Gaining Height - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"In line!"

Hawk jumped as a grey tom with darker grey patches yowled a command from somewhere behind her. Instantly, all the cats, who were previously staring at her in little groups, moved to form three rigid lines.

They were standing only a few tail lengths from her, wings splayed out, eyes narrowed, and chests puffed up. Hawk was taken aback by how efficiently the order had been carried out. Adder did have control over her cats, but she didn't dictate their every move.

The grey patched tom strutted up from behind her, and Hawk glanced back to see Talonstar watching everything keenly from where he stood in a patch of sunlight. He clearly trusted this other tom to carry out his work.

"All right, relax." The grey tom growled with a huff of bemused irritation. "We're not going into battle now, are we?"

Hawk watched through narrowed eyes as all the cats glanced at one another in bewilderment. Do they not know how to relax? She rolled her eyes. And to think these clan cats thought she was the mousebrained one here.

Gradually, all the cats settled themselves in a sitting position, all of them in a semicircle. As Hawk watched, she saw a mother and two little kits move to where they could see in the crowd.

"She's so scary!" A little black and white she-kit yelped.

That was what finally broke the silence, and all the cats turned and began talking in low-voiced murmurs. Hawk turned as she felt intense heat on her back. It was the stare of the grey patchy tom.

He widened his amber eyes when he saw her glowering back at him, but then he puffed up his chest and moved gracefully to stand over her.

"Welcome to your new home," he meowed proudly. "I'm Duskfang, your clan deputy."

Duskfang held a natural air of power and confidence that made Hawk uneasily. He knew how much control he wielded in FalconClan, and clearly wasn't afraid of anything.

"I'm Hawk," Hawk meowed, trying to shake off her unease.

Duskfang eyed her keenly. "I know. Ever since my littermate Dawnclaw came back from the Starlight Pool, we've been waiting."

Hawk stared at him in confusion, but then Duskfang got to his paws. He let out a howl that made Hawk's ears ring.

"Be quiet!"

Duskfang paced up and down the row of cats as they reformed their positions. He turned to a silver tabby, and growled low in his throat.

"Chin raised, Stormswirl."

Duskfang's dark amber wings were brighter than most, and he fanned them out proudly. He went on regarding all of the cats with the keenness of an eagle. Hawk shivered as he seemed to find flaws in so many of the cats. These FalconClan warriors had the highest standards she'd ever seen.

How would I have turned out if I'd been raised by these winged cats? Hawk saw a young dark brown she-cat about her age eyeing Duskfang, desperate for approval. He barely glanced at her.

When Duskfang was done with his patrol, even taking the time to analyse the kits, he returned back to Hawk.

"I'm sure you have all seen the new arrival," he yowled, again painfully loudly. "Her name is Hawk."

All the cats watched Hawk with keen interest. Hawk knew that each one of them was forming an opinion on her, all based on the way she looked. Deciding not to cower, Hawk lifted her chin proudly.

I'm confident in who I am. I like my life as a rogue.

As the cats finished their analysis on Hawk, most of them now eyed her warily. They clearly weren't ready to cosy up to the idea of living with her.

"You can't expect me to sleep with a rogue, Duskfang!" Hawk turned to see the young dark brown she-cat speak up. "It might make me take on foul underhanded tactics too! And what if it scarred me in my sleep, so that I look as horrendous as it?"

"Enough, Icepaw," Duskfang growled coldly. "And yes, she will certainly be apprenticed and sleep with you."

Another cat spoke up from somewhere in the back of the crowd. "What's the point of doing all this? Dawnclaw got a prophecy about a hawk, but she could be the evil enemy! What if we're taking in what we're supposed to drive out."

That response got a few other warriors nodding in agreement, but, to Hawk surprise, a small white she-cat pushed herself to the front of the crowd, eyes blazing. A tiny kit was sprawled on her back, eyes wide as it watched the cats.

Specklekit! Hawk's heart leaped in her chest as the little white kit met her expression and grinned. You're alive!

The small white she-cat's gaze raked every cat in the crowd. She lifted her chin. "This cat saved my son from what would have been the end of him. When he snuck away overnight, we were all sure he wouldn't turn up, but then we found him after the avalanche, this cat clearly having saved his life."

"That's right!" Specklekit purred. "Hawk's super awesome!"

He waved his little feathery wings at her.

"Thank you for your input, Silvermist," Duskfang meowed. His whiskers twitched. "Also for yours, young Specklekit."

Silvermist nodded, throwing a grateful look at Hawk, before slinking back into the crowd. Hawk blinked as all the warriors turned to eye Specklekit with love and affection. They clearly did care about the cats in their clan.

"As I was saying," Duskfang continued. "Hawk will be staying with us. And each one of you will treat her with respect.

"Will she be an apprentice?" Some cat asked.

Duskfang glanced back as there was a shuffling sound from somewhere behind him and Hawk. Hawk blinked as she saw Talonstar padding forward slowly. He eyed his warriors up and down.

"Hawk will be apprenticed soon," he announced. "Once she has met each of our cats, and understands our ways, she will travel to the Starlight Pool."

"How will she get her wings?" Some cat asked from the back of the crowd. "I fancy I'd like the little outsider a bit more if she looked a bit more... normal."

Do you think anything about you is normal? A shiver rippled down her spine at the thought of having wings. Admittedly, it did sound really awesome to be able to fly, but... What would Adder think? Would gaining wings forever tie her to these cats, even if she left them?

"Yes," Talonstar slowly brushed his tail along Hawk's back. He purred as he rubbed it along her shoulder blades, where his own wings blossomed from. "Soon, this little one will indeed be gaining height."