The shadows of the approaching night scattered around the mountain. Light faded from the hollow, as sunlight sank under the mask of clouds. In the distance, a faint sound of thunder roared over the mountain's peak, growling like a rabid cat.
It was time.
Crowpaw would have felt more tense if he wasn't so overcome with disgust. His pelt was wet and slimy with mud from the stream, it oozed over his short fur and caked on his skin. He could have retched at the sour scent of wet earth, especially when it was being rubbed over his face.
"Any more great ideas from you Thunderclan cats?" Crowpaw said sullenly. He was suddenly muffled as the strong paw covered his face with a slab of dirt.
"Yeah, don't get it in your eyes." Brambleclaw shot back, it was clear he was smirking even if Crowpaw couldn't see. "I never expected you to be such a cleanpaw."
Crowpaw rubbed the dirt from his eyes, careful not to take away too much. He glared at the larger cat, also streaked from head to tail in mud. "What, is this how you typically wash yourself?"
Brambleclaw snorted, "Just shut up and have another roll around." He did the same himself, laying down by the pool's edge and twisting his body in the mud. He wandered by Tawnypelt, checking that she was covered as well.
Crowpaw cringed, but he obeyed. It was better to be safe than sorry, and he had to admit, it was an extremely clever idea. With this, it would be much harder for the Tribe cats to spot them or recognise their scents.
Once covered by the thick sludge, Crowpaw darted an impressed look at the she-cat who'd given them this idea. He couldn't help but smirk as her usually bright ginger fur dripped with wet brown darkness. Just the kind of idea she would make up.
He climbed up to solid ground again, wincing as he felt the clods of dirt slide down his wind-flattened coat. At least it will come off easier for me than the others. He didn't want to think how long it would take Squirrelpaw to get all this stuff out of her fluffy body.
"You alright?" A soft voice mewed. Crowpaw tensed, meeting Feathertail's eyes gently. It was impossible to ignore the affection when he knew what he knew. She looked over him carefully, as if worried.
Crowpaw shrugged, "It's just a bit of mud. It'll wash out."
She blinked at him graciously. Her silver fur was now very much dark and faded into the shadows well. "It's not ideal though."
"No, but no point complaining about it. It has to be done." He sneered, "At least your fur is used to getting wet." He needed to act normal, he'd told her they'd still be friends no matter what he decided to do, he couldn't let her think he was suddenly uncomfortable around her.
Feathertail's tail curled in amusement, "Water usually doesn't leave me looking like my father."
Through their laughter, Tawnypelt's voice cut in, "We better get going soon. It looks like rain's coming and we can't let the mud get washed away."
Crowpaw's eyes widened. She was right, the clouds did look like they would start spilling water soon. They needed to get back to the Tribe, quickly. Feathertail nodded at the she-cat, jumping up; her tail curled around Crowpaw's back, maybe keeping him steady as he pulled his paws out of the mud.
She really was keeping a close eye on him.
He thanked her with a flush.
At least she still seemed comfortable around him.
Now soaked in mud, the cats began their journey back to the cave. At the front, Brambleclaw sniffed the air cautiously every few moments before pressing his nose down to the path in order to catch their scent trail again. At the top of the ridge, he paused to take another hesitant sniff at their surroundings before relaxing. He turned back to the group with a heavy nod. "Let's go."
They stepped down, padding down the slope again. They were now back in the Tribe's territory. Crowpaw, like the rest, kept his senses fixed at every moment he could. Even if Squirrelpaw's plan kept their pelts hidden in the growing darkness, they couldn't underestimate the persistence of the Tribe cats who knew this land as their own home. One wrong move could mean incredible danger for the group. Crowpaw could still feel a sting on his neck, where a Tribe cat had struck him before.
He shook his head, silently growling. I'll pay them back for that. He knew that they wanted to get away without any injuries, but if he needed to fight, he would fight with no mercy. These cats had taken their friend hostage, they had delayed their journey, they deserved nothing but the sting of Crowpaw's claws.
He had to be patient though. First thing's first they had to get their way back. And that was harder than he'd hoped. With the gathering night and the dull grey of the mountain, it was hard to identify any sights that might signal they were following the right direction. All they had were their own noses, with Brambleclaw pressing his nose practically against the stone floor to follow the trail. The Windclan cat sighed, they just had to hope for the best at this point.
He was suddenly aware of the warmth at his side; he did not cast a look there for fear of losing focus. His face still heated up though.
He wondered how she was coping, what she was prepared for. Was she preparing for a fight or a quick escape? It was her brother they were rescuing after all. It was probably a silly thought. Feathertail wasn't the type of cat who would lay a claw on anyone, she hadn't even moved in the arms of a twoleg for fear of hurting the kit.
She was just that kind.
And she wanted him.
Crowpaw still couldn't grasp that. A cat had feelings for him. A cat he held as one of his best friends. She's confessed that she wanted them to be something more. Mates. Crowpaw gulped as the word entered his mind.
So, did he want the same thing?
By all accounts he felt he should. He felt comfortable around Feathertail, she was one of the most blissful cats he'd ever known, he trusted her with all his heart, and she was incredibly beautiful. Crowpaw was sure any Riverclan cat in his position would immediately see stars if they had this kind of luck.
But Crowpaw wasn't a Riverclan cat.
And it wasn't that fact that put him off.
Sure, it went against the Warrior code, it was a blatant spit in the face to years of clan boundaries, years of culture, and if any cat in Windclan knew about this they would more than definitely want to rip him limb from limb for even considering such an idea.
But it wasn't that.
It was the fact that even though he considered every positive aspect of the cat he held so dearly, he felt nothing different. He just felt the same. The same way he had felt about her whenever they went hunted, talked or laughed together. She was precious to him, but…
If he loved her as well, surely he would feel something different. Something more.
Or was that just some stupid kit fantasy? Was love meant to be like this? Just having someone you felt you could trust enough to spend the rest of your life with. Was it really nothing else?
Maybe… should he give her the chance? Maybe something else could grow from it if they tried? But what would happen if he did and it turned out he didn't like her like that? That would just add to her pain.
He didn't want to hurt her.
But how could he not?
She was hurting enough as it was. If he was going to give her an answer, he'd have to do it after they rescued her brother. Crowpaw cringed. Her brother who had been right in his suspicions. He dreaded thinking how that cat would react if he found out about this.
Crowpaw bit the inside of his cheek, hard, feeling vindicated by the pain. He shouldn't be thinking about things like that! For all he knew, the Tribe were still waiting for the group to return with a full army of guards.
For all he knew, they were walking straight to their graves.
He groaned silently. Sometimes he wished he could have a shred of optimism.
The path became steep, littered with sharp, crooked rocks that Crowpaw vaguely remembered from earlier. They were on the right track then. He felt a flashing, grudging, respect for the brown tom at the front. He was leading them well.
Though not well enough that he didn't hear what Crowpaw heard.
Low, muffled voices. About a tree-length behind them. Crowpaw's pelt prickled with alarm. The Tribe.
Thinking quick, Crowpaw whirled on his heckles, feeling a cat beside him. Feathertail. He dragged her with him behind a large rock at the side of the path, surprised by how light she was. The others turned to him, and he waved his tail towards the other rocks, hoping they would understand his signal to hide.
Thankfully they did, their shadowed forms crouching beside the other rocks, hidden in the darkness. A few moments later, Crowpaw heard the voices become clearer, passing by their hiding places. He peered out cautiously, keeping himself concealed, and saw a patrol of Tribe cats pass by, their mouths full of freshly caught prey. Around them, the hulking forms of the guards stood around them, tensely protecting their tribe-mates.
Crowpaw held his breath, expecting any one of their enemy to suddenly turn and see where he and his friends were hiding. His claws unsheathed in preparation. But there was a moment of hesitation between the cats and they passed on without so much of a sniff.
The mud really had masked their scents. Crowpaw let out a silent breath of relief. Thank Starclan he wasn't sagging with dirt for nothing.
He stepped away, realising he was still holding Feathertail behind the rock. He let out an awkward laugh as she turned to him. And he realised just how small she'd become, as well as the two green eyes looking up to him.
"Oh." Crowpaw sighed, half-relieved that he hadn't put Feathertail into an embarrassing position. He smiled at Squirrelpaw teasingly, "That's twice I've saved you these past few days." He chirped.
Briskly, Squirrelpaw shoved him away, her eyes glazing past him with a clear glint of annoyance. Crowpaw's back fur lined down in surprise. "Don't expect any favours from me." The ginger molly shot back, a little more bite in her tone than usual. "I would have heard them."
Crowpaw felt his eyes narrow, his neck fur spiking with a wounded anger. What was up with her? "Well you didn't, thanks to me." He hissed. Immediately, he regretted it. He sighed, they couldn't afford to start fights right now. "But," His tone smoothed over, "They would have found us if it wasn't for your mud plan." He mewed gently, "That was really brilliant, you know."
He smiled at her. Truly.
She didn't return it. Her face twisted away from him, padding away with her tail raised high. "Thank you, but now isn't the time for compliments." She meowed dryly, it was hard to see her expressions under the darkness and the mud. "Come on, we can't let Stormfur wait on us." She waved her way back into the group as they went back onto the path.
Crowpaw stared after her for a moment, his mouth hanging. His breathing became slow and cold. W-What did I do? Why was she acting so strange? She'd been ignoring him all day, but she'd never been so openly dismissive.
Had he actually upset her somehow? His heart sank. If he had, he hadn't meant to.
"Crowpaw," Brambleclaw's hushed, but urgent, voice broke in. "Come on."
Gradually, Crowpaw stepped out, his brow knotted in frustration as he looked ahead at his friend. She never looked back. He felt Brambleclaw give him a light press on the pelt with his tail. "Thanks for warning us. That could have gone bad." He mewed lightly.
Crowpaw gave the cat a wave of his tail, but he didn't say anything. Brambleclaw shrugged and padded towards the front again. Feathertail wavered at the back until she was beside Crowpaw. She kept next to him, her ears more alert than before, gazing around in case any more of the Tribe were behind them. "Can't be that far now." She mused.
Crowpaw nodded, trying to give her as much time as he could. But his mind was torn on two things already. One on making sure they wouldn't have another close call with the Tribe, the other focused on wondering what it was that had gone wrong between him and the cat he'd bonded with so closely.
Crowpaw felt he could cope if she didn't want to hunt with him or travel with him, but the turn of her head and the sight of her back, never flinching away from forward, even if it was just her focus on the mission, that hurt astonishingly so.
"Quiet now." Brambleclaw whispered, "We're getting close." The florescent glow of the moon began to glimmer in the sky, banishing shadows from the mountain. It began to sparkle on the sight of the river, casting tiny stars in the ripples. The cats followed the sound of the water, noticing it grow into the growl of the waterfall.
Crowpaw shook his head until his senses were now pure on their goal. It wouldn't be long now. They all stepped up the steep path until they reached the edge of rock where the water flailed over in a hissing white shower. They had reached the top of the falls. Crowpaw's lip curled. Just below them was where Stormfur was being held.
A fresh dampness came over Crowpaw's head, he looked up to the white clouds. If he listened close enough, he could hear the rain pattering heavily, growing near, as well the grumble and crash of thunder, maybe even lightning.
"Storm's coming." He observed. Maybe if the storm became loud enough it would help distract the tribe, giving the cats enough time to rescue Stormfur. Still, it wouldn't help the fact that there was more than certainly a horde of guards around where Stormfur was being held.
"Let's go!" Squirrelpaw hissed, her tail lashing indignantly.
Crowpaw couldn't help but agree with her, they needed to get Stormfur out quickly. Whatver as awaiting them wouldn't go away if they stood there waiting to grow roots.
He peered over the lip of the waterfall, trying to find a clear way down to the cave. He could see the deep shadow of the path, leading to their destination. He tensed when he saw another shadow, the one of a cat padding sluggishly towards the entrance. Another cave guard?
Wait… no? This shape was huge! Far too big, even for the tribe cats! It was bigger than any cat he'd ever seen, maybe even bigger than some dogs!
"What's that?" He meowed cautiously, leading the group's attention to the shape.
A flash of lightning answered his question.
He wished it hadn't.
The group let out a collective gasp of horror as the lightning gave them a full look at the huge, tawny coloured 'cat' advancing to the cave. It's eyes burned with orange desire, a hunger. It's teeth were open in a hissing maw, a large tongue tracing a set of fangs larger than Crowpaw's own paws.
So this was what the Tribe were so afraid of…
Sharptooth!
The creature slunk behind the waterfall. And then the screaming started.
A cry of terror erupted from what seemed like a hundred terrified throats. Beside the strong beating of the rain, the shriek of the tribe and the hungry growl of their predator sliced through the night.
Crowpaw couldn't close his mouth. The creature was worse than he'd ever thought. How could they get past such a menace?
"Come on!" Brambleclaw cried.
Crowpaw turned on him, his eyes wide with disbelief. Is he crazy?! "Down there?" He was glad the rest of the cats looked just as horrified. "Are you mouse-brained?" They would be slaughtered!
Brambleclaw ignored the judging eyes, bounding down to the entrance. "Think! With Sharptooth in the cave, they won't notice us! This is our best chance to rescue Stormfur!"
He didn't wait for another retort as he slipped over to the entrance.
Yeah, he's off the deep end. Crowpaw mused to himself. But still… there was a point to his madness. The cats wouldn't notice them through all their screaming, but it still lingered that that beast could see them!
Crowpaw groaned. What choice did they have? He followed where the brown tom led. He heard the others behind him as he kept his balance on the wet rocks, just about holding himself steady on the slippery surface. With a grunt, he bounded down to the entrance, where Brambleclaw was looking around desperately for a way through.
The sight was awful.
In the pale glow of the moon, Sharptooth cast a terrible shadow along every wall of the cave, towering over everything. He sprang around the cave, growling like a twoleg monster, its claws already dripping with dark blood, and its jaws wide it a brutal snarl. Crowpaw felt his stomach twist with a terrified sickness; how could the tribe believe any cat could defeat this thing?
The Tribe cats were scrambling around in a mass of panic, crying and shrieking as they raced away from the danger. Crowpaw felt some jostle past him, not seeming to care about the cats who had returned. Brambleclaw had been right.
Crowpaw twisted towards the tunnel where Stormfur had been herded to. Just by the entrance, a cave-guard was desperately clamping himself to the lion-cat's neck. The beast roared in savage fury, moving its paw to the cat and tearing through his fur with claws larger than a cat's teeth. The fur parted like the claws were running through snow. Then it flung its huge neck to the side, whipping the guard away from it, the cat smashed against the wall with a horrible crunch, sliding motionlessly to the ground, leaving a dark smear stroking down the stone.
The huge cat licked its lips, satisfied, before springing to the other side of the cave where it stretched up clawing at the wall, where a white cat trembled, hoping to avoid the vicious weapons reaching for her.
Crowpaw could tell it was a molly from the weeping and the pleading.
He felt the need to retch. If he didn't know better, he might have felt some kind of sympathy for why the Tribe had been so desperate.
The entrance was clear though.
Brambleclaw sprinted forward, "This way, we have to do this for Stormfur!"
Crowpaw didn't argue. Holding his breath, he followed to the entrance to the cave of pointed stones, the others not far behind him. He grimaced as he passed by several cats, some screaming for their Tribe to save them, some simply limp in silent terror, some dragging their wounded tribe-mates along, ignoring the blood leaking out of their wounds. The smell of blood was now ripe in the air, it sent a wave of panic down Crowpaw! They needed to get Stormfur out of here now, before they ended up on the end of the creature's wrath.
At the actual entrance, two huge guards still kept watch, their eyes wide in fear. Their pelts prickled with realisation as they saw the cats bounding towards them, crouching down into a fighting stance. Crowpaw's mouth opened in shock. They were still going to keep Stormfur prisoner with all that was currently happening? Either they were stupid or brave.
Crowpaw settled on the former as he realised whatever they were, they were going to fight the clan cats. His eyes narrowed, and his paws pulsed. Bring it on.
Brambleclaw looked similarly ready for action. "Now!" He roared, leaping onto one cave-guard. The cat let out a cry of astonishment as he was pushed back by the large brown paws. Brambleclaw struck out, catching the guard with a heavy paw, sending him to the ground. He didn't wait for the cat to jump up as he pounced onto the cat, tearing into him with a flurry of blows to his exposed chest.
The other guard looked on stunned, and Crowpaw recognised him as Crag, but not caring as he leapt by the huge tom, raking him against the ears as he did so. Crowpaw landed with a snarl, hissing with pleasure as he saw Crag wince at his bleeding head. Then the guard growled, pouncing forward with a furious leap. That's right, come and get me.
Now the entrance was clear.
Tawnypelt and Feathertail wasted no time as they burst through to where their captive friend was. Crag seemed to notice, his fur rising in alarm. "No!" He cried, beginning to turn back.
"No you don't!" Crowpaw hissed, leaping in front of the tom. The guard stared with fiery eyes at the apprentice. The cat towered over Crowpaw, but the Windclan cat didn't move. He wouldn't give this flea-pelt any time to halt their rescue.
"Do you see now?!" Crag demanded, his voice strained with fury and terror. He craned his head, indicating to where the screams were erupting. "Do you hear them?! Do you see why we need the silver pelted cat? This has to end!" He cried, as if casting one last plea.
Maybe Crowpaw could see, but he didn't really care. He growled, advancing forward. "We are not part of your prophecy!" He puffed his fur out in an attempt to look bigger.
Crag let out a snarl of frustration, his stare widening as something seemed to break inside him. "You fool!" He erupted. He pounced forward, his large paws moments from catching Crowpaw's fur. The apprentice swiftly dodged it, slamming his paw into the cat's side. It would have been a direct hit to his ribs.
But Crag only muttered a small grunt before turning back.
Crowpaw's stomach sank, his blows wouldn't do much damage to the large cat. Crag pounded forward again, and Crowpaw swiftly dodged back, he needed to rely on his speed here. Hopefully he could tire the guard out before landing some decent strikes to him. Unfortunately, Crag was faster than Crowpaw had anticipated.
With a spasm, the guard burst forth with a heavy strike that hit Crowpaw on his back. A pounding agony immediately took hold that made Crowpaw stagger, how could any cat be that strong. He let out a breath, leaping out of the way as Crag struck out again.
"You little insect!" Crag screeched, using his large tail to swat the leaping tom. Crowpaw hit the stone floor with a moan, glaring at the guard as he approached him, pure white fury on his muzzle. Crowpaw grit his teeth as he tried to rise up again, but it wouldn't be easy with the stinging tremors on his back. He needed to think of something fast.
The apprentice tried to get to his feet, but another blow came thundering across his muzzle. Crowpaw's cheek panged with agony, but he was just able to find his footing before his face hit the stone. He spat, trying to regain his sight from the swirling vision. He exhaled weakly, turning to see the dazed shape of Crag approach again, his pawsteps heavy and menacing. It looked like he was growing tired of this fight.
Worry tightened Crowpaw's throat, he was quickly realising that he was losing this battle, badly. He needed to do something soon, but with his head spinning like this, his advantage in speed wouldn't do him much good. It seemed all he could do was wait for more hits to come.
Then Crag buckled back in pain, turning as Crowpaw saw a glimmer of dark ginger fall away from behind the guard, her paw wet with blood. Crowpaw's eyes widened. Crag turned to the new challenge, his back lined with deep cuts down his flank.
"Come on then, lion-chow!" Squirrelpaw seethed, her fangs on open display as she stared unflinchingly up at the reeling guard. New worry seized Crowpaw. What was she doing? Surely, she knew that she didn't stand a chance against this threat.
Something flashed in Crowpaw's mind. Something familiar. The sight of Squirrelpaw staring down two massive kittypets. The sight of her taking on an impossible fight.
For the group.
For…
Crowpaw found his vision was beginning to focus again.
Squirrelpaw ducked under the swinging paw coming at her, rolling swiftly to her feet and landing a scratch on Crag's left back-leg. The tom hissed, kicking out with the leg. Squirrelpaw threw her neck back just in time, quicker than Crowpaw had ever seen her, before she burst forward again to sink her fangs into Crag's tail.
Now the Tribe cat yowled as he viciously lashed his tail to shake the apprentice off, but Squirrelpaw held on, tugging, drawing blood and ripping fur and flesh. With a flame of ire, Crag kicked out again, his claws curved and glinting. This time he hit his target, just on the cheek. Squirrelpaw was torn away from the tail, but not without tearing away a bloody chunk that made Crag scream.
Crowpaw watched, as if it was slow motion, as Squirrelpaw landed with a thud against the floor. She got up quickly, hissing, her teeth clenched. She didn't look too hurt. But Crowpaw saw it. The scratch marks along her cheek, bleeding, a deep horrible crimson that didn't belong on her ginger fur.
Now, Crowpaw felt something black and foul boiling in his blood. His sight set on the guard, red with fury. Biting back any pain wracking in his limbs, Crowpaw burst to his feet, just as Crag began to stalk towards his friend again.
He couldn't take on this cat face on without getting another set of blows, so Crowpaw did the only other thing he could think of.
He sprang, landing on Crag's back and ferociously pierced the back of Crag's neck with his teeth, while latching his claws deep into the tom's chest. Crag howled, shaking fiercely to throw the smaller cat off. But Crowpaw only tightened his grip and bit harder, only edged on by the painful groans the Tribe cat made.
How's this feel? Crowpaw thought bitterly, moving his paws down, scratching raw lines into the cat's fur. His answer came with a choking gasp. Crowpaw saw something move, looking down to see Squirrelpaw burst forward again, striking the guard's legs with a series of hard swipes.
Now, his legs becoming torn, Crag began to stagger, still shaking himself with the last of his strength. But both apprentices' did not give up in their assault. They dug and they struck the same vital points over and over again, until finally Crag's feet collapsed, bringing him down with a dull bang.
Crowpaw held on for a moment, until Crag's last weak struggles faded, leaving him gasping in agonised terror on the floor. Crowpaw rose up, leaving the tom to groan miserably, a puff of triumph escaping his mouth.
They'd made the guard pay.
Crowpaw quickly looked up to where Squirrelpaw stood panting, hoping she wasn't too hurt. He relaxed as he saw her keep her footing, scratched and scraped, but nonetheless better than their opponent.
There might have been a word said between the two if, at that moment, Tawnypelt and Feathertail didn't coming racing out of the cave of pointed stones entrance. Another purr of relief escaped Crowpaw as he saw Stormfur behind them. His eyes were wide with fear and confusion but he looked unharmed.
The reunion was short lived though as another crash of lighting cracked the cave with light. Crowpaw twisted round, and his heart surged with horror. Sharptooth was slowly padding away from the cave, not at all fazed by the scratches across its large body. From its mouth, it carried the white molly Crowpaw had seen earlier. From the permanent gape on her muzzle, a thin line of blood bubbled down her jaw, and her paws weakly struggled in a fruitless attempt to escape her fate. Then the light went black, and the dark shadow of Sharptooth disappeared behind the waterfall, carrying away the smell of blood and fear with it.
For a moment, nothing but a horrible silence filled the cave. Crowpaw joined in. He had just seen a cat be carried away like prey. No…as prey.
The silence broke as the Tribe began to wail together, loss and pain raw in their voices. None of them looked to care about their intruders anymore.
"Out-now!" Brambleclaw exclaimed. No cat disobeyed. Crowpaw bounded after him, Squirrelpaw by his side, watching as the Tribe didn't move at all. They all just sat, their heartbroken eyes to the floor, frozen with fear, still with the memory of another loss.
Outside, where the rain was now battering the ground and thunder boomed from every cloud, the cats could smell Sharptooth's scent growing faint as it stalked away with its prey. The rain covered Crowpaw's whole body, washing away the mud, but he didn't shiver from that.
Not after everything that had just happened.
Brambleclaw sniffed the air, nodded towards the other cats and began to lead up the rocks where they had come from. They could finally leave this terrible place behind. Crowpaw limped slightly from the sting of his fight, but he kept straight. Not stopping until the wailing of the Tribe and the crash of the waterfall had grown silent under the crash of the weather and the mist of the night.
Crowpaw swayed his eyes over to their rescued friend. Stormfur was curled beside Feathertail, his eyes glassy in shock and sadness. Crowpaw remembered how he had been the one to originally grow so close to the Tribe, it was only natural that he was the most betrayed by their intent. At least, they hadn't hurt him.
It seemed every cat was aware of Stormfur's expression, all silent by the horror of what they'd seen. Hesistantly, Brambleclaw turned to where the grey tom was slowly padding, his amber eyes brimming with pity and a small bit of relief. "It's good to have you back, Stormfur."
Stormfur lethargically rose his head to where the brown tom stood. His eyes blinked, as if he was just realising that he was safe. Crowpaw saw his tail curl more tightly around his sister's. "Thank you all for coming back for me."
Crowpaw let out a surprised mew. "Of course we came back. We weren't going to leave you there." Was that not obvious? He was one of them.
Stormfur turned to the apprentice and for a moment Crowpaw wondered if he'd accidentally sounded too harsh. But the Riverclan tom just looked gently at him, his eyes seeming to give another thanks before he curled back into his sister's pelt. Feathertail looked desperate to hold him nearby, to never lose his scent again.
The siblings were together again, like they belonged. Crowpaw felt his muzzle warm.
A pinching feeling made him cringe however. How would Stormfur react when he found out what Feathertail felt for another clan's cat?
He swung his tail. It wouldn't help to think on that, the two were united and didn't look like they were going to part again any time soon. Feathertail had that on her mind now, and that would give Crowpaw plenty of time to think this through.
First things first, they needed to get out of this rain.
Crowpaw screwed his eyes a little at the rain belted his short pelt, it almost stung when it hit the spots where Crag had wounded him. But it wasn't enough to slow him down. Brambleclaw had taken on a guard on his own and he was doing just fine, Crowpaw felt a begrudging urge to do the same. And Squirrelpaw had…
Squirrelpaw!
Crowpaw whirled to his side where the ginger cat walked next to him. She looked steady enough, the mud washing away to reveal her bright fur again. She seemed to feel the eyes on her as she met Crowpaw's gaze.
Really met his eyes.
For the first time in a while.
The awkwardness seemed to spread over her as well as she sniffed, her eyes casting away, low. "Is there something on my face?" She quipped, craning her head to where the scratch mark ran across her cheek like red riverlines.
She may have seen it like a joke. But Crowpaw wasn't laughing. If she hadn't intervened, Crag could have done him some real damage, but she had gotten herself hurt as well. He moved himself closer to her, examining the wound. "Are you okay?"
"Better than him, I guess."
Crowpaw chuckled dryly, "Moss-brain." His tone lightened as he remembered how they had been earlier. How she'd avoided him, pulled away from any contact he attempted? His gaze dropped.
"What's the matter?" Squirrelpaw spoke up, making Crowpaw shift. She looked over him worriedly, "Is your back hurting too much? I can ask the others to stop if we need to."
"No." Crowpaw meowed, he didn't want the group to stop know, they weren't out of the dark yet. "No, I'm alright."
She looked again, pointedly, at his scraped and bruised pelt.
"Well, alright enough." Crowpaw said. His paws seemed to slip a little as he walked, his lips went thin. He needed an answer, but his stomach still twisted with worry for the answer. Gently, he met her eyes again. "Squirrelpaw… did I do something wrong?"
The ginger cat let out a mrrow of confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well… to you?"
"To me?" Squirrelpaw mewed, her brow raising, but her eyes still flashing with concern. "No. Why?"
"It's just that you don't seem like you want me to talk to you."
Squirrelpaw's eyes widened crazily, her jaw hanging. A quick breath escaped her, her tail fluffing up in embarrassment. "O-Oh." She coughed, "Um, no, you haven't done anything wrong, Crowpaw."
The Windclan cat's whiskers curled with alleviation at that. She didn't sound like she was lying. He hadn't upset her, at least, thank Starclan. But his muzzle still curled with wonder at why she had been like she had.
Squirrelpaw could see the question in his eyes. She turned, looking at her paws. Something glazed in her eyes. "You honestly haven't done anything." She cast him a fiery glimpse. "You'd know if you had, believe me." The she returned to her paws, now wet and dripping with rainwater. "I-I've had a lot of things on my mind recently."
Crowpaw's tail curled, "About the clans?"
Squirrelpaw's lips only thinned further, like she was sucking them against her teeth. Her lid dropped halfway, unreadable. "Yeah… stuff like that."
Crowpaw felt his chest swell. She didn't need to worry about that kind of stuff alone. Heck, she'd been the one who'd comforted him about their home's safety days ago. Still, it wasn't outlandish that she'd have those kind of thoughts still in her mind.
But Crowpaw still sighed in a small relief that it was just her needing some space to think. He grimaced, he needed the same thing himself if he was being honest.
He had to say something to help though. "If you need to talk, we can, you know?" He grinned cheekily, "Just because you usually talk nonsense doesn't mean I won't listen when you have something worth talking about?"
Squirrelpaw's mouth kept thin, but it curled up a little. "Oh, be quiet. Maybe I just grow tired of hearing your voice every hour?"
Crowpaw rose his nose up playfully, "See, that's the nonsense I love to hear out of your mouth." That was only half-sarcastic.
Squirrelpaw shoved him away with her paw, laughing. Crowpaw was about to join her, happy that things were really coming back to normal, when he saw a fresh line of red leak out of her cuts. "You're bleeding!" Crowpaw mewed, closing the distance between their pelts. He felt Squirrelpaw flinch, but she didn't pull away.
"Y-Yeah. That's what happens when you get cut." She quipped, something was off about it but Crowpaw didn't notice. Concern pounded all over him as he saw the blood begin to ooze, not even stopping as the rain soaked Squirrelpaw's fur.
Crowpaw sighed, "You shouldn't have gotten hurt." He scowled, anger towards himself, towards his weakness. "I should have been able to take down that river-rat!"
Squirrelpaw darted a look at him, pressing. "Don't be a rabbi-brain! Of course, I was going to help you!" She cried, her tail batting him. Her face heated up. "I told you I wasn't going to owe you any favours, remember." Crowpaw was about to roll his eyes when she softly added on, almost silent by the rain, he might not have heard it if she wasn't so near. "Besides, I couldn't just watch while you got hurt. I had to do something."
For a second, Crowpaw didn't know what to say. He looked down, gaping, at the she-cat. She didn't look like she would look up, her mouth twisted in some kind of humiliation. But she did. Her green eyes peered up, honestly finding his. Honestly showing that she truly wasn't against him, even when they weren't speaking. Crowpaw felt like a fool now for even thinking it.
But he saw the blood again, and the mutual care he held with her swelled over him again.
His tongue tenderly licked the wound before either could picture it.
He shivered at the taste of blood, but he felt a larger terror at the idea that Squirrelpaw would pull away again. Her face seemed motionless, wide eyed and open mouthed, mixed in so many ways that Crowpaw couldn't imagine. Her face looked forwards again, fixed and direct on the path ahead, not making a single sound.
But she didn't pull away.
That was enough for Crowpaw.
He looked to see if the blood would come back, and found it didn't, yet he kept by her, sharing their small warmth. Honestly, her fur was so fluffy that the fur was soaked and sodden, actually making Crowpaw a little colder as he curled beside her.
But he didn't complain. And neither did she.
Despite the pouring rain, and though neither cat could realise it, neither cat felt a little bit cold.
They were at ease.
...
This was a really fun chapter to write! It's my first time really putting in an action scene, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out! It was just one of those moments where every moment fell into place and I didn't feel any worries about what I was writing!
I hope you guys feel the same way about it! We're officially past the 100,000 word mark, that is insane to me! I know I've never written anything like this before! Now Stormfur is safe! And now we can get to the next part. Oh what's next! *looks at my chapter plan*...ah...that...
Okay then, well, um, best get to it!
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And like always, I'll talk to you in a while!