Talonclaw arched his back and tensed his claws to make sure all his muscles were loose and ready for the journey he sure was going to be long. He had already explained where he was going to Shrewfur and Mapleheart as both cats stood on either side of them. Shrewfur's amber eyes glowed with respect, while Mapleheart's gaze was shadowed with worry.
"You'll stay safe, won't you?" Mapleheart asked him.
"Of course I will," Talonclaw meowed, touching his nose to her cheek.
"And we can't go with you?" Shrewfur asked, frowning.
"It's best if you don't." Talonclaw rested his thick tail on Shrewfur's broad shoulders. "If RiverClan catches me, it'll be better for me to escape on my own. We wouldn't want them capturing us. If the Twolegplace cats are hostile, it'll be just me, and they won't see me as much of a threat." He had to leave soon. He could still taste the remnants of Birdpaw's traveling herbs in his mouth.
"Very well," Shrewfur sighed. "Best of luck to you, Talonclaw. And remember, strength and honor." ShadowClan's motto.
"Strength and honor," Talonclaw echoed. He turned to look at Mapleheart. "I promise I'll be back."
Mapleheart nodded. "I'll be thinking of you."
"Oho." Shrewfur's whiskers twitched in amusement. Talonclaw cuffed Shrewfur's ear playfully. He brushed against Mapleheart's pelt and looked over to the medicine den. Birdpaw was watching him. He gave her a nod. I'm going. Talonclaw turned on his heel and padded away from his friends. He had to find the golden-furred cat.
He climbed out of camp effortlessly, hauling himself onto the pine forest floor. He tasted the air, shivering as he felt the cold leaf-bare winds approaching from the north. It's going to snow soon, he thought. He knew the Twolegplace was somewhere past RiverClan territory. That was where he would start his journey. Tensing his muscles, he started to bound through the pine forest. He could taste the scent of mouse on the wind, but Birdpaw's traveling herbs had numbed all hunger in him. He couldn't waste time hunting. He had to find the golden cat.
Talonclaw looked over his shoulder to see the hollow that he and Sparrowflight had trained in when the rockslide had trapped him near the edge of the hollow. Huh. It seems like so long ago. He turned his head away and kicked up fallen pine needles as he ran through the forest. The morning sun warmed the back of his spine, but he guessed it wouldn't be long until it was freezing.
The ground sloped up away from the lake, and when Talonclaw looked over, he could see the silver smudge of the water just barely visible in the distance. The forest floor was smooth and cold, with little undergrowth in the distance. The covering of pine needles silenced the sound of Talonclaw's paws thudding against the ground. He looked up to see the sky visible against the naked bark of the pines. I've never seen these trees when they didn't have needles on them, he thought. How odd. It almost doesn't look like home.
The scent of RiverClan, fishy tinged with hints of marsh, grew stronger as Talonclaw found himself nearing closer to the border. The abandoned Thunderpath that marked their border was just within a fox length's view. Talonclaw skidded to a halt when he approached it, and he tasted the air. The scent of RiverClan was strong, but it was starting to fade. There was a patrol just here, he thought. Too late for the dawn patrol, too early for the sunhigh patrol. Maybe a hunting patrol. He stopped for a moment. Did he stay within three fox-lengths of the lake, where he was guaranteed to be seen by a RiverClan patrol, or did he try his luck by hiding in RiverClan territory?
No point, Talonclaw thought. RiverClan knows their land better than I do. I'd be found in seconds. It's better if I stick closer to the lake. They may not treat me as a trespasser. Talonclaw crossed the border into RiverClan land and headed diagonally across the march until he saw the sandy shores of the lake. Making sure he was three fox-lengths away from the marshland, he stuck close to the lakeshore as he continued his travels. He kept a close eye on the marshland, unable to understand how RiverClan could live, so exposed. And with so much mud under their paws!
The need to save Robinwing furthered Talonclaw's drive, and he found his pace quickening. It was a good thing that it was so cold outside—that meant that RiverClan probably wasn't inclined to stay out longer than they wanted to, so there was less of a chance of Talonclaw being caught. Talonclaw kicked up pebbles on the shore and felt his paws starting to sting. He stuck closer to the sand until the marshland started to slope into the moorland. The scent of WindClan began at the moorland. I can't stay near the lake for this part, he thought. The Twolegplace is past WindClan territory. Let's make this journey quick! He darted away from the lake and across the WindClan scent marks. It was pointless hiding his big dark brown tabby pelt in the pale moorland. He'd be seen in seconds—he just had to rely on speed for this crossing.
Talonclaw plunged through the moorland, recalling Sparrowflight's directions. Keep going north into WindClan territory until their scents fade. There, you'll find a Thunderpath. Cross that, and you'll be in the Twolegplace. He shuddered, not fancying the idea of crossing a Thunderpath at all. Would he rather risk being caught in WindClan territory or cross a Thunderpath to avoid it? Talonclaw shrugged as the frost-bitten tips of the moorland grass brushed sharply across his sides. He watched as a rabbit shot across the moor and stiffened as he saw something following it. A WindClan cat!
The ShadowClan warrior shrank down, hoping that the grassland would disguise him. The warrior that was chasing the rabbit skidded to a halt and sniffed the air, angling his ears around. Then the cat shrugged and continued its pursuit of the rabbit. Talonclaw almost scoffed. What a pathetic excuse for a warrior! He smelled a strange scent but didn't bother to see what it was. Thank StarClan there's no warrior as foolish as them in ShadowClan.
Talonclaw continued his trek through WindClan territory until their scents started to fade and he realized he was on unclaimed territory. Here, he could relax. This belonged to no Clan, so even if a cat found him here, they would have no right to challenge him. Regardless, it didn't mean Talonclaw could slack off. He still had to find the Thunderpath that would lead him into the Twolegplace. He quickened his pace, looking up at the sun. It was odd to see the expanse of sky, not covered by the pine trees like it was in ShadowClan territory. Talonclaw's paws ached—he had been traveling since morning, and it was already past sunhigh. But he was so close to Twolegplace now! He couldn't give up.
An acrid stench filled Talonclaw's nostrils and he skidded to a halt as he saw a large silver path open up in front of him. It was twice the size of the abandoned Thunderpath that marked the border between RiverClan and ShadowClan. The Thunderpath? Talonclaw stepped forward and looked around for the monsters Sparrowflight had warned him about. He sniffed the path suspiciously and placed a paw on it. The heat that emitted from the Thunderpath and the oily sensation made Talonclaw jump back. It's disgusting! But I have to brave it.
Talonclaw stepped back as a large, colorful monster let out a massive roar and streaked across the Thunderpath. The force from the monster buffeted Talonclaw's fur and made his eyes sting. The road vibrated beneath him, and Talonclaw stood in place, trembling as the monster disappeared. That was a monster! I need to cross, now! Before another one comes. Talonclaw looked both ways and prayed to StarClan before throwing himself across the Thunderpath. The texture of the path beneath his paws made him snarl, but he couldn't stop to dwell on it. He landed on the other side, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. But he had made the crossing safely. When he lifted his head, he came face-to-face with the Twolegplace that Sparrowflight had told him about.
Numerous Twoleg dens lined together, as far as the eye could see. Talonclaw could still taste the sour tang of the Thunderpath, but the Twolegplace, with the combination of the Twolegs, kittypets, flowers and plants, was such an invasion to his nostrils that he had to stop to take in everything. All his senses were crowded and he shut his eyes to deal with the chaos that swirled in his mind. When he opened his eyes again to study his surroundings, he was much calmer now.
Each Twoleg nest had a garden with dirt paths. Fences surrounded the nests, as if serving as a border. Talonclaw padded further and placed his paws on a foreign path. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. What is this? It feels nothing like the Thunderpath. It was hot underneath his paws, and it seemed to serve as some sort of walkway for Twolegs. With a sickening thud, he realized that the Twolegplace was huge. He would need help if he were going to find this golden-furred cat.
Maybe I can start by asking some kittypets? Talonclaw padded further into the Twolegplace, keeping his eyes trained on the fences around the Twoleg nests to see if there were any kittypets out and about. He stopped as he spotted a golden tabby tom, sitting right on top of a fence. Next to him was a gray-and-white cat with a short bobtail. It reminded him of the WindClan warrior, Rabbitfur. The golden tom had spotted stripes, and his belly hung over the fence. Dear StarClan, he's fatter than the laziest elder.
"Hello!" Talonclaw called out to the two kittypets. Their eyes stretched wide at Talonclaw's call, and they looked down to stare at him. The gray-and-white tom nodded to the golden tabby, and both of them leaped from the fence to stare at Talonclaw. Talonclaw wondered if they thought he was scared of them. I could shred you two into pieces.
"Who are you?" the gray-and-white tom demanded. "This is our place!"
"I come in peace," Talonclaw said.
"Hold on, Mickey," the golden tom said, lifting his paws. "It doesn't seem like he belongs here." The tabby tom tilted his head. "Where are you from?"
The kittypet called Mickey rolled his eyes and never left his glare from Talonclaw. Talonclaw turned to look at the golden tabby. "My name is Talonclaw," he meowed. "I'm a ShadowClan warrior."
"I'm Sonny," the golden tom introduced himself. "This is Mickey. We're not littermates, but we grew up together." The tom brushed his tail across Mickey's spine. Mickey sat down and looked Talonclaw up and down.
"ShadowClan…" Mickey echoed. "Sounds like the stories Theo told Sonny and I."
"You've heard of ShadowClan?" Talonclaw asked.
"We've heard of Clans that live south from here," Sonny told Talonclaw, drawing his paw over his ear and licking it two or three times. "Can't say we've seen them in these parts, though."
"Well, now you have," Talonclaw meowed, flicking his tail. "I'm looking for somebody."
Mickey blinked twice. "Who are you looking for?"
Talonclaw realized that Birdpaw hadn't given him much information, other than his pelt color. He would have to make do with what he had. "A tom with golden fur."
The gray-and-white kittypet snorted and pointed with his paw to Sonny. "That one?"
"I don't think so," Talonclaw said, studying Sonny. Although his fur was a shade of golden, he had stripes and spots, and his fur was pale. It also wasn't thick, like Birdpaw said it was. Plus, Sonny didn't look like a cat with any experience in medicine. "Unless you're a healer, Sonny?"
"What?" Sonny's ears twitched. "Healer? I have no idea what you're talking about. And no, I don't know of any golden-furred cat. How about you, Mickey?"
"He might have experience with medicine," Talonclaw added.
Mickey scraped the ground with a claw. "Theo might know," he said. "You're better off asking him. Theo has thick fur, but I don't think he has any experience in medicine."
"So what's the point of asking him?" Talonclaw inquired, wondering if these kittypets were messing with him. I can teach them a lesson they'll never forget!
The gray-and-white tom's vibrant green collar jingled as he lifted his head. "Theo knows everyone. If there's a cat that has golden fur and knows medicine, Theo's bound to know about it."
"Great!" Talonclaw's fur fluffed up in excitement. "How do I find him?"
"He lives a couple streets over," Mickey said. "Keep going up the sidewalk, cross the street and go around the sidewalk. His house is bright yellow. He'll probably be on his fence."
So the path I'm on is called a sidewalk, Talonclaw thought. Streets must be their word for Thunderpath. "Thank you." The dark tabby tom dipped his head to the two kittypets. Sonny flicked his tail, while Mickey trained his gaze on Talonclaw as the dark tabby continued to walk across the sidewalk. When the sidewalk stopped and he reached the curb of a Thunderpath, he recalled Mickey's directions and made sure there were no monsters in view when he crossed to get to the other sidewalk.
Go around, Talonclaw thought. Grass grew between cracks of the sidewalk, and sometimes there was a flower or two. He went around the sidewalk and searched for the yellow den that Mickey had mentioned. But all the dens in this area were a rainy gray. Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? The activity of the Twolegplace, with the roars of monsters in the distance, and the loud calls from Twolegs in their gardens, started to get to Talonclaw again. He flattened his ears, continuing to walk until he came across a bright yellow den, a stark contrast to the gray dens he had seen. Theo's den?
A big tom with brown fur laid on top of the fence, his blue gaze focused on a butterfly that was flying in front of him. His tail hung over the fence and the bell on his collar jingled as he stretched out his legs. Talonclaw lifted his head. That must be him, he thought.
"Are you Theo?" Talonclaw called out.
The brown tom stiffened and looked over his shoulder, locking gazes with Talonclaw. "Depends," the kittypet said. "Who's asking?"
"I'm Talonclaw," the ShadowClan warrior meowed. "Mickey and Sonny tell me that you know every cat in the Twolegplace."
"Talonclaw…" the kittypet echoed, leaping down from the fence and looking the ShadowClan cat up and down. "Well, if Mickey and Sonny sent you to me, you must be a friend. Yeah, I'm Theo. And they're right—I do know every cat in the Twolegplace!" He used his tail to flick a pebble off Talonclaw's shoulder. "You look like you've been wandering this place for hours! Are you a stray?"
"No, I'm from ShadowClan," Talonclaw said. "We live far away, near the lake."
"Yes, I know ShadowClan!" Theo exclaimed. "Well, I don't know know you guys, but I know enough of the Clans to tell stories."
And I wonder just how accurate those stories are? Talonclaw twitched his ears but said nothing. "That's great, Theo. I'm looking for a cat. He has thick, golden fur and he has experience in medicine."
"Hm…" Theo sat on his haunches and tilting his head, seeming to be deep in thought. "Sounds like Comte, to me."
"Comte…?" Talonclaw leaned in, hoping to learn more about him.
"Comte is an old cat, but he knows a lot about herbs," Theo explained. "He doesn't have an owner. He lives in a little glade just at the back of the town with Luna. Luna is learning medicine from him. He's so respected that there's a little group of cats that protects him and Luna. He and Luna live in an abandoned housefolk den, and the other cats live in the glade. If a cat doesn't have an owner and they're injured, they usually go to Comte or Luna."
Then that's the cat I need to see! Talonclaw felt every strand of fur on his spine bristle. There's no time to waste. He looked to see the sun starting to set in the sky. Maybe I can find him before dark. "Where is this glade?"
"It's a few blocks down," Theo said.
Blocks…? Talonclaw frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Oh, I forgot, you don't use the same words we do," Theo said. "If you keep going straight down this sidewalk, there's going to be a really big street. Cross that, take a right turn, and the glade will be there."
"How long will that take?" Talonclaw asked.
"Probably 'til midnight." Theo blinked in apology. "Sorry about that."
Talonclaw sighed. "It's fine. So long as I can get there. Thank you, Theo." He dipped his head in gratitude to the kittypet. Theo nodded and disappeared up the fence into his Twoleg den. Talonclaw watched him go until he was safely inside, and then started to walk north on the sidewalk. He hated the feeling of the road underneath his paws, and he felt his paw pads starting to crack. Cats should walk across the forest floor, not something Twoleg-made. I'll never take the pine forest for granted when I go home.
Even though the sun had set, the foreign and fierce lights from the Twoleg dens—and sometimes on the Thunderpath—didn't make it hard to see. He could continue his pace regardless, but he had no idea where he was going. Theo said that there would be a bigger than normal Thunderpath that he would need to take a right at. Where was it? All the Thunderpaths he was crossing seemed to be the same size. How odd that the Twolegs haven't reacted to a cat walking casually around here. I wonder if it's a normal occurrence?
Talonclaw looked across the Thunderpath to see a Twoleg walking with three dogs on separate leashes. Wow, I almost feel bad for him, he thought. Three dogs? However, locking gazes with the dogs and the Twoleg clearly was a bad decision. When the dogs saw Talonclaw, they let out excited yelps. Talonclaw's blood chilled and he froze. The three dogs were too much for the Twoleg to hold onto, and so they broke free from their Twoleg and crossed the Thunderpath with excited yelps, heading straight for Talonclaw.
Oh no! I'm crow-food! I'm complete and utter crow-food! Even though he and Shrewfur had fought off dogs once, there had only been two, and they had done it together. There was no way Talonclaw could fight against three dogs. He had no choice but to run. Talonclaw pelted across the sidewalk, completely ignoring Theo's orders. He had to get somewhere safe away from these dogs—he'd ask another cat for directions, or he'd try and find Theo again. The three dogs were on his heels, snapping at his jaws. He could hear the Twoleg screaming a few fox-lengths away. Talonclaw's heart pounded rapidly in his chest as he felt the teeth of one of the dogs rake his leg.
They're going to get me! Talonclaw thought in a panic. I can't die here! I have to get the golden cat to help Robinwing! Talonclaw zigzagged through the Twolegplace, finding himself crossing various Thunderpaths and sidewalks to lose the dogs. But they were right behind him. Every maneuver he made, they made as well. He wasn't outsmarting them—he was giving them exactly what they wanted. They wanted him to tire out so they could finish him off.
Oh, StarClan. I've failed. Talonclaw wanted to turn on his heel to attack the dogs, but that was completely suicidal. If there was a chance that he would survive this, he would take it. Talonclaw's claws tore as he raked them across the sidewalk. Blood pumped from the wound, but he couldn't stop running. A cat possessed, he tried to keep the dogs at bay as far as he possibly could.
"Hey, you!" The voice was sharp and Talonclaw looked up to see a cat standing precariously on top of a fence near a Twoleg den. "Jump! On top of here! Dogs can't jump, but cats can!"
Talonclaw didn't doubt the cat for a second. He turned on his heel, and with a massive leap from his hindquarters, he jumped on top of the fence. He scrambled for balance, and the cat grabbed his scruff and helped him to steady his balance. Talonclaw let out a breath of relief as he looked at the three dogs staring at him angrily, whining as they scrabbled at the fence. Talonclaw lashed his tail furiously as he saw the Twoleg who had lost them finally catch up to them. The Twoleg said something to the three dogs in a furious tone and grabbed their leashes. The dogs' barks turned to yelps as they were dragged away by the Twoleg.
"Thank you," Talonclaw breathed to the tom. His gratitude was momentarily swept away when he looked around and realized he had no idea where he was. He was far away from Theo's den, and probably Sonny and Mickey as well. He couldn't see anything that resembled a glade. He let out a sigh. Am I destined to wander this Twolegplace until Robinwing died?
"No problem." The tom, who had pale brown tabby fur and broad shoulders, wrapped his tail over his paws. "Don't you know to never look at those dogs in particular? The moment they see a cat, they'll run!"
"I'm not from here," Talonclaw argued. "I didn't know."
"Ah." The tom looked him up and down. "You didn't seem like you were here. Walking on a sidewalk in plain view? Are you mad?" He sighed. "But you're okay now, so there's no harm done. I'm Aeolus. What's your name?"
"Talonclaw," the dark tabby tom meowed.
"Talonclaw," Aeolus echoed. "What an odd name."
"Not as odd as Aeolus," Talonclaw grumbled.
"It's the name of a god." Aeolus clawed the fence as if to mark it. "The ruler of the winds."
Swiftstar rules WindClan, Talonclaw thought to himself. "Can you help me with something else?" he asked Aeolus.
"Sure," Aeolus replied. "What is it?"
"I'm looking for a healer in the area called Comte," Talonclaw told him. "I was wondering if you could help me find him. I was searching for him when the dogs chased me, and then I got lost."
Aeolus tilted his head. "I can do better than that! I can bring you to him."
"You can?" Talonclaw's amber eyes widened.
"Yes," Aeolus replied. "I live in a glade near his den. Me and a few others—we don't have housefolk, we like to live on our own, but we'd never make it scrapping for food from garbage cans. So we found a nice little forest at the back of town. Comte lives in an abandoned den near there. He was there first, but he didn't mind when I moved in and brought a few cats with me. We bring him food and we guard his herbs, and in return, he treats us if we're ill or injured. Pretty good arrangement if I do say so myself."
Talonclaw's tail shot up in excitement. "Can you bring me to him?" he asked. "Please!" He was close to prostrating himself on the fence and begging.
Aeolus looked slightly amused. "Yeah, of course. Follow me." He beckoned with his tail down the fence and leaped off. Talonclaw followed him, feeling the ache in his paws from his chase with the dogs and followed Aeolus through the Twolegplace.
I'm finally going to find Comte, Talonclaw thought gratefully as he kept on Aeolus' heels. And I'll be able to bring him to help Robinwing!