Caɾղaցe Ɱօօղ ~𝙰 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

37 🌙

"Just keep going! Almost there!"

"Why?" Sootface complained, raising his voice above the whipping wind. "There's no point! The Windclan scent-markers were barren. None of us could detect a trace of them along the border-stream."

"It doesn't matter," Crescentpaw said. "Thunderclan's scent marks were undetectable as well. There might be a cat left in their camp, like Trufflefur!"

Hillflower was nodding and looking over at her. Crescentpaw just pushed harder, willing her legs to slice through the wind easier than they would water.

But it was plowing into her face, making her eyes water and her ears bend backwards. All of the cats walked with their legs braced, and Crescentpaw felt they were making agonizing progress.

Mouse-dung to this. "I'm going to run the rest of the way!" The apprentice yowled, forcing her legs into a run. Her tail streamed out behind her, and she was pulled by the wind. She felt some sense of relief. Crescentpaw was now part of the swirling breeze rather than against it.

How's that for Riverclan not being agile, Sootface? She'd left him behind.

Her paws were barely touching the ground. Air bent her whiskers flat against her face. A resounding whistle was howling over the moorland.

Trufflefur and Rainpaw picked up speed far behind her, while the kits did the same. Crescentpaw left them on fleeting paws, cresting a rise and finally catching a glimpse of the moorland camp.

She saw a ring of gorse bush engrossed with large stones at the foothills of a circular rise. In a fold between two hills was the gap for an entrance.

The line of gorse stretched across one foothill and over to the edge of another. Crescentpaw thought it was neat how Winclan's camp was lopsided. And it was nestled in the middle of a valley.

Even though it looks easily floodable, it's well-protected from the moorland winds. She skidded to a halt.

"Cool camp!" Oatkit trilled as he slowed to a walk behind her. Crescentpaw padded toward the camp opening more slowly, inhaling cautiously for any sign of Windclan warriors.

She didn't like what she smelled. Crowfood filled her scent-glands.

Something long-dead was in there, and she hadn't been able to see it from afar.

Swiveling her head around, Crescentpaw tried to keep her voice level as she spoke to the others.

"Hillflower, come with me. The rest of the cats should stay back here until we find the source of that scent."

"Uh-okay." Cloverkit scrunched up her nose. Her brother stood on tall, lanky-apprentice legs, then sat obeditently and nodded.

"Okay, but hurry." He looked curious as he rushed them.

"You should be the one to go," Sootface leaned over and whispered into Jadestar's ear. "Not some fish-eating oversized know-it-all apprentice."

She let her jaw drop open with astonishment, offended. Crescentpaw flattened her ears and narrowed her eyes, but really she was looking for Jadestar's reaction.