The Darkest Moons (Warrior Cats)

62. Past and Present

     Slowly, the sun rose, peeking over the horizon. The dew would dry soon, and the world would awaken. A fog rose over the forest, light breaking through in spots here and there. A murder of crows flocked to the trees when a monster crossed the thunderpath, abandoning their meal of squirrel. 

     Palemist watched everything from the edge of a ditch. He strained his ears, searching for forest sounds, but found nothing. Only the squalor of the twolegplace reached him. He tilted his ears back when he heard a soft crunch as gravel scraped against dirt. "Hey," he mewed.

     "You alright?" Mellow asked, sitting beside him, tilting his head. "In one of your funks?"

     Palemist nodded. Soon, it would be a moon since his exile, and he ached more than ever for the comfort for his Clan. Two cats as friends hardly compensated for all he had lost. He appreciated them, of course, Mellow most of all, but he missed his Clanmates.

     "Want to go hunting?" 

     Palemist shook his head. That was all he did. He would scour the trashplace walls for mice, peering through the hole in the fence to catch a glimpse of the monster inside, and return to his musty nest to sleep. Sometimes, eating took great energy. So did getting up.

     Mellow's gentle muzzle touched his cheek. "I want you to meet someone."

     "Okay." Palemist said nothing else, simply getting up and turning to follow. Mellow walked slowly at his side, even in steps, offering silent comfort. Never had Palemist imagined finding solace in a kittypet. He had always thought of them as boisterous, but Mellow was no such cat. Soft. Calm. His name fit him better than the specially made collar around his neck. But he was not cowardly. Palemist could not bring himself to believe such a thing. Something about Mellow told him that this cat would never back down out of fear, but necessity.

     "I think you'd like her. She's really nice," said Mellow. "She lives nearby."

     Palemist peered up at the fence. It too was old, aging as time flowed along. The limbs of a peach tree reached out over, shivering in a breeze. When Mellow leaped onto the fence, which was hardly as tall as his own, Palemist followed. The two skirted along the limbs of the tree and climbed down. Mellow boldly approached the door of the twoleg den and yowled.

     Palemist dipped behind the tree as the door opened and another cat stepped out. She was covered in short, white fur. Scars poked out through her pelt in spots. Strange for a kittypet.

     "Palemist, come here!" Mellow called. Palemist padded out of hiding. She's just a kittypet, and we're not here to fight. "This is Angel, my mother," explained Mellow. "Angel, this is Palemist."

     Palemist sunk under the she-cat's gaze as she studied him. He felt small, like a kit, as she circled him, taking in every splotch on his fur. "You look like your father," she said softly, warmth in her voice. "He brought you to me when you were born, you know? But my milk had dried, so he had to take you somewhere else."

     Angel sat beside Mellow. "Your name suits you." Her voice began to crackle. "It's so nice to meet you."

     Palemist instinctively snarled. "My father was a murderer. Why should I trust any cat who was his friend."

     Angel looked shaken for a moment, then calmed. "Because he was a good cat."

     The tale was lengthy, though Palemist was certain Angel's account was shorter than the truth. She was one cat, who gathered rumors from others. Still, he turned her claims over and over in his head. Tales of a revolt against a tyrannical rogue leader named Troy. How Cobweb defended others, especially those who could not defend themselves. How he led the rogues and tried to keep peace between them and the Clans.