//Un//marked

// chapter 7 //

    The day after the storm dawned bright and cool. The scent of rain lingered in the air, bringing with it a chill that accompanied even the warmest ray of sunlight. Dewkit fluffed up his fur, unsure how he felt about the weather. He liked it much better than last night's storm, that was for certain.

    Crowpaw padded just ahead of him, head and tail low. The older trainees seemed to be avoiding him, as if he were a walking token of bad luck. They kept their distance, casting side-long glances at the black tom and trading whispered comments. Webpaw walked somewhere in between, part of the trainee group but not leaving her littermate behind.

    Dewkit sighed. If only he could be part of that group. Or, better yet, running up ahead with Robin, Crisp, and Oats. His paws ached from the trek but the surroundings were enough to excite him and fuelled his paws with curiosity.

    Beside him, Cinderblossom kept a watchful eye. He had no hope of escaping from under her wing. He resolved to keep his gaze focussed ahead of him, on Beaver's swinging tail.

    But the world around him was unlike anything he'd ever seen. His paws ached to run and explore, to travel far away from the acrid scent of the Thunderpath they followed and find those gardens Leo liked to talk about, or a raccoon sifting through a Twoleg dump, or a grove of bare trees where he could tumble through a blanket of leaves.

    Lost in thought, Dewkit felt his nose hit fur.

    "Ouch," Beaver said, pulling his tail out from underneath the kit's paws. "Careful. We can't have two clumsy cats in this group." He twitched his whiskers as Dewkit.

    "Sorry," the grey tom replied, looking sheepish. A soft whisk across the head told him he was forgiven.

    "Why are we stopped?" Roxanne called from the back of the group. Before leaving the destroyed camp, Bronco had decided to split the stronger cats between the front and back of the group, keeping trainees, queens, kits, and healers in the middle. Bronco, Nightchaser, Sprucetail, Leo, Indigo, Quartz, and Beaver took up the front; Roxanne, Condor, Mira, Fiero, Birchfrost, Bramblefire and Jaystrike brought up the rear.

    "We need to cross this Thunderpath," Sprucetail called back. A shiver ran through the entire group. Dewkit's excitement only grew.

    Indigo and Quartz sprang across first, followed by Leo and Sprucetail. They settled near the edge of the Thunderpath, like they were ready to spring.

    A monster rattled past, filling the air with a putrid stench. Dewkit wrinkled his nose, coughing. Cinderblossom glanced at him, worry clouding her hazel gaze.

    Olive, Hazel, and Soren made a run for it, followed closely behind by Beaver, Finch, and Webpaw. Dewkit shifted closer and closer to the Thunderpath.

    Another monster, then one more. He heard them coming, their rough breath stirring the air long before they came into view. He felt them coming too, the pebbles near his paws jumping like grasshoppers.

    Bronco and Nightchaser stood on either side of the group, keeping watch. At a nod from Bronco, Lily and Mothpelt pelted across, mouths filled with the herbs they managed to salvage from their cardboard storage.

    It was his turn. Dewkit crouched, ready to spring forward.

    "I'll take him across." Before Dewkit could protest, a strong mouth grasped his scruff and lifted his paws from the ground. Then, the ground beneath him became a blur and he was suddenly on the other side.

    The kit glanced up to see Condor regarding him with his single eye. "Thank you," he mumbled, but only because Cinderblossom was eyeing him reproachfully.