Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter 36: Moon Cave

Chapter 36: Moon Cave

Rainstone turned away as Ottersplash gave another heart wrenching cry as she held her dead kit close to her. The scream echoed in her ears, bringing back the same echoes of sadness when she'd lost her kits. The cry was the same; the same pain rang through it. Rainstone recognized it and it brought tears to her eyes.

"Hold still, this might sting a little," Flickertail murmured, rubbing some herb juice into her bitten ear. He was right, it stung, but it was a relief to have physical pain to distract her from old grief.

They'd just gotten back to camp, laden with the dead tom kit. Sweetberry had explained that they'd been attacked to Sunstar, and every cat had come to the conclusion that those cats had killed Patchkit.

Rainstone wasn't convinced about that though. They hadn't had the scent of blood on them, they'd been fresh, and they hadn't just wandered upon Patchkit while looking for her. They targeted the kit; they wanted to leave a grisly trophy to scare the Clan. And it seems they succeeded.

Cats were shaking with fear and pressing close to friends, eyes wide and frightened as they searched for the faceless murderer. I need to figure this out! I know this won't end until they are annihilated.

The sky had clouded over and a chill breeze swept over the grieving cats. Sunstar was sitting with Mintbreeze, in tense conversation. Most other cats were huddled in spotty groups around the sandy camp. Rainstone trembled with exhaustion, but didn't move, she sat near the apprentices den deep in thought.

I know when they plan to strike, or when they had planned to strike. Now that they know I'm with the Clans, they'll probably change it. Almost makes my undercover work look worthless. But my lead with Scampfur could be very helpful. If they can break up Pinefur's force, it means the end to conquering the Clans. Nigthwing's cats aren't nearly enough on their own.

Shivering with apprehension, she glanced over her shoulder and spotted a flash of amber eyes. Song, I'm going to need your help with this. She looked down at her broken paw and felt a surge of frustration, I need all my strength! I need this fixed! She willed it and wanted it, but nothing changed. Force of will has little effect on physical reality.

Well, I'll just have to work around it for now. And sitting around thinking is only going to do so much...She got up abruptly, shedding her exhaustion like a blanket and striding out of the depressed grief of the Clan. Jumping nimbly across the stepping stones she headed into the territory.

The soft grass tickled her paws and the bouncy carpet was spotted by moss covered boulders and trees. She closed her eyes and halted when she came to a rounded clearing. I can't believe how lazy I've become, overconfident, cocky to the point I can solve such a problem on my own. No more, not while lives are in danger.

Filled with new determination, she crouched on the ground, focused and leaped, arching for her tail and landing neatly on her paws after completing a flip. Good, I haven't lost my touch, but it's going to take a lot more training if I want to defeat Nightwing. He's much stronger than me as I am now.

She turned and twisted, running herself through exercises that she once did with Pepper back in the mountains. But she wasn't in the mountains, and she wasn't training just to train, she was training to fight and protect herself and her Clan.

She huffed as she came to an end, it wasn't nearly as fun as training with some cat and it was tough to judge how well she was doing without comparing herself to another cat. Maybe I can get Willowwater to train with me sometime...

She thought back to her words last night, "I won't require either of your assistance anymore." Why had she said that? Because I didn't think I would, but now I'm going to need more eyes and ears then just mine.