A Misty Path (A Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Chapter 27

"Where are we going?" Mistflower's ears flattened, looking around cautiously. Her paws padded swiftly along the edge of the Thunderpath, the hard black Twoleg monster path that separated ThunderClan and ShadowClan. "Are we almost there yet?"

"Yes, it's just past that tree." Cinder nodded at a tree near the edge of the Thunderpath, past the ThunderClan territory. Mistflower recognised the tall wall of a Twoleg's den behind the oak.

She bristled. "In the Twolegplace?"

Cinder flicked his ear, unconcerned. "Oh, it's fine. We're not going into the den." He sniffed at the bushes encircling the Twoleg den fence. He scraped his paw on a hole under one of the bushes, almost invisible, hidden behind the thick green leaves of the brush. "Down here." The dark tomcat squeezed his grey body through the hole, sliding past the bush and down the small den entry as if he were made of water. Mistflower hesitated over the hole, gazing downwards doubtfully. Do I really trust this rogue? She glanced back nervously. The Clan is probably wondering where I am. I should get back.

"Hey! You coming?" Cinder called from the hole.

This could be an ambush. I don't know what's waiting for me down there. Mistflower shook her head. Cinder had saved her entire Clan. Killing her wouldn't benefit him. She sighed, gazing at the empty Thunderpath. I'll be quick. She crouched down and pushed herself down under the bush. Moons ago, she doubted she'd be able to fit, being quite a bit larger than Cinder. However, due to RiverClan's exile, it was rare to find and catch enough prey to feed a whole Clan and, being a warrior, it was not often that Mistflower got enough food. She was thinner, her thick silver coat dragging on her skinny bones, her ribs showing below her, her once-muscular body saggy and starved. Her pelt tugged at little bush twigs and her paws were poked by small rocks in the dirt, but she gritted her teeth, unsheathing her claws and digging them into the dirt to pull her through. She suddenly dropped downwards, landing on a moss bed. Mistflower's ears pricked as she took in her new surroundings.

She was in a small cave below the ground. Three moss beds, one being the bed she landed in, were laid out on the ground. A clump of wet moss was in the corner and a half-eaten vole lay beside it. There were other cats in the den with her: a pretty young golden she-cat and a slim dark-pelted tom crouched in another moss bed facing the wall. "Aww, you got dirt all over it!" Cinder strode over to Mistflower, gazing down at the moss in mock irritation.

"Where am I?" Cinder asked.

Cinder twitched his tail. "This is where we live." He waved his tail at the other cats in the den.

"Hey, Cinder! You're back, huh?" The golden tortoiseshell she-cat padded over and frowned at Mistflower, crouched awkwardly in the moss bed. "Who's that?"

"This is one of the river Clan cats. Mistflower. You remember her? She was there during the fire a few moons ago."

The she-cat, who looked vaguely familiar to Mistflower, blinked at her, green eyes curious. "Oh - yeah, I think I recognise her. What's she doing here?"

Cinder flicked his ear. "Don't worry about it. Hey! Wilt!"

The old saggy tomcat's ears, long and scarred, pricked and turned his head slowly. His eyes were watery and tired, and his pelt was ragged and drooped. He was older than any of the elders in RiverClan, and Mistflower wondered if there was a cat in the Clans who was around when he was. "Cinder. You're back." The tomcat, Wilt, squinted at Mistflower.

The golden she-cat fetched a bundle of dripping-wet moss for Wilt, who was now crouching in front of Mistflower. "How are you feeling today, Wilt?" Cinder asked gently, sitting beside the elderly tom.