Legacy: Infinity (Book 3)

Chapter 23: The Well

Chapter 23: The Well

"I'm going down to the valley."

It was early in the morning, a sea of pale clouds shut out the sky above the mountain tops. A breeze that was startlingly chill heralded the oncoming cold season and whistled over the mountainside shaking the lush foliage that had abruptly curled into an array of red and gold.

Jay sat, her kits nursing as she ate a warm song bird of some sort, and stared at Silver with her eyes wide for a few seconds. The pale tabby had clung to life by a hair for several days after Jay brought her to the sandy hideout, but the stinging nettle had worked and the fever and infection had receded, allowing the tabby to rapidly gain back her strength.

Unfortunately, Jay still hadn't managed to get any information from her about the StarReaders, though the she-cat had been forced to promise to tell Jay all she knew when she was completely well again. But now, a quarter moon later, the gray tabby came to her with this announcement.

The dark blue-gray she-cat shot a glance at Amelia who sat licking her claws after finishing her own meal, eyes lucid with amusement. "But you aren't fully recovered yet," Jay mewed slowly, she wouldn't let her leave until she'd gotten every scrap of information out of her.

"I know that," Silver mewed. Her voice was stronger and she wasn't nearly so thin, but the lingering infection in her wounds showed in how red they were as they scarred over.

Jay flattened her ears to her head, uninterested in nonsense. "You won't be going anywhere until you're perfectly healed and you keep your promise."

The tabby gave her a baleful look, "I'll come back, don't worry. I want to see how things are getting along for myself down there. Unlike you, I'm concerned about the well-being of others."

Jay's tail flicked, it had been Amelia's sole job the last quarter moon to keep her informed on all the changes in the valley and to try to learn more about the StarReaders, so far nothing had happened. But she wasn't going to allow Silver to risk her neck on such a trip to prove it, plus, she'd be lying to say she didn't suspect the she-cat might try anything to get away. If she does that, I'll hunt her down and kill her myself.

"You are still sick, you will be of no use to any cat if you collapse half-way up the mountain and get carried away by an eagle. Stay here and finish recuperating and then you can go see your little friends," Jay ordered, pushing her kits away with her tail as they finished their meal and started to tussle with each other.

Silver shook her head, "No, thanks. I'm your 'patient' not your 'prisoner,'" she added stress to the words, "I won't stay out too long and my wounds will bother me too much to not come back."

"You could have memorized which herbs I gave you," Jay muttered, but from the determined and disdainful look in her blue eyes, she knew Silver would leave the second her back was turned. And she didn't feel like sitting on top of the she-cat until she got better.

Jay relented, "Fine, if you're not back by sunset I'll be after you." The gray tabby looked surprised to win so easily and she almost looked grateful. "But don't do anything stupid, "Jay snapped, she wasn't going to risk her own safety to rescue a fool.

The tabby hurried out of the sandy clearing, heading toward the tunnels. Jay watched her with narrowed eyes, "Follow her," she ordered Amelia. "If you can help it, don't reveal yourself. But if you see her start doing risky things, bring her back, by force if necessary." The black she-cat sighed and glanced at the rock which had been designated her sleeping spot, she spent most of her time there when she was in the hideout.

"So much for a day off," Amelia muttered, giving her an irritated look.

"It isn't sunny today anyways, may as well save your day for when it is," Jay snorted, turning to her kits as the black cat left.