Flamepaw's Destination

Chapter 9

            Flamepaw awoke to feel Barkpaw rubbing against her. At first, she believed all that had occurred in the past day had been a dream. She opened her eyes, expecting to find herself in the abandoned RiverClan apprentice den, not a grassy meadow in the middle of the forest.
            She purred, feeling his fur brush hers. Everything had happened so fast. Barkpaw had felt the same way about her as she felt about him, and now, they had joined a traveling group of cats, believing that somehow they would be drawn to RiverClan.
            As Flamepaw's eyes adjusted to the morning light, she found Krait chatting eagerly with her mate while the large tom, Tigerstripe, paced around them slowly, as if he had more troubling issues on his mind.
            It seemed all of the cats were on a search for something. Flamepaw and Barkpaw were hoping that joining these cats would lead them to RiverClan, Krait and Dusty were searching for their kits, and Tigerstripe for some unknown cat.
            "Was I keeping everyone?" Flamepaw asked, feeling guilty.
            Barkpaw smiled warmly. "No. We all just woke up. Tigerstripe caught us some prey though," he explained, pushing a mouse toward her.
            "We can share," Flamepaw suggested.
            Barkpaw nodded, and together, the two nibbled on a mouse while Tigerstripe again and again asked Dusty about Jetfur with Krait nagging Dusty from the opposite side about their kits. Flamepaw couldn't help but chuckle a little, though she felt bad for Dusty, seeing as how these cats seemed to rely on him greatly.
            They hadn't spoken much to the cats the day before, probably because the whole thing had come as a shock toward them. Here Flamepaw had been expecting to search alone with Barkpaw for her clan, but now she had three older and stronger cats traveling with them. Having more company comforted her somewhat, reminding her of a clan almost.
            After breakfast, they began their journey again, Dusty leading the way.
            "So are we going toward Jetfur or not?" Tigerstripe asked.
            "I-I don't remember much about her or her whereabouts," Dusty admitted.
            "But you said—"
            "And what about our kits?" Krait added. "Shouldn't they be on our mind right now?"
            "Hey, it was you who agreed to come with me on a search for Jetfur," Tigerstripe growled to Krait.
            "Well, I believed my kits were still safely with my mate," she argued.
            Though they seemed angry with each other, it was all playful, and it seemed the two got along better than they seemed. They must've been traveling for some time before stumbling into the RiverClan camp.
            Flamepaw and Barkpaw remained silent as they trotted with the group of cats, watching as Dusty occasionally glanced around and sniffed the air. She wondered if he even had a clue of where he was going. He seemed as lost as Flamepaw and Barkpaw were detecting RiverClan scents.
            "So you're from that fishy clan, eh?" Krait interrupted, turning her gaze to Flamepaw and Barkpaw.
            "Well, she is," Barkpaw said.
            "Not so fast," Flamepaw teased. "You're a member of the clan too."
            ""Where's he from?" Krait asked, pointing to Barkpaw.
            "LightningClan," Barkpaw explained.
            "I'm a native RiverClan warrior," Flamepaw added.
            "Clan cats," Krait muttered. "All the same if you ask me."
            "Hey!" Tigerstripe growled.
            "Kidding, kidding," Krait replied, chuckling quietly. Despite the fact her kits were missing, she seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps she believed they were doing fine on her own. Then again, Flamepaw wasn't sure how old her kits actually were and was too scared to bring up the subject.
            "So your clan went missing?" Dusty asked from up ahead.
            "Basically," Flamepaw replied.
            "How did you not disappear with them?" Krait wondered.
            She and Barkpaw both glanced away, embarassed.
            "We went on a moonlit walk at night in secret and accidentally fell asleep in the forest," Flamepaw explained.
            "And when we returned, the clan had vanished," Barkpaw finished.
            "Better than my clan's falling apart," Tigerstripe muttered.
            Flamepaw eyed him with curiosity. She knew Tigerstripe was a warrior of some clan, but she was too frightened to ask what clan he'd come from. He towered over both Barkpaw and Tigerstripe, his giant muscles flexing with each step. A few pale scars covered his legs, most likely from combat. Flamepaw wondered where he'd gotten them from.
            "We're hoping to gather some information about them or maybe find them by joining you," Flamepaw explained.
            "Well, let's hope so," Krait replied, grinning.
            "Who's the cat you're looking for again, Tigerstripe?" Barkpaw asked.
            Flamepaw glanced at Barkpaw, wondering how he could talk to the tom so easily. Tigerstripe seemed so intimidating to Flamepaw. The words they exchanged were short and carried no meaning.
            "Jetfur," he said. "You haven't seen a she-cat with a jet black pelt, have you?"
            Barkpaw shook his head.
            Tigerstripe sighed.
            Perhaps he isn't so tough after all, Flamepaw wondered. After all, he seems very concerned about finding this she-cat.
            "Who is she? Your mate?" Barkpaw asked.
            Flamepaw immediately watched Tigerstripe blush incredibly.
            "What-I-no!" he shouted. "She's just a clanmate. We were traveling together when we got separated by a storm."
            "Oh, my apologies," Barkpaw replied.
            Still, Flamepaw eyed Tigerstripe with suspicion. She knew it was none of her business, but she had a feeling Tigerstripe might have regarded Jetfur in a different way other than friendship. The way he had reacted to Barkpaw's comment surely confirmed that.
            The conversation fell rather short after that, and they continued on their way in the unknown forest, Flamepaw keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of movement or for any familiar RiverClan scents. There was no mistaking the salty scent that rose from RiverClan cats.
            Of course, she'd been told this many times already. Krait seemed to comment on it every hour, stating, "What reeks of fish?" before turning around and realizing it to be Barkpaw and Flamepaw. At first, Flamepaw believed she was serious in not knowing that it was Barkpaw and herself giving off the odor, but after awhile, Flamepaw saw it was only a joke.
            Flamepaw seemed to like Krait the most out of the bunch. Though she had witnessed Krait's breakdown only a day before, Krait was stubborn, witty, and overall, likeable. She helped to lighten the mood a bit despite her own struggles she was dealing with.
            When they stopped to hunt for a bit, Flamepaw scoured the ground for any type of prey, be it a bird or rabbit. Krait, meanwhile, came over to her side.
            "Need some fish?" she asked.
            "Sure would be nice," Flamepaw replied, dreamily imagining herself biting into a salty and delectable fish. It was a RiverClan cat's main diet, but was she really a RiverClan cat anymore? Her clan was gone, meaning she needed to adapt to other cat ways. It seemed Tigerstripe had adjusted to a life was a rogue, or whatever Krait and Dusty were. They surely weren't kittypets.
            "I don't understand your obsession with that salty substance," Krait murmured.
            "I don't either," Barkpaw replied, sparking a laugh from Krait.
            "Hey, I thought you liked it!" Flamepaw argued.
            "Well, not as much as you RiverClan cats do. I don't understand how you can gulp down a fish every day. I get tired of the taste after awhile," Barkpaw admitted.
            "Well, I'm sorry our eating habits aren't up to par," Flamepaw joked.
            By the end of their hunting session, they were all full and satisfied, Flamepaw and Barkpaw splitting a squirrel that Flamepaw had just managed to catch at the last second. She had nearly missed it if she hadn't grabbed its tail with her claws in time.
            After their meal, they continued on through the forest for the remainder of the day, occasionally sharing stories and chatting quietly among each other. Dusty continued leading the way, though Flamepaw was certain as the day passed that he had no idea where he was going and was simply leading them randomly through the forest. Perhaps she was wrong though and had misjudged the gray tom.
            When it did finally become time for the cats to settle down as the sunlight was beginning to vanish, the cats searched for some type of shelter before finding a small cave close to some nearby trees. After a close inspection to make sure no animal was occupying the cave, all five cats curled up inside, Flamepaw curling up right alongside Barkpaw. She pressed her face against his warm fur and purred, Barkpaw purring back. Warm and exhausted from a long day of traveling, Flamepaw soon found herself fast asleep with Barkpaw by her side.