Crowtalon's Madness/Chapter 1

Crowkit let out a squeal of delight as she hared after Juniperkit and Kestrelkit, the other two cats in the nursery. She loved being a kit, spending her days carefree. Especially when she could play games with the other two kits. ''They are so much fun! Kithood is truly the best! ''She thought contentedly as she caught up with Juniperkit and crashed into him, sending them tumbling right into the curve of Thrushsong's belly. The beautiful long-furred gray she-cat let out a purr as she was awoken from her slumber.

"Who has waken me up today?" she rumbled.

"Her!" Juniperkit squeaked, pointing his tail at Crowkit.

"No, you started the game!" Crowkit cried indignantly, and let out a fake fierce hiss, letting her soft, short fur fluff up.

"Ooooh, so scary!" Kestrelkit teased, a little over one tail-length away. As Crowkit began to chase after him with claws unsheathed, he let out a real squeak of terror and ran away, eventually hiding and burying his face in his mother, Sunpelt's fur. Crowkit tumbled over her head as she halted to a stop and ended up crashing into Kestrelkit. Juniperkit let out a giggle.

Thrushsong heaved herself up to her paws and stared outside to the pouring rain. "It's almost sundown soon and the rain still hasn't stopped," she mused. "The fresh-kill pile is probably all soaked."

"Houndfang took a hunting patrol out just now, Thrushsong. If you're so hungry, why don't you just lead a hunting patrol out instead?" Sunpelt quipped.

Thrushsong let out a sigh of longing. "I wish, but I have to take care of my only surviving kit. Webwhisker's too busy with hunting and border patrols to take over watching over Crowkit, though."

"Isn't Crowkit already weaned? Why are you still in the nursery then?" Sunpelt asked.

"After what had happened to the others..." Thrushsong meowed sadly.

Crowkit, who had been listening attentively to the conversation between the two queens, remembered the story that Thrushsong had told her, that her littermates, Harekit and Lightkit, had perished in a terrible storm, leaving Crowkit the only survivor of her mother's litter. That was why Thrushsong was so overprotective of Crowkit at first, and thought that she would die at any moment.

''Well, I will prove you wrong, Thrushsong! I will prove to you I am an independent and strong cat, and a survivor!''

Thrushsong had heaved herself up to her paws and lumbered out of the den, Crowkit tailing her. The rain had lifted slightly, and the clouds looking less heavy. Thrushsong looked hopeful that she could find some dry fresh-kill at the bottom of the soaked pile, Crowkit noted. As Crowkit watched her mother paw through the pile and pick out a vole that was not as drenched as the others, she felt a glimmer of hope that finally StarClan had lessened the rain so that ThunderClan could eat its fill.

Houndfang's patrol had returned not too long after Thrushsong had picked out the vole. As Crowkit teared off another lump of meat and chewed it, letting the forest flavors sing on her tongue, a flame orange tabby tom with cold green eyes entered the nursery and looked at Sunpelt, worry clouding his green gaze. Sunpelt looked up from washing herself and asked her mate, "What's wrong, Houndfang?"

"When I was taking my patrol out hunting, we saw a very suspicious scene. Maplestar wants to call a Clan meeting about this," Houndfang mewed. "I'd hoped you'll join me outside and get some fresh air."

"And get soaked in the rain?" Sunpelt huffed. "Alright, fine. But for StarClan's sake, please don't drag the kits along!"

Thrushsong had looked up from her vole she was sharing with Crowkit as well, ears pricked keenly. "Crowkit, would you like to join the Clan meeting with me?" she asked around her mouthful of vole.

Crowkit wolfed down the last morsels of the vole and swiped her tongue around her jaws to get some of the remaining juices before saying, "It sounds interesting."

Thrushsong purred. "It'll be fun. Your father will be there."

"Really?" Crowkit chirruped, thinking about Webwhisker, whom she hardly got to see. "Okay! I'll go!"

At that very moment, Maplestar's yowl sounded above the rain, loud and confident. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come gather for a Clan meeting!"

Warriors, who were mainly sleeping at the time, let out startled mews as they got to their paws and joined Maplestar at the Highledge. Crowkit saw Addertail and Snakeheart shoot a glare at Maplestar for waking them up from their snooze. She spotted Ravenflight and Brindlepelt sharing tongues, and her heart leaped when she saw a familiar figure hunched among the warriors.

''Webwhisker. I finally get a glimpse of you in weeks! ''Crowkit ran up to Webwhisker, who was a dark brown tabby tom with long whiskers and yellow eyes. He purred in surprise as Crowkit barreled into him, then rubbed his muzzle against her jaw.

"I'm so glad to see you, my precious kit," he mewed softly. "I've been busy for the past moon that I've hardly had time to see you grow."

Thrushsong padded up to Webwhisker as well, licking his ear. "I'm glad you are safe," she breathed.

Webwhisker shrugged. Then his face seemed like he just remembered something.

"Not in front of her!" he hissed, pointing his tail at Crowkit.

Crowkit tipped her head curiously. What is Webwhisker and Thrushsong hiding from me?

Maplestar began to speak. "Remains of birds have been found near the Twolegplace border. It seems those bold kittypets that had been troubling ShadowClan recently have returned."

"How do you know what's going on?" Deathpaw challenged the leader boldly.

Ravenflight and Brindlepelt glared at their kit, but Maplestar did not seem to have been unsettled by the bold apprentice's challenge. "Houndfang, if you care to explain to Deathpaw."

"Cats wearing collars were seen leaving the scene of the remains. Their pace was brisk, and their heads were close together as they walked, as if discussing urgently." Houndfang growled.

Deathpaw's neck fur began to bristle. "How dare they! Those filthy kittypet scum, why don't we teach them a lesson?"

"Shut it! Did I ever teach you to be that rude?" Ravenflight snapped at his son, his fur fluffing up. Brindlepelt soothed him, running her tail down his spine.

Crowkit was slightly unnerved by the interaction between father and son. How could family bonds be so fragile? she wondered as she saw Deathpaw's neck fur flatten and him sulkily looking away.

Maplestar waited until the Clan was settled again before deciding to open her mouth to speak again. However, she was cut off by a rustling of the thorn barrier, and as the rain finally lifted and the clouds dissipate, a cream, heavily scarred tom with brown patches, ear tips, tail tips and striking blue eyes emerged from the thorns, an impossibly large group of what seemed to be kittypets trailing behind him.

"My name is Jackal," the tom snarled, his hackles lifting as he scanned the crowd of cats in front of him. "We're here to teach you how to stop meddling in everyone's affairs."