☁ 𝒜𝓈 𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹𝓈 𝒞𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓀𝓎 ☁

Chapter 30

𝒯𝒾𝓃𝓎

~ ✵ ☁ ✵ ~

It didn't take long to follow the mysterious sparrow feathers and reach the land that looked familiar to Keenpaw. Trees towered above Tiny as she walked alongside her brother and they were surrounded by rolling hills. It was breathtaking out here. All her life she had always thought the flower hills the Clanless Clowder lived in were the most beautiful landscape she'd ever find. But now, those didn't nearly compare to what she was seeing. Not far off, she spotted a waterfall, followed by a winding river that shimmered as the sunlight reflected off of its surface.

"This has to be it!" Keenpaw meowed. "Now we just have to find Bounce." But before they could continue walking to search for the missing tom, a low, throaty growl sounded from behind them. It was so sudden, it startled Tiny and both she and her brother spun around. It was a fox, Tiny could smell it now and see the ghostly yellow eyes peering back at her with seething menace. Its teeth were bared and it slunk out of its hiding place within a thicket of ferns. Quivering in fear, Tiny backed away, ducking her head submissively. But Keenpaw didn't seem to give up so easily. The apprentice lunged at the predator, pinning it to the ground almost instantly. But the fox wasn't going to do down without a fight. Tiny watched as it twisted to clamp its strong jaws around the silver tom's forepaw.

Keenpaw let out a frustrated hiss, shaking his paw free and flinging small spatters of crimson blood onto the lush grass. While Keenpaw was temporarily distracted, the russet-furred animal had freed itself from the grasp the apprentice had on it and now it was lunging toward him.

They both collided and were sent tumbling into the undergrowth of the meadow.

That was when a flash of black and white fur flew past Tiny, tearing at Keenpaw's attacker and opening fresh wounds on its flank. It let out a cry of pain, snapping at its new enemy. But its jaws only caught empty air as it was swiftly pinned to the ground.

Within a quick moment, it was dead, its neck snapped like a twig and its lifeless body slumped on the grass.

Tiny met the new cat's gaze, a warm golden-amber color. "Sorry about that. Foxes are a common occurrence here." He helped Keenpaw, who was still lying on the ground and catching his breath, to his paws. There was a deep cut on his forepaw as well as a gash on his side and some torn patches of fur here and there, but nothing too serious. "The name's Bounce. How can I help you?"

Both Tiny's and Keenpaw's eyes grew wide. "You're Bounce?" Asked her brother.

"Yes, last I checked that is my name." Bounce replied.

"We've been searching for you! We come from the clans." Explained Keenpaw. But that clearly wasn't the right thing to say. Tiny could tell by the way he narrowed his eyes, looking skeptically at the apprentice before him. "I'm Keenpaw, and that's my sister, Tiny." He pointed his tail in her direction before continuing. "She was chosen as a successor for the Clanless Clowder, but without you, she can't receive her immortality alongside the other apprentices."

Bounce let out a sigh and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't help you." He spoke. "I had kits with my mate moons back and as soon as they were born, I was stripped of my immortality."

Tiny's heart dropped, her bottom jaw along with it. "But... if you didn't pass it on to any cat, where has it gone?" She asked.

Bounce shrugged in reply. "Who knows?" So that was it. They had traveled there for nothing.

"I... guess we'll be going then," Keenpaw murmured halfheartedly.

"Wait. Before you go, could you pass on a message for me?" The tom asked, his amber eyes pleading. "I just want Grass and the others to know that I truly am sorry for what I did." His ears drooped, and Tiny could tell he really meant it. In that very moment, behind all of his confidence, she could clearly see all of the guilt and shame he felt.

Tiny nodded. "Of course." And with that, they parted their own separate ways.

✵☁✵

About a day had passed and they finally reached the flower hills where the Clanless Clowder's camp was located. The sky was gray, covered in clouds and there was a light drizzle of rain as they padded on. For the most part during the trip back, the two of them were silent, only exchanging a small conversation here and there. Tiny didn't know about Keenpaw, but she felt hopeless. For just a moment when they had finally found Bounce, she felt like maybe she belonged to the Clanless Clowder after all. But now that she couldn't gain her immortality, after all, that small spark of hope had been extinguished once again.

"Tiny? Where have you been?" A voice suddenly came from the distance. She squinted through the thick undergrowth and vibrant colors of the various flowers around her. There, standing in utter shock, was Fox, and behind her sat the other three clowder apprentices.

"Oh, Tiny! It's so good to see you!" Flint purred, bounding forward to greet her and Keenpaw. "We were worried you'd run away for good!"

"Yeah, where did you go?" Badger asked, giving her a rather suspicious glare.

"We were willing to do what your mentors were too afraid to," Keenpaw hissed, stepping in front of his sister and blocking her from the others. "We found Bounce and got the answers we wanted."

"Bounce?" Inquired Feather, looking unconvinced. "How did you even know where he was?"

"SpiritClan led us." Answered Tiny. "They've been visiting Keenpaw in his dreams."

Fox eyed Keenpaw up and down. "This tom? And they didn't care to send you any dreams or visions?" She asked, looking back at Tiny. "It's very rare for any other cat to receive anything from SpiritClan besides us, especially if it happens more than once."

Keenpaw stiffened at that.

Immediately, the image of Lynx came back to her. According to Mumble and Grass, they got a slight tingling sensation in their paws once they touched their apprentice in any way and that was how they knew what kit would be suitable for the position. But Lynx wasn't a true member.

Tiny felt her lower jaw drop as she met Keenpaw's gaze. She really wasn't the special cat who was meant to be chosen for an important destiny. She wasn't the one receiving signs from her ancestors. She wasn't supposed to be apprenticed to Lynx at all.

The entire time the true clowder apprentice was meant to be Keenpaw. And she didn't realize until now.