The Missing Clan

Chapter 18

❅

Rabbitflight noticed that they were here longer than they were supposed to. While Leafwhisker and Whitestripe were out searching for a second camp, Rabbitflight, Lizardtooth, and Hawk were here waiting. 

Rabbitflight had just finished telling the story to Hawk. Hawk had asked his questions, so now they were sitting in silence. "I have one more question," Hawk broke the silence. 

Rabbitflight nodded, allowing him to speak.

"When are we going back?" Hawk meowed, startling him. Rabbitflight looked away. "I... don't know." He finally meowed, shuffling his paws uneasily. "I think... when Lightpoppy's back?"

Rabbitflight suddenly felt a sharp bite on his neck. "Ugh, flea, why won't you stop bothering me?" he meowed angrily. Hawk noticed it, meowing, "I'll help you." Then Rabbitflight felt a wet nose on his neck, it was Hawk nosing around for the flea. 

Then he heard a small crack of the flea's shell. "Thanks," Rabbitflight breathed. "Anytime," Hawk meowed enthusiastically. "We literally have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do!" 

"Might as well make yourselves useful," a voice sniffed in the bushes. "C'mon, Root, be quiet so we can eavesdrop," another voice whispered. "Ah, alright, I forgot, Mint," the cat that was identified Root whispered back. "Honestly I thought they were going to look for us," the Root cat meowed, so quietly that Rabbitflight had to strain his ears to listen. "But obviously they don't care if we live or die."

"Who's there?" Hawk growled. "Show yourselves." "See, I told you, Root," Mint meowed. "that you shouldn't talk! This is how they find us and take us prisoner!" "Show yourselves!" Rabbitflight repeated, hissing this time. 

Reluctantly a silver tom and a brown tabby tom came out of the bushes, looking nervous. "Who  asked you to spy on us?" Rabbitflight demanded, his neck fur bristling. 

"Well, actually, we, um, wanted to spy on you?" Mint mumbled. "But, no, it's for a good reason!" he meowed quickly. 

"Hear me out-" Root meowed nervously. "We don't like the way our band treats us. We've decided to eavesdrop on you guys to see if you would like another two cats?"

Rabbitflight sighed. "Let me tell Troutstar." He shot a look that implied he didn't trust them at the rogues. "Don't do anything that'll make us fight. Remember, we have a whole camp of ready, trained warriors willing to fight for their lives."

Mint nodded quickly, "We won't." 

A few moments later, Troutstar and Morningwhisker appeared in front of the rogues, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Who do we have here?" Troutstar meowed. 

"Um, we're here because we don't like the way the 'rogues' treat us?" Root meowed with a hint of fear in his voice. "And we want to join you," Mint finished, more boldly. 

"Ah," Troutstar flicked his tail, calling Morningwhisker over. They bent their heads together, whispering. All the commotion brought over Icepool, Mouseclaw, Dawnpoppy, and Rosekit. "Mama, who's that?" Rosekit squeaked, poking her head out of the nursey. 

"No one special," Dawnpoppy meowed, stuffing Rosekit comfortably back in the nest, and laid down, blocking Rosekit from the sight of the rogues. When Rosekit popped back over her mother's flank, Dawnpoppy gently laid Rosekit down, still blocking the sight from her daughter. "Aw, Mama," Rosekit complained. 

Then Troutstar and Morningwhisker turned to the rogues. "We'll let you stay... on one condition." he meowed.

Root and Mint nodded vigorously. 

"You'll help us rescue Lightpppy." Troutstar twitched his whiskers. "Who's--" Root was cut off by Mint: "That calico she-cat prisoner! Don't you remember? You just got off duty." 

"Ohhhh, right." Root nodded. Troutstar overlooked them, "You're young, but old enough to be a warrior. You'll still have a mentor, until you learn everything you need to know. That'll also require a changing of names, if you're okay with that." The rogues nodded eagerly, as if it were that easy to betray the rogue band. 

I guess either they're not that loyal, or the rogue band treated them so terribly that they're eager to betray them, Rabbitflight noticed.

"Well," Morningwhisker cut in. "If you're quite finished, I'd like to know your story. Like how they found you, do you have any kin in the band, and how rude are they to you. Give an example, as well." Her eyes suddenly glazed over. 

With a jolt of terror, Rabbitflight squinted at her eyes. When cats' eyes glazed over, that most likely meant that they were dying, and Rabbitflight didn't want that to happen to the WaterClan deputy. They already don't have a lot of cats, Rabbitflight thought. They can't afford to lose another one, especially their deputy.

But, fortunately, Rabbitflight was mistaken. Morningwhisker was just closing her eyes. Root hesitated. "Can we... go somewhere more private?" he asked. "Where the whole Clan can't hear." Troutstar nodded, and flicked his tail to go to a corner of the camp. 

"Everyone else, don't follow," he hesitated as he looked a Rabbitflight, Lizardtooth, and Hawk. "I figure you can come," he meowed, nodding to the LeafClan cats and IceClan cat. "'cause you went out of your way to send us home."

That's a good thing, because I'm curious of what the rogues have to say, Rabbitflight thought. At that moment, Leafwhisker and Lizardtooth came rushing in. "What happened?" Hawk mewed. 

"We couldn't find her," Leafwhisker meowed. "But we think we've gotten closer to where they've imprisoned her," Whitestripe meowed, and Rabbitflight noticed she was limping. Before he could say anything, Lizardtooth asked a question.

"Then why'd you come back?"

"Whitestripe here stepped on a big thorn, and I couldn't get it out," Leafwhisker informed. "anyways, what's happening here?" Troutstar sighed. "You might as well come, I don't want the whole Clan to hear as I explain. Whitestripe, go see Hawksight." Whitestripe nodded, and Troutstar turned away to the corner.

Leafwhisker just stood there with a confused expression, and Rabbitflight beckoned for him to come. A wave of understanding rippled across his face as he glanced at the rogues. It's pretty easy to tell, Rabbitflight thought. Why else would strange cats come in the camp, and Troutstar let them, if we weren't forming an alliance? 

As they settled in, Root took a deep breath. "You can start," Mint offered. Root took another deep breath, and started to explain.