CHAPTER THIRTY
The snow was making travel difficult. On top of it she had to keep herself warm by fluffing out her pelt, and hunger was clawing at her belly. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had a decent meal. Usually she resorted to scraps that were left over from other predators, or didn't eat anything at all. If she was lucky, some poor prey would succumb to the cold and she would have a meal that could last a few days. That didn't happen too often.
She had been on the move for nine sunrises now. The sun helped guide her to where she needed to go, but it didn't help her get any closer to the Clan. She was worried about what sort of torture they were going through, or if they had forgotten about her at all. Her mind kept wandering to that dream she had just a day or two ago.
That tom looked real, but I can't remember who he was, she thought sadly. She wished to speak with someone, anyone. It was better than feeling all alone in this bleak landscape. It was horrible to think that she might die alone. The worst part was she had not found her Clan, or the reason behind those strange cats' appearance.
With a sigh, she curled up under a crevice to keep herself protected against the storm raging outside. The biting cold was almost too much for her. While the rocky cleft provided some protection, it still wasn't enough to keep her safe from the cold.
Closing her eyes, Birdpaw thought this might be her last night out in the mountains. She only prayed to StarClan that they would take pity on her and make it painless.
...
"... Wake up!" A voice sounded. "Wake up!" Birdpaw nearly leaped out of her fur when the voice sounded louder this time, jolting her awake. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself nearly blinded by the sunlight.
It took a few heartbeats for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight. It was blinding against the white snow, and finally Birdpaw found who was speaking to her. She tilted her head to one side when she saw a dark gray and white she-cat with pale green eyes staring at her.
"Oh, thank the stars you're awake!" she sighed in relief once she realized Birdpaw was okay. "I thought for sure you were frozen."
"W-Who are you?" Birdpaw asked fearfully, realizing the she-cat wasn't alone. A young looking dark gray she-cat and a smoky gray tom with green eyes were staring at her warily.
"I am Frost," the white and dark gray she-cat replied, dipping her head in what Birdpaw thought was a submissive way. "These are my kits, Luna and Dusk. We have been searching for a safe place outside of the Clans, than I found you under this rocky cleft. I thought for sure you had succumbed to the cold."
"I guess I'm stronger than you thought," Birdpaw told her jokingly. Slowly she got to her paws, than stumbled and ground her teeth together as she realized how wobbly they were. Birdpaw noticed that all three cats looked thin and hungry. She glanced over her shoulder at what was left of the prey she'd managed to find earlier. With a sigh, Birdpaw stepped back and glanced at the three strangers. "Take it, you need this prey more than I do," she murmured.
All three of them stared at her in surprise. Birdpaw watched warily as Frost was the first to step forward and take a bite out of the scrawny crow she had caught. Eventually Dusk and Luna had done the same thing and quickly devoured what was left of it.
"Thank you," Frost sighed in relief once she had swallowed the last of her share. "How can we ever repay you?"
"Well, you saved my life by waking me up... I guess that's how," Birdpaw replied with a shrug. "Did you say you came from the Clans? Which way did you take?"
Frost's eyes narrowed as she exchanged a look with her kits. For a moment, Birdpaw was afraid they would refuse to answer. After all, they had every right to turn their backs on her.
"I left my daughter back in ShadowClan," the older she-cat murmured, sorrow brimming in her eyes as she spoke. "She was badly injured, and I had no choice... I didn't want her going back to the Clans for a reason."
Birdpaw held back a sigh of frustration and took a step forward, "Frost, my Clan needs help. They were taken by some rogue cats living on the mountains, and I'm all alone. I can't take them on on my own." She paused to let this sink in, and the she-cat's eyes widened in disbelief. "Please, I can't just abandon them!"
Silence followed as Frost looked down at her paws. Birdpaw bit back another desperate plea as she realized this would get her nowhere. She shot the three cats a glare before deciding it was time to take charge in her life. Following the sun was her best bet at finding the Clans, like the voice in her head had told her.
She bounded through the snow, despite her earlier weakness and kept going forward. A new sense of determination suddenly washed over as Birdpaw made her way down the rocky slopes and continued through a field of snow. Luckily the wind had died down at this point, and it was a clear blue sky above her.
Oddly enough, the air was getting warmer. Birdpaw's eyes narrowed in surprise when she realized that she was climbing down the mountain. The snowy slopes had begun to change into rocky sides that made traveling treacherous. She had to stop at one point and look down at her paw pads that were now scratched and bleeding.
Don't give up now. Birdpaw froze at the voice speaking up again. Your Clan needs you, now go and find the help you seek out! Birdpaw lifted her chin as she recognized the voice.
"Who are you?" she asked out loud, hoping no one else could hear her. If any cat lived in such harsh conditions, she hoped they wouldn't find her among these stones.
I am you, Birdpaw, the voice replied. Or, I am the voice of reasoning, if you wish to put it that way.
"How is that even possible?"
Birdpaw, what I am trying to tell you may sound impossible, but it is, the voice told her. I have been watching over this Clan long before you. And I am determined not to let it fall under the wrong claws.
Birdpaw nodded at that. She wondered whether or not this voice had something to do with her dream she had a few days ago. Maybe that would explain why she could still picture that tom she had met in her dream. Whatever the reason, she suspected they would meet soon.
"What should I call you?" she asked warily.
You may call me Sky, the voice replied.
...
Sky had led her all the way down to the bottom of the mountain. It was a relief to get away from the bitter cold and snow, even if it was for a short while. Birdpaw couldn't help but gaze at the trees and grass that surrounded her the moment she had stepped paw off the mountain. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen grass or touched fresh dirt.
Once she stopped, Birdpaw tried to get a good look at her surroundings. The trees were sparse. But the grass and ferns were plentiful. Birdpaw stuck low to the ground, making sure she wasn't spotted by predators or enemy rogues and loners.
Her mother used to tell her horrible stories about foxes and badgers that would sometimes raid the camp back in the gorge. Birdpaw could still remember waking up in the middle of the night suffering from nightmares. Eventually though her mother had reassured her that they wouldn't dare get any closer.
Birdpaw kept moving forward as she followed the path Sky had led her on. She was running through the thick undergrowth when suddenly a stench hit her lungs. Birdpaw had to stop in her tracks as she heard a loud rumbling sound, something that shook the entire ground. Her fur stood on end with terror when she saw a huge looking beast running along a black path.
"W-What is that thing?" she asked fearfully.
Calm down, Sky told her in a tone that said she was all too familiar with these objects. It's called a Thunderpath, and what you just saw was a monster. You need to wait until it is clear before crossing, and make sure you get across as fast as possible.
Taking a deep breath, Birdpaw crept towards the Thunderpath and eyed it cautiously. More monsters were running towards her, but for some strange reason they stayed on the path. She looked to see if there was a way around it, but there was none. Instead, she had to hide in a bush covered in some sticky liquid and wait until it was clear.
She waited for what felt like an eternity. Birdpaw had to keep herself from spitting out when more of the stick liquid got stuck in her fur. It would take moons for that to wash out, especially the stink. Finally, Birdpaw noticed that the path had become clear.
Without waiting for another second, Birdpaw dashed across the Thunderpath as quickly as she could. Each bound left another painful reminder of her journey across the mountain as she finally made it across, just as another monster swerved past with a mighty roar. She looked down at her paws to see that the pads were covered in dried and fresh blood. Frantically she began licking the wounds in the hopes that would take care of them. However that only seemed to make them sting more, if that was possible.
Wash them in the stream, Sky informed her. Birdpaw blinked in surprise, not really having thought of that until now. She nodded and limped towards any source of water there might be in the area. Luckily there happened to be one just ahead of her.
Relief washed over Birdpaw the moment she stepped into the water. It brushed against her paws and soothed the cuts, even if it stung for a little bit. She couldn't help but feel happy with herself that she managed to get all the way down here without the support of her Clanmates. If only they could see her now.
"Sky, I hope they're alright," she murmured after stepping out to try off. "I don't know if I can do this on my own." Confronting the other Clans wasn't something she had thought of until now. And now that she was here, the Clans couldn't be that far away.
Your Clan is fine, for now, Sky reassured her. But I have a feeling that won't last much longer. The Tribe is ruled by a ruthless leader, who will stop at nothing in gaining power over the Clans.
"But why? What have the Clans ever done to the Tribe to make them hate us so much?" Birdpaw asked after thinking it over. None of it made any sense to her. Then again, SkyClan knew little about the Tribe that lived in the mountains.
Unfortunately, times have changed for the Tribe. Their old leader was murdered in cold blood, and their new leader as a tyrant.
Birdpaw was about to ask why once again when she picked up another scent among the forest. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she searched the area for predators. The stream was probably the best place for predators to hunt, because prey like her stopped by once in a while for a drink or to cool off in greenleaf. Yet the predator she had expected to see wasn't one.
Her ears pricked up when she realized it was a cat. And not just any cat. As Birdpaw got a better look at the stranger lurking in the undergrowth, she realized that it was the tom from her dreams.
"Are you talking to yourself?" he asked after realizing she was staring at him.
"Er... no, of course not," Birdpaw snapped in an angry tone. "Just what sort of mousebrain talks to themselves?" The ginger tom's eyes narrowed at her retort, and she immediately bit her tongue.
If he thinks I'm a threat, he could easily overpower me, she thought. I've had no training with my mentor! There wasn't time for her to train properly while up in the mountains. Birdpaw had a feeling that she would have been better off sticking with her mentor in the long-run.
"I thought I recognized you," the tom meowed in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're the cat I saw in my vision, right?" Birdpaw's eyes widened for a moment before she nodded. "My name's Flamestrike. I've come all the way from ThunderClan looking for you."
ThunderClan! Hope flashed within Birdpaw as she realized this was Sky's way of helping her out. Sky had guided her to the one cat who could truly help her in the end.
"My name's Birdpaw," she explained. "I remember seeing you, but I couldn't hear you talk. I guess Sky was speaking for me."
Flamestrike only stared at her in confusion when she mentioned Sky, and Birdpaw mentally slapped herself for saying that. Now he probably thought she was crazy, if he hadn't before.
"So, do you really need help in the mountains?" he asked after changing the subject.
Birdpaw nodded and glanced over her shoulder, praying to StarClan that they would make it in time. "My Clan was captured several sunrises ago by the Tribe of Rushing Water," she told him. "I managed to escape along with a few apprentices, but they got captured too in the end. Please, we're in need of your help! There are too many of them!"
AN: Thank you joyshine for your wonderful review! It's greatly appreciated :) I know I've made lots of mistakes throughout the story, especially in the beginning, but I'm trying to make up for it in the newer chapters.
