Post by Black Widow on Jun 26, 2011 14:46:13 GMT -5
A cat lifted its nose to the sky and sniffed the air, his nose twitching and his mouth half open. He lowered his head again and stared out over the plain from his vantage point on the hill.
"It's clear," he growled. Two cats, one on each side, appeared next to him. One was a calico she-cat with green eyes, and another was a dark brown and black tom with dark blue eyes.
"Then let's go," said the brown and black tom. He started forward, and the calico quickly followed. A young white and tan she-cat with light blue eyes ran past the tom standing on the hill, and then passed by her elders. The brown tom scolded his apprentice, and the white she-cat stopped, to follow her mentor again, slowly and with her ears down.
An orange and white tom with yellow eyes appeared at the first tom's shoulder. He watched the group of three walking towards the border with a happy expression.
"We chose the right place, Nighthawk," he purred, "StarClan has been kind to us." The dark gray tom next to him didn't look at him when he answered.
"StarClan had nothing to do with this," he growled darkly, "This was all the will of the cats who dared leave their homes to travel here." The orange and white tom grunted.
"Ever the pessimistic, I see," he laughed, "Well, curse StarClan if you will. I for one will choose to continue to thank them, just like so many of our ancestors have done." Nighthawk growled at the tom.
"You choose to continue the old ways," he retorted, "When we left the lake as young apprentices because we did not wish to follow the old ways." The tom shook his head.
"No, Nighthawk," he meowed, sighing, "Maybe that's why you left, but that's not why I left. I left because they enforced the old ways too harshly." The tom sighed again and followed his other clanmates. Nighthawk continued sitting on the hill, watching the others walk away. He realized that someone was missing, and he sat down and waited patiently.
Hailstorm slowly went up to him. She sat down and gazed longingly at her friends down the hill. Her clanmates were so happy. They had nothing to worry about. Everything in their new home was so perfect. But this had always been Hailstorm's home.
"I saw him again today," she said quietly. Nighthawk's ears flicked, but he didn't respond. "He was sitting by the lake. It kind of scares me that he was so close to camp, and no one knew about it. If he can get that close without being detected, so can someone else."
"You knew about it," Nighthawk pointed out. Hailstorm sighed.
"I just wish I knew why he was here," she murmured, "I wish I knew why he would suddenly show up again, when he hasn't seen me in thirty five moons." Then she added, even quieter, "I can hardly remember him. Before, all I could remember was a few scattered words and a blurred face. And now he's back."
"He's your father," Nighthawk said calmly, "He wants to see you now that you've grown up. It's not exactly strange." Hailstorm looked at her paws, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions.
"I know," she meowed, "It's just...hard." Nighthawk sighed and looked at her.
"Listen, Hailstorm," he said, "Maybe you should just talk to him. You might be able to go out one day and search for him. Maybe he'll find you." Hailstorm shook her head.
"I don't know," she sighed, looking at her friend, "I just don't think I'm ready to meet him, yet. And I don't think he is, either."
"Well, come on," Nighthawk replied softly, "The others are getting away."
"It's clear," he growled. Two cats, one on each side, appeared next to him. One was a calico she-cat with green eyes, and another was a dark brown and black tom with dark blue eyes.
"Then let's go," said the brown and black tom. He started forward, and the calico quickly followed. A young white and tan she-cat with light blue eyes ran past the tom standing on the hill, and then passed by her elders. The brown tom scolded his apprentice, and the white she-cat stopped, to follow her mentor again, slowly and with her ears down.
An orange and white tom with yellow eyes appeared at the first tom's shoulder. He watched the group of three walking towards the border with a happy expression.
"We chose the right place, Nighthawk," he purred, "StarClan has been kind to us." The dark gray tom next to him didn't look at him when he answered.
"StarClan had nothing to do with this," he growled darkly, "This was all the will of the cats who dared leave their homes to travel here." The orange and white tom grunted.
"Ever the pessimistic, I see," he laughed, "Well, curse StarClan if you will. I for one will choose to continue to thank them, just like so many of our ancestors have done." Nighthawk growled at the tom.
"You choose to continue the old ways," he retorted, "When we left the lake as young apprentices because we did not wish to follow the old ways." The tom shook his head.
"No, Nighthawk," he meowed, sighing, "Maybe that's why you left, but that's not why I left. I left because they enforced the old ways too harshly." The tom sighed again and followed his other clanmates. Nighthawk continued sitting on the hill, watching the others walk away. He realized that someone was missing, and he sat down and waited patiently.
Hailstorm slowly went up to him. She sat down and gazed longingly at her friends down the hill. Her clanmates were so happy. They had nothing to worry about. Everything in their new home was so perfect. But this had always been Hailstorm's home.
"I saw him again today," she said quietly. Nighthawk's ears flicked, but he didn't respond. "He was sitting by the lake. It kind of scares me that he was so close to camp, and no one knew about it. If he can get that close without being detected, so can someone else."
"You knew about it," Nighthawk pointed out. Hailstorm sighed.
"I just wish I knew why he was here," she murmured, "I wish I knew why he would suddenly show up again, when he hasn't seen me in thirty five moons." Then she added, even quieter, "I can hardly remember him. Before, all I could remember was a few scattered words and a blurred face. And now he's back."
"He's your father," Nighthawk said calmly, "He wants to see you now that you've grown up. It's not exactly strange." Hailstorm looked at her paws, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions.
"I know," she meowed, "It's just...hard." Nighthawk sighed and looked at her.
"Listen, Hailstorm," he said, "Maybe you should just talk to him. You might be able to go out one day and search for him. Maybe he'll find you." Hailstorm shook her head.
"I don't know," she sighed, looking at her friend, "I just don't think I'm ready to meet him, yet. And I don't think he is, either."
"Well, come on," Nighthawk replied softly, "The others are getting away."