The Sky's Rise
Chapter 25
Sunmist was the first to wake up, meeting the morning sun with ease. In her dream, she'd met with Youngkit and Bluestar. They'd promised to always walk with her, and she'd waken up feeling more settled. She grinned slightly and went hunting, coming back with a sparrow and two squirrels. When she returned, Nightclaw and Moonshadow were both awake, grooming their pelts. Sunmist laid the prey close to them, taking a squirrel for herself. She carried it a little ways away and ate, staring out in the direction they were to head. "Do you think we'll make it by sunfall?" Moonshadow came up behind her. Sunmist jumped slightly and looked at her sister.
"I think we can make it to the river," Sunmist mewed with a nod.
"I hope so," Moonshadow mewed as she laid down beside Sunmist with the other squirrel. They ate on in silence as Sunmist stared absently.
"Ready?" Nightclaw came up, licking his chops. Sunmist jumped again, looking at him.
"I'm ready," Moonshadow mewed. Sunmist sighed and stood up, flattening her pricked fur.
"Yeah, ready," Sunmist answered.
"Then off we go!" Nightclaw mewed and bounded away. Sunmist and Moonshadow exchanged a look before following quickly.
"What's going on with him?" Moonshadow asked.
"No idea!" Sunmist replied but she began laughing. She hadn't seen Nightclaw act like this for a while. He actually looked happy. Not the kind of happy that only gives a smile, but the kind of happy that gave a smile, made your tail fluff up and your eyes wide and glistening. That's how he looked right now. "You know, last night I had a dream about Youngkit. Maybe he had the same one. Maybe she came to him in a dream and that's why he's so happy," Sunmist mewed.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad. It's been a long time since Nightclaw was that happy," Moonshadow mewed. Sunmist purred as they bounded after him, across the open fields and into another bundle of trees, the stench of Thunderpaths growing stronger.
Nightclaw stopped as they hit the trees and stretched. "Do you smell that?" He asked, turning to the she-cats as they came up behind him.
"Smells like Thunderpath," Moonshadow mewed.
"I've been smelling it for a while," Sunmist noted.
"As have I," Nightclaw mewed. Moonshadow nodded and looked around.
"Do we follow the smell?" Moonshadow asked.
"We'd be mousebrained to follow the smell like that, but then again, we may have been mousebrained to come on this journey in the first place," Nightclaw responded.
"So what do you want to do? Go closer to the Thunderpath, or try and head away from it?" Sunmist asked.
"Stoneteller mentioned a stone forest. For all we know, the Thunderpath will lead us there, and if we find the stone forest, we find the river. We find the river, we find where we're suppose to be," Nightclaw answered.
"So, to the Thunderpath it is?" Moonshadow asked slowly.
"To the Thunderpath it is," Sunmist mewed. Nightclaw nodded and looked at each of them.
"Do you want to hunt before we go?" He asked. Sunmist flicked her ear and glanced at the sky. The sun was shining bright, but it wasn't quite sunhigh yet.
"I think it would be best. We don't know how long this prey will last. I mean, what would want to be near a Thunderpath?" Moonshadow mewed.
"I agree with Moonshadow. We should eat until we're full this time," Sunmist mewed. Nightclaw nodded and looked at Moonshadow.
"Do you think you could find some herbs to curb our hunger, so we can take it when we need it? Sunmist and I will hunt," The tom mewed.
"Yeah, I can look, but I'm not sure what I'll find," Moonshadow mewed.
"Whatever you find will work, and if you don't find anything, that's fine. I just don't want to get out there and get hungry with no prey. At least with some herbs, we can go on without being so hungry," Nightclaw mewed.
"I'll look," Moonshadow promised. Nightclaw nodded and turned to Sunmist.
"Ready to hunt?" He asked.
"Ready," She mewed with a purr and they padded away
Sunmist and Nightclaw returned with a blackbird, three mice, a vole, and a shrew. Personally, Sunmist was amazed they'd found so much in such a small bundle of trees, but she wasn't questioning it. Prey was prey, and it wasn't crowfood. They padded over to Moonshadow, who had a group of herbs at her paws. Nightclaw was already purring as he laid the prey down. "Are those the herbs?" He asked.
"Not all of them, but yes. I think I found enough that we can take them with us and when we get hungry, we'll be fine," Moonshadow responded. Nightclaw smiled and took the vole. He laid down and started eating, pulling the fur away and sinking his teeth into the fresh meat.
Sunmist smiled and took the blackbird once Moonshadow chose the shrew for herself and they laid down, eating in silence. Sunmist's mind began to wander, though. What are we going to find out there? Out there... out where? Where is out there? What is the stone forest? When will we find it? What if it was just a myth, like Stoneteller said? What if we're going the wrong way? Questions spun around, nagging in the back of her mind as she chewed slowly, cleaning the bones of the squirrel. "Are you two ready to leave?" Moonshadow asked. Sunmist blinked and looked up at her.
"Wha-uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm ready," She mewed.
"Are you okay?" Moonshadow asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking," Sunmist replied. Nightclaw stood and padded over to the she-cats.
"I'm ready, so if you two are, let's go," He mewed. Sunmist nodded while Moonshadow bounded over to the herbs that she'd wrapped in a large leaf and brought it over.
"Ready," She mewed around the greenery. Nightclaw nodded once and padded out of the cover of the trees and bushes. As far as Sunmist could see, there were no more trees, no more shrubs, and the stench of Thunderpaths was growing stronger with every pawstep, but they kept going. Even as the sun began to set, they pushed on. We're close, aren't we? We're so close, but StarClan, what have you laid out for us? What are we going to find? Sunmist asked silently.
"I know we don't want to, but we have to stop and rest. We should be able to finish tomorrow," Moonshadow was the one to speak.
"I agree. If we keep going at this pace, we'll be as slow as snails by dawn," Nightclaw mewed. Sunmist nodded in agreement and slowed down, staring at the now appearing stars.
"The question is, where do we stop?" Sunmist murmured loud enough for them to hear. Before her companions could respond, a stick snapped and a a dark gray she-cat stepped out, her black stripes wrapping around her body.
"I think I can help with that," She mewed.
"Who are you?" Nightclaw snarled, stepping in front of Sunmist, who was shielding Moonshadow.
"The name's Pepper, and I couldn't help but overhear," She mewed.
"How could you help?" Sunmist snapped.
"My friend and I, we know a place to go," Pepper mewed. "The place we've been staying is big enough for one-two-three more cats," Pepper added as she counted each cat.
"Why would you help?" Nightclaw asked, a growl in his throat. He was bristling defensively.
"I'm passing it on," Pepper mewed.
"Passing what on?" Sunmist asked. Pepper only grinned, her amber gaze locking onto Sunmist's.
"Kindness," Pepper answered.
"And what does that have to do with anything? How do we know we can trust you?" Sunmist asked as she stepped out from behind Nightclaw, who only bristled more.
"You don't, and I don't know how to prove it, but really, what choice do you have?" Pepper mewed. Sunmist took a deep breath as she stared at the she-cat. No matter how much she knew she shouldn't be so trusting, something about Pepper's eyes... they didn't show deceit. Her stare was even and was truly kind.
"Alright," Sunmist mewed.
"What?" Nightclaw exclaimed, taking a fearsome step forward. "Why are you trusting her?" He growled.
"Why did you trust Wave, or Badger, or Stoneteller? Why did you trust Cloud, or Wolf, or Thunder?" Sunmist shot back.
"Because! The Clans have heard of the Tribe!" Nightclaw answered.
"Look at her. Tell me you don't see why I trust her," Sunmist mewed.
"We've heard of rogues, and loners, and they're not good!" Nightclaw protested.
"There's only one of her!" Sunmist argued.
"And what if there are more cats waiting wherever she's taking us?" Nightclaw growled.
"There is," Pepper mewed. Both Clan cats turned to her. "Gizmo stays with me. She's my friend I was talking about earlier," Pepper added.
"See, there's only two of them," Sunmist mewed.
"That's what she wants you to think!" Nightclaw dug his claws into the ground as he lashed his tail.
"I think Sunmist is right," Moonshadow spoke up.
"You must be joking," Nightclaw mewed flatly as he peered around the tortoiseshell to stare at the silver and black she-cat.
"No, I'm not. I see what Sunmist sees," Moonshadow answered.
"And what is that?" Nightclaw growled.
"Truth," Moonshadow answered.
"Nightclaw, Moonshadow and I are going with Pepper. You can come with us, or not," Sunmist mewed, knowing he'd never leave her. She was right, because Nightclaw growled and grumbled under his breath and turned to Pepper.
"If you do anything to hurt Sunmist, or Moonshadow, you will regret it," He spat.
"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt any of you," Pepper replied evenly.
"Than it's settled; we're going with Pepper," Sunmist mewed and they followed the dark cat.