Jayfeather and Briarlight walked in silence through the woods. Crickets chirped around them, and with each step, Jayfeather felt more and more excited.
I'm going to have a new stick! Jayfeather thought, swallowing a purr.
He walked slowly, getting less and less familiar with his surroundings. He stuck out his whiskers to feel for anything he might run into. Briarlight was panting beside him, going as fast as she could with her front two paws.
"We'll rest once we're at the edge of the forest." Jayfeather promised, "I don't want cats from other clans to see us and get suspicious."
"Good idea." Briarlight meowed between pants of exhaustion.
They continued walking through the dark woods, the moon casting eerie shadows and bathing their pelts with silver. Jayfeather let Briarlight guide him, since she could actually see. Jayfeather kept his nose lifted, cautiously pausing here and there to scent for cats. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they arrived at the edge of the woods. They were overlooking a large stretch of land, followed by pastures and Twolegplaces. Beyond the Twolegplaces were the mountains.
"Not enough trees." Briarlight commented, though there was a tinge of excitement in her mew, "I've never been to the mountains before."
Let's just hope we don't get snatched by an eagle, Jayfeather thought, then pushed the terrible thought to the back of his mind.
"Are we going to the mountains?" Briarlight asked curiously.
"Yes. Now let's take shelter so that we can get up early to start traveling." Jayfeather replied.
They started heading towards a hollowed out tree when suddenly Jayfeather got a feeling that they were being watched. He opened his jaws, tasting the air and suddenly caught a familiar scent that made him freeze.
"Briarlight!" he hissed in a whisper, "Something's following us."
Briarlight tensed beside him and stood still, quivering nervously.
Suddenly the bushes ahead of them rustled and a cream colored she-cat slid out casually.
"Hi, Jayfeather." Dawnpelt's voice came, and Jayfeather wondered if he was having a nightmare.
Jayfeather's mind swirled in confusion and he sub-consciously felt Briarlight press into him, still quivering.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling dazed.
"Following you." She meowed, her voice cold.
"Why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and bushing out his fur.
"Starclan told me to." She said simply with a little shrug.
"Really?" Jayfeather growled unbelievingly.
"Yes. I have to travel with you to the Tribe Of Rushing Water."
Jayfeather felt shock pulse through him. Starclan really must have told her to! But why?
"So." Dawnpelt meowed, her tail thumping the ground, "Will you take me? Or just ignore Starclan?"
Jayfeather felt irritation race through him, but knew he couldn't ignore Starclan. I have to take her.
"I guess," he growled reluctantly, a chill suddenly running through him. This felt wrong.
"Good." Dawnpelt replied, sounding satisfied.
"Now let's take shelter in that hollowed tree." Jayfeather meowed cooly, heading towards it.
Briarlight caught up to him, clearly trying to stay away from Dawnpelt. Dawnpelt trailed in the back, and Jayfeather felt fear prickle his spine. Could he trust this Shadowclan warrior, or was he making the wrong decision? Jayfeather curled up into the hollowed tree and felt Briarlight curl beside him, her pelt slightly brushing his.
She's just scared. Jayfeather told himself, drifting off to sleep.
~~~
Jayfeather awoke to hear birds chirping jubilantly in the trees. He got to his paws, feeling fully rested and ready to go. When he padded out of the tree hollow he felt the hot sun touch his pelt.
So much for getting up early.
Jayfeather lifted his nose, scenting for prey. He caught the scent of a chipmunk and weaved his way through the forest towards it. He struggled to remember all the techniques he had overheard the warriors use.
Keep the tail up, he remembered, And stay upwind of the prey.
He crept forward, keeping his ears trained on the sound of it scuffling among a tree root. He pinpointed the scent and leaped towards it, claws outstretched. He heard it squeal in terror and it dashed to the left. The squeal only made hunting it easier.
Jayfeather dashed after the noisy chipmunk and pounced on top of it, pinning it down with his claws. He nipped it's throat and felt satisfied at the snap of it.
I caught it! He thought, surprise and pride swelling through him.
He had forgotten how great it felt to hunt. He picked up the chipmunk and made his way back to the tree hollow.
"You caught a chipmunk!" Briarlight sounded impressed, "Nice catch!"
"It's quite scrawny." Dawnpelt commented, sniffing disdainfully, "Not a very clean catch either. Your claws pierced it all over."
"Stop complaining! Prey is prey, and Jayfeather is a medicine cat! He doesn't hunt as often as you!" Briarlight hissed defensively.
"I was just observing." Dawnpelt meowed, widening her eyes innocently, "We won't have much prey in the mountains. It's too cold."
Briarlight just growled and padded up to Jayfeather. "Want to share?"
"Sure." Jayfeather meowed, dropping the chipmunk.
"Have fun sharing." Dawnpelt snickered, "One bite each and it'll be gone."
Jayfeather ignored her comment and bit into the small chipmunk. He was beginning to question how they would survive the journey ahead.
A blind cat, a paralyzed cat, and a cat who I barely trust, on a long journey to the mountains, Jayfeather thought. They would be defenseless. And why does Starclan want Dawnpelt to come?
"Why are we going to the mountains?" Briarlight asked after swallowing a mouthful, "Does the tribe need help?"
"No. The ancient cats want me to go." Jayfeather replied, not wanting to mention the stick. It would seem pointless to her to journey so far just for a stick.
Dawnpelt snorted with disbelief but didn't say anything. When they finished the chipmunk, the three cats left the tree hollow and continued walking. Jayfeather felt exposed out in the open without the trees surrounding him.
No place to hide. He thought, sniffing for any strange scents.
They started heading down a grassy hill when Jayfeather heard they were approaching a Thunderpath. They stood at the edge of it, the terrible stench of the monsters hitting them.
Jayfeather could also pick up a trace of fear scent coming from Briarlight.
"We'll have to cross." Dawnpelt observed, pointing a cream paw at the mountain peaks far ahead, "It's the fastest way to the mountains."
Briarlight dug her claws into the rough earth. "I don't know if I can make it." She fretted.
"No one's getting hit." Jayfeather promised, trying to sound confident.
"Who's going first?" Dawnpelt asked, determination in her meow.
Jayfeather thought, then answered, "I think it would be best to all go at the same time."
"Alright." Dawnpelt replied, "Briarlight should probably be in the middle."
Jayfeather nodded with agreement and they flanked Briarlight on either side. They waited, listening for the roar of the monsters. The ground had stopped vibrating, and Jayfeather couldn't taste the smell of monsters approaching.
"Now!" Dawnpelt screeched, hurtling onto the Thunderpath with Jayfeather and Briarlight, their paw steps in sync.
Jayfeather pushed Briarlight with all his strength for her to move faster and Dawnpelt did the same. Jayfeather's heart hammered in his chest when he realized they weren't going very fast. Briarlight was having trouble dragging her hind paws on the hard, black ground. His heart nearly stopped when he suddenly heard a monster approaching quickly.
"Hurry!" he yowled, shoving Briarlight ahead of him forcefully.
He sprinted across the Thunderpath and slammed into Briarlight and they landed in some bushes at the other side of the path, Dawnpelt following. The three cats crouched, panting with exhaustion.
"We made it!" Briarlight meowed triumphantly.
"There's a lot more thunderpaths we'll have to cross." Dawnpelt warned her, "This is only the beginning."
The fresh scent of blood touched Jayfeather's nose.
"Are you hurt, Briarlight?" he asked.
"My hind legs are bleeding a little. It's nothing." She replied.
Jayfeather bent his muzzle and sniffed at it. It definitely wasn't nothing.
"We need dock leaves." He stated, heading out of the bushes and making his way across a small grassy area.
He smelled a farm up ahead with cows and horses grazing the field. In the field he could smell the fresh scent of dock.
"We're not going in there, are we?" Dawnpelt's voice startled him.
He could sense that Dawnpelt's pelt was prickling nervously.
"I'll go just to get the leaves." he replied, ducking under a wooden fence and walking through the tall grass.
Cows mooed around him, and Jayfeather forced his pelt to lie flat so that he wouldn't seem threatening. He picked his way carefully, keeping his distance from the large creatures. As he neared the tree he heard a shrill barking sound suddenly fill his ears.
Oh,no... He thought, dread searing through him.