Chapter 16

The sun arced overhead as the Clan cats plodded onward. Mistyfoot found herself marveling at the new world around her – Highstones was a dot on the horizon and ahead was a land no Clan cat had likely ever seen before. The world swept outward in grassy plains broken by an occasional tree, and the hills were gentle slopes.

Crowpaw looked the most confident on this type of terrain, stretching his legs as far as they could go as he trotted. Mistyfoot wasn't surprised that he was so sure-footed – this land was very much like the open moorland, complete with the occasional gust of cool wind.

Ahead, Stormfur and Feathertail were walking together, their heads bent in conversation. Mistyfoot's ears twitched. What were they talking about? Must be a littermate thing…

Her own littermate was off on his own, walking strongly in the tall grass. Mistyfoot lamented that she and Stoneheart would likely never be so close as Stormfur and Feathertail… or Nightpaw and Shadepaw, who were walking together as well, with Shadepaw easily compensating for her brother's shorter legs near the back of the group.

Mistyfoot couldn't help but feel alone. Though they were on this journey together, each cat walked within their own little group. Surely the length of the journey would eventually bring them together, right? Yet as of now, Mistyfoot had little hope of that.

She focused on the earth beneath her paws. Unfamiliar, yes, but that didn't stop her heart from racing with excitement. They were on their way, and walking paths no Clan cat had ever tread, on a mission from StarClan! Surely that outweighed any other misgivings she had?

"Whoa!" Nightpaw's voice rose in confusion. "What's that?"

The group stopped. Nightpaw's ice-blue eyes were round, fixated on something not too far off. Mistyfoot tilted her head. She'd never seen such a thing before – fluffy and white, with little dark legs poking out from the fluff. They walked behind a thin Twoleg fence, supported by wooden posts.

"No idea," Stoneheart confessed.

"Pfft," Crowpaw scoffed, "you forest cats! That's a sheep."

Mistyfoot frowned, looking down at the lean apprentice. Did he have to look so smug?

"That's right," Feathertail offered airily. At least she didn't have a condescending glimmer in her eye when she spoke of the creatures. "Don't worry; they won't hurt you. We sometimes gather their wool for bedding."

"It's so soft," Crowpaw sighed.

Nightpaw and Shadepaw glanced at one another. Nightpaw grumbled, "Well, they stink!"

Stormfur flicked his tail. "We should move away from them," he meowed. "Twolegs often use dogs to move the sheep around. We don't want to get caught in their sights – those dogs are tireless."

There was little disagreement there – Stormfur led the group a few paces away from the sheep and they continued on. Mistyfoot paused a moment to look back at the fluffy creatures. She'd never seen one of those in the forest – their shape reminded her of Cloudtail, and her heart ached for home.

Still… I wonder what that wool feels like…

She caught up to Nightpaw and Shadepaw. They were obviously discussing the sheep, with Shadepaw's eyes sparkling. "Isn't it amazing just how we all know different things like that?"

Nightpaw stuck out his tongue and complained, "Yeah, well, I'd like to see Crowpaw's reaction when a deer jumps in front of him!"

Shadepaw purred, and Mistyfoot couldn't help but twitch her whiskers. Beyond Nightpaw's annoyance, Shadepaw had a good point – each cat here brought knowledge that only their Clan could give them. Even if this journey should somehow fail, it would be an unheard of learning opportunity.

Mistyfoot lengthened her stride until she caught up with Stoneheart. Her littermate's eyes were darting from side to side, his tail-tip flicking. He was clearly worried. She touched her muzzle to his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she murmured.

Stoneheart frowned. "Did StarClan even tell you why we're going to this lake?"

Mistyfoot swallowed. "No," she admitted. "I wish they had, though. And that prophecy… can't StarClan ever be clear?"

"This journey won't be easy," Stoneheart agreed. He glanced back, towards Nightpaw and Shadepaw. "Especially with young apprentices."

Mistyfoot's throat tightened. "I know," she managed. She didn't look her brother in the eye. Would that she could talk to him about Shrewpaw, and her own misgivings about the apprentices! Stoneheart just wasn't the same cat he'd been when they were in ThunderClan together. She missed his old eagerness more than ever.

"So," Stoneheart's voice lightened, "are you still charging for deputyship?"

Mistyfoot blinked at her brother in surprise. He must not have wanted to linger on the darker side of their journey, either. "Y-Yes," she admitted. "I do still want it."

Stoneheart flicked his tail towards the apprentices. "Get practicing, then," he joked. "A deputy has to have trained an apprentice, you know."

Mistyfoot's fur grew hot. I did, she thought miserably, and I failed.

She excused herself, hopefully not too hastily. The last thing she wanted was Stoneheart interrogating her about the stricken look on her face, and the last thing she wanted to do was hear everyone's opinions on what happened to Shrewpaw. No doubt they'd think her unfit, especially on this journey with so many apprentices.

Mistyfoot nearly rammed into Stormfur – she dodged his backside just in time and found herself stumbling to his side. As she was regaining her footing she couldn't help but notice the sharp way Stormfur and Feathertail's heads rose to look at her – had she interrupted something?

Great, Mistyfoot thought. Just great. Not awkward at all!

"Hey, Mistyfoot!" mewed Stormfur. His voice was friendly, and his eyes sparkled. Feathertail's look was much the same way, and she raised her tail.

Mistyfoot felt a little relief grow – at least not much seemed to offend the two RiverClan cats.

Feathertail blinked at Mistyfoot. "So, what do you think we'll be facing on our way?" she asked.

Mistyfoot frowned. "I don't know," she meowed. I guess it makes sense that it's on everyone's mind. "StarClan didn't show me that."

"We'll make it, I'm sure," Stormfur said cheerily, raising his chin. "We're Clan cats! There's nothing we can't do. Though," he lowered his chin, "I don't think we'll be fishing any time soon!"

Mistyfoot purred. "I'm sorry," she said.

Stormfur shrugged. "It's fine – I'm sure there'll be fish in that lake you saw. I'll teach everyone how to fish then!"

"I wonder if any of them would want to learn to swim?" Feathertail wondered, looking back over her shoulder.

Mistyfoot bristled at the thought of getting so wet. She didn't miss Stormfur's whiskers twitch in amusement when he looked at her.

"Thunderpath ahead!" called Crowpaw from the back.

Mistyfoot was grateful for the distraction. She peered ahead and found that the WindClan tom was right – a Twoleg monster was streaking down a Thunderpath just ahead.

"We should stop when we get there," Stoneheart suggested.

"Right," Stormfur meowed. "Come on!"

The gray tom raised his thick tail and led the group to the verge of the Thunderpath with a brisk trot. The Thunderpath was sitting atop a small hill, and the group stopped a fox-length away, hiding themselves in the taller grasses. The smell was atrocious, every cat wrinkling their nose at the sour scent. More worrying was that beyond the Thunderpath in front of the cats there was a second, just as loud and deadly.

"So how are we doing this?" Nightpaw wondered. "I've never crossed a Thunderpath before, let alone two in a row."

"It'll be fine so long as you take it easy," Stoneheart meowed. He raised his head authoritatively, and Mistyfoot reflected that as a ShadowClan cat he'd have to know how to cross a Thunderpath better than any of them – the forest's Thunderpath cut them off from the rest of the Clans back in the forest. Any warrior or apprentice had to cross one at least once in their life, on their way to Highstones, but that was just for the one trip. "There's grass between each Thunderpath. We'll take it in groups, one Thunderpath at a time."

"Feathertail and I will go together," Stormfur decided immediately.

Stoneheart nodded. "Mistyfoot, I'll take you. The apprentices can go together. Sound fine?"

Crowpaw looked cross, but he nodded.

"Good," Stoneheart meowed. His ears twitched as a Twoleg monster roared by. "We'll wait for a big gap between the monsters. Do not go until it's clear on both sides!"

Stormfur and Feathertail nodded, both pushing through the grass together. Mistyfoot's heart beat in her ears as two monsters roared past. There was silence on the Thunderpath when Stormfur and Feathertail darted across. Mistyfoot saw them both land on the grass in between the Thunderpaths safely.

"All right you three," Stoneheart meowed, "your turn. Take it slow."

Mistyfoot dug her claws into the earth as the three apprentices lined up on the verge. She could see even Crowpaw's tail trembling as a series of Twoleg monsters roared by. Mistyfoot wondered if the apprentices would ever get the chance to go – eventually the traffic cleared, and the apprentices bolted across the Thunderpath, making it safely to the middle. Mistyfoot sighed in relief.

"Our turn," Stoneheart mewed.

Mistyfoot nodded, stepping up to the verge with her littermate. She remembered her apprentice journey to Highstones, with Tinystar by her side. She'd wished then that Stoneheart had been with her – now she wished she had Tinystar, too, with his sureness and confidence.

"Now!" Stoneheart mewed.

Mistyfoot kept in stride with her brother as they crossed the gray stone river. The heat of the path stung her paws, and reaching the grassy middle was a relief, even if the land was oily.

"That was crazy!" Nightpaw breathed, his fur fluffed. "How do you do that every moon, Shadepaw?"

Shadepaw licked her brother's ear. "I've only been to the Moonstone a few times. It's still scary!"

Crowpaw narrowed his eyes. "You'd think you wouldn't slow us down so much!" he muttered.

Shadepaw bristled. "Excuse me?!" she hissed. Nightpaw stiffened beside his sister, glaring at Crowpaw.

Crowpaw lifted his chin. Whatever he was going to say, though, was interrupted by Stoneheart. The stocky gray tom put himself between the apprentices, glowering down at Crowpaw with pale eyes that made Crowpaw look away.

"Alright, are we ready for the next?" Stoneheart asked simply. Mistyfoot admiring how unphased he seemed – ShadowClan stoicism had its benefits when it came to reassuring others, it seemed, and when ignoring antagonistic WindClan apprentices.

"We can't stay here," Stormfur reasoned. "So, yeah."

Mistyfoot looked across the next Thunderpath. "There's a hedge," she mentioned, nodding to the wall of greenery. "And Twoleg nests."

"Then we'll need to be more organized," Stoneheart insisted. "We can't get lost in a Twolegplace."

"Let's just go," Crowpaw groaned, getting to his paws. "The Thunderpath is clear!"

Mistyfoot got to her paws. "Crowpaw, don't!" she snapped.

But the gray-black cat was already at the verge of the next Thunderpath.

"Crowpaw!" snarled Stoneheart.

Almost defiantly, Crowpaw looked back at the others. He placed a single paw on the Thunderpath, sneering. Then he began to walk across.

Stoneheart was on his paws immediately, tearing the grass beneath his paws. Mistyfoot followed, feeling the breath of the others on her heels as they streaked towards the Thunderpath. Mistyfoot's heart was in her ears – she could feel the ground begin to shake from an oncoming monster as they bounded across the Thunderpath.

Crowpaw streaked across the Thunderpath, his tail bristling as the monster roared closer. Stoneheart caught him, thankfully, grabbing his scruff in his jaws. Together they stumbled into the hedge – Shadepaw followed, crashing ungracefully into the leaves.

The monster, however, was still coming.

Feathertail froze in the middle of the stone river, screeching in alarm. Nightpaw rammed into her backside, and the two tumbled. Mistyfoot's heart was in her throat – she leaped for the cats left behind, fastening her jaws in Feathertail's scruff as the monster roared ever closer, deafening the world around her.

Mistyfoot pulled Feathertail to her paws, catching a glimpse of Stormfur doing the same with Nightpaw. Looking up, Mistyfoot was blinded by the shine of a monster's lights. With a horrible screech the monster swerved, its round paws smoking as it twisted its shiny body around. Mistyfoot bolted, feeling Feathertail beside her.

The two she-cats slammed into the hedge together, sticks tearing at their pelts and leaves blinding their eyes. The sound of the monster had stopped suddenly, and the air smelled acrid like a burning forest. Mistyfoot felt sick as they pushed out of the hedge and into a Twoleg yard, with close-cropped grass and the smell of unfamiliar everything all around.

"Stormfur!" yowled Feathertail. "Stormfur!"

"Nightpaw!" Mistyfoot wailed.

They stopped, panting, leaning against one another for support. Both of them were shaking. Mistyfoot stared at her paws, at the blood seeping between her toes from her torn pads. Feathertail, still trembling, leaned down to lick her own bloodied paws.

"Did they make it?" Mistyfoot wondered hoarsely. She'd seen Stormfur grab Nightpaw, and the monster turn… but nothing after that. She couldn't see or scent any of the others, either. Slowly her heart began to ease its frantic beating, though it felt like a hawk had it in its talons. "Oh StarClan…"

Feathertail's body couldn't seem to stop trembling. "Stormfur…" she breathed, stricken.

Mistyfoot realized that she had to take charge here – without Stormfur, Feathertail just couldn't cope. She rested her muzzle against Feathertail's shoulder.

"We'll find them," she promised. "All of them. Together."