Adderfern sprinted after Quailfeather. The shecat had taken the lead and was running as fast as she could. She slowed the pace and held up her tail. "I smell three different scents." She meowed sticking her nose to the floor. "Maybe it's the three clans!" Quailfeather padded on keeping her nose in the dust and sand. Gooseclaw muttered something to Heathertail and they laughed.
"What are they talking about?" Quailfeather asked looking up. A bunch of brambles stuck out of her pelt like tiny claws. Adderfern pulled one out and spit it out on the ground. She pulled the rest out with Quailfeather.
"Let's continue. I'll go with Quailfeather to find Sunclan. Gooseclaw, you find Stoneclan, and Heathertail can find Viperclan. I think they're that way. Over here has more sun, over there has more rock, and over there has lots of holes for snakes." Adderfern instructed flicking her tail in all directions. "Let's go." She started running towards the flat land where Sunclan might be. They ran past scent markers like they were invisible. Quailfeather was running along side Adderfern.
"When do you think they'll find us? Or if we find them?" She asked looking at Adderfern. She opened her mouth to speak again when a black and green shape tackled her. Adderfern skidded to a halt and whipped around. The cat was covered in mud and leaves. "Get off me!" The tabby shecat hissed. She squirmed under the massive cats paws like a worm.
"Let her go Grey." Another cat covered in mud and leaves appeared and spat at the bigger tom. "Grey" backed off Quailfeather who sprinted towards Adderfern and hid behind her.
"Leave my friend alone." She hissed at the small cat. "We've come looking for the three clans. Stoneclan, Sunclan, and Viperclan." She meowed more calmly.
"We are Sunclan. I am Winter by the way." She she cat said looking up. "What clan are you from and who are you?" She asked.
"We are from Moonclan. I am Adderfern and this is Quailfeather." She meowed dipping her head. Winter shook her pelt and the mud and leaves fell off revealing a Snow White pelt. Adderfern watched as the big tom did the same. His pelt was grey and black like Thistlepelt's and Cinderheart's.
Grey dug up a fat rabbit and dropped it at their paws. "An offering for Moonclan. I caught it today." He meowed in a deep voice. Quailfeather sniffed the rabbit and dug in. Adderfern crouched down and ate some. She didn't take her eyes off the two cats.
"We have come to speak with your leader." Adderfern meowed swiping her tongue over her jaws. "Can you bring us to him or her?"
"Yes, you can see Aspen. You have to bring offering though. She doesn't like guests unless they have something for her. She's a greedy leader." She meowed and started to walk. "Grey, if you tell her that I will slash your throat and throw you into Viperclan territory." She hissed when the tom opened his mouth.
He slowed his pace so he was at the back. Adderfern bounded up more so she was matching every step Winter took. "Are we close?" She asked.
"Barely. You are on the opposite side of the territory from camp." She meowed. "We will make it by Sundown probably. We have to avoid the Twoleg nest that borders our territory. So yeah, sun down." She meowed and picked up the pace.
~*~
The cats reached camp just as the sky turned pink. The camp was made of bushes in a huge circle. The entrance was a hole leading under one bush and it came out to a huge clearing. "Whoa!" Quailfeather gasped.
Adderfern looked around and saw a log leaned against a rock. There was a shallow dip with a nest in it. A cat was curled up in the mossy lump. "Aspen!" Winter called not caring the leader was sleeping. "We have visitors! They brought offerings." She prodded the leader with a paw until she woke up.
"What?" She snapped. She looked at the rabbit dangling from Adderfern's jaws and a quail hanging from Quailfeathers jaws. "Put those with the freshkill and meet me in my den." The leader said grumpily. Aspen got up and went deeper into the hollow.
