Slatefang watched as the kitty-pets readied themselves to leave.
Finally, He thought with a twinge of angry satisfaction. He didn't know if he could stand watching his Clanmates fawn over the outsiders for one more moment.
He lay alone at the edge of the clearing beneath some undergrowth. The kitty-pets were saying their final farewells to the members of the Clan that hadn't left for the Gathering. To Slatefang's annoyance, Cherrynose was among those that warmly bid the kitty-pets goodbye.
Dawnheart, Talonscore, and the kitty-pets began to shuffle single-file through the camp entrance. Slatefang narrowed his eyes. His belly churned with a familiar anxiety.
Something is going to happen.
He had learned not to ignore these thoughts and feelings. He stood and made to follow the disappearing patrol. Cherrynose intercepted him before he could get further than a few fox-lengths.
"Where are you off to?" She mewed. Her voice was still slightly raw from her illness.
Slatefang blinked down at her. For a moment he fought the urge to shove her aside and continue with his duty. The impulse faded as he took in her bright eyes and round, soft features. She cocked her head, waiting for his response.
"I..." Slatefang couldn't help but glance past Cherrynose towards the camp entrance.
Cherrynose followed his gaze. Her tail drooped slightly.
"You weren't going to follow them, were you?" she asked quietly. She turned back to him and met his eyes.
Slatefang let his gaze drop. Shame burned at his eartips. The feeling was a stark contrast to the urging in his paws.
"Slatefang, we can trust them." Cherrynose said.
Slatefang grit his teeth. No, he wanted to spit at her, we can't. He would have said it to any other cat but she. Somehow, she cooled the ever-present anger in his belly.
Cherrynose glanced around at the settling camp. "Why don't we take a walk?" She suggested. "Just you and me."
Part of Slatefang wanted to go with her, to walk the forest at night and forget this terrible feeling of a gathering storm he couldn't see. The other part of him knew that he wouldn't be able to resist following the kitty-pets. His gut told him that was where the danger lay.
Cherrynose didn't seem to notice his struggle. "I promised Foxtail I would bring her a mouse. I'll be right back, and then we can go."
Slatefang met her eyes. He nodded stiffly. She visibly relaxed and padded away.
Slatefang watched as she grabbed a mouse from the scarce fresh-kill pile and headed to the elder's den. Once he was certain she was out of sight, he turned and left the camp without her.
As he broke out into the nighttime forest, he felt his guilt wash away. He closed his eyes and breathed in the disgusting scent of the kitty-pets and their escort. He swallowed a snarl and took off after the intruders.
. . .
For the second time in a half-moon Dawnheart found himself outside his territory and on his way towards the place he was born. This time, though, he wasn't alone.
Kibby walked beside him. Oliver and Talonscore had taken the lead and Fitzy brought up the rear. Dawnheart was surrounded by friends, family, and Clanmates this time. What could be better?
His whiskers twitched as Talonscore and Kibby's argument started up again and he remembered why he was between them in the first place.
"I'm just saying, you can't say you don't like it if you've never tried it." Kibby insisted.
"I don't have to eat kittypet food to know I won't like it." Talonscore said with a flick of his tail.
"You don't even know what it tastes like!" Kibby protested. Again.
"I know what your breath smells like." Talonscore muttered.
Kibby made a tight noise of indignation.
"Enough." Dawnheart said before the fluffy she-cat could properly respond. "Every cat has different tastes."
Talonscore rolled his eyes. "My taste is real food."
Kibby stuck out her tongue at the warrior from around Dawnheart's shoulder.
The group slowed to a stop as they left the trees and neared the Thunderpath. Dawnheart could smell the acrid scent on the chill night breeze. He suppressed a shudder as he remembered what it felt like to tear across the black expanse on terror-hastened paws.
"We can make it from here." Oliver said as he looked around at the tall grass.
Dawnheart's lightened mood fell slightly. "Are you sure?"
Fitzy padded past the group and poked his head through the dry brown vegetation. "I can see the road." He said with a flick of his crooked tail.
"The road always leads home." Oliver heaved a bittersweet sigh. He turned to the others. His yellow eyes glowed with warmth. "This is where we say goodbye."
Kibby pressed herself to Dawnheart's flank. Her large eyes were downcast and her short tail drooped. For once she seemed lost for words.
"Thank you again. My kits will grow up knowing your names." Talonscore was saying to the other house cats. The scarred warrior dipped his head in a low bow to the two toms. Fitzy looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"Anytime." Fitzy said without making eye contact.
Oliver touched his nose to Talonscore's ear. "They'll be the best in the Clan."
Dawnheart stepped forward and touched his nose to each tom's ear in turn. "Goodbye. Thank you for everything."
Fitzy just sniffed. He gave a final nod and then slipped through the withered grass and out of sight.
"He's not good at goodbyes." Oliver said, watching him go.
Dawnheart shrugged.
Oliver looked at Dawnheart with a sideways glance. The older cat shuffled his paws and his tail swished once. "Tell Plumleaf thank you for me, will you? I didn't get the chance before she left."
"I told you to do it yourself!" Kibby said with a huff.
Oliver hesitated and avoided eye contact. "I didn't want to bother her."
Kibby roller her eyes. "Coward." she muttered.
Dawnheart couldn't help but purr. "I'll let her know." He promised.
Relaxing slightly, Oliver dipped his head to Talonscore once more. The warrior returned the gesture. Oliver turned to Kibby and nodded to her.
"It's time to go." He said.
Kibby's tail fell to the frozen ground. She looked at Dawnheart with shining eyes. He felt a pang of sympathy for her as he realized that she had had to say goodbye to their littermates before. She hadn't seen them since.
Dawnheart touched his nose to hers. "I promise we will see each other again."
Kibby blinked softly and purred. "We'd better." Her voice was tight.
"Run along, now." Dawnheart said, straightening up and nodding towards the Thunderpath. "That twoleg boy you told me all about will be wondering where you got to."
Kibby's eyes widened as if she just remembered something. She stood a little taller and nodded firmly. The she-cat turned to Oliver and waved her tail. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The kittypets waved their tails in farewell one last time before disappearing into the long grass. Dawnheart watched his sister go, a feeling of melancholy filling his belly.
Wordlessly the CedarClan warriors turned and began the journey back to their own territory. They walked in silence until they were back under tree cover.
Talonscore was the first to speak. "I owe Quailstep a squirrel."
Dawnheart flattened one ear. "Why's that?"
"I bet her that Fitzy would ask to stay." The ginger warrior said. "That one fit right in."
Dawnheart considered Talonscore's words briefly. "True," he relented, "but his loyalties lie elsewhere."
Talonscore sniffed. "I can't fathom how they live with Twolegs." He gave himself a shake. "Getting near the Thunderpath was close enough for me."
"Twolegs aren't so bad." Dawnheart said without thinking.
Talonscore shot him a strange look.
"Their nests are awful though." Dawnheart added quickly. "I'd rather lose my tail than set paw in one ever again."
Seeming satisfied, Talonscore took the lead and headed through the nighttime forest. The two walked in silence until they reached the CedarClan border. Talonscore paused a few tree-lengths into the territory.
"Do you smell that?" the ginger warrior said in a low voice.
Dawnheart slowed to a stop and sniffed the air. A strange scent drifted to his nose. He screwed up his eyes and nose. Where did he know that scent from?
Talonscore stiffened. He unsheathed his claws. "Doesn't that smell like the rogues to you?"
Dawnheart's pulse quickened. He gave the air another sniff. Talonscore was right. It was slightly different, but underneath the new scent was one he knew very well.
Dawnheart gripped the frozen ground with his claws. "What do we do?" he said in a whisper.
Talonscore lowered himself to the ground. "We need to find out how many there are."
Dawnheart agreed. Silently, the two warriors crept against the breeze towards the PineClan border. With each step the faint smell of rogues grew stronger.
They were nearing the twoleg path when Dawnheart saw the first rogue. He froze and held out his tail to stop Talonscore from getting closer.
The rogue, a gray tom, was standing at attention in the shadow of a pine tree. His head turned slowly as he scanned the forest. He was far enough from them that Dawnheart was confident he wouldn't have caught their scent yet.
"Scout." Dawnheart breathed to Talonscore, and pointed out the scout's position with his tail.
Talonscore nodded and began to creep sideways through the scarce brush. His paws were silent. He made it about a fox-length away before pausing and coming back.
"I saw them. A whole battle patrol's worth. Maybe more." Talonscore muttered.
Dawnheart let the initial bolt of shock and fear tear through him. Once it had quickened his heartbeat and filled his paws with a need to run, he cut off the feeling of terror. Only the energy remained. He would need it for the inevitable fight ahead.
Talonscore lashed his tail. "I'll run to camp. You go to the lake and get Blizzardstar. You're faster."
"Right." Dawnheart said. Without another word, the warriors split away from the path and shot off in different directions.
Dawnheart headed towards a break in the trees to his left. He stretched his paws out as far as they could go and really began to run. His strides carried him so fast that the scenery around him blurred into a moonlit splash of vague shapes and shadows.
He let himself fly through the trees at blinding speed. The night air bit at his nose and ear-tips. He barely felt each footfall as his paws skimmed the frozen ground. Despite the urgency that carried him he couldn't help but feel a joyous freedom as he ran.
It wasn't long before he could see the shimmer of the lake through the trees. He slowed only to make sure he didn't lose his footing on the more uneven ground. He had only just reached the tree-line drop-off when he heard something nearby.
Dawnheart slowed and dropped into a crouch. Something was near, just beyond his vision in the undergrowth. His mind screamed at him to ignore it and run to Blizzardstar but his instincts kept him low to the ground.
Whatever was there did not want to be seen.
Dawnheart came to a stop behind a rock. His heart pounded in his ears. He looked ahead and saw the gathering taking place. It was too far away for Dawnheart to make out any details, but it looked as though a fifth cat had joined the leaders on the Great Rocks.
Confused, Dawnheart lifted his head just slightly. He had never heard of or seen such a thing. What was-?
His thoughts were interrupted as a huge force slammed into his side. His head connected with the rock beside him.
With a crack and a flash of white light, Dawnheart's senses were deadened to the world.