Legacy: Timeless (Book 2)

Chapter 48: Solidarity

Chapter 48: Solidarity

Scorch's paws skidded out from underneath her as she slipped down the short, slush-covered slope. Her breath was knocked from her chest as she hit the slimy earth with her paws splayed about her like a belly-flopped frog. She quickly pushed herself back to her paws and used her dirty paw to try and swipe the mud from her chest, smearing it instead. Scorch put her paw back to the ground, watching it tremble.

The black and red cat looked around. She was near the ShadowClan border now, her uninterrupted dash from the WindClan camp had taken her here swiftly. But for now, ThunderClan trees loomed all around her and the prickly undergrowth pressed in around her.

Taking a bound over a small fallen log, she could distantly see the clearing that interrupted the ThunderClan and ShadowClan border. Scorch had been told that it was an area much disputed over by the two Clans. To her, it seemed an awful lot of trouble over a patch of useless territory.

But it benefited her since it was a good land mark and was where Crowstar had said he'd meet her and Boulderpaw. I wonder if Boulderpaw already met up with him. She couldn't muster much concern for her friend, her heart was still numb from the shock and pain.

It was a slap in her face just thinking of Painted's torn and bloody body. I led her to that; guilt is a haunting menace. She shook herself, the WindClan cats were surely in the tunnels by now and they needed her to have ThunderClan's territory secure by the time they came out. She wouldn't allow any more lives to be lost today.

The fine drizzle clumped her fur as she ducked into the clearing, the sky gray and tumultuous. Shivering, she paused in the middle of the yellow-grassed clearing and looked up at the sky. The static in the air set her fur bristling and she prayed that there wouldn't be a thunderstorm. That was the last thing she needed.

Trembling, she continued to cross the clearing, relaxing as she entered the pines. The silence seemed to echo to the emptiness in her heart and the dirt-spotted snow reminded her of Painted's pelt. Stay focused! She darted along the familiar paths, drawing deep breaths to search for nearby Clan cats.

There! Scorch skidded around a wall of pines and spotted Crowstar, Flashpaw, Regin, even Mullen was there, his scratches swabbed with fresh cobwebs. She felt herself give a sigh of relief when she saw Boulderpaw's tired shoulders slumped among them.

Scorch froze, what would she say to them? What could she tell them? Heart in her mouth, she called out and they turned as one to stare at her. "Scorch!" Boulderpaw cried in relief and Flashpaw purred, rushing forward to touch noses with her.

"I'm so glad you're okay! Boulderpaw said that he lost you on WindClan territory and we feared the worst!" the black apprentice frantically searched her over for signs of injury. But all the blood on her pelt had come from Painted and the few scuffs from tumbling down hills blended in nicely with her rumpled fur.

Scorch dipped her head, embarrassed. But her heart twinged; Boulderpaw had left her, he hadn't lost her. Was he trying to hurt her even more? She tried to catch his gaze, but he avoided it, staring at his paws instead. She felt hollowness settle all over her again.

She turned to Crowstar, "We need to leave right away for ThunderClan," she mewed, carefully keeping the grief from her voice.

The black leader's eyes widened, his pelt rippling with surprise. "There's nothing we can do now," he mewed, "ThunderClan was defeated, Boulderpaw told me."

Scorch unsheathed and sheathed her claws, staring in tired frustration at the ground, "Yes, but the situation has changed. Our patrol that was sent to WindClan-"