The Apprentice's Quest (29 page)

Alderpaw's gaze drifted toward the trailing
brambles at the entrance of the medicine den. Outside, leaves would be drifting into the hollow. Leaf-fall came so soon! Less than a moon ago he'd been trekking back from his quest beneath sunny blue skies.

“Alderpaw!”

Jayfeather's sharp mew snapped him from his thoughts. He turned his attention back to the leaves piled in front of him.

“You're meant to be separating the yarrow from the coltsfoot.” Jayfeather glared at him with sightless blue eyes.

“Sorry,” Alderpaw mumbled. Nothing he did seemed to please Jayfeather. Hurriedly, he began to peel the limp yarrow away from the dried coltsfoot.

Beside him, Leafpool reached deeper into the crack at the back of the cave. She hauled out another pawful of leaves. “I think that's the last of them. Once we've sorted them, we can decide what we need to gather before leafbare.”

“We'll need catmint,” Jayfeather mewed. “I want Spiderleg to be the last cat in ThunderClan who dies of greencough.”

At the far side of the medicine den, Briarlight pushed herself up in her nest. “I can help with the sorting.”

“Thanks,” Jayfeather told her without turning. “But we've enough cats here already.” His ears twitched irritably as he added, “And kits.”

Alderpaw glanced guiltily at Twigkit. The young cat was playing with a leaf inside the entrance. She reached onto her hind legs, pawing the leaf high, then ducked as it drifted down to catch it on her back. As it landed between her shoulder blades, she gave a
mrrow
of delight. “I had to bring her with me,” Alderpaw explained. “She didn't have anyone to play with.”

“What about Lilyheart's kits?” Jayfeather snapped. “They're her nestmates aren't they?”

Leafpool pushed a pile of thyme to one side. “Lilyheart's kits are nearly five moons old,” she reminded Jayfeather gently. “They're far too boisterous for Twigkit.”

And they're not interested in having a young kit tag along.
Alderpaw was grateful that Lilyheart had agreed to raise Twigkit along with her own kits, Leafkit, Larkkit, and Honeykit, but he wished the older kits had more patience with their foster littermate. They would be apprentices soon, and they were more interested in pretending to hunt and fight than in playing nursery games with Twigkit.

If only her sister, Violetkit, had been allowed to stay with her in ThunderClan. Alderpaw remembered with a spark of anger how callously ShadowClan had carried Twigkit's sister away from the Gathering, separating the littermates without worry for their feelings. They hadn't cared that they were separating orphaned kits. All they cared about was that
Needlepaw—one of their apprentices—had helped find them. Since the kits might be part of a prophecy sent from StarClan, Rowanstar was determined that one of them would belong to his Clan.

Anger surged through Alderpaw.
It was
my
prophecy!
I
led the quest that found them.
And yet that wasn't why he resented losing Violetkit so much. He felt sorry for Twigkit. And for Violetkit. Was ShadowClan taking care of her? Did she have a foster mother as kind as Lilyheart? Memories of his own kithood with his sister, Sparkpaw, and his mother, Squirrelflight, warmed his heart.
How would I have felt to be separated from them?

Twigkit batted the leaf into the air once again, then leapt, her short fluffy tail whipping to balance her as she spun in the air. Nimbly, she caught the leaf between her forepaws.

“She's agile.” Leafpool watched approvingly.

“She should be playing outside,” Jayfeather huffed. “A medicine den is no place for kits.”

“She could play with Briarlight,” Alderpaw suggested.

Briarlight's crippled hind legs meant that it was important for her to keep her forelegs strong and active and her lungs clear. Chasing a leaf with Twigkit would be good exercise.

Jayfeather frowned, but Leafpool spoke before he could object. “That's a great idea, Alderpaw.” She called to Twigkit. “Would you like to play catch with Briarlight?”

Twigkit blinked at Leafpool, her eyes sparkling with delight. “Am I allowed?”

“Of course,” Briarlight purred. “You can play with me any time you like.”

Jayfeather huffed again and began untangling the pile of thyme. “Does this mean she's going to be here even more?”

“Don't be so grouchy,” Leafpool chided. “She's not doing any harm.”

“I guess I only trip over her three or four times a day.” Jayfeather snorted.

Alderpaw's pelt pricked with irritation. It was almost as though Jayfeather
enjoyed
being the grumpiest cat in the Clan.

“Get on with your work!” Jayfeather's ears twitched crossly. Not for the first time, Alderpaw wondered if the blind medicine cat could read his thoughts. Guiltily, he turned his attention back to the yarrow and coltsfoot.

As Twigkit carried her leaf toward Briarlight, the trailing brambles at the entrance rustled.

Graystripe popped his head through and blinked at Jayfeather. “Bramblestar wants to see you, Leafpool, and Alderpaw.”

Alderpaw's heart quickened.
Why
?

He waited for Jayfeather to speak, but Graystripe went on. “Can I take some comfrey back to the elders' den?” The grey elder glanced at the herb piles hopefully.

Leafpool tipped her head. “Are your joints aching again?”

“Not mine,” Graystripe huffed. “Millie's.”

“Shall I come and check on her?” Leafpool was already rolling up a wad of leaves.

“There's no need. Unless you know a cure for aging.” Graystripe pushed his way into the den. “Besides, I don't think you should keep Bramblestar waiting. Rowanstar's with him.”

Jayfeather pricked his ears. “Why didn't you tell us?”

“I just did.”

As Graystripe grasped the comfrey between his jaws, Jayfeather brushed past him and headed for the entrance.

Alderpaw glanced at Twigkit. Had something happened to Violetkit? Is that why the ShadowClan leader had come? “Stay here with Briarlight, okay?”

She nodded.

Alderpaw's heart was racing. He nosed his way through the brambles after Jayfeather.

Leafpool was following Graystripe from the den. Alderpaw hurried after her, the sharp sunshine stinging his eyes as he pushed his way from the shade of the medicine den.

Outside the nursery, Lilyheart stretched beside Daisy, soaking up the meagre warmth. There was a chill in the air but the cliff sheltered the camp from the blustery breeze that was stirring the branches at the top of the hollow. Leafkit, Larkkit, and Honeykit were nosing around the fallen beech, poking their noses through the gaps in the woven walls of the apprentices' den.

“There's so much room inside!” Leafkit gasped.

“I want a nest close to the middle,” Larkkit mewed.

“Sparkpaw and Alderpaw's nests are there already,” Honeykit sighed. “I can see them.”

Leafpool's mew distracted Alderpaw from their chatter. “I hope the patrols come back soon,” she mewed. “The freshkill pile's empty.”

Alderpaw glanced at the empty patch of earth. Brightheart,
Whitewing, and Cloudtail paced beside it. Hadn't they brought prey back from their patrol? Perhaps they'd met Rowanstar before they'd had a chance to hunt. They gazed through narrowed eyes at the muscular ginger tom as he stood beside Bramblestar on Highledge.

Jayfeather was already beside him, fur pricking along his spine.

Alderpaw followed Leafpool up the tumble of rocks and stopped beside them.

Bramblestar gazed at them gravely. “Littlecloud is dying.” He dipped his head to Leafpool. The two medicine cats had known each other a long time.

Leafpool's eyes darkened. “Is he suffering?”

“Dawnpelt's with him,” Rowanstar told her. “She's giving him poppy seeds to ease his pain, but she doesn't know what else to do.”

Leafpool flicked her tail. “If only you'd chosen a medicine cat apprentice moons ago,” she fretted. “Littlecloud would have someone to care for him properly.”

“And ShadowClan wouldn't be left without a medicine cat,” Jayfeather growled.

Rowanstar's pelt ruffled. “I didn't come here to be lectured!”

Bramblestar stepped forward. “He came here for our help.” He shot a warning glance at Jayfeather.

Alderpaw watched his father, impressed by his authority. Bramblestar clearly understood that it would do no good to rub mouse bile into ShadowClan's wound. More gentle
treatment was needed. He stepped forward hesitantly. “Can
I
help?” he asked softly.

Jayfeather flicked him away with his tail. “You're not borrowing our apprentice,” he told Rowanstar tetchily.

Alderpaw bristled.
Why not? You're always complaining I get under your paws.

Rowanstar scowled. “I don't want an
apprentice.
Littlecloud needs proper care.”

Alderpaw's pelt ruffled indignantly.

“I'll come,” Leafpool offered.

“Thank you.” Rowanstar leaned forward. “Grassheart's kits are due any day. Tawnypelt, Snowbird, and Dawnpelt will be able to help at her kitting, but it's Grassheart's first litter and I'd prefer to have a medicine cat close by if there are problems.”

Alderpaw shifted his paws. It sounded strange to hear the ShadowClan leader talk with such concern about his Clanmates. Rowanstar had snatched Violetkit from the Gathering so callously that Alderpaw had decided the ginger tom must have no heart. Hope flickered through his fur. Had he been wrong? Perhaps Violetkit was as safe and loved in ShadowClan as Twigkit was in ThunderClan.

“I'll fetch herbs and come as soon as I can.” Leafpool turned toward the rock tumble. She paused at the top and called over her shoulder. “Alderpaw. Travel with me. I'll need help carrying the herbs.”

“To ShadowClan's camp?” Alderpaw blinked in surprise.

“Of course!” Leafpool whisked her tail.