Warriors: Frecklesky's Heart

[ 8 ]

Frecklesky slunk quietly through the marsh's tall grass. Numerous figures shifted around her, all but deadly shadows in the darkness of the night. Even Fallowstep, untrained in the ways of a warrior, could be invisible under the cover of darkness.

She was a ShadowClan cat, after all.

Frogs croaked and crickets sang, while bugs and moths flitted across the light of the full moon, which had already crested its peak. Larkstar led the patrol across their territory, patient regardless of their lateness. The Gathering could wait. And it would, lest the other Clan's wanted to face ShadowClan's ire.

A pungent odor filled Frecklesky's lungs as the cats neared the thunderpath. She was reminded of the kittypet and her smoky pelt, but the thought was quashed momentarily. A blinding golden glow rushed in from the horizon, and with a bellowing roar, a monster's gleaming body thundered past. Frecklesky's fur fluttered until the wind settled.

She followed her Clanmates into a ditch. The grass below was sodden with putrid water, soiled by the dirt of monsters. Another beast rolled loudly by, and Frecklesky flattened her ears against her skull as its noise thundered through the tunnel ahead.

Her Clanmates shuffled quietly ahead, and Frecklesky breathed shallowly as she pushed inside. The fumes of monsters and the stench of the shaft were overwhelmingly putrid, yet unavoidable.

Once she emerged, she sucked in a breath of air like she'd never breathed before, pausing for a moment before following her Clan as they continued on.

The marsh, as usual, was absent on the other side of the thunderpath. The grass was wilted underpaw, stricken by the dry green-leaf air. It didn't take long for them to emerge upon Fourtrees, the sight of the towering oaks beneath the round, full moon swept her breath away, as it always did.

Larkstar paused at the edge of the hollow behind a wall of underbrush. The rest of the three Clans were already settled, anxiously glancing from the moon towards the direction of ShadowClan territory.

The leader lifted her tail, and the Clan raced down into the Gathering-place. Frecklesky slipped easily down the slope alongside her Clanmates, finding herself among a small scattered group of WindClan cats while her sister joined the other medicine cats near the Great Rock, centered beneath a gap in the vast oak canopy.

One of the lithe WindClan cats, a light, curly-furred warrior, scrutinized her with contempt glittering in his amber eyes. "You reek," he snarled, wrinkling his pink nose.

Frecklesky snorted, her scruff bristling slightly as she gave the air a good whiff. "At least I don't smell of cow dung," she retorted hotly, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

The tom growled, his claws digging roughly into the earth. Frecklesky rolled her eyes and decided to pad along—she couldn't deal with WindClan's pettiness tonight.

On her way by, she made sure to give him a shove. A light, unnatural breeze flushed across her ear fur, and she barely ducked in time to dodge the slash of his claws.

Her green eyes were fiery as she turned to face the cat, her teeth drawn back in a snarl.

"Sheepfur!" One of the other WindClan cats, a scrawny gray she-cat, snapped. "Watch it, we don't want to cause problems this Gathering." Her eyes flitted nervously to Frecklesky, who towered menacingly above the two. "I'm sorry about him, he has a brain full of cotton."

"I do not!" Sheepfur hissed. "She—She looked at me funny!"

"No, she didn't." She glanced at Frecklesky one more time as she gently ushered her friend away, quarreling the entire time.

Frecklesky, now alone, settled down where she stood. Her eyes turned towards the Great Rock, where Larkstar was slowly meandering her way over, speaking in hushed tones to Heronwing as she went.

Eventually, she leaped upon the large boulder, joining the other three leaders.

"You're late again," Brightstar hissed mockingly, studying the ShadowClan leader through scrutinizing eyes.

Larkstar promptly ignored the black tom, lifting her tail and facing the crowd of felines. "Let the Gathering begin!"