SkyClan's Destiny/Chapter 28

Chapter Summary
 Leafstar's PoV 
 * Leafstar says that they follow a scent when tracking prey. She tastes the Twoleg kit’s scent, and asks if there is any way to lay one for the Twolegs. Harveymoon replies that Twolegs have a bad sense of smell. His leader admits that he has a point, and asks how the SkyClan cats can let them know where the lost kit is. Though she doesn’t expect an answer, she hears an excited cry from Frecklepaw, who calls the others over to see what she found. Her voice wakes Clovertail, and yawns and comments that that had been the best sleep she had in moons. She asks her leader what is going on, and if the kit’s parents are coming. Leafstar explains what happened in Twolegplace, while she goes over to Frecklepaw to see what the apprentice found. Clovertail carefully steps out of the Twoleg’s grasp, and murmurs pity for it. Frecklepaw tells them to look as the two she-cats approach, and with her tail she points a bright blue object. Leafstar asks what it is, and the daylight-warrior responds that it’s the kit’s backpack. Leafstar grips the backpack between her teeth, and tugs it onto the surface of the nearest rock. Several smaller objects fall out of it.


 * More of the Clan cats were starting to gather around. The apprentices wriggle to the front. Mintpaw mews that Twolegs are weird. Pointing at a scrap of white pelt, she asks why they would drag so much stuff around, then asks what it’s all for. Frecklepaw responds that it’s a hanky, and that Twolegs wipe their noses with it. Mintpaw is surprised that Twolegs don’t just lick their noses off. Sagepaw asks what a round green thing is. Frecklepaw replies that she doesn’t know, but shows what a hair band is. Egg sniffs the hairband, and Mintpaw and Sagepaw exchange a glance. Meanwhile, Snookpaw had approached, carrying her necklace. Mintpaw asks what it’s for. The black-and-white apprentice says he doesn’t know, but says that female Twolegs put them around their neck, and he suggests that it could be to stop their heads from falling off. Sagepaw says that that can’t be right, but Clovertail interrupts her, asking what they would do with all of this, and if it would even help them. Leafstar replies that she thinks it does. She says that the Twolegs can’t follow a scent trail, but that they can see. She suggests using the stuff to lead them from Twolegplace to here, to find their kit. Sharpclaw comments that he hopes they have some tracking skills, and Petalnose expresses surprise that they’d go into so much trouble. Sparrowpelt agrees, saying that it has nothing to do with them. Clovertail shows surprise that he said that. In return, Sparrowpelt shrugs, saying that they’re putting themselves in danger for nothing. Cherrytail says that it’s a great idea, and asks if they’ll go now. Leafstar looks at the sky, and decides that they would go right now, with the same patrol. The SkyClan leader orders each of the cats to pick something and follow her. Sharpclaw meows that he would stay there, saying that he has a few ideas that might help when the Twolegs come to the gorge. Leafstar briefly wonders what her deputy is planning, then tells herself to stop suspecting him. She accepts, and says that they’ll see him later.


 * Leafstar grips the green jingly thing in her paws. The rest of the patrol gathers the other objects. Billystorm picks up the backpack. Leafstar leads the way up the cliff face. Halfway up, she comes upon a round object made of Twoleg pelt-stuff, and guesses that it’s used to cover their head fur. She grabs it and carries it with her. Near the top of the cliff, a thornbush grew. Leafstar instructs Billystorm to hang the backpack there. The ginger-and-white tom nods and does as told, but doesn’t speak to his leader. Leafstar wishes that they were still friends. The patrol continues, positioning objects where the Twolegs would easily spot them. Finally, Cherrytail leaves the hair band on an overhanging branch of a chestnut tree beside the Thunderpath, and she asks what they would do now. The only thing left it the head fur cover that Leafstar is carrying. She sets it down, and says she’ll take it to the Twoleg nest, where the Twolegs would hopefully recognize it. Cora warns her to be careful in case they might throw things again. The tabby she-cat nods, accepting that it’s a risk she’ll have to take. She picks up the cover again and heads for the nest, the patrol cautiously following her. The sun is sliding below the roofs of the Twoleg nests by now.


 * Leafstar jumps onto the wall and looks at the grass. At first she thinks the space is empty, then notices the male Twoleg pacing up and down in the shadow of the bushes on the opposite side. A moment later the female comes out and calls something to him. Leafstar springs down and carries the head fur cover toward the female. As soon as the female Twoleg spots her, she screeches and tries to chase her off. Leafstar is irritated at this, but dodges to one side as the female swipes at her. She glances over her shoulder, and sees Cora and Cherrytail side by side on the top of the wall, both looking worried. The male Twoleeg lets out ayowl, and grabs the female’s foreleg. He points at the head fur cover and crouches down, talking with one paw stretched out to Leafstar. The female stopped screeching is staring, eyes wide. Leafstar wants to drop the cover and run, but instead backs away slowly. When she reaches the wall, the SkyClan leader leaps onto it, relieved that the rest of the patrol had vanished. She jumps into the alley and looks back at the male Twoleg, who opens a gate and follows her out. Reaching the Thunderpath, Leafstar drops he head fur cover and runs toward the chestnut tree where Cherrytail had left the hair band. When she looks back, she sees that the male Twoleg had picked up the cover, and a moment later was joined by the female Twoleg. They look over it, but eventually turn away and head back into the alley. Leafstar wails, and the female pauses, then heads along toward Leafstar. Her mate follows. The she-cat is close to the chestnut tree when the female suddenly screeches and runs past Leafstar, picking up the hair band from the branch. Leafstar thanks StarClan that they found the trail. The male catches up with her and they begin to follow the trail.


 * After they leave, Leafstar waves her tail to summon her patrol. They emerge from their hiding places and crowd around her. Cherrytail exclaims that they did it, and Leafstar meows that they should head back to camp. They race back to the cliffs, staying clear of the trail of Twoleg objects. Leafstar can hear the Twolegs shout each time they find a new thing, and she is pleased that the plan worked. When the patrol scrambles into camp, Leafstar skids to a halt in surprise. The gorge looks very busy. Petalnose, Waspwhisker, and Shrewtooth drag branches and fern fronds across the den entrances. Ebonyclaw supervises the three apprentices in moving the fresh-kill pile into a hollow among the rocks on the other side of the river. Tangle and Lichenfur are by the river, using their tails to wipe out paw prints. Leafstar realizes that they’re hiding the camp. Sharpclaw asks if they’re coming, and Leafstar tells him that they’re on their way. She notes that they did a good job in making it look like no cats have ever been there. Sharpclaw nods, and meows that he’d rather the Twolegs not come near, but he agrees with his leader that the injured kit can’t stay there.


 * Leafstar leaves her patrol to help concealing the camp. She heads up the gorge to find Echosong, who with Clovertail is sitting beside the injured kit. The kit isn’t moving, and Leafstar feels pity for her. Echosong asks if the plan worked, but before Leafstar can reply, they hear the sound of huge paws trampling around, along with Twoleg voices yelling. Clovertail thanks StarClan that they’re calling for their kit. Echosong anxiously mews that the kit can’t answer, and Leafstar replies that they’ll have to answer for her. She jumps onto a nearby rock and lets out an earsplitting screech. The Twolegs approach, and let out answering cries as they point at the motionless kit. Echosong leaps up beside Leafstar, and says that they’ve spotted her. Leafstar lets her yowl die away and mews that they’ll come to get her. She adds that she wants no sign of SkyClan anywhere in the gorge, and says they should get back to camp right away.


 * Sharpclaw is waiting at the foot of the Rockpile when Leafstar, Echosong, and Clovertail return to camp. The rest of the Clan are already in their dens. Sharplcaw asks what happened, and Leafstar reports that the Twolegs are there. She breaks off as yowls of trimph erupt from the den, and Harveymoon exclaims that he knew they could do it. Fallowfern’s kits scramble among the branches outside the nursery. Clovertail helps Fallowfern to round back inside. Sharpclaw comments that he wants to know what the Twolegs are doing, but that they can’t leave camp. Leafstar understands her cats’ need to celebreate, but is relieved when the noise dies down. She chooses a patrol of Sharpclaw, Cherrytail, Echosong, Billystorm, and Snookpaw to creep back up the gorge and watch the Twoleg kit’s rescue. By the time they return to the spot, the adult Twolegs are joined by many more, which wear bright yellow pelts and lower themselves into the gorge on long yellow tendrils suspended from the top of the cliff. Snookpaw whispers that Twolegs weren’t bad all the time, since they came to help the kit. Sharpclaw’s eyes are wary as he says that he’s not happy with Twolegs in the territory. He briefly frets what would happen if they decide to come back.


 * Leafstar watches the Twolegs lower a flate object down the cliff face and lift the Twoleg kit onto it. She murmurs that she can’t see why they’d return. Cherrytail says that they must know that the cats are there, since they were the ones who brought them there. Leafstar reassures her that they got what theycame for. But as the Twolegs haul the object they placed the kit on with tendrils, Leafstar admits to herself that she shares her Clanmates doubts and concern. Echosong brushes her shoulder and comforts that she did the right thing. However, Leafstar can see that Echosong is worried too, and wonders what she did and what would happen now.

Mentioned
None