Chapter 10
"Crowpaw, what's the matter with you?" Ashfoot's angry cry sounded in the apprentice's ear. "You've been sluggish ever since you collected herbs for Leafpaw."
"Nothing's wrong," Crowpaw protested, even though he knew it was a lie. Ever since Squirrelpaw had said she didn't know what Feathertail saw in him, he'd been worried about the silver RiverClan she-cat. What if she didn't really like him? What if she had already forgotten about him?
Ashfoot sat down next to her son, sighing. "You haven't been the same since you got back from your journey. You've been different- more distant than you used to be. It's gotten worse since you collected herbs yesterday. I know something's wrong, Crowpaw. Tell me what it is."
The dark gray tom looked into his mother's sad blue eyes. Could he trust her with the truth? That he was in love with RiverClan cat? "Feathertail almost died on the journey. I'm just worried about her, is all," he mewed after a long hesitation.
The WindClan queen's eyes widened with understanding. "It's more than that, isn't it? You like her."
"Yes," Crowpaw sighed, staring at his paws. "I don't want to leave her here if Leopardstar doesn't want to leave the forest. I can't bear not knowing if she's alright."
Ashfoot took a deep breath, searching for the right words to say. "It's alright that you made friends with the cats you traveled with, but you can't love Feathertail. It's against the Warrior Code. Even if Leopardstar decides to come with us, you can't be with Feathertail."
"I don't care," Crowpaw exclaimed. "I love her! She's the only cat who's ever nice to me. She understands me!"
"I'm nice to you!" Ashfoot cried.
"But you're my mother! You have to be nice to me," Crowpaw hissed.
The queen shook her head stubbornly. "Forget Feathertail. There are plenty of WindClan she-cats you can love."
Crowpaw stood up, glaring at his mother with cold blue eyes. "You can't tell me what to do! I'll make my own choices." Without glancing back at Ashfoot, he stalked away, tail lashing madly. If his mother wouldn't support Crowpaw, she no longer mattered to him.
"Firestar!" a yowl sounded from beyond Sunningrocks.
Crowpaw looked up from where he'd been sitting at the base of a rock. After talking with his mother, the apprentice had been in a bad mood. Mudclaw had noticed his apprentice's bad attitude and ordered him to go play with the kits for while so their mothers could hunt. Playing with Birchkit and Nightkit had raised his spirits a bit, the kits happily unaware of Crowpaw's lost love.
Firestar padded toward the tree line to welcome the cat who had called. Crowpaw was surprised to see a large white cat with black paws come out from the trees, followed by a large number of cats.
"Blackstar, is everything alright in ShadowClan?" the ThunderClan leader asked, worry showing in his green eyes.
The ShadowClan leader shook his head, and Crowpaw noticed the terrified looks on the other ShadowClan cats' faces. He realized something terrible must have happened.
Russetfur pushed in front of her leader, who looked tired and weak. "Twolegs!" the she-cat hissed, lashing her tail. "They've ruined our camp! We have nowhere to go."
Blackstar nodded. "They took us by surprise. Luckily we all got out in time, but our territory is completely destroyed."
Crowpaw saw that the great leader's white pelt was stained with dirt and blood. Blackstar looked utterly defeated, shocked by his inability to protect his Clan in their own territory.
Graystripe padded up beside Firestar. "We can't support a third Clan here, Firestar. What can we do?"
The ginger tom narrowed his eyes, thinking. "We must leave. Twolegs have taken too much from us. They have already destroyed three camps, and it will only be a short time before they destroy Sunningrocks."
Blackstar nodded, his amber eyes wide with horror. "But what can we do until we leave?"
Firestar looked back at his own Clanmates, who were watching with dull shock. He then turned to the WindClan cats. "Tallstar, are you fit to leave?" the ThunderClan leader called.
The black and white tom nodded. "I may be old, but I will not die until I see my Clan settled somewhere safe."
Firestar stared at the elderly WindClan leader with respect glowing in his green eyes. Turning back to Blackstar, he meowed, "Then we all should leave at dawn tomorrow. ShadowClan may stay here for today."
Blackstar sighed with relief. "Thank you, Firestar. You know I hate to ask for help, but I have no choice this time. I cannot risk losing my Clanmates because of my pride."
The ThunderClan leader nodded. "I understand, Blackstar. All leaders hate to ask for help, but these are special circumstances. Make yourselves comfortable for today. We need to leave early tomorrow."
A thought rushed through Crowpaw's mind. Recoiling in horror, he couldn't help but blurt out, "But what about RiverClan?"
All three leaders turned to face the apprentice. Finally, after a long hesitation, Tallstar finally spoke. "My apprentice is right. We cannot leave without at least asking Leopardstar to rethink. Maybe she will decide to come with after hearing that our three Clans have suffered so much."
Firestar nodded. "You are right, Tallstar. We must try to convince Leopardstar. There are four Clans here, and there should be four wherever we decide to settle."
"Let me go!" Crowpaw begged, thinking of the silvery she-cat waiting for him across the river.
Tallstar stared hard at the apprentice, knowing why he was so eager to go. "Alright, Crowpaw. You may go."
"Leopardstar may think it's odd that only one cat goes to persuade her," Firestar mewed. "Take Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw with you."
(Revision date- April 6, 2014)
