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Squinting her eyes to protect them from the wind, Larkwing gazed into the distance. Against the horizon, obscured by the morning mist, she could make out the greyish silhouettes of a long line of trees. Probably another forest, but she would soon find out anyway. After all, today was the day she would set off with the reconnaissance patrol to search for the Skydens.
The thought of leaving her familiar territory and setting off on a journey whose destination was still in the dark made her feel a little queasy.
But I'm not alone, she reminded herself and let her gaze wander gladly over her fellow travellers. Lakepelt, her Clanmate and dearest friend, who had lost two of the most important cats in his life because of the Shadowless. Crowshadow, who had been banished from SnowClan because Specklestar refused to recognise that they had to do something about the danger that surrounded them all. Leafwind from MoonClan, whose Clanmates had not returned since a simple search for LaurelClan.
And last but not least, Redleaf and Cloverdapple, former deputy and medicine cat, and Splashfur. The last known LaurelClan cats who had lost their Clan from one day to the next to the cruel yet mysterious Shadowless.
Doubtlessly, the path that lay ahead of them would be an arduous and dangerous one. Nevertheless, Larkwing knew that it was the right decision. They would find answers — answers that would help them understand the Shadowless and ultimately discover their weakness.
Now Lakepelt padded towards Larkwing and sat down beside her in the flattened grass. "So this is the Foreign Lands of LaurelClan."
"Looks at least as big as ours." Larkwing twitched an ear.
"Much flatter, though."
That was the first thing Larkwing had noticed when they had reached their meeting place. Tree-lengths of flat meadow stretched out before them. There were only flat hills, if any, and scattered bushes. Not a very appealing place.
Again and again she peered over at Redleaf and Cloverdapple. The two had been standing together for quite a while and seemed to be discussing something.
Eventually, after what felt like a snail-paced eternity, they returned to the rest of the group.
"We should set off now if we want to get to the trees back there before sunset," Redleaf announced. His short, mackerel ginger pelt was fluffed up against the cold. "There's probably a chance we can hunt there, if it's not already claimed territory, and find a place to sleep for the first night."
The prospect of hunting relieved Larkwing. Earlier, she had spontaneously managed to catch a dormouse on RoseClan territory, but now her hunger was coming back. Must be the stress, she mused. She had always been able to cope with rarely eating, but now she felt as if there was a big hole in her stomach.
Crowshadow rose to her paws and arched her back, her mouth wide open in a yawn. "About time," the black she-cat with the long fur grumbled.
Redleaf simply ignored her snide comment. "Remember to stay close together and always keep an eye on your surroundings. In such flat and, above all, unfamiliar terrain, it's easier to fall victim to a surprise attack," he warned.
