Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Tigerheart held her gaze for a m om ent, then growled. “You still have to be the sm artest cat in the Clan.”

Dovewing’s blue eyes flashed in the gloom. “And you still have to be the m ost arrogant.”

“Come back, you two.” Bramblestar flicked his tail. “It looks like the rogues have left the territory. We might as well go home.”

Alderpaw wondered if Bramblestar truly believed they were gone. He tried to catch

Bramblestar’s eye for reassurance, but the ThunderClan leader was looking at Crowfrost.

“Thank you for letting us help search your territory.” The ThunderClan leader meowed.

Crowfrost dipped his head form ally. “Let us escort you to your border.”

Alderpaw stiffened. He’d prom ised Twigkit he’d check on Violetkit. “I need to go back to your camp!” he blurted to the ShadowClan deputy.

Crowfrost blinked at him in surprise.

Stam m ering, Alderpaw struggled to gain his com posure. “Jayfeather wants m e to speak with Leafpool. He needs to know when she’ll be returning to her own Clan.”

Crowfrost rolled his eyes. “Very well,” he grunted crossly. “You can go back with Yarrowpaw. Tigerheart, Spikefur, and I will take your Clanmates to the border.”

Bramblestar blinked reassuringly at Alderpaw. “We’ll wait for you there.”

Alderpaw nodded. As the warrior patrol m oved away, he followed Yarrowpaw back to ShadowClan’s camp.

“Where’s Needlepaw today?” he asked, try ing to sound casual.

Yarrowpaw glanced suspiciously over her shoulder. “Why do you want to know?”

“She wasn’t with Tawny pelt,” Alderpaw meowed. “Or in camp. I was just wondering where she was.”

“It’s none of your business,” Yarrowpaw snapped. “Do I ask where your denmates are?”

“I was just try ing to make conversation,” Alderpaw meowed.

Yarrowpaw flicked her tail. “Silence is fine with m e.”

They padded back to camp without another word. At the camp entrance, she led the way through the tunnel, stopping as he em erged, then nodded toward the medicine den. “She’ll be in there if she’s back from gathering herbs. If not, y ou’ll have to wait. I’m not escorting you all over the territory looking for her.”

“Thanks.” Alderpaw m ade a face at the ShadowClan apprentice as she stalked away, then crossed the clearing to the medicine den.

He could sm ell the warm, fam iliar scent of Leafpool as he approached. And the scent of freshly picked herbs. She must be back. “Leafpool?” He stuck his head inside the den and saw her crouched beside Puddlepaw.

“This is tansy and this is horsetail,” she told the young apprentice. “Tansy is good for coughs.

Horsetail is good for infected wounds.”

Surprise flashed beneath Alderpaw’s pelt. Was she still teaching him sim ple facts like that?

She looked up, purring as she saw him. “Alderpaw! I thought I’d missed y ou. Grassheart said a ThunderClan patrol stopped by while I was out.”

“They’re waiting for me at the border,” Alderpaw explained. “I cam e back because

Jayfeather wanted m e to speak with you before we left.” He glanced at Puddlepaw. He wanted a few words alone with Leafpool without the apprentice overhearing.

Leafpool seem ed to guess. “Let’s go outside,” she told him, then turned to Puddlepaw. “I want y ou to split all the herbs we gathered today into separate piles.”

Puddlepaw stared wide-ey ed at the heap in front of him. Alderpaw felt a wave of sy m pathy, suddenly remembering his first day s in the medicine den. He’d thought he’d never learn the name of every herb.

Leafpool shooed Alderpaw backward and slid out of the den. She stood close to him in the easing rain. “I know it was foolish to gather herbs on a day like this.” She shook out her wet pelt.

“They’ll take forever to dry. But I sm ell cold weather on the way. I want to get ShadowClan’s stores as full as possible before leaf-bare.” Worry darkened her gaze, “StarClan knows how they’ll make it through.”

“Is Puddlepaw a quick learner?” Alderpaw asked hopefully.

Leafpool sighed. “He tries his best, but half the time he still can’t tell an herb from a weed.”

“But y ou’ve been training him for half a moon!” How much longer would she have to stay?

“He’s young, and I’m not sure he was ever cut out to be a medicine cat. He has no dream s or visions. He say s he wanted to be a warrior like his littermates until Rowanstar told him he would be a medicine cat.”

Worry tightened Alderpaw’s belly. “Do you think ShadowClan has chosen the wrong cat to be their medicine cat?”

“I don’t know if there’s a right cat in the whole of ShadowClan,” Leafpool fretted. “No wonder Littlecloud never chose an apprentice. The whole lot of them are only interested in hunting and fighting.” She shook her head wearily. “It seem s so unfair. StarClan has given us three medicine cats, and ShadowClan only has Puddlepaw.”

Alderpaw gazed at her anxiously. “Will you be coming home soon?”

“Of course.” Leafpool glanced back toward the medicine den as though she was worry ing how Puddlepaw was m anaging without her. “I don’t want to spend leaf-bare in this gloom y place.”

“They’re treating you okay, though, aren’t they?”

“They’re treating me fine.” Leafpool blinked at him reassuringly. “I always have first pick of the fresh-kill pile. Every one is very polite. And I get along fine with Grassheart. Her kits are adorable.”

“What about Violetkit?” Alderpaw knew she was safe from the rogues, but he remembered how upset she’d been when she’d had to leave her sister in the woods. Was she happier now? “Is she okay? Can I go and visit her before I leave? I prom ised Twigkit I’d check on her.”

Leafpool glanced distractedly toward the medicine den. “I don’t see why not. But I can’t come with y ou. I have to help Puddlepaw. He’s probably put the nettles and waterm int in the sam e pile again.”

Pelt ruffling, she turned to go. As she headed toward the den, she turned. “Thanks for coming.

Please tell Jayfeather I’m fine and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Alderpaw blinked at her fondly as she disappeared into the den. Then he padded toward the nursery. Beepaw and Strikepaw had finished practicing battle m oves and were watching him through narrowed eyes. Would they question where he was going?

“Alderpaw!” A fam iliar mew sounded from the camp entrance. Needlepaw’s scent reached his nose.

“Hi.” He turned to m eet her, purring.

She was bounding across the clearing.

“Where were y ou?” Alderpaw asked as she slid to a halt beside him.

She stared at him. “What do you mean?”

Does she realize she’s shifting back and forth on her paws, like she’s feeling restless… or guilty? “You weren’t with Tawny pelt, or in camp when we got here.” Alderpaw felt suddenly awkward, as though he was pry ing. “I just wondered where you were.”

“I was in Twolegplace,” she told him quickly. “You know how I like a taste of kitty pet food sometimes.”

Alderpaw blinked at her. Yes. But you’re usually not so quick to admit it. Besides, she sm elled of freshly killed prey. He narrowed his eyes. Why was she acting so strange?

Needlepaw changed the subject. “Yarrowpaw says you came with your Clanmates to hunt for rogues. Did you find any?”

“No.” Alderpaw looked at her. She didn’t seem to be herself. Som ething had ruffled her fur.

He wondered with a purr which part of the warrior code she’d been breaking this tim e. He leaned closer and nudged her teasingly. “What have you been up to?”

Needlepaw bristled. “Nothing!” she snapped. “What’s with all the questions?”