p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; mso-fareast-font-family: Constantia;"It's been so long, I know :( I've had the work abandoned for months and here I am now! So sorry for the wait/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; mso-fareast-font-family: Constantia;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; mso-fareast-font-family: Constantia;"Deadfoot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw knew this cat was Deadfoot, even though he had never seen his father. Ever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"This small, lean black tom had a twisted left paw. His blue eyes gleamed as he stepped forward. Even with the twisted paw, he walked and balanced himself perfectly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Crowpaw," he boomed. His penetrating blue eyes fixed on Crowpaw's./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""emFather./em" He was saying the word he could never say in real life. But here he was, his father, standing in front of him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Deadfoot's eyes softened a little, and he bowed his head. "I wished to know you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw dipped his head, feeling grief./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Nevertheless," continued Deadfoot, "life goes on, and I have something to tell you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""And what is it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the Clans are to survive," began the black tom darkly, his eyes turning ominous. "You have been chosen to meet with three other cats at new moon. You must listen to what midnight tells you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Midnight?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""What? Midnight? Are you crazy? How can a time tell me something? And who are the other cats? Tell me, Deadfoot!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"But Deadfoot faded away, his eyes still gleaming darkly and ominous. "You will understand," he murmured./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw let out a yowl. "What is it?" snapped Emberpaw. His gray pelt was fluffed out dangerously, and his two dark gray paws scraped the mossy ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Dreaming," muttered Crowpaw, flicking his ears. He was embarrassed, but he wasn't going to show it to Emberpaw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Emberpaw snorted, and, narrowing his dark amber eyes, he sank back in his nest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Shuffling in his own nest, Crowpaw decided to go out. The fresh morning air was already tempting him, and he hardly believed he could go back to sleep when the dream had told him so much./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail was eating a shrew. "Hi, Crowpaw," she mewed friendlily. "Up early?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes. How are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I'm good," replied Whitetail fondly. "Mudclaw tells me you're almost ready for your warrior ceremony?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Almost?" Crowpaw pricked his ears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail purred. "You didn't think you'd be a warrior instantly, did you, Crowpaw? You must train more, and practice. Mudclaw will tell you the ways of the warriors, and how you must act differently from the apprentices. Emberpaw is a cranky little apprentice, and you are, as well, for now. But as a warrior, you must act more mature. Things like that. It's simple, and my mother could teach me all this when I was a kit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Who was your mother?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Larksplash," answered Whitetail fondly. "She was an amazing warrior." Her green eyes gleamed, and she mewed, "Why don't we go and hunt? It's been ages since we did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I don't think we ever did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail raised an eyebrow. "We did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yeah, but with Onewhisker."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Do you have a problem with that?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Nah."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I knew it, Crowpaw. Come on, maybe we'll get a nice, plump hare. You caught hares and rabbits on your assessment!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Nodding, Crowpaw set out with the small white she-cat. The air was fresh and the day was bright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Oh! There's a hare!" hissed Whitetail, and crouching, she sprang. She disappeared among the ferns and bracken, but soon emerged, holding an unusually small hare in her mouth. "Is it just me, or does it smell foul?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""It tastes foul," informed Crowpaw, spitting out prey in the grass./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""You should thank StarClan for this," scolded Whitetail gently, and took a bite herself, and spit it out, her ears flat and fur bristling. "This is horrible!" she exclaimed. "What in StarClan do you think this is?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Something bad," meowed Crowpaw darkly. This was what Deadfoot had meant. He was sure of it. Then what was the prophecy that had to be fulfilled to go back the way it was again?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Carefully, Crowpaw bit into the hare again and made a face. He would do anything to make everything normal, to go back the way it was again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"After his silent vow, Crowpaw meowed, "Let's go. Do you think we should tell Tallstar about this? It might be serious."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail sighed. "What I do know," she mewed, "is that we won't eat this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"She buried the hare in the ground ("No cat will eat it if we bury it.") and straightened. "Perhaps it's an omen," she mewed. "Crow-food was always a bad omen. The medicine cat before Hawkheart, who was Barkface's mentor, had once an omen like this one. He saw crow-food among the prey pile and said that great trouble would fall upon them. He was right; a storm came and our camp washed away." Whitetail shivered. "If it really is an omen, Tallstar and Barkface must know about this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw nodded silently. emIf it's an omen… would Deadfoot's message be related to it?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Tallstar, Mudclaw and Barkface did not react kindly to Whitetail and Crowpaw's finding./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Do you think it is an omen, Barkface?" Tallstar asked. The black-and-white tom had narrowed his eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Maybe," Barkface answered. "But it emis/em possible that a hare is just sick, and Whitetail and Crowpaw hunted it accidentally. I would be much more sure of my decision if I could see the hare for myself…?" He glanced up at Whitetail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I buried it," Whitetail mewed. "If you'd like, I could show you where I did. Crowpaw knows, too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Mudclaw's eyes were narrowed slits. "I don't believe this is something to take lightly, Tallstar," he hissed. "We haven't seen of crow-food in ages. Even if it's not an omen, this is a beginning of something terrible. Something the Clans have not seen for a very long time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I agree with you, Mudclaw." Tallstar shook his pelt. "You and Barkface can go with Crowpaw to where Whitetail buried the hare."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Why not Whitetail?" Crowpaw dared to ask. "It was her who buried it. And she's a warrior."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""She's assigned to a hunting patrol," Tallstar answered. "With Onewhisker leading it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw could practically see Whitetail's tail flick with delight. "Crowpaw, are you positive you remember where the hare is now?" she inquired./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes, I am," Crowpaw nodded. "Trust me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Gladly. I'll be off, then." The white she-cat dipped her head politely to the three elder cats and hurried away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Crowpaw, take us to the place," Mudclaw ordered gruffly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes, Mudclaw," Crowpaw nodded, and led the way out of camp. He felt faintly uncomfortable, having two respected senior members of WindClan following him. "It was where we could see ThunderClan," he added, swallowing. "Er… it was this part of the moor. But what – I recall some heather. Oh, there! I believe that's where Whitetail buried the crow-food."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Delightful," Mudclaw muttered. He padded over to where Crowpaw had pointed with his tail and sniffed around. "There is a stench. I believe you found your way back, Crowpaw. Congratulations. The more reason to make you a warrior as soon as possible."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"His praise made Crowpaw feel warm from head to toe. emBut what about Deadfoot's warning? Prophecy?/em He ignored the small part of his mind whining annoyingly about his father's message./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Hmm."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw turned back his attention to Barkface. The brown medicine cat had dug the soil away to reveal the hare./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I would say this is simply crow-food," Barkface meowed. "But a more superstitious medicine cat would say this is an omen by StarClan to warn us of further troubles." He straightened, his yellow eyes gleaming with apprehension. "In any way, crow-food is never a good sign. We must take care not to bring it back to camp. Crow-food inside our camp walls mean something much, much more grave than catching a sick hare."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Should I inform Tallstar about what you said?" Mudclaw asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I'd prefer to tell him myself. I have further speculations I should not share with you until I'm rather sure that they might be true," Barkface answered. "But thank you for the request."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Mudclaw nodded. "Well, Crowpaw, we should head back with Barkface now." He removed his paws from the heather and began back to WindClan camp as calmly as ever. He seemed quite unnerved by the crow-food./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"He probably thinks Tallstar will solve everything. Which I would have believed gladly, if I didn't hear of Deadfoot's message… What on earth should I do?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw's paws were heavy as he followed Mudclaw. He knew his dream from yesterday would change his life forever. He looked up at the sky, and could see the faint outline of the moon. It would be new moon soon. Crowpaw decided, not rather wisely, that he would not tell Tallstar until he figured out what was going on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; mso-fareast-font-family: Constantia;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; mso-fareast-font-family: Constantia;"Deadfoot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw knew this cat was Deadfoot, even though he had never seen his father. Ever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"This small, lean black tom had a twisted left paw. His blue eyes gleamed as he stepped forward. Even with the twisted paw, he walked and balanced himself perfectly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Crowpaw," he boomed. His penetrating blue eyes fixed on Crowpaw's./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""emFather./em" He was saying the word he could never say in real life. But here he was, his father, standing in front of him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Deadfoot's eyes softened a little, and he bowed his head. "I wished to know you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw dipped his head, feeling grief./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Nevertheless," continued Deadfoot, "life goes on, and I have something to tell you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""And what is it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the Clans are to survive," began the black tom darkly, his eyes turning ominous. "You have been chosen to meet with three other cats at new moon. You must listen to what midnight tells you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Midnight?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""What? Midnight? Are you crazy? How can a time tell me something? And who are the other cats? Tell me, Deadfoot!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"But Deadfoot faded away, his eyes still gleaming darkly and ominous. "You will understand," he murmured./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw let out a yowl. "What is it?" snapped Emberpaw. His gray pelt was fluffed out dangerously, and his two dark gray paws scraped the mossy ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Dreaming," muttered Crowpaw, flicking his ears. He was embarrassed, but he wasn't going to show it to Emberpaw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Emberpaw snorted, and, narrowing his dark amber eyes, he sank back in his nest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Shuffling in his own nest, Crowpaw decided to go out. The fresh morning air was already tempting him, and he hardly believed he could go back to sleep when the dream had told him so much./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail was eating a shrew. "Hi, Crowpaw," she mewed friendlily. "Up early?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes. How are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I'm good," replied Whitetail fondly. "Mudclaw tells me you're almost ready for your warrior ceremony?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Almost?" Crowpaw pricked his ears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail purred. "You didn't think you'd be a warrior instantly, did you, Crowpaw? You must train more, and practice. Mudclaw will tell you the ways of the warriors, and how you must act differently from the apprentices. Emberpaw is a cranky little apprentice, and you are, as well, for now. But as a warrior, you must act more mature. Things like that. It's simple, and my mother could teach me all this when I was a kit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Who was your mother?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Larksplash," answered Whitetail fondly. "She was an amazing warrior." Her green eyes gleamed, and she mewed, "Why don't we go and hunt? It's been ages since we did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I don't think we ever did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail raised an eyebrow. "We did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yeah, but with Onewhisker."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Do you have a problem with that?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Nah."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I knew it, Crowpaw. Come on, maybe we'll get a nice, plump hare. You caught hares and rabbits on your assessment!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Nodding, Crowpaw set out with the small white she-cat. The air was fresh and the day was bright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Oh! There's a hare!" hissed Whitetail, and crouching, she sprang. She disappeared among the ferns and bracken, but soon emerged, holding an unusually small hare in her mouth. "Is it just me, or does it smell foul?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""It tastes foul," informed Crowpaw, spitting out prey in the grass./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""You should thank StarClan for this," scolded Whitetail gently, and took a bite herself, and spit it out, her ears flat and fur bristling. "This is horrible!" she exclaimed. "What in StarClan do you think this is?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Something bad," meowed Crowpaw darkly. This was what Deadfoot had meant. He was sure of it. Then what was the prophecy that had to be fulfilled to go back the way it was again?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Carefully, Crowpaw bit into the hare again and made a face. He would do anything to make everything normal, to go back the way it was again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"After his silent vow, Crowpaw meowed, "Let's go. Do you think we should tell Tallstar about this? It might be serious."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Whitetail sighed. "What I do know," she mewed, "is that we won't eat this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"She buried the hare in the ground ("No cat will eat it if we bury it.") and straightened. "Perhaps it's an omen," she mewed. "Crow-food was always a bad omen. The medicine cat before Hawkheart, who was Barkface's mentor, had once an omen like this one. He saw crow-food among the prey pile and said that great trouble would fall upon them. He was right; a storm came and our camp washed away." Whitetail shivered. "If it really is an omen, Tallstar and Barkface must know about this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw nodded silently. emIf it's an omen… would Deadfoot's message be related to it?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Tallstar, Mudclaw and Barkface did not react kindly to Whitetail and Crowpaw's finding./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Do you think it is an omen, Barkface?" Tallstar asked. The black-and-white tom had narrowed his eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Maybe," Barkface answered. "But it emis/em possible that a hare is just sick, and Whitetail and Crowpaw hunted it accidentally. I would be much more sure of my decision if I could see the hare for myself…?" He glanced up at Whitetail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I buried it," Whitetail mewed. "If you'd like, I could show you where I did. Crowpaw knows, too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Mudclaw's eyes were narrowed slits. "I don't believe this is something to take lightly, Tallstar," he hissed. "We haven't seen of crow-food in ages. Even if it's not an omen, this is a beginning of something terrible. Something the Clans have not seen for a very long time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I agree with you, Mudclaw." Tallstar shook his pelt. "You and Barkface can go with Crowpaw to where Whitetail buried the hare."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Why not Whitetail?" Crowpaw dared to ask. "It was her who buried it. And she's a warrior."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""She's assigned to a hunting patrol," Tallstar answered. "With Onewhisker leading it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw could practically see Whitetail's tail flick with delight. "Crowpaw, are you positive you remember where the hare is now?" she inquired./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes, I am," Crowpaw nodded. "Trust me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Gladly. I'll be off, then." The white she-cat dipped her head politely to the three elder cats and hurried away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Crowpaw, take us to the place," Mudclaw ordered gruffly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Yes, Mudclaw," Crowpaw nodded, and led the way out of camp. He felt faintly uncomfortable, having two respected senior members of WindClan following him. "It was where we could see ThunderClan," he added, swallowing. "Er… it was this part of the moor. But what – I recall some heather. Oh, there! I believe that's where Whitetail buried the crow-food."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Delightful," Mudclaw muttered. He padded over to where Crowpaw had pointed with his tail and sniffed around. "There is a stench. I believe you found your way back, Crowpaw. Congratulations. The more reason to make you a warrior as soon as possible."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"His praise made Crowpaw feel warm from head to toe. emBut what about Deadfoot's warning? Prophecy?/em He ignored the small part of his mind whining annoyingly about his father's message./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Hmm."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw turned back his attention to Barkface. The brown medicine cat had dug the soil away to reveal the hare./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I would say this is simply crow-food," Barkface meowed. "But a more superstitious medicine cat would say this is an omen by StarClan to warn us of further troubles." He straightened, his yellow eyes gleaming with apprehension. "In any way, crow-food is never a good sign. We must take care not to bring it back to camp. Crow-food inside our camp walls mean something much, much more grave than catching a sick hare."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""Should I inform Tallstar about what you said?" Mudclaw asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';""I'd prefer to tell him myself. I have further speculations I should not share with you until I'm rather sure that they might be true," Barkface answered. "But thank you for the request."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Mudclaw nodded. "Well, Crowpaw, we should head back with Barkface now." He removed his paws from the heather and began back to WindClan camp as calmly as ever. He seemed quite unnerved by the crow-food./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"He probably thinks Tallstar will solve everything. Which I would have believed gladly, if I didn't hear of Deadfoot's message… What on earth should I do?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; word-break: keep-all;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'EB Garamond';"Crowpaw's paws were heavy as he followed Mudclaw. He knew his dream from yesterday would change his life forever. He looked up at the sky, and could see the faint outline of the moon. It would be new moon soon. Crowpaw decided, not rather wisely, that he would not tell Tallstar until he figured out what was going on./span/p
