Jayfeather leaped up at the tree trunk, claws digging into the bark. The dog was racing towards him, barking loudly. Jayfeather scrabbled desperately, searching for a tree branch to grab hold of but felt nothing. Suddenly the dog's teeth clamped shut on his tail and Jayfeather yowled in pain. He pulled his tail free and kept trying to climb, but still couldn't find a branch.
"Help!" he yelled, feeling himself starting to slide down the trunk slowly towards the dog.
The dog leaped and grabbed him by the tail, dragging him down to the ground. The dog barked again loudly in his ears, and Jayfeather whirled around and lashed out his paw at its face. The dog yelped in pain and leaped back a moment, whining, but then jumped at him. Jayfeather took off, sprinting towards the fence where Dawnpelt and Briarlight were. He dived through the wooden fence and landed beside Briarlight, trying to calm himself. The dog let out a growl of annoyance and walked away.
"Are you ok?" Briarlight asked, sounding worried.
"I'm fine." Jayfeather replied, shaking scraps of tree bark from his pelt.
"Why didn't you climb the tree? You could of at least gotten the dock leaves before coming back." Dawnpelt meowed matter-of-factly.
"There were no branches to even climb on to!" Jayfeather hissed, anger seeping into him, "You could of at least helped fight off the dog so that I could make it up the tree!"
"I couldn't!" Dawnpelt insisted, "I was trying to keep Briarlight from limping out there to help! She would of been killed if not for me!"
Jayfeather was taken aback, amazed that Dawnpelt had actually helped. Maybe he could trust her after all.
Maybe I'm the one who shouldn't be trusted, Jayfeather thought, grief suddenly clawing his heart, I let both of her brothers die.
"Now I'll get the dock leaves." Dawnpelt meowed, stalking off into the field.
When she was gone, Jayfeather turned to Briarlight. "You shouldn't try to help when I'm in danger. That just puts us both in danger."
"But the dog could of killed you!" Briarlight said stubbornly, "I'm not just going to sit there and watch my one of my clanmates be killed."
"Well, if you hadn't tried to help, Dawnpelt could of came and helped me. Then we'd already have the dock leaves and be leaving by now. Your injury would just cause more trouble." Jayfeather reasoned.
Briarlight went silent, and Jayfeather wondered if he had said the wrong thing.
"Just like my blindness is a weakness." he added more softly, though he felt bitter about mentioning his blindness.
"Sorry." Briarlight's mew barely a broken whisper, "I just feel so useless. I may as well not exist."
Jayfeather felt sympathy flood through him. He had always hated being blind, but he still contributed to the clan. Briarlight couldn't even walk.
Jayfeather touched his nose to Briarlight's.
"You aren't useless. Every creature has a purpose, and coming on this journey to the mountains has proven you have courage. Don't ever give up."
Briarlight took a deep breath but said nothing.
"I'm back!" Dawnpelt's voice came, muffled through a bundle of dock.
"Thanks." Jayfeather said, padding up to her and taking some of the leaves.
He chewed the leaves into a poultice and applied it to Briarlight's wounds. Surprisingly her legs were still bleeding, but not too much.
"I don't feel any pain." Briarlight murmured, looking sadly at her parylyzed legs.
Jayfeather also added cobwebs to stop the bleeding and when he was finished they continued walking, more slowly than usual. They were nearing the twolegplace, which loomed ahead of them. None of them spoke, but Jayfeather could tell that they were all uncomfortable.
"Stop. Here's the first fence." Briarlight meowed, stopping Jayfeather with a paw so he wouldn't run into it.
Dawnpelt leaped up onto the white picket fence easily. "Jump as high as you can, Jayfeather and I'll pull you up."
"I don't need your help!" Jayfeather spat, and leaped onto the fence, struggling a little on the edge.
Suddenly Jayfeather realized Briarlight couldn't jump.
"Can you squeeze through the holes in the fence?" he asked Briarlight.
"I can try." Briarlight replied, pushing herself into a thin hole in the fence. With some effort, she managed to make it through, her pelt ruffled.
Dawnpelt and Jayfeather leaped down to Briarlight and the three started walking through Twolegplace.
They went from fence to fence, trying to stay pointed in the direction of the mountains.
"We won't have to cross any Thunderpaths if we keep to the back of the twoleg dens!" Briarlight meowed brightly.
Soon the sun started to set, and the cats were still making there way through the Twolegplace. They all stopped, confused.
"I can't see the mountains from here." Dawnpelt murmured.
"Me neither." Jayfeather said sarcastically, and he heard a purr of amusement escape Briarlight.
"Want me to help?" came a voice.
Jayfeather jumped with surprise to hear that a cat was right above them, laying lazily in a tree.
"Who are you?" Dawnpelt growled, claws unsheathing immediately.
"I'm Ginger." the ginger tom meowed in a friendly voice, "I can lead you to the mountains if you want. I know my way around this place."
"Thank you." Jayfeather meowed, gratefully dipping his head.
"Who are you guys? I haven't seen you around here before." Ginger asked.
"I'm Jayfeather." Jayfeather meowed, starting to feel impatient.
"And I'm Briarlight." Briarlight introduced herself.
"Dawnpelt." Dawnpelt meowed, then blurted out "Are you a kittypet?"
"You mean like- a house cat?" Ginger mrrowed with amusement, "No way! I'm a rogue. I like to stay away from No Furs! Anyways, where are you guys from?"
"We're clan cats." Jayfeather meowed quickly, wanting to get moving, "Now can you show us how to get to the mountains?"
"Sure!" Ginger meowed cheerfully, "Follow me."
The ginger tom bounded to the side of the twoleg nest, leading them up to a thunderpath.
"Don't worry. Normally there are less cars at night." Ginger called reassuringly.
Cars? Jayfeather shot a puzzled look at Briarlight and she looked just as confused.
"He probably means monsters." Dawnpelt suggested, shrugging.
Dawnpelt and Jayfeather got on either side of Briarlight again, and they rushed across the thunderpath as quick as possible.
"Wow. That's some injury!" Ginger exclaimed, gaping at Briarlight, "What happened to it?"
"A tree fell on it." Briarlight said wryly, looking at her paralyzed legs bitterly.
"That's gotta hurt." Ginger meowed, then changed the subject, "Well, follow me. Just past these woods up ahead are the mountains!"
Ginger led the way out of twolegplace and down a grassy hill. They reached the woods and started to pad through the trees. Jayfeather drank in the familiar scent of the woods, enjoying the feeling of grass underpaw and the sound prey in the bushes. But the woods still felt unfamiliar and Jayfeather let out a hiss as he bumped into a tree.
"Watch where you're going!" Ginger laughed, "What are you, blind?"
"Yes!" Jayfeather hissed, more annoyed than ever.
"Really?" Ginger sounded disbelieving.
"Yes." Jayfeather replied, fighting to stay calm.
"Sorry... I didn't know." Ginger mumbled, his cheerfulness fading. Then he looked up at the stars that were appearing overhead. "Its getting late."
"Yes. Maybe we should rest now," Jayfeather agreed.
The four cats found some wide bushes to make nests under, and curled up to sleep. Fireflies flickered around them peacefully, and crickets chirped. It felt good to be back in woods again. Jayfeather felt Briarlight's pelt slightly touch his and shifted away. Thoughts swam in his head, making him restless. He still couldn't believe he had been exiled from Thunderclan. Halfmoon had told him to journey to the mountains to find a new stick, but why would he need it if he wasn't in Thunderclan anymore? And weirdest of all, Dawnpelt had threatened to prove he was a murderer, but now she was helping him on a journey to the mountains. Jayfeather lay in his nest, unable to sleep for a long time, then started washing his pelt. Then suddenly a thought occurred to him.
If I can find poppy seed I'll be able to sleep.
Jayfeather got to his paws and silently crept out of the bushes. The chilly wind buffeted his fur softly as he padded through the woods. Suddenly a howl echoed through the woods and Jayfeather shivered at the bone-chilling cry.
Was that a dog?, he wondered.
He stood in silence, waiting for another howl but none came, and he let out his breath. He lifted his nose and scented the sweet scent of poppy flowers up ahead of him. He slunk quietly through the woods, wondering if anything dangerous was lurking in the shadows. He approached the flowers and squeezed the little poppy seeds into his teeth. He tensed as he heard another howl nearby. He broke into a run, blood roaring in his ears. Suddenly he heard a loud bark and a big paw smacked him to the ground. Before Jayfeather could yell for help, the creature bit his throat. Less than a heartbeat after the teeth sank into his throat, the creature dropped him to the ground. Jayfeather got to his paws shakily and saw a brown-furred cat attacking the red-furred creature fiercely.
Wait, I can see? Jayfeather was stunned, gaping at the sight of the brown she-cat, fighting the dog with her hind legs dragging uselessly.
Jayfeather sprinted into the fight, leaping onto the creature's throat and clinging to it. Briarlight swiped at its legs, and the creature collapsed to the ground. Both of them pinned its throat to the ground, biting and clawing with every scrap of their strength until the creature finally gave in. It lay, blood pooling at the throat. Jayfeather's sight suddenly faded away and he stood there, astonished.
Was that real or am I dreaming? He wondered.
Jayfeather touched a paw to his throat and felt it touch warm, sticky blood.
So it was real! I must've been having a vision, He noticed.
"That was close!" Brarlight meowed.
"Yes." Jayfeather replied, then felt impressed. "You saved my life!"
"I would've of been killed if not for you." Briarlight said modestly.
Jayfeather scooped up the small poppy seeds with a paw and meowed, "Let's go back to the bushes. I only came out here to get these."
He turned to pad off when Briarlight's voice stopped him.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"Yes." Jayfeather meowed, "Are you?"
"Yeah. I'm just worried about-" she trailed off.
"Dawnpelt?" Jayfeather guessed.
"Yes." Briarlight admitted, "I don't really trust her. She's the reason you were exiled, and I don't believe you would murder anyone."
Jayfeather cocked his head. Briarlight was a really loyal clanmate, but why did she leave Thunderclan? Bramblestar did nothing wrong.
"Jayfeather- I was thinking..." she paused awkwardly, then continued, "Your not a medicine cat anymore."
"Yeah, so?" Jayfeather felt confused. Why did she have to bring that up? Then suddenly his belly tightened as realization crashed over him.
Briarlight pressed against him, a loud purr escaping her. "Just think. Wouldn't finally having kits of your own be wonderful?"
Jayfeather stepped aside, feeling shocked. Had Briarlight always felt this way? He hadn't even noticed until they started this journey, but this was unexpected.
But Half Moon... Jayfeather's heart felt like it was torn.
"I... already love a cat, Briarlight. She's one of the ancient cats, Half Moon." Jayfeather explained, then felt very bad for Briarlight, "Sorry."
Briarlight was silent for a moment. "It's ok, I didn't know that."
Jayfeather felt surprised at how calmly she was taking this. He had expected to be mocked for playing with his "imaginary friends" (since Dawnpelt always did that). Briarlight then limped up to him and touched her nose to his.
"We can still be friends." she murmured softly, "I've never had such a good friends as you, and I'm happy for you and Halfmoon."
This time Jayfeather purred, touched by her kindness. "Thank you for understanding."
"Lets get back to the bushes." Briarlight suggested, "Could I also have one of those poppy seeds?"
Jayfeather nodded as they headed back through the forest, leaving the dead dog-like creature behind. They entered the bushes, stepping carefully over Ginger and Dawnpelt, and lay down in the nests they had made.
"Goodnight, Jayfeather." Briarlight whispred, licking up the poppy seed delicately.
"Goodnight." Jayfeather replied, also swallowing one of the seeds.
Jayfeather was almost immediately pulled to sleep.
~~~
Jayfeather. Jayfeather!
Jayfeather opened his eyes and gasped. He was in the Thunderclan camp! But why? He looked around, purring at the sight of Amberkit, Dewkit, and Snowkit wrestling at the center of the camp, getting in the way of the warriors.
"Hey, stop acting like kits." Came an amused mrrow, "You're apprentices now."
Wow. I've missed so much! Jayfeather thought.
"What if a fox killed her?" Jayfeather turned to see Graystripe and Millie pacing nervously. "Anything could of killed her!"
There worried about Briarlight. He realized.
"Jayfeather."
Jayfeather whirled around and saw Bluestar standing in front of him.
"Hello, Bluestar." he greeted her, dipping his head.
"Hello, Jayfeather. I've come to warn you about two things." Bluestar meowed solemnly.
"What are they?" Jayfeather asked curiously.
"Be careful who you trust, and always be forgiving."
Jayfeather looked at Bluestar, mystified. "Do you mean not to trust Dawnpelt?"
Bluestar shook her head. "I mean anyone." Then she looked amused, "And your not really the forgiving type."
Jayfeather rolled his eyes. "It depends on what I have to forgive. But who do you mean? Dawnpelt?"
"You have to find out for yourself. Remember, Starclan doesn't know everything."
Jayfeather bit his tongue, knowing not to argue.
"Just be careful, Jayfeather. Don't easily trust anyone." Bluestar's meow echoed in his ears as the dream faded.