Legacy: Timeless (Book 2)

Chapter 39: Existing

Chapter 39: Existing

The wary wandering feeling remained with Scorch as they made the slow journey back to the camp. The young group rested often and walked slowly; Sonya's bright eyes seemingly fixed on Scorch's neck wound all the time. But not fixed enough, apparently, to notice the blank look in the dark green eyes.

"Are you tired?" Sonya asked her for the umpteenth time since the last time they'd taken a break.

"No." Scorch didn't feel tired physically, and sitting down to rest would only help her physical condition. She would have said that she felt strong, but she couldn't hardly feel anything and she kept waiting for it to scare her. The fear that something was wrong with her. But it didn't come to Scorch, she just kept watching the world around her with wary eyes, awaiting her chance to slip into the reality of her dreams.

Boulderpaw walked steadily beside her, never glancing her way or asking anything, but keeping his gaze firmly on the horizon of the dark forest. Scorch glanced at her friend, his gray fur was smooth but she sensed just a slight disquietude emanating steadily from him. Like her, he didn't seem to be angry, but he wasn't happy either.

The forest was cold and eerily quiet, clouds had moved in and set a heavy overcast feeling over the land that was echoed deeply in Scorch's heart. Although she guessed it was about sun-high do to the angle of the gray shadows, it was about as dark as twilight as they passed back into Clan territory.

Boulderpaw visibly relaxed as they crossed the border and a thought crossed Scorch's mind about how funny it was that he was happy to be in ShadowClan territory. But she remained silent. Her mouth seemed sealed closed, opening only when it was necessary. But in the other world, the words flow so easily.

Although she hadn't really wondered the reason for this change, she was sure it had something to do with her touching the sunlight. Had part of her died in that moment? If so, was there a way to get it back? Did she even want it back? No, the part of her left behind simply longed to join with its other half permanently. She just wasn't sure how to do that.

"We're almost there now!" Sonya purred beside her. Boulderpaw nodded and his steps quickened to pull ahead of them a little.

Scorch walked at her same slow, steady pace. No excitement pricked her, just a faint curiosity of when she'd be able to go back to sleep. "Scorch, aren't you happy?" Sonya asked her cheerfully.

The black and red kit nodded slowly, a faint comforting feeling settled over her as she saw the camp and she perceived it for happiness. "But I think its empty," she mewed. No strong cat scent came from the island in the marsh and she couldn't see any flicker of pelts on the white surface.

Boulderpaw seemed to have noticed as well and Scorch stopped with Sonya at the edge of the marsh as the gray apprentice trotted over the log into the camp. He disappeared into the camp but reappeared moment later, shouting that no cat was there.

Sonya frowned, "Where could they have gone?" but there was no real question in her voice and Scorch narrowed her eyes. In this reclusive state she could see some thing more clearly than she had been able to do in her frivolousness before.

"The real ShadowClan camp?" Scorch guessed. Sonya nodded and signaled for Boulderpaw. He trotted back over the log to them and Sonya informed him where they thought the cats had gone.

The gray apprentice nodded, "Makes sense, the ShadowClan cats would want to go home, and its more sheltered and spacious than this."

They began traveling to the old ShadowClan camp and Scorch paused for just a moment to look over her shoulder at the makeshift camp. It sat lonely and desolate, a crown of bushes and dens in a white emptiness and it was sad to think of it falling apart after all it had housed. For a moment, she wished she could feel sadness just to color her memories with it.