Moth Flight’s Vision

“You’re staying with me?” Moth Flight shifted her paws uneasily. She was desperate to prove she could look after herself. But it would feel safer to have Spotted Fur sleeping beside her.

“I’m not leaving you out here by yourself,” he answered.

“Besides, you’ll have changed your mind by the morning. After a good night’s rest, you’ll be ready to go home.”

No I won’t. But Moth Flight bit back her answer, frightened that he might be right.

Spotted Fur nodded toward the dead beech leaves lying in drifts along the hedge. “Why don’t we push some of those underneath the hedge to make a nest?”

“Let’s dig a hollow first,” Moth Flight suggested. “It’ll be warmer.”

“Good idea.” Spotted Fur sniffed beneath the branches, then began scraping among the roots with his forepaws.

Moth Flight pushed in beside him and helped. Before long they’d dug a shallow dip between two gnarled roots. Spotted Fur fetched pawfuls of leaves and Moth Flight patted them into a soft, if slightly crunchy, lining for their nest.

“I’m hungry,” Spotted Fur mewed when they’d finished. He sat down in the nest and sniffed the air. “Have you seen any mice?”

“If I had, do you think I’d be eating a toad?” Moth Flight sat beside him, the leaves crunching beneath her. His pelt felt warm against hers.

Spotted Fur purred. “I could go and hunt.”

“There might be dogs around. I heard them barking earlier,” Moth Flight warned. She didn’t want to be left alone in the dark.

Suddenly, she wondered how she could ever have thought of sleeping out here by herself.

Spotted Fur gazed at her fondly. “Okay.” He dipped his head. “I’ll eat your stinky toad.”

“The legs aren’t that bad.” Moth Flight reached out and, hooking the toad with a claw, dragged it into the nest. She dropped it at Spotted Fur’s paws.

“You haven’t eaten much of it,” he commented.

“I wasn’t hungry.”

“Have some with me now,” he urged. “It’ll be a cold night and a full belly will keep you warm.”

The toad didn’t taste so bad when she was sharing it, but it still wasn’t as good as rabbit.

Moth Flight purred as Spotted Fur screwed up his face.

“RiverClan cats eat frogs all the time,” she reminded him.

“RiverClan cats swim too,” Spotted Fur answered, chewing.

“That doesn’t mean we should go throw ourselves into the river.”

They ate as much as they could and kicked the remains out of the nest. “You never know—” Spotted Fur stopped to stifle a yawn. “A bird might come pecking around it in the morning.

Then I can catch a decent meal.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Moth Flight lied defensively. Why did he have to act as though he was better than she was? Crossly, she curled down into the nest, snuggling as deep into the leaves as she could, and closed her eyes. Spotted Fur’s rough tongue lapped her ear.

“I know you’ve had a hard day,” he murmured. “But we were all really worried about you. The others will be so relieved to see you tomorrow.”

“Even Wind Runner?” Moth Flight kept her eyes closed.

Spotted Fur touched his muzzle to her head. “Especially Wind Runner.”

Her heart swelled and she lifted her head, blinking at him gratefully. He was such a kind friend. She should go home in the morning. She’d been a rabbit-brain to stay out here by herself. She felt him settle beside her, and relished the warmth of his pelt against hers. How could I live without my Clan? I just need to try harder. She ignored the unease tugging in her belly.

If I just practice my hunting and concentrate more on what I’m doing… Letting tiredness sweep over her, she slid into sleep.

Chapter 6

Moth Flight opened her eyes, stiffening as darkness pressed around her. It wasn’t the glittering darkness of a starlit night, but a stifling gloom. The air smelled dank, sharp with the mineral taste of stone. She blinked, surprised to find herself standing, cold rock beneath her paws.

Where am I? Where’s Spotted Fur?

She glanced around, looking for her Clanmate and wondering what had happened to the beech hedge. All she could make out in the shadows was stone. Above her, a small opening let starlight filter in. It pooled on a large rock jutting from the floor.

I’m in a cave! With a start, she realized that she was dreaming. But it feels so real! The cold stone made her paws ache. The damp air chilled her pelt. Moth Flight shivered as she gazed at the rock, looming at the center of the cave. Padding forward, she sniffed it. Her whiskers tingled and her heart quickened. What is this place? Something about the stone seemed to carry the promise of a coming storm, thickening the air around it so that Moth Flight expected, any moment, to feel the cave shudder with thunder.

Someone’s coming!