Legacy: Timeless (Book 2)

Chapter 30: Blurred Lines

Chapter 30: Blurred Lines

"Be careful!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"You should just come down."

Scorch flattened her ears against the murmured opinions of Painted, Mira, and Jump. It wasn't like the doubts weren't already in her head as she stood with her back paws on Boulderpaw's shoulders and her front paws reaching up against the cracked-brick wall.

"Almost got it!" Scorch hissed as she stretched her claws out as far as she could. Having been continuously kept out of all patrols as she 'recovered' from her head injury for the past seven days, she had dedicated herself to scouring the territory for herbs.

Of course, she wouldn't even be allowed to go out alone. Boulderpaw joined her in stolid determination to watch her every move and Painted- with her ever watchful eye- wasn't far behind. So that was how her entourage had come about. Though it wasn't all bad, it was annoying when every cat felt it was their life-given duty to give their nagging opinion about everything she did.

"Come on! You're heavy!" Boulderpaw puffed out the words between breaths and Scorch could feel his shoulders trembling through her back paws. Because, of course, she wasn't tall enough with him on all four paws, he was stretched up, standing on his back paws with his forepaws resting against the wall for support just like her, except he was holding her up.

"Just... a little... further," Scorch grunted as she stretched all her ligaments to their limit and finally grasped the fat, green clump. As she did so, Boulderpaw's front paws slipped from the wall and he fell, taking her with him as she tore the herb from the wall.

She, however, had enough air space to land lightly on her paws while Boulderpaw got a face-full of snow. "Ugh, I hope that plant is worth this," Boulderpaw grumbled as Scorch laughed at his expression- which was angry- but the snow on his face gave him a fluffy look; thus his anger looked all the more hilarious.

"Yep! Its tansy! Very useful for a variety of things, from sprained paws to coughs," Scorch proudly stroked the herbs. The Twoleg nest was the only place left in the territory where she could find green things left. On the brick wall encircling the nest the overwhelming ivy growing over the wall hid a surplus of medicinal herbs that were protected from the cold and snow underneath the tangled strands. Of course, it was just a little difficult to grab them.

"This place is pretty nifty, but its right on the border with Nightwing right now. Why doesn't he use it?" Painted asked. Even though she was unhappy about their current residency with the Clan cats, she couldn't seem to help but listen.

"Probably because his medicine-cat doesn't know where to find herbs. Flickertail didn't know either, since he's from RiverClan," Boulderpaw explained.

"Oh," Mira didn't look like she understood anymore than Jump or Painted; but they didn't question anything.

"Well, lets get back to camp. Its getting late," Scorch yawned as she finished speaking while the cats nodded and grabbed the piteously small bundles of herbs they'd collected. Even though they'd been there since sun-high and now the sun was gone, they only had a few pawfuls of herbs. Still, since it was leaf-bare, finding any herbs was impressive.

"When we get back, you need to put these herbs away. And then we need to talk," Painted more or less ordered.

"Talk about what?" Boulderpaw growled through his mouthfuls of herbs.

"Careful that you don't crush them," Scorch warned him through her own herbs.

"About stuff, but you're not invited," Painted growled, looking down at the apprentice with a green-eyed glare.