"Heather!"

A sharp hiss made Heather topple from her nest. She blinked to clear her vision, where the strange golden cat was swimming up and down. Heather's head spun, and it was a moment before she realized she was still in her temporary camp with Scab. The sun was shining brightly down on them. 

Scab, a tiny black she-cat, was standing over Heather's sprawled body, her tail twitching in annoyance. Her light blue eyes softened as Heather struggled to her paws. "Sorry, Scab," muttered Heather, drawing her paw over her ears. "You were having a bad dream," mewed Scab, drawing her skinny tail over Heather's spine. "But that doesn't mean you can ignore the friend who's been trekking all over the forest with you for moons," she purred. "So, do you want to go hunting or not?" Heather swallowed. Her head was stinging, like she had hit it on sharp rocks. Scab's words sounded slurred, but she made an effort to look cheery. "Sure."

"So, what was that dream about, Heather?" asked Scab as they trotted off into the undergrowth. One ear was turned towards her friend, and one towards the outstretched trees surrounding them. "Oh, nothing really. Just the same ones I've been having, the one of the golden cat," replied Heather. She had to stop and take a deep breath, her ears ringing. Scab twitched her whiskers. "For the sake of all the mice in this forest, we should give up this wandering and try and find that cat, like she said herself." Suddenly a mouse scuttled over the forest floor, oblivious to the two cats towering over it. Scab immediately slammed her paw down on the mouse, and the mouse's sweet musky smell rose from the carcass. "Great catch, Scab!" Heather purred. Scab was a great hunter as well as a fighter, and Heather respected her friend for joining her on this pointless journey to nowhere. 

"It was nothing. It practically walked right into my-" Scab's embarrassed mew cut off as the familiar scent of vole crept into the cats' noses. Vole was Heather's favorite, and Heather wanted to show Scab that she could hunt well, too. Scab retreated into a berry bush, nodding her head as Heather slowly crept towards the vole scuffling in a pile of dead leaves under a willow tree. Just as Heather was about to pounce, a branch cracked under her forepaw, and the vole scampered off, leaving just a half-eaten nut in its place.

 Heather toppled from the effort, panting as though she had run away from a herd of angry dogs. Scab looked worried, and put her mouse on the ground. "Take this back to camp. You can eat it if you're hungry," Scab meowed. She licked her friend's ruffled pelt. "You don't look very well. If you feel like you're up to it, weave some bracken into our nest walls. It looks like a storm's coming soon." The sky did look indeed cloudy. Heather felt ashamed that she had to have another cat hunting for her. She trudged back to the clearing, her tail drooping. Why can't that forsaken cat leave me to sleep in peace? Heather had had the dream of the cat for many moons, but it had never weakened her condition like this. Maybe I should find that cat...

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Heather buried the bones of the mouse outside the clearing, and started hauling bracken inside. She sighed as the bracken crumbled under her paws. She yowled in frustration. "Nothing's working out today!" "Yeah, it sure isn't," said a voice from behind her. 'I have days like that too."

"Well, maybe if I could sleep properly, none of this would happen!" growled Heather. She yelped in surprise. Who was she mewing to?

She whipped her head back, drawing her teeth back in a snarl. To her surprise, Heather saw the mysterious golden cat from her dreams sitting on a pile of fresh bracken, her tail flicking in amusement. Heather was sure it was the cat from her dreams, just a lot younger. "Are you...?" Heather couldn't finish her sentence as the cat's eyes suddenly clouded. She looked older, like she had just suddenly aged seasons. "Please. You have to find me. Follow the trail of leaves. You have to save me, Heather," she whispered. Her pelt spiked, and with a blink, the golden cat was gone. "Wait, what?" Heather yowled. What did she mean, a trail of leaves? Suddenly a memory crept into her mind. "Brindlesong?"

In response, Scab pushed her way through the gorse bush, laden with squirrels. "Who's Brindlesong? But never mind!" mewed Scab excitedly. Her eyes twinkled with pride. "I found a whole family up in a tree!" Heather purred, genuinely proud of her friend. "You could feed a dozen cats by yourself anytime, Scab," Heather meowed. Scab purred. "Great! You found fresh bracken. I tried to gather some on my way back, but all of them were dry and crumbly." Heather gasped. Brindlesong had left fresh bracken for them!

Suddenly huge drops of rain started pouring down on them. Wind shook the trees, and shocked birds flew away, screeching. "Head for shelter!" Scab's mew was muffled by all the squirrels in her jaws. Heather dragged the bracken, and the two cats hid themselves in their nests, unable to do anything as they heard the storm raging on.

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"Wake up, Heather."

The gray sky made it harder for Heather to wipe grogginess from her eyes. "Huh?"

Scab was staring outside, her fur trembling. "Come look at this," she mewed, her voice breaking. 

Heather couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the catastrophe the storm had caused. The trees had been uprooted, and pools of water were covering the forest floor. Heather had to blink many times, her eyes catching on a strange view. Green leaves were scattered into a straight trail, leading off until Heather couldn't see it anymore. She remembered what Brindlesong had said to her yesterday. "Follow the trail of leaves..." she muttered. Heather turned to her friend, who was also staring at the green trail. "What on earth..?" she gasped. Heather sighed.

"I guess we have a proper journey to go on now, Scab." 

Hi everyone! Thank you very much if you've read until here!! You can comment on my upcoming chapters if you wish for your OC to appear in the story! Please comment looks, stage (kit, apprentice, warrior) and personality and place (Group or Loner)

Thank you again! I appreciate everyone  (づ￣ 3￣)づ