We've already seen a bit of the travel between the main camp to the new one, so expect to see a lot less Cindercall-centric chapters!
Instead, we'll be having insight from Fleetpaw and Mumblebee, as they work to rescue the cats from MountainClan.
Mumblebee kept his head down as he sifted for the marigold by the edge of the MountainClan border.
His stubby tail twitched impatiently as he carefully kept an eye on his surroundings, attempting to look as normal as he could be.
"Psst!"
The small hiss on the other side of the border made him jump a little, his fur bristling and his chest pounding with panic.
And then he relaxed, his heart beginning to slow as he recognized the familiar, tiny, form of Frogheart.
She was accompanied by Petalpelt, the pretty russet she-cat glancing around nervously.
"We need to make this quick," Petalpelt whispered softly. "Runningstar gave us free reign of the territory to retrieve medicine, but I don't doubt for a second he sent Eaglesun after us to keep an eye on Frogheart."
"Understood," Mumblebee mewed, before turning to the tiny medicine cat.
She looked up at him with chillingly wide, unblinking eyes.
She had always been an oddball in the medicine cat group, but he had grown familiar to her strange antics.
"Who all is being held captive?" He whispered softly. "And what's their health status like?"
"I haven't been inside the cave where they're held," Frogheart said, her tail twitching. "But I know that it's the two elders, Wolflight and Shadehawk, Mothlight and all her kits, Stonespirit, of course Shadowcry, and then..." The she-cat paused, her ears lowering. "Twilightsun."
She cleared her throat, her tail twitching once more.
"Shadowcry's ill, which likely means everyone else has contracted greencough, which likely means that if no help is given to them, they'll die." Her head cocks thoughtfully. "Did you know that greencough can survive for a long time in caves? The air is so stagnant that it holds the illness in it, and once a cave is contaminated, it's hard to clear it out without letting nature take it's course."
Mumblebee's ears lower.
"Yes, Frogheart," he murmured. "I see the situation is dire. And you've not been let in at all?"
The she-cat shook her head, nervously shoving her paws.
"I've attempted many discussions and debates, but Runningstar refuses to allow me within. I've attempted to heal from outside, but I can't. And of course, if I'm gone from Shelldust for too long, he'll die, and then I'll be killed for conspiracy." Her ears twitch again. "Which is a strange thought, considering a medicine cat can't save everyone. Death is common for warrior cats, and if Shelldust is meant to die, then StarClan would take him, but Runningstar is saying that if I don't heal him, I killed him on purpose, so does that mean I have more power than StarClan in that aspect? Does Runningstar have more power than StarClan if he allows them all to die—"
Mumblebee's gaze softened as Frogheart rambled on and on about her thoughts and opinions on the situation.
Ever since he'd known her, she'd been obsessive over death and the aspect of StarClan and who holds the true power of it all.
But even as a medicine cat, she was calm enough to know when it was a good time to blabber on about it or not.
She must be worried.
Of course she is, a soft voice reminded him. Her sister's in that cave. She's at full risk of death.
Mumblebee looked to Petalpelt, before turning back to the patch of marigold, lifting a small leaf wrapping from the golden flowers.
He carefully nudged it over the border, which Petalpelt took quickly, covering his scent with her own.
Frogheart sniffed at the leaf wrapping, before her green eyes widened further.
"Catmint..." She whispered, turning to Mumblebee.
Mumblebee met her gaze.
"That is for Shelldust," he mewed gently. "It's all I can offer for now. Keep him alive, as your duty." His eyes glowed with emotion. "Fear not, my friend... I'll make sure they're taken care of."
Frogheart turned to the catmint in Petalpelt's jaws, her ears twitching.
"Did you know that catmint has a difficult time growing in the cracks in a mountain? A lot of the times we have to go down by the RainClan border to retrieve it, but sometimes a patch of it will sprout outside the medicine den in newleaf if the rains are enough." She pauses in her small ramble. "Perhaps StarClan made it that way for a reason... The catmint didn't grow this newleaf," her gaze darkened. "StarClan kept it from growing. Was it because they were punishing us, Mumblebee?"
The hefty tom watched her, before shaking his head.
"If they were punishing you," he rumbled gently. "I wouldn't be here, now would I?"
Frogheart's eyes shone as she turned back to him.
"StarClan often shows kindness to those who give others hope. Well, according to most prophecies and legends that we hear of." Her eyes glimmered with gratitude. "I pray that they show kindness to you."
Mumblebee couldn't help but purr to the roundabout compliment, and he nodded.
"We'll save them, Frogheart," he mewed. "Now go. Before anyone catches you. I don't want your life risked for this."
"If my life is at risk," Frogheart mewed, as she and Petalpelt turned to leave. "Then it was how it was always meant to be."
Mumblebee watched them go, his stumpy tail twitching as he watched the tiny she-cat trot after Petalpelt.
Despite her strange way of perceiving the world, Mumblebee could understand how she felt.
His mind drifted back to a cold leafbare, where snow had piled into the camp.
The cold, stiff body that he had found the following newleaf.
His gaze darkened.
I can do something this time, he thought softly, rising to his paws. I can save them.
He turned back towards MoonClan territory.
I won't let MountainClan suffer as we have. Even if they're our enemies.
Fleetpaw found his paws scrabbling at the rough rock they were practicing against. His fur was coated in the loose pebbles and stones, and he felt like a walking boulder, much to his dismay.
"Stay still," Vinedust's mew made him stiffen, and his gaze flickered towards the tom. He was watching him carefully, his eyes narrowed. "Keep your eyes shut, pay attention to your other senses."
Fleetpaw did as he was told, pressing against the harsh stone as he listened with ears pricked.
Much to his shock, the boulder seemed to shift so carefully beneath his weight, as if enveloping him into it's embrace.
Hiding him from sight.
Then he heard the smallest shift of pebbles, and heard Vinedust grunt with approval.
Opening his eyes, he could see that the tom was no longer watching him, and he slowly pulled himself from the boulder, crouching down into the springy craggy grass that shot up from the rocky ground.
Each step was placed carefully, his eyes watching Vinedust with immense attention.
But then, he felt something crash into his side, and he let out a loud yowl of surprise as he was tossed into the long grass of the training meadow.
Shaking the pebbles from his fur, he sprang to his paws and glared down Junipersky, who was grooming her paw where he had just been.
"What was that for?!" He snapped. "I almost had him!"
"You needa pay attention to more than just the single cat, kitten," Junipersky purred, her tail flicking. "Just because one cat hasn't noticed you doesn't mean another cat hasn't. Stalking isn't just about creeping up on a bit of prey."
Fleetpaw paused, his ears burning with shame as Vinedust turned to him.
"She's correct," he instructed. "When you're stalking, you don't just creep out and attack. You stay hidden until the very moment you strike; not just from your enemy, but any enemy nearby."
"You mean like this?"
Before either warrior could move, Weedpaw came crashing in from behind them, barreling into Junipersky before quickly slamming straight into Vinedust.
Both warriors were knocked off their paws, both shocked as they looked at Fleetpaw's brother.
"Don't worry Fleetpaw!" Weedpaw yowled. "I've come to help! Reinforcements are here!"
Fleetpaw laughed at his brother's yowl, before leaping in as Junipersky lunged towards him, knocking her off of her paws. Vinedust, dazed, turned on his apprentice and attacked, pinning him down, only for the young apprentice to wiggle out of his grasp and throw him off. Junipersky's eyes, though playful, held a bit of challenge to them, and she and Fleetpaw rolled over and over into the long grass, both laughing as they attempted to pin the other to the ground.
Eventually, Junipersky got the upper-hand, forcing him into the ground, her tail flicking with delight.
"I win!"
"Pfft! Only because you're so big!" He snorts, huffing out some of the she-cat's fur from his mouth.
"Being big has it's benefits," she teases, letting him up. Vinedust and Weedpaw moved forward, the warrior sternly but proudly watching his apprentice.
"You did well with that attack," Vinedust mewed, nodding to Weedpaw. "Though, I'd recommend re-hiding after taking out Junipersky. That way, you can make sure she's actually out. Had Fleetpaw been struck down before you could get to him, you might've been apart of a fight you weren't expecting, especially if you foolishly crash into both warriors."
"I see!" Weedpaw mewed. "But did I hide well? I wasn't entirely sure, since you were talking to Fleetpaw."
"You hid well to me," Fleetpaw piped up, beside Junipersky, his eyes sparkling as he looked to his brother. "I couldn't even see you and I was facing you!"
"Yeah, but you're not always the most observant, kitten," Junipersky teased playfully, her tail flicking with amusement. The white tom bristled, his ears pinning to his head.
"I am too," he muttered. "A hundred percent observant."
"While your observation skills might still need work," Vinedust mewed, his ears twitching. "You were correct. Weedpaw hid exceptionally well. Yes, he had a good distraction in place, but aside from that, not a single one of us knew he was there. It takes incredible skill to do that, especially without the aid of tree-shade or grass to hide your form."
Weedpaw beamed proudly at the praise, his fur fluffing up, and Fleetpaw snorted.
"Yeah, he did good, but I don't wanna let up on this observation thing! I'm a good observer!"
"Yeah, you are," Junipersky laughed. "Just cuz ya gotta work on somethin' doesn't mean y'ain't good at it, silly."
Fleetpaw crouched down, embarrassed that her words made sense. Of course he still had more to work on! He needed to stop being so sensitive!
"Can we just go again?" He grumbled. "I wanna try to hide like Weedpaw did."
"Of course," Vinedust mewed. "But first I say we take a small break to go hunting."
"Hunting?" Fleetpaw echoed.
"Sweethawk took Jaypaw and Kestrelpaw out to go hunting for the queens and elders when we left," he mewed. "I figured you all were famished, and since the elders and queens have been taken care of, we can take a moment to hunt for ourselves."
"Prey!" Weedpaw squeaked with excitement, prancing around. "Ohhh, my StarClan I'm so hungry! I could go for a squirrel by now..."
"Then you better be able to catch one," Vinedust mewed. "Let's go."
While Vinedust and Weedpaw moved to the Oak Patch to hunt, Fleetpaw found himself trotting after Junipersky, deeper into the pine trees closer to the MountainClan's border.
Even now, being close to the MountainClan's border made his paws prickle with anticipation.
Without Cindercall, they would be doing this on their own.
What would possibly be Fleetpaw's first battle would be without his mentor there.
His eyes flickered towards the direction of the border, his ears pricked as though he were expecting to hear the charging of a war party crashing across the scent line.
But no such noise came, and he sighed.
"Hey, uh, kitten—"
Fleetpaw turned to Junipersky just as he heard her voice, only to slam face-first into a tree trunk, the bark scratching at his nose roughly.
With a surprised 'mrrow', he tumbled back, his fur fluffed up with surprise as Junipersky started laughing.
He glared at her, huffing with embarrassment as she shook her head.
"Sorry, sorry," she snickered. "I swear, I was tryina warn ya, but you were so lost in your head that I just couldn't reach ya."
He swallowed.
"It's fine," he mumbled. "I was deep in thought about stuff." He couldn't help but cast another glance out to the MountainClan border.
He was anxious and tense, worry filling him as he constantly looked back on all his battle training.
What if he missed something?
What if he failed?
Much to his surprise, he felt Junipersky's soft fur sidle up beside him, and he turned to look at her, confused.
"Hey," she mewed, her voice no longer teasing but rather quite gentle. "You're going to do wonderfully," she purred. "Cindercall's a tough fighter, and so is Vinedust. You're being trained by MoonClan warriors who know what they're doing. So... Don't sweat it."
Fleetpaw felt his heart pound at the surprisingly uplifting words that came from the she-cat.
He puffed out his chest, jerking his head away from her, his ears twitching with dismay.
He shouldn't be acting so scared! He was training to be a warrior!
"I'm not sweating anything," he sniffed. "MountainClan should just be worried about me, y'know. I bet I could march across their border now and save all those cats on my own!"
"Oh yeah?" Junipersky's voice became light and teasing. "That's adorable, kitten. C'mon, wouldn't want you to get a wittle tummy-wummy ache fwom not eating, now do we?" She dodged out of the way as Fleetpaw playfully swiped at her, leaping to her paws and trotting further into MoonClan territory.
Fleetpaw watched her go, her gaze flickering back to his playfully as she beckoned him to follow.
He rose to his paws, padding after her, his ears low.
As much as she teased, he knew she meant no harm.
So... Why did he feel so flustered every time she did it?
Fleetpaw flopped down, his paws sore as he rested his head on his nest, his eyes blurry from exhaustion.
Weedpaw, in his nest, was already fast asleep after the rigorous training they'd been sent through, but Fleetpaw found it difficult to get rest.
His mind kept moving back to the forest.
To the MountainClan border, and to Junipersky's words.
Was he really so afraid of this?
He was a MoonClan warrior in training! He shouldn't fear another Clan!
And yet, he did.
Despite what he said to her, he was terrified.
It wasn't because Cindercall wasn't there, or that he feared he didn't know enough.
He had to be a warrior on his own, after all.
But something still had him on edge.
A strange, anxious feeling that pressed into his fur and his mind.
What would he do if he failed? What if he fought harder than any cat before, and he still failed the cats sick in that cave?
What if he failed his Clan?
What if someone died because he wasn't enough?
What if he died because he wasn't enough?
He wanted to serve his Clan... And if he died, would it be because he wasn't a good enough MoonClan cat?
The thoughts began to mix and muddle themselves as exhaustion swept over him once more, and he closed his eyes, sleep finally tugging him into it's embrace.
But the warm, gentle, comforting hold over his mind didn't last, as ice cold claws dug into him, and his eyes opened to cries and wails of pain.
He sat up, looking around, panic clawing at his belly as he realized he didn't recognize where he was. He was surrounded by dusty rocks and cliff faces, an area he didn't know.
Blurred shapes raced past him, and he turned to see them racing for what looked to be the familiar pine trees of his Clan's territory in the distance.
For a moment, he thought this was a warring party.
But there was no hostility from the shapes as they wailed, racing towards the trees.
Only fear.
He moved to follow, when a screech rose into the sky, stopping him in his tracks.
"Fleetpaw!"
The voice was achingly familiar, and yet he couldn't place it on who.
He turned back towards where the screech came from, racing forward, his fur bristled with fear.
Who's there?! Who needs help?!
"Fleetpaw!" The voice wailed again, closer.
Was it Cindercall?
No, it didn't sound quite like her.
He found himself glancing around frantically, soft pants and whimpers dripping from his jaws as panic surged into his chest while he searched the area around him for the wailing cat.
"Fleetpaw."
The voice came from his right ear, and he felt a sharp pain in his side, and he turned to see an unfamiliar silver she-cat staring at him, wide-eyed with horror and fear.
She was mumbling something, over and over, her voice drowned out by the wails and cries that seemed to fill Fleetpaw's ears.
He stepped forward, wondering if it was her voice he'd heard wailing for him.
And then the she-cat lunged for him, pinning him down, her eyes frozen with horror, glazed over and dead.
"The mountain will crumble, the mountain will crumble, the mountain will crumble," she echoed, over and over, her voice shaky with terror. "The mountain will crumble, the moon falls to the night... Fire is coming... Fire is coming... Fire is coming—"
Fleetpaw threw her off of him in a fit of panic, her words chilling him to the core, and he heard the voice lift in the skies once more.
"Fleetpaw! Help me!"
The voice finally clicked in his mind, and his gut churned with terror.
Junipersky.
The silver she-cat forgotten, he turned and bounded towards Junipersky's voice. It was closer, wailing and screeching, sounding like the large she-cat was locked in fierce battle.
But everywhere he went, searching for her, he saw the silver she-cat, still mumbling the same, bone-chilling warning over and over.
It filled his ears, and he could hardly hear Junipersky's wail any more.
And then, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her.
The fluffy she-cat wasn't moving, sprawled out by the cliff's edge, her eyes wide and unblinking.
Fleetpaw's legs shook with horror, and his breaths were quick and shallow as he stared at her.
No...
He tried to step forward, but couldn't.
He was frozen.
And then he saw the white claws scrabbling at the cliff's edge.
Was it the cat that had done this?
"Fleetpaw! Help me!" The voice wailed.
For a moment, he remained frozen.
But then his eyes darkened, and a cold rage filled his core, and he stepped forward.
His claws dug into the white claws, and he met blue eyes, his lips drawn back in a sneer.
"You will die," he roared. "Just like he did... And no one... Will... Know..."
What am I saying? He thought. It's Junipersky that's died!
"Wait, Fleetpaw, no—Help, please!"
The pleas that rose to his ears were familiar, but his anger was too strong.
I've come too far to let her get in the way... An unfamiliar, vicious voice sneered in his mind.
He yanked the white claws off of the edge, casting the cat down to their doom.
And then his heart stopped as he recognized the she-cat he had thrown off of the cliff.
Tears filled his eyes, his claws slipping down to reach for her.
But it was too late.
Her broken body lied at the bottom of the cliff, her white paws outstretched towards him, her blue eyes still staring up at him, pleading for safety.
But he had given her none.
And now...
Cindercall lied dead...
Fleetpaw woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest, and he turned to see Weedpaw gently prodding him, his head cocked with confusion.
"Are you okay?" He asks.
Fleetpaw swallowed.
Should he tell Weedpaw about the dream...?
No! He scolded himself. I'm not supposed to be scared! And I wouldn't do that to Cindercall! Never!
"Yeah, uh," he swallowed. "Just a bad dream."
Weedpaw's ears twitched, and he watched his brother closely.
"You can tell me about it, if you want," he murmured softly. "We haven't talked much, since we started training..."
"I said I'm okay," he sniffed. "Don't worry about me. We need to focus, y'know? We have a lot riding on us!"
Weedpaw blinked, surprised at Fleetpaw's words, and he nodded.
"You've got a point," he murmured. "Let's go, then. Junipersky and Vinedust are waiting for us."
Fleetpaw's heart squeezed achingly when he heard Junipersky's name.
He followed his brother out of the den, his mind flashing the image of the she-cat lying on the cliff's edge, stiff and unmoving.
As he greeted her and Vinedust, his heart pounded in his chest, his claws kneading the ground.
I can't let that happen, he whispered inwardly. I can't let her die.
He turned to follow the fluffy she-cat out of the camp, Vinedust and Weedpaw on their heels.
I'll protect her... All of them... Even at the cost of my life.
