Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! I was so tired when I was writing this chapter- maybe thats why Tigerflame seems so exhausted and listless in this chapter lol. :P
Anyway, on to the review replies:
RedSparrowOwl: yeah, he did pretty much replace Floss. ): Also, I started writing this before Bramblestar's Storm came out, so I didn't start out with all of the updated allegiances and so on. I still haven't read it actually. D: Also, yeah, it will be interesting to see how the whole Berrynose mentoring Rowanpaw thing will turn out. :D
Coralstorm: I don't know how Floss died- don't think it was specified in Bramblestar's Storm. I don't know who replaced Floss either, if it was Smoky or the twolegs. :P Also, the sentence about Rosepetal was because Rosepetal is Hazeltail's half sibling as well, and Hazeltail didn't seem to hate her, so Smoky thought there might be hope for his kits (Hazeltail's other half-siblings). Also, what do you mean by 'animal pairings?' o.O
Swimming Trees: Haha, yup. Smokepaw (or was it Smokypaw? I don't remember) will probably have a soft side, but we won't be seeing it just yet! :D
MapleXstorm: Thank you! :D I tried to make it cute- its in a sort of way that Firepaw realizes she does miss her sister, and kind of gets all sisterly about Rowanpaw. Hehe. They're adorable.
BEST OC Maker: Thank you! :D
sailorraven34: I really like Rowanpaw too. She's got a really innocent, cute personality. + They will stay friends... or will they? (Jk, they definitely will be staying friends.) xD
TheFanfictionMaster: Yeah... Smoky got the Berrynose attitude. -huffs in irritation-
billy the cat: yeap! :D Thats precisely the reason I decided to add Rowan/Smoky hehe. xD
QLKwriter: Well she'll be off on the journey, so she won't have to deal with her half-siblings just yet. Imagine how surprised she'll be when she comes back and her brothers are the mentors to her half-siblings.
AngelxCloud (kate23816): ikr. yay Firepaw! ^.^
Bobbie1776: xD The struggle is so real. One Berrynose is already a handful, but another? I paired Smokypaw (or was it Smokepaw? Honestly I need to remember this character's name D:) up with Mousewhisker instead of Berrynose because I figured that a Berry/Smoke mentor/apprentice bond would be too much. The clan isn't ready for their combined arrogance yet.
Stealthstar of Stealthclan: yeah she is! :D Rowanpaw is like Firepaw's like new sister-like figure. :D
poopadoop: ikr! Rowanpaw is such a cutie. :3
Lazy watermelon: Rowanpaw is adorbs, I agree. I paired her up with Berrynose for a reason, though. :D This is so that Berrynose will influence her to be a little less shy and a bit more arrogant, and Mousewhisker will help Smokepaw be a little less arrogant and a bit more calm. I think. Also, I don't really see why not, but I'd prefer if it wasn't the name Riverpaw. It's not that the name is bad or anything, its just that I prefer it if it had a different name, because I personally don't really like it when its a character's name has the same prefix as a clan name. Riverpaw, RiverClan. But any other name and I'll add her/him! ^_^
Starfrost515: It would be sad. D: But at least Rowanpaw's still got her brother (as annoying as he is), her new half-siblings (if they end up getting close) and Firepaw! :D
...
It was pre-dawn when Tigerflame had awoken. He awoke to a dull, throbbing pain in his ache in his stomach, longing for a mouse. He wasn't content at all. It seemed like he hadn't slept the whole night- plagued by nightmares and horrific, bloody visions of what would happen if they had failed. His mind was whirling with worry for Firepaw, torn between his love for her and his determination to save the clans. Not to mention the fact that they had walked quite far yesterday, and his pads were scratched and paws had felt like heavy stones by the time they finally crumpled down and agreed to take a rest.
The young tom was also tingling at the tenseness between the four cats, and how awkward it was after they had left the barn and Hazeltail had been seething quietly, Foxleap uncertain of how to make her feel better. He hoped that today Hazeltail would seem more relaxed, and as he glanced at her through the corner of his eye, he sighed in relief as she saw a little smile tugging at the edges of her lips. She looked perfectly content, except for the slight droop of her eyelids that indicated that she was almost as exhausted as Tigerflame was- she had obviously been up late last night, just thinking about Smoky. However, he was glad that she had, because now she seemed to look a lot less angry and much more relaxed, the topic of her father, his new mate and kits far from her mind.
As he unsheathed his claws and sank them into the soft soil, he arched his back as he stretched, letting out a noisy yawn. His amber gaze flitted curiously around, taking in a good look at where they really were. They were sleeping beneath a large tree, the undergrowth thick around them and concealing them from twolegs and most other predators. The nests were messy and not-too-comfortable, but they were alright.
"Hey, Tigerflame," Hazeltail meowed, her voice quiet, "lets go hunt for them while they're still sleeping, the faster we eat, the faster we can get going, the more ground that we can cover again." Her gray-and-white pelt was slicked down and he noticed that it was slightly damp, although not soaked, as they had managed to arrive here only a short while after the rain had begun. It didn't seem to dry fully as of the thick fog creating dampness in the air.
The dark brown tabby nodded his agreement, "okay," he whispered back, before quietly slipping out between the cracks of the brambles, hoping to be quiet and not to wake them. To his dismay, he sent the whole shrub quivering as the twigs rattled. To his great relief, Ivypool and Jayfeather continued to sleep, and although Foxleap stirred, he did not wake. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hazeltail roll her eyes incredulously before flattening herself down and crawling under the brambles, successfully staying quiet.
"Great StarClan, could you be any more loud?" Hazeltail meowed, sounding exasperated. The dark brown tabby just huffed, whiskers fluttering, before the two of them padded forward. They were close to the twolegplace, so close in fact, that he could hear a faint roar of a monster in the distance and could see the outlines of twolegdens and thunderpaths in the distance. However, they were also close to a forest-type area where there were a few trees and brambles, and as he opened his jaws he could taste prey.
"Well… where do you want to hunt first?" His question trailed off as the gray-and-white she-cat suddenly dashed forward, pelt fluffed up and her eyes narrowed in determination. He pounded after her, trying to make as little noise as necessary. What was it she scented? Curiosity bit at him, and he had to constantly remind himself to stay quiet or else he would scare away whatever it was she had scented.
As he had finally caught up to her, the gray-and-white she-cat had already dropped into a hunting crouch. Her ears twitched as she paused momentarily, focusing. She twisted her neck around and fixed Tigerflame in a strong gaze, warning him to stay silent. Then she slid forward like a snake, slipping into the undergrowth and disappearing out of view. He waited, and sure enough, heard a surprised squeak from the mouse.
Satisfaction coursed through him, despite the fact that it wasn't his kill. Deciding to make himself useful, he wandered away from Hazeltail and took a deep breath, scents flooding up his nose. Nodding to himself and feeling satisfied as he scented a sparrow, he swiftly spread his senses to try and pinpoint his prey. Soon enough, he found himself padding towards a grove of trees, following the bird's chirping noise and scent, and saw it pecking at a small acorn on the ground, its wings folded back.
He smiled smugly, perfect. With that, he dropped into a low crouch, curling his tail over his back. He made sure his paws were light as he slid forward, eyes narrowed in concentration. The forest faded into a darker color, nothing existing except for him and his prey. Predator to victim. Hardly even daring to breathe, he pushed from his hind-legs, shooting himself into the air and landing with deadly precision square on the sparrow's back. His paws flattened its wins while his fangs swiftly delivered the killing bite, a clean and neat nip to the spine. A painless, clean kill.
After the bird lay limp at his paws, his vision seemed to return. He saw the bright rays of sunlight filtering in through the cracks of the branches and leaves, brightening the forest. Branches swayed in the wind, the twigs rattling and leaves rustling as the breeze brushed past. The fresh scent of sparrow blood mixed with soil entered his nose, and he crinkled it slightly- but not in disgust. It was a scent he was used to now. He noticed how green the forest was- the leaves a soft, but gradually darkening green color, the bramble twigs each covered in multiple leaves, soft grass sprouting from the earth, morning dew clinging to the tips. New-leaf was truly here- all traces of the icy coldness and frozen world of leaf-bare were wiped away by the fresh warm breeze.
Deciding that the one sparrow wasn't enough, he scraped some dirt over his prey. A sly grin spread across his face as he pricked his ears and opened his jaws to taste the air once more, heading deeper into the forest as he followed the scent of his prey.
…
By the time the two of them had met up again, it was already dawn. Hazeltail looked satisfied, three mice dangling from her jaws, while Tigerflame held his sparrow and another vole. The hunt was clearly successful, and the dark tabby felt a tingle of happiness run up his spine- the prey here was abundant, the weather was warm, the sun was shining and the breeze was warm. At least some parts of this journey, of leaving ThunderClan, and more importantly Firepaw behind, would be decent.
"Nice catches," Hazeltail mumbled around the three mice of which she held currently in her jaws, nodding contently at the prey that he was holding, "this will be enough to feed the five of us." With that, she padded forward, paws thrumming against the against the ground as she picked up her pace. Tigerflame darted forward to catch up with her, hoping to break the ice and maybe even become friends.
"So, why are you up so early?" He asked her as casually he could with prey in his jaws, but he could feel the awkwardness, almost as if it were a taste in his mouth that lingered and refused to leave, "just like to look at the view of pre-dawn?"
He heard a muffled purr as she shot him a glance. "Actually, I couldn't really sleep," she confessed, eyes round, "this whole journey thing is really bugging me. I mean why are we going on a journey? Why now? Hadn't we already defeated Tigerstar and the Dark Forest?" He could understand her confusion- as Bramblestar did not give any details to why they were going on this journey. Her body was stiff as she walked, lowering her head in exhaustion. "Wont these journeys… these battles ever end?"
"Not yet," Tigerflame meowed softly, too quietly for her to hear, but later on added in a louder voice, "there will always be bloodshed as long as the clans are alive. But think on the bright side- you're going to get to see the mountains for the first time, and then you can go back and boast to Berrynose that you've been to the mountains and he hadn't!" Cheekily, the dark brown tabby tom added, "besides, this way you've got a whole half moon to travel with Foxleap."
"I suppose it would be cool to show off to Berrynose for once, as he's always showing off to me and Mousewhisker… wait, what?" Hazeltail's sentence ended abruptly as she stared in shock at Tigerflame, flushing a crimson color, "me and Foxleap? Thats ridiculous. He's a mouse-brain. I don't like him. Gross." She spoke rapidly, averting her gaze from Tigerflame and fixing it on the ground.
He snickered at how embarrassed she looked. "Sure you don't," he teased her, waving his tail in the air. It felt good to talk to someone, relaxed and away from the clan, away from thoughts of Tigerstar and worries about Firepaw.
Hazeltail didn't reply, just rolled her eyes and huffed in irritation. Her eyes then widened as they neared the camp, and she picked up her pace and began to bound forward, almost bursting into a run. She slipped carelessly through the brambles- even if they weren't awake, they should probably be waking up by then. When they got back, Foxleap was still snoring peacefully on the ground, while Ivypool was looking at him with a disgusted look on her face, and Jayfeather was deep in thought- as usual.
"We brought back fresh-kill," Hazeltail announced as the two of them dumped their catch in the center of the gathering. The gray-and-white she-cat snorted in irritation as she saw Foxleap still asleep, and padded over to him, pulling back a paw and then swinging it towards his face, "wake up Foxleap, you lazy lump!" The fox-red tom let out a yelp of surprise and leapt to his paws, shaking bracken out of his pelt. He blushed fiercely as he saw the glances of amusement aimed at him, before ducking his face and meekly licking at his chest fur.
As every cat settled down with a piece of prey lying before them, they began to talk about their plan for the day. Tigerflame was lying down, his paws tucked beneath his chest, a mouse lying before him. He didn't gulp it down ravenously, but picked at it, so comfortable that he didn't ever want to get up- thus causing him to eat slowly and play for more time.
"We have a lot of ground to cover today," Jayfeather announced loudly, as if wanting to make sure that every cat could hear him. "We need to get to, if not there, but very near to the mountains today, so we can start climbing tomorrow."
"Which way are we going to go?" Ivypool asked, ears twitching. Her meow was directed at Jayfeather mostly, as Foxleap was dozing off, sitting next to Hazeltail. The gray-and-white she-cat looked exasperated and shoved him hard again, and he let out a muted yelp of pain before straightening himself up.
"Lets head go around the twolegplace," the gray tabby tom decided, jay-blue eyes looking slightly worried, "I don't want any incidents involving twolegs, or any injuries coming from the thunderpaths. Cats have died on that thing." He said it so casually that Tigerflame widened his eyes in surprise, especially because at that statement a chill had run up his spine, just at the thought of it. Standing there- paralyzed, nothing else to do but watch as the monster roared towards you, ready to slam into you and drive your life entirely out of your body.
Sitting there and discussing, the dark brown tabby tom began to feel sleepy again, his neck beginning to fall slack and his head tilting. He forced himself to remain an upright position, and struggled to prevent his heavy eyelids from closing. Sometimes when he blinked, he would let his eyelids remain shut for a few heartbeats before opening them again, cringing at the horrid thought that he would finally be able to sleep… after a whole day of walking and navigating. Not to mention that he would probably be sleeping without a comfortable nest, and to be plagued by nightmares and worries, again.
Foxleap leapt to his paws, swiping his tongue over his whiskers. "Let's go," he exclaimed, amber eyes bright with excitement, "I know where to go- I've gone to the mountains before!" He added excitedly, bouncing a little on his paws. The rest of the journeying patrol got up. Foxleap was practically bursting with excitement, Ivypool looked enthusiastic, and even Jayfeather looked quite eager to finally be able to see the tribe, and probably do some medicine cat stuff that Tigerflame didn't really know about.
Only Tigerflame and Hazeltail remained unexcited, both of them letting out yawns, forcing their heavy eyelids open. They forced themselves to their paws, their muscles aching and bodies weary as they stepped forward slowly, almost swaying on their paws. They exchanged tired glances, the both of them looking sleepy. It was clear that the two of them lost the adrenaline they had while hunting earlier, and now were just filled with nothing but exhaustion.
They set off forward, making sure to steer clear of the Twolegplace. Foxleap was chattering excitedly to Ivypool, telling her how wonderful and amazing the mountains were, while the younger she-cat replied with great enthusiasm of how she couldn't wait to see it for herself. Jayfeather occasionally piped up, speaking of how they had helped the tribe back when he was an apprentice, but mostly he was silent. The three of them were in the lead, with Foxleap making most of the decisions and Jayfeather backing him up.
Hazeltail and Tigerflame padded behind them, their tails twitching. They had eaten and were quite content, and Tigerflame opened his mouth to talk, but then decided against it. He was tired already, and didn't want to exhaust himself even more by engaging in conversation. When the gray-and-white she-cat tired of his company, she was welcome to go talk to Foxleap and the rest of the patrol. However, she didn't leave his side, and the two just walked in silence.
As they padded forward, Tigerflame tried to keep track of where they were going, the turns they were making. Right, straight, straight, straight, left, left, straight, right, left… He had lost track after a while, but he knew they were going on the right path. Most of the thick fog had faded, along with the dampness of the air, and in the distance he could make out a blurry outline of tall, huge shapes that jutted out of the ground. The mountains.
He twitched his ears, watching the sun. They had been walking for a while now, and it was sun-high. However, Jayfeather clearly had no obligation to allow the patrol to rest and eat, as he padded forward relentlessly. The sunlight was strong, beaming against the leaves and into the small puddles of water left over from the previous night, reflecting its shimmery shape onto the smooth surface of the water.
He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, just breathing in the fresh air, the chittering sound of birds and the conversation from in front of him, the crunching of soil and leaves, the soft feeling of the soil sinking down beneath his heavy paws. It was relaxing, in a sort of tired, painful sort of way.
"I'm hungry," Hazeltail meowed after what seemed like forever, and he heard the grumble of her stomach, "I wish Jayfeather would let us stop and eat. It's already noon." With that she pointed her tail at the sky, where the sun's bright rays had dimmed slightly, but the warm feeling of it on their fur hadn't faded yet.
"I guess we'll be stopping at moonhigh or something," Tigerflame meowed, shrugging his shoulders, padding forward, "but on the bright side, we've walked really far today. There hasn't been any distractions. Its almost eery."
Hazeltail's eyes widened, and she nodded in agreement. "I know! Today has been so quiet and calm… I bet that just to play a trick on us, tomorrow we'll run into like three foxes and a dog or something, just to delay us because we had covered so much ground today." She meowed, ears twitching.
"Careful, you'll jinx it," Tigerflame meowed to her, but didn't sound wary nor angry in the least, "I'm just grateful that since we don't have to run from crazy dogs and wild foxes, this way I won't be as tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night to be running as fast as I can away from dangerous animals trying to rip me apart." He joked, but it was true- he really didn't feel as if he had enough energy to suddenly burst into a run in a desperate attempt to escape from a predator.
Hazeltail nodded in agreement, "tell me about it. I hardly slept during the last night, I'm so tired I can hardly even keep my eyelids open!" She exclaimed, tail drooping against the ground, "maybe it was because Foxleap was snoring so loud, maybe it was because I'm just stressed about the journey."
"Probably both," Tigerflame chuckled, sounding amused, "honestly, Foxleap's snores are louder than a monster's roar!" Hazeltail giggled, but nodded hard in agreement, looking amused as well.
The two of them chatted until the sun had begun to set, the moon slowly replacing it. The sky was a dark blue color by then, a few stars twinkling in the sky, the moon bright. There weren't many clouds that dappled the sky, but the moon wasn't shining as bright as usual tonight. Maybe an omen, maybe just random.
Suddenly, Hazeltail flopped down. "I can't take it anymore. Lets just stop." Her voice was loud, loud enough for the three patrolling cats ahead to hear. Foxleap twitched his whiskers as he turned around, his pelt gleaming in the gloom. Jayfeather looked as if he wanted to protest, but Ivypool interrupted him with a meow of agreement, "I'm tired too," she meowed wearily.
"We should set up a camp-like place around here," Foxleap agreed, nodding. Tigerflame raked his eyes around the area- they were still somewhere in the forest, but ahead there was a large tree that seemed to be hollow, and a small space to squeeze in. Foxleap seemed to notice as well, and bounded forward. He twitched his whiskers. "It's too small for us to fit in, but we could rest underneath the tree. Someone will have to keep watch though- there isn't much protection."
"I'll keep first watch," Ivypool offered, dark blue eyes gleaming with determination. The patrol nodded and flopped down, resting momentarily.
"We should really send some cats to hunt… and some others to gather moss." Jayfeather meowed, yawning heavily. "I'm going to go find some dock to see if I can help treat our sore pads," he lifted up a paw, exposing the tender pink flesh that was rubbed raw, and grimaced, "it'll make them feel a lot better."
Hazeltail breathed a sigh of relief and gratitude, "thank StarClan," she mumbled. "I'll go hunt."
"I'll join you," Foxleap offered, eyes glowing. She nodded, and the two of them padded side-by-side into the forest.
"I guess I'll go herb hunting with you then, Jayfeather," Tigerflame meowed awkwardly, "maybe I can look for moss while you look for your… uh… herbs." The gray tabby tom seemed to roll his eyes, but nodded nevertheless.
The gray tabby tom started padding forward, turning his head around and fixing Tigerflame in an impatient gaze. "Lets go then," he called, and the dark brown tabby tom bounded forward to catch up with him, "I'm going to get some dock, it shouldn't be too hard to find, since we are in a forest." He sniffed at the air, and nodded in satisfaction to himself, before padding forward into the deeper undergrowth.
The dark tabby charged after the ThunderClan medicine cat, blundering into the undergrowth. Thank StarClan I'm not hunting. That probably would have scared away half the prey in this part of the forest! Jayfeather was crouched down, nosing at some plants, looking triumphant. He bit off a few stems, and began to put them in a stack as he collected it. Great. Jayfeather found his herbs, but where am I supposed to get moss? Without even raising his head, he meowed, gesturing to a tree, "go check around the roots of the tree over there- they're bound to have some sort of moss."
Not pausing to wonder how he knew exactly Jayfeather seemed to know what he was thinking since he had lost his powers, the dark brown tabby padded to the tree that Jayfeather had gestured to. The medicine cat was right! Glancing at the roots in delight, he realized that there was indeed moss on them, and he swiftly began to scrape it off and roll it into a ball. He didn't think it would be too comfortable, or enough, so he bit off some pieces of bracken and rolled that into a ball as well. Struggling to hold them both, he slowly walked towards Jayfeather, holding the ball of moss in his jaws and rolling the ball of bracken forward by nudging it.
By the time the two of them got back, Hazeltail and Foxleap had arrived as well. There was a shrew and a vole left. The two of them were sharing a squirrel, while Ivypool was chewing on a mouse- still looking alert. Jayfeather dropped his herbs, while Tigerflame dropped the moss and bracken. The cats who had already eaten quickly finished up their meal and began to create the nests, while Tigerflame and Jayfeather flopped down and began to eat.
"Chew up the dock and apply it to your scratches." Jayfeather instructed, as he began to drop a dock leaves in front of each cat. Tigerflame did as he was told, chewing the dock into a poultice and applied it to his sore, scratched pads. He hissed slightly in pain at the stinging pain of the dock, but it eased into a comforting and soothing sensation that made his pads feel better.
Yawns were heard as all the cats padded towards their nests, except Ivypool. The silver-and-white she-cat was awake, her dark blue eyes alert. "I'll wake up Foxleap for the next watch." She announced, and the red-furred tom nodded at her. He slumped into his nest, which was placed quite close to Hazeltail's, and within a few heartbeats Tigerflame heard his breathing even and his body relax. Hazeltail was still awake however, and her eyes locked with his through the gloom.
Jayfeather was curled up in his nest, his flank rising and falling peacefully- although Tigerflame doubted that the gray tabby's dreams were just catching mice.
The dark brown tabby tried to fall asleep, but found that in whatever position he tried, he was uncomfortable. Forcing himself to lay still, he began to count the number of stars in the sky that he could see until his eyelids grew heavy and he felt himself begin to slip into unconsciousness, sleep washing over him.