(Don't ship)
Crowfeather sat alone in the middle of the clearing, cats glaring at him occasionally. He licked his forepaw, drawing it of his ear. Nightcloud stared unblinkingly at the dark grey, almost black warrior, her eyes full of warmth. What did he see in that ThunderClan medicine cat mange-pelt? I feel sorry for the poor warrior, she thought. Crowfeather and Leafpool were mates once. Nightcloud had hatred for the ThunderClan she-cat. She was glad Leafpool was away from Crowfeather's paws. Crowfeather noticed Nightcloud was staring at him and the WindClan she-cat blinked, giving a warm smile. Crowfeather smiled back at her and stood, beginning to walk away. Nightcloud watched as the tom began going further from her sight. She let out a sigh. Ashfoot, the deputy, was organising patrols. She noticed Nightcloud sitting.
"Hey, Nightcloud, come over here!" the grey she-cat called. Nightcloud's ears twitched and she looked, starting to trot over to Ashfoot. "You're joining the ThunderClan border patrol." Nightcloud's whisker twitched. ThunderClan.
"Who's in the patrol?" the black she-cat asked.
"Weaselfur, Tornear and Owlwhisker," Ashfoot replied. Nightcloud just gave a nod. She half expected Crowfeather to be in the patrol and was slightly disappointed that he wasn't. Nightcloud turned her head, noticing the cats in the patrol waiting for her. Owlwhisker's tail twitched impatiently as he waited for Nightcloud. The she-cat padded over to the three cats and they began to trot out of the WindClan camp. Nightcloud trailed behind and Tornear turned his head.
"Hurry up!" he hissed and Nightcloud began to quicken her pace, giving the senior warrior a glare. The WindClan patrol were close to the ThunderClan border and Nightcloud lifted her head into the air, sniffing. Her nose wrinkled at a scent. ThunderClan -- and in WindClan's territory. The scent was not stale but fresh. Nightcloud watched the three other warriors as they continued padding ahead. She then slid away from the patrol, following the scent. She noticed a mouse up ahead and paused. A brown tabby swiftly leaped onto the mouse, catching it by surprise and landed a killing blow. Nightcloud stalked ahead.
"What do you think you're doing in WindClan territory?" she hissed and the tabby jerked up, spinning around with wide eyes. Nightcloud's pelt began to spike up.
"I was stalking this mouse and I guess I strayed passed the scent markers," the tabby said. Nightcloud recognised Birchpaw.
"Doesn't ThunderClan teach their apprentices to hunt on their own territory and use their noses?" the WindClan warrior snarled. The ThunderClan tom opened his jaws to say something but only to be spoken over. "Get back to your territory or else, Birchpaw!"
"It's Birchfall," Birchfall corrected.
"Get out now!" Nightcloud snarled and leaped at the warrior, making him fall back. Birchfall swiftly got back onto his paws, shaking slightly, and raced off. "And stay out!" The she-cat noticed Birchfall had left the mouse on the ground. Mouse-brain, she thought.
"Night -- ThunderClan!" Tornear hissed as he wrinkled his nose slightly. Nightcloud turned around.
"Birchfall chased that mouse into our territory but I scared him off," she said as she whisked her tail at the mouse.
"Should we put it in our fresh-kill pile?" Weaselfur questioned.
"May as well, seeing that it's in our territory," Owlwhisker mewed. Tornear just gave a nod in agreement to the warrior.
"We better go and report this to Onestar," he then mewed, trotting over to the mouse and picking it up in his jaws. The patrol began to make their way back to the camp. When they arrived, Nightcloud noticed Crowfeather. She brightened up and swiftly trotted over to the tom. Crowfeather stared at her.
"Do you want to go hunting with me?" the black she-cat asked Crowfeather.
"Okay, then," the tom mewed and the two cats began to walk out of the camp. Nightcloud began to slow her pace, watching as Crowfeather carried on walking.
"Crowfeather?" she called out the warrior's name and Crowfeather turned, pausing.
"Yes?"
"I actually didn't bring you out here so that we would go stalking rabbits," the she-cat said.
"Then why did you bring me out here? I could be doing other things," Crowfeather said with a bit of irritation in his tone.
"I wanted to tell you something, that's all." Crowfeather stared at Nightcloud, narrowing his blue eyes slightly.
"I just wanted to tell you that I love you," Nightcloud said. Crowfeather hesitated to say something and Nightcloud just stared at him.
"I love you too," Crowfeather then mewed, twining his tail with hers. Nightcloud looked up at the warrior with a smile. Crowfeather smiled back at the she-cat, warmth in his blue eyes. They began padding away.
