Эрин Хантер - The Apprentice's Quest

“Good night,” Sparkpaw yawned when she had gulped down her share of the prey. “Maybe we’ll find this shadowy thing tomorrow.”

“Oh, no,” Sandstorm responded sleepily.

“There’s a long way to go yet.”

Alderpaw burrowed down into the nest with Sparkpaw by his side.

He was almost asleep when he heard the crunching of leaves coming from somewhere among the bushes. He sat up, instantly alert, to see that Sandstorm had heard it, too, while the other three cats were still struggling to their paws. As the crunching sound continued, Alderpaw thought that he could distinguish paw steps.

Sandstorm signaled with her tail for the others to stay where they were. “I’ll check it out,” she whispered.

As cautiously as if she were stalking a mouse, Sandstorm crept out of the nest and headed toward the bushes. She had almost reached them when the night air was split by a ferocious growl.

A strong reek flooded over Alderpaw, and he let out a yowl of fear as a shape hurtled out of the bushes and lunged at Sandstorm.

Alderpaw caught the flash of teeth and claws, the gleam of malignant eyes.

“StarClan, no!” Sparkpaw wailed. “I think that’s a fox!”

Alderpaw couldn’t believe how fast the fox was. He watched, stunned, as its wiry body leaped through the air and landed on Sandstorm, its pointed snout burying itself in her fur as its gnashing teeth sank into her shoulder.

Sandstorm let out a shrill yowl of pain.

Shaking off his shock, Alderpaw raced forward and flung himself on top of the fox.

Snarling, it turned and reared up, throwing Alderpaw off its back. Free of its jaws, Sandstorm rolled away, looking dazed. Blood was pouring from the wound in her shoulder.

“Get out of this!” Alderpaw called to her.

“It’s too dangerous—you’re hurt!”

Sandstorm hesitated, sliding out her claws, then reluctantly started dragging herself off to one side.

Alderpaw darted toward the fox again, scoring his claws down its side, then leaping back out of range as it snapped at him. Where are the others? he thought. He gazed around, and his heart pounded even harder as he saw a second fox attacking his other Clanmates, who were defending themselves desperately. They won’t be able to help me, Alderpaw realized, his terror mounting. The night air was full of snarls and yowling and the reek of blood.

Alderpaw’s fox swiped at his face, and he barely managed to duck in time to avoid the blow. The fox lunged at him again; leaping backward, Alderpaw crashed into something hard, and he realized that he was trapped against the trunk of a tree.

The fox growled, claws raking at the ground in front of it. Alderpaw tried to hiss at it in defiance, but the sound came out weak and unthreatening. I wouldn’t even frighten a kit!

Alderpaw braced himself as the fox crouched to spring. But before it could move, a high-pitched cry rang out. In the moonlight

Alderpaw saw a whirlwind of fur fly out of the bushes and land right on the fox’s back.

The fox let out a fearsome screech and thrashed back and forth, trying to dislodge the ball of fur from its back. But the furball had dug its claws in and managed to cling on.

It’s a she-cat, Alderpaw realized. Great StarClan, she’s brave! But she’s no match for a fox.

There was no time to wonder who the strange cat was. Throwing himself back into the fight, Alderpaw tried to get his claws into the fox’s throat, but his grip gave way as it shook its head violently. Then he realized that Sparkpaw had joined him, fighting fiercely by his side, slashing at the fox’s shoulder, then darting back out of range.

“Swipe at its eye!” the cat on the fox’s back called out. “Go for its hind leg!”

The strange cat’s voice sounded oddly familiar to Alderpaw, but he had no time to think about that, and in the fitful moonlight he couldn’t see her clearly.

“Whatever you do, don’t let go!” Sparkpaw gasped to her.

“I wasn’t planning to!” The strange cat raked her claws along the fox’s back, while Alderpaw and Sparkpaw kept on attacking from the side, trying to throw the fox off balance.

At last the creature screeched and, with a massive shake, hurled the strange cat off; she went sprawling in a patch of fern. Alderpaw dashed between her and the fox, ready to defend her, but the fox had clearly had enough.

It turned tail and ran, while Cherryfall and Molewhisker drove the second fox after it.

For a few heartbeats all the cats stood still, their chests heaving as they fought for breath.

Sandstorm was the first to speak. “Is every cat okay?”

“I’m fine,” Alderpaw responded.

“I banged my shoulder on the ground,” Molewhisker mewed. “I think it’ll be stiff tomorrow, but it’s not serious.”

“I’ve just lost a bit of fur,” Cherryfall added.

Alderpaw began sniffing Sparkpaw all over to make sure she was unhurt, though she wriggled under his questing nose. “Honestly, Alderpaw, I’m okay.”

“So am I.” The voice of the strange cat came from behind Alderpaw, and he turned to see her emerging from the clump of ferns where she had fallen.

“Thanks for your help,” he meowed, and the other cats joined in a chorus of agreement. “I think the fox would have gotten me if it weren’t for—”

Just then the moon came out from behind a cloud, and Alderpaw got a good look at the strange cat for the first time. “Needlepaw!” he gasped. “What are you doing here?”

Needlepaw strolled into the midst of the group of cats and gazed around at them calmly.

“Saving you from foxes,” she replied.

“But… aren’t you a ShadowClan apprentice?” Cherryfall asked. “Where’s your mentor? What are you doing so far away from home?”

Clearly annoyed at being questioned, Needlepaw gave a defiant flick of her tail. “I was exploring on WindClan territory when I saw you all heading out,” she replied. “I was sure it had something to do with the prophecy, so I followed you.”

“You’re not supposed to be wandering around without your mentor,” Sandstorm scolded her. Her voice was tight with pain from her wound, and Alderpaw knew she needed rest and treatment, not an argument with this ShadowClan cat. “And you’re not supposed to be exploring on WindClan territory.”

“I wasn’t hunting!” Needlepaw retorted.

“And I…”

Her voice faded to silence at Sandstorm’s green glare. “You’re certainly not supposed to leave Clan territory by yourself, without permission from your Clan leader,” Sandstorm went on. “Don’t you realize how dangerous it is, being out here alone? You’re going to be in a lot of trouble with Rowanstar when you get back.”

Needlepaw returned her glare defiantly but kept her jaws clamped shut.

“Did you really follow us across the Thunderpath?” Molewhisker asked curiously.

“It’s very dangerous.”

“Of course I did.” Needlepaw’s voice was scornful. “Thunderpaths are no big deal. I’m not afraid of monsters!”

Alderpaw wondered whether she really meant that, or whether she was just saying it to make herself look tough. Thunderpaths are terrifying!

“Then you’re a mouse-brain,” Molewhisker told her caustically.

“I can take care of myself,” Needlepaw retorted. “Which is more than I can say for the rest of you. Obviously you need my help. I just saved you!”

“You maybe helped save us,” Sparkpaw pointed out, her tail-tip flicking to and fro in irritation. “But you only helped .”