Legacy: Timeless (Book 2)

Chapter 52: Moonstruck

Chapter 52: Moonstruck

Through the green forest, Scorch trotted after the hunting patrol. The scent of the earth wafted up especially strong as the sunlight burned the morning dew away. The forest buzzed with insects flying around the flowering plants and the air was warm and wet.

Boulderfall paced at the head of the patrol, his muscles rippling under his gray pelt like the powerful currents of a stream. The ThunderClan she-cat Spiritstorm and the two WindClan warriors Jumpblaze and Redleap composed the rest of the hunting patrol.

At least ThunderClan is allowing WindClan to join them on patrols. Scorch watched the tense silence between the cats and sighed. They really didn't function anywhere near as well as RiverClan and ShadowClan. They padded over a small rise and came to a grassy glade covered in scattered brush but free of the cover of trees.

"Let's start here, there ought to be something in all these bushes," Boulderfall mewed, lifting his head commandingly. Scorch admired how quickly he had made the adjustment from apprentice to warrior. Though, with all we've done, he's probably had more experience leading than most cats.

The patrol quickly dispersed, the WindClan cats taking to the open slope while Spiritstorm padded back into the forest. Scorch stepped forward to Boulderfall's side. "It was smart to choose a place where both Clans would be able to hunt comfortably," she commented.

Boulderfall shrugged, "It's only logical to bring them to a place where they actually have a chance of catching something," he snorted, "But those scrawny rabbit-chasers will never be as good as a ThunderClan cat."

Scorch giggled at his silly prejudice, relaxing as the rising sun enveloped them in its warm embrace. She stretched, yawning, "I could just sleep all day long," she sighed, watching Redleap flush a grouse out of the brush and then Jumpblaze pounce on the panicking bird.

"Scorch," Boulderfall turned to her seriously. "I wanted to talk to you about Featherpaw," he mewed, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper.

Scorch tilted her head, wonderingly. What was with the secrecy? She could feel his uncomfortableness like his fur was being brushed the wrong way. "She's awfully quiet, but she always looks so lonely and no cat ever seems to notice her," Scorch mewed empathetically, feeling sorry for the shy little apprentice.

Boulderfall shivered, "Scorch, that's what I wanted to tell you. There is no Featherpaw- not in ThunderClan and not in WindClan. I didn't see any cat with you and no cat else does either."

Scorch stared at him for a few moments, he must be joking. But there was no joke in his blue eyes, in fact, he looked almost fearful. "But, I saw her..." Scorch frowned, she had first seen Featherpaw in the WindClan den when she had rescued them from the WindClan camp. The silver tabby had always been with the WindClanc cats. And yet, no cat had ever mentioned or noticed her.

"But I saw her," Scorch looked at Boulderfall desperately. "I even talked to her! She told me her name the first night she slept in the apprentices den with us and I've seen her everyday at the camp."

Boulderfall shook his head, "I don't doubt that you see something. I know you have weird powers, but no other cat knows that. They're beginning to be convinced that you're crazy," he mewed, gently laying his tail over her shoulders.

"Crazy?" Scorch took a step back, disturbed. "Why would they think I'm crazy?"

Boulderfall shook his head, "When you talk to nothing and disappear for half a day at a time, cats start odd rumors. And rumors evolve quickly in a Clan. You need to quit this and just act like a normal cat for a while so that they stop it. Cats have a poor memory for these kinds of things," he advised, blue eyes staring at her desperately.