"Cinderbird! Cinderbird, I-I can't find her anywhere!" Duskblossom wailed to Berryoak.
Of course that statement wasn't true, but the patrol didn't know that. And more importantly, the Tribe didn't know the truth.
Berryoak tried to calm the smoky gray she-cat down, but Duskblossom refused to be calm. Her sister was 'missing' for StarClan's sake!
"Hey, hey, it's okay," he soothed, "Now, when did you last see her?"
"I-I," she gulped, trying to get the words out. She took a deep breath and allowed her fur to lay back down. "We were on a patrol and I heard a thud. I turned around and she was gone."
"You were on patrol a long time ago," Eagle meowed skeptically, padding towards the cats.
"And I've been trying to find her since!" Duskblossom shot back, her eyes wide open in fake worry.
"It's okay, we'll find her," Berryoak desperately tried to calm her down. "Now, is it okay," he faced the Tribe, "If I lead my cats out to go find her? Duskblossom really shouldn't be left like this. She'll worry her fur off if she can."
"Y-yeah, of course," Eagle stammered, with a look of concern at the still wailing she-cat, "You take all the time you need. I can't handle she-cats," he muttered under his breath.
Duskblossom had to resist a cry of triumph. It was all too tempting.
"Can I come?" Thunder padded up, casting a sympathetic glance at her.
Oh fish dung, Thunder. You just ruined the plan.
Berryoak opened his mouth to answer, probably to say yes, but Duskblossom cut in, "No, we're okay. But thanks anyway!"
Eagle cast a suspicious look at her.
"W-we don't want to attract eagles, do we?" Duskblossom quickly added.
Eagle nodded, his eyes narrowing to a slit.
"Come on, we have to hurry! She might have gotten kidnapped by the Graces, or a hawk could have got her, or—"
"All right, let's go," Berryoak cut her off, motioning for Cloudfish, Rippleshade, and Gingerpaw to follow him.
Duskblossom waited until they were definitely out of earshot of the Tribe before turning and speaking to her Clanmates. She flicked her ear towards a scraggly bush, and two cats, one gray and one red, jumped out.
"Cinderbird, Foxclaw!" Cloudfish exclaimed.
"Keep your voice down," Foxclaw hissed.
"So, she's not really missing?" Berryoak meowed, casting a wry smile at Duskblossom.
"Not at all," Duskblossom smugly replied, dipping her head.
"Nice plan," Gingerpaw congratulated her.
"Now, we need to get Daypaw," Foxclaw reminded them. "Any ideas?"
"Knowing Daypaw, she already has an escape plan," Cinderbird muttered.
"She could be right," Berryoak pointed out, "And we don't know where the Graces are keeping her, if the Graces have her at all. A hawk could have gotten her."
Foxclaw glared at the cream tom. "I refuse to believe she's dead. She's my apprentice, for StarClan's sake!"
Cloudfish had an intense gaze, his crystal blue eyes thinking hard. "What if… What if we got someone on the inside?"
An idea struck Duskblossom. She glanced at Rippleshade and she knew they had the same thought.
"Estelle!" they exclaimed at the same time, one voice excited and the other cool and collected.
"I don't know, she seems pretty loyal," Berryoak murmured doubtfully.
"We could always try," Rippleshade pointed out.
"You do that," Berryoak responded sarcastically, "Now, any other plans?"
Duskblossom saw Rippleshade's gaze go hard, and she knew that no matter what, he was going on with the plan. She pressed against his silver pelt and nodded to him. The cats kept on discussing, but her eyes were only for him. The world whirled until the only thing she could see was his beautiful blue eyes, gazing down at her. She didn't notice the brown tabby tom sitting in the shadows, his blue eyes filled with hurt. If she was paying attention, she would have recognized the Tribe scent.
"Duskblossom," a whisper sounded by her ear.
The smoky gray she-cat lifted her head sleepily and a silver tom sat in front of her, licking his paw.
"Hmm?" she yawned.
"Come on, we have to find Estelle," Rippleshade reminded her.
She nodded and jumped out of her makeshift nest. The patrol had made camp in the shelter of a boulder, and Rippleshade and Duskblossom would have no trouble finding it when they got back. The weather was cold and rainy, and it would be a difficult journey to get to the Grace's camp and back before the others noticed.
"I'm coming," she shook out her pelt and trotted after the tom.
"You lead," he breathed, "I don't know where the camp is."
As she quickly took the lead, she quivered as their pelts brushed past each other.
"It's this way."
They padded as fast as they could in the rain towards the camp. Duskblossom quickly recognized the ominous cave and she led him down to it. A sound like rushing water caught her attention.
"Did you hear that?" she hissed to Rippleshade.
He pricked his silver ears. "Hear what?"
A coughing sound made her turn. "We made it!" A cat yowled.
"What was that?" he asked, prowling towards the sound and stepping in front of Duskblossom. "Who's there?" he called into the darkness.
A tortoiseshell and a smaller gray cat weakly walked out to meet them. Their fur was soaked and the tortoiseshell had a gash on her flank. They were both coughing up water.
"Daypaw?" Duskblossom cried.
The gray cat turned to her and blinked her eyes open in amazement. "Duskblossom! Rippleshade!" she turned to her companion and meowed, "Autumn, these are my Clanmates."
Daypaw rushed towards them happily, her tail sticking straight in the air.
"Were you coming to rescue me?" she asked.
"Well, not exactly, but we were coming to try and find a way to save you," Duskblossom purred.
"And you should know, she-cats don't need saving," Daypaw sniffed, "Only toms need to be." She was clearly referring to Foxclaw.
Duskblossom let out a mrrow of amusement.
Rain was pouring into the cave. Daypaw exchanged a frightened look with Autumn as the cave filled up. Even as an IceClan cat, she shivered as black water lapped at her chest.
Is this going to be the end?
The water was now by her nose, and the apprentice allowed herself to be carried by the water. Autumn still refused to swim, the tortoiseshell lifted her head desperately.
"Autumn, you're going to have to swim," Daypaw told her.
"I-I can't," she choked.
"Yes, you can," Daypaw assured her. "It'll be okay."
"No, it won't!"
The black, murky water was rising still, Autumn's head was bobbing with the movement and Daypaw furiously paddled.
The gray apprentice turned as she heard a quick gasp cut off.
"Autumn?"
The tortiousehshell was nowhere to be seen. Daypaw took a deep breath and plunged into the water, trying to open her eyes against the force of the water that was to be their doom. Opening her eyes, she saw Autumn sinking into the water. Daypaw dove, swimming strongly, trying to defy gravity and get to her friend. By now her eyes were stinging, bubbles emerging from her nose. She reached out with her paws and grasped the larger cat, trying to pull her up from the disaster.
Her chest about to explode, Daypaw looked up and swam as quickly as she could, trying to get to air before either cat ran out of breath. The cloudy sky and rock walls were becoming closer. She burst from the water, water streaming from her whiskers and her face, taking deep breaths and laughing with relief.
"We made it!" she meowed, dragging Autumn out of their prison.
The tortoiseshell looked bleakly at Daypaw before coughing up rivers of water.
"Who's there?" A deep voice asked.
Daypaw felt a flash of fear. Were the Graces about to throw them straight back into the "escape-less" cave?
A silver tom was standing protectively in front of a smoky gray she-cat.
"Daypaw?" The gray she-cat asked incredulously.
Daypaw felt a rush of relief, while Autumn stared at the strangers nervously.
"Duskblossom!" Daypaw yowled. "Rippleshade!"
Autumn looked even more uncomfortable among the cats, licking her scratch on the side of her flank.
"Autumn, these are my Clanmates," she told her.
She ran towards the two cats, purring loudly.
"Were you coming to rescue me?"
"Well, not exactly, but we were coming to try and find a way to save you," Duskblossom answered, delight sparkling in her eyes.
"And you should know, she-cats don't need saving," Daypaw let out a mrrow of amusement, "Only toms need to be."
Well, sorry it's taken FOREVERish to get this chapter up, but I was busy. Doing nothing, of course XD
And, like I guessed, we're still not out of the mountains. I know I've said this about a thousand times, but hopefully, next chapter we'll be out of the mountains. Hopefully. Anyway, rando review time!
Peaklog3727- haha sorry! Maybe she will, maybe she won't :D
Mintflight0245- aww, thank you so much! That really means a lot. And you're a great writer, too! And I know, writer's block SUCKS, but you'll eventually get your inspiration back. And when you do, your stories will be amazing! And I definitely enjoyed my sandwich, haha thanks. (and had another one the next day ;P) #sandwichcrazy
Thank you SO much for reading, and please review! Happy reading!