Post by ShinoDino first of her name! on Jun 16, 2014 11:18:27 GMT -6
Precisely at moonhigh, the dark tabby leader exited her den and, without so much as a nod to any cat, scaled the Twisted Tree in leaps and bounds that belied the older she-cat she was becoming. Her dark navy eyes scanned the clearing and she cast a quick glance at the moon, sending a prayer to StarClan.
I live for my Clan and I will give up my last three lives for them if need be,
she vowed silently.
"All StarClan cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Twisted Tree!"
she yowled, hearing her meow echo across the clearing and surrounding territory. She watched Icepaw exit the apprentice's den, the apprentice's silver belly flashing in the moonlight, contrasting with her snowy pelt. Crowheart, too, appeared with fresh bandages on his torn ear. She could see his light blue and gray eyes glimmering out of his nearly invisible black body.
Stonestar knew the warriors would not like the idea of extra patrols, nor the apprentices the idea of being accompanied everywhere. But being a leader was not a popularity contest. She had never cared about opinions anyway. She cared about the safety of her beloved Clanmates and the future of SkyClan.
Crowheart padded out of the medicine cat's den at Stonestar's call, unsurprised. He had expected her to call a meeting after Icepaw's kidnapping. Rouges on the territory, especially such vicious ones, could not be overlooked. He raised a scruffy paw to his mouth and began to clean the claws there, feeling the torn edges, remnants of the battle. He saw the suspicious glances some of the warriors gave him and he tried to ignore how they still shifted away from him. As if he carried some sort of harmful disease.
Even after his heroics with the rescue patrol very few cats trusted him. Remarkably, little Icepaw had never showed him any animosity, despite her calculating and somewhat frosty nature. He turned his head to see the snowy apprentice making her way towards him. He sighed. At least one cat didn't grimace at the sight of him.
"Hello Icepaw."
Her silver belly scrapped the moss of her nest as she rose, sore from her battle training with Darkwing. He had given her the rest of the day off to recover, both mentally and emotionally, but she still felt her tired muscles as she walked to the Tree. She saw her mother up there, powerful and calm. The announcement was not news to her; she had seen Stonestar and Frecklewhisker talking for the last couple of days since the rescue patrol's return.
"Hello Crowheart,"
she replied back to the tom. Her yellow eyes had regained more of their frosty, calculating luster, but held a softness that she tried to show, sparingly.
"Thank you again for being a part of the patrol to rescue me. It's good to be home."
She heard the older tom's pleased purr and gave him a half smile before settling on the grass a tail-length from him, casting a stern glance to some of the younger apprentices who were whispering unkind things about Crowheart.