Oreo sighed. She could feel Appleclaw's disapproving glare boring into the back of her head. Can't he just accept that StarClan chose me instead of him?
Lostsong was lagging a bit further behind, leaving Oreo entirely in the lead. It only made the patrol more uneasy. the blue-grey medicine she-cat was trotting alongside Hawkstripe. The older tomcat was looking half asleep as he walked. Oreo turned her attention back to the highstones up ahead, wondering how to get around them. They were taller than she could have ever imagined. But that means we're getting close! She can smell the sour road-scent in a distance, along with a few cat-scents. One smelled almost like Cloudstep, the other like wild-cats.
"Do you smell that?" Appleclaw asked suddenly. He froze, his white and russet tail raised, and his azure blue gaze wide.
"Smell what?" Frankie asked, trotting toward him. The ginger tabby seemed immune to Appleclaw's bitter glare.
"That you stupid furball! It's Cloudstep!" Appleclaw hissed.
Songbird ran toward him. The older silver she-cat had been trailing behind the patrol the whole time. "Where?" She ducked her head to sniff where Appleclaw had reported Cloudstep's scent. For a moment, her reddish-amber eyes widened. "She. . ." The tabby and white she-cat shook her head. "No. That smells so much like a loner."
Appleclaw sighed. "You're right."
Frankie didn't move. She suddenly whipped around and glared at Appleclaw and Songbird. "I'm following that trail." Her glare softened into a saddened glance as she looked at Oreo. "I'll be back by tomorrow morning, my friend, and if I'm not . . . I probably won't come back." She ran up to her and touched her nose to Oreo's. "Best friends?"
"Best friends forever, Frankie," Oreo mewed back. I don't think I can let her go on her own- But Frankie was already dashing off into the forest. Frankue was a bit odd, and might get hurt, she knew. But Cloudstep! She'll find Frankie, and they'll come back here. She couldn't help but feel uneasy at how none of the other cats had said anything about Frankie running off.
Judging by their faces, they think she ran home to our housefolk. Oreo felt herself bristle. Frankie wouldn't do that. But they think because she's a kittypet, that she would. That's what they think about me, too. She lashed her red tail and turned back toward the highstones.
"We should stop here," Oreo announced, turning to the patrol. "We need to wait for Frankie to get ba-"
"You mean chase her own tail?" Songbird snapped. "Cloudstep isn't here. I'm going on, whether you like it or not, kittypet."
Appleclaw looked amused. "Kittypet," he sneered.
Hawkstripe looked from Oreo to Lostsong, then back at Songbird. "Oh."
Flare looked anxious. "Shouldn't someone follow your friend, Oreo?" he asked quietly.
Oreo nodded. "I will then, if these furballs won't wait for her." She cast a glance at Songbird. The senior warrior was hissing at Lostsong to lead them. All Lostsong had to do was glance at Hawkstripe's expectant glare and she agreed.
"Okay, Songbird," she said quietly. She nodded to the patrol and took the lead. Appleclaw looked even more bitter at the thought of being led by a medicine cat now, but from what Oreo had learned from her, she'd been a warrior first, before she'd lost half of her tail and become clumsy because of it.
"I'll stay with you," Flare sighed. "They won't get too far. If Frankie really does find their special leader cat, then we can catch up with 'em."
"Thanks, Flare," Oreo sighed. She turned to follow Frankie's scent trail. The ginger tabby couldn't run very long, so it probably wouldn't be long before they caught up with her. Flare followed, looking tired and bored.
"Y'know, it's quite dangerous out here for one cat who hasn't lived in the wild before," Flare mewed suddenly, "it was a bit stupid to send lil' Frankie out 'ere by herself."
Oreo's tail twitched irritably. I already have a whole patrol of cats who think I'm stupid, why do I need a loner to tell me I am too? "I. Know."
"Sheesh, okay, no need to get all snappy. I was just sayin'." Flare trotted ahead a bit. "Hey!" he called.
A small black head popped out of a bush. It was a she-cat with bright amber eyes.
"Mackenzie, is that you?" Flare called. He looked excited.
The other loner nodded and popped out of the bush. "Gravy? Is that you?"
Flare licked his chest fur, embaressed. "Er. . . My name is Flare now."
"Oh. That makes more sense." Mackenzie circled him. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you! Do you remember Fleur, by chance?"
"Of course I remember!" he mewed. "Is she here?" He sniffed around, looking for her.
Mackenzie lowered her head. "No. She died, last season. Falling branch."
"Oh. Sorry." Flare stiffened. "Who's that?" he asked, flicking his tail and a grey and white she-cat with pale, yellowy eyes. "What happened to her face?" he asked, taking notice to how her face was stiffened on one side.
Cloudstep!
"Oh, that's Cloudstep. She got lost, fell out of a tree. Thought she was dead when I found 'er, but she came back," Mackenzie explained. "I was helping her get better. She's actually doing pretty well now, no more headache."
"Cloudstep!" Oreo gasped. "Hey Cloudstep!"