A/N

I'm not back for certain but I was hit with inspiration after so long since I'm recovering from getting fully vaccinated. I've also cross-posted this to ao3 under the username Wander_lune if you want to see how many chapters are left until the story is finished, though I can't guarantee any regular updates.

Chapter 17: Traveling Heart

Saying goodbye was harder than Runningshadow had expected.

"Careful of roads," King warned them. "You'll come across bigger paths than the ones in your territories. And stay away from any marked borders unless you want a fight. Don't drink standing water, either."

Most of his advice was common sense for them, but it was appreciated nonetheless. Cookie dropped an herb bundle at their paws.

"I took the liberty of gathering some herbs for traveling," she mewed. "Just some stuff I remember from Blanc."

Runningshadow gave it a sniff. It smelled of burnet and chamomile. "Thank you, Cookie."

The sun was beginning to peak out from the barn and the sky had started to take on a lighter hue as it turned from night to day. Dawn was cold, with morning mist thick in the air. A cold breeze whipped through the clearing, carrying the scent of late leaf-bare snow.

"We should be on our way," Ravenwind piped in. "If we don't go soon, I fear Flax will try to tag along."

Cookie and King let out mrrows of amusement. "Quite right," Cookie sighed. She pressed her nose to Runningshadow's ear in farewell. "When you have found the heart-shaped herb, come back this way. We will catch you prey to fill your bellies after such a tiresome journey."

Runningshadow closed his eyes and embraced the two rogues. "We will," he promised. "Your help has been invaluable to saving our clans."

With Ravenwind dipping his head goodbye to Cookie and King, the two medicine cats set off in the opposite direction of the rising sun into the dense woods. Runningshadow kept his mouth slightly ajar, continuously scenting the air for any new smells while Ravenwind's ears were standing tall at attention.

"We should get as much distance covered as possible," Ravenwind meowed. "I suggest we sleep in shifts in case we can't find shelter tonight."

"I don't smell much prey here," Runningshadow said. "Probably because of a Thunderpath nearby."

Ravenwind bristled. "Will we have to cross it?"

The WindClan tom shrugged helplessly. "It's nearby, but the smell is so bad I can't tell which way it's coming from."

Silence hung over their heads as they walked close together; so close their pelts brushed up against each other with every step into more and more unknown territory. As the trees thinned a little, the two could see a thin, curved Thunderpath blocking their way. Ravenwind's tail puffed. From the way it winded behind the trees, it was impossible to see a monster coming.

Runningshadow pressed up against him. "Don't worry. The ground shakes whenever a monster goes by, even if we can't see it coming."

The woods were dead silent aside from the distant beak of a woodpecker drilling at a tree. One, two… "Now!" Runningshadow yowled, and they tore across the Thunderpath within a few seconds. Ravenwind was a few paces behind him, but the Thunderpath remained quiet.

The ShadowClan cat's fur relaxed. "We had better not need to cross too many of those," he grumbled. "It'll make the way back harder."

"I've crossed the one near the twoleg-place plenty of times," Runningshadow mewed. "I can carry the herbs on the way back if you'd like. Thunderpaths don't scare me as much anymore."

"Frog-brain," Ravenwind huffed, turning his head up and taking the lead. "Who said I was scared?"

"Your fur," Runningshadow shot back playfully. Ravenwind gave a scoff.

As they trekked deeper into the woods, the air began to fill with the scent of prey once more. Runningshadow was tempted to suggest they stop to catch something, but with the traveling herbs they had eaten, they would not be hungry until the sun set. With the sun slowly creeping its way up into the sky, Runningshadow had expected it to warm up, but it only felt slightly warmer. Ravenwind seemed unbothered, insulated by his thick coat, but Runningshadow was beginning to feel chilled.

"Walk closer to me," Ravenwind mumbled. "You're shaking like a leaf."

Cheeks flushing, Runningshadow pressed up against his mate. He was warm like a green-leaf afternoon. He let a soft purr slip at the warmth of the ShadowClan tom's pelt.

"You're so warm," he sighed gratefully. "You should come to WindClan every leaf-bare. Be my personal nest to curl up into."

Ravenwind chortled. "I don't think Cloverwing would appreciate that much."

"Cloverwing can eat crow-food," he huffed. Then, his eyes widened. "Oh StarClan, don't ever tell her I said that."

"As long as you don't tell Hazelstripe," Ravenwind teased.

A sadness crept its way into Runningshadow's chest. "Let's not talk about home." They were both thinking it now. What will happen to us when we go back?

The woodland cut off with another Thunderpath, and beyond it, scattered dens of twolegs. Ravenwind was lashing his tail angrily.

"We should go around," Ravenwind growled.

"No," Runningshadow said quickly. "We can't waste time. We need to cut through." His heart ached for his mother. They had spent almost a quarter-moon at the barn all the while he knew his mother and clanmates were coughing up blood in his absence.

The WindClan tom pushed ahead, trotting low with his hackles raised in the anticipation of danger. The scent of fresh water filled his mouth, and he quickly noticed a pond of flowing water in a twoleg garden. Ignoring the hushed protests of his mate, Runningshadow slipped through the gaps in the fence and into the garden. Ravenwind hesitantly followed.

"King said not to drink standing water," Ravenwind reminded him.

Runningshadow gave it a sniff. "I don't know where it's flowing from, but look." He pointed to a rock where water flowed into the little pond. Tiny lily pads and algae floated at the top.

"Well, let me drink it first," Ravenwind insisted. He stepped in front of the thin tom and took an experimental drink. He licked his lips. "It tastes different, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

Runningshadow drank. It was a strange taste, almost sweet, but not like fruit or fresh prey. A flash of red zipped by in the water and he leapt back in surprise, thinking it was blood.

"A fish!" He exclaimed. "Red like blood!"

"What?" Ravenwind peered into the water. Sure enough, there was a large red and white spotted fish now swimming circles in the clear water. A large red spot on its back was shaped like a heart.

"It must be a sign," Runningshadow whispered, mesmerized by it. "We're heading the right way."

"Let's hope StarClan hasn't forsaken us just yet then," Ravenwind sighed, taking another sip of the water.

Ravenwind was sitting up grooming his face and whiskers as Runningshadow lapped at the water when a loud noise made his fur spike up. A twoleg stood in the open mouth of the den, wielding a strange looking stick and shouting. It threw the stick at Runningshadow and it hit him in the ribs.

Ravenwind let out a hiss, arching his back at the twoleg angrily. He seized his mate by his scruff and pulled him through the gap in the fence and away from the flailing twoleg. They bolted from the garden and back into the shelter of the trees.

"Are you okay?" Ravenwind demanded in worry. "That filthy twoleg, I swear if it hurt you-"

"I'm okay," Runningshadow cut him off. "It didn't actually hurt, surprisingly. I think it just wanted us out of its garden."

"We're going around, I don't care if it takes longer," Ravenwind growled. "Saving time isn't worth getting killed. Dead medicine cats can't bring back anything."

"But that fish was a sign!" Runningshadow protested. "We're on the right track." He flicked his tail over his mate's. "We can't give up just because a twoleg throws a stick at us."

Ravenwind's tail lashed back and forth. "This isn't what we signed up for."

"Yes, it is," Runningshadow said. "What did you expect? Lounging in a barn eating mice and running through fields of tall grass?" It came out harsher than he had meant it. "I- I'm sorry," the WindClan tom stammered.

"No," Ravenwind sighed, looking down. "You're right. I'm sorry." He pressed their foreheads together. "We can't afford to waste time. The fate of our clans are more important."

It was a tender few moments, foreheads touching as they purred softly. Runningshadow wished they could stay like that forever. It was Ravenwind who finally pulled away, though there was a longing in his eyes.

There were only a few twoleg dens and beyond that, the woodland continued. The air was crisp and chilled, and dry leaves crunched softly under their paws as they warily made their way to the end of the small twoleg place. In the opposite direction of them, the twoleg place continued, and Runningshadow could see the worn Thunderpath stretched all the way in the distance. His mate's tufted ears pricked at the roar of a monster, gleaming white in the sun as its round paws veered off the Thunderpath and into the mouth of a twoleg den. Its ribs opened up and out hopped a twoleg kit. Runningshadow thought he was going to be sick.

"I thought that they couldn't go off the Thunderpath," Ravenwind gagged.

"They sleep outside of twoleg dens," Runningshadow mewed. "I've never seen them open up their insides before though."

Ravenwind swallowed. "Let's just keep going." He pushed on ahead in a swift paced trot towards a twoleg fence. It wasn't made of white wood like usual, but a shiny, silver sort of mesh placed in diagonal lines criss-crossing over each other.

The gaps between the interlaced fibers were too small to squeeze through, but there was a space at the bottom where one could slide under if they got on their bellies. Runningshadow flattened himself and tried wriggling under the fence. The fence stuff scraped lightly over his back, and though it was firm like stone, it was smooth and moved past his short fur easily. As he straightened up, he heard Ravenwind hiss in fury.

"Frog-dung! I'm stuck!"

The black tabby's belly was flat to the ground, stuck halfway through the space of the fence. His long fur had gotten caught in the unraveled ends of the fence stuff. With every attempt to pull free, the pointed ends dug into his skin, making him wince.

"Hold still, I'll chew through it," Runningshadow said. He bit down on the shiny, silver strands and gnawed, but it felt sturdy like stone and tasted foul. "It's too hard," he growled, spitting.

"If I could just…" Ravenwind trailed off into a sharp mew as he tried to squeeze free and the sharp ends poked him again.

"Stop, you'll hurt yourself!" Runningshadow exclaimed. He pawed at the loose dirt. "I think I can dig you some room to wiggle through. Give me a moment."

He scrabbled at the soil, kicking it up behind him as he went. It got in his claws, but he ignored it and kept digging. Ravenwind was slowly using his hind legs to push himself lower and forward. As Runningshadow dug at the ground, Ravenwind was gradually inching himself free. With one final pull, Ravenwind yanked himself free. Tufts of his back fur clung to the ends of the fence stuff as the ShadowClan tom shook himself.

"Thanks," he muttered, evidently embarrassed.

Runningshadow was chewing at his claws, picking out the dirt stuck in them. "Oh, it was nothing," he shrugged. "Digging is a WindClan thing." He took a look at Ravenwind's back. "It didn't cut you, did it?"

Ravenwind looked over his shoulder where his fur was tangled. "No, it doesn't feel like it. Just tender."

Heavy, fluffy clouds had rolled in, bringing in cold winds and grey skies. It made the forest look dull and lifeless, with the occasional flicker of sunlight whenever the clouds would shift. Without the sun to guide them, they dared not stop, lest they forget which direction they were heading in. Light had begun to fade, with the faint glow of sunset behind the impending clouds.

"Look, over there," Runningshadow pointed his nose towards an enormous old log, half split open and coated in moss and mushrooms. "We could stop there to rest for tonight."

Ravenwind trotted ahead and sniffed around. "You can sleep first. I'll keep the bugs from crawling on you."

"Aw, how romantic," Runningshadow snickered as he tore up some of the moss to make them a shabby nest. It was a little too small for him, but it would do. His legs throbbed gratefully when he laid down and practically went numb. Ravenwind sat stiffly on his haunches beside him, flicking away a beetle with a look of disgust.

"Sleep well," Ravenwind whispered.

"Hey."

Runningshadow squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

"Wake up."

He rolled over. Something cold touched him and snapped him fully awake. He leapt to his paws. His sleepy eyes adjusted and he saw Ravenwind gently nudging him up.

"Wha' is it?" Runningshadow mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his paw.

Ravenwind looked around them. "It's snowing."

True enough, little white snowflakes were starting to collect on the forest floor. The old log they had taken shelter in was starting to be covered in snow instead of moss. Runningshadow forced his tired bones up and stretched. He was sore and cold, and with their traveling herbs wearing off, he was hungry too.

"We need to move," Ravenwind said. So we don't freeze, was the unspoken implication. Runningshadow let a wide yawn overtake him before he dragged his paws after his mate through the darkness.

It was impossible to tell which way they were going, but Ravenwind had been keeping watch and saw where the sun had set behind the mountains in the distance, and Runningshadow trusted him to lead the way. He felt like he was being pulled to the ground with exhaustion and cold setting into him. Ravenwind slowed down his pace to warm him up with his fluffy tail.

"Don't go falling asleep on your paws, now," Ravenwind teased. He said it in a light manner, but Runningshadow being sleepy in the cold is dangerous.

Runningshadow's paw pads were going numb. The fallen snow on the ground was soft but so cold, and his paws weren't accustomed to it. He longed for the feeling of the wispy moorgrass underfoot. It was strangely peaceful, the snow gently falling with the forest sleeping. When the sun rose, it would be covered in a blanket of white.

They walked until the sun began to light up the horizon behind them. It filled Runningshadow with a feeling of dismay at his lost sleep, but he glanced over at his mate and remembered he had been awake all night. He suddenly felt awake.

Runningshadow quickly took the lead and swept away some loose snow from a patch of undergrowth and gorse. "Rest," he said softly, pressing his face softly into Ravenwind's shoulder. "I will find us something to eat."

Ravenwind looked like he was about to protest, but a yawn escaped him instead, and he blinked gratefully. He curled up into a small ball into the shrubs. With his dark fur, he almost blended into the plants and shadow, if not for the snow.

Fresh fallen snow had washed away any prey scent, but with dawn came birdsong, and it wasn't long before he heard the distinct sound of birds in the trees. The snow kept his pawsteps silent as he swiftly located a magpie poking at acorns and pinecones in a small clearing. His time training with King had made him a far better hunter than he thought he could be, and he had his teeth sinking into the neck of the magpie within moments as proof.

Ravenwind was asleep when he came back, and his heart ached at the tired look his mate gave him when he woke him, but he knew it would be better to eat the magpie while it was warm and fresh. They ate in silence, the bird having much less meat on its bones than its feathers had let on. The ShadowClan tom went directly back to sleep once he was finished with his meal and Runningshadow buried the bones and feathers under the several inches of snowfall.

While he let his mate sleep, Runningshadow stayed close by and surveyed the area. The cold weather had killed most of the useful herbs that had been growing in the area, with dead evidence of chervil, parsely, and feverfew. He had found a large dock leaf he used to gather some chamomile and daisies he'd found in case they couldn't catch anything to eat later.

The warmth of sunlight had melted some of the snow to slush. The sky was clearer as the sun rose to its peak when Ravenwind woke. "We've wasted half the day," he growled as he rubbed his eyes.

"No accounting for the weather," Runningshadow mewed. "I gathered some herbs for later, in case I can't find any prey in this cold."

Ravenwind inspected the dock leaf holding the chamomile and daisies. "Oh. Good." He sounded distracted. "At least we can see the sun now."

Runningshadow was licking the snowmelt. It tasted a bit like grass and soil. "Lick some of the snow before we go. I don't know if we'll be able to find running water and this is the cleanest we'll probably find."

They both detested the feeling of stepping into the melted slush. Runningshadow felt like a waterlogged RiverClanner. He shook out his paws with every step in disgust.

"It's kinda like the marshes back home," Ravenwind said, lifting a paw. "Just colder."

"I'd give anything for an open moorland right about now," Runningshadow sighed. He felt cramped within the space of trees and undergrowth. The worst that ever happened was falling into a muddy rabbit hole after rainfall.

"It's better to have cover," Ravenwind mewed.

Runningshadow tilted his head in acknowledgement. "No, no, I know, I just…" he sighed. "What I'd give to be able to run freely beside my mother."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ravenwind's amber eyes soften. They were both beginning to miss their homes. Runningshadow's chest clenched with his worries. Mom… please hang in. I'll be home as soon as I can. I swear it to you.

A/N

Once again I won't promise any regular updates but from here I do have an outline of where the story is going and how many chapters are left.