Dark Sky

Chapter eight

This is Birdclaw

This is Shadefeather (please forget the cat's creepy face)

This is Featherfoot

This is Beepaw

This is Sandpaw

And this is Vinefoot (is it normal to really like your own characters?)

Birdclaw was in the medicine den because of a thorn lodged deep in her pad. Beepaw quickly removed it and gently spread a poultice over the small wound to prevent infections.

She sighed with relief. Today, Snowstorm had sent almost everyone to hunting patrol, because the clan needed to grow strong before leaf-bare.

Owlwing and Ravenleaf were out gathering herbs before the cold burned them.  She, Beepaw, the queens and the elders were the only one in the camp right now.

Suddently, Birdclaw smelled something different than the herb scent floating in the den. The horrible scent bathed her tong. Blood.

Shadefeather staggered in the den. Her she was covered in scratches.

Beepaw and Birdclaw raced to her and the calico she-cat caught her as she collapsed. She gently laid her down on one of the empty nests.

Beepaw sent her to fetch cobwebs and she came back with a pawful. As Beepaw tried her best to stop the bleeding, Birdclaw's heart was racing as fast as a hare, trying to escape, like everytime she saw Shadefeather.

Also, her mind was working full speed. Who did this? What happened? If I found the one that hurted her, I'll KILL them! Will she survive? The last one freaked her and she couldn't get it out of her head.

Beepaw pulled her away from her thoughts. "Birdclaw? Birdclaw! BIRDCLAW!". She snapped back to reality.

"Calm down, she'll be alright, but we must move her in her nest in the nursery."

"Okay"

"I'll heave her on your back and I'll walk beside you to make sure she doesn't fall." Birdclaw crouched and Beepaw carefully pulled her and placed her on the she-cat's back.

The strong Birdclaw rose up no problem, and slightly blushed whe she realised how akward the situation was. She blushed even more when she realised their pelts were touching.

"Ooooh! Someone has a crush!", said Beepaw, shooting her a teasing glance.

"Oh, shut up!", she muttered, flustered.

--- POV switch because I can

Sandpaw was coming back to the camp, a huge squirrel in his jaws. His first day as an apprentice was amazing!

In the morning, Vimefoot had shown him the whole territory, and he saw the lake. It was so huge! Sandpaw had never seen so much water. Then, they went battle training with Briarstar and Brookpaw, his apprentice and Vinefoot's daughter. Damn, she was incredibly good at fighting, he lost every single time. In the evening, they had joined Redleaf, Hazelbush and Bloompaw for a tree climbing session. He loved to climb, to feel the wind on his fur when he jumped from branch to branch, from tree to tree. It was definitly his forte, and he was able to climb higher than Bloompaw, who had more experience than him. He even caught a squirrel, the one he was carrying right now.

Now that the day was almost over, his exitement was drooping and he realised he was exhausted.

After giving his squirrel to the elders, he took a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and dragged it toward Embertail. As they ate, he told her about his day, but he noticed that she was distant.

"Embertail, are you ok?", he asked, and she told him that Shadefeather was hurt, and that none knew what happened to her. Something in her voice told him that she was lying to him.

He felt sad that she didn't trusted him enough to tell him, but he realised that maybe she didn't want anyone around them to know.

--- POV switch again yolo

Fernflower was coming back from a hunting patrol. He dropped his catch on the fresh-kill pile, took a scrawny sparrow for himself and settled down beside Birdclaw.

Her and Fernflower had trained together, and they were best friends since then. Everyone thought they loved each other, but they thought it was pretty funny since Birdclaw liked she-cats better, and he had a thing for toms.

He looked at her and immediatly noticed something was wrong. Worry clouded her gaze and she was nervously glancing at the nursery every two seconds.

A shrew layed, intact, in front of her. Huh. Odd. What's on her mind? After a few moments of intense reflexion, he found it.

He knew that Birdclaw had always had a huge crush on Shadefeather. Now, the she-cat she loved was pregnant with an unknown tom's kits. That must be what bothered her out of her fur.

He knew her well enough to know she wanted company, but didn't wanted to talk about her problems, so they ate in silence, his flank brushing her's, and both went to sleep earlier that night.