☁ 𝒜𝓈 𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹𝓈 𝒞𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓀𝓎 ☁

Chapter 24

𝒯𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓁

~ ✵ ☁ ✵ ~

Twitchtail nosed the shrubbery, trying to find the origin of the scent. From behind her, she could hear Reedrunner call out to her.

"What are you looking for? Do you see something?" He asked, licking his jaws hungrily. "Maybe a rabbit's burrow?"

"Pfft, you wish." She called back to him. "I think I smell some wintergreen."

Twitchtail heard him sigh. "I'll never understand how you can tolerate all of those tangy scents. And how do you even differentiate them all?" He asked.

With no luck in finding the desired berries, she looked back toward her brother and shrugged. "How do you differentiate prey scents?" She asked, shaking herself to dislodge any bracken that got caught in her fur. "Just as prey have a unique scent to them, herbs also have different smells. And you just have to memorize what type of injuries or sicknesses they can heal."

"I mean, if you enjoy that sort of thing, then I support you. But I'm happy hunting and patrolling instead." Reedrunner said.

"And I support you as well!" She replied. "You make an excellent hunter after all." She mewed, continuing her search for herbs.

"Well, maybe I could help you search? What do they look like?" He asked.

"Depends on the herb." She replied with an apologetic glance back at her brother. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I can find them just fine by myself. And besides," she added, noticing the disappointment that began to glisten in Reedrunner's silver-blue eyes. "you have prey to look for."

"I know, I know, but the whole reason I was sent here was to make sure you would be safe." He said with another sigh. "I'll always get opportunities to hunt though. I'm just glad I can get a chance to spend some time with you. I feel like ever since we were apprenticed, we've been busy with our duties."

"That's because we have been. But I'm glad I can finally get a good chance to take a break and finally chat." She admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed. What would Oddblaze think if she heard her say that? Anyways, she was supposed to be out looking for local herbs to get them by before they had a chance to venture the Clanless Clowder's hills. She wasn't supposed to waste her time goofing off with Reedrunner, no matter how much fun it sounded compared to her healing duties. "How is it finally being a full-fledged warrior?" She asked, spotting a blackberry bush nearby.

"I can still hardly believe it." He said with a chuckle. "But it's going well. I feel so free now that Tigernose isn't watching my every move like some sort of hawk." He shuddered dramatically. "How is it now that you're a full healer?"

"It feels the same, to be honest," she answered, "minus the annoying apprentice duties and everything." But she didn't add that she actually preferred it that way. She didn't trust herself to do everything without Oddblaze there to assist her. What am I going to do once he's gone? She quickly shook the thought out of her mind. That would be moons away. She would still have a lot of time with him, or at least she hoped that was true.

Reedrunner stiffened suddenly, his head raised and his ears shoved forward, alert. Twitchtail followed his gaze toward the clearing that lay just a few paces ahead of them. "Squirrel!" He whispered in a shouty-excited way that made him look like a goofy mouse-brain. Reedrunner licked his jaws and softly made his way toward the prey, lowering himself into a hunting position.

Twitchtail watched in interest. The idea of hunting did excite her, but she was meant to be searching for herbs and she stayed back, knowing Oddblaze would be disappointed if she brought back prey instead of herbs.

With a sigh, she continued to gather blackberry leaves from the bush, listening as the squirrel let out a shriek that was cut off abruptly, letting her know that the catch was successful.

Once she had acquired several blackberry leaves that satisfied her, she turned to join her brother. His silver-blue eyes were shining with pride as Twitchtail met up with him. Her mouth watered even though the strong scent of the herbs in her jaws overpowered any other smell.

"Nice catch!" She was able to mutter around the mouthful of leaves in her jaws.

"Thanks!" He replied, puffing out his chest. All of a sudden, an odd shouting-like noise split the air. Both cats' heads snapped towards the sound and Twitchtail's heart thundered inside her chest. Twolegs! The thought struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her paws felt like they were frozen to the ground and she stuck straight out behind her with the fur along her spine bristling.

Reedrunner stepped in front of his sister protectively as the tall figures of twolegs stomped toward them with heavy clunking pawsteps. Once they spotted the cats, they immediately reached toward them with outstretched paws.

The sandy-colored tom let out a hiss of warning and dodged the incoming paw. But the new warrior was too slow and within an instant, the twoleg caught his scruff in its long claws and stuffed him into a cramped den made of hard, silver mesh.

"Reedrunner!" She called, panicking.

"Go, Twitchtail! Get to safety and tell Burningstar what happened!" He called out to her as the other twoleg reached for her. She leaped out of the way, running as fast as her paws would take her. "Everything will be okay! I promise you that!" And that was the last thing she heard from her brother before she fled to safety.

And just like that, both he and the twoleg were gone.

"Burningstar!" She cried, her voice echoing off the stone walls of the cave once she entered FlameClan's camp. "It's the twolegs! They took Reedrunner!" Many of her clanmates had turned their attention to the healer, their gazes a mix of shock, confusion, and worry.

Burningstar strode out of the leader's cave, looking angry. "Those SpiritClan-cursed twolegs!" She growled. But her anger didn't last for long. She let out a sigh before mewing, "I knew this time would come eventually. Cats of FlameClan!" She commanded with a summoning yowl. "I'm afraid it is time we must move on and find territory elsewhere. The twolegs have taken one of our finest warriors, and I cannot risk losing any others."

Twitchtail looked on at her leader in complete shock and disbelief. Thornflame joined her daughter where she stood before her leader. "But what about Reedrunner? I've already lost my brother. I can't lose my son as well."

Burningstar's gaze softened and she let out a sigh as she gazed at the two she-cats. "I'm sorry, but we can't do anything. It's too risky."

Oddblaze stepped forward as well and chimed in. "We can't just simply leave a warrior in need."

"And I can't simply risk all of our other warriors." Came her reply.

So, that was it. Their territory was being left behind in an instant.

And Reedrunner along with it.