Warriors: Frecklesky's Heart

[ 26 ]

"You should stay tonight," Fallowstep mewed softly, gently resting her tail on Frecklesky's side. Adderspring lay in a nest a few tail-lengths away, his breath labored in the dark.

Frecklesky shook her head. "I'm fine, Fallowstep, I promise. A few rats aren't going to take me down."

Fallowstep's eyes glistened with tears. "But the infection could."

Frecklesky rolled her shoulders. The infection from the rat bites had already died down, albeit it was sore. Fallowstep's worrying was unneeded. "Heronwing cleared me for duty just yesterday," she huffed. "You know I'm fine."

"I'm allowed to worry, aren't I?" Fallowstep bit back, her tail twitching. "You're the only kin I have left. I can't afford to lose you."

Frecklesky's nostrils flared as she rattled a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Same goes for you. I'll be careful, but I need to stretch my legs, okay?" She shot a glance over her shoulder as she slunk towards the den entrance. "Love you."

Fallowstep stared after her. "Love you too, sis."

Frecklesky slipped across the dark clearing and pushed out of camp, her tail dragging softly along the ground behind her.

"Going night hunting again?" Dewfrost sneered as she passed, his ugly yellow eyes sharpened to slits.

Frecklesky snorted. "Yeah. Real warriors hunt as often as they can, you know."

The tom withered under her remark, a growl rumbling in his chest. Frecklesky simply ignored him, padding along with her tail flicking across the earth behind her in display of her irritation.

She padded briskly across the territory with hopelessness dragging against her heavy pawsteps. It was surprisingly warm considering the leaf-bare weather from the last few nights, with the snow melted and the ground decorated in dewdrops as the gentlest of chilly breezes stirred her fur. The swamp was quiet, however, as it held its breath for the next snowstorm.

She found herself by their meeting place before long, clambering atop the smooth boulder where she turned her eyes towards the thunderpath. A few monsters whizzed noisily past, their strange metal teeth bared and unopened as they always were. Their glowing eyes swept across the area ahead of them, stretching in an arc-like shape across a short span of the marsh and forest.

She sighed longingly once the traffic dwindled to nearly nothing. She'd likely been sitting there for hours, deep into the night as stars winked sadly down at her. She glanced up. Were her ancestors lonely up there, like Rachel thought they'd be? She shook her head. I can't be thinking of such nonsense. I need to let go of this kittypet fluff.

Then, a black shape caught her attention, and all of the hopelessness that dragged her down swelled into anticipation as she strained her eyes as hard as she could, her ears pricked. The black shape scurried across the thunderpath, moving with the cautious grace Frecklesky had grown to love.

Dropping from the rock, Frecklesky raced forward at a sprint, a purr already pushing up to her throat. She slammed full force into the slim black figure, tackling Rachel to the ground and showering her in affectionate licks. The sweet smell of lavender cloaked her scent glands amidst the now faded musk of thunderpath.

"Oh, Rachel! Where have you been?" Frecklesky cried, surprising herself by the sudden flow of tears down her cheeks. "I've missed you so much."

Rachel blinked up at her in stunned silence, before she loosed a purr as well, leaning up to gently lap at Frecklesky's chin. "My housefolk don't like me being out in the snow," she explained, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm so happy to see you again, Frecklesky."

Frecklesky's body trembled as she stepped away. "Why couldn't you have warned me?" She whispered, hurt twinging her voice. "I thought... you'd been killed. Or hurt, or, or..."

"Hush," Rachel leaned forward and affectionately nuzzled Frecklesky's cheek. "I know you're upset. I've been upset, too. I didn't expect it to snow so soon... I thought we'd have longer." She swallowed uncomfortably, glancing over her shoulders to the forest beyond. "Could you come with me?"

Frecklesky opened her mouth to agree, but stopped herself, furrowing her brow in thought. "Where to?"

Rachel flicked her tail. "You'll see."

At that, the kittypet raced into the darkness.

Shaking out her pelt, Frecklesky hared after her, and they sprinted towards the thunderpath. Rachel glanced left and right, then bolted across with Frecklesky hard at her heels. The ShadowClan warrior's pelt prickled uncomfortably, but they'd yet to reach the scent line as they pushed into the woods.

"Can you climb?" Rachel tossed over her shoulder, her honey golden eyes glittering under the moonlight.

Frecklesky shook her head uncomfortably.

"No? Well, in an easy way to explain it, try pouncing. But up." Rachel flicked her tail and turned to face the tree. She gathered her haunches and leaped at it, bounding upwards in quick succession. She scrambled to the branch above, where she peered over the rim to stare at Frecklesky. "You try."

Frecklesky leaped at the tree and dug her claws into the bark, her arms trembling as slowly, she hauled herself up one step at a time. Eventually, she reached the branch Rachel was sitting upon, and the dark she-cat cast her a warm smile.

Nimbly, Rachel leaped from tree to tree, keeping her hind claws digging slightly into the branches. Frecklesky followed more carefully, clinging fiercely with each landing as the branches wobbled indignantly beneath her weight.

Eventually, the nighttime sounds of the forest faltered as they neared twolegplace. Rachel glanced back at Frecklesky and scrambled down from the trunk as the deciduous woods changed into the beautiful evergreen of pines and firs.

Frecklesky followed carefully, wincing as her legs lanced against the impact of her landing. ThunderClan scent overpowered her nostrils, and she kept an ear twisted over her shoulder as unease prickled at her spine.

"Are we there yet?" She muttered mindlessly, shaking small twigs from her thick pelt as she briskly followed the kittypet.

"Nearly," Rachel tossed over her shoulder, ducking below some brambles. Frecklesky wove around them, too tall to slip underneath.

The ThunderClan scent line greeted them, and they swept past it. Frecklesky relaxed marginally as they left enemy land, and she couldn't help but wonder what the consequences would be once one of their warriors caught her scent. Perhaps if it snowed again, her tracks would be washed away.

Rachel leaped onto a fence. Frecklesky grimaced and joined her, her ears pinned flat. Casually, the kittypet strolled along the fenceline, before turning left on a bend and following it into the twolegplace. Between two giant twoleg nests, she dropped from the fence and onto the ground. She glanced back at Frecklesky as the large warrior fell still.

"Come on," Rachel encouraged. "I need to show you something."

"Are you sure I'll be okay?" Frecklesky's head stooped.

"I promise. I won't let anything happen to you." Rachel fixed her honey yellow eyes to Frecklesky's, gleaming softly under the moonlight.

Sucking in a breath, Frecklesky dropped to the ground. "Okay. I trust you."

Rachel leaned forward and touched her nose gingerly to Frecklesky's cheek, before turning tail and trotting deeper into the twolegplace, leading the warrior further into the unknown than she'd ever gone before.