Chapter 37: Tall Pine
Bright morning sunlight greeted Tall Pine's eyes as his eyelids fluttered open. He squeezed them shut again, unaccustomed to the bright light as his cave was always ranging on a scale between shadowy and pitch black. He turned over, hiding his eyes from the sunlight as he blinked them open again. A long dark green shape came into focus just beneath his muzzle. Grass? What was grass doing in the cave? As a matter of fact, why was it so bright?
Then the memory of last night came back to him. He was rescued! Spotted Owl and Blossom Dust had found him. But then he remembered everything they had told him about what had happened in the Clans while he was held prisoner. The conflicts, battles, deaths, Scattered Leaves's death; all things that happened because of the rogues.
Raising his head, Tall Pine looked around himself. He was curled in green grass in the center of a small hollow, sheltered by undergrowth on all sides. Sunbeams shone down from between the crisscrossing branches of the trees, dappling the green earth. Next to him, the grass was flattened from where Blossom Dust and Spotted Owl had slept pressed tightly up against him. They weren't there anymore, but sat a few tail-lengths away, taking in low tones.
"Morning, sleepyhead!" Blossom Dust chirped as she trotted up to him. "It's almost sunhigh! You must have been tired to sleep so long. Spotted Owl and I have been up for a while."
"It's almost sunhigh?" Tall Pine asked. "I guess I was exhausted."
"How's your foot feeling?" Blossom Dust's expression was concerned.
"Better," Tall Pine assured her, though his foot still ached painfully.
Spotted Owl padded over, her face serious. "We should head back to camp soon. Everyone will be worrying about us because we've been gone for so long. They might have already sent out search patrols. Our Clanmates will also want to hear how we found you Tall Pine and Red Maple should look that foot over. Mossy Moon might believe us with you as proof." Her tone was bitter, but a glint of hope shone in her yellow eyes.
"She'll have to!" Blossom Dust exclaimed. "Tall Pine is living, breathing proof that the Clan of the High Peaks are not responsible for Scattered Leaves's or his deaths and he can tell her how Sharp kidnapped him."
"While I was in that cave, Sharp came every few days to bring me prey," Tall Pine began in a soft voice. His sisters turned to look at him curiously. "We talked a lot, and Sharp revealed to me a lot about the rogues' plan. We should also tell Mossy Moon this because she has the power to act and stop the rogues before they do more damage."
"That's great news," Blossom Dust said. "The rogues' plan is exactly what we've been trying to figure out."
"So what is their plan anyway?" Spotted Owl asked.
Tall Pine proceeded to tell his sisters everything he knew about the plan, recalling from memory what Sharp had said, along with his thoughts and suspicions about the matter.
The three of them sat in silence for a while after Tall Pine finished speaking. Tall Pine could tell that his sisters were trying to make sense of what he had told them.
"It's worse than I feared," Spotted Owl said at last. "Fern Dapple, Blossom Dust and I tried to figure out a course of action after Mossy Moon dismissed our attempt to tell her, but we didn't know what to do because we had no idea what the rogues' plan was. I didn't imagine that their plan was this meticulously planned out or this diabolical."
"Yes, but now that we know their plan, we can tell Mossy Moon, and she'll be able to stop them. Right?" Blossom Dust asked, glancing anxiously at both of her siblings.
I hope so, Tall Pine thought, but neither he nor Spotted Owl answered her out loud.
"One thing that is bothering me though is why?" Spotted Owl said. "Why are the rogues doing this? Why do they hate us enough to go to these lengths? When the rogues in our Clan captured Scattered Leaves, Glint said something about how they have come for vengeance on the Clans because of something our ancestors did to theirs'. But what could it be?"
Blossom Dust shrugged, looking mystified.
"I have no idea," Tall Pine answered. "Though Sharp also alluded to that their reason was their desire for revenge."
Spotted Owl nodded grimly. "Now knowing the rogues' plan, it seems even more urgent that we get back to camp as soon as possible." She paused as her stomach rumbled. "Though not before we have something to eat. I'll go hunt."
Spotted Owl turned, walked a few paces, then paused, hesitating, fighting an internal battle against herself. Then, making up her mind, she abruptly turned and padded back to Tall Pine and Blossom Dust. "Before I go, I-I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Spotted Owl said in a rush. "I'm sorry for everything. For all those moons where I treated you both horribly. For all the hurtful things I called you, and all the times I yelled at you. I shut you both out, punishing you when you had done nothing wrong. A-after Drifting Leaf told us that our father was Creek, a rogue, I felt like an outcast in my own Clan. I felt like everyone looked down on me, and the only way I could prove myself was being strong, brave, and the best at everything, and also pushing you two away, w-whom I wrongfully labeled as weak and therefore worthless.
"I've realized now that my actions were very wrong. I know I hurt you both more than I can imagine. But I hope you can understand where I was coming from, however misguided, and realize that I want to change and make amends. I want to be better now. I do not expect that either of you will ever forgive me, but I-I hope you know that I am sincerely sorry for all that I've done." As she finished speaking, Spotted Owl uncertainty raised her eyes to meet her siblings' gazes.
Tall Pine's heart melted. He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes as a smile tugged at his lips. Oh, Spotted Owl. My dear sister. You have changed so much as well. You have no idea how much hurt I felt to witness you switch to that cat or behave that way toward us, nor how long I've waited for our real sister to come back to us. But you are most certainly forgiven. You are our sister.
"Oh, Spotted Owl," Blossom Dust whispered, stepping to her sister's side. Tears were forming in the small she-cat's eyes as well. She buried her nose in her sister's black and white pelt. "Of course I forgive you."
Spotted Owl's gaze looked a little tearful as she turned to rasp her tongue over Blossom Dust's head.
Tall Pine moved to her other side, pressing himself against her and draping his tail over her back. "I forgive you as well."
The black and white dappled she-cat's voice was weak. "Thank you both." She swallowed then said even more quietly, "I love you. So much."
"We love too," Tall Pine replied while Blossom Dust purred as loud as can be.
The three siblings remained that way for a long while, until Spotted Owl wiggled out from between them, gently removing them from her sides. "All right, that's enough loving for me for now." Her tone was playful. "I better go hunt." With one last long look at her siblings, she turned and headed up the slope of the hollow, disappearing among the undergrowth.
Tall Pine gazed after Spotted Owl as she vanished from view. "She sure has changed."
Blossom Dust leaned in close to him, licking his ear. "She sure has."
. . .
Blossom Dust and Tall Pine rested and talked together for a time while Spotted Owl hunted. They lay back in the fresh grass, watching the sky and the forest around them, talking about anything and everything that they felt like as they had more time to spend together now than they had had for moons.
Finally, when the sun was nearing halfway to sunset, Spotted Owl reappeared at the top of the hollow, clutching a fat squirrel and a sparrow in her jaws. Several leaves, a few twigs and even two feathers were caught in her messy black and white fur, making it look like she'd crawled backward through several thorn bushes. The young she-cat hurriedly descended the slope and dropped the prey unceremoniously at Tall Pine's paws.
"Sorry it took me so long," Spotted Owl said. "I'm not a hunter, so I've only had basic training. I lost at least a few good pieces of prey before I managed to nab these."
Blossom Dust trotted to her sister's side and began picking the debris out of her fur. "Well, if there were a competition for nest gatherers, you'd win for sure! I bet everyone would also be impressed that would found a creative way to carry the leaves and twigs—and the feathers!"
"Maybe we should have a nest gathering competition! I'd beat you by a long shot!" Spotted Owl said playfully, bowling Blossom Dust over.
Tall Pine grinned as he watched his sisters play wrestle, but a sense of urgency weighed heavily on him and tugged at his paws. We need to get back to camp as soon as possible. So much is at stake.
After a few moments, the she-cats rejoined him, both panting from the exercise, but they were smiling. The three of them settled down to eat in silence as they were all quite hungry. They finished off the prey very quickly. Afterward, Spotted Owl buried the clean-picked bones from their meal, and they got ready to leave.
Spotted Owl led the way as they set off, running ahead every so often to check their course, but she always came back to make sure Blossom Dust and Tall Pine were still behind her. Tall Pine trekked slowly but surely along, his left hind foot lifted off the ground to minimize the pain. Blossom Dust kept close beside her brother, sending worried glances at his injured foot when she thought he wasn't looking.
The day progressed as the three young cats hiked through their territory toward their camp, traveling much slower than usual due to Tall Pine's injury. The sun was setting, painting the sky in breathtaking pinks and oranges when Spotted Owl announced that were almost there. Gentle gray dusk had fallen inside the forest as they emerged from the trees not long after, the spiky form of bramble thicket close in front of them.
"Who's there?" A suspicious but familiar voice called. A pale brown and white tabby tom stepped out of the shadows of the brambles. "Declare yourself."
Spotted Owl padded forward into a shaft of pale moonlight that set the white part of her pelt aglow. "Rabbit Nose, it's me, Spotted Owl."
"Spotted Owl?" Rabbit Nose trotted forward to touch noses with her. "Everyone's been so worried about you since you disappeared last night and never came back to camp. We've sent out dozens of search patrols. Where have you been? And where is Blossom Dust?"
"She's here too," Spotted Owl replied, beckoning for her siblings to come out of the shadows. Blossom Dust strolled out, leading Tall Pine.
Rabbit Nose's face flooded with relief as he saw his trainee but then took an astonished look as if he'd seen a cat come back from the dead once his eyes shifted to Tall Pine. He walked, stiff-legged, to stand in front of the young tom, scrutinizing him closely as if he wasn't sure he was real. "Tall Pine, is it really you? Are you alive?"
Tall Pine's lips pulled back into a small smile. "Yes, I'm alive and breathing Rabbit Nose. It's good to see you and to be home. Can we go inside our camp? I would like to see everyone."
"Oh, of course," Rabbit Nose meowed, shaking himself. "Come, follow me." He turned and led them through the passageway and into the dark stone gorge.
"Where is everyone?" Blossom Dust asked, looking around them as they halted a few fox-lengths from the entrance. The dark camp was silent and empty, no one was in the clearing, the dens appeared almost entirely vacant, but the stale scent of many of their Clanmates hung in the air.
"At the Gathering," Rabbit Nose answered, sounding surprised that they hadn't realized. He pointed with his muzzle to the clear blue-black sky where full moon hung. "Mossy Moon took a large patrol with her to the Gathering, leaving only a few of hunters and fighters behind to guard the camp."
"Oh, no!" Spotted Owl gasped. Her eyes were wide with alarm. "I forgot that tonight was the Gathering. This isn't good. Tonight's the night that the chieftains are going to meet to discuss the issues!"
Worry and urgency flared in Tall Pine's chest. He his mouth to reply when a cry cut him off.
"Spotted Owl! Blossom Dust! You're back!" Fern Dapple came sprinting out of the trainee's den and skidded to a halt next to them. "I thought I recognized your voices! Where have you two been?"
The silver tabby she-cat's call had must have alerted their other Clanmates as several other cats poked their heads out of their caves and began to gather in a small crowd. Quick Clouds and Drifting Leaf were among the few that emerged from the hunter and fighter's den as Quiet Sun led the elders out of their den, and Willow Leaf appeared from the nursery.
Spotted Owl moved closer to Fern Dapple, lowering her voice. "We followed some of the rogues when they snuck out of camp yesterday, and we found out some important things as well as someone." Behind her, Blossom Dust shifted aside to reveal Tall Pine.
Unlike Rabbit Nose, Fern Dapple was ecstatic the instant she laid eyes on her long lost friend. With a joyful yowl of "Tall Pine!" she raced to his side.
"Fern Dapple," Tall Pine purred, rubbing his face against her's, overjoyed to see his friend again.
"Where have you been? What happened to you? How did your sisters find you?" Fern Dapple began peppering him with questions, but her cry had notified several other cats of his presence, and Tall Pine found himself pulled away from her and his sisters by his other Clanmates.
"Oh, my son! My beautiful son! You're alive, and you've come home!" Drifting Leaf gushed as she covered Tall Pine's face with licks, holding him close as if she would never let him go again. Tall Pine purred at the sight of his mother, rejoicing at her touch which he had spent so long wondering if he would ever feel again, but he was worried as he felt her ribs through her thin, dull pelt.
"I can't believe it's you, Tall Pine," Quick Clouds breathed. The senior hunter stood on Tall Pine's other side, gazing down at him with wonder in his eyes. Other cats leaned in close as if they needed to see him with their own eyes to believe that he had returned.
Tall Pine let Drifting Leaf fuss over him for a few more moments, before he pulled away, brushing past all the eager faces as tried to find Fern Dapple, Spotted Owl, and Blossom Dust. He spotted them standing together in a small clump on the outskirts of the crowd. Spotted Owl was speaking with Fern Dapple, probably filling her in, but they looked up as he approached.
"We need to go now," Tall Pine said urgently. "We need to get to the Gathering!"
"Yes. I know." Spotted Owl nodded vigorously.
"But what about your injured foot?" Blossom Dust objected, her face concerned. "We need to get Red Maple to look at it."
"That can wait," Tall Pine said, pushing past the she-cats toward the passageway. "We don't have time. We need to get to the Gathering as fast as possible."
"Why do we need to go to the Gathering?" Fern Dapple asked in confusion. "And now without telling anyone?"
Tall Pine turned back to her with a small sigh of frustration. "We'll have to finish filling you in on everything later, but you already know that all the Clans are in one place right now—at the Gathering—discussing their conflicts and trying to resolve them. If the chieftains don't agree, it is highly likely the Clans will fight a devastating and unnecessary battle, going along exactly with the rogues' plan. And if a resolution is come to and the Clans do not fight, they will be in the perfect place for the rogues to attack and finish them off themselves. We are the only ones who know the truth, so we have to get to that Gathering and warn the chieftains before it's too late! The lives of our Clanmates and the very existence of the Clans depends on us!"
Hiya, everyone! I hoped you liked reading Chapter 37. The scene where Spotted Owl apologizes to Tall Pine and Blossom Dust was probably my favorite scene to write out and in general in the entire book. I hoped you liked it as well. This next chapter will also be from Tall Pine's perspective at the Gathering. I can't believe that there is only 3 chapters left!
Reviews:
Somerandomperson (Guest) - I like all those characters as well. Yes, Sharp is a very complex character and I'm proud of the way he turned out. Thank you very much! Here is the next chapter and the one after this will be out soon!
The Unnamed Guest - These past two chapters where the siblings have been my favorites to write. Yes, Brisk is dead. It's fine that you have no idea. It's tricky to figure out of you're not me. I really like Spotted Owl too, but I love all my main characters. Have fun on your trip! I've only been out of the U.S.A (my country) a few times, but I love to travel.
QOTD: If you were Blossom Dust or Tall Pine would you have forgiven Spotted Owl in light of everything that she has done?
- A Warrior At Heart