Chapter Eleven
I wake up early to Cougarpaw's one black ear twitching in my face. "So you're awake, sister! It's the day, you get crowned a medicine cat!" He announces unenthusiastically. I shake my head and stretch my back, unfurling my silver wings.
Each one is about two foxlengths across and each feather is tipped with black, the slightly clear bone filtering the light.
"Come oon." He turns away and heads out the den. I stand and follow, dazed at the sudden light. Cougarpaw pads out of the camp and into the forest. We walked and waked, until a scent hits my mouth. I crouch low, hissing softly. "Silverpaw, there's no time to pla-" I smack his muzzle before quietly muttering, "Rogues."
He obediently crouches low. "Only one or two, from the east." Suddenly a shecat pops out of the brush. In her jaws she carries a small thrush. Her white underbelly and paws softly pad the ground before stopping before us.
"Hello.. Could you tell me the way to Thunderclan? My name is Heather...fang. Heatherfang." She says calmly. A kittypet-like collar dangles around her neck, carrying a small purple rock that reflects the light.
"Uh, yeah, it's over th-" Cougarpaw smacks me on the ear and hisses quietly, "She could be leading a rogue party straight to camp!" Thinking it over, I shake my head and mew back, "If she was, she...well.." Heatherfang sits down on the forest dirt, her brown pelt looking like the tree bark.
I walk up, ignoring Cougarpaw's hisses. "Sure. What clan are you in?" She stands and licks her chest quickly. "Windclan, but my parents have died and I want to move to Thunderclan. The WindClan cats say you are very welcoming." I nod and think.
"Why aren't you scared?" Cougarpaw asks, his eyes looking her over.
"What do you mean? You are clearly an apprentice still and she is too. Or she's just tiny." She pauses before saying,"Not in a mean way, you are." I nod. I mean, I really am, she towers over me. "No, because of these." Cougarpaw nudges my wing and I obediently extend it.
Heatherfang gasps slightly before padding toward me. "Cool." She meows simply before sitting beside Cougarpaw. "So, could you take me to Thunderclan?" Cougarpaw sighs heavily and nods. "But first, we have to lead her to Riverclan. Just the border. Then I'll take you to Jadestar." He stands and begins walking. We all follow.
At the river I meet with Tinypaw and Leafheart and Cougarpaw takes Hetherfang back to the camp, his faint ocelot splotches making him nearly invisible in the brush. Mine aren't of much use considering I'm silver. "Let's go, whatsyourname." Tinypaw mews. I begin walking and notice Leafheart staring at my wings. I smirk inwardly and flutter over a rock that Tinypaw trips on.
When we reach Mothermouth, I wrinkle my nose in disgust. "It smells like death..." Leafheart cuffs me behind the ear, why is it always me who gets hit? Tinypaw and Leafheart step into the cave with me trailing slowly behind them.
The cave floor slopes downward and the air becomes musty and compressed. Finally the tunnel expands into a fairly large room with a pool of water in the middle. A hole in the ceiling shines down moonlight, the walk has turned sunlow to moonhigh. Leafheart and Tinypaw drink from the Moonpool before passing out, yet I'm still standing by the tunnel. The scent of death lingers in my nostrils, floating about like smoke in a hole.
'Go, drink from the pool.'
I leap up, that voice sounds like Windstripe! I flatten the fur along my spine, my blue eyes connecting with the pool again. I step toward it and drink.