Darkened skies (UNFINISHED)

One

Hawkpaw was bristling with excitement. Today was the day of her naming ceremony! She had passed her final assessment a while ago, but Driftstar was ill, and on his last life, so Hawkpaw had to wait.

Driftstar was still ill, but he agreed to let Flamespark, Hawkpaw's brother and deputy do the ceremony, once when Flamespark offered to do it.

Flamespark is so kind and helpful. I want to be like him when I'm a warrior. Taking care of Beachclan like that....

Her thoughts were interrupted by a yowl across the camp. It was Flamespark.
"Driftstar has greencough!"

Hawkpaw gave a gasp of both suprise and worry. I mean... I should have expected it. He was badly ill..... What if the illness spreads across the clan!? What if something bad happens to Driftstar? Like... Like death.

Flamespark rushed toward her.
"Hawkpaw! Your ceremony will be put off.. Do you know where Hollyfur keeps her poppy seeds? Or was it catmint for greencough?"
He bounded toward the medicine den, and then disappeared.

Hawkpaw sighed. She needed some time to think. Flamespark had no time to speak to her, and there was no one else to speak to with Driftstar sick, and Hollyfur busy, so Hawkpaw padded out onto the sandy, misty beach, and gave a polite nod to Rainflight, who have her a warm blink in reply.

It was a cloudy day. Hawkpaw could feel the gentle patter of rain on her tabby pelt. It wasn't too cold either, but certainly not warm. A cool breeze swept over her, ruffling her pelt ever so slightly. Hawkpaw jumped up a pile of rocks and gazed out to sea.
The tide's out far today...
Hawkpaw continued her trek across the lonely, sandy beach, until she reached a great pile of small boulders.
Ratrocks.
Hawkpaw may as well start hunting while she was out. At that moment, the clan needed more food than ever.

She could see some movement in some rocks below her.
A seagull. That'll feed Driftstar and keep him strong!!
Hawkpaw began stalking her prey. She crouched down, and moved slowly, with great caution, just like her mentor, Woodberry had said. Hawkpaw paused, she's fixed on the gull.
And pounce!
Hawkpaw clawed the gull, struggling out of her grasp. Feathers flew everywhere. Soon she got to its neck, and sunk her teeth in. The struggling bird went limp, and Hawkpaw dragged her prey back to camp.

"Flamespark, look! I caught a gull for Driftstar!" Hawkpaw mewed to the busy ginger tom in the medicine den entrance.

"Great, Hawkpaw, to give it to him... I'm too busy for you at the moment." Flamespark meowed, and stepped aside to let her come through.

"Driftstar... I brought you something..." Hawkpaw layed out her prey, in front of the weak leader.
"Sshh.... Let him sleep.." Hollyfur whispered . "Now you catch some more prey, and get some rest.. You'll need it."

Hawkpaw gave a brisk nod, and trotted out of the den. She looked around. The camp was deserted, except for the few warriors that had just come back from the dawn patrol.

The clouds seemed to have cleared away a bit, and Hawkpaw felt the late spring sun, warm on her pelt.
Now would be a good time to nap in the sun....
But no. Hawkpaw had to hunt for the clan, before she even thought of resting. She bounced out of camp, to Ratrocks again, and began to hunt.

Hawkpaw had caught three rats, and a seagull. She then turned to go back to camp when she saw something in the corner of her eye...

It was a cave. There had been large holes in the cliff before, but the rocks had only recently fell away to reveal the entrance. Hawkpaw immediately pelted back to camp, chucked the fresh kill on the pile, and raced back to where the cave was. She took a step inside..

It was beautiful! A small waterfall rushed down the wall, from a crevice in the wall of the cave, and Sun blazed into it. Where the light landed, a large tree had grown, and wrapped its roots around the smooth rock beneath Hawkpaw's paws, and made little holes in the ground that looked like little dens. Hawkpaw clawed herself up the roots and trunk of the large tree, until she got to the middle where the branches split.
The tree was up against the wall of the cave, and there was a small pile of stones in the middle of the tree that looked like it was not supposed to be there. Hawkpaw pawed the rocks away, until they toppled down the tree trunk, and splashed into the base of the trickling waterfall.

She turned to where the rocks were, to see a tunnel that had been previously hidden. And, being her curious self, Hawkpaw wriggled into the small entrance, and slinked her way through.

It was a long walk, or about a minute, Hawkpaw couldn't tell, but either way, she was getting tired, and was prepared to turn tail and go back to camp, when she saw light at the end of the tunnel. She used her last burst of energy to shoot herself up the tunnel as swift as a cheetah runs.

The area she found herself in a as high above Beachclan camp, high above the beach, but below Cliffclan territory. Hawkpaw had found herself on a cliff ledge next to the Moon Falls. Hawkpaw felt like no cat had ever been here before.
Most likely not, though. The tunnels were clearly dug out by cat paws...
The grassy clifftop was coated with pines, and Hawkpaw could feel the cool, refreshing spray of the waterfall of her pelt. She lay down, and drifted off to a deep....Sleep.....