Lies, Secrets, and the Storm | Book One of the LSatS Trilogy

Chapter Eleven

Two days have passed since Stormpaw's talk with Bright. Moonlight shore through the holes in the roof of the barn. Stormpaw walked over to the entrance where Flame and Bright sat.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay?" Bright mewed anxiously. Flame nodded.

"Mom, I'll be fine," she assured her. "I'll have Stormpaw with me. How long of a journey is it from here?" Flame asked as Stormpaw approached. Stormpaw shrugged.

"No idea," she replied. A small gasp came from Bright.

"H-How did you get here then?" Bright hissed. "You're just trying to kidnap my daughter, aren't you?'

"No! Of course not!" Stormpaw exclaimed. She quickly summarized what had happened with BloodClan. When she finished, Bright looked horrified, while Flame seemed intuitive.

"You poor thing!" Bright cried.

"What would BloodClan want you for anyways?" Flame asked. "Are they planning some master scheme? Perhaps they want territory? No, that can't be it; there are plenty of other places they could get it."

"We should get going," Stormpaw meowed before Flame could go on. She smiled to Bright.

"Thank Alder and Lilac for their hospitality for me," Stormpaw meowed. Bright nodded. "Oh, and thank you too!"

"You're welcome," she meowed. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come here. You will always be welcome."

"Bye mom," Flame whispered, rubbing her in-injured cheek against her mother's. Bright let out a purr.

"Goodbye, my little firefly," she whispered back. "Share your light with ThunderClan. Be happy, and make me proud."

"I will," Flame promised. Stormpaw smiled. Her heart was twisting in joy at the sappy situation. Stormpaw flicked her tail tip and lead the way out of the barn. She heard the sound of Flame's paw steps behind her.

"Okay..." Stormpaw murmured as she paused. "Lapis said that WindClan territory is diagonally right of the barn, and we came from the backside. So that would mean..." Storm turned to her right. "The moor is this way."

"Who's Lapis?" Flame asked as the two began to walk again.

"Lapis is one of the BloodClan cats who helped me escape," Stormpaw meowed.

"Ah," Flame sighed. "Okay so... How long of a walk is this?"

"No idea," Stormpaw replied. "It shouldn't be too long, I think." The two walked in silence for most of the night. The milky dawn sky was visible as they broke from the trees. Stormpaw smelled the strong scent of WindClan and her heart began to pound with excitement.

"We're nearly there!" Stormpaw exclaimed. "Come on, we need to get to the lakeshore."

"Why the lakeshore?" Flame asked as the two broke into a run.

"Because Clan law states you can travel anywhere around the lake as long as you're two tail-lengths from the lake," Stormpaw replied. The lake quickly came into view. "Come on! We're almost there!" To Stormpaw's relief, they made it to the shore. Flame was gasping for air.

"We can take a break if you'd like," Stormpaw offered. Flame nodded quickly. "Take a drink from the lake." Stormpaw scanned the land as Flame lapped the water. No dawn patrols were in sight, but Stormpaw knew if they didn't get moving, they would run into one. The thought about what the rival Clan would do made Stormpaw shudder.

"We need to get moving," Stormpaw meowed, looking down at Flame. "Dawn patrols should be coming this way at anytime. We don't want to be caught."

"Okay," Flame lifted her head. The tabby's orange eyes were glazed with exhaustion, but they still burned with determination.

"We're almost there," Stormpaw meowed, turning and leading the way along the lakeshore. After a few moments of walking they reached the stream. "Here's the WindClan and ThunderClan border!"

"That means... Oh! We're here!" Flame chirped with excitement. "Awesome!" Stormpaw grinned as she quickly hopped over the border. Flame hesitated for a moment but leapt over it moments later. Stormpaw took a deep breath, taking in the scents of her Clan. Happiness flooded through her as she looked around the territory. She was finally home.

"You two! Stay where you are!" a yowl sliced through the silence. Stormpaw's fur bristled.

"Flame, get behind me," Stormpaw ordered. Flame snorted.

"Stormpaw, I don't need-"

"Do it!" she hissed. Flame blinked at her sharp tone and walked beside her. Stormpaw rolled her eyes, but said nothing else. Three shapes made their way over the hill and froze in front of the two she-cats.