Stars

Chapter 9

Crystalstar decided to clear her mind. She padded out of camp and started walking. She didn't know where she was going, but she also didn't care. She sniffed the air. 'Might as well hunt while I'm out.' She shrugged. But what she smelled was not prey. She heard a rustle in the bushes. All of a sudden a large weight was thrown onto her shoulders. "What are you doing in my territory?" a cold voice hissed in her ear. She ducked under the cat and flew it in front of her. It was a ginger tom with cold blue eyes. Crystalstar couldn't break her gaze away from the tom's, and by the looks of it, neither could the tom. Crystalstar cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, i did not know this was your territory." She dipped her head. The tom shook his head. "I-it's okay." he meowed. "I'm Flame." he smiled. Crystalstar felt her ears heat up. "I'm Crystalstar. And again, sorry for trespassing." "It's okay, really." Flame replied. Crystalstar smiled awkwardly. "Goodbye. It was nice meeting you." She turned to leave, but Flame called after her. "Will you, umm... meet me here at sunset tomorrow?" Crystalstar nodded and padded off, heart and mind racing. Crystalstar emerged into camp, mind buzzing. It was nightfall. She slipped into her den, curled up, and drifted to sleep thinking about Flame.

Sunheart was having a rough time sleeping. She kept shifting, and messing with the nest. She was still playing with the nest, but she accidentally pulled the stick wrong and a twig flicked Barkpelt on the head bounced off, then hit Nightspirit on the head. "You need to stop playing with your nest and go to sleep. It's near Moon High." Nightspirit meowed. "Agreed. Or we're both gonna have a rough night." Barkpelt meowed. "Sorry." Sunheart meowed. "I'll go to sleep." They didn't seem convinced, Barkpelt shrugged then went to sleep, and Nightspirit meowed "Whatever you say." then went to sleep. But Sunheart couldn't go to sleep, so she just stayed up until she could, which was near the time the moon was setting. 

Crystalstar woke up and stretched her lazy limbs awake. She padded out into the clearing. To see most of the camp still sleeping. Snakefang was nowhere in sight, so she padded into the Warrior den. She nudged Sunheart, Barkpelt, and Nightspirit awake. "Will you guys go on Dawn patrol?" she asked. Careful not to wake the other sleeping warriors. "Sure." Nightspirit mumbled then stretched and got out of the den followed by Barkpelt who was ready to go. But Sunheart was half a wake. "Come on Sunheart, your on Dawn patrol." Barkpelt meowed. "Fine." she meowed and padded out of camp with them. Nightspirit wasn't overprotective of his sister, but he did care deeply for her, and believed that she could take care of herself. So he was happy that Sunheart found love, he just wished the cat he loved would notice his feelings.....

Spottedpaw was far from camp. He had ventured to find catmint but he saw none. Suddenly a flash of orange appeared and swiped Spottedpaw in the face, sending him flying into a tree. Spottedpaw was unconscious on the tree branch. The orange sprinted towards camp. 

Specklefoot woke up and faced Crystalstar when she sensed her. "Did Spottedpaw come back last night?" she asked Crystalstar. Crystalstar's eyes widen. "I didn't see him, I'm sorry." she replied, shocked. "A patrol, consisting of you, me, and Cloudfur will look for him when the Dawn patrol gets back, they just left." Crystalstar rested her tail on the calico she cat's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find him." she murmured reassuringly. Specklefoot scuffled her paws on the ground worryingly. "Okay....I guess I could help. I do know his scent, I just can't see him." she mewed. "What does he look like?" she asked. " He is white with brown flecks on his back, tail, and sides." Crystalstar replied. "That makes sense." Specklefoot got up and went to the entrance of camp. She scrunched her nose. "Crystalstar! I smell something.... odd." she mewed. "What is it?" Crystalstar meowed puzzled. She padded up to Specklefoot and smelled a familiar scent. 'Flame...'  "Fire?" she didn't smell flame. The scent got closer. "F.....F-F.....Fox." 'Duh it's fox!' Crystalstar mentally face-pawed. 'I need to stop thinking of him! Wait.   FOX IS BAD!!!' "How close is it?" Crystalstar asked, forcing her voice to stop quivering. Crystalstar raced to find the Dawn patrol, she couldn't even hear Specklefoot yowl after her;  "CRYSTALSTAR! THE FOX IS CLOSE! DON'T KEEP GOING, YOU'LL DIE OUT THERE!"

"Wake up!" Nightspirit meowed to his sister. "Huh? What?" Sunheart meowed startled. "You fell asleep." Barkpelt meowed. "Again!" Nightspirit muttered. "Oh, sorry." she meowed between yawns. "It's fine." Barkpelt meowed calmly. "No. It's not fine." Nightspirit meowed. "Yeah it is." Barkpelt meowed defensively. "No, it's not because there's a fox scent." Nightspirit meowed. They all looked around cautiously. "Has it been here recently?" a nervous Sunheart asked. "It was just here." Nightspirit replied. "No it hasn't, the scent is stale." Barkpelt retorted. "Yes it is! I smell it!" Nightspirit argued. "Y-you're b-both right, .. it is s-stale, but w..w-what Nightspirit is smelling i-is r-right over there!" Sunheart stuttered, wide eyed at the orange creature a few tail lengths behind the two toms.

"Run."