The twolegs had returned, and this time it was exactly what Crowpaw feared. There were many more of them and they not only brought dogs but monsters as well. Crowpaw didn't even dare poke his head out of his den, but the sounds of barking and the roar of the monsters that approached had woken him up. He was terrified to even move for fear that a dog would scent him. From what he could hear there was more than one dog as well. He hoped that nothing would come out to his den and he would be safe until they left.
It had been almost half a moon since the first twolegs showed up and he was hoping that they would never come back, he had been sorely mistaken. I should've left when they first showed up. I could be in a lot of danger here. He thought, trying to hide as far in the back of his den as he could.
Crowpaw remained still for a long time, his limbs starting to ache but the sound of the twolegs and their dogs didn't go away. He flattened his ears and tensed at every bark that sounded near him. He closed yes eyes, praying to StarClan that they wouldn't find him. The last time the twolegs came here, they didn't wander near his den but these twolegs were different.
Crowpaw heard splashing dangerously close to his den, followed by the sharp sound of barking. Crowpaw's heart stopped as the splashing grew closer, he could see the shadow of a dog outside his den. The twolegs shouted, but the dog didn't respond to them. Blood turned to ice as a black and white spotted dog head peered into Crowpaw's den.
Crowpaw unsheathed his claws and hissed at the dog. The dog started barking furiously it's paws scraping at the stone den. Crowpaw's heart pounded in his chest, he had to run. He could hear more dogs running towards him. Taking a deep breath, Crowpaw ran forward. His claws raked across the dog's big black nose, drawing blood. The dog let out a yelp and stumbled backwards into the water, tripping over its own big, clumsy paws.
Crowpaw jumped out of the den, past the dog and landed awkwardly on a stone in the river. His paws nearly slipped, but Crowpaw leaped once more. He landed on the bank of the river and took off running as fast as possible. He could hear barking and the twolegs' confused shouting but he didn't look back.
Crowpaw ducked into the trees, terrified that the dogs had given chase and for a while he could hear distant barking. The barking, however, soon faded and the only sound was his own exhausted breathing. He stopped running to take a breath and sit down, his heart still raced but he managed to relax slightly.
Crowpaw looked around, he was still in the forest but he was quite far from his den. I can't go back there. He dropped his head. Too many twolegs. Crowpaw stood up, wondering if he should stay in this forest at all. There could be twolegs all throughout the forest. It's time to move on. He let out a quiet sigh and looked towards the river, thankful that it travelled through the whole forest. As long as I can see the river I have water.
Crowpaw caught a quick mouse before moving ahead, not wanting to travel on an empty stomach. Not knowing where he was going, or what was beyond the forest: Crowpaw pushed forward.
He wondered how big the forest was, was there another twolegplace past it? Or another field? Crowpaw let the questions wander and kept walking. The entire time he had been gone from MoonClan, he hadn't found another cat with the exception of the kittypet he saw and Silverpool. His heart ached slightly for someone to talk to, but he wasn't going to go looking. If there were cats around here, he wouldn't know how to act around them or even how they would act around here. He couldn't imagine there being any Clan cats out here, just kittypets, rogues and loners. He certainly hoped that he would find a cat before he found another dog.
Crowpaw walked until dusk, still nothing but forest ahead of him. As usual, he felt as if he was the only one in the forest but after his encounter with twolegs and dogs, he knew better than to believe that. He needed a safe place to sleep for the night, he was too scared to travel through the forest at night and exhaustion was quickly taking its.
After searching for a while, Crowpaw found an old tree. Its roots torn out of the ground like claws, making a small den underneath the tree. Crowpaw gave it a sniff, only finding the scent of mud and wood. He climbed inside, the feeling of the damp mud was cooling, but also uncomfortable. He settled down to sleep, but it didn't come easily.
For a while, Crowpaw was starting to feel at home in his den, but part of him knew that it wouldn't last. Would he ever find a new, permanent home? Or would he forever be wandering? Moving from place to place without sustaining a forever home? Crowpaw really hoped he would find a new home, a place where he truly belonged. He closed his eyes, his mind floating back to MoonClan.
How were they? It was greenleaf, prey must be running well and the rivers full of fish. What did Owlstar say about him at the gathering? Would he say anything at all, or just pretend that everything was alright? Crowpaw had been on his own for about a moon, he remembered looking up at the full moon, wondering how the gathering went. It would've been his third gathering, it was hard to believe that he had already been gone for so long.
Maybe MoonClan had forgotten about him altogether. That thought was Crowpaw's final before he fell asleep. His dreams were weak, he saw shimmering stars and strange tortoiseshell she-cat that he had never seen before. She had stars in her fur and shimmering green eyes, and she looked scared.
She was gone quicker than she appeared when Crowpaw opened his eyes and found the sun shining into his den. It was nearly sunhigh and Crowpaw could already feel the powerful heat of greenleaf, today was going to be a very hot day. He would have to stick by the river, he just hoped there would be no twolegs.
Crowpaw climbed out of his nest, shaking dry bits of mud out of his pelt and breathing in the warm air. The sun's rays burned into his black fur, he had a feeling today would be a long, exhausting day of travel. He had to do it though, there was more beyond this forest that he needed to see.
Crowpaw found and caught a mouse to eat before walking to the river. He took a heavy drink, cooling him down and filling him with energy for today's walk. Crowpaw walked alongside the bank, enjoy the soft, cool sand between his toes. He was grateful for this river every day that he lived beside it. He just hoped that it went on for a long time.
Crowpaw walked, the sweltering heat making each paw step harder than the last. He had to stop very often to soothe his dry mouth. This was the hottest day he had experienced in his journey, and he longed to rest but refused to without making significant progress. He was on a mission.
The sun did not give out, beaming down powerful heat and making every pawstep feel much heavier. When he felt like he could no longer move forward, Crowpaw would climb into the cold river and cool his body for a few moments, then continue forward. He kept eyeing the sky, looking for any signs of dusk but this felt like the longest day of his life.
Crowpaw's hopes were slightly lifted when the trees of the forest began to thin out, he was reaching the end of it. Crowpaw picked up his pace, the sun was starting to fall and he was almost out of the forest.
Finally, the trees stopped and opened up to a large field, similar to the one on the other side. However, he could see twolegnests in the distance. This twolegplace didn't seem as big as the other one, there were no thunderpaths and the nests were scattered about. Crowpaw walked through the field, still keeping his eye on the river which still flowed strong.
Crowpaw neared one of the twolegnests, staying low to the ground and keeping a nose out for any sign of dogs. There was a flurry of scents, none of them dog, and most of them Crowpaw didn't recognize. The only one he did, was a cat.
The cat scent was strong, he assumed that there was a kittypet who lived around here. The sun was falling and the world around Crowpaw was growing darker, he would have to find shelter soon. The heat was no longer an issue, but he didn't want to sleep in the open.
Crowpaw looked around, there were several twolegnests. One of them was large and the others were smaller. Behind the large twoleg nest was a weird pen with strange animals. They were large and brown, making strange noises and eating grass. Their feet were hard and solid. That could break a cat's spine. Crowpaw realized with a chill.
"Hey there stranger." An unexpected voice caused Crowpaw to jump and spin around, claws extended. He found himself face to face with a sleek, black she-cat. Her eyes were a shocking icy blue. They weren't malicious, just curious. The she-cat's tail twitched with interest. "Didn't mean to scare you." She dipped her head. "I just don't see many cats around here. You lost?"
"Um," Crowpaw shuffled his paws awkwardly. Was he lost? "Not really, just wandering." He replied.
"Where'd you come from? I didn't know that cats lived in that forest. It's a popular place for housefolk in greenleaf." The she-cat looked over her shoulder at the forest where Crowpaw had come from.
So I've learned. He twitched his ears. "No, I came from beyond the forest. I've been travelling for over a moon."
"Wow." The she-cat looked impressed. "Sounds like you've been on quite the journey. You're pretty brave to travel all that way."
"Thanks." Crowpaw looked away, feeling awkward.
"Do you have a place to sleep tonight? It's getting late and it's pretty dangerous around here at night. You don't want to be caught out."
"I don't have a place yet, but I'm sure I'll find one." Crowpaw explained.
"Well, if you want you could stay here." The kittypet motioned towards a red twoleg nest.
"Sorry," Crowpaw stepped back. "I have no interest in staying with twolegs." The thought of it nearly made him sick.
"Twolegs, huh?" The she-cat chuckled. "Well you won't be staying with "twolegs", you'll be staying in a barn. It's full of mice and my housefolk don't go in there often. You'll have a nice, comfortable place to sleep with plenty of food. You don't have to if you don't want to but I'd feel bad if I didn't offer."
The thought of food and a comfortable place to sleep was nearly enough to convince Crowpaw right then and there. "Well--" He stuttered. "Can I see it first?"
The she-cat nodded. "Of course, follow me." She began leading him towards the twoleg nest. "So, what's your name?"
"Crowpaw." He replied, looking around and seeing other strange animals.
"Weird name." The she-cat said quietly, with a laugh. "My name is Sheba. It's nice to meet you."
"You as well." Sheba walked with confidence towards the barn, seemingly not aware of the weird animals that made Crowpaw want to turn and run.
"Here we are." Sheba pushed open the entrance to the barn with her head. When Crowpaw stepped in he could smell a strong scent of mouse. The floor was covered in hay, which looked inviting to sleep in. "You can stay here for as long as you'd like. If you want to leave the moment you wake up you're welcome to do so as well." Sheba looked at Crowpaw, waiting for his answer.
"I'll stay," He replied. "For tonight at least." He stepped inside, the scent of mouse making his mouth water. "Thank you." He dipped his respectfully.
"My pleasure, Crowpaw." Sheba purred. "I always like to help cats in need. If you need anything else you can find me in my house." She turned away, leaving Crowpaw by himself in the barn. He quickly started hunting, catching enough mice to fill his belly. It was the most full he had been since he started on his journey.
Crowpaw made himself a nest in the hay, finding it quite comfortable even if it was slightly pokey. He closed his eyes, find it slightly hard to sleep with all the strange sounds of the animals all around him, but after his exhausting trek in the heat, he welcomed sleep.