Chapter 55: Falso Directions

Chapter 55: False Directions

Scarletpaw

     "No, no, lower your tail, but don't let it touch the ground!" I instruct.  Teaching a kittypet's hard work!
"Like this?" he asks.  I just shrug.  Close enough.  The cat's name is Owen, an abandoned kittypet. 
"Ok, now you need to pounce," I say.  Owen pounces, and to my surprise, it's a perfect pounce!
"Perfect!" I say.  Owen bursts with pride.
"Thank you so much for teaching me!" he exclaims.
"No probem," I say.  "Now for your part of the deal."
"Oh yeah," Owen says. "Your friend is likely in the cat dump."
"The cat dump?"
"Yes.  Housefolk will drop off injured cats there."
"But Blooddrop isn't hurt."
"Blooddrop?  What kind of name is that?"
"Just, nevermind.  How can I get to this catdump?"
"From here, if you go up the thunderpath, if that's what you call it, and follow the closest monsters you'll see a big building with lots of cats and dogs entering.  That's the cat dump.  There are clear walls where you can see in."
"Oh, thank you, Owen!  I'll never forget this!"
"No problem, Scarletpaw.  Good luck finding your friend!"  I wave my tail back and race away.
If Owen's right, I'm less than a tail-length away from Blooddrop!  I exit the forest and spot the thunderpath.  Follow the closest monsters.  I run along the thunderpath as I did coming to the twoleg place.  But I still don't see any cat dump. 
      And then, I smell the scent of cats and dogs!  The cat dump!  There are so many twolegs hanging around, it's a wonder that I walked up to the clear spots in the den.  I peer inside.  There are so many cats in cages, and dogs with little clear tree-bark around their necks.  But no Blooddrop, and I don't even smell his scent.  My tail droops, and I hop down.  It's useless.  Blooddrop is gone.  I've done what I can.  This is beyond my control.
     I slowly trudge away back the way I came.  Rain begins to pour down.  There goes any scent left.  But this isn't any ordinary sprinkle.  The rain is pouring, ripping into my fur, dragging me towards the ground with it.  And the wind rushes it towards behind me, making it even harder for me to navigate away.  How can I get back to DeathClan?  And then, I remember.  There is no home for me there.  Turtlepath is dead, and Blooddrop is gone.  Blooddrop is gone....  I fall onto the ground.  This is useless.  What's the point of going on when there is nothing left?
"There is something left, Scarletpaw," A voice says beside me.  I feel a warm sensation spread throughout me.
"Jadepaw!" I shout.  There she is, warming me, beside me.  Her pelt shelters me from the rain, giving me warmth.
"Don't give up, Scarletpaw.  Blooddrop is depending on you.  He needs you, and so does DeathClan."
"DeathClan?  For what?"
"From Bonetail, stupid.  Scarletpaw, you must continue on your quest.  You're so close, can't you feel it?"  And I realize, I can feel it.  He may not be in the cat dump, but I don't need a scent, or a cat to direct me. 
"That's the spirit, Scarletpaw!  Haven't you heard this before?"
"Yes, Jadepaw, I have.  Thank you."  And Jadepaw is gone.  And so are my ugly thoughts.  But the cold rain returns, but I'm oblivious to this.  The rain is trying to stop me, but it's just another obstacle.  Nothing can or will stop me.  I have Jadepaw to journey with me, and a life depends on me.  And, as a matter of fact, I've passed the cat dump.  And ahead is a much larger building with faded cat scent, and maybe, just maybe, Blooddrop is there.  :)