The Darkest Moons (Warrior Cats)

35. Actions Of Rogues

Echopaw silently swallowed the rest of her prey and pushed the remains to the side, looking to her brother who crouched by her, pressed against her side. It was moments like these that made life worth living, when she kept in quiet comfort and watched her Clanmates. Nothing could make up for the pain she had felt in the past days, the loss of Tinypetal wearing her down, but she focused on those around her.

"Keep your thoughts on the living. It makes things a lot easier," Cobweb had said. He was keeping to the medicine den, hardly leaving, always staying nearby. It was as if he was cursed to haunt her and her den — to stay close by. She knew this wan't true, but the idea still pulled her down. He continued to advise her, teaching her what he could and offering comfort. He was her mentor now, and nothing would change that.

"Ashtail, Tidefoot, and Yellowfoot, I want you to hunt along the outer border. Refresh any scent marks that need it," Shadowclaw ordered. "Miststep, take Scorchpaw and Redwing to the WaterClan border. Actually, include Rosepetal."

Rosepetal, who sat nearby, looked to Shadowclaw. "I- I'm not feeling too well."

"Then Birchtail will go." Shadowclaw turned away and stalked off, leaving Rosepetal and Birchtail, who still wasn't accustomed to being in DarkClan, looking awkward.

Rosepetal should talk to me if she's not feeling good. Echopaw stood and padded towards the she-cat. "Are you okay?"

Rosepetal looked startled, and she dipped her head quickly. "Yeah. I'm fine." She hurried to get away, going to Stormstripe to talk with him. Echopaw felt awkward in the center of camp. A coldness fell over her, and she looked behind her. Cobweb had come out of the den and now stood behind her.

"We're out of dock leaves. You used the last of them-"

"On Patchback's sore paws. Anything else?" She asked in a whisper. It wasn't uncommon for Patchback to wander the territory now, trying to ward of boredom.

"We don't have any fennel, and Sandfoot was complaining earlier about soreness in his hips." Cobweb sat and curled his tail about his paws.

Echopaw gave a small nod. "Then I'll go and get it some. Can you stay here?"

Cobweb dipped his head and started back towards the medicine den. Echopaw gave her pelt a shake and padded towards the tunnel, ignoring the hunting patrol that walked ahead of her. She had more important things to worry about than her Clanmates eking to socialize, simply blinking in acknowledgment at Ashtail and Tidefoot as they began to make conversation. She branched away, heading straight into the forest. While they would be hunting all along the border, simultaneously feeding their Clan and checking for scents, she could cut through the woods and make her way directly towards her destination.

There was a small patch of fennel that Clearwhisker had told her of when her apprenticeship began, just on a knoll by the river, close to the border. The border ended there, but it was hardly patrolled. I won't be passing it anyways. I'll stay on my side. She had never been there, as Leaf-bare had hit before then, but she knew what fennel looked and smelled like. I'll find some dock on the way back.

The walk was uneventful. Birds sang loudly, and Echopaw could hear the scuttles of mice and squirrels. Newleaf was lively, and her spirits where ever so slightly lifted. She climbed up the small hill, emerging from the trees and standing just by the border. She looked out over the river, watching it as it flowed gently. The water sparkled in the light, and she felt relaxed here, as if nothing could happen. After eyeing the pines across the river, she searched for the fennel, pushing through some grass and purring st the sight of the plants. Carefully, she nipped the stems and gathered what she wanted, leaving some for another time, and she looked through the grass and across the other, outermost border.