. a missing path . (ON HOLD)

. chapter two .

The two cats ran back to the tunnels. "What happened?" Ebonypaw asked Whisperingbrook anxiously. "It's Fluffyears!" Whisperingbrook panted, "There was a muddy rock, and he slipped on the mud and-" Whisperingbrook looked to the warrior's body that was on the ground. Fluffyears' breathing was shallow and his stomach was drenched in blood. "And he slipped?" Leafpaw finished. Chasingwind frantically nodded. "I-I saw..." Chasingwind looked at her friend. Loststar entered the area. "He's gone. Fluffyears is in StarClan now." Chasingwind looked at Loststar, panic in her eyes. "He can't be." Chasingwind said, her voice quiet. "He is." Whisperingbrook confirmed. Chasingwind lowered her head. "All cats agile enough to run the tunnels, gather in front of me for a meeting!" Loststar shouted. The cats sat in front of Loststar. "We're moving to the mountains. It's not safe here in the tunnels." Loststar explained. Cats whispered to each other. "We will leave at sunhigh." Loststar continued, "Get any belongings that mean something to you." "What about Fluffyears? Where will we bury him?" Chasingwind stepped forward. "By the sand line." Whisperingbrook told Chasingwind. "Meeting dismissed!" Loststar yowled. The cats returned to different areas. Cliffpaw ran up to Ebonypaw with a ball of moss in his jaws. "Ebonypaw!" Cliffpaw exclaimed, skidding to a halt. "Want to-" "Not now, Cliffpaw." Ebonypaw told him flatly. Ebonypaw walked away, catching up to Leafpaw. Cliffpaw opened his jaws to speak, but nothing came out. The rolled up moss fell out of his mouth. "Oh- O-Okay..." Cliffpaw croaked.

Chainpaw watched Hiddenvalley show off attack moves. "Just let me do them now." Chainpaw growled. "Not on me. Practice on the tree." Hiddenvalley told him. Chainpaw went silent. "What's a tree?" Chainpaw asked, looking around. "That thing." Hiddenvalley purred, pointing at the tree closest to them. "The long bush?" Chainpaw hesitated. "Yes, Chainpaw. The long bush." Hiddenvalley said. "Why can't I attack you?" Chainpaw questioned. "Because hurting others for no reason gets you nowhere." Hiddenvalley responded. Chainpaw looked at the tree, his eyes narrowing into slits. Chainpaw jumped at the tree, digging his claws into the bark. He shredded the sides of the tree until his claws got stuck on wood. "Wow. That could've been me." Hiddenvalley mumbled. Chainpaw backed up. "Was that good?" Chainpaw asked, his breathing heavy. "It was great." Hiddenvalley responded, flicking his tail. "We should head back." Hiddenvalley told Chainpaw, motioning for his apprentice to follow him. Chainpaw ran to the sand line beside Hiddenvalley. Hiddenvalley skidded to a stop. Chainpaw ran into the tunnel system. "Right behind you, Chainpaw..." Hiddenvalley stated, turning to the water. A small area of land was in the distance. Hiddenvalley looked back to the tunnel entrance behind him. He padded back and slid into the tunnels. "Hello, Hiddenvalley." Bean purred, walking up to him. "Get back to the nursery, Bean." Hiddenvalley ran over to his mate. "I'm fine, Hiddenvalley, stop worrying." Bean assured him. Hiddenvalley sighed and nodded. "I'll try not to worry so much." Hiddenvalley told Bean, lightly purring.

Cliffpaw kicked the moss ball to Twigkit. "I'm going to get it!" Flowerkit squeaked happily, swatting at the moss when it came towards her. "I'm the best player!" Twigkit meowed, puffing out his chest. "Not as good as me!" Cliffpaw batted the ball away from him. Twigkit pounced on the moss. Flowerkit put her forepaws on Twigkit's back. "He has been defeated!" Flowerkit screeched, lifting her head high. "Get off of Twigkit this instant, Flowerkit!" Echonose shouted. Flowerkit lowered her ears and stepped down. Cliffpaw pawed at Flowerkit. "It's okay, Flowerkit." Cliffpaw purred. Flowerkit looked up at the apprentice, her eyes sparkling. Twigkit jumped back up after having lied on the ground for a while. Bonepaw stepped into the den. "Bonepaw! Bonepaw! Watch me!" Twigkit shouted, running to the tom. Bonepaw stiffened. "Uhm..." Bonepaw mumbled. Twigkit jumped around Bonepaw. "Wasn't that cool?" Twigkit meowed proudly. "Yeah, that was cool." Bonepaw told the small kit. "Bonepaw, why are your eyes white?" Flowerkit asked, tilting her head. "W-well..." Bonepaw stammered. "He's magical." Ashpaw said, adjusting her bedding. "Woah!" Flowerkit and Twigkit exclaimed. Flowerkit climbed up Bonepaw's back. "Haha!" Flowerkit mewed boastfully. Bonepaw tensed up, hoping the small she wouldn't fall. Cliffpaw giggled. "Come down from there, Flowerkit!" Twigkit squeaked. Flowerkit nodded and hopped down from the blind apprentice's back. Bonepaw sat down. "You're great with kits, Bonepaw." Ashpaw purred. "I wouldn't say great with kits-" Bonepaw squeaked, lowering his head. "Oh well, see you later, Bonepaw." Ashpaw said, exiting the den.

   Snake grabbed a vine and pulled it over to her. "What are you doing, Snake?" Rex asked. "Getting the things I want to take with me." Snake squeaked. Rex didn't question anymore. "Hold still, Rex." Snake meowed, stepping closer to Rex. "Oh, okay." Rex said, tensing up. Snake wrapped the vines around his paw. "It looks good." Snake purred. "Thank you." Rex mewed. "How about you go over to Mole?" he continued. Snake nodded, hopping away. Rex watched her jump away, then continued cleaning the elder's den. "That's a nice kit you have." Raven purred. "Oh- Snake?" Rex seemed to ask the question to himself, "She's not my kit." Raven looked like she was about to make a remark, but her friend, Tornado, beat her there. "She yer sister?" Tornado asked, narrowing his cloudy eyes. "No, sir." Rex told the tall elder. "Just a friend." Raven smiled warmly. "You're a kind tom, Rex." Rex gave his chest fur an embarrassed lick. "Yes... Very kind of you." Tornado muttered, "I'm going to see Gnarled." Tornado let out a huff and sulked out of the den. "Tornado's been on edge lately." Raven told Tornado, sighing. Rex looked up, then squeaked. Raven curled up in her new den. "Thank you, Rex." Raven purred. Rex left the den. Mole hissed, "Rex! Get those vines off of you! You look like an outsider!" "Snake gave them to me." Rex told him. "I don't like my cats wearing kit decor, Rex." Mole spat, padding to Rex.