Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter 18: Home?

Chapter 18: Home?

The sun shone half-way up the sky, a pale glow with clouds wreathed around it and the bare yellow-brown landscape was specked by two lone dots of color. Rainstone was ready to get moving, Crystal was less so. "We have to wait four days or we could be in trouble," Crystal protested, while Rainstone paced back and forth.

"In trouble from what?" she snapped irritably.

"I said we'd wait four days, if we're early or late we could end up jeopardizing everything," Crystal growled. The usually friendly cat was getting snappy.

"Why can't we go back to the forest?" Rainstone pressed, feeling confused and worried. The thought of what happened to every other cat put her belly in a twist, not to mention her own paws and belly ached from her injuries.

"Those foxes will still be hanging around, we've had trouble from them in the past, we'll meet up with the other cats in a different place," Crystal mewed firmly, her gaze hard.

Rainstone's ears flicked up, "Foxes? that's what those were?" she asked, picturing Fox the cat as those savage creatures, it wasn't difficult. "But what about Dusty? Was she there when we split up?" Rainstone asked.

Crystal's eyes darkened, "No cat saw her, but I'd have a hard time believing she's dead. Dusty can take care of herself," Crystal mewed, though she looked uncertain.

"And the other cats?" Rainstone asked, not knowing what she meant about this 'different' place.

"Pummel and Stretch went with Flake, they're hiding out some place," Crystal mewed.

Rainstone shook her head, "Why did we split up?" she demanded, sitting down since her paws ached.

"To shake off the foxes, they could only chase one of us and its easier to lose one then two," Crystal explained. Rainstone snorted. "Oh, come on! It'll all be okay, those foxes were just passing through, they'll be gone by the time we meet and go home," Crystal purred, sounding like she was trying to convince herself.

"So, where is this meeting place?" Rainstone mewed finally, her mind a whirl of fear and anxiety.

"Do you see that bit of brush over there?" Crystal mewed, pointing toward the west. Rainstone peered through the hazy distance and saw a speck of brown on the open plain. "There's a forest over there, larger then the one we call home, and there is a little waterfall that we have as a meeting place in case anything goes wrong," Crystal mewed.

"Why there?" Rainstone asked.

"That's where I was born with my littermates and where my dad lived, mom moved closer to the mountains when Stretch and Pummel went with Dusty into the mountains," Crystal mewed, her eyes wistful.

Rainstone broke off her nervous tail-twitching. "Do you miss your father?" she asked softly.

Crystal snapped her gaze back to her, surprise clear on her glistening blue eyes. "Of course! Don't you?" Crystal mewed, as if she couldn't imagine a cat not liking their dad.

Rainstone didn't respond, thinking of Hawk for a heartbeat. He wanted me dead, didn't care, just cared about me not causing trouble. Sadness and anger throbbed in three paws, her dead paw still lifeless.

Rainstone shook out her fur, a breeze rustled the top of the long grass that grew as tall as her shoulder. The sun was hiding behind gray clouds and the promised rain seemed to be getting closer.

"You said four days?" Rainstone mewed thoughtfully, eyeing the forest patch they had left.

Crystal nodded. Rainstone turned to her with a smirk on her face. "Then we are going to go back and search for Dusty," she declared.