Crowstar's challenge

Chapter 5

Crowpaw slumped into his nest.
"Don't be like that," grumbled Shadowpaw.
Crowpaw remained silent. His brother had moved on quicker than him about Darkpaw's death. Her muffled screams still echoed in his mind. A moon had passed since her death yet it felt like six. Darkpaw had never been the nicest to him, but he missed her and her constant teasing. A sharp pain shot through Crowpaw's leg.
"Ow!" He screeched, "what the?"
Dustkit clung onto his hind leg with small, pointy teeth.
"Dustkit what are you doing here?" Crowpaw questioned, pushing the kit off.
"I'm here to see you!" Dustkit replied, "I'm allowed here anyway, I'm an apprentice soon!"
"That's moons away!" Crowpaw replied, licking his sore leg.
Dustkit attempted to leap onto Crowpaw when he crashed into Shadowpaw's tail.
"Get back to the nursery," Shadowpaw yawned, "Swiftfoot is going to worry."
Crowpaw heard dustkit let out a little sigh as he dragged himself out of the nursery. Crowpaw heard a small squeal followed by purring outside of the den. Shadowpaw was right, Swiftfoot was worrying.

"Roar!" Dustkit cried, "I'm the strongest warrior in the forest! Stay back Reedclan dirt!"
The kit flew onto his sister, Shimmerkit, and nibbled on her ear.
"Ow! I'm not Reedclan!" She mewed, kitting her brother with a tiny paw.
Crowpaw shook his head and sighed. He padded over to the tussling kits and nudged Dustkit away. Shimmerkit got up and shook her fur, while Dustkit gave Crowpaw an angry stare.
"Dustkit you must learn to not play so rough."
Dustkit was clearly surprised at how mature Crowpaw was being, and so was Crowpaw.
"Why should I listen to someone the same size as me?" Dustkit retorted, spinning around and bounding to the nursery.
"Thanks," whispered a small voice beside Crowpaw.
Shimmerkit brushed against Crowpaw and then trotted after her brother.
"Whatever," he growled.

Crowpaw weaved between cats as he made his way through the clearing. He still hadn't gotten used to how many cats attended gatherings. Shadowpaw brushed against him and walked over to a circle of apprentices. Crowpaw followed sheepishly. He had never met these cats.
"Hey Daffodilpaw, Halfpaw!" Shadowpaw greeted the two closest apprentices. They turned to them and bounced to their paws.
"Who's that you're with?" The black and white cat, who Crowpaw assumed was Halfpaw, asked.
"This is my brother, Crowpaw," Shadowpaw replied, nudging his brother forward.
"This is him? He looks a little.. small," Daffodilpaw murmured.
Shadowpaw let out a small growl, but Crowpaw quickly calmed him down by pushing his head against him.
"I didn't mean to be rude," she apologised.
A hiss came from behind her.
"Who cares if you're rude to Snowclan fox-dung?" A grey apprentice spat.
Crowpaw realised he was the cat who had ran to get his clan at the fight between Snowclan and Reedclan.
"They're good for nothing crow-food eaters," the apprentice continued, "trying to kill innocent cats."
Crowpaw could feel Shadowpaw shaking beside him.
"My sister was killed in that battle!" The grey tom yowled.
Crowpaw noticed a few heads turn to them, but they quickly turned away as a yowl came from the Grand Rock.
"This gathering has started," Sparrowstar announced.
The apprentices joined their clans as silence fell over the clearing.
"Prey is running well in Lightningclan," Sparrowstar continued, "and I have an announcement to make, my mate, Nighteye, has kitted two healthy kits."
Lightningclan cats let out yowls of congratulations, and some voices from the other clans could be heard beneath the defening cries.

Once the cheers had died down, Sparrowstar nodded to a bored looking Blackstar. The leader sat up and gazed at the mob of cats below him.
"Hunting is well in Snowclan. There is no important news," he stated, nodding to Wolfstar, Stormclan's leader.
"Prey is running well in Stormclan. There was a dead pigeon found at the Lightningclan border that stank of fox, so I would watch out," the grey leader announced.
He nodded to Crabstar.
The ginger Reedclan leader sat up quickly, as if he had been half asleep the whole gathering.
"Prey is well," he quickly blurted out, "twoleg numbers are increasing as usual."
Crowcall, the Reedclan deputy, seemed to be signalling to his leader.
"Oh- right," Crabstar murmured, "in the past moon there have been two new apprentices, Spotpaw and my daughter Pumpkinpaw," he announced, making his voice louder.
The leaders exchanged confused glances at the leader's forgetfulness.
"This gathering is over," Blackstar said at last.

"Crabstar was acting kinda strange don't you think Crowpaw?" Questioned Shadowpaw, who had clearly completely forgotten about the grey apprentice's remark.
"Yeah.. I guess," Crowpaw murmured sleepily.

As soon as Crowpaw got into the apprentice's den, he flopped down into a random nest. It was full of fluffy fur and helped Crowpaw drift off to sleep.
However, he was soon woken up by a pain in his side. He gently lifted up his head and blinked open his eyes. Shadowpaw loomed above him with fury in his eyes.
"Get out of my nest!" He angrily whispered.
Crowpaw rolled over onto his back with a groan.
"I'm too tired.." He murmured.
Suddenly, he was rolling across the den. He landed into a old patch of moss at the back of the den.
"Stay out of my nest!" Shadowpaw demanded.
Crowpaw sighed in reply and decided to just curl up on the old moss.

"Crowpaw! Hey, Crowpaw!"
Crowpaw bared his teeth and muttered, "I'm nowhere near your nest Shadowpaw."
There was an odd silence, that was followed with an eruption of mews.
"I'm not Shadowpaw silly!" The voice squeaked.
Crowpaw opened his eyes to see long, silver grass dotted with beautiful blue flowers. A black figure came into his vision. Was that.. Darkpaw? Crowpaw sat up to come face to face with the figure. His sister's familiar amber eyes met his.
"Darkpaw!" He cried with excitement.
Darkpaw shoved her head into Crowpaw's, making him fall to the ground. The grass was springy and soft. He felt as if he could fall asleep here and never wake up.
"You're still smaller than me!" Darkpaw teased, flinging herself to the ground next to him.
"Why are you here?" Crowpaw questioned, turning to his sister.
Darkpaw let out a long yawn and stretched her legs.
"I thought I might see you," she murmured, "but don't think I'll do this often!" She added on quickly, "I'm not supposed to go into dreams."
"Then let me sleep on my own you daft furball!" Crowpaw purred playfully.
He rolled over quickly and leapt to his paws. He pounced onto Darkpaw and the two tumbled across the silver field. The two littermates purred happily until Darkpaw's purring was gone. Crowpaw opened his eyes to see sunlight pouring into the den.