******Sparkpaw's POV******
She didn't realize just how empty the moorlands truly were in her dream. Now that she was padding through WolfClan's territory for real, she could see that there were hardly any trees or much in the way of foliage. The few trees that did exist were scraggly, poor homes for squirrels and most birds.
The grass was springy here, the lack of trees meaning that hardly any leaves were on the ground to cover them. Several of the flowers that grew on the moor were wilted and frost bit. The same was true for the grass here. Frost clung to each blade so that whenever she stepped on one a strike of of cold dampness shot through her paw.
Another difference between the moor and the forest was the heather growing there. Several different types dotted the moorland with brilliant colors against the gritty sand and wind blown grass. The plants were prickly but a pleasure to look at.
She had right away decided her favorite part the moorlands as Patchfur and Arrowheart follow behind her. The wind was amazing here, powerful gusts surging around her and filling her with a new energy. Without the trees to block the wind the breeze was able to come at full force.
Sparkpaw relishes in the feeling of it in her fur, having gotten used to the cold it now empowered her as she dashed across the field with her companions hard on her paws. She couldn't recall just how long it took her to get to WolfClan camp though she figures it couldn't be far off. As they ran however, they were caught off guard by what they found.
*****Patchfur's POV*****
Patchfur smelt them before Arrowheart or Sparkpaw did. The scent of fish and fresh water tickled his nose, reminding him of his former home. His heart aches at the thought of home. The midday patrols would be heading out now; Berrypool would be out gathering herbs as she always did the day after the Gathering. Patchfur would often go with her as the tortoiseshell she-cat still didn't have an apprentice of her own.
Will she have one soon? I won't be around to see it...he frowned. A part of him would give just about anything to go back to MagicClan. It is said that when a cat is away from home, they feel something akin to metaphysical claws in their pelt that were tugging their paws back to where they belong. While he did indeed miss MagicClan, he didn't feel those claws. It made him hopeful that maybe HunterClan really would be his home now.
Whatever the case may be, at least I won't be on my own to figure it out. He found his gaze drifting over to Arrowheart. The young warrior was especially invested in making sure he settles in well with HunterClan. Patchfur could see it clear as day that the Shadowhunter liked him, the question was would Arrowheart do anything about it?
Normally, the warlock didn't mind making the first move in a relationship, but he could tell Arrowheart would be different. Not that it's a bad thing... As he would be Arrowheart's first real relationship, something Patchfur had never been for another cat, he wants to take things slow with him. He would let the Shadowhunter decide the pace so that way he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Until then, he was more than happy to be going on a journey with Arrowheart, even if it was just for a mission.
His musings almost kept him from hearing Arrowheart's firm voice calling out 'stop'. He staggers to a halt behind the two Shadowhunters who were right behind a tall clump of heather. The magenta pink flowers tickled his nose to the point he had to hold back a sneeze. Blinking curiously, Patchfur peers from behind Sparkpaw (because compared to Arrowheart the she-cat is a midget...easy to see over) to see what they were staring at.
Three sleek furred warriors shot through the undergrowth, their paws thrumming against the sandy earth. They were chasing a white rabbit. The little creatures red eyes were bright with alarm. Patchfur recognizes the three cats immediately as Thrushfeather, Ferntail, and Twistbelly.
The three HunterClan cats watch them silently as the MagicClan patrol tries to catch the rabbit. The hunting patrol ends up falling short of the catch, unable to keep up with the rabbit as it dives into one of the nearby burrows. Twistbelly lets out a yowl of anger as he crashes into the burrow that's too small for him to go into, his paw that had stretched into the tunnel coming back out with nothing but dirt dusted all over it.
Patchfur notes with worry that all three cats seem to be on the thinner side, Twistbelly being the worst. The normally stoic black and white tom's pelt was unkempt; his green eyes dull with hunger. If he squints, Patchfur can see the outline of each of the MagicClan cats' ribs.
I knew the river was staring to freeze early, but I didn't realize just how little the warlocks have been eating. He hadn't noticed it at the Gathering either, nor did Berrypool hint at some food shortage going on. He supposed it isn't his place now to know about the inner workings of MagicClan, but after being deputy for all those seasons it's hard for him to push away the concern clawing its way up his belly to form a lump in his throat.
"Fox dung!" Twistbelly snarls, "I almost had it." his tail lashes with frustration.
The two new warriors he brought with him were watching him idly. Patchfur guesses this isn't the first bout of anger the two have witnessed from the senior warrior. He knew that the old tom could have a temper even at the best of times, which definitely applied now at the worse side of things.
"You'll get it next next time I'm sure." Thrushfeather murmurs quietly.
Twistbelly turns to face the brown tom, his pelt ruffled. "I would've had it if you two had been helping me more." He growls.
Ferntail's gray eyes flash. "It was you who wouldn't let us lead the chase in the first place. Both of us knew there was no way you could catch up to it. Not when you're as slow as a three legged badger." She snaps back.
"I am not!" Twistbelly shouts, his face darkening with even more rage. Patchfur inwardly groans at the two cats squabbling. It was clear that their anger came from hunger and not the miss steps of the hunt. Not that there wasn't a few.
There was also the question as to why the three cats were on WolfClan territory hunting. Had things really gotten that bad that Wishstar was sending warriors to hunt on another clan's territory. The leaders had all but agreed the other day to leave the territory available for WolfClan to return to should they come back.
They're not going to like it if they find out another clan is pillaging off their territory. Thieving wasn't something to be taken lightly amongst the clans, and it could escalate to full blown war. Patchfur couldn't remember the last time MagicClan and WolfClan had been at war with each other, though he understood it hadn't ended well.
"Can you both please just stop arguing. We need to get back to hunting." Thrushfeather said.
Twistbelly and Ferntail both shot him glares, but didn't argue with the brown tom. Patchfur was glad the pair hadn't come to blows. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time though... It was Arrowheart's voice that he heard next. The black tom was closest to the heather, so his voice was slightly muffled by the scratchy stems.
"We need to get them off this land. WolfClan won't be appreciative of finding MagicClan scent on their border when they return home. It's bad enough we're already here." He mewed.
"What do you suggest then?" Sparkpaw asked, voicing Patchfur's question.
"I have an idea, so stick close to me." With that Arrowheart pulls away from the heather, making a wide arc around it so he becomes visible to the MagicClan cats. Patchfur and Sparkpaw scramble to follow the tom. Twistbelly and the rest of his patrol were surprised to see Arrowheart, their hackles raising in hostility.
Arrowheart blatantly ignores their glares. "Greetings Twistbelly, Ferntail, Thrushfeather. I wonder what in StarClan's name brings you here onto WolfClan's territory. After all, Wishstar and all the other leaders promised to leave the territory untouched for WolfClan's return." He states calmly.
Patchfur recognizes the confused stares of his former Clan mates at the sight of him and wills them to not question his appearance. He didn't want to answer questions now about where his loyalties lie. He himself was troubled enough by that question enough.
Thankfully they didn't, Twistbelly's green gaze focusing on Arrowheart with scrutiny. "I could ask the same of you, HunterClan cat." He gruffly said.
Arrowheart tilts his head. "My companions and I are here to search for a trail for the missing WolfClan cats. As the rest of the Clans are unwilling to aid in their return, it is up to us to being them home."
"Snobby HunterClan cats." Ferntail mutters to Thrushfeather. Her brother mutters what Patchfur knew to be an agreement. If Arrowheart heard them, he ignored it.
"So what are you suggesting then?" Twistbelly asks, barely concealing a snarl.
"I'm thinking....perhaps the three of you crossed over by accident. I saw you chasing that rabbit, so it isn't unlikely that it was on your territory first. So, I'm willing to not report it to Blossomstar....but only if you leave now." He told them diplomatically.
The three MagicClan cats share a glance, thinking over the black furred tom's words. Please agree. This shouldn't come to blows. Patchfur knew that he and Arrowheart could take down the trio, but he worried about Sparkpaw getting hurt. The fiery apprentice was a fast learner though she still had a lot to learn. Facing three well trained warlock cats would be a bit above her skill level right now.
Then there was the fact that he'd have to fight his own former clan mates. Patchfur wasn't sure he was ready for that...or if he would ever be. Heck, I was there when Thrushfeather and Ferntail were born. I watched them whenever their mother needed to go on a walk outside of camp. I don't know if I could hurt them...they're like family.
He was reminded with a pang Ambereyes and Spikefur. The two were his niece and nephew, Prickleclaw's children. He'd loved the two like they were his own. Both desperately want him to return to MagicClan. Patchfur felt sad that he may not get to see either of them as much anymore, especially now so recently after their father's death. I hope they're alright, he thought.
"I suppose that's fine." Twistbelly grumbles. "You better not take to long in finding those werecats though, or else our scent...might drift over again."
Arrowheart dipped his head. "I'd expect nothing less."
Patchfur watched the Twistbelly lead his patrol away, listening to their paws thrumming against the earth as they disappear behind the dotted fields of heather. He felt saddened at seeing their familiar faces come and go so quickly. He would've liked to catch up with the three of them. But alas it just wasn't in the cards.
He felt someone brushing up against him. Patchfur inclines his head to see Arrowheart pressing close. Sparkpaw was a tail length away, her green eyes gleaming with worry.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know you miss them." Arrowheart murmurs, pressing his muzzle into Patchfur's neck. The young warrior's whiskers pressing against his flank made him itch a little, but the overwhelming sense of comfort he felt won out over the slight discomfort.
"Patchfur, you're okay right?" Sparkpaw asked him, her eyes wide.
Patchfur blinked back the moisture forming behind his eyes. "I'm fine. Let's get going, we don't have anytime to waste." His companions didn't believe his nonchalant answer for a second. Only Arrowheart's silencing blue stare kept Sparkpaw from asking further questions. The three continue their journey, Sparkpaw moving back into the lead.
*******Time Skip/Sparkpaw's POV*******
She lead her two companions in the same direction her dream had taken her. As it was still fresh on her mind, Sparkpaw was able to navigate past the burrows and heather to the gorse walling that made up WolfClan camp. Arrowheart led the way in, saying something along the lines of not knowing what they might find inside the camp walls. Sparkpaw figures her mentor just wants to shield her from whatever danger they might find as best as he could.
The three went inside to find the camp in complete disarray. Swatches of town heather were strewn all over the floor, some of which were originally parts of den walling presumably. Moss from bedding also lay in piles outside of three of the den entrances, forgotten in WolfClan's haste to leave their camp behind.
Outside the Medicine Den were a few shriveled up herbs. Sparkpaw recognizes the sweet scent of catmint from her herb gathering with Dawnpaw a moon ago. She also spots a few torn up chervil roots and some tansy lying amongst the wreckage. She doubts either Bellflower or Tendrilroot would've willingly left any of their herb store behind; it was likely that the two healers had been forced to leave whatever herbs they could not carry behind.
"This place looks horrible." Arrowheart calls out from his place on Tall Rock.
Each Clan has a meeting place of some sort to gather around. Tall Rock was a dark gray stone jutting out of the sand; the high point of the WolfClan camp. Her mentor's blue gaze was looking down on the scene below now as if he was imagining what had happened here. Sparkpaw caught the faint whiff of stale blood in the air, it's metallic taste leaving a sour taste in her mouth. There was no doubt that a fight had been here...and that a lot of blood had been shed in the process.
"I found something!" Patchfur called from somewhere in camp.
Sparkpaw looked around to try and find him, her eyes wild. She spots the black and ginger tom at a tear in the gorse perimeter. Sparkpaw heads over to him quickly, her paws crunching down on the askew heather on the camp floor. When she reaches him, she finds what Patchfur must've found. Fur was snagged on the ruined gorse, the scent of FangClan unmistakable.
Arrowheart trots over to them, his blue eyes narrow as he examines the scene. "FangClan must've attacked through this point." He murmurs.
Patchfur nods. "That's what I was thinking. There's another rip in the camp walls on the opposite side too, so this looks like it was a two pronged assault." The warlock adds in.
Sparkpaw's eyes travel to the other gap Patchfur was talking about. Her eyes widen when she realizes just what parts of camp FangClan had torn into. Anger twists inside her when she imagines the frightened kits and startled elders who'd been attacked first.
"I can't believe they'd target the elders and the Nursery!"Sparkpaw exclaims.
"I wish I could say the same, but I'm not that surprised. FangClan attacked our elders and our Nursery too when they invaded our camp. I guess that was Venomfang's strategy." Arrowheart said.
Patchfur was staring at the torn open entrances with unease. "I can't believe she changed so much. If only I'd known..." He trails off.
Arrowheart firmly shakes his head. "Even if you had known how crazy Venomfang has become, there wouldn't have been anything you could've done about it on your own." Patchfur nods in reply though he doesn't seem totally convinced.
"Sparkpaw, you said that WolfClan headed over to a tunnel in your dream. Do you think you can direct us there?" Arrowheart asks her. It was clear the Shadowhunter wanted to get Patchfur's mind off of Venomfang.
"Yea sure." Sparkpaw agrees. "It's this way." She leads the two toms out of camp, trying not to spare the devastation a second glance.
Sparkpaw breaks out into a run as they come to what looks to be a dirt track, the wind here propelling her forwards. Patchfur and Arrowheart keep up with her, their longer legs and practiced strides making it an easy task. She finds herself letting out a whooping cry of laughter as she leaps over another burrow, kicking up sand as she lands on the stretch of ground on the other side.
Arrowheart lets out a huff of annoyance from somewhere behind her. Patchfur lets out a peak of laughter to his annoyance, to which the younger warrior can't help but to join in with. They run like this for a few minutes, only slowing down once Sparkpaw spots the veering cliff-like rock in the distance. Outlook Rock a voice chimes inside her head.
"We're not far now." Sparkpaw tells them after she regains her breath.
Her chest was heaving in short pants now. The three had stopped beside a puddle underneath Outlook Rock for a drink. Arrowheart was gulping down the clear liquid inside it at the moment, his black furred head bent over the reflective surface. When he pulls back his whiskers were dripping with cold water. It ran down his muzzle, splashing onto the white dash on his chest.
"That's good to here. We'll all drink up and then proceed to the tunnel." Arrowheart told them.
"You've got a little something there." Patchfur tells Arrowheart.
The black and ginger tom reaches forward to lap the water away from the other tom's cheek. Arrowheart flushed at the action, Sparkpaw held back a chuckle at her mentor's flustered appearance. Not noticing the gay panic he'd caused in Arrowheart, Patchfur moved over to the puddle to lap up some water of his own.
Sparkpaw went over to join the warlock, giving Arrowheart some privacy to calm down. She found the water to be chilling to the touch, the cool liquid running down her throat like jabs of ice. It wasn't quite cold enough yet for big bodies of water to freeze over but puddles had little flecks of snowmelt in them already. The sparkling glint of them was akin to the glass windowpanes of the Twoleg den she had lived in.
Patchfur had commented earlier in the week that it was colder than normal for this time of year, it made Sparkpaw excited because snow might soon be on the way. She knew that snow was likely one of the only things that came with cold. There was a plethora of problems all wild cats had to face in the winter, something she too would have to face now. But I'll handle it, I was meant to at any rate. I'm a Shadowhunter, so HunterClan is where I belong.
*******Arrowheart's POV*******
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't startled by the sheer size of the tunnel Sparkpaw led them to. Arrowheart and Patchfur stared suspiciously at the at the gaping hole in the ground. It was as though the earth had a huge mouth, the dip in the ground not seeming to have a bottom. Except it did, because Sparkpaw was already moving around inside the entrance, flashes of her fiery coat showing in its depths.
She can't possibly expect us to go into that! There's no way we're going to be able to see while we're down there. He shudders at the prospect of being trapped underground. Going through the tunnel to the Moon Stone and the Silent Forest were one thing. At the very least he knew those tunnels were safe and well traveled.
This.....pathway (if he could even call it that) did not seem safe in the slightest. A few clods of dirt had already slipped into the hole already as a result of Arrowheart's thorough examination, the grit landing on a spluttering Sparkpaw's head.
"Are you guys planning on joining me?" Sparkpaw called. The ginger apprentice had shaken the dirt off her head and was now sitting at the lip of the tunnel.
"Uh...you're sure this thing is safe?" He couldn't keep the uncertainty out of his tone.
It was Patchfur who reassured him. "Arrowheart it'll be alright. WolfClan is known for making tunnels throughout their territory. It's how they stay fed in the winter."
His ear twitched. "Really? I've never heard that. How did you hear that?" He asked.
"A friend of mine told me. It was a long time ago, before Rookstar became leader." Patchfur said.
"So they wall up their tunnels then? So I won't have to worry about cave ins?" He asks, shifting nervously. Arrowheart did not like being underground, not one bit.
"Yes, it'll be just fine! Now let's get moving!" Sparkpaw just about yowled out to him.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time." Patchfur murmurs in his ear. Arrowheart gave him a meek nod, allowing himself to be ushered into the cave with wary paws.
The darkness swallowed them up quickly, the light a dwindling mirage behind them now. They found the tunnel to be wide enough to allow them to walk next to each other, the walls baring sticks and pressed in stones on each side. Mind you, Arrowheart didn't see these sticks, he only felt them with his whiskers.
The first time he felt a freezing cold stone underpaw, he'd nearly leapt backwards out of being startled. Patchfur had been behind him at the time and was the only thing that had kept him from slipping to the damp floor. The feeling of teeth sinking into his scruff to balance him out had flooded him with more embarrassment then he had ever felt before. He thanks StarClan that no one could see his flushing face in the darkness.
Patchfur pads along beside him, Sparkpaw's whisking tail swaying back and forth in front of them. The ginger tail had brushed his nose a few times, causing him to let out a sneeze or two. Arrowheart felt himself keep on blinking. His eyes were determined to find light where there was none. To be honest it was making his head hurt and he was sure his companions felt the same.
"How much longer?" Patchfur asks Sparkpaw.
"I'm not sure. My dream only really showed me the tunnel, not how long it went or to where it leads out to." Sparkpaw responds.
"Let's be thankful that there haven't been any branches in the tunnel then. Otherwise we could get in a lot of trouble." Arrowheart told them. The possibility of getting lost down here did not appeal to him whatsoever.
"Actually....I think I see light up ahead." Sparkpaw said excitedly.
The small apprentice broke out into a sprint, leaving Arrowheart and Patchfur to dart along to catch up with her. Arrowheart wanted to yowl at her for being a mouse brain. The tunnel, while it didn't branch off did have a lot of twists and turns that made running aimlessly a very bad idea.
Nothing like running into a cold dirt wall. Arrowheart had been fortunate enough to not do that yet, but with the way Sparkpaw was running he figures it can't be to far off till he collides with something. Luckily there were no hairpin turns here and Sparkpaw turns out to be correct. A few moments later the three cats burst out of the tunnel and back into the light.
Arrowheart blinked rapidly to adjust to the new light he was being introduced to. He relished the feeling of grass underneath him now, he'd missed it after being in the dank tunnel for so long. The underground path had opened out into a small clearing. There was a few prickly thorn bushes blocking their view ahead.
"Thank StarClan we're out of that drab tunnel!" Patchfur exclaimed, flopping onto the tall grass. Arrowheart shared in his sentiment, flopping down beside the black and ginger tom to take in the fresh scent of the fauna around them.
"So...what now?" Sparkpaw asked from her spot right outside from the tunnel. "The dream only led me this far."
Arrowheart got back onto his paws, motioning for Patchfur to do the same. The warlock did so reluctantly, shaking the blades of grass out his pelt. The three of them had been traveling for several hours now so they were all pretty tired.
"Now we see what lies beyond these bushes. After that we can make camp for the night." Arrowheart told her.
He could tell that the WolfClan cats must've went beyond this point. The scent of fresh moor and sweet heather that the werecats had drifted beyond that of the bushes in front of them now. Arrowheart hopes that the missing Clan's scent would remain this poignant for the rest of the time they were tracking them. It'll make our job easier for sure.
With tired steps, the three went around the bushes. Arrowheart was glad that the thorn bushes were all clumped together and easy to move around. He'd been in three thorn bushes in all his life so far, and he didn't want a repeat of that terrible repeat of those terrible experiences. What they found on the other side surprised them all. Patchfur was the one to voice their shared surprise.
"WolfClan ran off to the Twoleg Place!" He exclaimed incredulously. The gigantic dens and fences loomed up in front of them now, WolfClan's scent mingling with the bright lights and honking of monsters in the distance.
*************
A/N: Yay! I managed to squeeze in an update while I'm traveling. Hope y'all enjoyed.