Floodpaw felt his muzzle being poked.
He was in the midst of a dream, fantasizing about catching the biggest fish in OceanClan history and lugging it back for everyone to see and admire. The rest of the Clan was cheering, howling, 'Floodpaw! Floodpaw!'. At his side was his sister, eyes crinkling with a tidal wave of emotions- mostly excessive happiness. From afar were his parents, Seafoam and Quivertail, chests puffed with the rush of pride as their son flaunted his catch of the day.
But just as he was about to sink his jaws into the plumpest salmon ever thought imaginable, the feeling of tiny needles poking his snout aroused suspicion and he faded from the dreamland.
"Zzz...Mistpaw?" His tired eyes fluttered open, his yellow optics meeting a contrasting blue. The host's paw was settled on his muzzle, tiny claws unsheathed as they poked and prodded his stubby appendage.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" The small gray she-cat chided playfully, pulling away with a giddy laugh. "Blackshadow says we're going on an adventure!"
"Who?" Floodpaw murmured, head obnoxiously sore and unable to immediately recall the events of earlier.
"Blackshadow! Flarepaw's older sister," his own sister answered smartly, nosing his injured paw to check for any issues as per Anemonepaw's instructions. She found that it was healing nicely thanks to the medicine cat's supply of herbs. No longer was it swollen and crusty, with pus leaking from the boils of irritated skin. "Looks much better than it did the other day!" she chirped cheerily, never giving her sibling a chance to reply before dabbing on like a sparrow hyped up on too much catmint. She continued speaking in regards to the bigger Flarepaw clone.
"Anyways, she wants us outside the cave. We still have to wake up Anemonepaw too. Fallenpaw said we should let him sleep longer than everyone else since he works much harder. But everyone else is outside. So hurry up!" Like a good sister, Mistpaw waited for her brother to grab his bearings. She offered her shoulder, knowing Floodpaw shouldn't really be walking on it to prevent further infection. The sibling duo moved side by side, step by step, until they reached the dimly lit mouth of the cave where the bony shape of OceanClan's medicine cat apprentice lay sleeping.
With a few quick words and a series of drawn out yawns, the trio had shoved themselves into the light of the moon, its ghostly essence bathing their pelts with an almost spiritual feeling.
"Oh good, you're all awake now," a smiling Blackshadow padded over to the cave, a noticeable bounce in her her stride. It was a rare sight to see the flame hued she-cat look so unwavered. Compared to a few nights prior, the eldest feline had been the subject to the majority of emotional turmoil. She rarely spoke to any of the others in the hollow, only murmuring gruff statements of acknowledgements as she returned with a small hoard of feasting necessities every sunrise.
Floodpaw felt himself experience a jolt of sympathy every time he cast a mournful glance of yellow upon her downcast figure. He wasn't used to seeing her pelt hidden amongst the shadows dwelling in the rear of the cave and was surely notified by her unformatable mood by the way she snapped at him to watch where he was stumbling. It was either that, or an irritated grumble. It was obvious she needed to confine herself in solitude that Floodpaw apparently wasn't going to give her. His pelt rippled with empathy, fabricating the horrifying dead-end routes as he pondered losing Mistpaw. It wasn't a thought he imagined frequently; in actuality he'd rather avoid those mind scarring inventions altogether. Nevertheless, Blackshadow was someone he instantly found a friendly attraction toward.
"Couldn't we have gone in the morning?" a grumpy brown tom jabbed a paw to Blackshadow's side, clearly disgruntled at the thought of waking up in the middle of the night. He'd recently been put up with stress of looking after the others. Namely Floodpaw and the injury upon his paw pad. The group was unsuccessful in finding suitable herbs for healing in the surrounding rocky terrain so the medicine cat took it upon himself to take a lengthy day trip to bring back some plants. He was of course questioned how it went, but the tomcat refused to offer anything more than vague details. He wasn't clearly in the best of moods for describing an entire's day trek around the woods in search of remedies to clean a foolish 'paw's cut pads.
Aware of his foul temper, but refusal to comply, Blackshadow replied with a Mistpaw-like chirp and a light smack to the back of his grizzled head fur. "What would be the point in that, hmm? I thought you wanted to see your clanmates." Her slender crest nosed toward the twilight, the faintest twinges of wind catching her semi-long fur.
The trio's gazes followed suite, realization crossing over Mistpaw's first. "The gathering!" she exclaimed in profuse excitement, the moonlight staining her fur silver in a new light of solid understanding. The thought alone was enough to make the small posse smile, amused grins gracing their taut lips.
Floodpaw shivered visibly, eyes starting to glass over. "Think of it Mist," he grinned happily, catching her startled glance. "We'll see our family again..." Emotion hung in the mostly silent air. The almost black hued apprentice felt himself clench up, but before he could release a delighted sob, Mistpaw bumped his nose with her own.
"Save the tears," the she-cat whispered, her own optics flooded with the blue of an ocean much like the Clan she represents. "Can't seem overly emotional now, can we? What would everyone else think?" At her statement, Floodpaw found himself tilting his head to the left and to the right to see Blackshadow and Anemonepaw, respectively, standing aside them and observing their conversation.
As per usual, my sister's the voice of reason. Floodpaw dipped his crown in apology, wavering back to the largest feline of the four who had already began her climb up the pathway of flat stones up toward the jagged ridge. Giving once last glance to the cave that served as their home for the past few days, the remaining felines of the party fell into a single file line, gradually shortening the distance between them and their Clans.
Floodpaw was careful to avoid further pressuring his hind appendage with the stress of the rocks beneath his paws. He bounced rather clumsily from boulder to boulder, Mistpaw a good fox length behind him.
I bet she's cursing her short legs, he laughed internally, but slowed his movements regardless in order to give the youngest member a chance of retaining dignity.
At the peak of the cliffs, the brother-sister duo met up with the rest of their group, including Fallenpaw and Wildpaw.
"See that big tree down there?" Wildpaw drew a paw up behind his ear, swiping away a tuft of cave moss as his head turned in the aforementioned direction. "That's the oak tree the leaders speak from."
Mistpaw's eyes glittered at the statement. "We're so close!"
"Yet so far away," Floodpaw added forlornly, sullen tone laced with a sigh. For this, Mistpaw blatantly bit his ear, earning a shrill yelp.
"Be quiet!" she snapped, fury illuminating her usually peaceful blue pools. "Saying stuff like that isn't going to help and you know it! It's almost like you don't want to see mom and dad. What's gotten into you? You seemed all prepared for it and then you suddenly act like there's no point in trying! If you want to turn coward like Flarepaw -"
Fallenpaw subconsciously bristled, a possessive rumble in his throat.
" -then I don't care! Just don't drag me down with you!"
Overemotional as always, Mistpaw felt herself unable to even look at her brother's face as she tore recklessly down the jagged slope. She tripped several times trying to find her footing and even landed on her side, but even so she continued to ignore the cries of "Mistpaw! Mistpaw, come back!" and pursued the trees at the very bottom.
"Way to go, foxheart," Wildpaw spoke crudely, somehow not subjected to Fallenpaw's admonishing tone to prevent him from speaking such language to the young cat. But the patchwork tom couldn't argue against the truth, only procuring a sigh of disappointment as he took a more thoughtful path down the slope. The fluffy cream 'paw followed suit but not before shooting the dark gray tom a sneer. Anemonepaw flicked Floodpaw's nose as he passed, disturbed by the heartless actions of his clanmate. Mistpaw had certainly left the scene with tears and everyone knew who's fault it was.
The pale orb nestled in the sky was gaining height, soon to be at its peak within the next hour at the most. The woods had gone numb with silence, only stirring as the dry leaves crunched and the feathered creatures flew. Its familiar scent of dead oak mixed with pine- a surprisingly comforting scent to those who've wandered the forest before. The scene that lay before nostalgic eyes flooded with warmth at its familiarity. It had been at least two full moon cycles since the time those eyes sought their home. The first time in moons since those paw pads had touched the noisy ground. The first time in moons since those thick pelts brushed against the foreign foliage.
The first time in moons since they could call a place "home".
Shoulders slumped and minds hazy with fatigue, the party of five had begun to drag their feet. It had been a significant amount of time since they hit solid earth after descending the mountain ridge. Blackshadow had walked with them to the base but refused to continue further.
Floodpaw recalled their conversation.
"Come with us!" he had said, a genuine grin plastered over his muzzle. "You've been with us this far!"
She had shaken her head and replied with a sad twitch of her lips. "My heart lies with the mountains. I have no desire to return to the Clans. It's better they assume me dead."
"But -"
"I will continue my days here; connected to the Clans with my own methods. Connected to the stone. This is my home." A proud expression painted her face. Soft tenderness marred the others' facial poses. An agreement was made and statements were understood.
"Thank you for everything." Fallenpaw was the first to express gratitude.
"We won't forget you. Or the kindness you showed us." Anemonepaw had lowered his head in a bow.
"We'll make sure to visit!" Mistpaw with her endless happiness bounced on her toes.
"Happy hunting." Wildpaw supplied.
"And good luck." Floodpaw was the last to speak. Blackshadow looked down on him, fondly. One older sibling to another, and shared a look.
"May the stars light your path back home." The flame furred she-cat's last words as the group split and dashed for the trees.
When Floodpaw stole a glance over his shoulder, Blackshadow was gone.
His features were still creased with a bubbly feeling. True, Blackshadow had left them, but he was content with her decision- as were the others- and was glad to have gotten to know her as well as he did. He felt he could connect with her in ways the others couldn't. Call it what you will, Floodpaw thought the two shared a solid bond. Their knowing smiles proved it.
"Hey droopy-eyes," a childish voice chimed from the front, stirring the gray feline from his daydreams. The yellow-eyed glanced up in embarrassment, meeting the mirthful emeralds of a cream hued trickster. "Losing focus back there, hmm? Careful, we might leave you behind." His words were nothing but false accusations. The others wouldn't dare to leave him, least of all Mistpaw. Regardless, Floodpaw shook himself from his fantasies and hurried to pad alongside the bigger apprentice.
"Kinda sad, ain't it?" Wildpaw murmured, half to himself. Floodpaw's ears pricked and he couldn't help but allow the curiosity flutter in his chest.
"What is?"
"This journey," Wildpaw said plainly. "It's basically over. Just beyond that far boulder begins the trail down the rockface and into the clearing. These past moons of fighting and eating and spending time together will be meaningless. Tomorrow will just be another day. We'll be back at each other's throats again. Back to another BlizzardClan and OceanClan grudge. In a matter of days, we could be fighting tooth and claw. I might have to injure one of you three -" implying the OceanClanners before adding, "- and I can't be allowed to show hesitation in battle."
"Are you really becoming such a sap, Wildpaw?" the orange and white tomcat lilted from the front, eavesdropping on the conversation that gradually gained in volume.
"Stuff it!" Dark eyes flashed. "You can't tell me you wont feel any remorse when we lock combat with OceanClan! You can't tell me you won't experience regret after accidentally slicing Mistpaw's belly!"
With her name being spoken so harshly, the timid blue-eyed shied away. Specifically keeping a distance from the patchwork leader.
"Of course I will," Fallenpaw sighed heavily, optics glassy and tired. "But that's life. You spend a moon getting to know someone like the back of your paw and the next day you become brutal enemies. It's just how the Clans work."
"Then the Clans are stupid!" Floodpaw blurted. Motions jerked to a halt and suddenly, all eyes were on him. "...their rules are fish-brained," he continued cautiously, reading the expressions of his comrades for any hints they might turn on him for shaming their seemingly perfect way of life. "We can't have relationships across the borders. We have to swear loyalty to our birth Clan or face consequences in the long run. The code holds us back. It restricts our options. Why can't we still be friends? Why can't you spare our bodies from wounds when fighting? Why do we have to fight in the first place? I tell you, the idea of Clans aren't logical at all."
Silence warped. The wind blew. A cricket chirped.
Fallenpaw shrugged. "Logic doesn't have a say in it. We've been brought up this way. The code is our way of life and we respect it. If obeying my leader means a scratch to one of my 'friends', I'd follow that order through and through. The leader's word is law, after all." His tail lazily swished, kicking up a gust of shriveled leaves. "If you can't come to terms with that, I can't help. Rebel if you want but some of us just want to return home." Without another word, their usually stoic faced leader ambled off at a leisurely pace. Emotionally drained as well, Wildpaw released a heavy exhale and trailed after.
Mistpaw approached her brother out of comfort. "He's just distraught over Flarepaw. Abandoning Blackshadow was also difficult- what with her looking just like her and such. But he's also in the right. We have to follow the code; it's our way of life. Now come on, we should catch up." She gave a reassuring lick to her brother's nose and joined up with the silent wandering Anemonepaw. Murmuring nonsense under his breath, Floodpaw shuffled to accompany her.
"Hey look," Wildpaw announced from the front a drawn out silence later. Before them lay the grand silhouette of the tall oak tree hollowed up in the clearing. Just a fox length from their paws sat a little clumping of pebbles.
"It's the pathway into the clearing. Down this ledge and we can be reunited with our clanmates."
"Home."
"Fallenpaw- you're our leader- lead us home."
With a twinkle in his leaf hued optics and a ruffle of his patchy pelt, Fallenpaw placed his paw upon the pebble road.
Looks like we're nearing the end here folks. It didn't turn out as long as I hoped, but I've been denying the inevitable and these little puffballs need to get home. However, this story is far from over. The next two chapters should close this out, and I've planned for you a very special epilogue.
Sorry to say it took me this long to finish writing this. Cough cough over a month cough, but the point is that I'm not going to abandon this story. I will see this through to the end, darn it! I will finish this! Let's just hope I don't write seventy-five percent of the chapter and then put it aside for several weeks, 'cause that's pretty much exactly what happened here. Oh powers of procrastination, must you always torment me?
That's not all of it though. Inspiration comes and goes with me and I've recently been intensely writing a new original story of mine for the past few weeks. Why do I do this to myself? I'm writing like four stories at once here! Rest assured, they'll all get completed.
Eventually. XD
- Snarky
