The Looming Darkness (A WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION)

Chapter 16

In the gleam of the sunrise, Squirrelstar padded alongside Hawkwing searching for prey. The sun glittered down on the snow, making it shine Iridescently.

The gusty air was bitterly cold and harsh.  Ice and snow filled the air, and that was all. Prey seemed to be nonexistent, burrowed away in dark dens, but it didn't seem to bother Squirrelstar or Hawking at all.  They talked animatedly and cheerfully despite the terrible weather, walking unusually close to each other.

He makes me forget all my problems, Squirrelstar sighed to herself. And yet at the same time, he makes many problems for me. What if another cat saw us together or noticed we were spending more time together? What would my Clan say of me then? Now we are all together in the camp, but eventually we will separate, and I will still just be Brambleclaw's mate, a cat who could care less about me and is in love with another cat. 

Her heart ached at the thought.

Hawkwing was gazing upon her with humor in his eyes. He doesn't seem to notice I am upset about something. 

Obviously, he isn't thinking the same about me as I am about him. Or is he? How can I know? 

 A light flickered in Hawkwing's eyes as he spoke about leafbare coming to an end. Squirrelstar barely listened as she continued to watch his expressions. 

"What do you think, Squirrelstar?"

"What, I mean about what?"

"You weren't listening. I don't blame you. If we chat too much, we will just scare away prey." 

"Yes, prey!" Squirrelstar scolded herself inwardly. I need to stop acting like a kit. What difference does it make if he feels anything for me? He would never leave his Clan, and I won't either. This bonding we've shared will end when we return to our Clan camps.

Squirrelstar regained her focus as she flicked her tail to a clearing heavily laden with snow. There were a few tempting beech nuts scattered at the roots of an oak tree, and Squirrelstar's ears pricked up eagerly when saw the opportunity.

"I'm going to try over there." Squirrelstar mewed as she padded into the clearing, her paw steps light. Hawkwing watched her from close by with amusement in his eyes.

Squirrelstar paused, alarmed. She stopped in her tracks. Something is wrong. 

Below her,  there was crumbling snow and leaf litter beneath her paws. Her green eyes were wide as she stared down frozen.

"What-" She stopped, suddenly shaking with the uneven ground.

The twigs and snow cracked, then dropped, and Squirrelstar let out a yowl of terror as she felt the ground beneath her paws collapse beneath her weight.

"Squirrelstar!"

Hawkwing leapt forward catching Squirrelstar's scruff just before she fell into the deep pit. Her paws dangled above it, and she trembled as she looked below her. There was nothing but a black and endless hole, its end not visible to the she-cat. 

Hawkwing pulled her backwards onto the solid ground, panting. Both cats stood up; their pelts puffed out in alarm.

"Thank you." Squirrelstar murmured. She couldn't meet Hawkwing's gaze as she spoke. Her eyes were fastened on the ditch with its dark, foreboding opening.  As she looked at it, her paws trembled. Something about it kept her gaze. 

"Look!" Squirrelstar's fur stood up straight in alarm as she padded closer to examine the area. "There are claw marks here along the edges of the hole. This hole was deliberately dug by a cat!" Hawkwing and Squirrelstar met each other's gazes. As Hawkwing examined the edges of the hole, his gaze clouded as he spoke.