Crowpaw's POV! Enjoy and please review!
Crowpaw never left Feathertail's side the day Stormfur was buried by the churning pool where the waterfall fell. How could he? Feathertail was the cat he loved most of all and her brother—one of Crowpaw's best friends—had just died.
His eyes slid over to Squirrelpaw, who was crouched beside Brambleclaw, her green eyes shallow, dark pits of misery. Brambleclaw looked just as upset, with his head hanging low and his tail dragging on the ground. Crowpaw had never seen him look so defeated. Even his sister, proud ShadowClan warrior Tawnypelt was struggling to contain her grief. But Feathertail looked worst of all. Her blue eyes no longer danced in the sunlight nor shimmered in the light of the moon as they used too. Instead they were dull. And now not even Crowpaw could comfort her. She seemed to stay alone, in a bubble of her own memories, where no one could intrude.
He was jolted out of his troubled thoughts when a cat came up to speak to Feathertail. He recognised Brook, the tabby prey-hunter.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," she murmured in her sad, soft voice. "No matter how much I love my tribe, how much I wanted Sharptooth to be gone—I never, ever wanted Stormfur to die."
Crowpaw glanced at Feathertail, trying to see her reaction. She remained motionless, her face twisted in grief before at last she replied.
"I do too." She said quietly, looking down at her paws. "But I know if Stormfur had lived he would have been your mate. And you would have had the most beautiful kits, Brook…"
Brook's eyes beamed with a flash of amber warmth that's seemed to glow bigger than Crowpaw himself. She took a pace forward to lick Feathertail cheek. "We'll meet again in the stars." She agreed. Then she lowered her voice and whispered into Feathertail's ear. "I hope you find that same kind of happiness with Crowpaw. May… may StarClan light your path, my friend."
The tribe she-cat dipped her head towards Crowpaw and then to Brambleclaw and the rest before she disappeared into the mass of cats. Crowpaw felt his fur burn with wretched embarrassment, guessing he wasn't supposed to hear Brook's last murmured words to Feathertail.
Almost as soon as Brook had gone another cat replaced her. This time it Stoneteller, the tribe-healer.
"The thanks of the Tribe of Endless Hunting goes with you." He rumbled in his deep, throaty voice. "Talon, Jag and Night will show you which way to go once you're past our territory. I hope we will meet again someday and next time bring the rest of your tribes"
Once he had finished speaking the other tribe-cats broke away and hustled back into their cave behind the waterfall until finally only the clan cats and the three assigned cave-guards were left.
"Let's go." Meowed the black she-cat, Night as she led the way down the narrow stone path. Crowpaw followed and Feathertail limped beside him. Some of the wounds from the night before are still bothering her, he guessed. But judging by the look on her face Crowpaw realised that her emotional wounds were far worse than the physical ones.