𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗦ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ 一 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔷𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔱 [𝟑]

❆☾𑁍𓆱ᥴhᥲρtᥱr 𝟹𝟻𓆱𑁍☽❆

"Look over there."

A paw on her shoulder gently shook Larkwing awake. Blinking, she half-opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the harsh light shining between the blurred silhouettes of the trees.

Oh, that's right. We took a break on our search for the camp and I must have fallen asleep.

"There are cats over there," Topaz continued excitedly. "I think I can recognise Cherry and Trout, and — oh! Cats from your Clan too!"

Larkwing refrained from reminding her that they weren't all just from the same Clan. She stretched extensively, her front legs pointing forwards and her hindquarters upwards. Joy came over her, making her momentarily forget everything awful.

Shaking out her paws, she looked over at Crowshadow. The poor thing hadn't spoken a word the whole journey. She was still breathing, but her eyelids kept dropping shut.

"You stay here with Crowshadow," Larkwing instructed Topaz. "I'll be right back."

She dashed off in the direction Topaz had roughly pointed. Energy flowed through her and made her run faster. Maybe it was the prospect of soon being reunited with her patrolmates, maybe it was the fact that she had finally gotten some sleep. Nevertheless, she urgently needed to have her injuries tended to, eat something and sleep for a whole day and night to recover.

Soon she could see a patrol of four cats. However, she was disappointed to see that Lakepelt's black tabby pelt was not among them. Instead, she recognised Leafwind and Splashfur.

Oh, thank you, StarClan! The thought that something might have happened to Leafwind made Larkwing shiver. But he was alive and apparently not so badly injured that he could still move.

Regardless of the fact that she had better not burst in so unexpectedly, Larkwing came to a skidding halt in front of the four cats. Her lungs burned with exertion and she couldn't get a word out.

One of the two ruin cats, a tortoiseshell and white she-cat with stripes in her coloured patches, ruffled her fur in fright and hissed. But she didn't seem aggressive, rather frightened.

"Larkwing!" Leafwind dropped the vole he had been carrying in his mouth and slid towards her. "You're still alive?"

"Why? Did you think I'd just die on you?" Larkwing joked, trying to make a faint purring sound. Damn. I can't even purr anymore.

By now, the tabico ruin she-cat had put aside her hostility and tentatively reached out a paw towards Larkwing. Her nose twitched. "Aren't you the one from the prophecy?"

Embarrassed, Larkwing froze. She hadn't even thought of that! All the ruin cats still believed that she was the Guardian of the Ancient Stone. It would certainly be fun to inform them all of the truth.

Fortunately, the other ruin cat, a brown tom with dark, almost black spots and amber eyes, prevented her from telling the whole story just yet. "Cherry! That doesn't matter now," he whispered. "She's pretty badly hurt."