CH. 8: Return to the Clan

Nightkit sighed, her tail drooping as she looked down at her once-again unconscious best friend.

"She'll learn to live with it, Nightkit. And in just a few short weeks." She heard Shadowblaze whisper, "I knew of her future long before either of you were born." Nightkit simply nodded, a sigh puffing through her lips as she stood and looked up at Lilly.

"You will need to cover your stench, somehow…" She said, though had no idea how she would manage it.

Shadowblaze flicked his tail, "Sage-brush hide stench. Roll in that patch over there. And should it be needed, we will cover your fur in it as well. Dog-stench is not the most pleasant thing, nor very easy to mask."

Nightkit watched as Lilly padded over to the plant and looked at it, sneezing once she took a large sniff, "Oh good Lupus… that's strong!" She sniffled.

Nightkit, confused, whispered to Shadowblaze, "What's a Lupus?"

Shadowblaze shrugged, "A dog StarClan?" He guessed.

Nightkit nodded, as though that seemed plausible, and laughed as Lilly hesitantly laid in the plant and rolled around in it, completely and totally destroying the plant. Nightkit could see the pain on Shadowblaze's face as his precious herb was crushed.

Lilly stood and padded back to them, panting, "Did it work?" She asked.

Nightkit sniffed, but frowned, letting Shadowblaze decide. He sighed, shaking his head, "No. It didn't." He looked pained as he looked back to his plant, but then his face brightened, "I know just the thing. And I know where to find it!"

He slipped into the shadows, and soon disappeared, "Where'd he go?" Lilly asked, tail thumping on the ground.

Nightkit shrugged, "I don't know…"

Shadowblaze's head peeked out of the trees where he had disappeared, "Are you coming?" He asked, slipping away again.

"Yes!" Lilly picked up Sagekit, and she and Nightkit hurried after them.

It was hard to follow Shadowblaze's scent, and with Sagekit in Lilly's jaws, it was obviously hard for her as well, but they managed to do it, and soon found him, flicking his tail in agitation at the entrance to a den.

"Oh, no, Shadowblaze! My family will kill me!" Lilly wailed in fearful agitation as soon as she placed Sagekit on the ground. She began to back away, a low whine in her throat and her head bowed.

Nightkit was confused as Shadowblaze's face became humored, "What am I missing?" She grumbled, "Tell me!"

"S-s-skunks." Lilly whined.

Nightkit's ears flattened, "um… what? What's a skunk?"

"They're good friends… but I can't! I can't let them spray me!" She whimpered.

Nightkit was still confused, and confusion made her angry, "What is going on!?" She hissed.

Right as Shadowblaze opened his mouth to answer, a small black and white shape waddled out of the entrance to the den. It's spots were all around it's back and sides, long and thin.

Nightkit couldn't help but laugh, "You're not afraid of a fox, but you're afraid of that? That's just a fat cat!"

Lilly shot her a serious, almost menacing look, and she quieted.

"It's a spotted skunk, not a striped, so the scent won't be nearly as bad." Shadowblaze said.

Lilly shook her head, "no. I won't do it! I'll be outside for a week! I'll smell! I can't do that!" She whimpered.

Shadowblaze's eyes narrowed, "You must."

Lilly gulped and shook her head, "I just can't, Shadowblaze! It's not possible for me! I'd rather return with bloody cuts than with skunk stench…"

Nightkit's eyes narrowed, "If she wants to feel ShadowClan's wrath, let her, Shadowblaze."

Shadowblaze thought for a second, and then sighed, "Fine. But it will be all on your own head." He picked up his bundle and stalked off, back toward camp, and the others had to hurry to catch up.

Lilly kept her head and tail low as she followed the others, and Nightkit, though still certain that she'd deserve what she got, sighed and slowed to walk alongside her.

"Is it really that bad?" Nightkit asked, and Lilly nodded.

"They send out a scent from their butts that is visible, and its like sticking your nose into a flaming pool of nastiness, and then it doesn't really ever ever go away! Anything's better. Anything!"

Nightkit thought about that, "Oh. Well, I'm glad that you didn't do it then, It sounds painful."

Lilly nodded, shuddered and continued along.

"We're here. Lilly, place her down and leave now." Shadowblaze stated, once again cross.

Nightkit found herself sad as the large dog placed her friend down and turned to leave.

"I'll find you when I'm old enough to explore!" She whispered.

Lilly looked at her, "Unless that's within the next month, I doubt it. We leave before the weather changes."

"Oh… When will you be back?"

Lilly smiled, "Next summer. You'll be really big by then!"

Nightkit sighed, nodding, "I'll probably be nearly a warrior by then! Well…. See you then!"

Lilly laughed and bounded away, back toward her home.

"Come on Nightkit, you've got some explaining to do, but say nothing about that friend of yours, hear me?" Shadowblaze growled low, returning from plaing his herbs inside to help bring Sagekit in.

"Oh my baby!" Nightkit heard her mother call out, worried, as she padded inside, "Where have you been!? You know you're not allowed to leave camp until you're an apprentice!"

Nightkit gulped, and watched as Palewing looked around worriedly, and then looked past Nightkit and her mother with a strangled cry, "Sagekit! Oh, Sagekit, what happened! Shadowblaze, is she okay?!"

Nightkit bowed her head in shame as she sat beside her mother, watching as Palewing dashed to Sagekit's side, and sighed, "I need to explain to everyone, huh?" She murmured.

She saw her father's strong form entering out from under his den, his eyes narrowed, "Nightkit, what is the meaning of this? We've had patrols out all day looking for the two of you!"

Nightkit shrunk back even farther into her pelt as her leader yelled, and gulped, "Well… it's my fault… I'm… I'm sorry."

The clan had gathered by this point, and she thought she was about to crumble under the stares, some worrisome, some stern, and still others with pure mean streaks showing through. She took a deep breath and stood, shaking, and began to weave a story that was as close to the truth as she could tell.