Crowfeather x Leafpool: The Aftermath (Book 1)

Chapter 9: The Benifit of the Doubt

~Crowfeather's P.O.V.~

By the time Crowfeather returned to camp, it was almost sunset. After Nightcloud had run away, he had done some solo hunting (which is very tricky, let me tell you) and managed to catch another adult rabbit and a baby rabbit. Luckily for me, if Ashfoot asks why I didn't bring back more fresh kill, I have a very good reason, I thought as I dropped my catch onto the fresh kill pile, which consisted of my three rabbits, plus some mice and (of course) more rabbits.

Just then I heard a wailing sound, the sound of a cat in pain. "Whitetail is kitting!" yowled Ashfoot. She ran over to the medicine den and came back out at full pelt with Barkface behind her. "Onestar, Whitetail is kitting!" she called to the Clan leader as he emerged from his den. "What?!" he screeched. "Why didn't some cat tell me!" he ran towards the nursery on the instinct to help his mate. Crowfeather sighed.

I don't envy the queens, or their needy kits! All the pain of kitting, and the boredom of sitting in the nursery for 6 moons, I thought as I dragged my paws towards the warriors' den.

I went to my nest in attempt to sleep, but my mind kept churning. Will Whitetail be okay? How many kits will she have? Will one of them be my apprentice? What about Nightcloud? How will I get her to trust me? If I can get her to trust me, will it be enough to be mates? Does Onestar expect me and Nightcloud to have kits together?? All of these questions swirled through my weary, troubled mind as I lay there in wait. What I was waiting for, I didn't know. I eventually went out of the warriors' den just in time to see Barkface emerge from the nursery. The whole Clan, Onestar included, seemed to be holding their breath as they waited for Barkface's report. "Onestar, you have one she-kit!" he finally said, and the old medicine cat gestured with his tail that Onestar could enter.

[five minutes later]

The Clan leader had a look of pure joy on his face when he came out. "I have a wonderful daughter. Her name is.. Heatherkit!" he announced, and the cats gathered in the main clearing yowled their congratulations. I heard what sounded like a heartbroken sigh from the back of the crowd. I looked around the back of the gathered cats and saw Nightcloud in the back, crying quietly. She looks miserable, and it's probably my fault. Damn it, Leafpool, why did I have to have a crush on you?! Now all of my clan mates don't trust me! Maybe I should go and try to comfort Nightcloud? I thought as I struggled to reach a decision. Finally, I decided to go and comfort the smoky-gray she-cat. When I was two mouse-lengths away, I whispered "Nightcloud? Are you ok?" As she turned around, I shuffled my paws nervously, not sure how she would react. It was the first time they had talked since Nightcloud had run away crying.

When she saw it was me, her eyes widened in surprise. There was another emotion in her eyes, but I couldn't tell what it was. "What do you want?" she growled softly. I could tell she didn't want to make a scene, not in front of the whole of WindClan. By now, her eyes were chips of ice, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. With that, she whipped around and stalked towards the warriors' den without a glance over her shoulder.

My body was yowling with exhaustion, so I dragged my paws inside the warriors' den and flopped down in my nest like a fish. It still smells like Nightcloud, I thought as I slipped into sleep. Tomorrow, I will try to make up with her.

[The next day, on a hunting patrol...]

"Come on, you slow slugs!" Mudclaw called as Emberfoot, Owlpaw, Gorsetail, Nightcloud, and I ran to catch up with him. I still can't believe Nightcloud and I are on the same patrol! Ashfoot, why, just why?? I thought despairingly as we caught up with Mudclaw. "Ok guys, here's the plan. We're going to be hunting in pairs. We will meet at this spot in... one hour. Let's see.. Emberfoot, you come with me. Gorsetail and Owlpaw, you two are partners. Nightcloud and Crowfeather, you will be partners. Catch as much prey as you can by sunhigh!" (A/N: FYI, the patrol starts hunting about an hour or so before sunhigh, in case you are confused!) I sighed and reluctantly turned to my hunting partner. Coincidence? Maybe. Onestar could have told Ashfoot to put Nightcloud and I on the same patrol, and then Ashfoot could've told Mudclaw to put us in a hunting pair..? Nah, Onestar wouldn't go that far to make us be mates, would he?? "So, where do we start?" I asked smoothly. My voice held no emotion. "Hm.. over there, maybe?" She suggested, pointing towards the RiverClan border. I nodded my head in agreement. What I did notice, however, was how she hesitated before she said where we should hunt. She had also, in that moment of hesitation, glanced over at the ThunderClan border doubtfully. We set off in that direction in silence, ears pricked for the 'thump' of rabbit's feet.

Eventually I got tired of the awkward silence between us as we scented the air again. "Nightcloud," I said, getting her attention. She rolled her eyes at me. "What do you want, Crowfeather? If you want to get all sentimental, don't bother. I'm tired of being ignored by you. My whole life, I had a crush on you, even when you were a kit. Yet you never blinked an eye at me. And now, after not one, but two betrayals to your Clan, you develop feelings for me?! How does that work? You best be saving your words, Crowfeather. Otherwise you will be wasting your breath on an insignificant cat like me." I don't care what in StarClan's name she tells me, I WILL apologize. My future in this Clan depends on it. Then again, if I do end up getting kicked out of WindClan, I can always join ThunderClan and maybe get back with Leafpool... no, that would look bad, now that she's a solo medicine cat. "Well, cat got your tongue? Spit it out, Crowy!" Nightcloud mewed, growling softly. "We should be hunting, not talking! We haven't got all day!" I rolled my eyes and sighed. Here goes, I thought. "Nightcloud, I want to apologize.." I began, but she cut me off. "For what?!" She snarled. "Ruining my LIFE??" I waited patiently until she finished n talking again. "I'm sorry about, you know, the hunting incident, and.. yesterday. " As I said this, I slowly started shuffling closer to her, until I was close enough for out pelts to brush.

"I want you, Nightcloud, and you can have me. As long as you want me, that is," I said, my tail swishing beside her core. She gasped and blushed. "Of course I do, my love," she purred, leaning into my pelt. "I will always want you. Now, we have some hunting to do!"

[Sunset, meal time]

I licked my lips to get he last bits of the rabbit Nightcloud and I had shared. After catching five rabbits, I had worked up quite the appetite. I was arching my back in a nice, long stretch when Ashfoot came up to me. "Crowfeather, Onestar would like to see you in his den," she mewed urgently. "Ok, Thanks Ashfoot," I mewed, knowing what this was about already. Nightcloud looked at me with worried eyes. "Are you in trouble? What's wrong?" I touched my nose to Nightcloud's. "Nothing's wrong, my love," I replied reassuringly. Our tails twined for a heartbeat. I padded over to Onestar's den, proud of myself for the news I had