Chapter 19: Beneath It All
Bluepetal blinked her blue eyes open. Sunlight shone through the trees. How long have I been asleep? To her surprise, none of the others were awake. She rose to her paws and began to groom her blue-gray fur. Bluepetal stopped grooming as a strange scent wafted around her. She noticed that the smell was coming from the nearby boulder. They had buried Foxtail near the boulder less than one sunrise ago. They weren't going to be able to carry him all the way back to EarthClan. Poor Foxtail. Bluepetal thought inwardly. He died a hero's death, at least. Bluepetal cautiously approached the large gray boulder, and when she drew closer, she could see...flowers?
She sniffed at the large pile of flowers. A rock sat atop the daisy-like flowers. The flowers smelled tangy, but underneath them, the faintest scent clung. The scent was painfully familiar. Russetpaw.
"She found them!" Bluepetal exclaimed. "I can't believe it!" The others awakened at the sound of Bluepetal's voice. Their eyes flew open and they yawned.
"What's going on?" Goldenwing mewed sleepily.
"Look!" Bluepetal said, moving aside. They padded over warily.
"What is it?" Grasswhisker asked, sniffing at the large cluster of herbs.
"Feverfew!" Cinderleaf declared, disbelief danced across her green eyes.
"This wasn't here before? Did you find it?" Sootstorm asked, turning to Bluepetal.
"No, Russetpaw did. I can smell her on the herbs." She answered.
"I don't smell anything but the tang from the flowers," Rowanfur replied briskly.
"My nose doesn't lie." Bluepetal purred.
"Well we have the herbs. Now, let's go home." Goldenwing said, Bluepetal detected a note of longing in her voice.
They trekked through the trees, each cat carrying a mouthful of the tangy flowers. Cinderleaf had found cobwebs to wrap the herbs into, making them less of a burden to carry. Their plan was to head back to the woods where they first began their quest. They would find their way from there. How did Russetpaw find the herbs, where did she find them? Bluepetal softly shook her head. Russetpaw is not an easy cat to like, but beneath her tough exterior, there really is a kind, selfless she-cat. She is a puzzle, one too complex to solve.
In time, it grew darker and darker. The moon was no more than a claw-scratch hanging in the night sky.
"We've been walking all day. Let's rest." Sootstorm's mew was muffled due to the herbs clamped in his jaws. Goldenwing whipped her head around to face him. "I want to make it home tonight." She said around the mouthful of herbs. Rowanfur, who was in the lead, signaled with his tail to keep moving. If Bluepetal could, she would give a exhausted sigh. She forced herself to keep moving, despite the aching in her paws.
The ground sloped downward and began to narrow. Bluepetal could see a fallen tree laid across the forest floor. From what she could see, there was nothing beneath the tree, no solid ground. There is either a chasm or stream below. Just our luck. They came to halt when they meet the tree-bridge. Bluepetal curiously peered over the edge. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the others do the same. Below the tree-bridge was nothing but darkness. A chill went down her spine. If a cat fell from the tree-bridge... Bluepetal straightened up. She was determined not to show her fear. This was the only way to the other side of the forest. They had to do this. For the Clans' sake.
"We're going to have to go across. I don't see any other way." Bluepetal neatly put her herbs at her paws so that her voice was clear.
"Surely it is no different from the tree-bridge we cross to make it to the gathering," Grasswhisker added.
"We know what's underneath the gathering tree-bridge. All I can see is darkness." Cinderleaf moved further away from the tree-bridge. Bluepetal could sense fear sparking from her pelt.
"You'll be fine, as long as you don't look down." Rowanfur mewed. Bluepetal carried her herbs and approached the tree-bridge, she sunk her claws into the bark. She suddenly remembered the first time she climbed at tree- attempted to climb a tree. Russetpaw had helped her, saving her from the vicious dogs. An unexpected pang shook her. Bluepetal slowly edged forward, realizing that the others were waiting for her to move. Rowanfur hopped onto the log next; they were only a few tail-lengths apart.
You're doing fine, you're doing fine. Bluepetal told herself, her heart pounding. Just don't look down. When they had moved further from the edge, Grasswhisker tentatively stepped onto the tree-bridge. Bluepetal looked down. Fear pulsed through her and she froze.
"Why did you look down?!" Rowanfur demanded.
"Oh, Bluepetal, you minnow-brain." Amusement shone in Grasswhisker's gaze. For a heartbeat, it seemed like he had forgotten that they could fall to their deaths at any moment.
"Are you okay?" Sootstorm called from the further end of the tree-bridge.
"I-" Bluepetal began, but her voice faltered as her paws slipped and she tumbled off the log. Her heart pounded in her chest. The air brushed against her face. She landed with a splash. She kicked her hind legs upward and her head broke the surface of the water. Water? Her bundle of feverfew dropped down beside her. Luckily, it was wrapped in the cobweb and she didn't have to collect every flower.
"Bluepetal! Bluepetal!" Bluepetal recognized that mew as Grasswhisker's. She could see specks and the tree-bridge looming ahead of her, tree-lengths away.
"I'm alive," She whispered to herself. "I'm alive!" She yowled joyously to the others. Her voice echoed.
"Thank StarClan!" Cinderleaf exclaimed. Bluepetal splashed through the water, enjoying its feel on her fur.
"What's down there?" Goldenwing questioned.
Bluepetal's eyes adjusted to the gloom. She was surrounded by rocky walls and the water only led to one direction.
"I can't get out. The rocks are too high-up for me to reach from down here." Bluepetal said. "You'll have to come down here."
"And why would we do that?" Rowanfur demanded.
"Because the water down here looks like it leads somewhere." Bluepetal replied. They wouldn't just leave me here, would they?
"We're coming!" Grasswhisker called. Relief swept through Bluepetal.
"No way!" Goldenwing declared. "That's a long fall."
"It isn't necessarily a fall," Sootstorm pointed out. Bluepetal saw a speck coming closer to her and heard a yowl. The water splashed beside her and Grasswhisker's head pushed through the water, his herbs landing near him.
"I've missed the water," Grasswhisker mewed. "But it's nothing like WaterClan water." His eyes gleamed with yearning.
"We'll be home soon." A purr rumbled in Bluepetal's throat. Hesitantly- very hesitantly- the others made their way down into the water.
Bluepetal and Grasswhisker had to give them brief swimming lessons.
"Like this?" Sootstorm asked, he kicked wildly with his front paws.
"No, your paws are supposed to be below water. Like this..." Bluepetal demonstrated.
Grasswhisker kept to the back in case anyone almost drowned.
"This is similar to the gorge in AirClan." Cinderleaf commented, her mew bouncing off the rocky walls. They veered away from jutted rocks that were implanted in the water. It was Bluepetal's and Grasswhisker's responsibility to navigate them through the water. The walls pressed closer and Bluepetal could feel the jagged rocks poke her flanks.
"We shouldn't have come down here." Rowanfur growled.
"Well, we couldn't just have left Bluepetal down here." Grasswhisker snapped. Bluepetal twitched her ears to show that she heard, but said nothing. We have to work together, not start arguments. The walls spread farther apart and the water became shallower until Bluepetal could stand up in it. She hauled herself out of the water and helped the others do the same, even though they didn't really need it.
They shook their fur, sending water droplets onto the sand. Wait, sand? Bluepetal's hear skipped a beat. Familiar scents filled her nose and she and Grasswhisker exchanged looks.
"WaterClan territory is just up ahead!" Grasswhisker exclaimed, excitement, longing, and even sadness choked his mew. Rowanfur began to sniff after a moment's hesitation.
"That is your disgusting scent." He mewed, amber eyes gleaming. Bluepetal cuffed him playfully on the cheek. The group was about to move forward but she blocked their path.
"Wait!"
"What now?" Goldenwing mumbled.
"We aren't going to tell EarthClan about what happened to Foxtail, what Russetpaw did." Bluepetal meowed.
"Why not? She did a monstrous thing!" Goldenwing declared. The others looked at Bluepetal wide-eyed.
"But she found the feverfew." Bluepetal mewed, when nobody said anything, she continued on, "She also saved me, Grasswhisker, and Sootstorm."
"What do you want us to tell EarthClan, then?" Sootstorm asked.
"We can tell them that she and Foxtail died." Bluepetal hated lying, but she was willing to do it... just this once.
"She killed her own Clanmate!" Rowanfur snarled. "I will not allow her to be viewed as a hero!"
"Who said it's your decision to make!" Bluepetal shot back.
"Now isn't the time for arguments. We'll figure out what to do when the time comes." Cinderleaf mewed evenly, her gaze giving nothing away. Bluepetal padded forward, leading the group through the sand. They had abandoned Russetpaw in an unknown territory. Wasn't that punishment enough? Why should they tell her Clan what she did and make things worse? Or perhaps, Bluepetal was only being so lenient because she viewed Russetpaw as her friend. Either way, the sarcastic, dark-furred apprentice is gone. And far beyond their reach.
They trekked through the sand and emerged on a majestic beach. A warm breeze ruffled Bluepetal's fur. It was a refreshing change from being stuck in a dark grorge. Seashells littered the ground, the waves pushing them closer. I'm home! Finally! A silver-and-white tabby shape moved at the edge of her vision.
"Snowberry!" Bluepetal called to the queen. Snowberry ran over to the group of cats.
"Bluepetal! Grasswhisker! You've returned." The queen purred so loudly her words could barely be heard. Bluepetal rubbed her cheek against Snowberry's and Grasswhisker did the same. She scanned the camp and saw no one, not even the kits and elders.
"Where is everyone?" Bluepetal's mew shook a little and she swallowed back hurt. Didn't her Clan want to greet her?
"There's an attack going on. Moonstar ordered the kits, elders, and queens to stay over by the hidden stones." Snowberry's eyes narrowed as her gaze rested on the cats from AirClan and FlameClan. Bluepetal understood why. She didn't want to give away Clan secrets.
"An attack against who?" Grasswhisker prompted.
"Them." Snowberry's distrustful gaze didn't leave the FlameClan and AirClan cats.
"A war?" Sootstorm whispered as if he didn't expect an answer.
Snowberry nodded.
"Why aren't you with the others, Snowberry?" Bluepetal meowed, concerned for the queen's safety.
"I wanted to make sure everybody made it out."
"Did they?" Grasswhisker pressed.
"It seems so."
"Wait, you said that we were at war with FlameClan and AirClan, but not EarthClan." Bluepetal mewed, her blue-gray tipped to the side.
"We are allies with EarthClan," Snowberry whispered softly. She eyed the cats standing behind Grasswhisker and Bluepetal."I see that Foxtail and Russetpaw are not with you, they were EarthClan's chosen cats, right?"
Bluepetal and Grasswhisker both nodded.
Snowberry's silver-and-white tabby pelt bristled along her spine. "Then every one of those cats with you is your enemy."