He glanced at the long grass at the edge of the clearing, tasting the air for ShadowClan scent. They were late. He leaned forward eagerly. Would Needlepaw come? If she was still being punished for letting Violetkit leave the camp, she might not be allowed to attend the Gathering this time. His tail flicked anxiously. He’d promised to take news home to Twigkit about Violetkit. If he couldn’t ask Needlepaw, perhaps Sleekpaw would tell him.
Alderpaw stiffened as Mintfur jerked his gaze toward the edge of the clearing. Alderpaw pricked his ears as the RiverClan tom’s nose twitched. Paws scrabbled over the tree-bridge, beyond the stretch of grass. Pebbles cracked. The ShadowClan cats were coming.
The cats in the clearing turned their heads one by one as the grass rustled and ShadowClan padded out.
Alderpaw frowned. They looked battle-worn. Rowanstar had a cut above his eye. Crowfrost’s pelt showed signs of scratches. Wasptail was limping. Who had they been fighting? He looked for Needlepaw, his heart sinking when he saw she wasn’t with them. Sleekpaw wasn’t there either. Perhaps Yarrowpaw or Strikepaw would be able to tell him about Violetkit.
Leafpool!
The medicine cat slid from the long grass.
Of course! He could ask her! Alderpaw hurried to meet her as she headed for the group of medicine cats. As he neared, he saw that her eyes were dark with worry. Puddlepaw padded behind her, tail down. “Has something happened?” he asked as he reached them.
Leafpool lowered her gaze and padded past him. “Rowanstar will share the news.”
“Is Violetkit okay?” Anxiety flashed through Alderpaw’s fur.
“She was well the last time I saw her.” Leafpool sat beside Mothwing. She glanced at Alderpaw, then looked away.
The last time she saw her? Alderpaw stared at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
Jayfeather shooed him back to his place with a flick of his tail. “Sit down and be quiet,” he ordered. “It’s not Leafpool’s duty to share ShadowClan’s news.” His blind gaze flashed toward the gathered cats.
As the ShadowClan warriors and apprentices slid among them, Rowanstar strode to the great oak and climbed onto the branch beside Onestar. Onestar shot him a hostile glance and shifted away.
Bramblestar left Sparkpelt and hurried to the oak as Mistystar heaved herself stiffly up the trunk and took her place beside Rowanstar. The murmuring of the cats quieted as Bramblestar sat down and gazed toward them.
“We have good weather,” he observed, his gaze flicking toward the wide starry sky. “StarClan has blessed us.”
Rowanstar grunted dismissively. “ThunderClan cats always think they are blessed, even when they’re half-starved in leaf-bare.”
“It is not leaf-bare yet,” Mistystar reminded them. “We must be glad that prey is still running and the snows are not yet here.”
“Prey is always running in RiverClan,” Onestar sneered. “Or should I say swimming.”
“Not if the river freezes,” Mistystar corrected him.
Alderpaw whisked his tail over the ground. Why were the leaders so prickly tonight?
Rowanstar stood and raised his tail. “ShadowClan has two new warriors,” he announced. “Strikestone and Yarrowleaf.”
“Strikestone!”
“Yarrowleaf!”
The Clans cheered the names of ShadowClan’s new warriors. Their voices rang through the brittle night air.
Mistystar raised her voice over them. “RiverClan has new warriors too. Shadepelt and Foxnose!”
Bramblestar called out. “And Sparkpaw is now Sparkpelt!”
“Shadepelt!”
“Foxnose!”
“Sparkpelt!”
Sparkpelt glanced around the cheering cats, her pelt fluffing with excitement.
“Sparkpelt!” Alderpaw raised his voice, making sure she could hear him celebrating her warrior name.
She caught his eye, her green gaze lighting up with happiness. Pride swelled in his chest, and he called her name louder.
Beside him, Jayfeather remained silent.
Alderpaw nudged him. “Even medicine cats are allowed to cheer,” he hissed in his mentor’s ear.
Jayfeather grunted. “Why should I cheer? More warriors means more wounds and more work for me.”
Alderpaw glanced at Leafpool, expecting her to chide Jayfeather for being so gloomy, but Leafpool was chanting, her expression blank as though her thoughts were elsewhere. His cheer died in his throat as he gazed across the cheering cats. Shouldn’t Sleekpaw be receiving her warrior name? And Juniperpaw? They were Strikestone’s littermates. Had they failed their assessments? He scanned the crowd, looking for them, but there was no sign of the two apprentices. Alderpaw shifted uneasily and looked toward Rowanstar as the Clans fell silent.
Rowanstar gazed out gravely at the Clans. “The rogues that attacked Onestar’s patrol are living on the edge of our territory, near our border with ThunderClan.”
Shocked murmurs rippled through the gathered cats.
“Why don’t you chase them off?” Brackenfur called.
Breezepelt showed his teeth. “They’re murderers!”
Crowfeather lifted his muzzle. “We should join forces and drive them away.”
Rowanstar spoke over them. “They asked to join ShadowClan. They came with gifts of prey, but I turned them away.”
“How dare they?” Oatclaw lashed his tail.
Sparkpelt flattened her ears. “They could never be Clan cats!”
“I turned them away!” Rowanstar repeated, the fur prickling along his spine. His glare silenced the angry cats. “But some of our apprentices have chosen to join them.”
Alderpaw braced himself for louder cries, but the Clans stared at the ShadowClan leader in shocked silence as Rowanstar went on.
“They took Violetkit with them.”
Mistystar jerked her muzzle toward him. “The kit from the prophecy?”
Rowanstar nodded.
Bramblestar flattened his ears. “You let them take her?”
Rowanstar scowled. “We were wrong about the prophecy, Bramblestar. Violetkit is just an ordinary kit. Twigkit is probably ordinary too. And Needlepaw found her. Why shouldn’t she take her?”
Why shouldn’t she take her? Alderpaw froze. Had Needlepaw left to join the rogues? His mouth grew dry. Surely not. Needlepaw liked to break rules. But she’d never betray her Clan.
Bramblestar was growling, his angry gaze fixed on Rowanstar. “You let a vulnerable kit be taken away to join a group of rogues? What were you thinking? I should have known Violetkit would never be safe in ShadowClan. If you didn’t believe she was part of the prophecy, why did you take her in the first place? We could have kept her.”
“We have to get her back!” Mothwing called.
“How will we clear the sky with her gone?” Mintfur yowled.
Squirrelflight flicked her tail angrily. “Let the sky take care of itself for now. A kit has been taken from her Clan! We must rescue her.”
The clearing rang with mews of agreement, but Alderpaw hardly heard them. What will I tell Twigkit? He’d brought Violetkit to the Clans. And now she was in the paws of vicious rogues. Guilt scorched his pelt. Twigkit will never forgive me. She’ll be heartbroken. Alderpaw swallowed back panic. We’ll get her back. We have to. I’ll tell Twigkit that everything will be okay. He hoped it was true.
Fur brushed his flank as Leafpool slid in beside him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you,” she murmured. “It was Rowanstar’s news to share. But I’m sure Needlepaw will look after her. She is very fond of Violetkit. Whatever happens, Needlepaw will protect her.”
Alderpaw met her gaze, trembling. “But Needlepaw is only an apprentice. What can she do against a gang of rogues?”
His heart lurched as Leafpool stared back at him wordlessly. He wanted her to reassure him.
Bramblestar’s yowl cut through the anxious chattering of the gathered cats. “What are you going to do about this, Rowanstar?” He glared at the ShadowClan leader.
&n
bsp; Rowanstar’s tail twitched. “We attacked them last night,” he reported. “We hoped that when they saw us fighting for them, our apprentices would come back to us.”
Alderpaw’s heart lurched as he saw panic in the ginger tom’s gaze. He’d never seen a leader frightened before.
“But they didn’t.” Rowanstar’s mew was trembling. “In fact, one more apprentice and two of our warriors joined them and fought against us.”
“Who?” Onestar demanded. The WindClan leader was bristling with rage.
“Beepaw, Berryheart, and Cloverfoot.” Rowanstar stared at his paws.
Onestar thrust his muzzle close to the ShadowClan leader. “How dare you call yourself a leader? You can’t even control your own Clan!”
“They’ll come back.” Rowanstar’s mew was thick with emotion. “They’re young and wrongheaded. But they’ll realize their mistake and come back.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” Bramblestar’s mew softened.
Alderpaw saw pity in his father’s eyes as he gazed at the broken ShadowClan leader.
Onestar showed his teeth. “Meanwhile, we have rogues on the edge of Clan territory. If they steal Clanmates, you can be sure they’ll steal prey.”
Mistystar glared at the WindClan leader. “They’re as far from your borders as they can be. There’s no need for you to worry about your precious rabbits.”
Onestar hissed at her contemptuously. “Or you to defend your fish.”
“This affects us all!” Bramblestar yowled. “They have Violetkit, and she is part of the prophecy.”
“So you say,” Rowanstar muttered, unconvinced.
Mistystar ignored the ShadowClan leader and faced Bramblestar. “We can’t risk trying to rescue her. She’s a kit. They could easily kill her if we attack their camp.”
“Then we must wait,” Bramblestar decided.
Onestar’s hackles lifted. “So we’re going to do nothing?” He stared at Bramblestar in disbelief. “These cats killed my Clanmate.”
And took one of your lives, Alderpaw thought darkly. And drove SkyClan from the gorge. He couldn’t help feeling that Onestar was right to want to do more to fight the rogues.
“We should attack now and drive them as far from the lake as we can,” Onestar went on.
Rowanstar’s eyes rounded with fear. “I don’t want to fight my Clanmates, even if they’ve made a terrible decision. They still might change their minds and return to the Clan.”
“I understand.” Bramblestar met Rowanstar’s gaze sympathetically. “And we mustn’t risk Violetkit’s life by attacking.”
Onestar growled, his eyes flashing in the moonlight. “Then we have no more to say.” He leaped from the great oak and stalked across the clearing, signaling to his Clanmates with an angry flick of his tail.
Harespring hurried away from the other deputies and fell in beside his leader. Their Clanmates quickly followed, pushing their way through the gathered cats. Moonlight glittered on their pelts as they headed into the long grass and disappeared.
Alderpaw looked at Bramblestar. What now?
“The meeting is over,” the ThunderClan leader called, jumping down from the tree.
Alderpaw’s pads seemed frozen to the ground. Was that it? They were going to live beside the rogues as though they were just another Clan? Had Bramblestar forgotten that these cats had driven SkyClan from their home? What if they were planning to do the same here?
As the rest of the cats headed for the tree-bridge, his throat tightened. He didn’t want to follow. Going home meant telling Twigkit that her sister was with the rogues.
CHAPTER 12
“Keep your hindquarters low,” Ivypool ordered.
Twigpaw lowered herself farther, her gaze fixed on the leaf ahead.
Newleaf sunshine dappled the forest floor. Buds lit the trees in a green haze. Four moons had passed since Violetkit’s disappearance. In the half-moon since becoming an apprentice, Twigpaw had worked hard to impress her new mentor. She wanted to be as good as Larkpaw, Leafpaw, and Honeypaw. They were already learning battle moves, while she was practicing hunting moves on leaves. But they had been made apprentices three moons ago, when snow had covered the forest floor and ice had frozen the rivers and streams.
“Keep your tail still,” Ivypool reminded her.
Twigpaw pressed her tail flat against the soft earth. She could smell prey-scents drifting between the trees, and she longed to be hunting a real mouse.
“Judge the distance,” Ivypool told her. “And when you are sure, jump.”
Twigpaw narrowed her eyes, sensing the space between herself and the leaf. Her hindquarters twitched. Excitement pulsed beneath her pelt. Pushing off with her hind paws, she leaped.
She landed, skidding on the leaf. It shot along the slippery ground. Her forepaws shot along with it, and she thumped, chest first, onto the ground.
Ivypool padded to her side, purring. “Your leap was the perfect distance. Unfortunately, you hadn’t prepared for your prey to try to escape.” She gently nudged Twigpaw up and flicked a scrap of leaf litter from the apprentice’s shoulders with a paw. “Landing on balanced paws is the most important skill you will learn. It’s vital for hunting and fighting.”
Twigpaw shook out her pelt, embarrassed. “I didn’t realize the ground was so wet.” She glanced at the muddy streak her landing had smeared across the forest floor.
“Next time you’ll remember to think about where you’re landing. Landing on mud, stone, or leaf litter all require different techniques. But you did well. Your concentration is excellent and you learn fast. Lilyheart will be pleased when I tell her.”
Twigpaw purred proudly. “Am I learning as quickly as Larkpaw?” She knew that Larkpaw was a great hunter already. Lilyheart often boasted how he carried prey home to her every day.
“It’s not a competition,” Ivypool told her gently. “You must learn at your own speed.”
“But I want to prove I’m special.” Moons later, Rosepetal’s words still haunted her. Twigkit does seem pretty ordinary. And until she learns to hunt, she’s another belly for the Clan to fill. She stared desperately at Ivypool. “I have to be the best.”
“That’s not true,” Ivypool soothed.
“But if I’m not, why am I here?”
Ivypool’s gaze shone sympathetically. “You’ve never truly felt part of the Clan, have you?” She didn’t wait for Twigpaw to answer. “I hope that one day you will.”
Twigpaw dropped her gaze guiltily. “You make me sound disloyal.”
“No,” Ivypool purred fondly. “I can see that you are as loyal as any Clanborn cat. But you have grown up away from your true kin. That must have been hard.” Her eyes brightened encouragingly. “Still, Lilyheart is very proud of you, and if your real mother could see what’s become of you, I’m sure she’d be proud of you too. What a shame Squirrelflight’s patrol never found her.”
Twigpaw frowned, puzzled. “Squirrelflight’s patrol?” What was Ivypool talking about? Had Squirrelflight led a patrol to search for her mother? Why didn’t anyone ever speak about it? Her heart fluttered like a bird in her chest. Perhaps they’d found her mother’s body and wanted to protect her from knowing. She blinked at Ivypool. “Did they find any trace at all?”
“Only the nest where Alderpaw had found you. It was abandoned.”
“Nothing else?”
Ivypool shifted her paws nervously. “I don’t really know. No one talked about it afterward.”
Fear spread down Twigpaw’s spine. What was the Clan hiding from her? I have to know! Twigpaw glanced up the rise that led toward camp. Alderpaw! He’d be honest with her, even if it were bad news. “Can we go back to the hollow now?” She had to speak with Alderpaw.
Ivypool’s tail whisked over the damp leaf litter. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s all right.” Twigpaw’s thoughts were whirling. “I just need to get back to camp.”
“Okay.” Ivypool watched her anxiously.
; Twigpaw hardly noticed her glistening gaze. She was already climbing the rise and heading for the gorse barrier. She ducked through the tunnel and hurried into camp. Her thoughts raced ahead of her. Alderpaw would be in the medicine den. What would he say? Did he know about her mother? As she bounded across the clearing, Graystripe called from the fallen beech.
“What’s the hurry, Twigpaw?”
“Is something wrong?” Briarlight was beside the fresh-kill pile, sharing a mouse with Fernsong.
“I need to speak with Alderpaw!” Twigpaw burst through the trailing brambles into the medicine den.
Jayfeather snorted but didn’t look up from the moss he was soaking in the water, which pooled beside the rock wall of the den. “I thought Alderpaw had lost his shadow once you’d been made an apprentice.” He shook water from his paws. “For a shadow, you make a lot of noise.”
Alderpaw was picking stale moss out of Briarlight’s nest. He turned as Twigpaw scrambled to a halt beside him.
“Did Squirrelflight’s patrol find my mother?” she demanded bluntly.
He blinked at her, confusion clouding his gaze. “Squirrelflight’s patrol?”
“The one Bramblestar sent to look for my mother moons ago!” Frustration churned in Twigpaw’s belly. It turned to fear as she saw alarm flash in his eyes. He knew something!
“Let’s talk about this in private.” His gaze darted guiltily toward Jayfeather.
“Don’t worry about me,” Jayfeather mewed sarcastically. “Stay as long as you like. It is only my medicine den, after all.”
Twigpaw ignored the medicine cat. “You have to tell me,” she begged Alderpaw. “Did they find my mother?”
Alderpaw nudged her toward the entrance. “Come outside.”
Why? He must have something terrible to tell me! Suddenly light-headed, Twigpaw followed him through the trailing brambles.
Alderpaw guided her into the fern hollow beside the den. Out of sight of their Clanmates, he met her gaze. “We don’t know what happened to your mother,” he whispered.
She stared at him blankly. “Why hide here to tell me that?”
Alderpaw seemed to squirm beneath his pelt. Why was he being so weird?