Эрин Хантер: Thunder Аnd Shadow

“Can I help?” Alderpaw reached for the herb pile.

“You can fetch clean bedding with Needlepaw,” Leafpool told him.

Alderpaw felt a stab of disappointm ent. He wanted to show Needlepaw how much he’d learned about being a medicine cat. But he didn’t argue. He should be focusing on helping Littlecloud, not showing off to Needlepaw. Nodding, he headed for the entrance. “Do you know where there’s any dry bracken?” he asked as he brushed past her.

She followed him out of the den, ignoring his question. “Don’t you get bored of being bossed around?”

“I want to help my Clanmates.”

“Littlecloud isn’t your Clanmate; he’s mine.”

Alderpaw stopped and faced her. “Don’t you want to help him?”

Needlepaw shrugged. “I guess, but I thought that was why Leafpool cam e here.”

“She can’t do every thing by herself,” Alderpaw meowed, feeling a prickle of irritation.

Needlepaw gazed at him for a m om ent, then flicked her tail. “Do you want to see Violetkit?”

Alderpaw’s heart lifted. “Yes, please!”

“She’s in the nursery.” Needlepaw’s mew was suddenly bright. “Come on—I’ll take you there.”

“Wait!” Alderpaw suddenly remembered Twigkit’s feather. He turned back toward the medicine den and darted inside, snatching it from the ground and speeding out again before Leafpool could speak. He raced back to Needlepaw, the feather fluttering against his nose.

Needlepaw purred and headed across the clearing. “This way.” As she reached a bulge in the bramble wall, she ducked.

Alderpaw watched Needlepaw squeeze through a narrow entrance am ong the prickles. He clim bed after her, ignoring the thorns scraping his pelt.

Inside, he was surprised to see the entrance open into a warm, spacious den. A black she-cat lay in one nest, a pale brown tabby in another. The pale tabby was round with unborn kits.

Alderpaw dropped his feather and stared at her. “Grassheart?” He’d never seen such a pregnant cat. He was am azed at her size and wondered how big her litter would be.

Grassheart lifted her head wearily. “Who are you?”

The black she-cat hissed, “Yes! Who are you?”

“It’s okay,” Needlepaw soothed. “He’s a medicine cat. He cam e with Leafpool.”

Alderpaw felt hot with embarrassment. “I’m just an apprentice,” he corrected. “I was hoping to see Violetkit.” He gazed hopefully at the black queen, guessing that she must be the cat who was nursing Violetkit.

“Oh, her .” Pinenose sighed and relaxed back into her nest. “She’s a funny little thing. I keep try ing to persuade her to go out and play with m y kits, but she insists on stay ing indoors and am using herself.”

Alderpaw followed Pinenose’s exasperated gaze and saw a sm all black-and-white kit sitting on her haunches at the edge of the den, pawing at a tendril sticking out from the wall.

“Violetkit?” he called softly. Would she remember him? She’d been so young when Rowanstar had taken her away.

She turned her head and blinked at him, her eyes showing no em otion.

Alderpaw’s heart tightened. She looked even lonelier than Twigkit, play ing by herself. “It’s m e, Alderpaw. I’ve brought you a present from your sister.”

“My sister?” Violetkit blinked at him, confused. “You mean Lionkit?”

“Lionkit’s not your sister,” Pinenose corrected.

“It’s from Twigkit.” Alderpaw pushed the feather slowly toward her.

Violetkit stared at it, her fluffy pelt spiking. “It’s a feather,” she mewed slowly.

“Yes.” Alderpaw nudged it closer. “A red one, like the one you used to play with when you shared a nest with her.”

Violetkit’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I remember!” She pricked her ears and bounded forward. “Is it the sam e one?”

Alderpaw shook his head, then softened the story a bit for the young kit. “The old one got dirty, so Twigkit found you a new one.”

“Especially for m e?” The kit’s mew cracked before she broke into a loud purr. She pounced on the feather, trapping the quill between her paws and washing the fluffy tendrils until they were lim p and soggy. “I love it!” Violetkit lifted her face and stared at Alderpaw. “Tell Twigkit I love it!” She sat up suddenly. “How is Twigkit? What’s she like? Has she got a feather too? Is her tail fluffy y et? She always wanted the fluffiest tail. Has she tasted vole y et? I want to taste vole but Pinenose say s I’m not ready.”

Her words tum bled out excitedly, leaving Alderpaw breathless. Which question should he answer first?

Suddenly he thought of Sparkpaw. She’d been a lively kit too. His heart ached to im agine how he could have grown up without her endless questions and ideas for new gam es.

“Twigkit’s tail is getting fluffier every day, and she tasted her first vole two sunrises ago. She helps m e out in the medicine den a lot and—”

“Is she going to be a medicine cat?” Violetkit asked excitedly.

Alderpaw purred. “I don’t know.”

“Violetkit,” Pinenose called to her. “It’s time for your nap.”

“But I’m not tired,” Violetkit glared at the black she-cat.

“Yes, but Grassheart is,” Pinenose answered. “And she doesn’t want to listen to your chatter.”

Alderpaw swallowed back frustration. Violetkit was so young. Surely the queens could be kinder to her? “Perhaps she could play with her feather.”

Pinenose crossed her paws irritably. “It’s time for her nap,” she insisted.

Alderpaw could see that it was pointless arguing with the queen. He looked sadly at Violetkit.

“You’d better rest,” he m urm ured. He glanced at Pinenose. The ShadowClan queen was scowling at him. “Besides, I have to go home.”

“Already?” Disappointm ent sparked in Violetkit’s wide amber eyes.

“My Clanmates will be expecting me.”

Violetkit stared at him hopefully. “Will you come and visit again soon?”

Pity welled in Alderpaw’s throat. She should be in ThunderClan, play ing with her sister. Not here, in this unfriendly den. He longed to help her. “I’ll try.”

Violetkit gazed at him bleakly, as though she didn’t believe he meant it. “I’d better go for m y nap.” Tail drooping, she turned and clim bed into the nest to settle in beside Pinenose.

Alderpaw lifted the feather between his teeth and set it down beside her. “Sleep well, Violetkit.

I’ll tell Twigkit all about you.”

“Tell her I’m going to be the best warrior ever!”

“I will.” Regret filled Alderpaw’s belly. Try ing not to show it, he headed for the entrance.

“We’d better go find som e bedding for Littlecloud,” he told Needlepaw.

“I guess.” Needlepaw squeezed out after him. “I never realized Violetkit was so talkative.”

“Perhaps you should try spending more time with her.” After all, you did find and name her.

Alderpaw padded across the camp.

“May be.” Needlepaw sounded thoughtful. “It could be cool to have a kit following m e around.”

Alderpaw hardly heard her. He was lost in his own thoughts. Violetkit seem ed so lonely. If only there were som ething he could do to help her. He pricked his ears as a thought struck him. At the camp entrance, he halted and stared at Needlepaw. “I have an idea.”

Needlepaw m et his gaze eagerly. “What?”

Alderpaw lowered his voice. “Why don’t we let the kits m eet?”

“You mean Violetkit and Twigkit?” Needlepaw look puzzled. “But how?”

“We can decide on a m eeting place, then sneak them out one night and take them there.”

“You mean in secret?” Needlepaw’s eyes shone. “While every one’s sleeping?”