Hey guys! Thank you for you patience! Last week I was unable to update because I was very sick, and I'm grateful to those of you who sent me well-wishes. Those sentiments kept me going this past week. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter update and what's to come!
-CL
After a day including dawn patrol, the fastest rabbit Rainpaw had ever caught, and an impromptu assessment of his fighting skills by Silverfrost, Rainpaw had a hard time not falling right to sleep the moment he lied down in his nest. The only thing that helped was the feeling of Pearlpaw's eyes on him as he curled up. He knew she did not approve of this mission, but decided she would support them anyway. Secretly he was glad for her cover. It was good knowing that somebody was back at camp, waiting for them to come home.
Once the Clan had settled, Rainpaw rose to his feet. Mousepaw stood when he did, and to his surprise, so did Pearlpaw. There was no one in the clearing. Rainpaw could hear the breathes of all his sleeping Clanmates. The timing was perfect. The full moon shown down into the Clearing, lighting up the snowy camp as if it were glowing. Tomorrow was the Gathering, Rainpaw noted, which meant that they were going on the brightest night they could. It also meant that they had tomorrow to rest, as their Clanmates wouldn't want them too exhausted for the Gathering.
"Be careful," Pearlpaw said, touching noses with each of them in turn. "And come back quick. I won't lie to my Clanmates if you're not back by sunrise."
"We'll be fine," Rainpaw assured her. "We're going to Twolegplace. With kittypets. We'll be able to handle them just fine."
Pearlpaw did not look entirely convinced, but nodded anyway. "Good luck."
With Mousepaw close to his side, they padded out of the camp and onto the moor. Luckily for them, the wind had blown most of the snow off of the more and down towards the Thunderpath, so they would not be walking through snow. Still, the wind tore straight through their fur to the bone. They huddled together, trying to share warmth from their bodies as they pressed on, walking as quickly as they could without separating physically.
The journey was longer than Rainpaw remembered. Snow combined with wind had washed away all of their scent, so there was no trail to follow. For a moment, trepidation filled him. What had he gotten them in to? But Mousepaw's warmth pressed against his side, her quiet confidence in his mission and her belief in his conviction a talisman against the doubt and the cold.
They pressed onward.
The territory was silent give for the howling wind. He felt Mousepaw shivering against him, and sped up his pace slightly. As they raced across the moor, Rainpaw was surprised by the sudden warmth in him. The cold air still biting down to the bone, but for the first time, Rainpaw felt free as his paws thrummed against the ground in time to his sister's.
They didn't pause at the border. To stay any longer would be a waste of time. Instead, they flashed past it, racing in the direction Rainpaw though Marjorie might have gone. It was a long shot, but still their best bet. He remembered after Brightpaw and Flamepaw's journey to the Moonstone, they had talked about a barn not far beyond the border where they'd been able to catch plump mice. Marjorie had said the same thing, that there was a barn near their border where she lived, and now Toadkit too. He was willing to bet that these were the same barn.
Out of the darkness came a wooden structure, tall, taller than any rock or tree Rainpaw had ever seen. This must be the barn that they were looking for. They approached slowly, a sense of unease bursting in his chest as if he'd been struck by lightning. What if he was wrong? What if Marjorie wasn't there after all? Was this journey a waste of time?
Instinctively they crept forward, moons of training teaching them to be cautious rather than curious. It was all too easy to walk in to danger. If they were smart, they could avoid that.
There was no scent on the air to tell him they were right, but the wind was blowing behind them. That meant the scents of the barn were blowing towards them. A familiar smell hit his nose at the same time that Mousepaw's ears pricked with interest.
"It's her," he whispered, not wanting to draw attention to himself.
Mousepaw's tail went up and she responded equally as quiet, "I don't smell Toadkit."
"Looking for me?" a new voice cut in, not bothering to keep her voice down.
Rainpaw jumped, whirling around with his claws out. Beside him, he felt Mousepaw follow suit. But as his eyes took in the image of her, a pretty spotted tortoiseshell watching him with blue eyes, he relaxed. "Marjorie!" he gasped in relief.
Her eyes were light with amusement, a pucker in her lips to suggest she was hiding a smile. "Rainpaws, is it?" she asked. "I do hope you're not here looking for your kitten."
"Rainpaw," he corrected. "And this is my sister Mousepaw."
"So many paws," he thought he heard her mutter. Then she nodded politely. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"What do you mean about coming back for our kitten?" Mousepaw asked, eyes narrowed as the wind whipped her long fur into her face. "Is he okay?"
Marjorie's ears twitched. "Of course he is!" When Mousepaw did not convinced the tortoiseshell beckoned with her tail. "Here, come look."
His sister glanced at him, eyes wide in alarm. Rainpaw could only shrug. He couldn't help but trust Marjorie. After all, she had taken Toadkit in without questioning it, and something about the way she had not feared the warriors struck with him. There was no doubt in his mind that Marjorie could hurt them, if she wanted to. Yet she had a smile on her face and a gleam in her eye that he trusted. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew. She wouldn't hurt them.
They followed her towards where the barn stood out against the ground, sharp-angled and unnatural. Rainpaw expected her to lead them there, as that's where she'd said she lived, but she didn't. Instead she lead them right past the barn and straight toward what had to be a Twoleg nest. It had the same pointed edges as the barn did, but was definitely smaller. There were what appeared to be holes in the side of the structure, where harsh light poured out from the inside.
It was actually kind of scary, and Rainpaw did not want to get any closer. He would gladly trade into training as a tunneler than go near that Twoleg structure. Marjorie, however, seemed perfectly comfortable with their proximity to the nest and continued towards it at a steady trot.
"This way," she said, and he thought he could hear a ghost of a laugh in her voice, as if she sensed her guest's unease and found it amusing. Rainpaw abruptly thought of Rustpelt. What would his mentor think, seeing him here? He'd probably think it was stupid for Rainpaw to have traveled so far. But would he be proud or dismayed by his apprentice's fear? Rainpaw was training to be a warrior, for StarClan's sake! It was in moments like this that he needed to act like it.
Summoning up every ounce courage he had, Rainpaw padded after the barn-cat. Mousepaw flashed him a worried look, but followed just the same.
Marjorie lead them right up to the nest. Rainpaw could see, once he was closer, that it wasn't made of wood or stone. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure what to call it. Sounds emanated from the walls, running water and a high pitched whine he did not like. He was about to ask what that sound was when Marjorie bunched her haunches, and leaped straight up into the air.
Rainpaw felt downright alarmed now, and he could tell that Mousepaw shared his sentiments. Still, they were representatives of WindClan, and if a kittypet was brave enough to do it, it couldn't be so bad. So, with a mighty leap of his own, Rainpaw joined her, quickly followed by Mousepaw.
The nest was cold underpaw in a way the ground was not. He lifted one paw, and then another, hoping back and forth as though standing on something hot, not something frozen. He stopped when he noticed Marjorie eyeing him, that amused look back in her eye.
There was just enough ledge to put his feet, though it was cramped with the three of them there. From this angle, he could easily see into the nest. The floor was wooden, with what appeared to be fur at some places. There were strange objects all around, things he could only guess as to what they did. Unnatural light filtered down from the roof, illuminating the entire room.
And there were Twolegs! Rainpaw had never seen them before, let alone so close-up. Ugly, hairless creatures with the largest paws he'd ever seen. They were holding something in their hand, cooing at something on the floor. Something moving…
"Toadkit!" Mousepaw breathed.
"See," Marjorie said, sounding downright smug now. "The Twolegs adore him. Even if you wanted him back, there's no way they'll let you take him."
It did indeed appear as though they liked him. They were watching him play with similar expressions to what the queens had when they watched their own kits playing. They were on the floor next to him, pulling a long strand of something on the ground for Toadkit to chase, and they laughed whenever he pounced.
As for the kit, well, he actually did look happy there. His eyes were aglow in a way they'd never been in camp, and when one of the Twoleg's held out their nasty big paws he brushed against it. They could not hear from out here, but Rainpaw imagined that he was purring. In a way, it made him kind of sad, though he knew it should only make him happy that Toadkit finally fit in. He wasn't sure why, but it did.
"Well, thank you for showing us this," Rainpaw said, turning away to look at Marjorie instead of the scene before him. "It's good to see that Toadkit is happy."
Marjorie narrowed her eyes. "But that's not why you're here," she guessed.
"No," he said. "We wanted to talk to you about something else."
The she-cat nodded sagely. "Let's go back to the barn. We can talk there, out of the cold."
She lead them back towards the barn. They didn't have to jump for this one. There was an opening that she simply lead them through. Rainpaw suppressed a shudder as he followed her in. At least there wasn't any of that glaring light from the nest, and she was right that it was sheltered from the cold.
Once they had settled, Marjorie turned to them curiously. "Okay," she said. "Now please tell me why you came all this way to talk to me, if not for your kit."
Now that the time had come to actually ask, Rainpaw was not sure he could do it. A sudden, paralyzing uncertainty shook him to the core, stronger than the fear he felt going up to the Twoleg structure or being in this barn. Was he about to find out the identity of his father?
Mousepaw laid her tail comfortingly on his shoulder, and Rainpaw shook off his doubts. He'd never learn anything if he didn't speak now.
"We're looking for a cat," he admitted. Marjorie's eyes widened and there was a flash of some unknown emotion in her eyes. Was it fear?
"I don't know how I can help you with this," Marjorie said after a moment. "I don't know anything about you Clan cats."
Rainpaw shook his head. "It's not like that. We're looking for- " he cut off, wondering how best to continue. Mousepaw was staring at the ground while Marjorie looked downright perplexed. "We were wondering if…our mother, she might have come here before. She would have been looking at plants. You see, she used to be the medicine cat."
Rainpaw froze and Mousepaw flashed him a look of panic. He'd blurted it out without thinking, and now it was too late to take it back. He waited for something, anger, shock, any kind of response. But when Marjorie continued to stare at him with that same perplexed look as before, his worry faded. Understanding bloomed in his chest, bringing with it intense relief. Marjorie didn't follow the Warrior Code. She didn't know that medicine cats weren't supposed to have kits, didn't realize how deeply Bluedapple had broken the Code, just by conceiving them. They could tell her about it, and she probably wouldn't care. It was almost relieving in a strange way.
"She looks like her," he said breathlessly, feeling weightless all of a sudden. With a jerk of his chin, he indicated Mousepaw sitting beside him. "Was she here? Did she talk to anybody?"
He held his breath as he waited for Marjorie to respond.
Finally, Marjorie shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about," she admitted. "I've never seen any Clan cats come here before you gave me your kit. Sometimes the cats will stop by, but they're always going somewhere, coming from somewhere. Nobody ever stuck around for very long, and certainly nobody's ever come looking at plants."
Dejection filled him, so deep it blotted out everything else, even the cold. It wasn't until Marjorie said her answer that Rainpaw realized just how much he'd been counting on her knowing. It seemed almost unfair that they had come all this way for nothing. Again.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help," Marjorie said softly, seeing Rainpaw's disappointment. "I hope you find her."
"Thanks," Mousepaw answered cordially. "For your help and for Toadkit."
Marjorie's answer was heartfelt, true. "Anytime." They were quiet for a moment, looking at Rainpaw. He felt empty, boneless, tired. There was nothing left for them there.
"Let's go," he grunted, getting to his feet. Mousepaw followed.
"Won't you stay?" Marjorie called. "At least until dawn?"
"We can't," Mousepaw answered when Rainpaw didn't. "We have training tomorrow. But thanks for the offer."
"Of course," Marjorie murmured. "Stay safe on your way home."
"Yes, thanks," Rainpaw grumbled back, not wanting to be rude. "Take care."
With that the apprentices left her, padding back the way they came. The wind had blown all but a faint trail left, and they stuck to it as they walked. For a while they went in silence. It was good because it left Rainpaw to his thoughts.
He had been wrong. Bluedapple had not come here. Now that he thought about it, it had been quite a stretch. Twolegplace was far away. Every plant they needed grew on their territory, and even if there wasn't, it would be easier to ask another one of the medicine cats for the plants they were out of. As a medicine cat, Bluedapple didn't recognize borders the way the warriors did. If they really needed a plant, and say ThunderClan had plenty of it, she could go over and get it if she really wanted.
Once again, he was wrong, chasing daydreams rather than dealing with reality. Reality was that Bluedapple had broken the code, and he would probably never know who with. It wasn't fair.
A warm tendril draped over his shoulders as Mousepaw laid her tail over him comfortingly. "Rainpaw," she said quietly. "I'm sorry you didn't hear what you wanted to. At least we know we're Clanborn now."
He snorted. No one in the Clan would have had relations with a medicine cat. Their father was probably just some rogue, long gone by now and not knowing that he had left three kits behind. But he couldn't say this to Mousepaw. All he replied with was, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," she murmured, withdrawing her tail.
The sky slowly turned from deep black to gray. On one end of the sky, the moon slowly slunk toward the horizon while on the other light slowly seeped in to cover the stars. Once they'd crossed the border, they ran flat out, their tails streaming behind them. By now the dullness that'd crept in after his talk with Marjorie was being replaced with a simple need to get home. There was more. The dawn patrol would be setting out soon. It was important that they got there first.
The sun had just broken the horizon when they got back to the camp. They hesitated outside, looking down at where the Clan slept peacefully on.
"Listen," he said quietly to his sister, turning away from the camp to look at her. "We need to be careful doing this. Maybe we should go in through the Dirtplace."
Mousepaw wrinkled her nose. "That's stinky," she answered. "Let's just walk in, and if they ask where we went we can say we went for a walk."
Rainpaw shrugged. "You lead, then," he suggested, stepping aside to let her go first. Mousepaw deigned him a disdainful look and a raised brow as she slid past. Following her lead, they walked the rest of the way down the slope.
They had just broken through the camp entrance when Mousepaw stopped, and for the second time in two days Rainpaw walked into a standstill cat.
"What?" he hissed, then he froze too when he saw what she was looking at. "Oh no…"
There in the center of the camp, Silverfrost sat with her tail over her paws, waiting for them expectantly. He could tell immediately that she knew, and wouldn't take any excuses. Her eyes glinted like ice and her body language screamed trouble.
From her side came Pale-eyes, followed by Pearlpaw. Their sister eyed them from a distance, anxiety rolling off of her in waves. When their eyes met, shame crossed her face, and she bowed her head. "I'm sorry."