Flamepaw's Destination

Chapter 6

            Flamepaw awoke to feel Barkpaw poking at her side. Slowly, she opened her eyes, finding light peeking into the nearly empty apprentice den. She laughed to herself, finding it funny how despite the entire camp was deserted, she and Barkpaw were still adamant to sleep in their nests in the apprentice den.
            It had been a few days since their wild encounter with Troutfin, and now, she and Barkpaw were desperately praying to StarClan that the clan would return. The daily routine was simple. They'd eat breakfast and stick around for a bit. Then, they'd head out into the forest looking for any signs or clues. This process of searching and staying was repeated until night fell, and then the cycle repeated again in the morning.
            Flamepaw was beginning to get more nervous, however, as the seven sunrises were quickly approaching. If the clan had not returned by that time, it would be up to her and Barkpaw to search for the clan members. And while she knew it could be done, she was unsure how two mere apprentices were going to save their clan from whatever was happening to them. At least when she'd gone to find Goldstar she'd had plenty of other cats with her.
            "Wake up," Barkpaw told her. "Maybe they'll be back today."
            He said this every day, and Flamepaw knew it was his attempt to lift her spirits, but she couldn't help but feel more disappointed each day he said this. Still, she was glad to have Barkpaw's company, and she truly regarded him as much more than a friend at this point. She wondered if he thought the same.
            Rising to her feet, Flamepaw reluctantly followed Barkpaw outside to see the sun rising above the forest. She shivered a bit, the air cold with the fast-approaching leaf-bare, but still, she was happy to see the sun rise. It was one of the few pleasures she got from being here alone, knowing that while they may have failed in assisting the clan the day before, a new day was upon them and the possibilities of that day were endless.
            "Last robin," Barkpaw explained, plucking one of the few non-fish pieces of prey from the pile. All of the fish had been eaten by them at this point, and the pile was becoming increasingly low. It didn't bother them too much though. If the clan did not return, then they'd be out of here quickly and would not have to bother restocking it.
            Unless they return after we leave, Flamepaw thought, trying to block these negative thoughts from her mind. No, she had to think positive. If they hadn't returned by that point, odds were they would need help returning.
            Flamepaw bit into her share of the robin, missing the salty taste of fish. She could easily go catch some with Barkpaw, but he had suggested instead eating from the kill pile, not wanting to waste the prey that so many cats had spent countless hours hunting. Flamepaw agreed, but she still longed for some trout or even a taste of salmon.
            "Pick up any scents?" Flamepaw asked.
            Barkpaw shook his head as he chewed his breakfast. "Not last time I checked. A squirrel, but that's about it. Even Troutfin's scent has completely vanished by now."
            Flamepaw's stomach became uenasy at the thought of Troutfin. How could such a collected and organized deputy have fallen apart so quickly? What had caused her emotional distress?
            "I know you're upset about Troutfin," Barkpaw spoke, as if he had read her mind. "But obviously she couldn't help us. And she was a coward to leave us and the clan."
            "I just wish we could find them," Flamepaw muttered miserably. She wanted to see all of her close clanmates again.
            "Do you think Korosu is behind this?" she asked after a moment of silence.
            "It wouldn't surprise me," Barkpaw admitted. "For moons we go without hearing about that she-cat and now the clan suddenly goes missing."
            "Why have none of the other clans checked on us yet?" Flamepaw wondered.
            None of the other three clans had attempted to check on RiverClan, probably assuming the whole clan had vanished by this point. Still, their land had not been invaded, and the borders had still been kept. Flamepaw had suggested visiting one of the other clans, but Barkpaw had been against it, not knowing if they too were perhaps a part of the plan.
            So while Flamepaw desperately wanted to go searching for answers, she was forced to stay in her deserted camp and wait.
            And after breakfast, that's precisely what she and Barkpaw did. They paced around camp (well, Flamepaw mostly) wondering when their clan or if their clan would ever return. While Barkpaw sniffed the air for any scents, Flamepaw wandered in and out of dens, memories flooding back to her.
            She stepped into the medicine cat den, finding all of Mothwing's herbs organized just as she had left them. Her heart swelled thinking of her dear friend Mothwing who'd helped her overcome her fears. Flamepaw had to repay her by assisting her and the clan.
            Sighing, Flamepaw exited the medicine cat den and wandered into the leader's den where one lone nest sat near the corner. As much as Flamepaw missed her friends and family, she supposed she missed Goldstar the most. The two had never been that close, but when they spoke, they truly connected. She missed the leader's authority and management of the clan.
            Flamepaw approached Goldstar's nest, still able to catch a whiff of the she-cat's scent. It was stale, of course, nearly gone. For some unknown reason, Flamepaw crawled into Goldstar's nest, finding it incredibly comfy. She closed her eyes, imagining Goldstar sitting here, conducting the clan.
            Tears began to swell in Flamepaw's eyes, and she desperately longed for her leader. She wondered if Goldstar had felt this way when Gingerkit had died, stuck in a lonely world with nothing to do. The situations were completely different, of course. Gingerkit was assured dead while Flamepaw had no idea whether any of her clanmates were alive. Flamepaw supposed her situation was a bit worse. Not knowing was torture.
            Flamepaw had hoped Gingerkit or some other StarClan cat would come to her with some message, some sign that the clan was safe and okay, but nothing had come. The nightmares had not returned either, and so when Flamepaw slept, she slept in a world of darkness with no vivid dreams or nightmares. It was torture.
            Hearing footsteps, Flamepaw gazed up, watching as Barkpaw stepped inside. As soon as he caught sight of the crying Flamepaw, he sighed.
            "Why don't we go look in the forest now?" he suggested, ushering her out of the leader's den with no other words besides that.
            Flamepaw didn't know how she'd be able to get through this without Barkpaw. He'd been so supportive, so helpful during this difficult time. She nuzzled him sweetly, watching as his face lit up just a little. It was not meant to be romantic though, just a simple appreciative act. But did she want it to be romantic?
            Flamepaw shook her head, not wanting to be thrown into her questionable relationship with Barkpaw at the time. There would be time for that later, when the clan was found, or they had an idea about where the clan was. For now, she had to focus on finding her clanmates.
            Glad to be exiting the deserted camp, Flamepaw followed Barkpaw into the familiar forest. As they walked through, desperately sniffing the air, every tree, every blade of grass for some scent of clanmates, she found the forest to be much quieter and emptier than it had been when the clan was there.
            There were no patrols going by, no cats hunting, no training sessions going on. The only sound came from the wind and the dead leaves that rolled across the forest floor. A bit of chilly wind swept against Flamepaw, and she shivered, continuing to walk.
            She glanced over at Barkpaw, though he didn't seem to be too phased by the chilly weather. He led her near the river where they once again found no scent whatsoever of their former clan members. As Barkpaw sniffed around, Flamepaw glanced into the rushing water, imagining herself back at the river's edge with Dusktail and catching fish with him. She imagined Barkpaw and Rosepettle beside her, supporting her as she caught fish.
            "No fishing," Barkpaw reminded her.
            "I know," Flamepaw replied glumly. "I was just thinking."
            "About what?" Barkpaw asked, sitting down beside her.
            "Of that day when I caught the salmon. Everyone was so proud of me. I wish I were back sitting here with Dusktail. I wish I were back with him on the first day he taught me to fish," Flamepaw explained, thinking all the way back to before she had even gone on her quest. Barkpaw had not even been  a RiverClan member at the time.
            Barkpaw nodded slowly.
            "Do you miss Rosepettle?" she asked.
            "I don't miss training so much," Barkpaw replied jokingly, which caused a slight laugh to erupt from Flamepaw, though it was minimal and barely audible.
            "But, yes, I miss her," Barkpaw explained. "And I know you miss Dusktail. Just think, if we investigate and find out about the clan, maybe we'll be made warriors on the spot!"
            Flamepaw nodded, though becoming a warrior had not even entered her mind that often since the clan's mysterious disappearance. At first she'd been frightened about getting behind in her training, but she realized the fate of her clan was much more important than becoming a warrior. After all, the quest had helped her a lot with her training, and she was sure this would too. For a moment, she was in her own imagination, thinking of her and Barkpaw standing with Goldstar as she gave them their warrior names. What a day that would be...if it ever came.
            "Maybe we should head back," Flamepaw suggested.
            "Let's go about one more time," Barkpaw proposed instead.
            Flamepaw could not argue, and so, for a second time they went around and found themselves disappointed. At this time, they returned to camp where Barkpaw went inside for a nap while Flamepaw sat outside in the sunlight, rolling a moss ball back and forth between her paws.
            As she glanced into the blue skies, Flamepaw could imagine herself looking up at StarClan, and she whispered quietly, "Please bring my clan home."