Faith Of Sorrow; Drizzle

Chapter 4

Volebelly continued with the journey, leaving Vine behind as the brown tabby had led him through the Flesh Towers' place with no complaint. Though his talking would not be missed. He could finally continue on his journey. The mountains crossed his vision along the horizon.

"Excuse me!" Squealed a voice as a golden molly tore past his speckled white fur. Another closely followed, without any words this go around. He stumbled on his paws as they zoomed past. Wonder crossed through his mind on why the two were in such a rush.

At that moment, his paws urged him to rush back and question the young tabby on the new environment. But he wished not to be so dependent on others. He had left that horrid place with no scratches or missing fur. It seemed like a beautiful journey ahead, awaiting him. A deep feeling twisted his gut into a dwelling touch. As if the territories behind him yearned for his presence.

He was highly tempted to rush back and cry into the open fields of which Bush of Rowan roamed. Though he never looked back as his heart burned with pride, he couldn't return. There were lives on the line! If he could reach them before fate had, they may be saved.

He dared not to look back as he took a prideful stride along the rumble of pebbles beneath his paws. It felt uncomfortable as the tiny, sharp edges pricked into his paws, spiking a twitch from his tail of unease. Though the trail of pebbles soon fazed out into a soft crunch under his claws. His paws hovered over a shallow, faded green. The grass was short and prickly.

He groaned, wishing for a nest to curl up with his fellow Heart of Rust warriors nuzzled in a slumber. Things could not be that simple; if he hadn't already regretted his choice, it would've been now, as his naive mind had not accounted for the struggles ahead. He should have just gone back to camp, as Branchstar had said. His blue eyes still blazed at Volebelly; he shuttered, remembering the incident.

The sun still shimmered overhead as it beat down on the earth below. He could scent the cats that had passed him a moment ago. Maybe they knew something about the missing kit-mother's whereabouts. He strongly doubted it; he couldn't waste time. He stepped on the prickly grass as it felt as if nettles were beneath his paws. He refused to acknowledge this factor and continued. Thanks to the young tabby, he strongly felt he was headed the right way. His destination was the shallow steps to the mountain.

He knew this was only a journey to get worse. Deep in his mind, he had already missed home. His mind battled on whether he'd be welcomed back or not. He took a deep breath, throwing out his front paw and placing it in front of him. He would finish this journey; even if he had to drag this dame and her children back to the sections, he would do it.

He padded his way along the uncomfortable grass that lay beneath him. How did it even get like this? He remained silent as the wind whistled through his ears. There was nothing to be said; he only had one goal. He was going to do it. He didn't care at the time how long it would take. He wanted to get this over with.

A yowl rang through his ears, shallow and barely audible at that moment. His head twisted towards the sound. He was sure it was coming for his left. Was some cat hurt? It sounds like a yowl from a pained cat! Then he remembered the two she-cats that had zoomed past.

Volebelly was moving without his mind's consent. He ventured towards the screaming that he had heard. His ears flattened with no sign of confidence on his narrow face. He couldn't hide his ever-growing nerves. He quickened his paste, and soon he was sprinting. As fast as his legs could take him. His lengthy body was his only advantage in getting him there quickly. His paws were light on the ground; they barely pressed on the ground below him. His muscles strained as he desperately zoomed over. The trees lingered here and there, but soon they thickened around him.

He heard the hollers seized. He flew past a few trees before he heard it more clearly now. Something about a tree is all he could make out. He was too out of reach. The Dawnlight grew dark with clouds that shielded him from the little sun shown through the thickening canopy of leaves. A small linger of rainwater filtered through his nose. It was raining up ahead. Volebelly muttered a curse under his breath. Heaving his muscles once more, he dashed out into the forest. He weaved through thick trees that soon zig-zagged the woods, sheltering him from the shadowed sun. Loud bangs of thunder boomed across the crying Dawnlight.

The cries soon started up once more the closer he got. Thick droplets of rain suddenly showered his pelt. His green eyes widened with shock; though he had seen it coming, he wasn't expecting it to be so soon. The ground under him grew wet as his paws dusted with the ground beneath him. The damp, speckled cat skidded to a halt, almost failing to find his balance. His body hauled forward from the extra momentum.

"Just hand on, Holly! Drift has gone to fetch a stick." A voice rang out in the distance.

He tensed with an effort to stop his upcoming shivers. Swiftly, Volebelly dragged his paws to the sound. Though he wasn't sure if these cats were hostile, he was determined to help. Soon after the voice came a high-pitched wail. This cat, Holly, must be in a sticky situation! Volebelly concluded with a harsh gulp. He wasn't sure if he would like to find out. Was this cat injured, trapped, or in some other predicament?

He hurried as fast as he could to this sound. It soon fell silent as a pebble hitting the ponds of Pools of Ripple. The only thing that resided in his ears was the heavy patter of the droplets on his fur, the ground, the leaves, and even the shallow grasses that seemed non-existent on his pads. His paws were covered in the sticky mud that seeped into the tiny cracks between his furred toes.

A tree rotated on its side, which came as a shock to Volebelly. He inserted himself into a small opening where a damp, ebony she-cat stared at him with alarm. The white-speckled warrior seemed to swallow his tongue nervously as his legs quivered coldly. She took one glance at the fallen tree, then back at him. Her fur belly was soaked in mud as she stood. Had she been rolling in it? Volebelly thought that must've been it as she spoke.

"State your name and purpose." She demanded, her voice seemed to linger with worry.

Her stance widened. She was battle-ready. A scar, barely catching the tomcat's eyes, straight below her delicate amber eye. He couldn't understand the worry that was clearly shown through her.

"I heard a cat crying and only came to help!" He defended with a flicker of his thin, mud-soaked tail.

The molly tensed as she shuffled herself closer to the tree trunk. A groan made its way to his ears, shallow and barely of earshot. The rain rippled through the air as a crackle of thunder struck the Dawnlight.

"Is there someone else with you?" He asked after a moment of silence.

He took a confident stride over to the molly, cut short by the hiss received. The brown she-cat in front of him had her ears flattened. A sudden light shot through the Dawnlight, lightning.

"Don't come close!" Her voice threatened, and her mud-covered tail lashed behind her.

Her paws pressed back, moving her backward. She was defending something or someone...

"Light...Please just let him help." A voice pleadingly moaned from behind her.

Volebelly silently agreed with the unknown voice. The speckled she-cat dared not to turn her back on the tom, but she cast a look of concern along her face.

"We can't trust him..." She muttered back, the rain almost drowning out her voice.

But the voice only groaned in pain as he witnessed the mud shift behind her.

"Please!" Volebelly pleaded with an itch to push the she-cat aside.

"Light, let him!" The voice grew strained and winded.

The newly named Light moved her paws aside to showcase quite a scene. His eyes widened in shock, his body moving as soon as he had seen. Light looked at him with an ajared maw. Her expression soon shifted to a wave of budding anger.

"Don't touch her. You don't know where she's hurt!" Light pipped up with a low growl taunting in her throat.

Volebelly only stared at the sight before his mossy green eyes; how would he get through this one? He was frozen in shock, witnessing the cat lying north of him.