Jaywatcher's Love [Old, DISCONTINUED]

∆ chapter 7 ∆

Leafpaw. Her lithe form, her beautiful green eyes...

Jaypaw sighed. All her denmates were sleeping. Jaypaw had never been this way before.

Blackpaw kicked her flank in his sleep, and Jaypaw hissed in pain. Tired and stressed, she hissed loud enough to wake Blackpaw.

"Hm?" Her denmate muttered. "What's going on? Am I on patrol?"

"No, you mouse-brain!" Jaypaw scolded. "You kicked me! Don't do it again!"

"Great StarClan, Jaypaw! You're scarier than a fox!" Blackpaw muttered, his tone full of sarcasm.

Blackpaw lowered his head with a grumble and fell into more peaceful sleep, as far as Jaypaw could tell.

Jaypaw let out another hiss and closed her eyes, sinking into the mossy nest below her.

Before she knew it, Rowantail was calling for Jaypaw, Tigerpaw and Ivypaw.

"Jaypaw?" A paw prodded the apprentice's flank. "It's time for the dawn patrol."

Jaypaw grumbled and sat up, shaking bits of moss out of her already ruffled fur. She padded out of the den into the early-dawn light. Jaypaw had to squint to see her mentor beside her from the sunlight.

"Lets go." Rowantail mewed as they approached the entrance of the camp. Tigerpaw and Wolfpaw flanked Jaypaw as Rowantail poked his head into the warriors den.

Dawnberry and Tawnyeyes exited the den, both yawning. Jaypaw rolled her eyes as she turned and saw Tigerpaw and Wolfpaw talking in hushed voices.

The patrol left camp, and passed trees and bushes and marshes. They reached the hill that overlooked Carrionplace before Jaypaw knew it.

All the ShadowClan apprentice could think about was Leafpaw. Leafpaw, Leafpaw, Leafpaw...

Focus, Jaypaw! This is your Clan! You have to stay loyal! Jaypaw shook her head and caught up with the patrol.

"Aw, cool! Carrionplace!" Tigerpaw squealed, earning a stare from Dawnberry, his mentor.

Jaypaw turned to her denmate, eyes wide. "No, not cool! Carrionplace is disgusting!"

Tawnyeyes nodded. "Jaypaw's right." The warrior mewed. "Carrionplace is not a good area to be in."

Rowantail nodded his tail in agreement with Tawnyeyes, his eyes and ears focused on Carrionplace in the distance.

Tigerpaw let out a dramatic sigh. "Come on! I want to go fight some rats!"

Wolfpaw stood up with a scowl. "No, Tigerpaw! You mouse-brain! It's dangerous!"

Tigerpaw clearly didn't hear. He bounded down the hill towards the rat-infestwd Carrionplace.

Jaypaw felt her heart drop. All her thoughts of Leafpaw shattered and on instinct she rushed forwards to stop Tigerpaw. Dawnberry's paws thudded behind Jaypaw as she called for her apprentice.

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw no!" Dawnberry pleaded. Tigerpaw kept on running, but Jaypaw was catching up to her denmate.

Though Tigerpaw was as rude to Jaypaw as Wolfpaw was, he was still her Clanmate. Her denmate. Her almost-littermate.

She felt Dawnberry's claws clamp around her tail, and Jaypaw yowled and skidded to a halt.

"No, it's too dangerous. He's lost-" Dawnberry's voice cracked as she mewed. Jaypaw knew she must be sad.

Tigerpaw's yowl echoed off the mountains in the distance. Jaypaw looked up and, with horror, saw rats swarming around her denmate.

She desperately wanted to intervene, but she knew he was long gone. The rats attacked, and Tigerpaw's yowls cut out until they stopped completely.

Dawnberry sobbed. Jaypaw knew that the warrior was close with her apprentice. Rowantail flanked the she-cats and put his tail over Jaypaw's shoulder.

Jaypaw was shaken. Her denmate. Taken from her. Forever.

"I'm sorry, Jaypaw. I knew you grew up with Tigerpaw. But he's gone." Rowantail whispered before raising his voice. "It's too dangerous to retrieve his body right now. We will return to camp and tell Redstar the news."

Dawnberry nodded shakily and leaned against Tawnyeyes, who led her towards the direction of camp.

Jaypaw padded in-sync with Wolfpaw, who also was sad. The dark gray tom was teary-eyed and shaking.

Jaypaw warily put her tail over Wolfpaw's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I knew you and Tigerpaw were-"

Wolfpaw cut her off with a growl, scurrying away from Jaypaw. "I don't need your sympathy. You're just my foster littermate!"

The apprentice ran forwards, pelt bristling. Jaypaw only sighed. There was no point in arguing with Wolfpaw. He was too stubborn.

They reached camp before sun-high. Rowantail padded to Redstar's den with his tail and ears low.

Ivypaw and Cedarpaw padded forwards, stopping in front of Jaypaw. "What happened? Why's Rowantail talking with Redstar?"

"Um..." Jaypaw stalled. "Uh..." Jaypaw realized she couldn't keep the news for long. "Tigerpaw. He...he's dead."

Before Ivypaw and Cedarpaw could react, Owlfang's yowl echoed off the camp walls. "TIGERPAW! NO!" The former queen yowled in pain and suffering.

Jaypaw felt her ears flatten against her head. She turned her head to see Marshpaw exit the medicine den, his eyes wide as he went to go grieve with his mother.

Ivypaw put her tail over Jaypaw's shoulders. "I'm so sorry. He hunts with StarClan." She murmured.

Cedarpaw dipped his head sadly, and Jaypaw saw Blackpaw pad shakily out of the apprentice's den, his eyes teary.

"Why, Tigerpaw! Why?!" He cried, leaning against Wolfpaw as his littermate comforted Blackpaw.

Jaypaw couldn't talk. She couldn't move. She couldn't feel. Tigerpaw was dead. She grew up with him. Tigerpaw...was dead.

Ivypaw lead Jaypaw shakily back to the apprentices den. "Go rest. I'll tell Rowantail you need tomorrow off to grieve." The older she-cat murmured.

Jaypaw flopped into her nest. She thought she'd get not even a mouse-length of sleep. Normally, Tigerpaw's snores filled the den. Now, everything was going to be different.