Cloudstep woke up to a black paw in her face. Mackenzie's still asleep. She glanced at her out the corner of her eye. The black she-cat was snoring with her jaws flopped open. Cloudstep surpressed an amused purr. That's kind of like how Songbird sleeps after helping with patrols. She sighed. I miss her.
Mackenzie started twitching and mewing in her sleep. "Fleur . . . watch out. . ." The black she-cat started moving her paws like she was running.
She must've lost someone too. Cloudstep ducked her head down to press her muzzle against Mackenzie's forehead. Mackenzie stopped twitching and poked Cloudstep with her paw.
"Safe. . ." she muttered.
I wonder if kits talk in their sleep. Cloudstep remembered how Cloudpaw was as a kit. Fernslip and Dovespring kept bringing him to the medicine den, fretting about how he kept saying strange things in his sleep. I guess Cloudpaw did. She felt sick as she remembered how Cloudpaw got his name. They thought that dog killed me. Maybe it should have, then I wouldn't have hurt Songbird, or led these cats out here.
She put her paw over her muzzle and sighed. I don't think this could get any worse. . . She looked outside the den. Mackenzie wouldn't notice if she left for a bit, so she padded toward the entrance, poking her head outside.
Mackenzie sat up. "Cloudstep. Where are you going?"
Cloudstep sighed. "I don't know, Mack. I just need some fresh air."
"But your face! You need to stay here. And I can help ypu with your headache too, Cloudstep!" Mackenzie whimpered. The smaller black cat circled her.
"I'm not leaving for good, Mackenzie. I'm just sitting outside, maybe catching some prey?"
Mackenzie nodded. "Okay. I don't want to loose you, like I lost my Fleur. I haven't had a visitor since her death."
Cloudstep sat down beside her. "Fleur?"
"Yes, Fleur. She said it meant flower. She used to be a kittypet, just like I was, but one day she left to live with me." Mackenzie sighed. "She should have never left her Twolegs– or housefolk, as she would say. Poor little thing. I miss her so much."
Cloudstep pat Mackenzie's shoulder with her tail, pitying the younger loner. "It's okay. One day, you'll see her again."
"How? She's dead, Cloudstep. She's not like Songbird, I'll never see her again," Mackenzie wailed.
Cloudstep nuzzled her cheek. "One day you'll die too. It sounds unsettling, but when the time comes, you'll know. Her spirit will live on in the forest, and you can find her then. I know you will, Mackenzie."
Mackenzie purred weakly. "Thanks."
"It's nothing, Mackenzie. Any good cat would have said that," Cloudstep mewed.
"No wonder your Clan loves you. You have a pure heart, Cloudstep," Mackenzie said, sounding almost dark.
Cloudstep lowered her head. "You're too kind. I'm not pure-hearted. You are, Mackenzie, but I'm not."
"What makes you say that? You obviously would give your life for Songbird and your cats."
"How can you tell?" Cloudstep asked, puzzled.
"The way you were so urgent to find them again," Mackenzie mewed softly. She licked the top of Cloudstep's head. "You're brave. Stay strong, warrior."
Warrior . . . I don't feel much like one.
Cloudstep yawned, breaking the silence between them. "I'm going to go hunt."
"I'll go with you," Mackenzie offered.
For a moment, Cloudstep wanted to say no, but then she nodded anyway. "Okay, Mackenzie." She nudged her affectionately. "Come on."
Cloudstep followed the small black cat out of the den. Mackenzie ducked under a bush and hissed to her. "Still!"
Cloudstep froze and followed her gaze. A small black dog was sniffing the grass. Cloudstep readied herself to run, but Mackenzie stopped her.
"That dog isn't strong," she growled. "We can easily attack it, I've done it before. Just . . . stay here." The loner stalked the dog, and Cloudstep watched, wondering what she was going to do.
There's no way she can-
The dog yipped in alarm. Mackenzie yowled and flung herself toward it, landing on its back. She hissed and bit its ear, tugging on it until she put a tear in it. Blood sprayed across the ground, and Mackenzie leapt off, watching the odd dog run off. She reached and bit its tail one last time as a warning. She turned to Cloudstep and purred.
"See? I got it."
Cloudstep nodded. "That was great, Mackenzie. You fought with bravery. You'd make a good warrior."
"A warrior? Like the ones that live far away?" Mackenzie asked. Her tail twitched. "Or the ones by the other Twolegplace?"
"Other Twolegplace? There's a third?" Cloudstep asked, puzzled.
Mackenzie looked shocked. "Yes, of course there is! There are more Twolegplaces then either of us will ever see in our lives. I've been to this one, the one with the warriors, and the big Twolegplace, not too far from the warriors. Then there's farms too. There's one near the moor. You'll pass it I think if you keep following the river, Cloudstep."
"Wh- what kind of 'warriors' are they?" Cloudstep asked.
"They live in Clans, have leaders, fight all the time, and aren't welcoming to loners like me," Mackenzie explained. "My friend, Fleur, she wasn't too scared of 'em. She knew a warrior-cat, Sagebrush. She told us about her Clan's way of survival. She said there was a full-moon gathering, borders, elders, apprentices, medicine cats, patrols, and no cat went hungry. She said they have warm, safe nests, and cats to protect the Clan while they sleep. She said they defend each other with their lives, go to a sacred stone, have leaders with nine lives, and there are four Clans. Her Clan was best for running. She said they were WindClan. There is also ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan, too, but . . . what Clan are you from then?"
"I'm from SkyClan. We were driven out by the other Clans, and forced to take refuge in a gorge. We're just as noble and have the same code. We were forgotten, though. We're best at climbing trees and jumping," Cloudstep mewed.
"Oh. Why do you need to know about the other Clans then?" Mackenzie asked.
Cloudstep sighed. "Because. StarClan sent us to them, and only they know why. I can't think of a single reason to help those mange-pelted fleabags. They never did anything for us. They left us to die. They don't even know we exist anymore!"
But why am I going?