A Warrior's Heart | Omen Of Darkness | Bk. 1

Chapter 27

CrowDawn woke at the first light of dawn. The black she-cat padded out of the warriors den and sat underneath High-Tree, and laid down. She groomed her fur, which was rough on her tongue. Her face cringed each time a mat got stuck on her tongue. Her eyes were focused. She was know deputy and CrowDawn had duties to fullfill."Patrols!" She called, waking every cat up. ThistlePaw seemed wide awake and he darted over."When's training?"He asked, eyes gleaming."After I organize patrols,"CrowDawn told the silver and white apprentice. ThistlePaw's green gaze dropped,"Okay,"He muttered, starting toward his littermates. CrowDawn gazed at IvyFern."IvyFern who did you train?"She asked. IvyFern gazed at CrowDawn, her green gaze glowing,"I trained DawnHeart only." CrowDawn nodded,"Lead a border patrol to mark our border with RiverClan with...."CrowDawn paused and looked around,"With SilverStrike and FlowerBlossom." IvyFern nodded and raced off. CrowDawn gazed toward IceSplash,"Lead a hunting patrol with DawnHeart and RippleTail. Leave at sunhigh,"CrowDawn ordered. IceSplash nodded, her blue gaze serious. CrowDawn could understand why. It was leaffall now and prey would be scarce, and herbs for StormCloud. Besides, IceSplash was probably hoping one of her kits had kits of their own, but that would never happen. IceSplash was probably trying to make up for that loss by being more loyal to her clan, then being kind and love kin. Shaking her thoughts away, CrowDawn padded to the apprentice den entrance, where ThistlePaw, SnowPaw, and RainPaw hung out."ThistlePaw it's time for training,"She gazed at SnowPaw,"You should go ask RobinStar when you're training." SnowPaw nodded, a grin on his face. ThistlePaw bounded after CrowDawn. CrowDawn made her way to the training hollow."Alright,"She began,"Show me your hunting crouch." Before ThistlePaw had the chance to demonstrate, RainPaw and RippleTail padded along,"Sorry,"RippleTail apologized,"We'll train the clearing." RippleTail and RainPaw padded away. ThistlePaw growled at the inturruption, then continued his training. CrowDawn gazed at his position. His hindlegs threw his back-end high in the air, his tail was low to the ground. It seemed as only the front of him was crouched, and prepared to pounce."Why is it your back-end doesn't copy your front-end, which is prepared to pounce?"CrowDawn quizzed. ThistlePaw glanced backwards. He relaxed his body and let his back-end slip into step with the front of him. Now he had his head up high, whiskers twitching, and ears pricked. His claws were ripping the ground below him, though. It was an irratating sound which would scare off prey."Keep your paws light on the ground, and don't let your claws slip into the ground too deep,"CrowDawn advised, not looking at her apprentice. ThistlePaw now had the perfect crouch."Now let's go hunting!" CrowDawn meowed enthusiastically. ThistlePaw grunted and sniffed."Thrush and mouse,"He mewed hesitantly. CrowDawn nodded,"Correct,"Her tail flicked. ThistlePaw dropped into his crouch perfectly, and quietly. CrowDawn ducked low and stalked after her apprentice. He was clearly going after the thrush. The thrush came into view. It was on top of a twoleg fence around the abandoned twoleg's nest. The flooring inside the nest was green grass and growing tulips and daisies. The scent made you drool almost and made your scent camoflaged, which was good when hunting. It pecked the fence. Probably searching for a type of bug as its meal, but what it didn't know, it was going to be the meal. CrowDawn watched her apprentice from the shade of the last oak tree before it broke off to an empty clearing with a twoleg's nest. ThistlePaw pounced at the right time. The thrush cawed in alarm but ThistlePaw was on the fence, standing on his hindlegs and killed the thrush."I did it!" He mumbled through the thrush. CrowDawn escorted her apprentice back to camp so he could boast about his kill. CrowDawn padded over to SnowPaw who was sharing a squirrel with RainPaw,"You both know how to hunt?" She asked. The two apprentices nodded. SnowPaw's blue gaze glimmered. He's sisters green eyes glowed with pride."Good,"CrowDawn bounded away toward the fresh-kill pile, where RippleTail was."Join ThistlePaw and I with RainPaw please,"She meowed,"Also bring RainPaw,"She quickly added afterwards. RippleTail nodded,"I'll also ask RobinStar if we can bring SnowPaw,"The tom mewed. RippleTail darted away, leaving CrowDawn at the camp entrance with RainPaw and ThistlePaw. ThistlePaw's silver and white coat glistened in the setting sun."RainPaw, how good is your hunting crouch? CrowDawn's a great mentor, with her help, I got my first kill today!" He boasted. RainPaw rolled her eyes, her light gray and dark gray pelt sparkling with affection,"So? RippleTail taught me the same crouch as you!" ThistlePaw shrugged. CrowDawn smiled,"So you guys had fun today?" She teased gently,"Normal apprentices rather wake up at sun-high than at dawn." RainPaw snorted,"Not on their real day of training! Checking out the territory is boring!" RippleTail bounded over to them, SnowPaw at his side,"RobinStar said he could come, if you report to her how well he did,"RippleTail reported, his tail swaying. CrowDawn nodded. She studied her gaze ahead of her when she found herself distracted thinking about Breeze."Let's look out for Breeze,"RippleTail mewed quietly, as if he knew what CrowDawn was thinking. CrowDawn flattened her ears and padded on,"We'll hunt near the clearing and the abandoned twoleg nest,"She decided, taking her mind off her kit."SnowPaw how about you try to catch something first?" The black she-cat suggested, her ears pricked. SnowPaw nodded. His muzzle raised high in the air as he sniffed."Squirrel!" He squeaked quietly. ThistlePaw flicked his tail on his brother's forehead,"Hunt it, mousebrain!" CrowDawn's apprentice urged. SnowPaw nodded slowly then fell into a hunting crouch. CrowDawn watched SnowPaw, not taking her eyes off him for a second. The patrol was in the clearing. Undergrowth was the only shelter, and few oak trees grew near. SnowPaw pounced. The squirrel was grooming itself under shade on the far side of the clearing. CrowDawn fixed her eyes on SnowPaw's pounce. It was perfect and he killed the squirrel with a hit on the head."Well done!" CrowDawn praised. SnowPaw didn't reply, only buried his squirrel."Now we can all hunt,"CrowDawn announced awkwardly. RippleTail bounded near undergrowth in the clearing wih RainPaw, scent of mouse from there must've came to the two cats. SnowPaw padded toward the abandoned twolegs nest, which was four fox-lengths away from the clearing. CrowDawn flicked her tail for ThistlePaw to come over,"You hunt on the trail to the abandoned twolegs nest, and I'll hunt here,"She ordered. Thetrail to the abandoned twolegs nest wasn't far. If ThistlePaw killed anything, he'd bury it in the clearing. As ThistlePaw stalked away, CrowDawn sniffed. There was a vole hidden in the oak trees. She stalked it. Her hindlegs bent and her eyes stuck on the ground in front of her. The vole finally came into view. It was cowering underneath a bush, probably scenting the presence of the patrol. She pounced. The vole squeaked in terror and scrambled away. CrowDawn chased it until it went down into a hole."Fox dung!" CrowDawn cursed. She padded back into the clearing and decided to hunt deeper into the forest. Another vole scampered in undergrowth. CrowDawn didn't take any time before she pounced and barely killed it, but she did. When it was moonhigh, the patrol walked back to camp. CrowDawn groggily ate a mouse. Somehow, she was exhausted. She'd report SnowPaw's behaviour, and hunting progress to RobinStar. RobinStar's amber gaze was calm, and thoughtful. CrowDawn knew the truth. At night, in her dreams, she wailed, cried, begged and did everything she could to try to save RobinStar's fate.

A broken heart.

StarClan prophecied that RobinStar's heart would break, and nothing could change that fate. CrowDawn had hope, though. Even though she didn't know what would break RobinStar, CrowDawn could still try to ignore the fate, and make sure it never happened.

But what if it was about, her?

CrowDawn shivered, but then again; how could they break RobinStar's heart with CrowDawn? What could fate do to her? CrowDawn was determined not to tell RobinStar about this. If she knew, RobinStar'd have warriors protecting CrowDawn from everything! The worried she-cat blinked. MumbleTail inturrupted CrowDawn's thoughts. The dusty, gray-purple tom gazed at her, his amber eyes glowing casually,"May I lead a border patrol to mark the RiverClan border with ours?" He asked CrowDawn. CrowDawn nodded awkwardly,"Sure. Bring LilyTail and GoldenLight." MumbleTail raced off. CrowDawn couldn'thelp but notice that MumbleTail was stiff when he moved. He's eyes squinted with pain."After go talk with StormCloud about that stiffness!" CrowDawn called after her clanmate. MumbleTail paused. He sighed and nodded, continuing his patrol duties. CrowDawn sat, her shoulders drooped. Fora moment, she was back in the nursery. That long, dark day LilyTail told her her father died bravely. She wished she could see her father once. LilyTail'd never told CrowDawn her father's name, but she didn't care. She wished she knew him still. CrowDawn grinned when she leaped onto RobinKit,"Hey!"RobinKit squeaked in surprise. GoldenLight gazed lovingly at them, her sandy coat glittering. Her darker sand-coloured stripes glittered too."Why do I have amber eyes?" RobinKit asked, curious. CrowDawn noticed that GoldenLight had blue, glistening eyes."GoldenLight chuckled,"Your father has your beautiful amber eyes!" She reminded RobinKit.

CrowDawn snapped out of it. She now knew that deep, empty hole inside of her.

Love.

She also remembered meeting MoonPelt. She gasped, remembering the sentence the StarClan spirit said, He'd be very proud of the Crow,who cried at Dawn. CrowDawn's pelt bristled. She knew her part of the prophecy! It was about her, and about her father.