Crowpaw watched the group of loners as they shared conversations and laughed. He couldn't help but feel proud of himself. In the few days since Peach and Merlin had followed Raindrop and Crowpaw home, they had settled right in. Omega had also showed up the following morning, he seemed to be struggling a little more to fit in, but the cats had welcomed him and he was a great hunter.
"It's been nice having some new faces around." Ivy purred, sitting beside Crowpaw as he watched his friends. "Last new face was yours, you're old news now."
Crowpaw chuckled. "They seem a lot more interesting than me."
"I don't know," Ivy nudged him. "A cat who talks to the stars and swims in rivers is pretty interesting." Crowpaw laughed along with Ivy and they continued sharing their squirrel. Crowpaw turned his head when he spotted movement coming from Cooper's den. He caught the leader's gaze and he couldn't help but feel unnerved by it. I'm really starting to think that Cooper doesn't like me.
Crowpaw dropped his head. He seemed like he did. He glanced over at Ivy who was still watching the others. Is it really because of her? I care so much for Ivy, and she's not a kit. She can make her own choices. Cooper started walking towards the two of them, Cooper rested his eyes on Ivy. "May I speak with you for a moment."
"Sure." Ivy purred and stood up, looking at Crowpaw. "I'll see you in a bit." She and Cooper padded into her den and Crowpaw rolled his eyes slightly. Anything to keep us apart.
Crowpaw wasn't far from the den, and he could hear their voices, he wasn't trying to eavesdrop but he couldn't help but strain his ears to listen. "Ivy, I don't know how to feel about this battle. How can we be sure that these rogues don't have a huge amount of cats behind them."
"Peach said that there's not that many rogues in the twolegplace, even less who will be willing to help a cat like Ripper." Ivy replied. "Crowpaw knows what he's doing, he grew up in a place that fought battles all the time."
"Didn't Crowpaw lose his father in a battle." Crowpaw's entire body went rigid as Cooper mentioned Blacksky. "I'm not about to risk losing you."
"You won't." Ivy assured him. "I'm not a kit, I know how to use my claws. Plus, Crowpaw has been teaching me extra fighting moves. Warrior fighting moves!"
"You're not a warrior, Ivy." Cooper's voice was lined with anger.
"What's your problem with Crowpaw? You invited him here and yet it seems like everything you see him you wanna claw his ears off. He's a great cat, he's a good hunter and he's so kind. Everyone here loves him and trusts him, myself included." Crowpaw's pelt burned. Ivy loves me? Is it that kind of love...or a friendship love?
"Crowpaw has been great to have around, yes, and I don't regret invited him to join us, but I did not invite him here to seduce my daughter and run off to the Clans with her!" Does he think I'm going to do that?
"Is that what this is about?" Ivy was starting to sound annoyed, Crowpaw had never heard her sound like that. "I'm not a helpless kit, how many times do I have to tell you that? Whatever is going on between me and Crowpaw is none of your business. I understand you love me, and that you're scared to lose me but I need you to trust me to make my own decisions."
"Ivy--"
"No, I'm done talking to you." Crowpaw quickly turned his attention back to the squirrel and took a bite. Ivy padded out of her den, looking incredibly annoyed. She sat down beside Crowpaw and stared at the ground. He had never seen her look so troubled.
"Everything okay?"
Ivy nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She took a small bite of the squirrel. "Don't worry." She looked at Crowpaw, the annoyance fading away and her green eyes sparkling, making Crowpaw's heart race.
Crowpaw and Ivy spent the rest of the day together, and Crowpaw took the time to reflect on his and Ivy's relationship. He had strong feelings for her, he wanted to spend every waking moment with her then dream of her when he closed his eyes. She's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.
As night rolled around Crowpaw looked longingly as Ivy padded into her den, he didn't want to sleep alone, he wanted to sleep beside her. He wanted to breathe in her sweet scent all night long and feel her warmth on the freezing night. I need to tell her how I feel. Crowpaw thought, his heart aching for her. Soon. Crowpaw told himself and padded into his own den, casting a glance at Leo was taking the night watch and eventually curled up into his nest.
Crowpaw dreamt of a field. He stood in the middle of it, breathing in the scent of flowers and grass. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. There was nothing as far as he could see, just flat grass. Where am I? He wondered and started walking forward, hoping to find anything.
Behind Crowpaw he heard a strange call, he whipped his head around and saw a crow circling overhead. Beneath it sat the unknown tortoiseshell she-cat that he had seen in his dreams before. Her eyes were mossy green and curious as they rested on Crowpaw. "Who are you?" He called out.
The she-cat said nothing, she just shook her head and her pelt started to fade away. "Wait!" Crowpaw started running towards her, but by the time he reached where she had been sitting, she was gone. His breathing was heavy and fear started to creep in. What's happening to me? Crowpaw questioned himself, he felt like he was going crazy.
Rogues! A deep voice sounded from beyond the field. Rogues attacking! Crowpaw's eyes went wide as he recognized the voice. "Leo!" Crowpaw shot up in his nest and scrambled out of his den where rogues had started to invade their little camp. The loners were already defending their home.
Sabra wrestled with a white she-cat who had a long scar down the side of her face. Her white pelt had splotches of blood on her white pelt, but Sabra seemed unharmed. Crowpaw ran into the fight, spotting a golden brown tabby tom. He jumped onto his back and sank his claws deep into the rogue's shoulders.
The tom snarled in pain and did his best to buck Crowpaw off, but Crowpaw held on tightly. He doesn't know the correct counter to this move. Crowpaw raised one paw and brought it down hard on the rogue's head. Crowpaw then jumped forward, off the rogue's head and landed in front of him.
He spat and lashed out with his claws, raking them across the tom's face. He stumbled back and shook his head, sending blood spraying across the ground. "Rat!" He spat and charged forward, ready to attack Crowpaw again.
Crowpaw shot to the side, avoiding any attack that the rogue might bring. He shot forward, slamming his body into the tom's side and sinking his teeth into his shoulder. The tom ripped away from Crowpaw's teeth, making his wound worse. Crowpaw's heart was racing, he hadn't felt the heat of battle since Blacksky died. I'm not going to let any of the cats I care about die here!
Crowpaw heard a shrill cry that sent pain through his heart. He whipped around, ignoring the rogue he was fighting and spotted Ripper. He had his back to Crowpaw and was cornering someone. Crowpaw's blood turned to ice when he realize who it was. Ivy! Ivy cowered before Ripple, hissing and lashing out with her claws. Behind her was the four kits.
"I'm not going to let you hurt these kits!" Ivy yowled.
"Then I'll just kill you to get to them. You're Cooper's daughter right? Your death will break him and he'll never show his face around here again!"
I don't think so. Crowpaw charged forward, he could feel his MoonClan blood running through his veins as he ran as fast as he could. Crowpaw jumped on Ripper's back and started slashing at his back. Ripper howled in pain and reared up on his hind legs, causing Crowpaw to fall to the ground. He clearly had more skill than his other rogues. Crowpaw jumped to his paws as quick as he could and braced himself for Ripper's claws.
The rogue clawed his cheek, but it wasn't deep as Crowpaw jumped backwards. "I'm going to make you regret ever coming here, forest cat!" Ripper spat and dived forward, his body colliding with Crowpaw's.
Crowpaw stood his ground, moving against Ripper and digging his claws into the rogue's flank. Ripper was thin and underfed, his claws cut through Ripper's pelt like cobwebs. Crowpaw felt teeth in his shoulder, dangerously close to his neck. Crowpaw kept slashing at Ripper's thin pelt until the rogue finally let go.
Crowpaw's wound hurt, but it wasn't bad. Crowpaw bared his teeth and shot forward. He recalled a move that Silverpool had taught him, he had only practiced it once but he wouldn't mess it up. My life depends on it. Crowpaw dropped to the ground and slipped underneath Ripper.
He battered the rogue's belly, blood splattered across his muzzle and Ripper jumped up and spun around on his paws. Crowpaw had to act quick as his own belly was exposed. He flipped over and jumped to his paws in time to avoid Ripper's next attack. Ripper's pelt was shredded and his gray tabby pelt was stained crimson with his own blood.
"Perhaps I underestimated you." Ripper spat, his stance looking shaky.
"Yeah, you did." Crowpaw stepped forward, speaking boldly. "But not just me, you underestimated every loner here. We don't control this forward, and you were told that you couldn't hunt here. You're the one who started this fight, it didn't have to be a war."
"I'll never hunt alongside cats like you." Ripper lashed his tail. "But I'm not going to die for you pieces of fox-dung."
Ripper turned and ran into the forest, it didn't take long for the other rogues to follow suit and left the clearing. While Crowpaw had been fighting Ripper, Ivy had ran along with the kits to her den. Crowpaw looked over the crowd, the only serious wounds seemed to be a deep scratch on Raindrop's flank and a bloody scar across Peach's muzzle.
"We did it!" Flint lifted his head. "We drove those rogues away! They'll never mess with us again!"
Crowpaw felt a rush of pride wash over him. I convinced them to battle, and we came out on top. The cats around him celebrated in joy, Ivy stepped out of her den with the four kits around her. They pounced over to their parents and Ivy looked at Crowpaw with shimmering eyes.
She had dried blood down the side of her head, Crowpaw hated that she had been wounded but it was clear that Ivy was still standing tall. The moonlight shimmered across her beautiful pelt and Crowpaw felt love sick. What an amazing cat.
"I have to say, Crowpaw," Crowpaw had been so infatuated with Ivy that he hadn't seen Cooper approach him. "Your plan worked out better than I thought." He looked over the loners. "Perhaps those warriors of yours know what they're talking about."
"We're not warriors." Crowpaw mewed. "I'll never be a warrior, and I'm okay with that." He looked up at Cooper. "I'm not ready to give this home up, and this home is worth fighting for." Cooper nodded slowly.
"For such a young cat you're quite wise." Cooper mewed, standing up. "Perhaps one day you could be leading this little band of loners." With a wave of his tail, Cooper padded over to Ivy to make sure that she was okay. I don't think so. Crowpaw thought. I'm happy right where I am.