Chapter 3
"What's taking those two so long?" Thrushfur asked. Sunpool turned to Desertwonder.
"What?" Desertwonder asked. Sunpool shook his head and went back to grooming his fur. Desertwonder was sprawled on the big rock. "I don't know where they are. Why did you think I knew?" Desertwonder asked. Sunpool didn't look up from his grooming.
"I'm gonna go and look for them." Thrushfur said as he stood up from his sitting position on the sandy floor of the cave. Desertwonder lifted his head.
"I'll go with you." Desertwonder said as he scrambled down the rock. He looked to Sunpool, who had stopped grooming and was now looking up at them with an anxious green gaze.
"Don't leave without me!" Sunpool shrieked as he scrambled to his paws. "I don't like the feeling of this place." Sunpool shivered. What's up with that cat? Desertwonder thought. Sunpool fell in step with them as Thrushfur and Desertwonder padded into the tunnel.
"Snowstorm! Leaffall!" The toms yowled. Sunpool perked his ears.
"Hey! Guys, shut up!" Sunpool hissed. Desertwonder scoffed inwardly. Who made him leader of the group? He thought. Thrushfur stopped and perked his ears as well.
"I don't hear anything..." Thrushfur turned to Sunpool. "How can you hear it?" Sunpool did not answer the question. Instead, he looked up and yowled:
"Leaffall, Snowstorm! You up there?" It was only a heartbeat until they had an answer.
"We're up here! Come up here and meet, Rainripple and Whispernight!" Leaffall called down. Desertwonder tilted his head at Sunpool. How could he have heard that?
"We're coming!" Thrushfur yowled back as he jumped up to the dirt wall of the tunnel and started to climb.
"Hey wait for us!" Sunpool yowled after him. Desertwonder jumped up, dug his claws into the hard dirt and started to climb up the tunnel. By the time he got there Sunpool and Thrushfur were there already. Leaffall motioned towards a blue-gray tom with white flecks.
"This is Rainripple." She said. Then Leaffall motioned towards a she-cat who was a shade lighter than black, that could still pass as black with white ears, tail and paws. She looks beautiful. Desertwonder thought. "And this is Whispernight." Whispernight... Sunpool interrupted his thoughts.
"Hi, Rainripple. Hi, Whispernight." Sunpool said as he bowed his head.
"Hi." Desertwonder said. "So, why are There all these tunnels here anyway?" He asked. Whispernight answered his question.
"Well. The one you guys are staying in now is called: the visitor's cave: the one we're in right now is Rainripple's hunting grounds. The one above us is my hunting grounds, and then the one above that tunnel is where Rainripple and I stay." She said. Desertwonder nodded.
"Ok then. It was nice meeting both of you, but Snowstorm and I are going to start planning a way to our next destination." Thrushfur said, then in a murmur, "wherever that is..." Thrushfur and Snowstorm jumped down the tunnel. Desertwonder was still looking at Whispernight. She's kinda nice... He thought. Leaffall was talking to Rainripple while Sunpool was also talking to Rainripple.
"So..." Desertwonder said, "how long have you two been living here?" He asked. Whispernight snapped out of her thoughts and instantly looked embarrassed. Why was she embarrassed? Was it because she was staring at me?
"Well. We've been here for a season or two. We've traveled all this way together and it has been proved that we are inseparable." Whispernight said, looking over to Rainripple, her gaze gleamed with pride. Leaffall, Sunpool and Rainripple stopped talking and turned to us.
"Hey, Whispernight! What do you think about coming with us?" Leaffall asked.