Gray Skies - Book One

Chapter Two

Nightkit watched as the rest of the warriors on hunting patrols came back through the thorn tunnel and into the camp. There was Redbright, Talonswipe, and Hazelfire's patrol, Deadwing, Raccoonpaw, and Eaglefeather's patrol, Creekfeather, Sparkclaw, and Muddyrun's patrol, along with the rest of the warriors as they made their way into camp.

Nightkit watched every warrior come and go except for the one pelt she was looking for. The chocolate mackerel pelt of her father didn't make its way through the thorn tunnel with the rest of the patrols. The cats who had been on his patrol, Sharpbright and Windsnow, appeared by themselves, each carrying a mouse and a frog.

"Where's Crowbark?" Nightkit turned to face Crouchbeam who still sat next to the nursery. 

"I'm sure he's still out hunting," she reassured her daughter. "Crowbark has always been more loyal to his Clan than necessary." 

"But he's well respected by his Clanmates. I'd expect these kits to follow in his paw steps."

Nightkit turned around as a voice sounded behind her ear. It was a bulky gray and white she-cat with sparkling amber eyes. Nightkit knew this to be Brokenpad, a cat that Crouchbeam had grown up with and befriended as apprentices. 

"I'll be the most respected cat in ShadowClan, just you wait!" Hazelkit bounded over to Brokenpad and fluffed up her chest. "After I'm made a warrior, I'll be made deputy of ShadowClan. After I'm made deputy of ShadowClan, I'll be the leader of ShadowClan! I'll have a billion lives!" 

"High hopes, young one." Brokenpaw licked the kit's ear. "I expect that Nightkit has the same dreams as you?"

Nightkit shook her head. "I just want to serve my Clan as a loyal warrior."

"Bor-ing!" Hazelkit scoffed. "Being a leader is so much better!" 

Nightkit didn't want to argue with her sister. Hazelkit could go on and on about how being a leader was much better and more important than becoming a plan old warrior. But Nightkit couldn't wait to pass her apprentice training and earn her full name. Maybe it would be something cool like Nightwing, or something special like Nightshine.

But the thorn tunnel rustled at the camp entrance and a chocolate furred tom entered the camp. He was carrying two mice and a squirrel by their tails. ShadowClan cats didn't usually eat squirrels, but Nightkit liked the occasional taste of it instead of frogs or lizards.

Nightkit knew that the tom was Crowbark by the way he walked across the clearing. His chest was puffed up with pride for what he caught, and his paw steps were long, quick strides. His ears were stiff, and his whiskers barely moved in the slight breeze that rustled the pine trees overhead. He dropped his prey in the fresh-kill pile as other warriors congratulated him for what he'd caught.

"Crowbark!" Crouchbeam stood up and took a few steps forward. "Crowbark!" The repeated call of his name managed to get into Crowbark's ears and turn his head. His orange eyes lit with confusion before he saw his mate. He turned and muttered to his Clanmates before coming to stand next to Crouchbeam.

"What it is?" He grumbled with a quick look back at the cats behind him. Creekfeather, Minnowcall, Maggotspring, and Greengaze watched him expectantly from where they stood by the fresh-kill pile. 

"The kits are hungry," Crouchbeam flicked her tail toward Nightkit and Hazelkit who hurried to sit down beside their mother. Crowbark was a strict tom who liked order. Nightkit made sure her fur wasn't dirty and her back was straight as she sat down next to her sister and mother. She curled her fluffy brown and black tail over her black paws and looked up at her parents.

Crowbark looked down at the kits. Nightkit thought she looked just like Crowbark except for her black fur that mixed with her dark brown fur. Crowbark looked back at Crouchbeam and shrugged. "They're old enough, so why don't they feed themselves?"

Crouchbeam's ears flattened as Crowbark turned and padded back to his friends. Nightkit watched as Maggotspring pushed Crowbark's shoulder lightly with a red paw. Crowbark softly cuffed the tom's ear as Minnowcall grabbed a sparrow from the fresh-kill pile and brought it to the group of cats.

Hazelkit let out a whimper and tucked her paws under her chest. Crouchbeam leaned down beside her and nuzzled her ear. "What's wrong, dear?"

"Why doesn't Crowbark act like Fadingfire?" She whispered, looking over at the chocolate tabby tom. His orange eyes gleamed with laughter as he shared prey with his friends.

Crouchbeam pulled Nightkit closer to her and Hazelkit with a white furred paw. "You're a little young to be told this, but I don't like to lie. The Clan was running low on kits - the nursery was empty five moons ago - and I was trying to find a mate so I could raise my own family and help the Clan with producing more kits."

Nightkit nodded, interesting in what her mother was saying.

"I had an interest in Crowbark, so I approached him one day and asked him if we could become mates for a while. It was quite a risk- Crowbark is one among the more popular and respected warriors." Crouchbeam took a quick glance at her mate, her yellow eyes full of love for him. "But he agreed, and we soon had kits. But once I became a queen, he ignored me more. When I had you two, he didn't even come to comfort me or suggest names for you."

Hazelkit's eyes widened with disbelief, and Nightkit looked at her paws.

"I'm sorry you had to find out about it this way," Crouchbeam whispered. "But I still love you more than your father ever could. We're talking about how we would be better off alone, without being mates."

Nightkit looked up at her mother, her eyes meeting Crouchbeam's. "So Crowbark doesn't love any of us?"

"I wouldn't put it that way. A better way to word it would be that he has a special place in his heart for us that he doesn't express." 

Nightkit and Hazelkit nodded. That made her feel a bit better about her father. Crowbark was a respected and busy warrior. He had more things to worry about than his kits, so it made sense he had a space inside of him for just them. 

"I'm going to get that lizard Cottonkit had," Hazelkit purred, rushing off toward the fresh-kill pile. She grabbed the lizard from the outside of the pile of fresh-kill and brought it back over to Crouchbeam and Nightkit.

"Do you want some?" Hazelkit asked Crouchbeam before taking a bite of the prey like the white she-cat had taught them. 

"No thank you," Crouchbeam smiled warmly. "I'm not hungry right now. I'll catch something for myself later."

Hazelkit nodded and took a bite of the lizard. Nightkit did the same, savoring the forest-y taste of the fresh-kill and imaging she was out in ShadowClan's territory, hunting on her own for her Clan. 

I only have to wait for a few more days, she told herself. Then I can hunt just like the warriors!