Crowstar's Mission {COMPLETE}

Chapter 6

"Too busy to see your best friends?" Icekit asked, pouting. Crowpaw could tell she was just joking, but his guilt grew. He should've seen them a lot more.

"Give the poor cat a break." Frostkit nudged her sister. "He's a big, important apprentice now."

"Did you learn how to hunt at night yet?" Dovekit asked, tumbling over her brother and sister to get to Crowpaw, Nightkit followed closely behind.

"Not yet." Crowpaw mewed, Dovekit and Nightkit dropped their heads slightly. "But I'm sure it's going to be soon."

"Are you doing anything right now?" Icekit questioned. "Like going out hunting or something?"

Crowpaw shook his head. "Not that I know of, I'm going to the gathering tonight."

"I can't wait to go to my first gathering." Frostkit's tail twitched with excitement. "Are you going to make a friend from another Clan?" She questioned with sparkling green eyes.

"If I can." Crowpaw replied, wondering if it was smart or not to make friends from other Clans. He thought about meeting Jaggedpaw before he became an apprentice. Maybe Jaggedpaw would be there, he remembered the apprentice being kind. However, Crowpaw wasn't sure if he even felt like making friends, he would probably be sticking near Blacksky the entire time.

"By the next gathering we'll be apprentices, maybe we'll be able to go." Icekit nudged her sister before turning back to Crowpaw. "And then you could show us everything."

Crowpaw enjoyed that idea, having friends to spend time with instead of just his mentor and father. He felt distant from the other apprentice's, they were all siblings and incredibly close. Amberpaw was kind most of the time, but had a very sharp edge to her and Cedarpaw was always at her side to back her up, no matter how rude or absurd she was being. The only apprentice Crowpaw even remotely spent time with was Cinderpaw when she went training with them.

"Crowpaw!" Crowpaw turned his head, Silverpool's voice pulling him out of his thoughts. His mentor was standing near the leader's den where the Clan was starting to gather. "It's time to go." Crowpaw stood up and looked at the group of kits.

"Tell us about it when you get back!" Frostkit jumped up, twitching her whiskers with excitement. "You better tell us everything!"

Crowpaw nodded. "I promise I will." He mewed, trying to keep his voice lifted before he turned and made his way to Silverpool. Blacksky approached the two of them as he reached the group. Riverlight wasn't anywhere in the group, probably sleeping in the warrior's den as she normally did. Crowpaw couldn't help but feel grateful that she wasn't coming along, he would have a night away from her and her venomous glares.

"If we're all ready," Owlstar spoke up. "We should get going." Owlstar began leading the Clan out of camp with Cloudwind at his side. Crowpaw walked in between Silverpool and Blacksky with nerves silently clawing at him. They walked through the moorland, the late night newleaf breeze stirring their fur. He breathed in the comforting scent of the moorland and the surrounding rivers, trying to calm his nerves.

Crowpaw felt a cat nudge him and he looked to see Blacksky, his yellow eyes giving him a reassuring look that lifted his spirits slightly. Crowpaw struggled to hold his head high, but he managed.

The river came into view, as did the trees that surrounded that gathering hollow. This is the first time he would be seeing the leaders of SunClan and AshClan, he had already seen Birdstar. She looked very old, Crowpaw wondered how old she was. MoonClan reached the river, the cats stepping in with ease.

Crowpaw stepped into the water, the soft sand underneath his paws felt calming and relaxing as did the cool water against his pelt. For a moment he longed to swim again, they hadn't gone swimming since his initial lesson. He got out of the water along with Blacksky and Silverpool, shaking water from their pelts and continuing forward.