Hello everyone! Sorry it's been such a strange update schedule, but we're moving along nonetheless!
Thanks for the reviews ^^ I actually really want to answer, but I'm afraid I'd spoil! But I read them all, so I hear you!
Chapter 7
When Fallstripe awoke the next morning, a brisk wind and heavily overcast sky greeted her as she exited the warriors' den. Squinting her eyes and fluffing up her short fur against the chilling breeze, she stumbled toward the group of warriors who surrounded Coalspark at the base of highledge, awaiting their daily tasks.
She gave a yawn, still half asleep, and sat down, using a hind paw to scratch beneath her ear then stood up, a little more awake as she listened attentively to the deputy. "Mallowpelt, take Lightpool, Darkleap, and Cloudpaw and go hunt along the WindClan border. Make sure you don't get too close to the border, but close enough that WindClan will see we are present at all times," the large deputy's voice rose above the chatter between the cats and the specified cats started gathering at the camp's exit.
"Next, Sootfall, take two or three cats and hunt by the sycamore. We've had reports of fox scent in that area, though nothing to suggest it has made a den in the area. But keep your guard up. Sagelight, you'll lead the sun-high patrol, take Smokeclaw, Flintpaw, and Duskleap with you, the four of you can rest until then though-" Coalspark frowned, "I don't see Flintpaw, Smokeclaw, have him tend to the elders until it's time to leave, the rest of you should see Rainfall and Gorsewhisker, who are in charge of leaf-bare preparations."
Sootfall quickly picked Spottedwing, Crowflight, and Sootfur and led the trio out of camp, leaving the camp right behind Mallowpelt's patrol, the young gray tom seemed unusually serious as he solemnly gave orders to his patrol and Fallstripe saw Cloudpaw make a joke to Lightpool about her mentor as the pale tabby curled her tail in amusement.
Fallstripe's tail flicked in annoyance, she would much rather be out in the forest hunting or patrolling instead of reinforcing dens and collecting herbs. The problem was, she was one of the most skilled at these tasks, so she was always stuck on these teams every season.
Looking around the dimly lit camp, she watched Smokeclaw berating a sleepy-eyed Flintpaw outside the apprentice's den while Tallpaw looked on with a snicker. Turning her back abruptly when Flintpaw met her gaze, she bounded across the clearing to the nursery where Gorsewhisker and Rainfall were organizing cats.
"I don't know why Coalspark didn't appoint more cats to a hunting patrol, we need as much food as possible before leaf-bare, and with so many cats working in the camp, nothing will get done," Rainfall grumbled, apparently in an ill-humor as he looked over the crowd of cats, his green eyes growing more unpleasant.
"It's better to not overhunt since prey can't be stored for very long until the snow comes anyways," Gorsewhisker mewed, "Let's just concentrate on our work."
Fallstripe slipped over to Ivysong's side near the back of the group, "Rainfall's in a bad mood today," she mewed, pressing against her sister's longer fur for warmth.
Ivysong purred, "He's always in a bad mood these days, ever since Rainstone died really," the she-cat sighed, "I wish he wasn't the one who will deliver my kits."
"He's still a good medicine-cat, all the cats say he's exceptional for his young age," a voice interrupted them sternly and Fallstripe and Ivysong both shrunk back under Stoneheart's reproachful yellow gaze. "He's been through a lot and has been on his own for far longer than most medicine-cats, he deserves a bit of sympathy."
The two she-cats mewed quiet apologies and skirted the group to the other side closer to Gorsewhisker, "Perfect timing," the golden-brown tom's brown eyes lit up upon them, "Ivysong, I'm sure you'll want to help with the nursery," he mewed, and the white she-cat purred in response. "Okay, and then Fallstripe, I need you to start working on the elders' den, Tallpaw will help you to start and as we finish other dens, I'll send more cats to help you."
I always end up working alone, or almost all alone, she thought discontentedly. And working alone made her think of her mission, but it doesn't matter, I'll tell Boulderstar and Coalspark everything tonight and we'll catch the killer. She thought, pushing the objections Flintpaw had given her out of her mind.
"Good luck, let's meet up at sun-high for a meal and to see who's made the most progress!" Ivysong mewed cheerily and Fallstripe felt a wave of gratitude for her sister and she gave her a friendly look.
"It's a deal," she purred and she watched Ivysong go join Dappledleaf and the queen Dovesong to work on the nursery. "Come on Tallpaw, let's get started," she mewed as the lanky gray tom joined her.
"Sure," he mewed, looking at her with curious blue eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen you spend a whole day in camp before," he mewed as they crossed the clearing.
"I like to be out in the forest, but with leaf-bare coming I'll probably be staying in the camo more," Fallstripe answered uncomfortably. Tallpaw had been made an apprentice around the time she became a warrior and at one time they'd been pretty good friends, but ever since she'd started her 'missions' for Coalspark she wasn't sure they'd even shared a meal. Since most of the little time she was in camp she spent with her littermates and their groups of friends. I've missed out on so much and for what? I'm useless.
This mission had turned into a thorn in her side, and even though it would hurt, she was anxious to pull it out and give it to someone else. But she feared the wound was infected and it would not be so easily removed.
"Alright, Tallpaw," Fallstripe mewed, inspecting the outside of the elders' den. "If you want to start gathering materials, I'll start pulling out the patches that need to be replaced," she mewed, tugging gently on a shriveled honeysuckle branch.
"What should I gather?" Tallpaw asked, bright eyes fixated on her.
"Gorse is good and sturdy, and if you find some fallen pine branches those help insulate well," Fallstripe mewed, looking at the den that seemed draftier than usual with the end of leaf-fall coming. "Ivy is good too, but it's probably all withered by now," she murmured.
"Alright, how about brambles instead than?" Tallpaw asked, turning to leave.
"Sounds good, but don't take too long, I'll need your help with some spots," Fallstripe mewed, pausing long enough to watch the apprentice trot cheerily through the gorse exit. Flicking her silver ears, she refocused on her work and began tearing out the crumbling parts of the den.
She hissed as she stabbed her paw on a thorn and wrenched it out along with the problematic tendril, sending the entire den shivering. "Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?" Flintpaw poked his head out, eyes wide in alarm. "Oh, it's you," he mewed, dark eyes returning to a stony look.
Fallstripe's fur fluffed up along her spine, "Yeah, just me, I'm fixing the den, so it won't be so drafty," she mewed curtly, looking away back toward her work and tearing out a broken briar branch hard enough for the den to sway.
Flintpaw flattened his ears, "Well, be careful, I'm trying to groom the elders and you're sending bits of twigs and dirt right down on them!"
"Tell her that if she does it again, I'll claw her eyes out! And if you don't finish your job, I'll do the same to you," a cantankerous old voice growled from inside the den and Fallstripe and Flintpaw shared a look.
"Maybe it'd be better if I worked from inside," Fallstripe mewed quietly, following Flintpaw into the den that was better lit with the holes in the den that she had created.
"What's the big idea? Trying to bury us alive?" Wispheart glared at her, shaking off bits of debris from her thin gray pelt, "And now my nest is all dirty," she grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in her nest.
"I was going to get you fresh moss anyways," Flintpaw mewed soothingly, helping the old she-cat pick the bits of twigs from her pelt.
"It's beyond me how Spiritstorm can sleep through all this," Wispheart grumbled, looking at her sister through half-opened eyes.
Needlepine purred from his nest, "She could sleep through an enemy invasion."
Wispheart snorted but closed her own eyes as Flintpaw continued grooming through her fur. Fallstripe quietly resumed her work, being careful when working over the elders so that the worst of the debris fell on herself.
"Are you getting the den ready for leaf-bare?" Needlepine asked after a spell of silence.
Fallstripe nodded, glancing quickly at the red furred tom, his green eyes nearly identical to his grandkit, Rainfall. "Now Flintpaw, you were telling me last time about where you're from, you said from the mountains?" the older tom turned toward the apprentice.
Flintpaw purred, "Yep, that's right. I was born and lived there most of my life, but my mom said my father was from ThunderClan, and that's why I'm here."
"Who was your mother? What was her name and what did she look like?" Needlepine asked with gentle curiosity, his green eyes shaded as if he were thinking deeply about something.
"Oh, well," Flintpaw's fur prickled, "She looked normal, about average, you know, gray fur and blue eyes. She was strong though, the strongest cat I knew, she took a new mate and had more kits, I loved seeing her happy because she wasn't happy for a long time. I wish she could have come with me, but she couldn't leave our family," he mewed, finishing up Wispheart and using his paws to gather some of the fallen twigs into a small pile by the entrance.
"So, do you really think your father is in this Clan? Do you know who?" Needlepine asked, ignoring the warning looks Wispheart was giving him.
"Well, I have an idea, but I don't think it matters, he doesn't seem to want anything to do with me. I haven't even been given a chance to ask him," Needlepine sighed, "But I do want to, someday."
Fallstripe's belly twisted, she didn't want to acknowledge who Flintpaw's father was. She didn't even want to consider the possibility. Could he really have broken the warrior code and fallen in love with a rogue? Misery swamped her, and her vision darkened for a heartbeat.
"How about littermates? They can be some of your best friends, right, Fallstripe?" Needlepine asked, looking at her kindly.
"Oh, yeah," Fallstripe purred.
"You must be really happy for Ivsyong," he added.
"Of course!" she answered immediately, but then turned quickly back to her work, feeling a twist in her stomach.
"I still think about my sister sometimes, even though she's in another Clan, I like seeing her at the gathering. It's strange how things ended up, but I wouldn't change a thing," he mewed, stretching his front left leg and letting it hang out of the nest.
"Why didn't you go back to your Clan when you returned to the Clans?" Flintpaw asked, he must have heard how Needlepine and the rogue Rainstone had run away from the Clans and then returned long after Scorch had helped save the Clans.
"Well, the only reason we returned was because we heard Scorch was alive and after meeting a traveler, we decided not to waste any more time," Needlepine continued, a sparkle in his eye as he gave Flintpaw a glance. "The traveler was forced out of her home while expecting kits and had to leave all her family and loved ones behind, so we realized that if this young cat had the courage to leave everything she knew and loved then we had the courage to go look for everything we knew and loved."
Fallstripe had stopped her work and was looking at Needlepine, heart full of sympathy. She could see Rainstone's face in her mind, the kind old she-cat had given her all the extra love and support that she'd needed to become a warrior and it struck her that at one time, Rainstone once needed help from such a young cat.
"I hope that young cat is doing alright," she murmured, looking wonderingly up at the sky through the holes in the den.
"Oh, I don't think you need to worry," Needlepine mewed, licking a pw and drawing it over his ear, "She seemed very capable. You know, now that I think about it… she looked a lot like Rainstone," he added, a twinkle in his green eyes. "Not quite as small, but with a dark blue-gray coat and dark, dark blue eyes, kind of like yours, Flintpaw, and you know, I think her kits would have been about your age…" the elder trailed off as he laid his head down and closed his eyes.
Flintpaw and Fallstripe exchanged a wondering glance, both curious about this strange, wandering she-cat. But their thoughts were different, Flintpaw pondered over this Rainstone he'd never met and how similar she was to the wandering cat while Fallstripe wondered who what had driven this she-cat to wander about alone and where she was now. She had the courage to leave everything, I can only imagine it'd be difficult, I wonder… if I'd have the same strength.
…
The rest of the morning passed quickly. As soon as Tallpaw returned with the materials, Fallstripe began patching up the holes, making them twice as thick as they had been before and working with the apprentice was pleasant, he talked a lot about how he was getting ready for his final assessment, a moon from now he hoped to be a warrior. His polite and easygoing attitude was a welcome reprieve from the kind of stubbornness she faced with many other cats in the Clan.
Flintpaw joined them when he had finished taking care of the elders, but Fallstripe realized as soon as he started trying to patch a hole that he'd never done something like this before. All he ended up doing was getting his paws wrapped up and making the hole worse, "I guess it's not as easy as it looks," he mewed sheepishly as she untangled him and instructed him to just fetch more materials for her and Tallpaw. The air between them still felt stale and Falllstripe avoided talking to him, feeling uneasy about their opposing views towards the matter of her mission.
"Can we stop for sun-high now?" Tallpaw complained and Fallstripe looked up to see that the sun was high overhead, a pale circle behind the curtain of clouds.
"I have to go on patrol now anyways," Flintpaw added, dropping one last load of gorse branches, "But you two should be able to finish with all that I gathered," he mewed, nodding at the thick pile of branches and vines.
"Yes, thank you, Tallpaw, Flintpaw," Fallstripe mewed, nodding politely at Tallpaw as he raced over to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a mouse before heading over to Cloudpaw who was already eating alone by the apprentices' den.
"Fallstripe," the stern voice brought the black she-cat's attention back to the apprentice in front of her. "I really want you to reconsider your plans," Flintpaw's dark blue eyes bored into hers and stepped toward her, so that his dark pelt blocked her view from the rest of the camp.
"No!" she glowered at him, "Even if we can't find the killer as easily as we think, we can at least make the Clan aware that the killer is in our midst, and maybe some other cat has a hint at who it is!"
"And then every cat starts blaming each other, determined that the killer is this or that cat. The Clan will tear itself apart!"
"At least they're know the danger is there!"
"Telling the Clan would be a bigger danger than the killer!" Flintpaw shot back, glaring right back at her. "Let's catch the killer with indisputable evidence, we can do it and it may be hard, and even a little dangerous but at least there won't be any doubt about it and no innocents will be caught in the crosshairs."
"Unless the killer strikes first," Fallstripe growled, pushing past him, "You're not going to change my mind," she shot one last glare, her throat thick with anger. She had thought herself sick over this, she wasn't backing down now! I'll be courageous, like that she-cat.
She wandered aimlessly for a few steps, lost in her anger, and when she noticed her surroundings again, she spotted Ivysong signaling to her from where she sat beside Lightpool and Berryfur.
She started toward her sister instinctively but slowed as she noticed her companions. She didn't have a problem with Berryfur, she even liked her in general, but the she-cat tended to talk without thinking. And as for Lightpool, the pale tabby she-cat had always looked down on her and scoffed at her lack of skills when compared to her littermates.
"That looked like quite the heated conversation with Flintpaw!" Berryfur purred as she joined the three, she-cats.
"You've been having lots of those lately," Ivysong added with a purr, "Wouldn't it be great if we were both in the nursery together?" she added in a not-so-subtle way.
"But don't neglect your warrior duties," the tabby chimed in, narrowing her eyes sternly and Fallstripe felt a twitch of irritation.
"It's not like that at all, we aren't even friends, he's annoying," she growled, looking away grumpily as she sat opposite Ivysong.
"That's how it always starts," Berryfur sighed dreamily, leaning against her side and batting her rich amber eyes up at her.
Fallstripe snorted and pushed the cream she-cat off her, whiskers twitching in amusement. "I don't think so, but how's it going between you and Mallowpelt?" she asked.
"Oh well, you know," Berryfur sat up straight, at an unusual loss of words. The cream she-cat's recent strolls with the tom hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Anyways," Lightpool cut in, rescuing the embarrassed she-cat from the amused looks of the others. "I'm sure you'll be a great mother, Ivysong," the tabby she-cat mewed with feeling, her green eyes straying to the white queen's slightly rounded belly, as if she'd been eating well for a few days.
"Thanks, and I've got a lot of cats to support me. My mother and Dovesong and Rainfall and of course Sootfur."
"And Scorch," Fallstripe added, noticing the blind red and black she-cat talking to Dovesong outside the nursery. "She's kind of always been a second mother to the nursery kits since Rainstone died."
A tense silence met Fallstripe's words and the black she-cat looked at the three others, puzzled. "What's wrong with Scorch? She's a great cat, and Boulderstar's mate," she added, "I'm not close with her personally, but every cat respects her."
"It's not that we don't respect her exactly…" Lightpool mewed slowly with an awkward expression, refusing to look up from the ground.
"But we can't forget that she's not the best mother—and that's not surprising since she's blind, she had more limitations," Berryfur mewed.
"Come on, Fallstripe," Ivysong rolled her brilliant green eyes at her, "Scorch was mother to Jaypaw, I'd rather not have a kit who becomes a myth to scare naughty kits into being good."
Fallstripe flattened her ears, instantly embarrassed and uncomfortable, especially as she could see Rainfall glaring at them from besides the fresh-kill pile a couple tail-lengths away. "Okay, I get it—"
"I still can't believe that the leader allowed his own daughter to hurt the Clan, must have been soft on her," Ivysong continued, an annoyed look in her eyes, "And what about Rainfall?" she whispered, noticing he was watching them, "He's the medicine-cat, didn't StarClan warn him about his sister? He must not have been able to put his loyalty to the Clan first."
Ivysong had lowered her voice, but from the furious look on Rainfall's face, he'd clearly heard. "Honestly, if I had a kit like that, I wouldn't be able to live in this Clan any more, in fact I—"
"Okay, Ivysong, we get it," Lightpool hissed, "Jaypaw was terrible and you think her family is to blame, but let's not forget how much those cats still do for us. No cat has died from illness since Rainfall became medicine-cat and Scorch and Boulderstar saved the Clans from destruction, not to mention their other kits serve the Clan well."
The tabby's words shut Ivysong up and the white she-cat blinked apologetically at them, "Sorry, I just get mad about it, since now the other Clans think we must be the ones killing every cat," she muttered.
"Don't worry, we understand, but we don't need to bring up painful memories to any cat, we all know already," Berryfur mewed gently.
Fallstripe's intense feeling of uneasiness faded, but a quick glance showed a few warriors giving the group stern looks while Scorch chatted on happily with Dovesong, but with one ear cocked in their direction, she knew the tiny she-cat had heard them.
But what bothered her the most was Rainfall's dark look at them, he'd always disliked her and her littermates for whatever reason, but the look he'd given them had been so icy cold she shivered despite herself and hoped she wouldn't need to take a trip to the medicine-cat den anytime soon.
…..
The rest of the day went quickly, after sun-high had passed the warriors all went about their duties again. Fallstripe spent the rest of her day in camp, fixing up dens, as she'd feared.
"Thanks for your help, Fallstripe," Gorsewhisker mewed, giving her a kind look, "You're one of the best at this, and I'm sure the elders will be grateful to have such a warm den this leaf-bare."
"Then Wispheart shouldn't have clawed my ear for accidentally stepping on her tail," the black she-cat grumbled, licking a paw and drawing it over her ear, feeling a slight sting where the scratch was.
"You should go see Rainfall about that, it's better to be safe than sorry," the senior warrior advised.
Fallstripe shook her head quickly, "I wouldn't want to bother him for something so small," she mewed, remembering his expression when Ivysong had been insulting Jaypaw and her family.
"Well, if it gets infected it won't be so small, just go, he'll probably put a balm on it and tell you it serves you right for bothering the elders," the golden warrior turned away from her, "Have a good night, Fallstripe."
"Thanks, you too," she responded, heading in the opposite direction of the medicine-cat den. The light was dimming as the sun set, but the sky remained overcast, a threatening gray and with a bone-chilling breeze shaking the bare branches of the forest, Fallstripe wouldn't be surprised if she woke up in the morning to a fresh coating of snow.
But now, I've got to find Boulderstar and tell him what I've learned about the murderer. Her heart beating quickly in anticipation, she started toward the rockpile, intent on climbing up to the leader's den where she had seen the leader and deputy enter a closed conference with each other.
"Fallstripe, wait a moment!" a voice halted her as she reached the bottom of the rockpile and she turned to see Sootfur bounding across the clearing toward her from the warriors' den. She gave him an inquisitive look as she saw his sleek black fur was ruffled and he had an unnervingly nervous look in his eye and seemed out-of-breath. "Have you seen Ivysong?" he asked, kneading the frozen ground with his unsheathed claws.
Fallstripe frowned, "Not in a while, she had been helping with the nursery, but she finished that not long after sun-high… I don't know what she was doing after that, sorry…" she mewed quietly, feeling unusually depressed at the sight of him, but then a prick of worry worked its way along her spine, "Why? Is she not in camp?"
Sootfur shook his head, "I was looking for her to share our evening meal, as usual, but I can't find her anywhere. The only patrol still out is the dusk patrol, and I know she wasn't on that, and I know she wouldn't go on a walk this late and with the weather looking like this," the worried tom glanced up at the darkening gray sky, it had turned dark quickly and she could barely make out the other side of the clearing.
"I'm sure she's around somewhere, I'll help you look," she mewed, giving a glance up at high-ledge. It'll have to wait, finding Ivysong is more important right now. The uncomfortable knot in her belly came back as she started searching the camp. She wasn't in the nursery, or in the dirt-place. She wasn't visiting the elders or apprentices, and no cat had seen her. Sootfur had checked the warriors den several times and even gone up to the marigold hill that overlooked the camp to see if she was sitting there.
Only place left is the medicine-cat den, but Sootfur already checked that, she thought, heading behind the bramble screen. The den seemed empty, but as she pushed her way into the cave part of the den, she saw a dark shadow shuffling around the back. Taking a deep breath, she recognized Scorch.
"Is Rainfall not here?" she asked, her voice echoing in the empty space.
"Fallstripe?" The blind she-cat turned her dark green eyes on her, "No, he's out collecting herbs, he's worried it'll snow tonight so he went to get more catmint."
"Oh," Fallstripe lowered her gaze and shifted her paws.
"Is something wrong?" Scorch mewed gently, coming to greet her with a gentle look on her face.
"We can't find Ivysong anywhere, and no one even knows what task she was assigned to after she finished the nursery," she blurted out.
A strange, sorrowful look passed over Scorch's face, but it was gone in a heartbeat, replaced by a reassuring gaze, "Ivysong was helping Rainfall collect herbs, she should have been back a while ago though… I think she was collecting raspberry leaves and fennel by the WindClan border, near the outlet of the stream to the lake."
"Why isn't she back yet?" Fallstripe asked, eyes widening, the WindClan border….
Scorch shook her head, "Maybe she met up with the dusk patrol? I don't know for sure, but if you go out to look for her, don't go alone. The wind's picking up, even if it doesn't snow, you don't want to be alone on a night like this," the queen gave her another sad look for a heartbeat and Fallstripe felt a flush of embarrassment.
"About what Ivysong and us were saying at sun-high. I'm sorry, there's really no excuse for saying such terrible things about a dead cat we never knew and her family that serves the Clan so well," the black she-cat dipped her head low, feeling shame wash over her from head to her tail tip.
Scorch purred, "Well, it wasn't entirely undeserved, it probably is partly our fault that Jaypaw turned out the way she did, but sometimes no matter how much you love a cat, they still do things you can't understand, and I didn't understand her…," the black and red she-cat trailed off and her eyes grew foggy.
Fallstripe stared at her in confusion, but Sootfur's call for her broke her away from the quiet conversation, "Sorry to bother you, and thanks for your help, have a good night!" she called, rushing out of the den and nearly crashing into Sootfur.
"Sootfur! Scorch told me that Ivysong was collecting herbs for Rainfall along the WindClan border, I think we should go look for her, just in case," she mewed, watching as the dark tom gave a sigh of relief.
"Just knowing where she is reassures me, and if she's with Rainfall I'm not worried, since I saw he was coming back when I was looking around the camp."
"Err, but I don't think she's with Rainfall, they split up…" she trailed off as Sootfur's fur fluffed up again and he whipped around toward the entrance where Rainfall was reappearing with a mouth full of catmint.
"Where is Ivysong?" Sootfur demanded, skidding to a halt in front of the medicine-cat.
The gray tom dropped his herbs carefully at his paws and looked up slowly, blinking as he looked from Sootfur's worried expression to Fallstripe's. "I sent her out to collect herbs, she should have returned already…"
"You sent her out alone?!" Sootfur growled.
Rainfall remained calm in the face of the angry tom, "Ivysong is a capable warrior, she ought to be fine in her own territory. I didn't even send her in the direction of the reported fox traces, but where I knew other patrols would be around."
"Then why isn't she back yet?" Sootfur growled, kneading the ground with his paws, fur on end and eyes darting toward the entrance as if he were about to run out.
Rainfall shrugged and slowly bent down to pick up his thick pile of catmint, a satisfied expression on his face. "I'm ure he'll e 'ack oon," the medicine-cat's mew was muffled and, clearly unworried, he walked past them toward his den, waving his tail friendly at the sight of Dappledleaf, who immediately joined him.
"Do you still want to go out to look?" Fallstripe asked, looking nervously at Sootfur.
"Of course," Sootfur growled, glancing nervously at the dark sky. "I don't know what's keeping her, but it isn't like her. Even if it is our territory, accidents still happen, and no cat is supposed to be going out alone right now."
Fallstripe nodded in agreement and followed the dark tom out the entrance, nearly bumping into Flintpaw who was trying to enter, fresh prey in his mouth. "Sorry, excuse me," she mewed hurriedly, barely sparing him a glance and tearing after Sootfur, her tail fluffed up as she started fearing what may have happened to her sister.
The thought that her sister may have tripped and twisted her paw, or maybe had gotten all scratched up in a bramble thicket—with her thick fur, it wouldn't be the first time—it scared her and she didn't want her having to travel back alone on a cold night where the wind cut straight through the fur to the skin.
"I think the herb patch is over this way," Fallstripe mewed, taking the lead from Sootfur and easily navigating through the shadowy foliage, quite comfortable in the thick shadows of night.
"You sure seem to know your way around," her former mentor commented, sounding surprised and then hissing as he tripped over a branch.
Fallstripe didn't respond but had stopped dead in her tracks as she come to the herb patch and felt bile rise in her throat. She hadn't smelled it before because the wind was at their backs but now it came on her, a cloying herbal scent.
"What is it?" Sootfur grumbled as he bumped into her, but her paws were dug into the ground and for a few moments she didn't respond or move, feeling as if she'd turned to stone. Then she darted forward, like a rabbit startled by a ravenous fox. She bounded forward, without even thinking and when she came upon the white figure, looking as if it were asleep, the unsettled feeling that was always there erupted, and she turned away to retch.
"Fallstripe, are you sick?" Sootfur's concerned words died into the cold wind as his eyes found the white cat curled up on the ground.
The black she-cat scrunched her eyes as Sootfur shrieked a terrible sound, nearly unnatural in its sudden piercing grief. The warm blackness of her closed eyes didn't close her ears or her mind and Fallstripe felt as if she had taken a step on familiar, solid ground and suddenly found nothing there.
Because while she knew all cats died eventually, the reality that her beautiful, young, in-love, to-be-mother, sister was dead was incomprehensible. And she convulsed again.
...
Uh-oh, I think I destroyed the theories of Ivysong being the murderer! Or did I? Well, when I first created her, she was supposed to be the murderer _ So she was meant to be suspicious, but I decided to change that idea.
Ironically, it was just Mother's Day here in the states, so if you forgot, shame on you!
Guys, we're getting close to the end! You could say this is the start of the 'endgame' (btw, I watched that movie and cried at least 6 times. Then I watched Infinity war again and died inside just as many times)
Okay, enough talk, I hope you'll come back for the rest of the story! Have a great day!
