Sparkpaw looked confused. “What about sick cats, then, or elders?”
Darktail shrugged. “They learn to take care of themselves.”
Alderpaw winced as he saw Sparkpaw’s neck fur beginning to bristle in anger. “Then why do you even bother living in a Clan? It’s rogues who are out for themselves!”
A low growl of anger rose from deep in Darktail’s chest, and he slid out his claws. Hastily Molewhisker stepped forward, thrusting himself between Darktail and Sparkpaw.
“She’s young and curious, that’s all,” he meowed. “But that’s enough for now. Come on.” He gave Sparkpaw a shove, back in the direction of their den.
Sparkpaw was clearly upset as they headed away. By now the fighting was over. The hunters were relaxing in the sun, lazily grooming themselves; Alderpaw spotted Needlepaw with them. Meanwhile the elders and the she-cat with the kits were picking over the remains of the prey, searching out any morsels the hunters had missed. The kits were wailing with hunger.
“We should go home,” Sparkpaw whispered as they settled themselves in their den. “These weird cats don’t need our help, and I’m not even sure that they are Clan cats anymore.”
Alderpaw found that he agreed with her about the way the SkyClan cats were behaving. What Darktail had told them just now about the way SkyClan had changed the rules didn’t seem to fit with Bramblestar’s story of how Firestar and Sandstorm had traveled upriver to restore the Clan. “It’s all so confusing—” he began.
“What are you talking about?” Needlepaw interrupted as she strolled into the den.
“I said we should go home,” Sparkpaw repeated. “These cats don’t need us.”
“What?” Needlepaw sounded scornful. “We’re here to find what lies in the shadows, right? And we’ve found it. These cats are really . . . well, dark. We can’t turn away now.”
“I think Sparkpaw is right.” Cherryfall gave Alderpaw a serious look. “Something is . . . off about these cats. I think they’re beyond our help. Is all this really what you saw in your dream?”
Alderpaw glanced around at his cats, sensing that they were really doubting him now. “I’m not sure,” he confessed. “But I can’t believe that Bramblestar got it so wrong, or that Sandstorm died for nothing. I don’t know the reason, but I do know that this is where we are meant to be.”
He waited tensely as the other cats exchanged doubtful glances. At last Cherryfall gave a nod.
“Very well, then,” she meowed. “We’ll stay and try to figure it out.”
Alderpaw let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
I hope StarClan sends me another vision soon, he added to himself. Because I really don’t know what we’re doing here.
CHAPTER 16
When the last scraps of prey had been picked over, the rest of the SkyClan cats drifted away. Only one of them—a young orange she-cat—stayed close to their leader; she was coughing so hard she could barely stay on her paws.
Alderpaw watched in shock as Darktail swung one huge paw and thumped the young she-cat hard on her back.
“Stop that racket now!” he growled.
The she-cat gave him a scared look. She wasn’t coughing anymore, though Alderpaw didn’t think that the swat on her back had done her any good. She was obviously struggling to suppress her coughs.
Alderpaw padded up and dipped his head politely to Darktail. “It sounds as though she’s suffering from whitecough,” he mewed, indicating the she-cat with a wave of his tail. “She should see your medicine cat.”
Both SkyClan cats gave him a blank look. Alderpaw felt as though he had missed his footing and plunged down into dark, icy water. They don’t have a medicine cat?
Struggling to control his shock, he continued, “Whitecough isn’t a big deal. Some tansy should help.”
Darktail still looked blank, as if he wanted to ask what tansy was. Alderpaw’s confusion deepened. Sandstorm mentioned that Echosong was SkyClan’s medicine cat. So what happened to her? And why has their leader never heard of a basic herb like tansy?
Meanwhile the young she-cat had started coughing again, backing away from Darktail as if she was afraid of making him angry again.
“I’ll be back soon,” Alderpaw mewed. “I’m going to find some tansy.”
He headed for the path that would take him to the cliff top, meaning to search for herbs among the rough grass and bushes there. But before he reached it, he spotted a den low down in the cliff wall. Because of the jutting line of the rocks, it was very close to the water, and a few wilting plants grew close beside it.
Alderpaw bounded up to the den and gave the plants a sniff. At once he recognized tansy, along with sorrel, yarrow, and chervil. Some cat had planted them, he realized, just as Leafpool and Jayfeather planted herbs near the old Twoleg nest, but clearly no cat was taking care of them now.
This has to be where the medicine cat stayed, Alderpaw thought. But why would they have such a perfect medicine cat’s den and no medicine cat? Maybe Echosong died without training an apprentice.
The tansy leaves were limp, and the scent wasn’t as strong as Alderpaw was used to in the forest, but he knew it was better than nothing. Tearing off a few stems, he padded back toward the rock pile.
When he returned, he discovered the orange she-cat lying on her side, revealing a shock of white belly fur. The other SkyClan cats were keeping their distance, going about their business without even looking at their sick Clanmate, who was rasping and spluttering. Her cough is even worse than I thought at first, Alderpaw realized with a stab of anxiety.
Alderpaw dropped the tansy in front of the orange cat. “Eat that,” he told her.
The she-cat looked up at him, her green eyes widening in confusion and a trace of fear. “I will get better, won’t I?” she wheezed. “I don’t want to be exiled.”
Horror touched Alderpaw like a frozen claw. Gently he laid one forepaw on the she-cat’s flank. “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Flame,” the she-cat choked out, before giving way to another spasm of coughing.
“I’m Alderpaw. I’m learning to be a medicine cat in my own Clan. I promise you, the tansy will help.”
As Flame began to chew the tansy leaves, Alderpaw stepped back to give her a little breathing space.
“Will that work?” a rough voice rasped into his ear.
Startled, Alderpaw turned to see Darktail, glaring sternly at him. “Tansy usually clears up whitecough quite quickly,” he replied, trying to sound reassuring. “But if whitecough is left too long, it can turn into greencough—and then Flame would have been in real trouble.”
Darktail began to look interested; Alderpaw guessed he had never heard the names of these sicknesses before. Maybe in SkyClan they’re called something different.
“So what cures greencough?” the white-and-black tom asked, not sounding as if he was much concerned about Flame.
“You can still use tansy,” Alderpaw told him, “but catmint is much better, if you can get it.”
“Hmm . . .” Darktail riffled his whiskers. “And what about wounds? Will catmint cure those as well?”
“No.” Doesn’t this cat know anything? “For wounds you would use cobweb to stop the bleeding, and comfrey root for the pain. Marigold or horsetail if the wound gets infected.”
Darktail nodded. “And for fever?”
“Er . . .” For a moment Alderpaw couldn’t remember. This is worse than being tested by Jayfeather. I wish he were here! “Borage leaves,” he mewed at last. “And dandelion to help the feverish cat sleep. But Darktail . . .” He couldn’t resist asking the question. “Don’t you treat your sick cats?”
For a heartbeat Darktail looked confused. “Of course we do,” he replied with a flick of his tail. “We just do it . . . differently. Why should all Clans behave the same?”
Because we all came from the same place, Alderpaw thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words aloud. He hadn’t mentioned anything to Darktail about how the
SkyClan cats had been driven from the forest, and he was reluctant to say anything now.
Bramblestar told me how terrible it was for SkyClan. The other Clans were wrong not to share their territory. SkyClan might blame us for it, even though it was so long ago.
But Alderpaw still couldn’t understand why Darktail seemed so unfamiliar with the way the Clans lived. Have they really wandered so far away from the warrior code?
Then understanding started to grow inside Alderpaw, like a flower unfolding from a bud. Perhaps the prophecy meant something different from what he had thought at first. Maybe SkyClan was “in shadow” not just because they lived in a distant and forgotten place, but because they had lost their connection to the warrior code, and everything that made Clan cats different from rogues.
So it must be my task to guide them back again, and clear the sky!
Alderpaw’s whiskers twitched happily. “If you like,” he meowed to Darktail, “I’ll take some of your cats on a tour of your territory to see what herbs we can find, and show them what they’re used for. Of course,” he added modestly, “I’m only an apprentice.”
Darktail seemed unconcerned by Alderpaw’s inexperience. He gave an approving nod. “Hey, Rain!” he yowled.
The long-furred gray tom sprang up from where he sat at the edge of the river, talking to Needlepaw, and bounded over to his leader. “What do you want, Darktail?” he asked, with a respectful dip of his head to his leader.
“Go with this cat,” Darktail ordered, indicating Alderpaw with a flick of his tail. “He’s going to look for herbs and tell you what to do with them. Listen to him—he’s an apprentice.”
“Okay,” Rain responded, though he looked as confused as Alderpaw felt. Darktail said apprentice like it was . . . important.
“I’ll come too,” Needlepaw added, sidling up to them. “I’d like to get a better look at the gorge.”
Alderpaw couldn’t imagine why Needlepaw would want to see any more of such a barren, dirty place, but there was no point in objecting. Needlepaw is weird anyway. Nothing she does makes sense!
Rain took the lead as the three cats headed downstream, passing the den that Alderpaw was sure must have been Echosong’s at one time.
With every paw step Alderpaw began to feel more optimistic. If he could teach these cats how to treat illness, they might start to show more compassion for one another, instead of heartlessly ignoring sick cats like Flame. They would start to feel and behave more like a real Clan. And then they could return to the forest as real allies.
This is the first stage of completing the quest—to help SkyClan find the way back to Clan life.
Alderpaw shifted restlessly in his den, unable to sleep. He kept thinking about the tour of the territory he had taken with Needlepaw and Rain, and how much Rain needed to be taught. They had found yarrow and more tansy, and Rain had seemed to think that these two herbs could cure everything.
“You’ll need to search for herbs on either side of the gorge,” Alderpaw had pointed out. “And maybe even travel farther than your usual hunting territory. There are lots of different diseases that can strike a cat, and they need different herbs and different kinds of treatment.”
Rain had shrugged, seeming okay with that. “It might make more sense for Darktail to lead us to new territory soon,” he had meowed.
Now Alderpaw curled up more tightly and tried to will himself into sleep. He was desperate for another vision, perhaps a visit from Sandstorm to reassure him that everything was happening how it was supposed to. He knew deep within himself that there was something not right about SkyClan. However hard he tried to tell himself that it was only because they had lived apart from other Clans for so long, he couldn’t shake the feeling that all this was somehow wrong. Was there a reason why he hadn’t had any visions since they arrived in the gorge?
Then a reason occurred to him, and he shivered all over, wanting to mewl in terror like a tiny lost kit. Suppose StarClan can’t reach me in this place!
As Alderpaw’s shuddering died away, he was distracted by the sound of voices. He had already discovered how the walls of the gorge trapped sound, so it was useless trying to have a quiet conversation, or say anything they didn’t want the SkyClan cats to hear. He wrapped his tail over his ears to blot out the sound, only to raise his head alertly as he heard Darktail’s voice.
“It will be easy.”
As silently as he could, Alderpaw edged toward the entrance to the den and peered out into the darkness. There was just enough light from the moon for him to make out Darktail and Rain a few tail-lengths away, along with a long-furred black she-cat named Raven.
“I don’t know . . . ,” Raven mewed doubtfully. “The journey will be long and hard. I’ve heard stories about huge Thunderpaths out there, and how many cats lose their lives on them.”
“Thunderpaths hold no fear for us,” Darktail responded with a dismissive wave of his tail.
Hope thrilled through Alderpaw. Maybe the SkyClan cats are deciding to leave tomorrow, to journey with us to the lake and reunite with the other Clans!
He rose to his paws, intending to join them and tell them how happy he was about their plan, but before he could leave the den, the SkyClan cats split up, padding off in three different directions.
Movement in the shadows caught Alderpaw’s eye, and to his astonishment he spotted Needlepaw, emerging from the shelter of a boulder and padding up to Rain. Until then he hadn’t realized that she wasn’t asleep in the den with him and his Clanmates.
“It sounds like you’re close to making your minds up,” Needlepaw purred to Rain.
The big gray tom loomed over her. “It’s rude to eavesdrop,” he hissed.
“I hardly had a choice.” Needlepaw was not at all intimidated; her voice was even playful. “You’re not exactly subtle in how you go about your plotting.”
Rain muttered something in reply, but because he turned to walk away, Alderpaw couldn’t make out the words.
Needlepaw pattered alongside the SkyClan cat, and without knowing why, Alderpaw emerged from the den and followed them as they headed upstream toward the rock pile. Although he kept his distance, he could still hear Needlepaw’s teasing purr.
“Life in the other Clans is different, Rain. There are . . . rules. You and Darktail and the others will have to learn them if you want to fit in.”
“Everything will work out,” Rain responded. “Just the way it’s meant to.”
Alderpaw couldn’t decide whether the big tom’s voice was hopeful or amused, but either way, he wasn’t sure he liked it. I’ve heard enough, he thought, turning back toward the den.
But as he turned, his paw dislodged a pebble that clinked against another. Needlepaw and Rain both swiveled around to stare at him.
“Who’s that?” Rain asked sharply.
“Only me,” Alderpaw mumbled. “I . . . er . . . I just came out to make dirt.”
Not waiting for any comment, he scampered off into the darkness, panting hard as he reached the den where his Clanmates still slept peacefully. His hopeful feelings had evaporated, the flutter in his chest replaced by a heavy weight that seemed to be pushing from the inside, trying to force him to the ground.
CHAPTER 17
Alderpaw crawled out of the den the next morning feeling so exhausted that he could hardly put one paw in front of another. Pondering how he could return the SkyClan cats to Clan life, when they obviously had no idea what it meant to be a warrior, had kept him awake all night, and so had the ache in his chest after he’d heard Needlepaw talking to Rain.
“I think we should hunt,” Molewhisker announced when all the questing cats had emerged from the den and sat grooming themselves at the waterside. “It’s no use expecting to eat with the SkyClan cats.”
“Let’s do that,” Cherryfall agreed. “I can’t wait to get out of this StarClan-forsaken gorge.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Needlepaw yawned, showing a mouthful of spiky teeth. “It’s not so bad when you g
et used to it.”
“You stay, then,” Sparkpaw snapped, and added under her breath, “No cat asked you to come with us anyway.”
“That’s enough,” Molewhisker meowed, rising to his paws and speaking with authority. “Needlepaw, you can do what you want. The rest of us are going to hunt.”
“It looks like there’s thicker forest on the other side of the river,” Cherryfall pointed out. “Let’s go that way.”
Few of the SkyClan cats were around, and none of them tried to stop the ThunderClan cats as Molewhisker led the way across the pile of rocks. Alderpaw stumbled along in the rear, convinced that he would be even worse at hunting when he could scarcely keep his eyes open.
But when he found himself under the trees, Alderpaw revived a little. It felt good to have damp earth and leaf mold beneath his paws again, and to catch glimpses of sky between crisscrossing branches. The leaves were beginning to turn brown and gold, and for the first time Alderpaw realized that leaf-fall was almost upon them.
Cherryfall and Sparkpaw headed off together, while Molewhisker turned to Alderpaw. “Do you want to hunt with me?” he asked.
Alderpaw shook his head. “Er . . . no, thanks.” He couldn’t bear having his former mentor watch him fail again. “I’ll just practice on my own.”
“Okay. I’ll see you back in camp.” Molewhisker pushed his way through a clump of bracken and vanished.
Once his sound and scent had died away, Alderpaw slid deeper into the forest, his ears pricked and his jaws parted to pick up the first traces of prey. Soon he heard a chirping sound from above, along with the rustling of leaves and the flutter of wings. Looking up, he spotted a thrush perched on the branch of a nearby tree.
Alderpaw’s belly rumbled, and he realized how hungry he was. He had barely eaten anything since he and his friends had arrived in the gorge two days before. He wondered if he would be in trouble if he caught the bird for himself instead of taking it back to camp, then reminded himself that he wasn’t in ThunderClan now. I’m not going to eat with SkyClan, the way they shove the kits and elders around.