Flamepaw's Destination

Chapter 8

            Flamepaw awoke on the day of the seventh sunrise with a mixture of emotions. She was anxious, worried, relieved, confused all at the same time. She wanted RiverClan to return today, but a part of her wanted them to not return so that they could begin their search. But then she thought of where they'd start to look, and a whole new sense of emotions would fill her.
            The morning was quiet as she and Barkpaw split what would be their last mouse. Flamepaw couldn't hold his gaze as she ate, perhaps because of the truth she was dying to tell him, or perhaps because it was just too complicated to speak today.
            As soon as the mouse had been licked clean, both of them sat in silence for a few moments before Barkpaw eventually rose.
            "Should we go on a patrol?" he suggested.
            Flamepaw nodded, and with her legs shaking, she got to her feet. Before Barkpaw could advance a step, however, she fell back down, heavy sobs seizing her body.
            Barkpaw jumped in surprise and rushed to her side.
            "Sh, sh, it's okay," he told her, patting her with his striped tail. "We'll figure it out, we'll figure it out," he kept repeating.
            Flamepaw shook her head, and with no thought at all, she blurted out, "I love you."
            Barkpaw froze and took his tail away, his eyes widened with shock.
            "Oh, no, I'm sorry!" she sobbed, turning away. "It's not the right time, but I—"
            "I love you, too," was his response.
            Flamepaw froze. "What?"
            Barkpaw nodded, a genuine look of affection glimmering in his emerald eyes.
            "I've loved you for a while, and I was beginning to doubt if you had any feelings for me. I just assumed you thought of me as a friend, and that was all you'd think of me as," Barkpaw confessed.
            "Oh, no, Barkpaw, that's not true. I'm sure you've loved me longer, but the feeling has been growing for a while. It was only when the clan left that I realized it for sure," Flamepaw continued. She rose now, her legs strong enough to stand. "I know this isn't the most appropriate time, but I just thought...if anything happens..."
            "Nothing will," Barkpaw assured her. "And you're right, the timing isn't right, and that's a bit unfair, but I know you have my support and I have yours as we look for the clan together. And maybe—maybe if we find them—we can become mates and raise a family."
            "Woah, getting far ahead there," Flamepaw shouted, laughing a little. She shoved him lightly, then melted as he nuzzled her affectionately.
            "We'll get through this together," he promised her.
            Flamepaw nodded, not wanting to pull away from him.
            "Shall we go on patrol?" Barkpaw asked.
            "Don't really see the point, but sure," Flamepaw agreed, padding into the RiverClan forest with her lover by her side.
            A sense of relief flooded over her now that she had confessed her feelings for Barkpaw. His response had filled her with happiness and hope, maybe enough hope to make her look forward to the patrol. Perhaps they would find something that would lead them to RiverClan.
            "Anything?" Flamepaw asked as Barkpaw sniffed the air.
            "No," he murmured, then paused. "Well, it's something. There's something unfamiliar, but it's faint."
            "Let's head by the river," Flamepaw suggested.
            Barkpaw nodded, and as they approached the river, Flamepaw could now detect the scent Barkpaw had mentioned earlier. It was odd, and certainly no RiverClan scent. In fact, it didn't smell like any clan cat at all. Perhaps it wasn't even a cat!
            Still, excitement flooded Flamepaw's veins as she thought of the possibilities. Maybe whoever this unknown being was would be able to help them find their clan.
            As they approached the river, Barkpaw froze.
            "What is it?" Flamepaw asked, stopping in her tracks.
            "Can't you hear that?" Barkpaw asked.
            Flamepaw fell quiet, beginning to pick up chatter coming from the river. As she and Barkpaw crept closer, the shape of two figures appeared. One was a large brown striped tabby tom with a small Siamese she-cat beside him.
            Flamepaw watched as the she-cat scooped up a fish and bit into it. The tom only watched.
            Anger filled Flamepaw. She knew the clan was technically empty, but these cats were fishing in their territory.
            "We should introduce ourselves," Barkpaw suggested.
            "What?! Why?!" Flamepaw demanded. "They came into our territory and took our food."
            "They may help us find RiverClan," he reminded her.
            Flamepaw sighed, and slowly, they approached the two unknown cats whose scents reeked of different forests and lands.
            "Um, hello," Flamepaw spoke up.
            The Siamese spun around, startled. "Who are you?!"
            "The question is, who are you?" Flamepaw asked, a bit annoyed.
            "I'm Tigerstripe," the tom said in a deep, masculine voice that nearly frightened Flamepaw. He looked like he could easily slit both Barkpaw and Flamepaw's throats.
            "Have you seen a jet black she-cat?" Tigerstripe asked randomly.
            "Uh, no," Barkpaw replied. "Who's your friend, Tigerstripe?"
            "This is Krait," Tigerstripe said, pointing his bushy tail to the she-cat.
            "Have you perhaps seen a clan nearby?" Flamepaw asked. "RiverClan, to be exact?"
            "I thought this camp was abandoned," Krait spoke, staring around the territory. "Where are your clanmates? Do you live here? Do you eat this fishy stuff?" she asked, gesturing to the dead fish at her paws.
            "Do you think I would be asking you if I knew?" Flamepaw growled.
            Before any one could reply, a rustle came from the bushes. The fish Krait had caught must have let off a strong scent, for a large fox came out of the bushes and bristled.
            "Uh..." Krait began backing away.
            "Give the fish to the fox, Krait," Tigerstripe spoke quietly. "Do you remember last time?"
            "What are you talking about?" Flamepaw asked Tigerstripe.
            "Long story," he murmured.
            Krait quickly knocked the fish towards the fox, but her aim was weak, and it ended up slapping the fox in the face. The fox growled and immediately charged at Krait, leaving the fish behind. The she-cat swiftly moved to the side, but the fox continued following her.
            Flamepaw stood, confused, as Tigerstripe did nothing.
            "That's a sure smart she-cat you're traveling with," Barkpaw remarked, laughing as the fox and Krait continued to run in circles.
            "Aren't you going after her?" Flamepaw asked Tigerstripe, concerned.
            Tigerstripe shook his head. "Not unless she needs help."
            Krait began running around in circles, confusing the fox. When she had her chance, she lunged onto the fox's back but missed, landing on the other side of the fox. The fox growled and pinned Krait to the ground. Flamepaw watched as Tigerstripe tensed beside her, ready to take action.
            Before the attacker could cause any harm, however, something pulled at its tail. The fox yelped in surprise and released its grip on Krait.
            "Hey! Don't you ever harm her!" came a shout. Flamepaw turned, noticing a gray tom cat. She watched as Krait's eyes widened in surprise, as if she'd seen a ghost.
            The tom and the fox began to chase each other in circles as Krait had done before. When the tom had his chance, however,  he lashed out at the fox, his claws snagging onto the fox's muzzle. He let go, blood drizzling from the muzzle. The fox, tired from fighting, let out one last whimper and fled, leaving the fish behind.
            "Who are you?" Tigerstripe asked, rushing to the tom. "And have you seen a jet black she-cat?"
            "Do you say that to every cat?" Barkpaw asked. Flamepaw nudged him lightly, trying to tell him to shut up.
            "DUSTY!" Krait shouted, rushing toward the tom. She nuzzled him affectionately, then continued her excited chatter. "How are the kits? Are they well? Do they miss me?"
            "Dusty? Who's that?" Barkpaw whispered to Flamepaw. Flamepaw kept quiet and continued to watch the scene unfold.
            "I-I thought you were dead!" Dusty exclaimed.
            Krait chuckled. "Do I look dead?" She licked his cheek and smiled. "Is Mouse being nice to her sister? Is Nessie eating the whole vole instead of just half? How are they? How are they? How are they?"
            Flamepaw watched as Dusty became a bit awkward and began to shuffle his paws.
            "Uh, the kits...Yes, the kits...Uh..." He paused for a few moments, then glanced back into Krait's eyes. "I don't know where they are."
            Krait froze, her excitement quickly fading. "You. Lost. The. KITS?!" She then giggled, looking back at Dusty. "You're kidding, right?"
            Dusty shuffled his paws once more and shook his head.
            "YOU LOST OUR KITS?!"
            "Can someone explain what's going on?!" Tigerstripe hissed, almost as confused as Flamepaw and Barkpaw.
            Dusty looked past Krait at Tigerstripe. "Who's that?" he wondered.
            "Oh, that's Tigerstripe. Tigerstripe, Dusty, my mate. Dusty, Tigerstripe, some cat trying to find another cat. There. Now that we're acquainted, where are the kits?!"
            Flamepaw watched as Tigerstripe flinched. He must've never seen the she-cat like this before.
            Dusty still shuffled uncomfortably for a little while. "I had them for a little while and then one sunrise, they weren't there."
            Krait fluffed up, clearly enraged. "YOU LOST MY KITS! MY ONLY KITS! HOW COULD YOU?!"
            She shook Dusty vigorously, screeching, "HOW COULD YOU?!"
            Dusty was frozen in place. "I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault!"
            "You better run, Dusty," Barkpaw snickered. Flamepaw hit the tom once again.
            Krait stared at him in anger as he lowered his head. After a few minutes, Flamepaw watched her muscles relax, and she sighed, saying, "No, it's all right...I will find them."
            "What about Jetfur?" Tigerstripe asked, annoyed.
            Flamepaw had never been so confused. Now another cat had been thrown into the pile of names.
            "Did you say Jetfur?" Dusty asked. "Are you that cat who's looking for her?"
            "Yes! Where is she?" Tigerstripe asked anxiously.
            "Um, I might have an idea about where the kits are," Dusty suggested to Krait.
            "Lead the way," Krait announced.
            "But what about Jetfur?" Tigerstripe wondered.
            The tom began to move, and Tigerstripe followed behind. Unsure what to do, Flamepaw and Barkpaw ran up with them.
            The tom paused in his tracks. "This is kind of a long way," he explained.
            Krait shrugged. "We've been traveling so long we don't care if it's another long trip. I'm sure we'll all arrive at the same destination one way or another."
            She then turned to Flamepaw and Barkpaw. "You coming?" she asked.
            Flamepaw stared at Barkpaw in shock.
            "What should we do?" she whispered.
            "It's not an immediate answer, but these cats are traveling through the forest. Perhaps we'll run into some clanmate or hear about the clan one the way," Barkpaw explained.
            Flamepaw sighed, not sure what to do. But these cats couldn't have just appeared coincidentally. Perhaps her prayers to StarClan had been answered.
            "We'll come!" Barkpaw announced.
            "Please, just show us Jetfur," Tigerstripe whimpered.
            And so, Flamepaw and Barkpaw headed off with the new group of cats, hoping and praying that somehow it would lead them to RiverClan.