Wolfheart watched silently as the camp moved about her. Seven days had passed since Hawkwing lost his life at the river. Ten days since her kit left without a word. She had fallen into a sort of a comatose state, barely being able to perform her Clan duties. When Sunkit was apprenticed to Swiftwind and Twilightkit to Nightrain, she hardly noticed it. It seemed that no cat could break through to her as she slipped further and further from the Clan, to a place that haunted her with nightmares and hunted her with sorrow.
She watched from where she laid, just outside of the nursery, Frostbite and Solarwind leave for the journey to Fire Mouth. Just Frostbite was about to follow her old mentor into the bushes, Wolfheart's quiet mew caused the young medicine cat's heart to tighten in sadness. "Please, if you can, find out how Windkit is doing…if she is still alive." Frostbite cast a sad glance back and nodded silently to her sister.
--
The medicine cats had met up and were walking single file into Fire Mouth. A new apprentice had joined them; Littleflame of NightClan had chosen Brindlepaw as her apprentice. As she entered the old cave, Frostbite felt the natural soothing warmth of it surround her. Yet even that could not melt the ice that had settled in her heart. What if she couldn't find anything out for Wolfheart? She was already heartbroken, and not knowing was only making it worse for the dark brown warrior.
Frostbite watched Brindlepaw climb to the top of the onyx. Frostbite settled next to it. She felt Solarwind's pelt touch hers for the briefest of seconds. Then she pressed her nose to the stone and waited for the dream.
--
Frostbite opened her eyes to be greeted by nothing. There were no ancestors there, no forest, no grass. Nothing. Then she heard soft paw steps behind her. She whirled to see a cream colored she-cat approaching her.
"I am surprised to see you here. It is not often a Clan cat comes to this place," the cat said, gently, kindly.
"Where am I?" Frostbite asked. She noticed that the closer the she-cat got, details of her surroundings started to appear. "Who are you?"
The cat stopped a few tail lengths from her. Everything was clear around her. Rock was beneath her paws, with a few tufts of grass here and there. A rock wall rose above her ton either side, forming a path between them. On ledges formed from the rock, cats of all colors and sizes sat on them.
"I am Dawnstep, and you are in the territory of the Wanderers," the she-cat said. "As the First Wanderer, I welcome you to this place. Don't be afraid. You are in no danger."
Dawnstep flicked her tail. One of the cats leapt down; a longhaired red tom. He stood next to Dawnstep for a few seconds before padding closer to Frostbite. He stopped and studied her. "So you're her aunt," he said finally.
Frostbite blinked, confused. "What?"
"You're Windwalker's aunt," he clarified, although it did nothing to help Frostbite. Who was Windwalker?
Dawnstep flicked an ear at the tom. "She doesn't know yet, Firerunner."
"What's going on here?" Frostbite demanded.
"Calm yourself, and listen to me," Dawnstep meowed. "Many moons ago, I was a warrior, just like any other Clan cat. Then one day, I had a strange dream. In it, I saw cats living in Clans, like the ones you know, but they lived in a different place, far from my home. I felt the need to find them, and so I left my Clan and became the First Wanderer. But I failed. Because I left my Clan, I was not able to join StarClan. Still, they took pity on me and told me that if another cat was able to complete my journey, I could join them, for it was they who first sent the dream to me. So, I chose the cat that I saw fit to attempt it, but she too wasn't able to make the journey. As the generations passed, we tried to find the cat that could make it, but each time that cat failed. What you see before you now are those cats, the ones who couldn't complete the journey."
"Then Windkit was born," Firerunner meowed. "Dawnstep saw that the heart of a Wanderer beat inside her. She sent me to offer to Windkit the path of a Wanderer. If she wanted to, she could've refused it. Still, she accepted it, and with it her Wanderer name, Windwalker."
"Is Windkit- I mean, Windwalker-still alive?" Frostbite mewed.
"Well, you don't see her here, do you?" meowed a blue-ish she-cat.
"Hush, Icepath. She is only concerned for Windwalker," Dawnstep meowed, silencing the cat.
"Windwalker is fine. I taught her everything she would need to know to complete the journey, and I am confident she will. She learned how to hunt in a matter of minutes, and she has already crossed one of the tougher challenges," Firerunner said.
"You can tell Wolfheart that her kit is alive and well. If you would like me to, I would be more than happy to tell you how Windwalker is doing," Dawnstep offered.
"That would be very kind of you. I have one more question. If she completes the journey, will Windwalker come back to us, to MysticClan?" Frostbite asked.
Dawnstep closed her eyes. Then she mewed, "I cannot make decisions for others. If she wishes to return, she will. If she does not, then she will stay away. I am sorry."
"I understand." Even though she wanted Windwalker to come back, it was the Wanderer's choice alone. For now, she would just have to tell Wolfheart what she had learned and wait for more news.
--
Wolfheart's eyes lit up when she heard Windwalker was still alive. Yes, she was far away, but she still had a chance to make it to her destination and home again. Now that she didn't have to worry about her lost kit, Wolfheart started to behave normally again. Instead of wondering if Windwalker was all right, she could focus on her other kits, to see how they were growing into fine apprentices, and, with time, into great warriors.
--
Days turned into weeks and passed by without really being noticed by the lone she-cat. Windwalker stalked along. Her silver striped pelt made her look like a ghost as she wove her way between the trees. She had long ago pushed the guilt and the sadness of leaving her Clan away. Slowly, the memories of the Clan faded from her mind just as the scents were fading from her pelt. Only a few things remained with her: the nursery, the scents of her family, and the stories told by Ivypaw stayed prominent in her mind.
Still, Windwalker was becoming a hardened cat. The memories and the loss were at times painful, and she had worked hard to keep it away from her. In doing so, she had also pushed away her feelings…
…Until she came across the little brown furball that was currently sitting on her back. It jumped forward onto her head and angled its head down a little so it could look her in the eye. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Windy?" it asked.
"Nothing that you need to worry about," she replied, sounding a little growly, but not angry.
"Aww, come on. You can tell your pal Hedge what's goin' on."
Windwalker sighed heavily. She thought back to how she had gotten herself into this situation. She remembered hunting and how she was closing in for the kill when her prey had whirled around and saw her. Much to her surprise, it begged for its life in a way she could understand. She was used to her prey making little squeaks when she caught them, but this one actually spoke words. After that, she couldn't bring herself to do it and let him live. But then he decided that she looked lonely and had taken it upon himself to become her new best friend.
Windwalker stopped short and shook herself. A few moments later, she heard a squeak followed by a light thud as Hedge landed on the ground. She turned and looked down at the little chipmunk as he got to his paws, spluttered, and then glared at her. "Why didja have ta do that?" he demanded.
Windwalker feigned surprise. "What did I do?"
"You know perfectly well whatcha did, and I'll have you know I didn't like it," he scolded.
"You're awfully bold for being a rodent," Windwalker mewed. "Aren't you worried that I might eat you?"
"Naw. You're too nice ta do that," Hedge replied. He took three strides towards her then sprang. She felt his little paws grasp her fur as he pulled himself back up to his perch on her back. "Now tell me whatcha were thinkin' about."