Chapter 16
Willowcloud had managed to take down a mouse before bringing it back to Embertail. The hunting in this area had dwindled since she'd arrived. She knew that the mice and other pieces of prey she would normally find had run off by now. Most of the birds had already left the forest when the first chill of leaffall arrived. Willowcloud hoped that the mouse was enough to satisfy Embertail's hunger. She knew the medicine cat had a story to tell, and she was eager to hear it.
Her heartbeat had picked up by the time she reached the cave where Embertail was sleeping. She wasn't surprised to see the medicine cat trying to groom patches of fur that had gone missing. Clawmarks could be seen in the skin. She grimaced at the sight before placing the mouse in front of Embertail. The pale ginger she-cat's eyes brightened when she caught the scent. "Thanks," she murmured before taking small bites.
"Embertail, what exactly happened to you?" Willowcloud asked after settling down. The odors made her own stomach growl with hunger. She knew that she should have caught something else, but worry for the medicine cat had erased the thought from her mind. The pale brown she-cat stiffened when she heard the question.
"Aldertail…he would have killed me had I not fled," she explained in a stuttering voice. "He said that he already has a medicine cat. Stonefang did nothing to defend me at the time. He just simply watched." Her eyes were bright with fear as she paused. "Swanfeather and Pigeonflight were the ones who'd saved me. They distracted Aldertail long enough to give me time to flee." She nearly choked at the last word. "But he…he killed Pigeonflight in the process."
No wonder she was so terrified, Willowcloud thought sadly. She felt sorrow grip her heart as she imagined the Clanmates that Embertail would have once known. Those cats were dead now thanks to Aldertail and Rainstar. She had a feeling Ghostwind had some influence on Rainstar's decision, but telling Embertail so would only anger the medicine cat.
"Right, do you know for sure if any cat followed you?" she demanded.
"No cat followed me," Embertail replied with a shake of her head. "Aldertail was too focused on…killing Pigeonflight to notice my disappearance."
"Good," Willowcloud murmured half-heartedly. "The last thing we need is someone else discovering this place."
Her thoughts drifted back to the story that Embertail had told her. DuskClan cats were willing to kill to get what they wanted. She was worried for her own former Clanmates, despite what they had done to her. Memories of living with her Clanmates coursed through her mind.
She shook her head as she pushed the thoughts away. Those cats were nothing more then a memory. She'd forgotten about the cats that had taunted her in the past.
While Embertail was busy licking the bits of meat off of her whiskers, Willowcloud decided it was a good time to set back out hunting. Leopard had yet to return, and she doubted he was coming back. It hurt her to know that he might not return. Their night spent together had been short lived.
His image had faded from her mind as she pressed on her hunting skills. The mice were not enough to feed two cats - let alone three. She needed to find something that would feed them all at once. A rabbit might be a good choice if she was able to find one. Birds were often a delicacy in LeafClan, but those had fled the area already. She kept her thoughts firmly on the path that laid ahead.
I'm a hunter searching for her prey, she told herself. Her ears swiveled towards the sounds of leaves brushing against the ground. Instinct told her to keep low. If it was prey it would come out of hiding when it felt safe. A predator would wait a few heartbeats before emerging from it's hiding place.
Suddenly a vole emerged from the shrubs nearby. Willowcloud kept still, knowing that the vole would detect her movements. The vole was sifting through the leaves, nosing what insects and seeds it could find. Willowcloud's ears flattened as she crept forward. Within heartbeats the vole was in striking distance. She made her move, muscles bunching together as she leapt forward. The vole struggled for only a heartbeat before it's life was taken. One good piece of fresh-kill wasn't enough for two cats.
She looked around, eager to find out what else was hiding in the sparse undergrowth. Surprise made Willowcloud stop in midstep when she saw a squirrel fling itself from the branch of a birch tree to another branch. Leaves fell to the ground as it struggled to climb on the second branch. The bushy tail flickered with uneasiness when the squirrel realized that it was cornered. Willowcloud felt her stomach churn with hunger as she watched it cautiously. Her tongue drew around her muzzle as she watched the squirrel's claws miss the branch. Amusement made her tail curl as she gave the squirrel's neck a killing blow. The squirrel writhed for a moment before it's life was taken.
Satisfaction swelled within Willowcloud's chest as she carried the squirrel back to where the vole was hidden. She knew the squirrel was a fine catch - most cats avoided them because of their bushy fur, but she found it was a decent enough meal for the two of them.
Embertail was finished grooming her coat by the time Willowcloud returned to the small cave. Her eyes lit up when she saw the squirrel and vole dangling from Willowcloud's jaws. Willowcloud tossed the squirrel over, hoping it was enough to satisfy Embertail's hunger. The medicine cat accepted it gratefully.
Willowcloud ate the vole slowly and carefully, savoring the flavor of fresh-kill for a few moments. She was grateful she had found the prey she had.
"When I was living with PebbleClan I had prey all the time," Embertail murmured after she was finished eating the squirrel. "Now I long for those days…watching the apprentices bring back some fresh-kill. I always used to scold them for getting into my store of herbs." She sounded wistful as she met Willowcloud's gaze.
"I don't miss anything in my Clan," Willowcloud muttered bitterly. Embertail eyes her curiously, and Willowcloud fought back a sigh. "I was never really close with any cat," she admitted. "Sparrowfur, Mistybird and Ruststripe were the few cats who actually cared…and I'm not even sure about Ruststripe." She glared at her paws as she thought of all the insults that were thrown at her the day she was banished. "Thornstar only banished me when the Clan started accusing me of killing Brightfur."
Embertail blinked in surprise. "Ruststripe is a good medicine cat," she mewed. "I doubt he would act friendly just for the sake of your mother."
"He was a good medicine cat," Willowcloud sighed. "I often thought of him as a fatherly figure but…." She broke off when Embertail stared at her in shock. "He was just a medicine cat. Mistybird told me that my father died in a battle against a DuskClan warrior."
"I heard about that battle," Embertail said. "Boulderstar was killed by Dustcloud, who had been a warrior at the time." Her eyes were bright with fear as she watched Willowcloud's hackles rise.
My father would have made a better leader than Thornstar, she thought bitterly. Thornstar does nothing but hang on Ghostwind's every word…it's like a leader who's been brainwashed by kits. I've often wondered why StarClan gave Thornstar his nine lives.
"I'm going to my den," Willowcloud announced after rising to her paws.
Embertail nodded before she buried the remains of her squirrel. Willowcloud's ears flattened as she watched. She knew that Embertail was just being self-conscious. She shook her head and padded away, enjoying her short period alone.
Her chat with Embertail had left her unnerved. The medicine cat knew quite a lot about LeafClan cats. She knew that medicine cats were known for understanding the ways of other Clans, and that they held no bidding to the warrior code. Medicine cats had their own code to abide.
Willowcloud's tail flicked from one side to the other as she approached her cave. The sun was beginning to set by the time she reached it. Exhaustion was creeping over her shoulders. She usually waited until the moon rose, but by now she didn't feel like it. Sleep overcame her quickly for the first time in what felt like moons.
Leopard wasn't here today, she thought before she fell asleep. Maybe Embertail's arrival scared him away. The thought quickly left her as she slept. Tomorrow would be another day, and hopefully she would see signs of Leopard.
A/N: Wow two updates in one day. This isn't unusual for me is it? And you get a bit more information on Willowcloud's father and how he died! Hope Embertail's explanation was enough for those who were wondering how she escaped from Aldertail and the rest of DuskClan. Thanks String of Pearly for reviewing once again :) You've earned an Embertail plushie!