Awesomesauceoreos's first round entry:

"Maplefrost!"

A mew rang through the clearing; echoing through the thin, leaf-bare air. The ginger warrior turned to face where the call had emitted from.

She fluffed out her thick pelt as a sharp wind bit against her ears, flattening them back. "Yes?"

A small tortishell wormed her way out from under a holly bush. "Follow me! I found some herb, maybe Juniperfrost could use it."

Maplefrost sighed. "Turtleheart, you know that you shouldn't be sticking your nose into things without knowing what they are." Privately, she had always observed the tortishell warrior being reckless.

"I know, but you know that Whitefall is sick and there is no catmint in our territory," Turtleheart protested, pressing her pelt against Maplefrost's against the cold.

Maplefrost purred in amusement. "Fine, but be more careful."

The tortishell let out a laugh, her bright blue eyes playful and cheeky. "I am careful! Now, follow me unless you want to be picking thorns out of your pelt tonight." The skinny she-cat squrimed under a large branch of the holly bush, her thick pelt already ruffled. Maplefrost followed with a small smile, being just able to squeeze under the bush. As Turtleheart had reported, a large clump of some strange smelling herb lay under the bush.

Turtleheart was crouched low against the floor. "See, I told you so!" she commented, her tail lashing in amusement.

"I know. Now, let's grab some and get back to camp. It's cold here!" Maplefrost stretched forward and ripped a chunk of the plant out, the stem tasting horrible and bitter. Turtleheart did so as well, making a disgusted face at the taste. The tortishell wiggled out of the bush, Maplefrost soon following.

The pair of she-cats padded across the small stretch of forest that was claimed to their territory. A heavy breeze blew past, making Maplefrost stumble as they cleared the forest boundary. The moor's peaty soil was loose and crumbly on the particular stretch, so Maplefrost and Turtleheart kept stumbling as they climbed up the hill.

"Hey! What are you two doing?" a large, blue-gray tom hissed. He held a skinny rabbit in his jaws, it's eyes glazed over and two fang marks piercing its neck.

Turtleheart spoke up behind the herb in her mouth. "Oh, don't mind us! We went for a walk and found some herbs for Juniperfrost, that's all!" To Maplefrost, she muttered something else. "What kind of fleas does Pebblefoot have?"

She stifled a laugh as Pebblefoot narrowed his cold, black eyes. "You should be doing something useful. Morningstar's kits are hungry and we can't afford the loss."

Maplefrost shrugged. "Sorry."

"You better be." With that, the tom whirrled away, tail lashing.

"He needs to get those fleas taken care of," Turtleheart summarized, flicking her tail.

"C'mon. Let's get back to camp." Maplefrost laughed softly, pressing her pelt against her friend's.

«» «» «»

The chilly night air cooled Maplefrost's lithe body as she slipped out of the warrior's den and onto the moor. The camp was silent and empty, except for the guard sitting near the camp's exit.

"Hey, Gorsepelt," Maplefrost whispered, passing up to the half-sleeping tom. He rose quickly, eyes dull with sleep.

"What?" he mewed, licking a paw and drawing it over his ear in slight embarrassment.

Maplefrost yawned, her jaw stretching. "Have you seen Turtleheart? She's not in her nest."

Gorsepelt narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember. "I think she walked out of camp earlier, saying something about needing a walk. But I haven't seen her come back."

Maplefrost nodded. "Thanks, Gorsepelt." She flew out the camp's entrance, and the honey colored warrior sprinted up a hill to began a trek for her friend.

Turtleheart was the most "chill" cat Maplefrost had ever met. She never got upset and was always willing to listen. So, if she disappeared in the middle of the night, she had to have a good reason.

As she ran across the moor, the night wind whipped her fur back, making the young warrior squint her eyes in an effort to not miss her friend. Then, she heard a voice whispering.

"Please, please, please. Let him be alive."

Maplefrost was quick to recognize Turtleheart's soft mew, and she sprinted to where the sound has echoed from.

"Turtleheart?" Maplefrost mewed, padding up to the tortishell. She was aimlessly staring over the border, tail lashing and posture stiff.

She whipped her head around to show wide, scared eyes. "Ma-Maplefrost. Why are you here?"

Maplefrost padded to her friend, tail gently stroking her pelt. "What's wrong. And don't say nothing; I can tell."

Turtleheart let out a mew of distress. "Do you remember Nightfeather?" she asked quietly.

Of course she did! Maplefrost had known that the tortishell spent days starting at him, but he was carried away by a large bird. He had always been skinny, but nobody had ever imagined those events! "Yes."

"Well, I want to look for him," Turtleheart meowed shakily, her eyes nervously darting around.

Maplefrost let out a small gaps. "Turtleheart! You can't just leave."

"I love him," she mewed simply. "And if there is a chance he's alive, I'll take it." A tear silently dripped down her cheek, falling onto the moor's soft soil.

Maplefrost's eyes grew in shock. "But-but I'll miss you," she whimpered, drops of water budding in her eyes as well.

"You have Pebblefoot. I've always known that bossy furball was for you," she meowed. The situation had turned around, Turtleheart comforting her friend.

Maplefrost wiped the tears from her cheek, looking into Turtleheart's deep eyes. "Please come back."

She shook her head and rose to her delicate feet. "I can't. My destiny lies outside of these borders."

"Goodbye, Turtleheart, and good hunting. I will always remember you," Maplefrost whispered.

"Goodbye. May StarClan light your path."