(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #1 - The First Storm

Chapter Seven

Rowanpaw stumbled down the other side of the pile of the destroyed den, jumping the last part to get over strange sparkling pebbles. Emberheart had already made it across the sparkling rocks, and she was licking her pad as it bled lightly. She hadn't jumped over them, and now she couldn't put her paw down without wincing.

"You okay?" Hazelfur landed next to Rowanpaw, while Birchsplash stumbled ahead and fell over, his chin hitting the ground with a heavy thump! and he groaned in pain. Hazelfur started to laugh, then stopped when she saw Emberheart still hurting.

"Should we head back?" Rowanpaw looked from she-cat to she-cat. Hazelfur looked like she was going to agree, but Emberheart shook her head quickly.

"No, we need to continue. It'll be healed soon enough." Emberheart shook out her paw and tried to move forward, but her leg collapsed under her when she put weight on it. She mewled in pain, raising her leg again. "I'll walk on three legs," she meowed and started limping forward.

"Emberheart, you can't go on. Let's head back, and we'll come back once you're healed," Hazelfur meowed, not moving from her spot. Her sister stopped, still holding her paw up, and shook her head firmly.

"I'm not going back." Her eyes were hard. "It's just a scratch. Can we please get going? The sun is already starting to go down, and we don't want to be out here when it gets dark; we don't know the Twolegplace yet."

Hazelfur sighed and looked ready to start arguing, but Birchsplash took a step forward, raising his head high. "Hazelfur, we know Emberheart won't turn back. Why don't we find someplace to settle down, and the three of us head out hunting?" The tom looked at Hazelfur and Rowanpaw.

"Fine, I guess that'll work." Emberheart shifted on her three paws, licking her jaws and twitching her whiskers. "I guess it's the only choice." Her ear flicked and she snorted. It was clear she was grateful for the help but disliked being treated like a helpless kit.

"Come on, let's find somewhere safe. I'll help you walk," Birchsplash meowed, getting up and moving to Emberheart's side, letting her lean on his shoulder. She muttered some thanks, then they started forward at a slow walk.

"Rowanpaw, you go to one side of the road, I'll go to the other; look around for someplace to settle down safely," Hazelfur meowed to the apprentice, then headed for the right of Birchsplash. 

"Okay!" His heart was starting to itch to explore, longing for the possibility to find any bit of prey. He hurried to the left and bounded down the hard crackled Thunderpath; it scratched his pads, which were soft from walking through his boggy territory. There were small places in between some of the Twoleg houses, which looked dark and murky and were filled with foul smells.

He checked back a few times to look at his mentor, then he continued searching. He past about three broken nests before he saw something that might work. He padded into the little pathway—which stopped at a solid barrier—and sniffed around at some hard shiny objects. They were cold to the touch but protected a little corner where Emberheart could be hidden.

"Hey! I think I found something!" It was Hazelfur.

Rowanpaw sniffed at his little area for a moment, then turned and bounded across the Old Thunderpath, his pads spiking with pain as he stepped over small pebbles. Hazelfur hadn't made it as far as him, so Emberheart and Birchsplash had already reached the pathway before he did.

Hazelfur was sniffing at the back side of the small pathway that connected to one of the Twoleg nests, where a small hole was made in the solid nest wall. "I haven't gone in yet, but it looks safe from foxes and other cats. I can't smell anything inside." Hazelfur's tail flicked as her head disappeared into the hole. "Wow!" Her tail lashed again, and she suddenly disappeared completely.