"What's with all the birds?" Barley asked, pausing.
"What birds?" Jayfeather questioned as he stopped beside him. The two had made their way from the farm to an open area between the twoleg place and the farm.
"You can't see them? Is there- oh," Barley said as his gaze fell back on Jayfeather's blind eyes. Jayfeather flicked his tail in annoyance. Barley shuffled his paws in embarrassment. "In the sky up ahead, there is a huge murder."
"Murder?"
"I think that's what a group of crows is called."
"Why didn't you just say that?" Jayfeather asked but didn't wait for an answer. "I hear them, it sounds like a lot. Why are there so many?"
Barley thought for a moment. "I remember Ravenpaw telling me there's a carrionplace just outside of where ShadowClan's territory used to be. I think crows feed around there. Something must've aggravated them."
"Or someone," Jayfeather muttered.
"You don't think…?"
"Even if they didn't, they're still probably over there," Jayfeather told the older tom.
"Should we…?"
"Yes."
"See anything?"
"No, not yet."
Barley and Jayfeather continued their way in the direction of the forest in their search for Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Crane's Wing. The two hadn't spoken much but Jayfeather was starting to like Barley. He didn't try to strike up a conversation nor did he get distracted. He was very to the point. I wish there were more cats like that in ThunderClan. He'd make a great clancat.
Jayfeather's ears pricked. "I hear something."
"What? I don't hear anything," Barley said. "Other than the cawing, I mean."
"That's what I'm talking about, the cawing," Jayfeather responded. "It sounds like there's some commotion up ahead."
Jayfeather broke into a run. Barley was soon at his side. The screeches grew louder as they neared. Barley gasped.
"What is it?" Jayfeather asked as they skidded to a stop.
"They're attacking something," Barley said. "Looks like they're attacking… a branch?"
Jayfeather focused his hearing through the screeches. He heard the whistle of the air rushing by a crow as it shot through the air then a smack as it ran into something. Wood, it sounded like. He then heard a hiss and the sound of claws against feathers.
"They're there," Jayfeather said.
"What? No they're not. There's nothing there."
Jayfeather ignored him. "Lionblaze! Dovewing! Crane's Wing!"
"Shh!" Barley hissed. "The crows'll turn their attention to us!"
"Jayfeather?" Lionblaze's voice called. Jayfeather let a smug look creep onto his face. Barley didn't say anything, he merely flicked his ears. "Is that you? What are you doing here? Get away!"
"You were out for too long," Jayfeather responded.
"Where are you?" Barley asked. "I can hear you but I can't see you."
"We're in an old badger den," Dovewing's voice said. "Crane's Wing put a branch over the entrance so the crows can't get in but they're persistent!"
"What did you do to anger them?" Barley asked. "Normally they keep to themselves."
"I may have killed one of them," Crane's Wing said.
"You what?"
"I've done it before and it was fine!"
"Can we focus?" Jayfeather said before an argument could start. "We need to lead them away from the den."
"Don't try to fight them," Lionblaze said. "There are too many."
Jayfeather wanted to scoff but he wasn't a warrior, he didn't know anything about this and he doubted a memory flash would trigger and provide him with the skills needed to fight. "What do you think we should do?"
"Scare them off?" Lionblaze offered weakly. Another crow shot at the branch and rammed into it.
"This isn't the sturdiest branch, it won't last forever," Dovewing said.
"You said you're in a badger den? Is there a tunnel out?" Barley asked.
"Nope, checked," Crane's Wing responded.
Jayfeather grinded his paws in the ground. He couldn't think of anyway to help his friends. "Could you guys just make a break for the barn? The walls should keep the crows out."
"It's too far," Barley said before anyone could speak. "And the barn has windows up by the rafters, they could still get in."
Jayfeather didn't know what that meant but his mind began scrambling for new solutions.
"What if we lured them away?" he suggested.
"Then you'd be in our situation," Lionblaze pointed out.
"What if you lured something here?" Crane's Wing said. "Something. Like a fox or a dog or a twoleg or even a monster. That'd distract them big time."
"That could work."
"Where are they going to get a-"
"I could try getting the farm twolegs to follow me," Barley said. "They usually leave us- me- alone but I could try."
"Wait, I have a better idea," Lionblaze said.
"What?" Jayfeather asked.
"You're not going to like it."
"I am not doing this," Jayfeather said sharply.
"You have to," Barley said. "Do you want to help your clanmates or not?"
Jayfeather sighed. The two of them were crouched on a fence next to a twoleg nest. An all too familiar twoleg nest. "Can't you do it?"
Barley shook his head. "Its gotta be you. Come on, show that bravery that warriors supposedly are famed for."
"I'm not a warrior," Jayfeather grumbled but jumped down off the fence into the twoleg 'yard'. He wasn't totally sure what a 'yard' was but he heard kittypets use the word a few times. It was an area boxed in my a fence behind a twoleg nest with strange short grass. It felt strange against his paws. What's wrong with the grass in the twoleg place?
Jayfeather glanced back at Barley who still sat atop the fence. He sensed him nod. Jayfeather sighed and hung his head for a moment. Lionblaze so owes me…
Jayfeather suddenly threw back his head and yowled to the sky. His caterwaul rang in his chest and to the sky. It continued until he felt his lungs run out of air.
Jayfeather stopped, his breathing labored and chest heaving. He heard the sound of a door opening and twoleg pawsteps leaving the den and hitting the hard ground.
"Run!" Barley called. Jayfeather didn't need to be told twice. He bolted from the yard and looped around the nest to the street. He heard the twoleg call after him but he didn't stop and wait. He knew how fast this twoleg was. It had caught him once before.
Jayfeather's paws thudden on the black path as he sprinted in the direction of the dead forest. He heard pawsteps join his and Barley was soon at his side, guiding him. He usually hated having a cat guide him but this was one of the instances where it was truly necessary.
The pair ran through the twoleg place until their paws hit dirt instead of thunderpath. Jayfeather could hear Barley tiring but he could also hear the twoleg running after them so he didn't slow down and knew Barley knew to do the same.
When the sound of crow cries began to fill his ears, Jayfeather poured more energy into his strides.
"How are you so fast?" Barley huffed with impressment in his voice.
"I spent a lot of time in the tunnels under the territory," Jayfeather replied but gave no further explanation, not wanting to waste breath.
When the caws grew louder, Jayfeather heard a sound of surprise come from the twoleg and it stop to stare at the birds. Jayfeather came to a halt now that he was no longer being chased and let out a yowl. "Hey! Over here!"
"You crowfood-eaters too cowardly to hunt a cat who isn't trapped?" Barley sneered. Jayfeather was surprised to hear the farm cat use a clan insult but it made a smile creep to his face.
Many crow heads turned in their direction. Jayfeather doubted it was from the cats' calls, it was probably the twoleg, but whatever it was did the trick. Many of the members of the flock abandoned targeting the den that was still hidden from the view of the sighted and flew at the two cats on the surface.
"Run!" Jayfeather called to his travel companions. "We'll meet back at the farm!"
Barley and Jayfeather whipped around and ran towards the twoleg. The twoleg stood out against the barren land. It stood frozen, gaping at the mass of birds flying towards it. Barley and Jayfeather flew past it. Jayfeather didn't pause to see if the twoleg came to its senses and ran away. He just kept to Barley side and made a beeline for the farm, hoping Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Crane's Wing would show up soon.
Author's Note: Again, this is filler and I really don't know what was going through my head when I wrote this. I think I wrote it like four months ago and I was having writer's block.