The Darkest Moons (Warrior Cats)

27. New Threats

     Scorchpaw listened to the sounds of night around him, enjoying the air as he padded through the forest. A few leaves, he noticed, were growing their leaves back already. He searched for the noise and scent of prey as he walked, but nothing crossed his path, all creatures tucked away for the night. He occasionally glanced at the half-moon that lit his path. Echopaw should be at the Moonpool by now. I hope it goes well. She had never told him much about her trips to the Moonpool, claiming that it was held in secret. I know they speak with StarClan.

He paused and studied the stars for a moment. She's probably pestering Clearwhisker. Or Clearwhisker is pestering her. The thought was bittersweet in his chest. She misses him so much, but at least she can talk to him tonight. He looked straight ahead and suppressed his newfound energy. Maybe Poppy will have something useful to pass on. He thought of the former fight by the FireClan border, and his mood wavered. He had paused in the fight when he saw her, and they both turned away. When a FireClan warrior named Bluenose attacked, he verbally defended the young rogue when the warrior grew especially savage. It wasn't right. Maybe I shouldn't have intervened, but Poppy was fresh-kill to Bluenose. She must have had a demanding mentor.

Scorchpaw quickened his pace. I hope Poppy's okay. It'd been four days. Are all of her scratches healed? She had received few enough injuries to retreat, but there was no doubt in Scorchpaw's mind that they would be of hindrance. As he crossed the border, an odd relief fell over him. I'll see her soon, if she could come. Plans had not been made, but a feeling nagged at him, and so he clung to it with as much positivity as he could muster. It had been a feeling of hope that pulled him out of his nest and to the darkness of the forest.

He sat down in their usual meeting place, settling and curling his tail around his paws. He glanced up at the trees, their bare limbs swaying in a breeze that did not reach low enough to touch the ground. Newleaf is coming, and we'll all have more to eat. Maybe the rogues will calm down if they can find adequate prey. He turned his head to at his side. Even in Leaf-bare, he wasn't the thinnest cat, still having enough to keep some of his weight. Even through his fur, he knew that his ribs were not at all poking against his skin. I hope Poppy's getting enough to eat. I should have caught something! He stood and looked around, but froze when the bushes rustled.

Poppy stepped out from them, shaking old bark from her fur. She looked tired, a long scar running along her cheek from Palepaw's claws, fur missing on her belly; but she managed a purr and sat before him. Slowly, she crouched, and she closed her eyes and yawned. "Hey."

"Er- You okay?" Scorchpaw questioned, looking down at her. She nodded.

"Just tired and lonely," she answered. "I'm sorry to be heavy. I'm just a bit down."

"I'm sorry," Scorchpaw mewed, moving beside her. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Poppy looked up at him with exhausted amber eyes and pushed herself up, standing and stretching. "No. It's just personal issues. I'm okay, really."

Scorchpaw narrowed his eyes at her and got to his paws, stepping towards her and touching her forehead his nose. "Just understand that you can talk to me. We're allies, right? Friends?"

Poppy ducked away and laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, friends." She shifted nervously as she sat down again. "I- uhm- I have information for you, if you want it."

Claws scratched at Scorchpaw's stomach, and he bobbed his head up and down. "You said a Clan was going to help the rogues. Have you found out which one?"

"It took a lot of questioning and proving myself, which is why I'm sort of tired." Poppy opened her jaws and released a loud yawn, her teeth clacking when she shut her mouth. "Fang made me beat up a kittypet. It was horrible. Some little white and black cat named Popcorn." She shuddered and dug her claws into the earth. "I'll fight a cat if I have to, but I don't like doing it without reason. Popcorn isn't too much older than me, I think. The whole group seems to harass he and his littermates."