Trufflefur began clawing his way backwards, practically sliding down the tree. When he came close enough to leap from the trunk with the squirrel in his jaws, Jadestar spoke again.

"Have any of your clanmates returned since we last heard from you?" The Skyclan leader's voice was gruff. She sounds like she doesn't want to ask him.

"No," Trufflefur still sounded out of breath when he answered, his thin brown tail waving. "I've still been here... hunting by myself."

"Why didn't you go with them?" Crescentpaw asked. Even after all eyes were turned on her she kept looking at the muscular brown tom. The Riverclan she-cat couldn't help it. Her curiosity was too much to bear.

"I don't want to discuss that... At least not right now," Trufflefur gave an apologetic half-shrug and carried on. "But as for why I haven't tried to leave and re-join them... Well, let's just say that I feel closer to Thunderclan's roots here. I feel like Starclan is still nearby and they haven't moved or left us."

Crescentpaw nodded. "That makes sense." She heard the kits begin to bicker behind her. Oatkit yowled "GET OFF MY TAIL!" and then she heard Cloverkit laugh.

"How many clanmates did you have left before they all fled, Trufflefur?" She felt no embarrassment in asking the question.

"Like almost none."

The dark tabby apprentice sighed. "Alright... I'm sorry for your losses."

He looked placid as he sat down. "It isn't your fault."

Lengthier shadows were gathering behind her. Crescentpaw looked up and caught a clear glimpse of the sky.

One end of the striated atmosphere was a deep rosy pink. Clouds laid in puckered waves across it, scenic and tranquil as the breeze loftily tugged them along.

However, one end of the horizon was dark as twilight began its descent.

"We've got to get going." A drag of wind lifted her tail-fluff. "Trufflefur, will you allow us to stay in the Thunderclan camp tonight? I've got some more things to explain, but I'd rather not stay exposed with the apprentices like this." She stood there with her two-toned eyes slanted against the dying light.

"My kits," Pepperpelt corrected, looking over at her with a confused glance. Crescentpaw ignored her, knowing she was acting delusional. Doesn't she know it's possible to have the title of both?

Rainpaw's blue-gray pelt twitched along her spine. She looked uncomfortable, exchanging a glance with the brown Thunderclan tom.

"Yeah, but... well I can't offer the best of sleeping conditions. Just follow me and I'll show you." Crescentpaw nodded and prepared to trail behind him.

🐈‍⬛

On the rest of the way to Thunderclan's hollow she told Trufflefur about the state of her clan. Crescentpaw eventually got to the part about her mission, and Riverclan's ultimate goal of reaching Starclan with the other clans help.

Upon hearing this the tom's eyes lit up. Crescentpaw noticed that the kits did as well, and they all gathered closer around her to listen. Their expressions were wide and open with the prospect of hope and wonder.

"Of course I'll help!" Trufflefur said enthusiastically. "I'll represent what's left of Thunderclan- at least from over here." He blinked his cerulean-blue eyes thoughtfully.

Crescentpaw was warmed to hear the kindest acceptance of her proposal yet. She gave a short purr but continued focusing on the space ahead of her. Not too long ago she had walked straight into a thorn bush. There was still a couple of thorns nestled deep in her chest-fur. I'll need help pulling those out later. I guess I can ask Hillflower.

The expansive tree canopy blotted out most of the dying light above them. One or two starlings chattered from amongst the highest tree branches, but they were well out of a cat's reach.

When they padded down Thunderclan's sloping stone entrance and into the ravine-like hollow Crescentpaw became completely captivated. Her ears twitched and she swiveled her head to look all around.

The perspective was much different than it had been from the topmost edges of the hollow. Up there the grass was overgrown. But down here there was almost none.

Instead, the crumbly grit underpaw didn't feel as natural. There was no loose earth to cushion her pads.

Hardly any air stirred a whisker. It wasn't easy for a gust of wind to reach these depths, below the topsoil's natural levels. Yet the stone alone was enough to reflect most of the heat. It felt surprisingly cool beneath her paws, especially as she walked around and passed through the camp's shaded areas.

"Wow, Thunderclan camp is really empty." Cloverkit meowed. She licked her chest and then walked in a semi-circle around a thick clump of gorse. The plant was overgrown from between a fissure in the rock beneath their paws.

"And creepy!" Oatkit said with his faded yellow-orange tail stuck up behind him. He bounded away from Pepperpelt and up to a pile of boulders beneath a sloping cliff edge.

"That's their highledge up there." Jadestar looked at a jutting outcrop of stone high above the cat's heads. "And behind that stone is a cave opening for the leader's den."

"Awesome!" Oatkit declared. His squeaky mew was almost drowned out by a loud chirping cricket. The insects began their symphony one-by-one in the taller grasses behind them.

Crescentpaw only glanced at the rock ledge, for she was too busy looking on toward the dens. She spotted a giant fallen tree that had flaky, rotting bark. Most of the branches had snapped or disintegrated off, replaced with crumbling hunks of dead wood.

Beside it was a thick tangle of heaped brambles. They appeared intact, but when Crescentpaw leaned closer all she could scent was stale nests inside. She looked toward the adjacent wall, which had a broad thorn bush growing out of a crack along the edge. Its branches were spread wide and high, and had lichen draped over the outermost edges to create a concave denspace inside.

It looked like a warriors or apprentices den. When the she-cat ducked her head inside she found only dusty, flattened bracken nests, and retreated immediately.

The other dens looked to be the same way. As sunset fell Crescentpaw's hackles began to stand on end. She lowered her head and fidgeted, trying to force herself into a quick grooming session.

This isn't good. I thought I would've gathered a full team of warriors by now. Do we stand any chance of making it the rest of the way around the lake? Her paws itched to keep moving, yet at the same time they were dragging wearily.

Is it just pure luck that I didn't come across any wolves today? Or do they hunt over here less since there's less cats to left to kill? Crescentpaw frowned while she thought to herself. The stress was causing her forehead to ache.

"We ought to climb the trees now and try to sleep for the night," Sootface growled suddenly. His meows were filled with warning. "These oak branches should be broad enough to support us."

Pepperpelt groaned. "I suppose so, but my spine always hurts so much when I wake up."

Crescentpaw hunched her shoulders. She tried to forcefully smooth her ruffled fur back down, but it was spiking with panic.

I can't climb a tree. And I sure can't attempt to in front of all of them!

_____________________
Pepperpelt