The three cats she named blinked proudly at her praise; Sparrowpelt gave his shoulder fur a couple of embarrassed licks.
“I also need to mention Frecklepaw,” Leafstar went on. On the flat part of the cliff, the apprentice jumped and gazed wide-eyed at her leader, as if she was afraid she was going to be scolded for something in front of the whole Clan. “She worked hard to help Echosong care for the wounded warriors,” Leafstar went on, “and she has learned a great deal about herbs and how to treat injuries.”
Could she be a medicine cat? StarClan, please give me a sign!
But there was no response from the stars, glittering icily above her head. Leafstar spotted Echosong giving the young tabby an approving nod, and Frecklepaw ducked her head in response, her eyes shining.
“Visitors have arrived in the gorge, from a Twolegplace downriver.” Leafstar went on with her report. “Stick, Shorty, Cora, and Coal have settled down well during their stay in the Clan, and we thank them for the help they gave in fighting against the rats.”
Is this the time or the place to invite them to stay with us for good? Leafstar asked herself, aware of Sharpclaw’s green gaze boring into her like a woodpecker attacking a tree. No—and I’m not going to ask them what they are going to do next. I need to find a more private place for that.
To her surprise, Stick rose to his paws and padded to the very edge of the cliff. “Thank you, Leafstar,” he meowed, inclining his head formally to her. “We’re all grateful for SkyClan’s hospitality. We’re glad that we were able to help you with the rats.”
Leafstar dipped her head in reply, and the visiting cat withdrew again to sit beside his friends.
“Now,” she went on, glancing once more around at her warriors, “does any cat have a question or a problem that they want to discuss?”
“I do.” Clovertail rose to her paws and stretched her neck to look over the cats sitting in front of her. “I’d like to use one of the new dens as a birthing den. I know we drove off the rats, but if they come back, or if a fox or a badger finds its way into the gorge, one of those upper dens would be much safer for young kits.”
“It would be easier for them to fall out, though,” Petalnose warned.
Clovertail twitched her ears. “I know. We’d need to move the kits back into the nursery once they were strong enough to go outside.”
Leafstar guessed that Clovertail was worried that her new litter would be overwhelmed by Fallowfern’s rambunctious kits if they were born in the nursery. She could have a point.
“Very well,” she replied to Clovertail. “Let’s move you over there in the morning, and we’ll see how it goes when your kits are born. Mintpaw and Sagepaw, please fetch bedding for Clovertail and make sure she’s comfortable.”
“We will, Leafstar,” Mintpaw called out.
“Thank you. And if all goes well, we’ll make the arrangement permanent.”
Clovertail thanked her and sat down again.
Harveymoon and Macgyver got up and stepped up to the edge of the cliff, glancing at each other as if they weren’t sure which one of them was going to speak first.
“We’re glad to be back,” Harveymoon meowed in a rush.
“We’re looking forward to being part of SkyClan again,” Macgyver added. “We’ve learned not to be so stupid.”
“Good,” Leafstar purred. “We’re happy to welcome you back.”
“I’d like to suggest something,” Petalnose mewed as the two kittypets sat down again. “What about a special rat patrol, just to make sure that they don’t return to that pile of stuff?”
“Good idea!” Shrewtooth agreed, flattening his ears.
A babble of comment broke out; Leafstar let it continue for a few moments before raising her tail for silence. “Sharpclaw, what do you think?”
The deputy paused for a moment, his green eyes narrowed. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t think it’s necessary. The border patrols and hunting patrols will spot any signs of rats in the territory.”
Leafstar nodded. “I think you’re right. But if there are any fresh signs of rats,” she added to Petalnose, “then we’ll set up a rat patrol right away.”
“Thank you, Leafstar,” Petalnose replied, seeming content with that decision.
“What about that loner my patrol scented near the rubbish heap?” Cherrytail asked. “Do we need to do anything?”
“Did the evening border patrol spot anything?” Leafstar meowed.
“We picked up the stale scent,” Billystorm, who had led the patrol, replied, “but nothing new.”
“Then I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” Leafstar decided. “Except that all patrols should keep a good lookout in that area.”
She was about to draw the Gathering to a close, when Lichenfur hauled herself to her paws, shaking her rumpled pelt. “What about the bedding in our den?” she demanded. “I don’t think the moss has been changed for a moon.”
Leafstar spotted Mintpaw open her jaws to protest, and Sagepaw quickly flicked his tail across her mouth. His sister glared at him, but kept quiet.
“Sorry, Lichenfur,” Snookpaw called out. “I’ll fetch some more as soon as I get here in the morning.”
Muttering, the elder sat down again and leaned across to mew something into Tangle’s ear.
When none of the other cats spoke, Leafstar rose to her paws. “We thank StarClan that our Clan is safe and thriving, and that prey is plentiful. The Gathering is at an end.”
She watched as her senior warriors leaped back over the gap, with Sparrowpelt watching Waspwhisker carefully to make sure he didn’t fall, and began to pad down the trail toward the camp. At last only she, Sharpclaw, and Echosong were left.
“I thought that went well,” Leafstar commented. “There don’t seem to be any serious problems.”
“For now,” Sharpclaw meowed, giving his chest fur a couple of thoughtful licks. “I heard what you said about Frecklepaw,” he continued. “It sounds as if you’re going to make her Echosong’s apprentice.”
“I’m thinking about it,” Leafstar responded guardedly.
Sharpclaw’s eyes stretched wide. “Have you got bees in your brain? You must know it’s impossible.”
“Why?” Echosong slid out her claws and her neck fur began to bristle; Leafstar hadn’t often seen the gentle young tabby look this annoyed.
“Why do you need to ask?” Sharpclaw sounded exasperated. “She’s a kittypet!”
“She’s a SkyClan apprentice,” Echosong retorted. “And she has an exceptional talent for healing. I wish I’d learned as quickly when I first came here.”
Sharpclaw’s tail-tip twitched. “But half the time she isn’t here. I don’t care how talented she is. What happens if a warrior is injured while their medicine cat is snoozing in a Twoleg nest?”
“And what happens if I’m killed before I’ve trained an apprentice?” Echosong hissed back. “The Clan wouldn’t have a medicine cat.”
“There are other possibilities,” Sharpclaw argued.
“Name one!”
Leafstar stretched out her tail to separate the two angry cats. “Echosong is right that there’s no full Clan cat with any interest in healing,” she meowed carefully. “Being a medicine cat demands true dedication.”
“But there are kits growing up all the time,” Sharpclaw pointed out. “Fallowfern’s four, and Clovertail’s new litter. Maybe one of them—”
“And maybe not,” Echosong snapped.
“We don’t have to decide now.” Leafstar realized she needed to bring this discussion to a close before either of the quarreling cats said something they would regret later. “Echosong, have you had any sign yet from StarClan about Frecklepaw?”
Echosong shook her head. “I’ve looked for one, Leafstar, but there’s been nothing yet.”
Sharpclaw let out a snort of contempt. “And there won’t be!”
Leafstar glared at him. “We don’t know that. It’s in the paws of our ancestors. And maybe this
can all be resolved easily,” she went on. “Frecklepaw might decide to come and live permanently in the gorge. But Echosong, you’re not to put any pressure on her.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Leafstar,” the medicine cat promised.
“Then let’s wait and see what happens. You’ll let me know if you do have a sign—whatever it seems to say?”
Echosong nodded. “Of course.”
Leafstar stood up and stretched each hind leg in turn. “Come on, let’s get back to our dens.”
The young medicine cat was the first to leave, dipping her head to Leafstar and shooting an icy glare at Sharpclaw before running lightly across the Skyrock and leaping across the gap.
“Sharpclaw, please don’t ruffle her fur,” Leafstar murmured.
“Then make sure she stays out of mine,” Sharpclaw retorted.
CHAPTER 14
Fluffy white clouds were building up above the gorge when Leafstar emerged from her den on the morning after the Gathering. The sun had not yet risen, and a stiff breeze buffeted her fur. She yawned and gave herself a quick grooming as she watched her Clanmates trot down the pathways to the Rockpile. Bounding down to join them, she found Sharpclaw setting the patrols.
“I’ll lead the border patrol,” he announced. “Stick, Billystorm, and Tinycloud, you come with me. Sparrowpelt, I’d like you to lead a hunting patrol, with Shrewtooth, Cora, and Rockshade. Shorty, you lead the other hunting patrol, with—”
“Hey, Shorty’s not a warrior,” Patchfoot interrupted. “Should he be leading a patrol?”
Sharpclaw gave his tail an irritable twitch. “Sorry, you’re right. You lead the patrol, then, Patchfoot. Shorty can go with you, with Bouncefire and Harveymoon.”
Leafstar looked on with approval as the patrols started to move off. She liked to see her Clan like this, busy and well organized. This is a new day; StarClan grant that all last night’s tensions have vanished.
“Are you coming, Snookpaw?” Billystorm called, glancing back at his apprentice as Sharpclaw led his patrol toward the bottom of the trail.
“Sorry, I can’t,” Snookpaw replied. “I promised to fetch fresh moss for Tangle and Lichenfur.”
“Fine.” Billystorm nodded. “We’ll do some battle practice when you get back.”
“Great!” Snookpaw’s tail shot straight up into the air as he clambered over the Rockpile and bounded across to the other side of the river.
Leafstar was impressed with the young cat’s loyalty to the promise he made last night to the elders. He’ll make a fine warrior. I hope he decides to stay with us full time. She watched Snookpaw creep along the narrow ledge beside the stream until he disappeared into the tunnel from where the water flowed out beneath the Rockpile. Leafstar pictured him shuffling along the tiny stone path that led to the Whispering Cave where the moss grew.
With the patrols gone, the other cats settled down to rest, eat, or share tongues. Ebonyclaw took Frecklepaw up to the training area for some practice; Leafstar spotted the apprentice casting a longing look back at Echosong’s den as she padded away.
Leafstar sat beside the river, intending to give herself a more thorough grooming, but she had barely licked one shoulder clean when Lichenfur shuffled up to her.
“I might have known that pesky apprentice didn’t mean what he said,” the elder grumbled. “There’s no sign of him, and we’re still stuck with our old moss.”
Leafstar blinked in surprise. “I saw Snookpaw go into the cave myself,” she mewed. “Hasn’t he come back yet?” Lichenfur shook her head. “I’ll go and see what’s keeping him.”
The ledge to the Whispering Cave was wet and slippery, and Leafstar had to set her paws down carefully. Black water rushed along beside her a couple of mouse-lengths below the ledge. Cold, damp air crept into her pelt, and she shivered. At last Leafstar saw a pale light up ahead, reflecting on the surface of the river. The ledge widened out into a flat path, and she quickened her pace as she padded into the Whispering Cave.
Leafstar paused at the cave entrance to admire the secret world underneath the gorge. The walls of the cave were broken into cracks and ledges; shaggy clumps of moss hung from every surface, giving off a pale, eerie light. Reflections of the water rippled across the cave roof; the sound of the river and unseen dripping water echoed in Leafstar’s ears.
This was the place where Echosong came to share tongues with her warrior ancestors. Though she was no medicine cat, Leafstar felt very close to StarClan here, as if she might hear their voices if she listened hard enough.
At the far side of the cave, Snookpaw was stretching up on his hind paws to claw down a bundle of moss. A large heap of it already lay on the cave floor beside him.
“Well done,” Leafstar meowed. “That should make a fine bed for Lichenfur and Tangle.”
Snookpaw jumped with surprise and dropped to all four paws. “Leafstar!” he exclaimed. “You nearly scared me out of my fur!”
“Sorry,” Leafstar mewed. She decided not to tell him that Lichenfur had been complaining. “Do you want help carrying that lot out?”
“Please,” Snookpaw puffed, beginning to roll the moss into two balls. “It is a lot, isn’t it?” he added smugly.
Leafstar picked up one of the balls of moss and turned to head out of the cave, pausing to let Snookpaw go in front of her. The pale light from the cave slowly died away behind them; edging along the trail was even more difficult when their front paws were hidden by the clump of moss. Rounding the curve in the river, they drew closer to the ragged gap of daylight where the water swirled out.
Then Snookpaw’s claws skidded on the slippery ledge. With a squeal of alarm he dropped his moss and toppled into the river, his paws flailing vainly for a grip on the stone. Dark water closed over his head.
“Snookpaw!” Dropping her own moss, Leafstar bounded to the spot where the apprentice had disappeared. She was in time to see him resurface a couple of tail-lengths farther downstream. His paws churned the water and his jaws opened in a terrified wail.
“Help! Help me!”
He was already sinking again as Leafstar flung herself into the water and gripped him by the scruff before he could disappear. The water was dark and shockingly icy. For a couple of heartbeats Leafstar was stunned into stillness and didn’t know which way to swim. Then she caught sight of the light at the cave entrance. Striking out strongly with her hind legs, she reached the side of the cave, but the wall was smooth and slick with water; she couldn’t pull herself up to the ledge again, especially with Snookpaw weighing her down.
StarClan help us!
All Leafstar could do was keep Snookpaw’s head above water while the current bore them along. She felt a moment’s panic as they were swept out into daylight and the sun dazzled her eyes, blinding her while the water swept them in a circle. Rolled over by a wave, Leafstar lost all sense of direction. Then her head bobbed to the surface. Still with her teeth fixed in Snookpaw’s scruff, she let the current swirl them toward the side of the pool. At last she was able to crawl out and collapse on the stones, with Snookpaw a sodden mound of fur beside her.
“Leafstar! Leafstar!”
Still muzzy with exhaustion, Leafstar recognized Cherrytail’s voice. She opened her eyes to see the young tortoiseshell gazing down at her anxiously.
“Check… Snookpaw,” she rasped.
As Cherrytail bent over Snookpaw, he began struggling to sit up. Shivering with shock, he coughed up a stream of water and flopped back onto the stones again.
At least he’s alive, Leafstar thought. Thank StarClan!
By now more cats were racing across the Rockpile, or leaping across the stepping-stones a little farther downstream. Echosong was among them, pushing her way through as they crowded around.
“Keep back and let me see him,” she ordered, crouching down beside the young black-and-white tom. “Leafstar, what happened?”
“He was fetching moss, and he slipped into the river,” Leafstar croaked, managing to get to her paws and
give her pelt a good shake.
Echosong nodded and gently pressed Snookpaw’s belly with one paw. Another stream of water gushed out of the apprentice’s mouth.
“You’ll be fine,” Echosong told him reassuringly. “Come with me to my den. I’ll give you some thyme leaves for the shock, and you can have a good sleep.”
Still coughing, Snookpaw tottered to his paws. “No,” he rasped. “I want to go home. Don’t make me stay here.”
Startled, Leafstar took a pace back. She wanted to tell him that the medicine cat would look after him just as well as his Twolegs, but she couldn’t bring herself to make him stay in the gorge when he looked so miserable.
“All right,” she meowed. “If you’re sure you can make it that far.”
“I’ll go with him,” Cherrytail offered, letting Snookpaw lean against her shoulder. “I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
“Thank you, Cherrytail.” The young tortoiseshell warrior had been a kittypet once, and she would be familiar with the Twolegplace. “Make sure you get some rest, Snookpaw, and we’ll see you again as soon as you’re ready.”
Snookpaw headed off with Cherrytail, then halted and glanced back. “Thank you, Leafstar. You saved my life.”
“You’re welcome,” Leafstar mewed gently.
She watched Cherrytail helping Snookpaw across the Rockpile. Though she was thankful the accident had been no worse, she was still shaken. Gazing at the cats gathered around her, she announced, “From now on, no cat must go to the Whispering Cave alone—except for you, Echosong. And moss-gathering must always be supervised by a warrior.”
“Good idea,” Waspwhisker meowed.
Petalnose nodded. “When I think what could happen to our apprentices…” She shuddered.
Leaving her Clanmates to return to camp, Leafstar ventured back along the ledge until she found the remains of the moss that she and Snookpaw had dropped. Most of it had been washed away by the river, but Leafstar rolled up what was left and carried it across the Rockpile to the elders’ den.
“What’s that?” Lichenfur sniffed. “There’s not enough moss there to make a bed for a tick!”