufflesnap...

She should have known better, really. Bad things came in threes, didn't they? Except she knew better there, too. A prey shortage in leaf-fall would not magically go away overnight, no matter how much they willed it to, no matter how much they hunted what little prey was on the territory. At least, she thought sourly, the forest wasn't on fire. Yet. Worrying about future calamity would help no one, however gfrim an alternative it was to the rest of the thoughts occupying Beechfang's mind.

The voice of her former apprentice drew the old she-cat's attention, and her single eye regarded the young she-cat. A low huff escaped her at the question. "I-" She began, the familiar lie dying in her throat. "No." There was little point in wasting energy when it was obvious, she decided. And she respected Mintglade enough with a partial truth. "Foxes, now we're starving. It's something new every half-moon. It'll get worse before it gets better." Though the mantle of responsibility was no longer heavy across her shoulders, Beechfang could almost feel the weight starting to settle around her again. She wasn't a medicine cat, no. But this was her clan, her home. She was just as responsible for making sure the clan was fed as anyone else.

"Don't dwell on me, kit. There's better things to expend your energy on... You're starving just the same as me, I can see it." Beechfang sighed.