Эрин Хантер - The Apprentice's Quest

Molewhisker swung around on her. “It’s not your decision,” he spat, his voice sharp as a claw. “In case it escaped your notice, you’re not a ThunderClan cat.”

Alderpaw felt his whole pelt quiver as he listened to the quarrel breaking out. Not waiting for Needlepaw’s response, he turned and padded away, keeping to the line of the fence they had crossed two days before. He just wanted to get out of earshot, to find a little peace and quiet where he could think.

His chest fur burned with grief for Sandstorm, and his head swam with indecision.

Should we even go on? Sandstorm so wanted to see SkyClan again, and that made me feel that we were meant to be on this quest. But now that she’s gone, do I even believe that these strange cats could be what StarClan says will solve our problems? Not even Bramblestar seemed certain of it. Sighing, he remembered his last vision of the SkyClan cats, when they were shrieking for help. Why do they need me? he asked himself. What can I do for them?

Looking up, he saw that the last starry spirits had vanished and the sky was brightening toward sunrise. I wonder if Sandstorm can see me now. Can she hear my thoughts? I really wish I could ask her for guidance.

Letting out another long sigh, he spoke aloud. “What am I going to do?”

“Tell them the truth,” a voice replied.

Alderpaw started and swung around, arching his back, even while he recognized the voice as Needlepaw’s. The ShadowClan cat showed none of her usual mischief as she approached him.

“The others have come this far,” she began, “and they won’t turn away from you now. You must go on. But first you must tell the others the truth about why you’re on this journey.”

“Do you even know why?” Alderpaw asked tartly.

“No, I don’t. I only heard a little bit of what you and Sandstorm said,” Needlepaw admitted, her eyes serious. “But I know there’s more behind it than you’ve told us, and I think it’s time every cat knew the truth. If you don’t tell them, I will.” As Alderpaw opened his jaws to protest, she added, “Or I’ll tell them what I know, and that will force you to tell the rest.”

Alderpaw stared at her in outrage. “I didn’t think you would betray me like that!”

Needlepaw flinched as if he had struck her a blow. “It’s not a betrayal,” she said, defending herself. “I’ve seen how you think things over—and over and over and over again. I know you’d never tell the others the truth on your own, but I think it’s important for them to know.”

“Why?” Alderpaw challenged her.

“It will help bind them together after losing Sandstorm,” Needlepaw explained; Alderpaw realized she must have thought long and hard about this. “And it will help every cat recognize how important the quest is. I saw how you and Sandstorm looked at each other when you talked about it; I know how serious it is.”

Alderpaw thought about that, then gave a nod, trying to hide his surprise. I can’t believe it’s Needlepaw of all cats giving me such wise advice. “I’ll do as you suggest,” he meowed.

The gleam returned to Needlepaw’s eyes.

“First, let’s go hunting,” she suggested. “Full bellies will help the truth go down easier!”

Alderpaw was about to argue when he felt a gnawing in his belly and realized that no cat had hunted since the previous morning. “You’re right,” he responded. “I’ll hunt with you.” Not that I’m likely to be much use, he added to himself.

Alderpaw crept across the grassland, trying to pick out prey-scent over the stink of farm animals that the breeze was carrying toward them. Just ahead of him, Needlepaw padded forward, slowly but decisively.

She must have found a scent, but I can’t smell anything except those weird creatures back there.

Suddenly Needlepaw halted, raising her tail to signal that she had spotted prey. Half turning toward Alderpaw, she jerked her head to one side, telling him to go that way.

Alderpaw obeyed, putting on speed as he wove his way through the long grass. I hope I’m not getting this totally wrong! Finally he caught the scent that Needlepaw must have picked up long before. Rabbit! At the same moment he spotted the creature a couple of fox-lengths in front of him, nibbling at some low-growing plant. Its ears shot up as Alderpaw tried to slide soundlessly around it, and it took off, its white tail bobbing as it raced away. With rising excitement Alderpaw gave chase.

Needlepaw appeared from nowhere, right in the rabbit’s path. She lashed out with one paw, and the rabbit’s shriek was cut off abruptly as it fell limply to the ground. “Thank you, StarClan, for this prey,” she meowed.

Then Needlepaw looked up, her eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt. “Wow, you’re fast!” she exclaimed. “You drove it right toward me.

That’s pretty impressive.”

Alderpaw turned away, embarrassed, though his chest was swelling with happiness. I was useful on a hunt! I wish Sparkpaw had been here to see that!

Padding over to Needlepaw, he nuzzled her head with his nose. “Thanks for your help,” he mewed. “We may be from different Clans, but I’m glad you stayed with us.”

When he and Needlepaw returned to the elder bushes with the rabbit, Alderpaw found his three companions cleaning earth from their paws. They sounded more cheerful as they greeted him and settled down to feast on the rabbit.

When they had finished eating, Alderpaw rose to his paws, clearing his throat nervously.

“I have something to tell you,” he began.

He paused, looking for the right words, and Molewhisker twitched one ear impatiently.

“Spit it out, then,” he meowed.

“It’s about the vision that sent us on this journey,” Alderpaw responded. “It’s more complicated than you know. I saw a group of cats—the cats of SkyClan—and I believe they need help.”

“SkyClan? Who are they?” Sparkpaw asked.

“I’ve never heard of them,” mewed Cherryfall.

“I don’t know much about them,” Alderpaw explained. “Only what Bramblestar and Sandstorm told me. Long ago, back in the old forest, there were five Clans, not four. But Twolegs took SkyClan’s territory, and the other four Clans drove them out. They made camp in a gorge, beside a river, but eventually their Clan withered and died.”

“And that could happen to us , if we don’t find what lies in the shadows,” Sparkpaw pointed out. “Firestar said a time of great change is coming. It doesn’t sound like good change.”

“That’s true,” Alderpaw meowed, struck by the balance. I wonder if SkyClan is what lies in the shadows, he mused.

“If SkyClan died out, who were the cats you saw?” Molewhisker asked.

“Firestar restored their Clan. He and Sandstorm went on a quest, long ago, and they brought cats together—descendants of the old

SkyClan—and established the Clan again. When I told Sandstorm what I saw in my vision, she recognized some of the cats.”

“So that’s how Sandstorm knew the way!”

Cherryfall exclaimed. “But how can we get to SkyClan, now that she’s dead?”

“Because she told me where to go,” Alderpaw replied. “If we head toward the rising sun, eventually we’ll come to a river, and if we travel upstream, we’ll find SkyClan’s camp in the gorge.”

His Clanmates exchanged uncertain glances; Alderpaw wasn’t sure that they believed him.

“Why did the other Clans drive SkyClan away and let them die out?” Molewhisker asked eventually.

“It’s a very shameful part of warrior history,” Alderpaw replied. “No cat knows the whole story, and the only living cat—apart from us—who knows anything is Bramblestar. I shouldn’t even be telling you, but I thought it was important for you to know the truth.”