Warriors: Flight

Prologue

                      ~DarkProwl~

A cat as black as the night lay atop moss, half-sheltered by bramble bushes. It was storming, thunder crackling in the distance every now and then, but the black cat remained as still as a possum. The cat flicked it's ear, opening it's yellow eyes. It's ears perked up, and the cat looked around, alert. It had been disturbed by something. That something rustled in the bramble bushes. Another cat? Prey? The night colored cat could not tell, as the scent of the bramble hider was being carried downhill towards the moor.

A crackle of thunder made the cat jump, and it jerked it's head towards another rustle in the brambles. "WillowStar? Is that you?" The cat yowled, although it could not be sure the bramble hider could hear him, as the heavy rain drowned out any other sounds. "Yes, it is! DarkProwl, I've found our clan shelter in a barn! It is plentiful in prey!" A voice howled, and soon after a light tabby she-cat waltzed confidently from the brambles. Oh, how DarkProwl loved the way WillowStar did everything so confidently, no matter the situation.

WillowStar brushed against DarkProwl and gave him a kind lick on the head before turning, flicking her tail to signal him to follow her. He stood up. They were both soaked with rain water and in a horrible situation, but DarkProwl knew he could trust WillowStar to lead him and their lost clan to safety. "Come along, DarkProwl." WillowStar said solemnly before leading DarkProwl through the brambles and onto a empty trail. She broke into a sprint, and DarkProwl quickly pursued, although his paw pads were getting scratched by the loose dirt and gravel. Even though it was uncomfortable, he would do anything for some prey to fill his empty belly and to warm his body with comfortable, dry ground.

Soon, a large and long abandoned barn came in sight, and next to it a large cornfield. DarkProwl and WillowStar halted to a stop once they both reached the barn, and they trotted in through the door that was cracked open. Almost immediately DarkProwl felt the warmth of shelter, and the strong scent of prey filled his nostrils. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, and that was only a skinny vole. DarkProwl shook water droplets off his soaked pelt. WillowStar did the same. Hay bales lay stuffed in corners, while Twoleg tools were long forgotten and thrown carelessly around the floor or inside of a bucket. A ladder led up to a second floor, and cobwebs entwined with the ladder. Moonlight shone through the window on the second floor, giving the two cats some light. "Where's our-" DarkProwl cut himself off when he saw heads of his fellow ClanMates slowly and tiredly arise from behind hay bales and other various objects.
Their eyes glowed in the moonlight, and a grey and white She-cat trotted over to DarkProwl with a plump mouse in her jaws. "Hello, DarkProwl." She said hoarsely and half mumbled. She had rarely talked during their long and tiring journey, and through her having a mouse in her jaws really didn't help him understand her, but he could make out what she had said anyways. "Greetings, GreyFoot." GreyFoot nodded before placing the mouse in front of DarkProwl. "Eat this, you must be starving." DarkProwl nodded his thanks and GreyFoot trotted back to her newly found nest. "Why don't you take that over there, and we can speak about what we do next. We can't stay here forever, you know." WillowStar mewed besides DarkProwl, flicking her tail near a hay bale.

DarkProwl felt a small pang of sadness in his chest that they couldn't stay here, this place had everything they could ever want. But whatever WillowStar says, DarkProwl shall follow. "Of course!" DarkProwl and WillowStar walked beside each other to the hay bale and sat down. DarkProwl began munching on his mouse and swallowing in quick gulps. "Since we won't be able to stay here, we must wait for FlameWhisker or AdderPaw to receive a message from StarClan on where to go." WillowStar said once DarkProwl had taken the last bite of his mouse. "Alright. But why can't we stay? This place has everything a clan needs! Why would we ever leave?" DarkProwl sat up and looked over to WillowStar. "Because! We need to be able to communicate with StarClan more clearly and find a new MoonStone." She replied, having an obvious amount of surprise in her voice.

Now DarkProwl felt a bit stupid for asking that question. Of course we can't just communicate with StarClan through our medicine cats and leaders. We all know that apprentices must go to the moonstone at least once for them to become a warrior... and if WillowStar died, nobody could officially become leader and get their nine lives without being able to communicate with StarClan. "Right..." DarkProwl dug a small hole and buried the remains of his mouse.

DarkProwl then stretched and jumped atop the hay bale, WillowStar following him. They both curled up next to one another, WillowStar grooming his damp fur. Before DarkProwl could fall asleep, FlameWhisker trotted over to the two cats. WillowStar was the first to speak. "Did you get another message from StarClan?" FlameWhisker nodded. "I haven't deciphered it yet, but... I think we should keep going down the moor. I saw so many things... some seemingly bad, some seemingly good." WillowStar thought for a moment. "We will leave tomorrow, after sunrise. Now go get some rest. We don't know how long we will travel, and we need the rest." FlameWhisker nodded again before leaving and heading back towards his sleeping apprentice, AdderPaw.

DarkProwl sighed, resting his head on his front paws. WillowStar intwined their tails and lay beside him. "You're worried about what we'll find on that moor, aren't you?" WillowStar read his thoughts. It was something they did often, and they could read each other like StarClan does to prophecies. DarkProwl nodded, his eyes drooping. "Do you want to talk about it? It's alright if you don't want to." WillowStar licked his shoulder comfortingly. "Maybe later... I'm a bit tired." DarkProwl responded. "Of course." WillowStar closed her eyes and so did DarkProwl, and WillowStar fell asleep fairly quickly.

There's nothing DarkProwl can do to change WillowStar's mind about going through the moor. She doesn't take orders from anyone, and she will never change her mind, even if everyone was against her. She'll only listen to her beloved son, FlameWhisker.

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1081 words