Эрин Хантер - The Apprentice's Quest

“Then you may be Clan leader, but you’re acting like a mouse-brained apprentice.”

Sandstorm’s neck fur was bristling with anger.

“I’m the only—”

“Enough!” Bramblestar lashed his tail.

“Sandstorm, you’re an elder. You’ve made your contribution to our Clan, and it’s been a magnificent contribution. Now you deserve to have the rest of us take care of you. I want you safe in camp, not traipsing about in unknown territory.”

“That’s exactly the point.” Sandstorm’s voice grew quieter, the words forced out through clenched teeth. Alderpaw was glad she wasn’t glaring at him like she was glaring at Bramblestar. “I’m the only living cat who has any idea how to find SkyClan’s camp. And I’m the only one who has met the cats of SkyClan before. They’re more likely to accept me than cats they’ve never laid eyes on.”

As she spoke, the anger in Bramblestar’s face was fading, replaced with a thoughtful expression.

“I understand,” he began uncertainly, “but elders just don’t—”

He broke off at the sound of a patter of paw steps approaching up the tumbled rocks.

Alderpaw turned to see Squirrelflight at the entrance to the den. Bramblestar and Sandstorm exchanged a swift glance, and Alderpaw realized that Squirrelflight didn’t know about SkyClan either.

“All the hunting patrols have gone out,” she reported. “I wanted to ask which warriors you’ve chosen to go with Alderpaw. He’ll need a strong group of cats. I don’t know where his paws will lead him, but I do know there’ll be danger.”

“I will be going with him,” Sandstorm announced, before Bramblestar could reply.

Her green eyes flashed with triumph when Bramblestar reluctantly dipped his head in agreement, but Squirrelflight’s expression was horrified.

“Sandstorm, you can’t!” she exclaimed. “It’s bad enough having to let Alderpaw go. Do you think I want my kit and my mother off on a dangerous quest together? I couldn’t bear it!”

Dangerous? Alderpaw thought, feeling more nervous still.

“Squirrelflight, it will be fine,” Sandstorm meowed. “I may be old, but I’m still strong. And Alderpaw will be in a lot less danger if I go with him.”

“I hate to admit it, but she’s right,” Bramblestar agreed.

Squirrelflight glanced sharply from her mother to Bramblestar and back again, her green eyes glittering. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” she demanded.

“You have to trust me,” Bramblestar responded.

A few tense heartbeats passed while

Squirrelflight held Bramblestar’s amber gaze.

Then she sighed, her tail drooping. “I suppose I do.”

Without further argument, Bramblestar led the way out of the den and onto the Highledge.

Squirrelflight stayed by his side, while

Sandstorm and Alderpaw picked their way down the tumbled rocks to the floor of the camp.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting,” Bramblestar yowled.

All the cats in the clearing turned toward the Highledge. Leafpool and Jayfeather emerged from their den and sat side by side in front of the bramble screen. Lilyheart and Daisy appeared from the nursery and settled themselves near the entrance while Lilyheart’s kits play wrestled around their paws. Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Dovewing slid out from the warriors’ den and took their places at the foot of the rock wall.

Purdy broke off a story he was telling to Snowbush and Ambermoon. “I’ll finish the rest later,” he promised as he padded off to flop down beside Graystripe and Millie near the elders’ den.

Alderpaw looked around for Sparkpaw and spotted her emerging from the thorn tunnel with Cherryfall and Molewhisker. She’s hardly limping at all, he told himself with a burst of pride. I did a good job. All three cats were loaded with prey; they bounded across the camp to drop it on the fresh-kill pile, then joined their Clanmates to listen to Bramblestar.

“Cats of ThunderClan,” their leader began, “I have important news. Alderpaw has had a vision about the prophecy from StarClan. We think that it will help us find what will ‘clear the sky,’ and so he must go on a quest to find the place that he saw in his dream. Because

Sandstorm knows about some of what he saw in the vision, she will be going with him.”

Murmurs of amazement rose from the assembled cats at Bramblestar’s words, and they exchanged glances alive with curiosity.

Alderpaw thought that Graystripe and Millie looked especially shocked to hear that Sandstorm would be part of the quest.

“Why Alderpaw, and not one of the medicine cats?” Thornclaw asked, sounding faintly aggressive.

Leafpool spoke up from her place in front of her den. “Alderpaw is a medicine cat, Thornclaw, and you know that as well as I do.

As for why StarClan chose him…” She shrugged. “I’m sure they knew what they were doing.”

“More important, why

Sandstorm?”

Brightheart asked, with an affectionate glance at the ginger she-cat. “She’s an elder; she’s earned her rest.”

“Because I was afraid she would claw my ears off if I forbade her from going,” Bramblestar responded drily.

“And I would have,” Sandstorm muttered.

“There are reasons why I believe Sandstorm is vital to the quest,” Bramblestar went on.

“Now all that’s left is to choose warriors to join the group.”

Several enthusiastic yowls greeted his words.

“I’ll go!”

“Let me!”

Sparkpaw scampered up to Alderpaw and pressed herself against his side, her eyes shining. “I’ll come and help you!” she mewed.

“Oh, thank you!” Alderpaw responded, his relief at the thought of having his sister with him flooding over him.

Then he noticed that Bramblestar and Squirrelflight, up on the Highledge, were exchanging dubious glances. Cherryfall, who had followed her apprentice, shook her head sternly. “Bramblestar decides who will go,” she told Sparkpaw. “And he’s not likely to choose an apprentice for a quest like this.”

Shaken, Alderpaw gazed up at Bramblestar.

“Please,” he begged desperately, “can’t

Sparkpaw come?”

Bramblestar paused, clearly torn, while

Squirrelflight leaned closer to him and murmured something into his ear. She looked horrified at the thought of both their kits risking themselves on this quest.

The Clan leader and his deputy spoke together quietly for a few heartbeats. Then Bramblestar turned back to the cats in the clearing. “Very well,” he meowed. “Sparkpaw may go with you. And in that case,” he added, raising his voice to be heard above Sparkpaw’s squeals of triumph, “Cherryfall and Molewhisker will join the group as well.”

The two cats exchanged delighted glances.

“You leave at dawn tomorrow,” Bramblestar finished. “And may StarClan light your path.”

“Alderpaw! Come on! Wake up!”

Sparkpaw’s voice seemed to come from a long way away. Alderpaw opened his eyes, blinked blearily, and made out her face right next to his, her green eyes gleaming in the shadow of their den.

“Wake up!” she repeated, prodding him hard in the side. “It’s time to go. This is your quest , mouse-brain, and you’re still asleep.”

Alderpaw stretched his jaws into a massive yawn and staggered to his paws. He had lain awake for so long the night before, thinking about the quest, that it felt as if he had only been sleeping for a heartbeat.

Following Sparkpaw, he scrambled through the ferns that shaded the apprentices’ den and headed out into the clearing, holding his head and tail high to hide how nervous he felt.