“Gather around and listen well,” Wrensong ordered the apprentices. They all were fidgeting, eyes wide, but at least they were quiet for once. “Gillastar has taken time out of his busy day to teach you. Please pay attention.”
Gillastar watched in amusement, purring as his mate wrangled the apprentices into place. There were five in total, a pawful even for a leader and his most trusted warrior. “Sandypaw,” the leader rumbled, “I see you trying to put ants in Snakepaw’s pelt. Do you want to be cleaning all the bedding today?”
At the apprentice’s hasty shake of the head, Gillastar winked. “Of course not. Now, I will show you one of the most important things you need to know about living in the desert. Owlpaw, do you know what kills more cats than anything else?”
The she-cat paused. “Um… snakes?”
“Not quite.” Gillastar shook his head. “Dehydration kills more cats in the desert than anything else. You must continue to drink water because the sun heats us up so much that we begin to sweat, and then we will overheat.”
“Like the rocks in camp?” Snakepaw offered.
“Just like the rocks in camp,” Gillastar said with an approving nod. These apprentices sure are clever. He thought. And barely out of the nursery, too.
“But,” Redpaw piped up, “how do we get water? There isn’t any here.”
Wrensong took the question before Gillastar could. “There’s water all around you. You just have to know where to find it.”
“The first step,” Gillastar added, “is to watch. Can anyone tell me what you’re looking for?”
“Oh, birds!” Redpaw said excitedly. “Cactusblossom said if we’re ever lost to follow birds! They know where the water is.”
“Cactusblossom is correct, but that’s not the only way.” Gillastar purred. “Bugs, reptiles, even foxes might know where water sources are. You should also try to keep an eye on any trees. We don’t have a lot, but those cottonwoods and willows usually grow near a water source. If there’s no water, you can always dig down to the roots and find the water reservoir there.”
The apprentices were bright-eyed and intently watching Gillastar now. He felt a wave of amusement – who knew it was this easy to catch their attention?
Wrensong continued the lesson by saying, “Remember something else – you are more likely to find water in a rocky underhang than in a dune.”
“Because water sinks into the ground, right?” Swiftpaw called out.
“Yes, very good.” Gillastar praised. The she-cat puffed up with pride, which made the leader purr. “You are all very intelligent. Now, when do we go out and hunt?”
“Not during sunhigh!” The apprentices chorused.
Wrensong snorted softly and bumped Gillastar’s shoulder with her own. “Let’s try something harder.” Turning back to the apprentices, she asked, “Alright. Should we hunt when it’s raining?”
“Yes…?” Sandypaw volunteered, though it came out as a question.
“No.” Wrensong corrected gently. “While the rain may cool down the desert, you can get washed away by a flash flood. The desert doesn’t drain very well and the water can become very dangerous. Ask Scorpionclaw what happened when he went out into the storms.”
The apprentices simultaneously cringed at the thought of the deputy and for a moment Gillastar was displeased. He knew the tom had a vicious temper and wasn’t the most well-liked, but he also knew Scorpionclaw was a good cat deep down.
Really deep down.
“Alright you lot,” Wrensong was saying, twitching her tail. “Last cat back to camp gets to clean the nests out!”
Immediately the apprentices were sprinting home, laughing loudly as they began to jostle and shove each other out of the way.
Gillastar and Wrensong followed at a more leisurely pace, leaning against each other and taking in the desert’s sunset. Theirs was a peaceful silence, filled with their shared love and easy companionship. The tom found himself purring as he twined his tail with his mate’s.
As they watched the apprentices get further away, Wrensong murmured quietly, “Will our kits be like that? All rambunctious and smart?”
“They’ll be every bit as intelligent and brave as their mother,” Gillastar responded. “And maybe they’ll be as good looking as their father.”
“That’s only if you think their father is handsome.” Wrensong purred playfully. “I think he’s more… rugged. Maybe charming, but handsome is a longshot.”
“You’re so mean to me.” Gillastar laughed. “See if I don’t put you on apprentice duties for a moon!”
Wrensong’s eyes gleamed. “If you do, you won’t be sleeping in my nest.”
When camp came into sight, Wrensong stopped. “Hey, let’s go hunting.” She said, her voice mischievous. “Forget about the Clan for just a little bit.”
Gillastar hesitated. He needed to talk with Scorpionclaw and review how the patrols went, not to mention he needed to make sure Cactusblossom’s herbs were fully stored and see how the older apprentices’ training was going.
Yet, as the leader looked into the striking gold eyes of his mate, he couldn’t help but feel the tension melt away from his body. “Hunting, you say?” He tilted his head to the side. “Do you really think you can do better than me?”
Wrensong’s eyes gleamed. “Oh? Is that a challenge, my love? I seem to remember you challenging me like that back when we were apprentices. As I recall, you failed spectacularly.”
“Huh, somehow I remember that differently.” Gillastar purred as he followed Wrensong, who began to steer away from camp. “In fact, I remember you filching my prey to make yourself seem better.”
“I did no such thing!” Wrensong laughed, flicking Gillastar in with her tail. He sneezed as her thick fur tickled his nose. “You were the one who caused such a big scene when you wrenched a claw that you chased away all the prey in the desert!”
Gillastar bounded forward, feeling like an apprentice again. “Oh, you’re such a liar!” He brushed against Wrensong’s side as he passed her, playfully nipping her ear. “I guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong again!”