✔️ Warriors | On the path | Book #1

Chapter 7

"I can't believe it... You're right Darkpaw, Frostpaw's scent does go further off." Brightpaw said, she stared at the forest in front of them uneasily. Brightpaw has never been anywhere besides her territory, she never traveled further off. But, she will do anything to find Frostpaw, no matter what it takes. Brightpaw could feel energy surging through her and she straightened up, her tail high in the air. "We have to go after her." Brightpaw decided. Darkpaw's eyes widened and he looked suddenly anxious. "W-we can't! We're just apprentices, besides it's too dangerous. I heard there are dogs, foxes and badgers..." Darkpaw trailed off, he closed his eyes with a shiver. Brightpaw twitched her whiskers in worry, Darkpaw has a point but that's not going to stop her from going after Frostpaw.

"You coming or what?" Brightpaw asked, she trotted over to the grass and off of her territory, looking back she could see Darkpaw who stood in place, obviously hesitating. "I don't know..." Darkpaw said, still unsure. Darkpaw looked back to the forest, unsure what to do. "Can we at least bring someone with us?" Darkpaw asked, he looked at Brightpaw again. Brightpaw stopped to think, if they tell anyone to come with them will they even come? Or will they tell Flowerstar all about their plan? "It's too risky, they could tell Flowerstar. We have to go on our own, and I'm going if you won't." Brightpaw said, she trotted away from her territory and into the unknown land, breathing in the unfamiliar scent. She skidded to a halt and turned around to stare at Darkpaw, he was hesitating and he seemed unsure what to do. Darkpaw sighed and walked over to Brightpaw. "I can't leave you alone in this, I'm coming with you." Darkpaw said.

Brightpaw was very glad that he's coming with her, she doesn't want to be alone in this journey. "Let's go, then. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll get to her!" Brightpaw said cheerfully, Darkpaw mumbled something Brightpaw couldn't quite catch, Brightpaw started walking away, following Frostpaw's scent with Darkpaw close by her side. Brightpaw tasted the air, Frostpaw's scent was still there but she seemed to be in a hurry to somewhere if she got it right. "Where do you think she went and why?" Brightpaw asked as she continued to follow the scent trail, looking around the forest she never exploded before. "I'm not sure ... It's kind of odd to just go out of the territory to somewhere, especially for Frostpaw." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw had to admit that Darkpaw was right, Frostpaw being herself shed never even go out in the first place, Frostpaw loves DawnClan more than anything.

Brightpaw and Darkpaw came to halt, the forest ended here and beyond the forest was a wide, huge field that could go on for moons. But she could also see something from the distance, those must be Twoleg dens. They don't have any Twolegs near here but Poppystripe talked about them in her time, when she was captured by the Twoleg and everyone thought she was dead but she came back healthy and strong, everyone was overjoyed to see her. "Did she go out there?" Darkpaw asked, Brightpaw tasted the scent to see that Frostpaw indeed did go out on the moor, going straight forward. "If we go there we'd be exposed without the trees, anything might see or kill us!" Darkpaw yowled, Brightpaw could taste his fear scent. Darkpaw was always anxious and worried of everything so it's kind of natural to see him like this. "We don't have a choice. Come on." Brightpaw stepped out and started to walk, but she didn't hear paw-steps behind her to Brightpaw's surprise. Brightpaw stopped and she turned her head around to look at Darkpaw, confusion swarming over her face.

'He's coming, right? He surely wouldn't leave me on my own...' Brightpaw began to worry but she pushed the worries away and focused on Darkpaw. "Can we keep close to the trees? They're right beside the moor, they're on every side circling the moor." Darkpaw said. He had a point, out here on the moor, the trees were circling it. It would take more time if they go around instead of straight forward tho, but maybe it's better if they stay under cover, who knows what can be in these unknown territories? They've never been here before, what if it's claimed by some cat or a badger? Brightpaw felt anxiety rise upon her but she shook her pelt. "Alright. We'll keep close to the forest." Brightpaw said. Darkpaw shoulders sagged and he sighed out with relief. Brightpaw started to go around the moor, keeping close to the trees. Darkpaw followed beside her and the two cats began their journey to find their friend.

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"My legs are aching!" Brightpaw moaned, she never thought that this journey would take a lot of her energy away, but it apparently did. Darkpaw seemed like he could collapse any second too but he forced himself to keep moving. They've travelled all day without stopping to hunt, now they were tired and hungry. Darkpaw offered for them to stop and hunt but Brightpaw wanted to find Frostpaw first before anything so they kept moving. The night was approaching and soon they won't see anything. Darkpaw stopped all of a sudden, he tasted the air and looked around his surroundings. "We'll stop to hunt and then we'll sleep. The night is approaching, we can't keep going more." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw sighed with relief. "I'll go this way." Brightpaw said, swishing her tail to the forest in front of her, a little to the left. Prey would be hidden deep in the forest, not out here on the moor. She's sure of it. Darkpaw gave her a nod and he padded away, deeper into the forest on the opposite direction from Brightpaw's.

Brightpaw started going deeper into the forest too, after a bit of walking she tasted the air, her eyes and ears alert. She heard a sound, and then at that moment she tasted a squirrel. Dropping into a hunting crouch, Brightpaw crept forward. She could see the squirrel, it was on the ground nibbling on a nut it caught. Brightpaw crept forward, careful to not make sound. Her paws felt light and silent as she crept closer and closer each second. She stopped a few paw-steps away from the squirrel, the squirrel couldn't see Brightpaw since Brightpaw was behind the squirrel. Brightpaw waited a few seconds for the right moment to strike. Suddenly squirrel snapped it's head up and at Brightpaw, it widened it's eyes in surprise. Brightpaw jumped at the squirrel and killed it in a single bite before the squirrel managed to escape. Taking the squirrel in her jaws, Brightpaw started to go back to the place she'd last seen Darkpaw. Darkpaw was already waiting for her, he caught a mouse. It was average size, good enough. "Let's eat then we'll sleep." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw sat down a few paw-steps away from Darkpaw and dropped the squirrel down then began to eat.

She could feel energy surging through her already, even tho her muscles ached nothing will stop Brightpaw from finding Frostpaw. She has to find her. "Where do you think she headed? We can't follow her scent if we stay here, she went straight forward... She was walking on the moor." Brightpaw pointed out. They can't follow her scent by going on the other side, how can they know where she's headed towards? "It's very obvious she's going to the Twoleg place." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw widened her eyes in surprise as she watched Darkpaw eat his vole. There's no way she went there, why'd she do that? "She surely must have gone somewhere else." Brightpaw said, she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Darkpaw or herself that. "Where else could she go?" Darkpaw looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. "That's the only explanation." Darkpaw added. Brightpaw didn't respond, she took a bite of her squirrel and gulped it down in silence.

"She can't... Why'd she do that?" Brightpaw mumbled. Darkpaw didn't answer this time, none of them knew why Frostpaw left DawnClan to head to Twoleg place. "We'll find out soon." Darkpaw finished his vole already, he looked at Brightpaw calmly. "We'll continue our journey and we will find Frostpaw. I'm sure of it." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw gave him a nod, but she wasn't even sure if Frostpaw would be at the Twoleg place. She just doubts to believe that, it's not like Frostpaw to just go there and become a kittypet. "Let's get some sleep." Darkpaw said. Brightpaw finished her squirrel and she laid down on the grass beside Darkpaw, closing her eyes softly. Weber Frostpaw is, Brightpaw won't give up until she finds her. 'Frostpaw... We're coming. I won't give up until I find you.' Brightpaw promised silently, without Frostpaw Brightpaw's life wouldn't be the same. She will do anything to get her Clanmate back, even if she has to travel for a moon... Frostpaw isn't just her Clanmate, she's more than that. She's her friend.