Waging War: Book 1: Beyond the Mountains {COMPLETE}

Chapter 7

"We should get going." Seedclaw mewed once the travelling cats had finished eating their early morning meal. It was just a little bit past dawn, and they were getting ready to continue on with the second day of their journey. Owlpaw took a moment to look at her paws, they were still sore but felt much better than the night before.

Before they continued their journey, Owlpaw gathered the rest of the tansey that she had collected. "Why are you taking that herb?" A curious mew spoke beside Owlpaw. She looked to see that Leopardpaw was watching her with interest.

"It's tansey," Owlpaw explained. "I've had a cough since I was a kit, so I take tansey to help."

"Oh." Leopardpaw blinked. "Why do you have a cough?"

"My littermates were born a moon early and we all got sick pretty much right away. I was never able to get rid of it fully. It doesn't bother me most days, but it can flare up from time to time."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Leopardpaw's eyes expressed sympathy. "One of my littermates died the night we were born." She explained, she didn't seem sad though. Owlpaw guessed it was similar to how she and her littermates felt about Firekit.

"My brother was killed by the sickness, but my three other siblings are fine now." Owlpaw added.

"That's good to hear." Leopardpaw purred kindly. Perhaps I can make a friend after all.

"Leopardpaw, Owlpaw," Berryheart called the two apprentices, stopping their conversation. "It's time to get going." Owlpaw and Leopardpaw quickly trotted over to the rest of the group and they set their paws out, continuing their long journey. While they walked, Owlpaw continued talking with Leopardpaw.

"So what do you think we're looking for?" Leopardpaw questioned.

"I'm not sure." Owlpaw admitted with a shrug. "I know it's happened in the past, but I don't know of any cats venturing out beyond the territories."

"Well, I heard stories of Crowstar, the leader before Shadowstar, leaving the territory so he could find an herb to cure MoonClan of a deadly illness."

"I don't think any of the Clans have a mysterious illness." Owlpaw mewed, then added with a laugh. "Aside from me, of course." They laughed together and continued walking. They padded through a large, empty and silent field. Owlpaw started to hear a low rumble and felt a faint vibration in her paws. "What's that?" Owlpaw questioned Earthpelt.

"Sounds like a thunderpath." Earthpelt replied, looking towards the other warriors for confirmation.

"What's a thunderpath?" Fennelpaw inquired. "Are they those things that monsters live on?"

Seedclaw nodded. "And a thunderpath usually means a twolegplace." Owlpaw could see the old warrior's eyes scanning the horizon. "Let's keep moving, we'll deal with the thunderpath when we get to it." Seedclaw instructed and lead them forward.

Owlpaw exchanged a nervous glance with Leopardpaw. Before they had left, Dawnstar and Earthpelt had explained to her some of the dangers of the world beyond the territories, and thunderpaths were one of them.

The cats finally reached the edge of the field, which then sloped downwards for quite a was. At the bottom was a long black path that seemed to stretch onward forever on either side.

"That's the thunderpath?" Slatepaw spoke up, twitching his ears. "I could cross that thing in my sleep." He scoffed. "And then fight a monster." Owlpaw rolled her eyes at his arrogance.

"You don't fight monsters." Seedclaw glanced over his shoulder, giving Slatepaw a venomous glare. "My father was killed by a monster. In an instant his body was broken and mangled beyond repair."