𝐿𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝐼𝙽 𝒯𝙷𝙴 𝒮𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙾𝚆𝚂 ─── 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 4.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

Dovesong tried to ignore the rain that soaked her pelt uncomfortably. It was just barely starting to rain, and it was already pouring. They had been traveling for a quarter-moon, and she began to understand why her Clanmates were so worried about this journey. It was a long and treacherous journey. "Can't we stop to rest? Just until the rain stops?" she asked Blizzardpelt.

"We can live through the rain," her father replied. "We've been traveling for a quarter-moon. We can't stop now."

Dovesong hated to admit it was true. But she was doing this for her Clanmates. All of them. Not just the ones that were in the camp, but the ones that were lost. The ones that were gone. She couldn't stop now. "Okay, fine." She flattened her ears against a gust of wind that hit them. She was shivering, and she could feel Blizzardpelt shivering slightly beside her. But the strong warrior didn't admit it. "Are you sure? It's cold, and it's raining hard."

Blizzardpelt paused for a moment, looking up at the sky. "A worse storm is coming," he murmured. "Sure. Let's find somewhere to stay for the time being."

Dovesong glanced up at the sky too. Dark gray clouds covered the entire sky and lightning lit it all up, followed by the deafening roar of thunder. She followed Blizzardpelt toward a forested patch of land. They found a mostly dry area under some bushes. "Thank StarClan for this dry spot!" Dovesong exclaimed. "Hopefully the rain stops soon."

"I doubt it. It's getting really bad," Blizzardpelt muttered.

I can always rely on you to dampen my hopes. Dovesong gave her father an unappealing look when he wasn't looking. "Maybe. But however long it takes, we can stay here." But Dovesong didn't really believe her own words. The rain was looking terrible already, and it only just started. How were her Clanmates holding up?

Dovesong craned her neck to look over her shoulder when she heard mud squelching loudly. "Who's there?" she asked.

A tuft of yellow fur was caught on the bush behind them. Then a yellow she-cat emerged from behind the bush. "Great StarClan, it's so wet here, I feel like a RiverClan cat! Oh, hi!" She looked at Dovesong and Blizzardpelt, her eyes shining with greeting. "What are you two doing all the way out here?"

The rain had washed away most of the she-cat's scent, but Dovesong was fairly certain that this was Goldenheart, the young ThunderClan warrior who had helped save her and Moonclaw from the prison the first time. "What are you doing here?" Dovesong asked instead.

"Oh, that's a long story," Goldenheart laughed. "But we have time! I heard that you two were going on this journey at the Gathering a quarter-moon ago, and I wanted to come! Oh, and I'm Goldenheart."

"We know. Go back where you came from," Blizzardpelt growled.

Goldenheart inhaled sharply, but in a sort of mocking manner. "Ooh, I'm scared! But sorry, it's a bit too late for that." Her eyes shone with excitement.