“The day I stop hunting, Weedwhisker, is the day you can sit vigil for me,” meowed Mumblefoot.

  Weedwhisker took another bite of his mouse. “I’ll never stop hunting, either,” he muttered with his mouth full. “There aren’t enough apprentices to keep us fed these days.”

  “Patchkit and Leopardkit will be starting their training soon,” Featherwhisker reminded them. “And we’ve got another pair on the way to becoming apprentices.” He stepped aside, revealing Bluekit and Snowkit.

  Weedwhisker looked up from his mouse. Mumblefoot sat up, pricking his ears.

  “Kits!” The tortoiseshell she-cat’s eyes brightened, and she hurried forward and gave Bluekit a soggy lick on her cheek. Bluekit ducked away, rubbing her wet face with her paw, then stifled a purr as Snowkit received the same welcome.

  “It’s their first time out of the nursery, Larksong,” Featherwhisker explained. “I caught them trying to make a nest in Pinestar’s den.”

  “We were not—” Bluekit started to object.

  “Don’t take any notice of Featherwhisker,” Larksong interrupted. “He teases all the cats. It’s one of the privileges of being medicine cat.”

  “Medicine cat apprentice,” Featherwhisker corrected her.

  “Huh!” Mumblefoot wrapped his tail over his paws. “Which means you do all of Goosefeather’s duties while that lazy old badger pretends to look for herbs.”

  “Hush!” Larksong looked sternly at her denmate. “Goosefeather does his best.”

  Mumblefoot snorted. “What herb was he supposedly collecting this morning?” he asked Featherwhisker.

  The medicine cat apprentice twitched his ears. “Comfrey.”

  “Well, I saw him sunning himself by the Owl Tree, fast asleep. His snoring was scaring the prey.” He flicked his tail toward the morsel that Weedwhisker was enjoying. “It took me an age to find that.”

  “Goosefeather has taught me a lot,” Featherwhisker said in defense of his mentor. “And there’s no herb in the forest he doesn’t know how to use.”

  “If he can be bothered to pick them,” Mumblefoot muttered.

  Featherwhisker glanced at Bluekit and Leopardkit. “Take no notice,” he meowed. “Goosefeather and Mumblefoot have never seen eye to eye.”

  “And you shouldn’t be saying such things, Mumblefoot,” Larksong scolded. “You know Goosefeather is their kin.”

  “He is?” Bluekit blinked at the tortoiseshell.

  “He was your mother’s littermate,” Larksong explained. She swept Bluekit and Snowkit forward with her tail. “Come and tell us all about yourselves.”

  “My name is Bluekit, and this is my sister, Snowkit. Our mother is Moonflower and our father is Stormtail,” Bluekit chirped. “And today is the first time we’ve been out of the nursery!”

  Weedwhisker licked his lips as he swallowed the last of the mouse. “Welcome to the Clan, little ones. I’m sure you’ll be up to trouble in no time. Kits can’t seem to help themselves.”

  Bluekit pricked her ears. “Have Leopardkit and Patchkit been in trouble?”

  Larksong purred. “I don’t know a kit who hasn’t.”

  Relief warmed Bluekit’s belly. She didn’t want to be the only one who got things wrong. Like having a squirrel fall on my head.

  “It’s about time Pinestar made those two apprentices,” Mumblefoot croaked. “They have too much time on their paws. Every time I go to the fresh-kill pile, I trip over one of them kicking up dust with some silly game or other.”

  “I’ll ask Swiftbreeze if I can take them herb gathering in the forest tomorrow,” Featherwhisker suggested. “That should keep them busy.”

  Bluekit’s eyes grew wide. “In the forest?” she echoed.

  Featherwhisker nodded. “We won’t go far from camp.”

  That must be where Dapplepaw was taking Patchkit and Leopardkit. Bluekit wondered how much more there was beyond the clearing and the dens.

  Beside her, Snowkit yawned.

  “You’d better be getting them back to their mother,” Larksong advised. “Snowkit looks like she’s going to fall asleep on her paws.”

  Bluekit turned to see her sister’s eyes drooping. She suddenly realized that her own legs ached and her belly was rumbling. But she didn’t want to leave; she wanted to learn more. What did Mumblefoot’s tick look like? Where was Goosefeather now?

  “Come on.” Featherwhisker began to usher them out of the den.

  “How can we learn anything back in the nursery?” Bluekit objected.

  “You’ll learn a lot more once you’ve rested,” Larksong meowed.

  “Come back and see us soon!” Weedwhisker called.

  Bluekit stumbled as they crossed the clearing. Though her mind whirled with questions, her paws were clumsy with fatigue. She felt relieved when Featherwhisker nudged her into the nursery.

  “What did you see, little one?” Moonflower asked as Bluekit snuggled down beside her mother with Snowkit.

  “Everything,” Bluekit yawned.

  Moonflower purred. “Not everything, my darling.” Bluekit closed her eyes as her mother went on softly. “There’s a whole forest for you to explore. And even that is just part of the Clans’ territories. There are lands beyond—Mothermouth, Highstones, and even farther.”

  “How far does the world stretch?” Snowkit murmured sleepily.

  “Only StarClan knows,” Moonflower replied.

  Bluekit imagined trees and bracken and nettles and gorse stretching far beyond the camp into an endless sky. “But my legs aren’t long enough to travel that far,” she protested. As her visions faded into dreams, she heard her mother’s voice continue.

  “They’ll grow, my sweet, until one day they’ll be strong enough to walk the whole world.”

  BACK ADS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ERIN HUNTER is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich, mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the bestselling Survivors and Seekers series.

  Download the free Warriors app and chat on Warriors message boards at www.warriorcats.com.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  BOOKS BY ERIN HUNTER

  THE PROPHECIES BEGIN

  Book One: Into the Wild

  Book Two: Fire and Ice

  Book Three: Forest of Secrets

  Book Four: Rising Storm

  Book Five: A Dangerous Path

  Book Six: The Darkest Hour

  THE NEW PROPHECY

  Book One: Midnight

  Book Two: Moonrise

  Book Three: Dawn

  Book Four: Starlight

  Book Five: Twilight

  Book Six: Sunset

  POWER OF THREE

  Book One: The Sight

  Book Two: Dark River

  Book Three: Outcast

  Book Four: Eclipse

  Book Five: Long Shadows

  Book Six: Sunrise

  OMEN OF THE STARS

  Book One: The Fourth Apprentice

  Book Two: Fading Echoes

  Book Three: Night Whispers

  Book Four: Sign of the Moon

  Book Five: The Forgotten Warrior

  Book Six: The Last Hope

  DAWN OF THE CLANS

  Book One: The Sun Trail

  Book Two: Thunder Rising

  Book Three: The First Battle

  Book Four: The Blazing Star

  Book Five: A Forest Divided

  Book Six: Path of Stars

  Warriors Super Edition: Firestar’s Quest

  Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar’s Prophecy

  Warriors Super Edition: SkyClan’s Destiny

  Warriors Super Edition: Crookedstar’s Promise

  Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang’s Secret

  Warriors Super Edition: Tallstar’s Revenge

  Warriors Super Edition: Bramblestar’s Storm
/>
  Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans

  Warriors: Cats of the Clans

  Warriors: Code of the Clans

  Warriors: Battles of the Clans

  Warriors: Enter the Clans

  Warriors: The Ultimate Guide

  Warriors: The Untold Stories

  Warriors: Tales from the Clans

  MANGA

  The Lost Warrior

  Warrior’s Refuge

  Warrior’s Return

  The Rise of Scourge

  Tigerstar and Sasha #1: Into the Woods

  Tigerstar and Sasha #2: Escape from the Forest

  Tigerstar and Sasha #3: Return to the Clans

  Ravenpaw’s Path #1: Shattered Peace

  Ravenpaw’s Path #2: A Clan in Need

  Ravenpaw’s Path #3: The Heart of a Warrior

  SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue

  SkyClan and the Stranger #2: Beyond the Code

  SkyClan and the Stranger #3: After the Flood

  NOVELLAS

  Hollyleaf’s Story

  Mistystar’s Omen

  Cloudstar’s Journey

  Tigerclaw’s Fury

  Leafpool’s Wish

  Dovewing’s Silence

  Mapleshade’s Vengeance

  Goosefeather’s Curse

  Book One: The Quest Begins

  Book Two: Great Bear Lake

  Book Three: Smoke Mountain

  Book Four: The Last Wilderness

  Book Five: Fire in the Sky

  Book Six: Spirits in the Stars

  RETURN TO THE WILD

  Book One: Island of Shadows

  Book Two: The Melting Sea

  Book Three: River of Lost Bears

  Book Four: Forest of Wolves

  Book Five: The Burning Horizon

  MANGA

  Toklo’s Story

  Kallik’s Adventure

  Book One: The Empty City

  Book Two: A Hidden Enemy

  Book Three: Darkness Falls

  Book Four: The Broken Path

  Book Five: The Endless Lake

  Book Six: Storm of Dogs

  Survivors: Tales from the Packs

  NOVELLAS

  Alpha’s Tale

  Sweet’s Journey

  Moon’s Choice

  COPYRIGHT

  WARRIORS: GOOSEFEATHER’S CURSE. Copyright © 2015 by Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition © August 2015 ISBN 9780062343307

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  FIRST EDITION

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

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  Erin Hunter, Goosefeather's Curse

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