Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Sparkpelt’s gaze followed the medicine cat toward the camp entrance. “I think y ou’re great,” she whispered to Alderpaw. “The way you put up with him. I’d have thrown all his dum b herbs into the lake by now.”

Alderpaw swallowed back a purr. “I’ve been tem pted.”

Sparkpelt nudged him away. “You’d better go.” Jayfeather was already disappearing through the entrance tunnel. “I’ll see you when you get back!” she called as Alderpaw turned to follow him. Sparkpelt would be sitting vigil in the clearing until dawn, to honor her new name.

At least Alderpaw didn’t envy her that . The clear sky meant a chilly night. There was probably frost on the m oor. “Don’t get cold!” he called over his shoulder.

“My new name will keep m e warm!”

Alderpaw purred as he ducked through the tunnel.

Jayfeather was already halfway up the rise. Alderpaw hurried to catch up with him.

They m et Mothwing and Willowshine at the border and followed the stream as it cut between m oor and forest, tracing it back toward the hills where it rose.

Alderpaw scram bled up a boulder after Jayfeather. The stream tum bled over rocks beside them. “Should we wait for Leafpool and Puddlepaw?”

“They’re already there,” Jayfeather answered without pausing. “Can’t you sm ell their scent?”

Alderpaw opened his m outh, tasting the faint trace of Leafpool am ong the tang of water, stone, and heather.

“I wonder how Puddlepaw’s training is going,” Mothwing called out behind them.

“What’s the point in wondering?” Jayfeather answered gruffly. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

“We’d probably get there quicker if a blind cat weren’t leading the way,” Mothwing mewed fondly. She hurried to catch up to Jayfeather. “He’s as grum py as an elder,” she breathed, rolling her eyes as she bounded past Alderpaw.

“I heard that,” Jayfeather huffed. “And you know I can follow this trail as well as any sighted cat.”

“Sorry, Jayfeather,” Mothwing purred. “I forgot you have the hearing of a bat.”

Willowshine fell in beside Alderpaw as the older cats chatted. “How’s your training going?”

“I think I’m doing okay,” Alderpaw whispered. “I’m not sure if Jayfeather agrees.”

“I don’t think Jayfeather’s agreed with any thing his whole life,” Willowshine purred. “You’ll be a great medicine cat, though. You’re being trained by one of the best.”

Alderpaw swallowed back a sigh. Jayfeather might be one of the best, but there were day s when being trained by a badger might be easier.

He was out of breath by the time they’d clim bed the last rocky ridge. He hauled him self over the edge, his heart lifting as he saw the Moonpool below. It lay at the bottom of the shallow hollow, ringed by sm ooth cliffs. Tonight the water was so still that the moon reflected in it without a shim m er. He let Willowshine lead him down the slope, dim pled by countless paw steps. At the bottom he saw Leafpool.

She was hurry ing to m eet Jayfeather as he reached the water’s edge. “How’s the Clan? Are they well?” Leafpool’s eyes glittered eagerly.

“A few belly aches and thorn pricks,” Jayfeather told her. “Nothing to worry about.”

Alderpaw j oined them, happy as he sm elled Leafpool’s fam iliar scent. “Every one misses y ou,” he told her.

Leafpool’s eyes rounded with longing. “I miss you too.” She glanced toward Puddlepaw, who was staring into the moonlit water blankly.

“How’s the training going?” Jayfeather asked.

“We’re m aking progress,” Leafpool told him.

Alderpaw searched her gaze. Did that mean Puddlepaw was doing better than when he’d visited her in camp? Before he could ask, three shapes appeared at the edge of the hollow.

In the moonlight Alderpaw could make out Kestrelflight. He was flanked by two WindClan warriors. Gorsetail and Sedgewhisker followed him stiffly down the paw-worn path.

Jayfeather and Leafpool exchanged glances.

“Why’d he bring them?” Leafpool hissed.

Mothwing called out. “This m eeting is for medicine cats!”

“We’re not stay ing.” Gorsetail halted as Kestrelflight reached the water’s edge.

Leafpool blinked at Kestrelflight. “Is every thing okay?” She nodded toward his Clanmates.

“You don’t usually bring com pany.”

“Onestar’s orders.” The WindClan medicine cat sounded apologetic. He nodded to Gorsetail and Sedgewhisker. “I’ll be fine now. You’d better go.”

“We’ll wait outside the hollow until y ou’ve finished,” Sedgewhisker growled. She turned and clim bed up the slope. Gorsetail followed.

Alderpaw’s pelt prickled uneasily. The warriors seem ed edgy. Kestrelflight’s fur was ruffled.

“What’s happened?” Mothwing padded closer, her eyes round with curiosity.

“Onestar is worried about the rogues,” Kestrelflight explained. “He’s ordered every cat to have an escort if they leave camp.”

Jayfeather’s ears twitched. “Doesn’t he trust StarClan to watch over y ou?”

Kestrelflight shifted his paws. “Since the fight with the rogues, he doesn’t seem to trust any one.” He frowned. “If only I’d been there when he was hurt. I might have helped him.”

“There was nothing you could have done,” Jayfeather told him gruffly.

Alderpaw blinked sy m pathetically at the WindClan medicine cat, remembering his own guilt over Sandstorm’s death. Is this what it means to be a medicine cat? To always regret the lives you couldn’t save?

“Poor Onestar,” Mothwing m urm ured. “Losing a life must be hard.”

Alderpaw blinked at her. How did a RiverClan cat hear about Onestar losing a life?

Bramblestar had hinted at it in his conversation with Rowanstar, but no more. Had some cat in Lionblaze’s patrol spoken out of turn?

Jayfeather snorted. “At least he had more than one life to lose. Furzepelt probably found dy ing harder.”

Leafpool leaned closer to Kestrelflight. “Why were Gorsetail and Sedgewhisker so prickly?”

Kestrelflight lowered his voice. “Onestar’s acting strangely. He sends scouts ahead when he goes on patrol. He’s set a perm anent guard at the camp entrance. He’s enforcing every rule. Half the Clan is on punishm ent duty for breaking one code or another.” He glanced over his shoulder.

“Every one’s scared they’ll be reported. The warriors are so tense they hardly speak to one another, and the apprentices act like they’re walking on quails’ eggs.”

Jayfeather flicked his tail impatiently. “The sooner Onestar pulls him self together, the better.

Have you thought of slipping a few poppy seeds into his prey? It would give the Clan a break while he slept them off.”

Kestrelflight’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. “I might try it.” His shoulders softened for the first time since he’d arrived.

Leafpool still looked worried. “Has there been any sign of the rogues on the m oor?”

“Not so far,” Kestrelflight answered.

Mothwing sniffed. “They must have m oved on by now. Why would they stay in territory that’s already been claim ed?”

Willowshine nodded. “Fighting us for every m orsel of prey will be way too much trouble.

They’re bound to have left.”

“Let’s hope so,” Leafpool agreed. “Rogues are usually happy to travel. It’s what makes them rogues.”

Alderpaw’s belly tightened. She didn’t know these rogues. They’d driven Sky Clan from their territory and m ade their home in the gorge. And Darktail had vowed they’d see more of him.

Should he warn the others? He glanced at Jayfeather. His m entor had overheard the rogue leader’s threat too. But the blind medicine cat was padding around Puddlepaw, sniffing the apprentice’s pelt.