Chapter 8
"Three Clans have agreed to leave the forest in search of a new home," Firestar meowed, standing at the top of the tallest stone. "As much as we want to wait for Leopardstar to decide to join us, we must be prepared to leave without RiverClan if we have to."
No! We can't leave without RiverClan! I'd never see Feathertail again! Crowpaw screamed in his mind, his thoughts whirling.
Tallstar was nodded his head in approval. "Firestar is right. If we can no longer catch enough food to sustain our Clans or the monsters destroy too much land, we will have to leave for our own safety."
Crowpaw noticed that many of the warriors agreed with the two leaders. Only a few cats quietly whispered their disagreements.
A pale gray queen with darker flecks sitting next to Crowpaw muttered, "I only have one kit left, and he's too little to take a long journey."
Whitetail shook her head, disagreeing with the ThunderClan cat. "But think, Ferncloud: If they all leave, how will we be able to take care of our kits?"
Crowpaw didn't wish to listen to the two queens argue, so he stood up and padded over to Mudclaw. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. As long as WindClan was staying, Crowpaw was determined to help out in any way he can.
"Yes," his mentor replied. "Join Onewhisker, Cloudtail, and Squirrelpaw on their hunting patrol. Bring back as much prey as you can."
The dark gray apprentice nodded. Silently he looked around for Onewhisker, glad for the opportunity to do something useful, but wishing Squirrelpaw wasn't going to have a part in it.
The tabby tom was waiting by the tree line with Cloudtail. Crowpaw walked up to the two warriors to join them. "Mudclaw sent me to hunt with you," he announced.
Onewhisker's eyes brightened. "Excellent! It'll be good to have another set of paws with us."
"Now we just have to wait for Squirrelpaw," Cloudtail mewed, glancing around for the ginger apprentice.
After what seemed like moons, Squirrelpaw finally appeared, followed by her sister. "Sorry I'm late. I was helping Leafpaw go through her herb store.
"It's fine," Cloudtail replied. "The prey's not going anywhere."
Crowpaw stared at the tabby she-cat standing next to Squirrelpaw. "What is she doing here?" he growled, flicking his tail with annoyance.
Leafpaw narrowed her amber eyes. "I need tansy, so I'm coming with your patrol to look for some," she snarled.
"Don't be mean, Crowpaw," Squirrelpaw hissed, swatting the tom with her tail. "Leafpaw's my sister."
"I know that," Crowpaw retorted.
Onewhisker stepped between the fighting apprentices. "Alright, let's just go. If Leafpaw needs to come with us, we won't complain. Do you understand that, Crowpaw?"
The apprentice ducked his head, embarrassed. "Yes, Onewhisker."
Cloudtail looked satisfied by Crowpaw's response. "Good. Let's go."
"Mouse dung!" Squirrelpaw exclaimed as a squirrel dodged the apprentice's outstretched claws, making it to safety.
"If you'd been faster, you could have caught that," Crowpaw informed her.
Squirrelpaw glared at the WindClan cat. "I know that! Don't act like you've never missed a piece of prey before."
"I haven't today," Crowpaw mewed nonchalantly.
"You caught one measly shrew. Who's that going to feed?"
Crowpaw unsheathed his claws. "At least I caught something. You'll be carrying tansy back to camp if you don't catch anything. Who's that going to feed?"
"Crowpaw, stop!" Onewhisker ordered. "Your arguing will scare all the prey away."
Cloudtail looked just as angry with Squirrelpaw. "And you shouldn't belittle his catch. While Crowpaw's shrew isn't much, it is more that you have to show for the hunt."
Squirrelpaw lashed her tail angrily, glaring at the long-furred white warrior. Crowpaw briefly wondered if the fiery she-cat debated attacking the tom. Before he could find out, Leafpaw shouldered her way in front of her sister.
"We're almost to the best place to gather tansy," she announced, obviously trying to distract her sister and Cloudtail from their argument. "I'd better collect some now before it gets too dark."
"That's a good idea," the ThunderClan warrior meowed. "But the rest us have to keep hunting. All we have is Crowpaw's shrew."
"Crowpaw could go help Leafpaw gather tansy while the rest of us hunt," Onewhisker suggested.
Both Crowpaw and Leafpaw recoiled in horror. Thw WindClan apprentice was first to speak. "No!" he gasped, hoping Onewhisker wasn't serious about making Crowpaw help the tabby she-cat.
Cloudtail looked surprised by Crowpaw's outburst. "Why not?" he asked, his blue eyes widening as if he could not believe anyone would refuse to help Leafpaw. "Is helping our Medicine Cat apprentice not a good enough task for you?"
"No, of course not!" Crowpaw mewed quickly, searching for the right words to say. "It's just that our Clans both need prey, so it would be more important for me to stay with you all and hunt."
Onewhisker shook his head decisively. "You'll help Leafpaw and that's final. Collecting herbs is just as important as hunting."
Crowpaw sighed inwardly, but nodded in defeat. Slowly he turned to face the Medicine Cat apprentice, dreading every moment he was about to spend with her.
(Revision date- April 6, 2014)
