Post by Slightdapple on Oct 22, 2023 21:27:07 GMT -5
The Lost Clans
ALLEGIANCES
ForestClan
ForestClan lives in the large forests and prairies surrounding Heather Peak. Their medicine cats meet in a basin carved out many seasons ago with a direct view of the moon and Silverpelt. Their pelts are often colored to blend in with the oak and pine, and their main prey are squirrels and mice. ForestClan are very loyal to their Clan and have a strong sense of justice and altruism.
LEADER: Fernstar- dappled gray-and-white she-cat
DEPUTY: Mossyscar- aging white tom with a long scar across his eye
MEDICINE CATS: Sloefoot- dark gray tabby tom with darker paws, tail, and muzzle
APPRENTICE, Hazelpaw (black she-cat with a white chest and paws)
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Mistclaws- brown tabby tom with green eyes
Needlesong- sleek-furred dark ginger she-cat
Sharpfang- brown tom with ginger splotches and sharp claws
Conewhisker- large gray tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, Echopaw (very dark gray, almost black tabby she-cat)
Oakpad- ginger tabby tom with amber eyes
Mouseflight- dusty gray tom
Berrysplash- dark blue-gray she-cat with a tabby tail
APPRENTICE, Lakepaw (brown-and-white tom)
Basilwillow- dark tabby tom with a soft pelt
Thymebird- pale ginger tabby tom
Sagewing- long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with an injured hind leg
Mintstem- she-cat with a plumy, sweeping tail and fur as black as night
APPRENTICE, Lionpaw (fluffy golden she-cat)
Chivespots- thin gray tom with white spots and a mean snarl
Mudnose- white she-cat with a brown nose
APPRENTICE, Swallowpaw (dark brown tom)
Bramblefern- young dark brown she-cat
Heatherdust- pinkish-gray she-cat with green eyes
Nectarshade- ginger-and-white tabby tom
Rushpool- soft brown tom
Nettlestalk- dark gray she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Boysenflower- pale yellow tabby she-cat (mother to Ivykit, a brown tabby-and-white she-kit, Skykit, a pale gray tom-kit, and Clearkit, a tan tabby she-kit.)
Brackentalon- dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Yarrowkit, a gray tabby tom.)
Peachsnap- white she-cat with an orange muzzle, paws, and tail, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors or medicine cats)
Sparrowfall- lean brown tom
Squirrelcloud- ginger-and-white she-cat with a graying muzzle
RainClan
RainClan live in the rainforest and swamps just south of ForestClan’s territory. Their medicine cats meet behind the waterfall, where the moon and stars shimmer every night. Their main prey are frogs and pelicans, and they have colorful pelts. They sleep under large ferns and overhangs to keep safe from the constant rain, and camp around the waterfall pool. RainClan are peaceful and creative cats.
LEADER: Cinderstar- calico she-cat with bright green eyes
APPRENTICE, Rowanpaw (ginger she-cat with white splotches)
DEPUTY: Applesnow- snowy white she-cat with a long, plumy tail
MEDICINE CATS: Mooneye- misty gray tom with a cloudy eye, former warrior
Jayflower- gray-and-black she-cat with leaves in her fur
WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)
Mothlight- plump yellow tabby she-cat
Jaguarclaw- yellow tom with black spots
APPRENTICE, Shadepaw (dark tabby she-cat with bright eyes)
Slothfoot- white tom with a black patch over his eye
Lianaheart- kind white she-cat
Tigerlily- orange she-cat with one green eye and one blue
APPRENTICE, Mossypaw (cream tom)
Vinewhisker- light ginger tom with long whiskers
Frogswim- gray tom with a white tail
APPRENTICE, Silverpaw (sliver tabby tom)
Orchidpetal- tortoiseshell she-cat with a strange gait
Dartleaf- blue-gray-and-black she-cat
Brightmoon- ginger she-cat with a white spot over her eye
Spidertalon- black tom with one white leg
Snakeleaf- sneaky tan she-cat
APPRENTICE, Fallenpaw (ginger-and-white tabby tom)
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Eaglepetal- small ginger she-cat with a long tail (mother to Mistlekit, a yellow tabby she-kit, Puddlekit, a dark ginger she-kit, Scarletkit, a bright ginger tom, and Owlkit, a brown-and-white tom)
Sunshimmer- white she-cat with black, ginger, and brown spots (mother to Birdkit, a gray-and-cream she-kit, and Bluekit, a blue-gray tom)
Lichenbloom- sandy golden tabby she-cat, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Barkfang- pale gray tom, former medicine cat
LagoonClan
LagoonClan lives south of the rainforest, in a peninsula thick with reeds and ponds. They are excellent swimmers and often camp at the islands just offshore of their camp, and the medicine cats meet at the lagoon every full moon because it goes underwater at the half moon. Their main prey are fish and snakes. LagoonClan cats are reclusive and sometimes aggressive, due to their isolated nature from the other four Clans.
LEADER: Reedstar- cream tabby tom with a stub for a tail
DEPUTY: Adderfoot- gray she-cat with a black paw
MEDICINE CATS: Tansywhisper- pale brown tabby she-cat with a long tail
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Palmnose- sandy she-cat with a white spot on her nose
Marshswim- long-furred solid brown tom
Thistleflower- gray tabby-and-white she-cat
Willowthorn- ginger-and-white she-cat with sharp claws
APPRENTICE, Wrenpaw (night-black she-cat)
Juniperstorm- black tom
Saltmint- cream she-cat with mottled sliver spots
Pinerapids- speckled brown and ginger tom
Vanillashade- white she-cat with dark gray and light gray dapples, Juniperstorm’s mate
APPRENTICE, Peatpaw (cream tom)
Orchidmask- gray tom with darker paws, ears, and muzzle
Woodshard- lean brown tom
Tuftfish- ginger tabby tom with green eyes
Myrtlesplash- long-legged ginger she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Hollyberry- black she-cat with white spots, expecting Reedstar’s kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Kinkedwing- spiky-furred tortoiseshell she-cat
Mangrovefang- patchy-furred light gray tom
Mangostep- pale orange tom, oldest cat in the Clans
TundraClan
TundraClan lives in the tundra and snowy slopes east of the forest Clans. They make their camp in the pine forest at the base of the mountains, and the geyser is a main source of prey as animals that stumble in get burned. Their medicine cats meet at the fjord. Many TundraClan cats sleep in hollows with down feathers to retain warmth. They are quiet and enduring.
LEADER: Bearstar- muscular white tom with gray eyes
DEPUTY: Glacierfoot- lean gray she-cat with white paws
MEDICINE CATS: Spinecrawl- very dark ginger tom
Slateshine- dark gray she-cat with a white chest and paws
APPRENTICE, Mintpaw (gray tabby she-cat)
Oatleap- brown tom with white paws
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Sweetfeather- snowy white she-cat
Basilrunner- lean pale gray tom
Sorrelstep- speckled dark gray she-cat
Bayleaf- very pale yellow tom
Coriandersnow- dark ginger she-cat
Wildwhisker- brown tom with curled whiskers
Clovespot- spotted gray she-cat with amber eyes
Pepperpad- quick brown tom
Gingernose- white she-cat with a ginger spot on her nose
Jadestep- dark gray and white tom with green eyes
Parsleyrunner- gray-and-white tom
Glistenfrost- shimmering white she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Mousefern- dusty gray she-cat (mother to Mothkit, a light brown tom, and Swankit, a pale gray she-kit)
Quailstride- gray, brown, and white she-cat, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens. TundraClan is infamous for never having more than two elders at a time.)
Marigoldfall- pale gray tabby she-cat with crooked whiskers
Finswipe- tall dark brown tom with a shredded ear
DesertClan
DesertClan lives in the vast deserts south of the tundra. Their camp is in a canyon, and they make their nests in shrubs and caves in the wall of the canyon. Their medicine cats meet at the oasis, and the mesa is often a place to host guests from other Clans, mostly TundraClan and LagoonClan. They prey on lizards, snakes, and scorpions, and the occasional rat. DesertClan are often sharp-tongued and sarcastic.
LEADER: Sandstar- golden tabby she-cat
DEPUTY: Scorpionfang- dark orange she-cat with a white tail
MEDICINE CAT: Camelstep- soft yellow she-cat
Quailface- mottled cream-and-gray she-cat
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Geckosong- very pale gray she-cat
Eagleweed- ticked ginger-and-white tabby tom
Stormstream- dark gray she-cat
APPRENTICE, Vixenpaw (pale golden tom)
Lizardsplash- sandy tabby tom
APPRENTICE, Aridpaw (white-and-gray she-cat)
Mothshine- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes
Haresting- orange-and-white tom
Badgercloud- smoky black-and-white tom
Honeyleap- golden tabby tom
Caracalear- ticked pale ginger tabby
Firebush- bright ginger tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, Brushpaw (ginger she-cat)
Emberfern- ginger-and-black she-cat
Flamesight- ginger she-cat with a white spot over her eye
Aloemask- gray tom
Kestreldust- long-furred golden tom
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Cactusleaf- honey-colored tabby she-cat, permanent resident
Leopardlight- speckled pale yellow she-cat (mother to, Antkit, a dark ginger she-kit, Ashkit, a pale gray tabby she-kit, and Beetlekit, a tabby tom-kit.)
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Jaguarwhisker- dark golden tom
Prickleflight- tan tom with an injured hind paw
Sunnyshade- golden she-cat with black spots
Rogues
The rogues live in the archipelago and fight over the big island with LagoonClan. They come from Twolegplace, moons’ walk inland.
LEADER: Maxine- scarred ginger she-cat with a purple collar
Clove- long-furred cream she-cat, Maxine’s “deputy”
Blake- plump ginger tabby tom
Chaffinch- black tom with a gray mask
Cleopatra- speckled golden she-cat
Cobweb- pale brown lynx tabby tom
Flurry- lilac point Ragdoll she-cat
Gale- silver Persian tom
Glen- silver-and-white she-cat with battle scars
Hawfinch- brown tom
Haven- small pale gray tom with a torn ear
Whisper- mottled tan-and-ginger tom
Pumpkin- soft-furred orange she-cat
Vine- lean dark tabby tom
Dagger- silver she-cat with a white chest and paws
Dragon- dark ginger tom
Luna- calico she-cat with one missing eye
Pepper- night-black she-cat
Sniff- reddish brown she-cat
Martha- dark gray queen (mother to Pounce, a dark brown she-cat, Cedar, a gray tabby tom-kit, and Lizard, a ginger tom-kit)
Blue- blue-gray tom with a neon green collar
Frozen- long-legged white tom with gray paws
Parrot- ginger, orange, yellow, and white she-cat with distinctive green eyes
Eevee- light brown she-cat with a fluffy white ruff and tail
Pikachu- yellow tom with black stripes
Cookie- brown-and-cream tom
Cinnamon- young light brown she-cat
ForestClan lives in the large forests and prairies surrounding Heather Peak. Their medicine cats meet in a basin carved out many seasons ago with a direct view of the moon and Silverpelt. Their pelts are often colored to blend in with the oak and pine, and their main prey are squirrels and mice. ForestClan are very loyal to their Clan and have a strong sense of justice and altruism.
LEADER: Fernstar- dappled gray-and-white she-cat
DEPUTY: Mossyscar- aging white tom with a long scar across his eye
MEDICINE CATS: Sloefoot- dark gray tabby tom with darker paws, tail, and muzzle
APPRENTICE, Hazelpaw (black she-cat with a white chest and paws)
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Mistclaws- brown tabby tom with green eyes
Needlesong- sleek-furred dark ginger she-cat
Sharpfang- brown tom with ginger splotches and sharp claws
Conewhisker- large gray tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, Echopaw (very dark gray, almost black tabby she-cat)
Oakpad- ginger tabby tom with amber eyes
Mouseflight- dusty gray tom
Berrysplash- dark blue-gray she-cat with a tabby tail
APPRENTICE, Lakepaw (brown-and-white tom)
Basilwillow- dark tabby tom with a soft pelt
Thymebird- pale ginger tabby tom
Sagewing- long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with an injured hind leg
Mintstem- she-cat with a plumy, sweeping tail and fur as black as night
APPRENTICE, Lionpaw (fluffy golden she-cat)
Chivespots- thin gray tom with white spots and a mean snarl
Mudnose- white she-cat with a brown nose
APPRENTICE, Swallowpaw (dark brown tom)
Bramblefern- young dark brown she-cat
Heatherdust- pinkish-gray she-cat with green eyes
Nectarshade- ginger-and-white tabby tom
Rushpool- soft brown tom
Nettlestalk- dark gray she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Boysenflower- pale yellow tabby she-cat (mother to Ivykit, a brown tabby-and-white she-kit, Skykit, a pale gray tom-kit, and Clearkit, a tan tabby she-kit.)
Brackentalon- dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Yarrowkit, a gray tabby tom.)
Peachsnap- white she-cat with an orange muzzle, paws, and tail, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors or medicine cats)
Sparrowfall- lean brown tom
Squirrelcloud- ginger-and-white she-cat with a graying muzzle
RainClan
RainClan live in the rainforest and swamps just south of ForestClan’s territory. Their medicine cats meet behind the waterfall, where the moon and stars shimmer every night. Their main prey are frogs and pelicans, and they have colorful pelts. They sleep under large ferns and overhangs to keep safe from the constant rain, and camp around the waterfall pool. RainClan are peaceful and creative cats.
LEADER: Cinderstar- calico she-cat with bright green eyes
APPRENTICE, Rowanpaw (ginger she-cat with white splotches)
DEPUTY: Applesnow- snowy white she-cat with a long, plumy tail
MEDICINE CATS: Mooneye- misty gray tom with a cloudy eye, former warrior
Jayflower- gray-and-black she-cat with leaves in her fur
WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)
Mothlight- plump yellow tabby she-cat
Jaguarclaw- yellow tom with black spots
APPRENTICE, Shadepaw (dark tabby she-cat with bright eyes)
Slothfoot- white tom with a black patch over his eye
Lianaheart- kind white she-cat
Tigerlily- orange she-cat with one green eye and one blue
APPRENTICE, Mossypaw (cream tom)
Vinewhisker- light ginger tom with long whiskers
Frogswim- gray tom with a white tail
APPRENTICE, Silverpaw (sliver tabby tom)
Orchidpetal- tortoiseshell she-cat with a strange gait
Dartleaf- blue-gray-and-black she-cat
Brightmoon- ginger she-cat with a white spot over her eye
Spidertalon- black tom with one white leg
Snakeleaf- sneaky tan she-cat
APPRENTICE, Fallenpaw (ginger-and-white tabby tom)
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Eaglepetal- small ginger she-cat with a long tail (mother to Mistlekit, a yellow tabby she-kit, Puddlekit, a dark ginger she-kit, Scarletkit, a bright ginger tom, and Owlkit, a brown-and-white tom)
Sunshimmer- white she-cat with black, ginger, and brown spots (mother to Birdkit, a gray-and-cream she-kit, and Bluekit, a blue-gray tom)
Lichenbloom- sandy golden tabby she-cat, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Barkfang- pale gray tom, former medicine cat
LagoonClan
LagoonClan lives south of the rainforest, in a peninsula thick with reeds and ponds. They are excellent swimmers and often camp at the islands just offshore of their camp, and the medicine cats meet at the lagoon every full moon because it goes underwater at the half moon. Their main prey are fish and snakes. LagoonClan cats are reclusive and sometimes aggressive, due to their isolated nature from the other four Clans.
LEADER: Reedstar- cream tabby tom with a stub for a tail
DEPUTY: Adderfoot- gray she-cat with a black paw
MEDICINE CATS: Tansywhisper- pale brown tabby she-cat with a long tail
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Palmnose- sandy she-cat with a white spot on her nose
Marshswim- long-furred solid brown tom
Thistleflower- gray tabby-and-white she-cat
Willowthorn- ginger-and-white she-cat with sharp claws
APPRENTICE, Wrenpaw (night-black she-cat)
Juniperstorm- black tom
Saltmint- cream she-cat with mottled sliver spots
Pinerapids- speckled brown and ginger tom
Vanillashade- white she-cat with dark gray and light gray dapples, Juniperstorm’s mate
APPRENTICE, Peatpaw (cream tom)
Orchidmask- gray tom with darker paws, ears, and muzzle
Woodshard- lean brown tom
Tuftfish- ginger tabby tom with green eyes
Myrtlesplash- long-legged ginger she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Hollyberry- black she-cat with white spots, expecting Reedstar’s kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Kinkedwing- spiky-furred tortoiseshell she-cat
Mangrovefang- patchy-furred light gray tom
Mangostep- pale orange tom, oldest cat in the Clans
TundraClan
TundraClan lives in the tundra and snowy slopes east of the forest Clans. They make their camp in the pine forest at the base of the mountains, and the geyser is a main source of prey as animals that stumble in get burned. Their medicine cats meet at the fjord. Many TundraClan cats sleep in hollows with down feathers to retain warmth. They are quiet and enduring.
LEADER: Bearstar- muscular white tom with gray eyes
DEPUTY: Glacierfoot- lean gray she-cat with white paws
MEDICINE CATS: Spinecrawl- very dark ginger tom
Slateshine- dark gray she-cat with a white chest and paws
APPRENTICE, Mintpaw (gray tabby she-cat)
Oatleap- brown tom with white paws
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Sweetfeather- snowy white she-cat
Basilrunner- lean pale gray tom
Sorrelstep- speckled dark gray she-cat
Bayleaf- very pale yellow tom
Coriandersnow- dark ginger she-cat
Wildwhisker- brown tom with curled whiskers
Clovespot- spotted gray she-cat with amber eyes
Pepperpad- quick brown tom
Gingernose- white she-cat with a ginger spot on her nose
Jadestep- dark gray and white tom with green eyes
Parsleyrunner- gray-and-white tom
Glistenfrost- shimmering white she-cat
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Mousefern- dusty gray she-cat (mother to Mothkit, a light brown tom, and Swankit, a pale gray she-kit)
Quailstride- gray, brown, and white she-cat, expecting kits
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens. TundraClan is infamous for never having more than two elders at a time.)
Marigoldfall- pale gray tabby she-cat with crooked whiskers
Finswipe- tall dark brown tom with a shredded ear
DesertClan
DesertClan lives in the vast deserts south of the tundra. Their camp is in a canyon, and they make their nests in shrubs and caves in the wall of the canyon. Their medicine cats meet at the oasis, and the mesa is often a place to host guests from other Clans, mostly TundraClan and LagoonClan. They prey on lizards, snakes, and scorpions, and the occasional rat. DesertClan are often sharp-tongued and sarcastic.
LEADER: Sandstar- golden tabby she-cat
DEPUTY: Scorpionfang- dark orange she-cat with a white tail
MEDICINE CAT: Camelstep- soft yellow she-cat
Quailface- mottled cream-and-gray she-cat
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
Geckosong- very pale gray she-cat
Eagleweed- ticked ginger-and-white tabby tom
Stormstream- dark gray she-cat
APPRENTICE, Vixenpaw (pale golden tom)
Lizardsplash- sandy tabby tom
APPRENTICE, Aridpaw (white-and-gray she-cat)
Mothshine- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes
Haresting- orange-and-white tom
Badgercloud- smoky black-and-white tom
Honeyleap- golden tabby tom
Caracalear- ticked pale ginger tabby
Firebush- bright ginger tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, Brushpaw (ginger she-cat)
Emberfern- ginger-and-black she-cat
Flamesight- ginger she-cat with a white spot over her eye
Aloemask- gray tom
Kestreldust- long-furred golden tom
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Cactusleaf- honey-colored tabby she-cat, permanent resident
Leopardlight- speckled pale yellow she-cat (mother to, Antkit, a dark ginger she-kit, Ashkit, a pale gray tabby she-kit, and Beetlekit, a tabby tom-kit.)
ELDERS (retired warriors and queens)
Jaguarwhisker- dark golden tom
Prickleflight- tan tom with an injured hind paw
Sunnyshade- golden she-cat with black spots
Rogues
The rogues live in the archipelago and fight over the big island with LagoonClan. They come from Twolegplace, moons’ walk inland.
LEADER: Maxine- scarred ginger she-cat with a purple collar
Clove- long-furred cream she-cat, Maxine’s “deputy”
Blake- plump ginger tabby tom
Chaffinch- black tom with a gray mask
Cleopatra- speckled golden she-cat
Cobweb- pale brown lynx tabby tom
Flurry- lilac point Ragdoll she-cat
Gale- silver Persian tom
Glen- silver-and-white she-cat with battle scars
Hawfinch- brown tom
Haven- small pale gray tom with a torn ear
Whisper- mottled tan-and-ginger tom
Pumpkin- soft-furred orange she-cat
Vine- lean dark tabby tom
Dagger- silver she-cat with a white chest and paws
Dragon- dark ginger tom
Luna- calico she-cat with one missing eye
Pepper- night-black she-cat
Sniff- reddish brown she-cat
Martha- dark gray queen (mother to Pounce, a dark brown she-cat, Cedar, a gray tabby tom-kit, and Lizard, a ginger tom-kit)
Blue- blue-gray tom with a neon green collar
Frozen- long-legged white tom with gray paws
Parrot- ginger, orange, yellow, and white she-cat with distinctive green eyes
Eevee- light brown she-cat with a fluffy white ruff and tail
Pikachu- yellow tom with black stripes
Cookie- brown-and-cream tom
Cinnamon- young light brown she-cat
Prologue
Eyes flickered in the darkness as unsheathed claws shone. A storm raged above the cats on the island. Rain lashed on the bushes in which they hid, but they didn’t care.
A yowling erupted from one of the dripping bushes. A flash of pale yellow darted across the clearing, and battle drenched the island. Cats screeched, powerful warriors and agile rogues clawing and hissing at one another as the downpour of rain descended on them.
A cream tabby tom pushed aside a golden she-cat and leaped onto a ginger she-cat. The tom clawed at her ear, dragging his claws through her pelt.
The she-cat yowled and turned on him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. The tabby tom leaped back, and the ginger cat disappeared in the rain.
“Die, you mange-pelts!”
“That’s right! Run and take your ‘warriors’ with you!”
“We need this territory!”
“Fox-hearts!”
“Reedstar!”
The shrill voice of a LagoonClan warrior rang in Reedstar’s ears. “What is it, Thistleflower?”
The tabby she-cat jerked her muzzle toward the edge of the island. “They’re heading for camp!"
Panic flashed through Reedstar. Hollyberry was there! So were the elders! He ran, paws pounding on the grass, barely noticing the rain. But something smashed into him, making him stumble. It was the ginger tabby from earlier!
“I’m not letting you hurt my Clan.” he growled.
“Your precious little Clan killed Cloud.” the tabby hissed back.
“Only because we had no choice.” Reedstar lifted his muzzle. “You were invading our territory.”
The she-cat tipped her head mockingly. “Oh, I’m Reedstar! These evil rogues destroyed our territory! I’m sure they didn’t just settle peacefully looking for a home for their kits!” She shook her head. “No. We have needs too. Or are you too blind to your Clanmates’ needs that you don’t think about anyone else?”
“You take that back!” Reedstar’s claws slashed at the rogue leader’s pelt.
The ginger she-cat screeched, dragging her claws in Reedstar’s neck. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm Reedstar. He could feel blood soaking into his neck fur. No!
The ginger tabby rogue loosened her grip all of a sudden. Reedstar followed her gaze weakly.
The rogues were retreating.
Reedstar struggled to his paws. He lashed out at the tabby. “You want revenge? I’ll give you revenge.”
“We will never forgive you for Cloud’s death.” The she-cat growled.
“That wasn’t me, Maxine!”
Maxine’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Not much of a leader, are you, blaming your Clanmates over yourself?”
Reedstar bristled. “One day, you will live to regret the day you set paw on LagoonClan territory.”
Maxine hissed. “And one day, you will lay dying, and your Clan will be nothing more than a memory.”
Hazelpaw’s black-and-white fur stood on end as she stretched up from her nest. She peered out of the medicine cat den into ForestClan’s camp.
The forest always looked beautiful after rain. And after the heavy rain and storms of the past few days, it was all the more pretty.
Sharpfang padded past her, grumbling. “Mossyscar’s too old to be deputy. He could barely survive that flood.”
Hazelpaw felt alarm jolt through her. Does Sharpfang really mean that? He’d always been ambitious… Hazelpaw shook the thought away. The tom was an honorable warrior. He would never stoop to murder.
The rain had been so heavy that the lake, ForestClan’s lifeline, had almost flooded. They’d relied on it during leaf-bare, when all the prey sheltered down in their holes.
There was a smaller lake, one that rose up in the middle to provide a sandy ground for a camp. Brambles and the twisted roots of trees grew around it. It was ForestClan camp.
Night was falling, and the half-moon glowed high in the sky. It was time for a meeting at the basin that marred the hilly prairies south of the forest. This meeting would be Hazelpaw’s second. She would get to meet with StarClan, to learn more about the Clans’ future.
As a medicine cat-apprentice, she needed to see signs from StarClan. There had been an uneasy feeling these past few moons. LagoonClan’s clashes with the rogues over the archipelago had only gotten fiercer since Hazelpaw’s apprenticeship two moons ago. DesertClan kept trying to get the two leaders of the groups to work something out, but since Reedstar had found out his mate was expecting kits, there was no turning back.
The turbulent thoughts swirled in her head until Sloefoot, her mentor, padded up next to her. The dark tabby swished his tail. “Let’s check on Peachsnap.” she meowed decisively.
Hazelpaw wanted to be more like Sloefoot. He was so smart, so sure of what he was doing. Hazelpaw doubted everything, up to the way she walked sometimes.
As the camp settled down for the night, she spotted Swallowpaw heading for the apprentices’ den, a large bush. “Hey, Swallowpaw,” she called to the dark brown tom. Swallowpaw was her friend. Her brother and sister, Echopaw and Lakepaw, always teased her about being a medicine cat and being “starry-eyed” and “doing all the boring stuff”.
Hazelpaw had always just snorted huffily and padded away. She spent more time with Swallowpaw. He was kind and he didn’t bully her. “Tonight’s your half-moon meeting, right?” The dark tom’s eyes were bright.
“Yeah.” Hazelpaw answered.
“If you get any cool visions, tell me! All my dreams are about prey.” Hazelpaw giggled.
Sloefoot nudged her towards the nursery, and Hazelpaw followed. The den was in a cave carved from a tree trunk and wound with bramble and fern. Boysenflower, and her three kits, was awake in the corner of the cave, noticing them as soon as they arrived.
“Mouseflight was just here,” The yellow tabby meowed. “Are you here for Peachsnap? She’s here, but make sure not to wake Brackentalon and Yarrowkit.”
Sloefoot nodded and shifted to the other end of the cave, where Peachsnap rested. He turned to Hazelpaw. “What herb does she need?” she questioned.
The black-and-white she-cat thought back to the last time she and Sloefoot had checked on Peachsnap. What herb did they bring? Something that had bright blue flowers. Almost purple. It smelled really good.
“It was… catmint? No. Borage.” Hazelpaw meowed hesitantly.
“Borage is correct,” Sloefoot meowed, looking pleased. He pawed out the bright blue flowers from the herb bundle she’d been carrying, and gave it to Peachsnap.
“Go and talk to Sagewing,” Sloefoot meowed.
Hazelpaw felt a thrill of joy. Sagewing was her older sister. ForestClan had found Sagewing, battered and injured, on the border with three kits. She had been a loner who didn’t want her siblings to suffer from the dangers of loner life. ForestClan had taken them in.
Sagewing had an injured hind leg from the mysterious injuries she’d sustained. Because of that she had a permanent limp, though she could still hunt and fight like any other cat.
She padded to the warriors’ den, a hollowed-out pile of rocks, and spotted Sagewing resting on one of the ledges. Hazelpaw hopped up to her. “Hi, Sagewing!” she meowed cheerfully.
The tortoiseshell flicked her tail happily. “Can’t wait for that meeting?”
“No! What do you think I’ll see?” The black-furred she-cat tipped her head.
“If StarClan has a prophecy for you, I’m sure it’ll be important.” Sagewing purred. “How do you like being a medicine apprentice?”
“A lot.” Hazelpaw meowed honestly.
Sagewing’s gaze grew understanding. “If Echopaw or Lakepaw are teasing you again…” she warned.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t even sleep in the same den as them anymore.” Hazelpaw’s pelt prickled. Sometimes she did want Echopaw and Lakepaw to just stop talking. But she was sure she could deal with it. “Hazelpaw!” Sloefoot’s voice echoed around the clearing.
“I have to go!” she touched her nose to Sagewing’s. The tortoiseshell called after her. “Have a great time at the basin!”
~~~
Hazelpaw slowly padded toward the basin. The black she-cat looked nervously at the water pooling at the bottom. “Is that normal?” she asked Sloefoot. Drizzle pricked at both of their pelts.
Sloefoot nodded earnestly. “You’ll still be able to see StarClan.” The dark gray tabby shifted his paws.
Hazelpaw breathed a sigh of relief.
She touched her nose to the rocky basin. She felt calm flash through her at once. The black-and-white she-cat remembered her first time she’d gone here, to get her apprentice name. She hadn’t dreamed anything that time. Would her second trip be the same?
Echopaw and Lakepaw would be so impressed if I had a vision, she thought as she drifted off into the heavy fog of dreams. She recalled how Echopaw had been named after the first medicine cat of ForestClan, Echocreek, yet her sister had no interest in being a medicine cat. Her sights had always been set on being a warrior, and, later, maybe even leader.
Echopaw would certainly be a better leader than the aging Mossyscar. Every cat in ForestClan loved him, but all of them knew that the white tom should’ve retired by now. He was older than Squirrelcloud.
As Hazelpaw’s thoughts drifted, she blinked open her eyes. In front of her was a large lake. But this wasn’t the lake in ForestClan territory. Surrounding it was large forest on the north side, an expanse of reed beds and streams on the other, and wind-swept moorland to the right.
A voice whispered in her ear, quiet as the breeze racing over the treetops. Hazelpaw had to strain to hear it.
To save a falling tree, you must find its roots, the voice said.
No! Hazelpaw felt like saying. Tell me more! What do you mean? But the wind grew fiercer and fiercer until it whipped her muzzle and scorched her ears. She gripped the soft grass where she stood, trying to hold on, but the wind swept her away. She felt like she was falling, down into shadows and darkness. Terror felt its way through her. And then she woke up.
The black she-cat shivered, panting. Sloefoot was looking at her with concern in his gaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Hazelpaw meowed shakily. “But I had a vision. ‘To save a falling tree, you must find its roots.’”
Sloefoot’s gaze drifted off to the stars for a moment. “Maybe…maybe it has to do with the rain. Maybe something will get destroyed in the storm and we’ll have to save it…”
Hazelpaw looked away. She couldn’t help feeling that the storm had nothing to do with it. It just didn’t seem right to her. What significance would a felled tree, or a tossed berry patch have to the Clans?
“I don’t think StarClan meant an actual fallen tree.” Hazelpaw meowed.
“Do you mean the fallen tree is a cat? Or a Clan?” Her mentor’s eyes flashed with fear.
“No!” Hazelpaw was shocked.
“Then what is it?” Sloefoot’s voice rose angrily, and Hazelpaw flinched.
A prophecy is meant to unify cats, but it only stands to divide them…
The forest always looked beautiful after rain. And after the heavy rain and storms of the past few days, it was all the more pretty.
Sharpfang padded past her, grumbling. “Mossyscar’s too old to be deputy. He could barely survive that flood.”
Hazelpaw felt alarm jolt through her. Does Sharpfang really mean that? He’d always been ambitious… Hazelpaw shook the thought away. The tom was an honorable warrior. He would never stoop to murder.
The rain had been so heavy that the lake, ForestClan’s lifeline, had almost flooded. They’d relied on it during leaf-bare, when all the prey sheltered down in their holes.
There was a smaller lake, one that rose up in the middle to provide a sandy ground for a camp. Brambles and the twisted roots of trees grew around it. It was ForestClan camp.
Night was falling, and the half-moon glowed high in the sky. It was time for a meeting at the basin that marred the hilly prairies south of the forest. This meeting would be Hazelpaw’s second. She would get to meet with StarClan, to learn more about the Clans’ future.
As a medicine cat-apprentice, she needed to see signs from StarClan. There had been an uneasy feeling these past few moons. LagoonClan’s clashes with the rogues over the archipelago had only gotten fiercer since Hazelpaw’s apprenticeship two moons ago. DesertClan kept trying to get the two leaders of the groups to work something out, but since Reedstar had found out his mate was expecting kits, there was no turning back.
The turbulent thoughts swirled in her head until Sloefoot, her mentor, padded up next to her. The dark tabby swished his tail. “Let’s check on Peachsnap.” she meowed decisively.
Hazelpaw wanted to be more like Sloefoot. He was so smart, so sure of what he was doing. Hazelpaw doubted everything, up to the way she walked sometimes.
As the camp settled down for the night, she spotted Swallowpaw heading for the apprentices’ den, a large bush. “Hey, Swallowpaw,” she called to the dark brown tom. Swallowpaw was her friend. Her brother and sister, Echopaw and Lakepaw, always teased her about being a medicine cat and being “starry-eyed” and “doing all the boring stuff”.
Hazelpaw had always just snorted huffily and padded away. She spent more time with Swallowpaw. He was kind and he didn’t bully her. “Tonight’s your half-moon meeting, right?” The dark tom’s eyes were bright.
“Yeah.” Hazelpaw answered.
“If you get any cool visions, tell me! All my dreams are about prey.” Hazelpaw giggled.
Sloefoot nudged her towards the nursery, and Hazelpaw followed. The den was in a cave carved from a tree trunk and wound with bramble and fern. Boysenflower, and her three kits, was awake in the corner of the cave, noticing them as soon as they arrived.
“Mouseflight was just here,” The yellow tabby meowed. “Are you here for Peachsnap? She’s here, but make sure not to wake Brackentalon and Yarrowkit.”
Sloefoot nodded and shifted to the other end of the cave, where Peachsnap rested. He turned to Hazelpaw. “What herb does she need?” she questioned.
The black-and-white she-cat thought back to the last time she and Sloefoot had checked on Peachsnap. What herb did they bring? Something that had bright blue flowers. Almost purple. It smelled really good.
“It was… catmint? No. Borage.” Hazelpaw meowed hesitantly.
“Borage is correct,” Sloefoot meowed, looking pleased. He pawed out the bright blue flowers from the herb bundle she’d been carrying, and gave it to Peachsnap.
“Go and talk to Sagewing,” Sloefoot meowed.
Hazelpaw felt a thrill of joy. Sagewing was her older sister. ForestClan had found Sagewing, battered and injured, on the border with three kits. She had been a loner who didn’t want her siblings to suffer from the dangers of loner life. ForestClan had taken them in.
Sagewing had an injured hind leg from the mysterious injuries she’d sustained. Because of that she had a permanent limp, though she could still hunt and fight like any other cat.
She padded to the warriors’ den, a hollowed-out pile of rocks, and spotted Sagewing resting on one of the ledges. Hazelpaw hopped up to her. “Hi, Sagewing!” she meowed cheerfully.
The tortoiseshell flicked her tail happily. “Can’t wait for that meeting?”
“No! What do you think I’ll see?” The black-furred she-cat tipped her head.
“If StarClan has a prophecy for you, I’m sure it’ll be important.” Sagewing purred. “How do you like being a medicine apprentice?”
“A lot.” Hazelpaw meowed honestly.
Sagewing’s gaze grew understanding. “If Echopaw or Lakepaw are teasing you again…” she warned.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t even sleep in the same den as them anymore.” Hazelpaw’s pelt prickled. Sometimes she did want Echopaw and Lakepaw to just stop talking. But she was sure she could deal with it. “Hazelpaw!” Sloefoot’s voice echoed around the clearing.
“I have to go!” she touched her nose to Sagewing’s. The tortoiseshell called after her. “Have a great time at the basin!”
~~~
Hazelpaw slowly padded toward the basin. The black she-cat looked nervously at the water pooling at the bottom. “Is that normal?” she asked Sloefoot. Drizzle pricked at both of their pelts.
Sloefoot nodded earnestly. “You’ll still be able to see StarClan.” The dark gray tabby shifted his paws.
Hazelpaw breathed a sigh of relief.
She touched her nose to the rocky basin. She felt calm flash through her at once. The black-and-white she-cat remembered her first time she’d gone here, to get her apprentice name. She hadn’t dreamed anything that time. Would her second trip be the same?
Echopaw and Lakepaw would be so impressed if I had a vision, she thought as she drifted off into the heavy fog of dreams. She recalled how Echopaw had been named after the first medicine cat of ForestClan, Echocreek, yet her sister had no interest in being a medicine cat. Her sights had always been set on being a warrior, and, later, maybe even leader.
Echopaw would certainly be a better leader than the aging Mossyscar. Every cat in ForestClan loved him, but all of them knew that the white tom should’ve retired by now. He was older than Squirrelcloud.
As Hazelpaw’s thoughts drifted, she blinked open her eyes. In front of her was a large lake. But this wasn’t the lake in ForestClan territory. Surrounding it was large forest on the north side, an expanse of reed beds and streams on the other, and wind-swept moorland to the right.
A voice whispered in her ear, quiet as the breeze racing over the treetops. Hazelpaw had to strain to hear it.
To save a falling tree, you must find its roots, the voice said.
No! Hazelpaw felt like saying. Tell me more! What do you mean? But the wind grew fiercer and fiercer until it whipped her muzzle and scorched her ears. She gripped the soft grass where she stood, trying to hold on, but the wind swept her away. She felt like she was falling, down into shadows and darkness. Terror felt its way through her. And then she woke up.
The black she-cat shivered, panting. Sloefoot was looking at her with concern in his gaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Hazelpaw meowed shakily. “But I had a vision. ‘To save a falling tree, you must find its roots.’”
Sloefoot’s gaze drifted off to the stars for a moment. “Maybe…maybe it has to do with the rain. Maybe something will get destroyed in the storm and we’ll have to save it…”
Hazelpaw looked away. She couldn’t help feeling that the storm had nothing to do with it. It just didn’t seem right to her. What significance would a felled tree, or a tossed berry patch have to the Clans?
“I don’t think StarClan meant an actual fallen tree.” Hazelpaw meowed.
“Do you mean the fallen tree is a cat? Or a Clan?” Her mentor’s eyes flashed with fear.
“No!” Hazelpaw was shocked.
“Then what is it?” Sloefoot’s voice rose angrily, and Hazelpaw flinched.
A prophecy is meant to unify cats, but it only stands to divide them…
Cinnamon stretched from her nest. Her soft brown fur rippled. The she-cat crept out from the tangled rose bush that provided a small den for her and some of the younger rogues. Her brother, Cookie, among them, along with former house cats Eevee and Pikachu.
At the end of the island, Martha was sheltering in the shade of a palm tree with her three kits frisking around her.
Cinnamon looked out at the archipelago. The largest island had Maxine and her closest followers, all on a prey-filled island with plenty of undergrowth. The rogue leader deserved it: she did win them territory, after all.
“What a fine day.” Martha commented.
Pounce leaped on Lizard. “Get off my territory, mange-pelt!” Cedar wobbled up to her and swatted at them. “You’re fighting on my territory. Couldn’t you notice the scent mark, mouse-brain?”
Cinnamon winced slightly. Clearly they’d been listening to the older cats fighting.
Martha must have noticed Cinnamon’s reaction. “It’s okay,” she meowed. “Living in a group is safer than living alone.”
Is that really true, after what the Clans did to Cloud? Cinnamon had known him. He’d been kind and strong, and the white tom had had a mate who’d died, picked off in the night by wolves. No cat had actually seen her die- perhaps mercifully- but the stains of blood where she’d rested told the whole story. Cloud had still been grieving when he was killed by LagoonClan.
A splash made Cinnamon jerk her head around. It was Maxine, along with one of her closest followers, Cleo.
“You and you.” The rogue leader pointed to Cinnamon and Blue. “I want you for a patrol. Check if any of those mange-ridden Clan cats are near the islands.”
Cinnamon bounced ahead, Blue following more slowly.
The blue-gray tom glanced at her as the patrol dove into the water, Cinnamon twisting around, scaring away a school of fish.
“Do you ever stop smiling?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Do I smile in my sleep?” Cinnamon meowed wryly.
“I wouldn’t know.” Blue’s gaze jerked ahead. “LagoonClan.” he meowed darkly.
Cinnamon looked back, but Maxine was gone. Cleo swam gracefully over the waves, finally popping up the shore of the peninsula where LagoonClan made their camp. Clove was waiting there impatiently.
“Why here?” Blue muttered. Cleo silenced him with a glare.
“I think it’s fun!” Cinnamon piped up. “It’d be so cool to explore. What do you think is in those reeds?”
Blue scuffed his paws on the sandy earth. “Probably LagoonClan.”
“We’re just visiting.” Cinnamon hoped- no, she knew, she’d be quick enough. If Maxine had trusted her enough to be on this patrol, she’d show it. A rustle in the bushes made her jerk her head around.
A sleek gray she-cat emerged from the dense undergrowth and stared them down. Adderfoot, Cinnamon recalled.
Adderfoot glared at them. “What are you doing on our territory?” she hissed.
“We’re just visiting!” Cinnamon meowed. She’ll understand! She has to!
Adderfoot stared at her through slitted amber eyes. She flicked her tail and four more cats slid out from the reed and sedge clumps.
We’re outnumbered! But I can talk this out. I can do this.
She stepped forward. “This isn’t an invasion! We-”
But Cinnamon was cut off when Adderfoot leaped on her, clawing at her muzzle. Pain flared through the young brown she-cat as she heard battle explode all around her.
The weight suddenly lifted from her as Cleo slammed into Adderfoot, leaving Cinnamon to scramble to her paws.
“Run!” the speckled tabby yowled. “Run now! Promise me you’ll get help!”
Cinnamon darted from the battle, pushing through the tufts of grass until she reached the edge of the beach. But before she could tense her muscles to dive in, a shadow flashed across her vision.
A black tom was towering over her, claws unsheathed. He began to slowly pad closer and closer to Cinnamon.
Fear shot through every hair on her pelt. She’d never been this scared before in her life. The cat was watching her with green eyes narrowed in menace, and she bolted.
She could feel the tom’s pawsteps behind her, catching up to her in every stride. Cinnamon quickened her pace, running blindly through the swamps and crashing through banks of dense fern.
She kept on running until she collided with something solid. Cinnamon backed away, quickly realizing that it was a cat.
It was a ginger-and-white tom, about the same age as her. He blinked. “That hurt.” he meowed with a hint of disgruntlement. “Who are you?”
“I’m Cinnamon.” Cinnamon puffed out her chest.
“At least say sorry.”
“Sorry I didn’t say sorry.”
“You’re not a Clan cat.” Fallenpaw meowed bluntly.
“You’re right, I’m not.”
Fallenpaw padded around her. “You look hurt. Did you fight LagoonClan?”
“Yes.” Cinnamon meowed. She knew a Clan lived here, though she didn’t know much about it. Are they allies of LagoonClan? That wouldn’t be so bad. I’d be able to go back to my home. And Maxine wouldn’t get mad at me…
Fallenpaw leaped over a moss-covered log. “RainClan is peaceful. We don’t hold grudges. Our medicine cats will fix you up right away!”
Cinnamon ran after him. It almost felt like all her troubles were washing away with the breeze, which stirred on her pelt as she leaped ditches and swerved through ferns.
Finally, Fallenpaw slowed down. He looked nervous all of a sudden. “I’m sorry for saying RainClan would take you in. I’m not sure if Cinderstar would say yes. I don’t even know if Snakeleaf would agree to lead you to camp!”
“It’ll be fine!” Cinnamon meowed.
Fallenpaw picked up his pace. “They’re up ahead,” he meowed.
As the cats came into view, confidence fluttered through Cinnamon. Soon I’ll be able to go back.
And I’ll keep my promise to Cleo.
At the end of the island, Martha was sheltering in the shade of a palm tree with her three kits frisking around her.
Cinnamon looked out at the archipelago. The largest island had Maxine and her closest followers, all on a prey-filled island with plenty of undergrowth. The rogue leader deserved it: she did win them territory, after all.
“What a fine day.” Martha commented.
Pounce leaped on Lizard. “Get off my territory, mange-pelt!” Cedar wobbled up to her and swatted at them. “You’re fighting on my territory. Couldn’t you notice the scent mark, mouse-brain?”
Cinnamon winced slightly. Clearly they’d been listening to the older cats fighting.
Martha must have noticed Cinnamon’s reaction. “It’s okay,” she meowed. “Living in a group is safer than living alone.”
Is that really true, after what the Clans did to Cloud? Cinnamon had known him. He’d been kind and strong, and the white tom had had a mate who’d died, picked off in the night by wolves. No cat had actually seen her die- perhaps mercifully- but the stains of blood where she’d rested told the whole story. Cloud had still been grieving when he was killed by LagoonClan.
A splash made Cinnamon jerk her head around. It was Maxine, along with one of her closest followers, Cleo.
“You and you.” The rogue leader pointed to Cinnamon and Blue. “I want you for a patrol. Check if any of those mange-ridden Clan cats are near the islands.”
Cinnamon bounced ahead, Blue following more slowly.
The blue-gray tom glanced at her as the patrol dove into the water, Cinnamon twisting around, scaring away a school of fish.
“Do you ever stop smiling?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Do I smile in my sleep?” Cinnamon meowed wryly.
“I wouldn’t know.” Blue’s gaze jerked ahead. “LagoonClan.” he meowed darkly.
Cinnamon looked back, but Maxine was gone. Cleo swam gracefully over the waves, finally popping up the shore of the peninsula where LagoonClan made their camp. Clove was waiting there impatiently.
“Why here?” Blue muttered. Cleo silenced him with a glare.
“I think it’s fun!” Cinnamon piped up. “It’d be so cool to explore. What do you think is in those reeds?”
Blue scuffed his paws on the sandy earth. “Probably LagoonClan.”
“We’re just visiting.” Cinnamon hoped- no, she knew, she’d be quick enough. If Maxine had trusted her enough to be on this patrol, she’d show it. A rustle in the bushes made her jerk her head around.
A sleek gray she-cat emerged from the dense undergrowth and stared them down. Adderfoot, Cinnamon recalled.
Adderfoot glared at them. “What are you doing on our territory?” she hissed.
“We’re just visiting!” Cinnamon meowed. She’ll understand! She has to!
Adderfoot stared at her through slitted amber eyes. She flicked her tail and four more cats slid out from the reed and sedge clumps.
We’re outnumbered! But I can talk this out. I can do this.
She stepped forward. “This isn’t an invasion! We-”
But Cinnamon was cut off when Adderfoot leaped on her, clawing at her muzzle. Pain flared through the young brown she-cat as she heard battle explode all around her.
The weight suddenly lifted from her as Cleo slammed into Adderfoot, leaving Cinnamon to scramble to her paws.
“Run!” the speckled tabby yowled. “Run now! Promise me you’ll get help!”
Cinnamon darted from the battle, pushing through the tufts of grass until she reached the edge of the beach. But before she could tense her muscles to dive in, a shadow flashed across her vision.
A black tom was towering over her, claws unsheathed. He began to slowly pad closer and closer to Cinnamon.
Fear shot through every hair on her pelt. She’d never been this scared before in her life. The cat was watching her with green eyes narrowed in menace, and she bolted.
She could feel the tom’s pawsteps behind her, catching up to her in every stride. Cinnamon quickened her pace, running blindly through the swamps and crashing through banks of dense fern.
She kept on running until she collided with something solid. Cinnamon backed away, quickly realizing that it was a cat.
It was a ginger-and-white tom, about the same age as her. He blinked. “That hurt.” he meowed with a hint of disgruntlement. “Who are you?”
“I’m Cinnamon.” Cinnamon puffed out her chest.
“At least say sorry.”
“Sorry I didn’t say sorry.”
“You’re not a Clan cat.” Fallenpaw meowed bluntly.
“You’re right, I’m not.”
Fallenpaw padded around her. “You look hurt. Did you fight LagoonClan?”
“Yes.” Cinnamon meowed. She knew a Clan lived here, though she didn’t know much about it. Are they allies of LagoonClan? That wouldn’t be so bad. I’d be able to go back to my home. And Maxine wouldn’t get mad at me…
Fallenpaw leaped over a moss-covered log. “RainClan is peaceful. We don’t hold grudges. Our medicine cats will fix you up right away!”
Cinnamon ran after him. It almost felt like all her troubles were washing away with the breeze, which stirred on her pelt as she leaped ditches and swerved through ferns.
Finally, Fallenpaw slowed down. He looked nervous all of a sudden. “I’m sorry for saying RainClan would take you in. I’m not sure if Cinderstar would say yes. I don’t even know if Snakeleaf would agree to lead you to camp!”
“It’ll be fine!” Cinnamon meowed.
Fallenpaw picked up his pace. “They’re up ahead,” he meowed.
As the cats came into view, confidence fluttered through Cinnamon. Soon I’ll be able to go back.
And I’ll keep my promise to Cleo.
Juniperstorm paced the clearing. Surrounding him on all sides were the thick reeds that patched most of LagoonClan’s camp. A thorn tree grew over the clearing, shading it from predators above.
The black tom glanced at the head of the clearing. A large rock stood there, with a cave carved into it, shaded by lichen. It stood unmoving. Reedstar’s been feeling unwell since he lost that life, Juniperstorm thought with a surge of anger. Those StarClan-cursed rogues! It’d be in the Clan’s best interest to kick them off the islands and send them back to their Twoleg homes.
But he was distracted from his stormy thoughts by Wrenpaw and Peatpaw bounding up to him.
“Adderfoot says we can patrol the border today!” Peatpaw meowed, eyes glowing.
“She told us to ask if you would come.” Wrenpaw added.
“Of course I will.” Juniperstorm purred. But anxiety coursed through him. The rogues took one of Reedstar’s lives. Who knew what they would do to two new apprentices? “Are you sure Adderfoot gave you permission? What about Willowthorn and Vanillashade?”
“They agreed, too!” Peatpaw piped up. “We’re very sure, aren’t we, Wrenpaw?”
But Wrenpaw didn’t reply. The black she-cat kept glancing over her shoulder, shuffling her paws.
“Aren’t we?” Peatpaw pressed.
The cream tom’s comment seemed to startle Wrenpaw into reality. “Oh, yeah, sure.”
Peatpaw nodded vigorously. “See, Dad?”
“I see, O Great One. I’ll come with you.” Juniperstorm dipped his head humorously.
Wrenpaw darted ahead of them. “Peatpaw, Juniperstorm, hurry! Willowthorn’s already at the camp entrance!”
Juniperstorm quickened his pace. Peatpaw raced ahead of him, and he soon spotted Adderfoot, head and tail high as she carefully picked her way through the reeds.
“Look out for the rogues,” Juniperstorm hissed. “We’ll give them a clawing if they even set a whisker on our land.”
Adderfoot merely grunted in response.
Juniperstorm narrowed his eyes, preparing to say something, but then he realized that Wrenpaw was nowhere to be found.
He darted back on the path. She couldn’t have run to the sea. She has to be back at camp. What if she was kidnapped by the rogues? Was she okay?
But then he spotted the night-black figure of Wrenpaw, pacing in and out of the camp entrance and muttering under her breath.
“Wrenpaw?” the black tom checked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Wrenpaw paced in and out a few more times before stopping. “Is there enough prey on the fresh-kill pile? Will rogues encircle our camp and trap us?”
“Why were you running in and out of camp?”
Wrenpaw shrugged, flicking her plumy tail. “I don’t know.” she mumbled. “I felt like I had to. Is Peatpaw okay? Can I see him?”
“He’s up ahead,” Juniperstorm meowed. “Are you sure you’re-”
But Wrenpaw was pushing past him, running down the path now. Worry panged through Juniperstorm. Wrenpaw had always acted like this, even as a tiny kit. He’d mention this to Vanillashade. Maybe she’d know…
~~~
“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.” Vanillashade comforted him. “Wrenpaw will be alright.”
Juniperstorm nodded. “It’s not just that,” he confessed. “It’s the rogues.”
Vanillashade’s eyes darkened. “Once Reedstar gets better, we’ll have to attack.”
“I can’t believe the other Clans don’t agree.” Juniperstorm growled. “They invaded our territory, disrespected us, and killed our leader.”
Vanillashade was glancing away. “I don’t think you should say that right now.” she mewed uneasily. Juniperstorm looked back at her. “What-”
“Don’t rub mouse bile into our wounds, would you?” The mocking voice of a cream she-cat came from a bay of pebbles. She leaped on them, and Juniperstorm yowled, rolling away from the cat he recognized as Clove, the rogues’ unofficial deputy.
As the black tom skidded across the sand, he noticed a soft brown she-cat bounding away toward shore. The nerve! She’s probably going to gather up some of her rogues. I won’t give her the chance!
Juniperstorm raced alongside the bushes, finally coming to a stop at the very edge of the shore. Sure enough, the soft brown rogue came running, and skidded to a halt, terror filling her gaze at the sight of Juniperstorm.
Nowhere to run now, he thought with satisfaction. He set off, chasing the young rogue all the way past camp, past the Star Sound, and stopping just before the swamps.
But the soft brown cat kept running. Juniperstorm turned around, slowly at first, ears pricked astutely for any sound. Then he realized that the LagoonClan patrol was still fighting without him, and he picked up speed, finally coming to a rest at the shore.
Vanillashade glanced back at him. “We won!” she meowed gleefully.
Adderfoot shook off some seaweed from her fur. “Is any cat hurt?” she checked.
Vanillashade gestured to her ear, which was badly shredded and torn. “But I’ll be fine.” she meowed.
Adderfoot nodded curtly and lead the rest of the patrol towards the camp with a quick flick of her tail.
Juniperstorm fell into step beside Vanillashade. “We did well,” he purred.
Peatpaw bounced ahead of even Adderfoot, bursting through the reeds and tufts of long grass.
“Hold on!” Wrenpaw called from just behind Vanillashade.
Juniperstorm called to Peatpaw. “Don’t rush.” he meowed, amused.
Peatpaw bustled through the camp entrance, pushing through the tangled vines that hid it from view of any rogues trekking through the towering reeds.
Vanillashade followed quickly after, dipping her head to Saltmint. “Do you know where Tansywhisper is?”
“In her den,” the sleek cream she-cat answered.
Juniperstorm flicked his tail as Tansywhisper padded out into the clearing, eyes dark
.
“What happened?” he demanded. “Is Reedstar worse? Did Hollyberry have her kits early?”
Tansywhisper’s gaze snapped back to the night-black warrior. “It’s neither of them.” she hissed. “I have something to tell the Clan, but I guess it can’t wait! I guess rogues are more important than our Clanmates!”
Juniperstorm jerked back, surprised that his former mentor would feel so strongly about the rogues. But I guess she hasn’t been looking well these past few days… it’s probably the rogues. So many cats are getting hurt, it’s stressing her out.
But Tansywhisper leaped on the Tallrock, eyes sharp with fury. “I’m leaving LagoonClan,” she snapped.
“What?” Juniperstorm meowed disbelievingly. “You’re our medicine cat! You’re not supposed to leave.”
“I can, and I will.” the brown she-cat meowed more calmly, but rage still lit her words. “I haven’t been LagoonClan since the moment you set claw on one of those kits.”
“So… you’re saying we shouldn’t fight the rogues?” Reedstar’s rasping voice echoed from the medicine den. Juniperstorm winced at his ruffled pelt and drooping tail.
“That’s not what I’m-” but the medicine cat was cut off by a another, louder voice.
“How could you?” It was Hollyberry. “I thought we agreed to stay together. Not after Molepool…” she trailed off, voice dripping with grief.
“I’m sorry.” For the first time, Tansywhisper’s voice was quiet. “But you’ll have Reedstar. And your kits. And Saltmint. I promise you won’t be alone.”
Hollyberry jerked her gaze away silently.
Tansywhisper stood on the rock for a moment longer before leaping off. She padded slowly toward the camp entrance.
“How can she leave us?”
“She swore an oath to heal her Clan for the rest of her life.”
“I always knew she’d betray us.”
The murmurs echoed throughout the Clan as Tansywhisper disappeared from view.
We won, we definitely won, Juniperstorm thought. So why does it feel like we lost?
The black tom glanced at the head of the clearing. A large rock stood there, with a cave carved into it, shaded by lichen. It stood unmoving. Reedstar’s been feeling unwell since he lost that life, Juniperstorm thought with a surge of anger. Those StarClan-cursed rogues! It’d be in the Clan’s best interest to kick them off the islands and send them back to their Twoleg homes.
But he was distracted from his stormy thoughts by Wrenpaw and Peatpaw bounding up to him.
“Adderfoot says we can patrol the border today!” Peatpaw meowed, eyes glowing.
“She told us to ask if you would come.” Wrenpaw added.
“Of course I will.” Juniperstorm purred. But anxiety coursed through him. The rogues took one of Reedstar’s lives. Who knew what they would do to two new apprentices? “Are you sure Adderfoot gave you permission? What about Willowthorn and Vanillashade?”
“They agreed, too!” Peatpaw piped up. “We’re very sure, aren’t we, Wrenpaw?”
But Wrenpaw didn’t reply. The black she-cat kept glancing over her shoulder, shuffling her paws.
“Aren’t we?” Peatpaw pressed.
The cream tom’s comment seemed to startle Wrenpaw into reality. “Oh, yeah, sure.”
Peatpaw nodded vigorously. “See, Dad?”
“I see, O Great One. I’ll come with you.” Juniperstorm dipped his head humorously.
Wrenpaw darted ahead of them. “Peatpaw, Juniperstorm, hurry! Willowthorn’s already at the camp entrance!”
Juniperstorm quickened his pace. Peatpaw raced ahead of him, and he soon spotted Adderfoot, head and tail high as she carefully picked her way through the reeds.
“Look out for the rogues,” Juniperstorm hissed. “We’ll give them a clawing if they even set a whisker on our land.”
Adderfoot merely grunted in response.
Juniperstorm narrowed his eyes, preparing to say something, but then he realized that Wrenpaw was nowhere to be found.
He darted back on the path. She couldn’t have run to the sea. She has to be back at camp. What if she was kidnapped by the rogues? Was she okay?
But then he spotted the night-black figure of Wrenpaw, pacing in and out of the camp entrance and muttering under her breath.
“Wrenpaw?” the black tom checked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Wrenpaw paced in and out a few more times before stopping. “Is there enough prey on the fresh-kill pile? Will rogues encircle our camp and trap us?”
“Why were you running in and out of camp?”
Wrenpaw shrugged, flicking her plumy tail. “I don’t know.” she mumbled. “I felt like I had to. Is Peatpaw okay? Can I see him?”
“He’s up ahead,” Juniperstorm meowed. “Are you sure you’re-”
But Wrenpaw was pushing past him, running down the path now. Worry panged through Juniperstorm. Wrenpaw had always acted like this, even as a tiny kit. He’d mention this to Vanillashade. Maybe she’d know…
~~~
“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.” Vanillashade comforted him. “Wrenpaw will be alright.”
Juniperstorm nodded. “It’s not just that,” he confessed. “It’s the rogues.”
Vanillashade’s eyes darkened. “Once Reedstar gets better, we’ll have to attack.”
“I can’t believe the other Clans don’t agree.” Juniperstorm growled. “They invaded our territory, disrespected us, and killed our leader.”
Vanillashade was glancing away. “I don’t think you should say that right now.” she mewed uneasily. Juniperstorm looked back at her. “What-”
“Don’t rub mouse bile into our wounds, would you?” The mocking voice of a cream she-cat came from a bay of pebbles. She leaped on them, and Juniperstorm yowled, rolling away from the cat he recognized as Clove, the rogues’ unofficial deputy.
As the black tom skidded across the sand, he noticed a soft brown she-cat bounding away toward shore. The nerve! She’s probably going to gather up some of her rogues. I won’t give her the chance!
Juniperstorm raced alongside the bushes, finally coming to a stop at the very edge of the shore. Sure enough, the soft brown rogue came running, and skidded to a halt, terror filling her gaze at the sight of Juniperstorm.
Nowhere to run now, he thought with satisfaction. He set off, chasing the young rogue all the way past camp, past the Star Sound, and stopping just before the swamps.
But the soft brown cat kept running. Juniperstorm turned around, slowly at first, ears pricked astutely for any sound. Then he realized that the LagoonClan patrol was still fighting without him, and he picked up speed, finally coming to a rest at the shore.
Vanillashade glanced back at him. “We won!” she meowed gleefully.
Adderfoot shook off some seaweed from her fur. “Is any cat hurt?” she checked.
Vanillashade gestured to her ear, which was badly shredded and torn. “But I’ll be fine.” she meowed.
Adderfoot nodded curtly and lead the rest of the patrol towards the camp with a quick flick of her tail.
Juniperstorm fell into step beside Vanillashade. “We did well,” he purred.
Peatpaw bounced ahead of even Adderfoot, bursting through the reeds and tufts of long grass.
“Hold on!” Wrenpaw called from just behind Vanillashade.
Juniperstorm called to Peatpaw. “Don’t rush.” he meowed, amused.
Peatpaw bustled through the camp entrance, pushing through the tangled vines that hid it from view of any rogues trekking through the towering reeds.
Vanillashade followed quickly after, dipping her head to Saltmint. “Do you know where Tansywhisper is?”
“In her den,” the sleek cream she-cat answered.
Juniperstorm flicked his tail as Tansywhisper padded out into the clearing, eyes dark
.
“What happened?” he demanded. “Is Reedstar worse? Did Hollyberry have her kits early?”
Tansywhisper’s gaze snapped back to the night-black warrior. “It’s neither of them.” she hissed. “I have something to tell the Clan, but I guess it can’t wait! I guess rogues are more important than our Clanmates!”
Juniperstorm jerked back, surprised that his former mentor would feel so strongly about the rogues. But I guess she hasn’t been looking well these past few days… it’s probably the rogues. So many cats are getting hurt, it’s stressing her out.
But Tansywhisper leaped on the Tallrock, eyes sharp with fury. “I’m leaving LagoonClan,” she snapped.
“What?” Juniperstorm meowed disbelievingly. “You’re our medicine cat! You’re not supposed to leave.”
“I can, and I will.” the brown she-cat meowed more calmly, but rage still lit her words. “I haven’t been LagoonClan since the moment you set claw on one of those kits.”
“So… you’re saying we shouldn’t fight the rogues?” Reedstar’s rasping voice echoed from the medicine den. Juniperstorm winced at his ruffled pelt and drooping tail.
“That’s not what I’m-” but the medicine cat was cut off by a another, louder voice.
“How could you?” It was Hollyberry. “I thought we agreed to stay together. Not after Molepool…” she trailed off, voice dripping with grief.
“I’m sorry.” For the first time, Tansywhisper’s voice was quiet. “But you’ll have Reedstar. And your kits. And Saltmint. I promise you won’t be alone.”
Hollyberry jerked her gaze away silently.
Tansywhisper stood on the rock for a moment longer before leaping off. She padded slowly toward the camp entrance.
“How can she leave us?”
“She swore an oath to heal her Clan for the rest of her life.”
“I always knew she’d betray us.”
The murmurs echoed throughout the Clan as Tansywhisper disappeared from view.
We won, we definitely won, Juniperstorm thought. So why does it feel like we lost?
Hazelpaw watched as Fernstar stood on a branch of the Talltree, calling out patrols.
This is a job for a deputy, not a leader, Hazelpaw thought. Where is Mossyscar, anyway?
“Hazelpaw,” Sloefoot’s voice startled her. “Do you want to go on patrol with Echopaw and Lakepaw? They’re going to the shore, and we’re low on sedge. Skykit has a thorn in his eye, and I don’t want it to get infected.”
“Sure.” Hazelpaw meowed. She darted under a sugar maple whose low-growing branches sheltered the elder’s den, and she quickly caught sight of her brother and sister.
Hazelpaw saw brown-and-white fur flash out of the corner of her eye, and just a heartbeat later, a cat crashed into her. She looked up to see Lakepaw grinning at her. “Got you!” he meowed teasingly. Hazelpaw rolled away. Echopaw and Lakepaw could be annoying at times, but they were still her siblings.
“Lionpaw, wait up!” Echopaw’s call rang from the camp entrance.
“Anyway,” Lakepaw meowed. “We’d better go. You know how Sharpfang gets.” He hurried out of camp, Hazelpaw following quickly.
“I can only imagine how it must feel for Sharpfang to be leading a patrol full of apprentices.”
“Fernstar must have bees in her brain if she thinks this would be good for him.” Hazelpaw flicked her black tail.
Berrysplash turned to them. “Catch up.” she grunted.
Lakepaw rolled his eyes and picked up his pace, beckoning for Hazelpaw to do the same.
Hazelpaw watched Berrysplash’s bristling fur. The sky was a deep slate gray, and the damp air promised rain. But something else was ruffling her brother’s mentor’s fur. Does she know about the prophecy? No, of course not! Stop being a mouse-brain, Hazelpaw. She doesn’t. But is she nervous about Mossyscar? She wants to be deputy, doesn’t she?
An image flashed through Hazelpaw’s mind of Sharpfang slashing his claws at Mossyscar in a shadowy pine grove. Then Berrysplash leaped at Mossyscar, but then she switched paths in mid-air. Her eyes looked straight into Hazelpaw’s, turning a deep red the color of blood.
Hazelpaw shook herself, mind hazy like the deepest fog in leaf-bare. The black she-cat padded over the hills, towards the precious patch of sedge, but she couldn’t shake a feeling of deep foreboding. She was sure that her mind had just made up Sharpfang and Berrysplash attacking the Clan deputy, but every time she looked at Berrysplash, it seemed like only bright red eyes would gaze back.
She shivered, ice seeming to trickle down her spine. Rain was pounding down hard now, and the crackle of thunder echoed in the distance.
As the patrol filed out towards the shore, Hazelpaw glanced around nervously before snapping some flowers off the sedge.
Then, a large boom resonated through the land, and Hazelpaw felt like she was about to jump out of her own fur. Her gaze darted toward the source of the sound.
A large tree, near the edge of RainClan territory, creaked and groaned as fire seemed to light up the stormy gray sky. The oak cracked, letting out a sickening snapping noise reminiscent of a cat breaking a bone.
Then, in what felt like seasons, the tree fell, landing across the strait that divided the Clans’ territories. The raging water beneath it lashed out at the trunk, but the tree remained steady.
The patrol stared at the fallen tree in a mixture of disbelief and shock.
“I can’t believe this!” raged Sharpfang. “Now DesertClan and TundraClan have direct access to our territory. They can attack at any time!”
Berrysplash was bristling. “You can’t trust a DesertClan cat.”
Even the thoughtful warrior Mintstem’s eyes darkened. “You never can.”
Echopaw’s fur was ruffling, while Lakepaw simply stared straight ahead, clearly not taking in anything that had happened.
“Hazelpaw, Echopaw,” Sharpfang ordered. “Go back to camp and tell Fernstar what’s happened.”
“We’ll stay here.” Mintstem exchanged glances with Sharpfang before looking across the strait. “In case any DesertClan warriors decide to invade.”
Echopaw rushed Hazelpaw across the prairie. Hazelpaw thought back to the legends she’d heard about the beginnings of the Clans. A group of rogues, loners, kittypets, and cats from a group similar to the Clans had all made an alliance. They joined groups in the rainforest, in the desert, and so on. And soon, they formed Clans. The first leader of ForestClan had been Foreststar, a former rogue who’d brought peace and compassion to every Clan.
Hazelpaw realized she was lagging behind her sister. As she fought to keep up, Echopaw disappeared into the forest. And then Hazelpaw heard a bloodcurdling scream ring from the woods.
She rushed ahead. Is my sister in danger?
Hazelpaw skidded to a halt, spotting Echopaw’s dark tabby figure. “Thank StarClan you’re-”
And then she saw. A limp body was laying in a sunny, gorse-shaded clearing. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Hazelpaw recognized who it was all too easily.
Mossyscar.
This is a job for a deputy, not a leader, Hazelpaw thought. Where is Mossyscar, anyway?
“Hazelpaw,” Sloefoot’s voice startled her. “Do you want to go on patrol with Echopaw and Lakepaw? They’re going to the shore, and we’re low on sedge. Skykit has a thorn in his eye, and I don’t want it to get infected.”
“Sure.” Hazelpaw meowed. She darted under a sugar maple whose low-growing branches sheltered the elder’s den, and she quickly caught sight of her brother and sister.
Hazelpaw saw brown-and-white fur flash out of the corner of her eye, and just a heartbeat later, a cat crashed into her. She looked up to see Lakepaw grinning at her. “Got you!” he meowed teasingly. Hazelpaw rolled away. Echopaw and Lakepaw could be annoying at times, but they were still her siblings.
“Lionpaw, wait up!” Echopaw’s call rang from the camp entrance.
“Anyway,” Lakepaw meowed. “We’d better go. You know how Sharpfang gets.” He hurried out of camp, Hazelpaw following quickly.
“I can only imagine how it must feel for Sharpfang to be leading a patrol full of apprentices.”
“Fernstar must have bees in her brain if she thinks this would be good for him.” Hazelpaw flicked her black tail.
Berrysplash turned to them. “Catch up.” she grunted.
Lakepaw rolled his eyes and picked up his pace, beckoning for Hazelpaw to do the same.
Hazelpaw watched Berrysplash’s bristling fur. The sky was a deep slate gray, and the damp air promised rain. But something else was ruffling her brother’s mentor’s fur. Does she know about the prophecy? No, of course not! Stop being a mouse-brain, Hazelpaw. She doesn’t. But is she nervous about Mossyscar? She wants to be deputy, doesn’t she?
An image flashed through Hazelpaw’s mind of Sharpfang slashing his claws at Mossyscar in a shadowy pine grove. Then Berrysplash leaped at Mossyscar, but then she switched paths in mid-air. Her eyes looked straight into Hazelpaw’s, turning a deep red the color of blood.
Hazelpaw shook herself, mind hazy like the deepest fog in leaf-bare. The black she-cat padded over the hills, towards the precious patch of sedge, but she couldn’t shake a feeling of deep foreboding. She was sure that her mind had just made up Sharpfang and Berrysplash attacking the Clan deputy, but every time she looked at Berrysplash, it seemed like only bright red eyes would gaze back.
She shivered, ice seeming to trickle down her spine. Rain was pounding down hard now, and the crackle of thunder echoed in the distance.
As the patrol filed out towards the shore, Hazelpaw glanced around nervously before snapping some flowers off the sedge.
Then, a large boom resonated through the land, and Hazelpaw felt like she was about to jump out of her own fur. Her gaze darted toward the source of the sound.
A large tree, near the edge of RainClan territory, creaked and groaned as fire seemed to light up the stormy gray sky. The oak cracked, letting out a sickening snapping noise reminiscent of a cat breaking a bone.
Then, in what felt like seasons, the tree fell, landing across the strait that divided the Clans’ territories. The raging water beneath it lashed out at the trunk, but the tree remained steady.
The patrol stared at the fallen tree in a mixture of disbelief and shock.
“I can’t believe this!” raged Sharpfang. “Now DesertClan and TundraClan have direct access to our territory. They can attack at any time!”
Berrysplash was bristling. “You can’t trust a DesertClan cat.”
Even the thoughtful warrior Mintstem’s eyes darkened. “You never can.”
Echopaw’s fur was ruffling, while Lakepaw simply stared straight ahead, clearly not taking in anything that had happened.
“Hazelpaw, Echopaw,” Sharpfang ordered. “Go back to camp and tell Fernstar what’s happened.”
“We’ll stay here.” Mintstem exchanged glances with Sharpfang before looking across the strait. “In case any DesertClan warriors decide to invade.”
Echopaw rushed Hazelpaw across the prairie. Hazelpaw thought back to the legends she’d heard about the beginnings of the Clans. A group of rogues, loners, kittypets, and cats from a group similar to the Clans had all made an alliance. They joined groups in the rainforest, in the desert, and so on. And soon, they formed Clans. The first leader of ForestClan had been Foreststar, a former rogue who’d brought peace and compassion to every Clan.
Hazelpaw realized she was lagging behind her sister. As she fought to keep up, Echopaw disappeared into the forest. And then Hazelpaw heard a bloodcurdling scream ring from the woods.
She rushed ahead. Is my sister in danger?
Hazelpaw skidded to a halt, spotting Echopaw’s dark tabby figure. “Thank StarClan you’re-”
And then she saw. A limp body was laying in a sunny, gorse-shaded clearing. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Hazelpaw recognized who it was all too easily.
Mossyscar.
Chapter 5
Cinnamon wove through the rainforest, Fallenpaw close behind. Cinnamon glanced up at the angry gray sky uneasily, but Fallenpaw seemed unworried.
“It’ll be the last rain of the season,” he reported. “At least, that’s what Mooneye and Jayflower say.”
Cinnamon nodded. She didn’t like rain. In fact, it was one of the only things she didn’t like.
And speaking of things she didn’t like, Cinnamon didn’t like staying away from her friends for long. And she didn’t want to break the promise she’d made to Cleo. She’d only been at RainClan for a day and a half. And yet, it had been amazing. All the rainforest cats had been so nice and kind. They shared their prey, and they didn’t care that Cinnamon was a rogue.
It was so fun to hunt with Fallenpaw and the other RainClan cats. But I have to go. Who else will look out for Martha’s kits?
“So, I guess we’re here.” Fallenpaw meowed awkwardly.
Cinnamon jerked her gaze toward the shore. She could just make out the island where she lived, and the shapes of her brother and Eevee, the latter rooting through the ferns at the edge of the island. Fallenpaw nodded and started to head away.
“Wait!” Cinnamon called back. An idea had started to form in her head when she’d seen Eevee looking through the ferns. “Maybe you could visit! The ferns are so dense, no cat would be able to see you.”
Fallenpaw blinked, his ginger-and-white fur ruffling. “That would be… so dangerous.” he breathed. “And fun.”
“Tomorrow night, maybe?” The pale brown tabby suggested.
“Okay…but be careful. We don’t know how Maxine’ll react.”
“I’ll be okay. As long as Maxine doesn’t spot me, she won’t know. And if she does, I can just tell her I got lost!” Cinnamon mewed cheerily. “Well, bye, Fallenpaw. Tell RainClan they were all really nice!”
The ginger-and-white tom nodded and pushed through the reeds.
Cinnamon waded into the shallows, feeling the cool pebbles touch her pads. She dove into the water, swimming towards the islands. She emerged onto her island, brushing through the ferns. By the time she’d gotten there, Eevee and Cookie had already retreated to their nests.
The pale brown she-cat padded towards her own den, a drooping juniper bush with lush fern fronds for a nest. She gazed at the weeping willow that shaded half of their clearing and often had bugs and birds surrounding it all greenleaf. Cinnamon watched as a bright blue butterfly fluttered throughout the branches.
Feeling drowsy, she placed her head on her paws. She had just begun to nod off when a rustling in the ferns woke her.
Cinnamon rose to her paws and blinked curiously toward the source of the disturbance. A cat was slinking through the undergrowth, pelt glowing in the moonlight.
“Cinnamon?” The sleek voice of a she-cat echoed through the branches. Cinnamon’s ears pricked. It was Maxine.
Before Cinnamon could pad over to greet the rogue leader, a crashing sound echoed through the island. She immediately jerked her head around in the direction of the disturbance. Squinting, she could just make out the outline of a giant tree coming to rest over the strait that split the Clans in half.
The tree came from RainClan territory, from what she could tell. One end was lying in SandyClan- or whatever it was called. That tree looks so old. How could it fall? I didn’t think the storms had been that fierce…
Cinnamon had been so focused on the felled tree that she hadn’t noticed the flaming tabby pelt of Maxine padding closer to her.
Cinnamon snapped her gaze to Maxine. “What is it?” she questioned.
What if she knows about Fallenpaw? Does she know I didn’t call for help? Cinnamon straightened. As long as she didn’t give anything away, it would all be fine. After all, Cleo wouldn’t report anything. She had always been so kind, letting her have prey and not speaking to her and Cookie like they were newborn kits who didn’t understand anything. And Maxine hadn’t been watching.
The ginger tabby blinked coolly at Cinnamon. “I heard.”
It was only two simple words, but they set off a screeching alarm in Cinnamon’s head.
Maxine tilted her head, and when she spoke, her voice was honeyed and filled with pity. “I know everything that goes on with my group. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a good leader, would I?”
Cinnamon wanted to speak, but she felt frozen, like a cat made of ice.
Maxine went on. “And if I’m to be a good leader, then I need to make sure my cats are loyal.” She paused, and Cinnamon could see the glimmer that lit in her eyes as she spoke.
Then the ginger tabby stepped back, and so did Cinnamon. The pale tabby was confused. Is that all?
She turned around to head towards her den, but Maxine’s quiet but commanding voice called back to her.
“Hold out your paw and unsheathe your claws.” she ordered. Cinnamon did so.
Then, as fast as a snake, Maxine snapped her jaws down on Cinnamon’s paw and a flash of blinding pain shivered through her as Maxine jolted herself back.
Cinnamon looked down at her paw, where a claw was now missing. She felt sick, and willed herself to not look at the blood that soaked her pale tabby fur and pooled on the ground.
She gazed over at Maxine and saw not even a trace of regret in the tabby’s eyes. Rage bubbling up inside her but having the sense not to voice it, Cinnamon turned around slowly and stalked back to her den, still dazed from the pain in her paw.
She’ll stop at anything to keep her cats in line…
“It’ll be the last rain of the season,” he reported. “At least, that’s what Mooneye and Jayflower say.”
Cinnamon nodded. She didn’t like rain. In fact, it was one of the only things she didn’t like.
And speaking of things she didn’t like, Cinnamon didn’t like staying away from her friends for long. And she didn’t want to break the promise she’d made to Cleo. She’d only been at RainClan for a day and a half. And yet, it had been amazing. All the rainforest cats had been so nice and kind. They shared their prey, and they didn’t care that Cinnamon was a rogue.
It was so fun to hunt with Fallenpaw and the other RainClan cats. But I have to go. Who else will look out for Martha’s kits?
“So, I guess we’re here.” Fallenpaw meowed awkwardly.
Cinnamon jerked her gaze toward the shore. She could just make out the island where she lived, and the shapes of her brother and Eevee, the latter rooting through the ferns at the edge of the island. Fallenpaw nodded and started to head away.
“Wait!” Cinnamon called back. An idea had started to form in her head when she’d seen Eevee looking through the ferns. “Maybe you could visit! The ferns are so dense, no cat would be able to see you.”
Fallenpaw blinked, his ginger-and-white fur ruffling. “That would be… so dangerous.” he breathed. “And fun.”
“Tomorrow night, maybe?” The pale brown tabby suggested.
“Okay…but be careful. We don’t know how Maxine’ll react.”
“I’ll be okay. As long as Maxine doesn’t spot me, she won’t know. And if she does, I can just tell her I got lost!” Cinnamon mewed cheerily. “Well, bye, Fallenpaw. Tell RainClan they were all really nice!”
The ginger-and-white tom nodded and pushed through the reeds.
Cinnamon waded into the shallows, feeling the cool pebbles touch her pads. She dove into the water, swimming towards the islands. She emerged onto her island, brushing through the ferns. By the time she’d gotten there, Eevee and Cookie had already retreated to their nests.
The pale brown she-cat padded towards her own den, a drooping juniper bush with lush fern fronds for a nest. She gazed at the weeping willow that shaded half of their clearing and often had bugs and birds surrounding it all greenleaf. Cinnamon watched as a bright blue butterfly fluttered throughout the branches.
Feeling drowsy, she placed her head on her paws. She had just begun to nod off when a rustling in the ferns woke her.
Cinnamon rose to her paws and blinked curiously toward the source of the disturbance. A cat was slinking through the undergrowth, pelt glowing in the moonlight.
“Cinnamon?” The sleek voice of a she-cat echoed through the branches. Cinnamon’s ears pricked. It was Maxine.
Before Cinnamon could pad over to greet the rogue leader, a crashing sound echoed through the island. She immediately jerked her head around in the direction of the disturbance. Squinting, she could just make out the outline of a giant tree coming to rest over the strait that split the Clans in half.
The tree came from RainClan territory, from what she could tell. One end was lying in SandyClan- or whatever it was called. That tree looks so old. How could it fall? I didn’t think the storms had been that fierce…
Cinnamon had been so focused on the felled tree that she hadn’t noticed the flaming tabby pelt of Maxine padding closer to her.
Cinnamon snapped her gaze to Maxine. “What is it?” she questioned.
What if she knows about Fallenpaw? Does she know I didn’t call for help? Cinnamon straightened. As long as she didn’t give anything away, it would all be fine. After all, Cleo wouldn’t report anything. She had always been so kind, letting her have prey and not speaking to her and Cookie like they were newborn kits who didn’t understand anything. And Maxine hadn’t been watching.
The ginger tabby blinked coolly at Cinnamon. “I heard.”
It was only two simple words, but they set off a screeching alarm in Cinnamon’s head.
Maxine tilted her head, and when she spoke, her voice was honeyed and filled with pity. “I know everything that goes on with my group. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a good leader, would I?”
Cinnamon wanted to speak, but she felt frozen, like a cat made of ice.
Maxine went on. “And if I’m to be a good leader, then I need to make sure my cats are loyal.” She paused, and Cinnamon could see the glimmer that lit in her eyes as she spoke.
Then the ginger tabby stepped back, and so did Cinnamon. The pale tabby was confused. Is that all?
She turned around to head towards her den, but Maxine’s quiet but commanding voice called back to her.
“Hold out your paw and unsheathe your claws.” she ordered. Cinnamon did so.
Then, as fast as a snake, Maxine snapped her jaws down on Cinnamon’s paw and a flash of blinding pain shivered through her as Maxine jolted herself back.
Cinnamon looked down at her paw, where a claw was now missing. She felt sick, and willed herself to not look at the blood that soaked her pale tabby fur and pooled on the ground.
She gazed over at Maxine and saw not even a trace of regret in the tabby’s eyes. Rage bubbling up inside her but having the sense not to voice it, Cinnamon turned around slowly and stalked back to her den, still dazed from the pain in her paw.
She’ll stop at anything to keep her cats in line…
Chapter 6
Juniperstorm paced worriedly outside the medicine cat’s den. Of course, it wasn’t really a medicine cats’ den anymore. Now it was just a shady patch under a rock with an abundance of leaves and flowers that no cat had any idea what to do with.
Adderfoot had wanted to go to the other Clans, but with the huge storm the night before and Reedstar still ill, she’d had to stay and be an acting leader for her Clan.
Vanillashade padded up to him, coughing. “I don’t think I’ll be able to hunt tomorrow either,” she meowed hoarsely. Loose cobwebs and a few marigold petals patched her ear wound, though not very well. As her body convulsed again with another cough, the herbs fell off.
Juniperstorm was about to say something, but then, a loud yowling erupted from the other end of the clearing.
“You don’t know anything about herbs!” That was Thistleflower.
“None of us do!” Pinerapids shouted back.
“Well, then, why can’t we just ask to borrow another Clan’s medicine cat? They would understand.” The gray tabby she-cat’s fur ruffled.
“No, they wouldn’t!” Pinerapids’s voice was filled with fury. “Because we’re LagoonClan, and no cat can ever trust us! Not even our own medicine cat!” Mockery highlighted his tone.
“All the Clans hate us! Why should we expect help from-” Reedstar, who had just emerged from his den, broke off with a sharp cough. Hollyberry rushed to his side, pressing her fur against his. Juniperstorm could see the worry in her eyes: not just for her mate, but for his kits that she was carrying. She was getting closer to kitting day by day, and if it ended up anything like Vanillashade’s had been, Hollyberry could die, and so could her kits.
He was distracted as Saltmint pushed in between the two arguing cats. “It may be true that the other Clans don’t trust us,” she meowed calmly, “But remember, not all hope is lost. I know herbs well, and Juniperstorm knows them too.”
Juniperstorm met the gazes of his Clanmates as Saltmint spoke his name. He had been Tansywhisper’s apprentice once, before he’d decided that he didn’t enjoy being a medicine cat. And to be honest with himself, that was partially because of Vanillashade. Medicine cats could take mates, but it was highly discouraged and rare.
The furious hissing of Pinerapids and Thistleflower broke off as Adderfoot pushed her way through the reeds shading the camp entrance. Behind her was Tuftfish, who was pressing his shoulder against a limping tom.
Peatpaw!
Juniperstorm skidded across the clearing to meet his son, whose fur was disheveled and who was lifting a paw gingerly above the ground.
Vanillashade reached them, coughing. “Are you okay?” Juniperstorm heard her meow to Peatpaw.
Peatpaw’s eyes were bleary. “I stepped on a thorn.”
Tuftfish, who had gone out with Peatpaw today because of Vanillashade’s cough, added, “He was right about to catch an osprey.”
Juniperstorm licked his son’s ears while guiding him to the medicine den. An osprey could have fed us all, he thought. There wasn’t much to be caught in the peninsula where LagoonClan’s camp was. Most of the prey lived in the lush islands that the rogues currently held. It’s the rogues, again! Stealing the prey that was rightfully ours!
“Go and lie down in that nest,” Juniperstorm instructed. Peatpaw settled down, stretching out his paw. Juniperstorm then remembered another reason he’d become a warrior. He hated seeing other cats hurt, and sometimes not being able to do anything for them.
But this time, he could do something for Peatpaw. It was only a small comfort, however.
He made his way to where the herbs were stored in the back of the den, trying to remember what herbs were used for cuts. Marigold for infection. Or was that oak leaves? Or both? He vaguely remembered Tansywhisper putting a poultice of marigold on his wound once, so he decisively pulled out some marigold.
“Cobwebs for bleeding.” Juniperstorm hadn’t noticed Saltmint also in the den, urging the sick Mangostep to swallow some flower stems- tansy, he thought.
I knew that, he thought irritably, but he was too worried about Peatpaw to voice his complaint. He quickly snatched some cobwebs and started applying them to Peatpaw’s wound. All the old memories of being a medicine cat rushed back to him.
Only once he was done applying the herbs, and Peatpaw was gently snoring in his nest, did he sit back.
Then a cat nudged him. “We’re organizing a patrol to go to ForestClan. Do you want to go?”
He turned around, expecting to see Adderfoot, but he met the clear blue gaze of Saltmint instead. “We might be able to convince Tansywhisper to come back.” she continued.
Juniperstorm got to his paws. “I’ll go.” he meowed simply. “We need a medicine cat.” What if the rogues invade? Or Reedstar gets worse? Or Vanillashade…
He forced himself not to think about it.
Saltmint lead him out of the den. Willowthorn and Wrenpaw were already in the clearing, Willowthorn already pacing near the camp entrance.
The four cats set off silently, heading northwards to the oak forests of ForestClan. As the reeds turned into swamps and lush banks of fern, Wrenpaw turned to Juniperstorm.
“Is Peatpaw okay?” she meowed anxiously.
“He’s fine.” Juniperstorm ran his tail along Wrenpaw’s fur soothingly. “Peatpaw will be better soon.”
“Even if we don’t have a medicine cat?” The black she-cat didn’t seem convinced.
“Well, I know herbs, and Saltmint does too. We’ll help him get better.” Juniperstorm meowed.
Wrenpaw didn’t say anything, just scuffed her paws on the ground several times.
As the rainforest closed in on them, Juniperstorm tried to be hopeful. To be honest, he didn’t think Tansywhisper would ever come back.
But as long as there’s a chance, we have to try.
Adderfoot had wanted to go to the other Clans, but with the huge storm the night before and Reedstar still ill, she’d had to stay and be an acting leader for her Clan.
Vanillashade padded up to him, coughing. “I don’t think I’ll be able to hunt tomorrow either,” she meowed hoarsely. Loose cobwebs and a few marigold petals patched her ear wound, though not very well. As her body convulsed again with another cough, the herbs fell off.
Juniperstorm was about to say something, but then, a loud yowling erupted from the other end of the clearing.
“You don’t know anything about herbs!” That was Thistleflower.
“None of us do!” Pinerapids shouted back.
“Well, then, why can’t we just ask to borrow another Clan’s medicine cat? They would understand.” The gray tabby she-cat’s fur ruffled.
“No, they wouldn’t!” Pinerapids’s voice was filled with fury. “Because we’re LagoonClan, and no cat can ever trust us! Not even our own medicine cat!” Mockery highlighted his tone.
“All the Clans hate us! Why should we expect help from-” Reedstar, who had just emerged from his den, broke off with a sharp cough. Hollyberry rushed to his side, pressing her fur against his. Juniperstorm could see the worry in her eyes: not just for her mate, but for his kits that she was carrying. She was getting closer to kitting day by day, and if it ended up anything like Vanillashade’s had been, Hollyberry could die, and so could her kits.
He was distracted as Saltmint pushed in between the two arguing cats. “It may be true that the other Clans don’t trust us,” she meowed calmly, “But remember, not all hope is lost. I know herbs well, and Juniperstorm knows them too.”
Juniperstorm met the gazes of his Clanmates as Saltmint spoke his name. He had been Tansywhisper’s apprentice once, before he’d decided that he didn’t enjoy being a medicine cat. And to be honest with himself, that was partially because of Vanillashade. Medicine cats could take mates, but it was highly discouraged and rare.
The furious hissing of Pinerapids and Thistleflower broke off as Adderfoot pushed her way through the reeds shading the camp entrance. Behind her was Tuftfish, who was pressing his shoulder against a limping tom.
Peatpaw!
Juniperstorm skidded across the clearing to meet his son, whose fur was disheveled and who was lifting a paw gingerly above the ground.
Vanillashade reached them, coughing. “Are you okay?” Juniperstorm heard her meow to Peatpaw.
Peatpaw’s eyes were bleary. “I stepped on a thorn.”
Tuftfish, who had gone out with Peatpaw today because of Vanillashade’s cough, added, “He was right about to catch an osprey.”
Juniperstorm licked his son’s ears while guiding him to the medicine den. An osprey could have fed us all, he thought. There wasn’t much to be caught in the peninsula where LagoonClan’s camp was. Most of the prey lived in the lush islands that the rogues currently held. It’s the rogues, again! Stealing the prey that was rightfully ours!
“Go and lie down in that nest,” Juniperstorm instructed. Peatpaw settled down, stretching out his paw. Juniperstorm then remembered another reason he’d become a warrior. He hated seeing other cats hurt, and sometimes not being able to do anything for them.
But this time, he could do something for Peatpaw. It was only a small comfort, however.
He made his way to where the herbs were stored in the back of the den, trying to remember what herbs were used for cuts. Marigold for infection. Or was that oak leaves? Or both? He vaguely remembered Tansywhisper putting a poultice of marigold on his wound once, so he decisively pulled out some marigold.
“Cobwebs for bleeding.” Juniperstorm hadn’t noticed Saltmint also in the den, urging the sick Mangostep to swallow some flower stems- tansy, he thought.
I knew that, he thought irritably, but he was too worried about Peatpaw to voice his complaint. He quickly snatched some cobwebs and started applying them to Peatpaw’s wound. All the old memories of being a medicine cat rushed back to him.
Only once he was done applying the herbs, and Peatpaw was gently snoring in his nest, did he sit back.
Then a cat nudged him. “We’re organizing a patrol to go to ForestClan. Do you want to go?”
He turned around, expecting to see Adderfoot, but he met the clear blue gaze of Saltmint instead. “We might be able to convince Tansywhisper to come back.” she continued.
Juniperstorm got to his paws. “I’ll go.” he meowed simply. “We need a medicine cat.” What if the rogues invade? Or Reedstar gets worse? Or Vanillashade…
He forced himself not to think about it.
Saltmint lead him out of the den. Willowthorn and Wrenpaw were already in the clearing, Willowthorn already pacing near the camp entrance.
The four cats set off silently, heading northwards to the oak forests of ForestClan. As the reeds turned into swamps and lush banks of fern, Wrenpaw turned to Juniperstorm.
“Is Peatpaw okay?” she meowed anxiously.
“He’s fine.” Juniperstorm ran his tail along Wrenpaw’s fur soothingly. “Peatpaw will be better soon.”
“Even if we don’t have a medicine cat?” The black she-cat didn’t seem convinced.
“Well, I know herbs, and Saltmint does too. We’ll help him get better.” Juniperstorm meowed.
Wrenpaw didn’t say anything, just scuffed her paws on the ground several times.
As the rainforest closed in on them, Juniperstorm tried to be hopeful. To be honest, he didn’t think Tansywhisper would ever come back.
But as long as there’s a chance, we have to try.
Chapter 7
Hazelpaw trudged out of her nest, pelt ruffling with annoyance as she stepped in a puddle. Then she looked up, and all her memories came rushing back.
Echopaw was standing outside the medicine den, but Hazelpaw knew she wasn’t hurt. Since they’d found Mossyscar’s body, the whole Clan had been in shock.
Not only that, but Echopaw had been acting edgy the whole day after they’d found the dead deputy. And her sister had asked her to talk after the patrol’s news had been shared with the Clan.
“I looked at Mossyscar. His wound… there was a wound on his neck. And it didn’t look like a fox’s bite, I can tell you that.” Echopaw had meowed to Hazelpaw.
“Are you saying… that Mossyscar was murdered?” Hazelpaw gasped.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Echopaw started pacing the clearing. “The question is, who. Sharpfang never liked Mossyscar. Neither did Berrysplash. And don’t you think that Mi-”
“Okay, okay,” Hazelpaw squeezed her eyes tight shut. “I just…it’s hard to think that any cat would murder Mossyscar.”
“I know.” Echopaw mewed quietly. “But if a cat murdered Mossyscar, and if that cat is in our Clan, then… we need to know if a cat is being so cruel.”
Hazelpaw nodded hesitantly. “Okay. Well, how about we talk in the morning? Then we can find Lakepaw, and maybe we’ll find some more clues.”
Echopaw had padded away to her nest, and Sloefoot had called Hazelpaw away to dress a wound on Conewhisker’s paw.
Now Echopaw beckoned her out of the clearing, dark gray pelt bristling. “Lakepaw is on the dawn patrol,” she reported. “They’re going to the fallen tree to make sure there’s no signs of invasion.”
Hazelpaw knew that Fernstar had meant to assign a guard to the fallen tree, but with Mossyscar’s death and the Clan grieving, she hadn’t gotten a chance to.
As Hazelpaw and her sister quietly exited camp, Hazelpaw glanced back, catching the eye of Swallowpaw as she ducked through the camp entrance. He looked confused, but didn’t say anything, to Hazelpaw’s relief.
Echopaw was already scanning the forest by the time Hazelpaw caught up with her. She snapped her gaze back to Hazelpaw. “Lakepaw’s over there,” she whispered.
Echopaw flicked her tail to an undergrowth-covered rise where Lakepaw’s scent was still fresh. She led the way, marching through the undergrowth with Hazelpaw following close behind.
What if they catch us? Will we have to explain what we’re doing? That would be so awful…
Hazelpaw felt worry flash in every hair on her pelt until she was bounding along the slope. And then, fur flashed across her vision and she leaped backwards into the undergrowth, thoroughly spooked. She smelled LagoonClan.
“Hello,” came the awkward voice of a tom. “Do you know where Fernstar is?”
“Of course we do,” Echopaw mewed, fur ruffled as she stared at the black tom. “In fact, we can take you to her right now. I’m sure she’ll be super happy about strange cats on our territory.”
The black tom stepped forward warily, and Echopaw padded toward camp. Her tail was high and her pelt was smooth, but Hazelpaw knew her sister well enough to tell that she was furious at her search for Lakepaw being interrupted.
As Hazelpaw and Echopaw led the patrol of LagoonClan cats to camp, Hazelpaw noticed the other cats in the patrol. One was a cream-and-gray she-cat with a commanding air to her, and next to her was a ginger-and-white warrior who stared uneasily around camp.
Then, trailing a little behind the black tom was a small black she-cat who looked a little older than Hazelpaw.
Then, Fernstar leaped out from her den, fur bristling as she spotted the LagoonClan cats. Sloefoot and Tansywhisper- who had showed up at night, saying that conditions had gotten bad in LagoonClan. The shellshocked Clan had taken her in.
As soon as the black tom and cream-and-gray she-cat noticed Tansywhisper, they flinched away as through Tansywhisper had struck them with claws.
Fernstar padded to where the LagoonClan cats cats stood. “What business do you have with ForestClan?” the gray-and-white she-cat growled.
The cream-and-gray she-cat dipped her head. “We don’t mean any harm. We have come to ask you a favor.”
Fernstar’s ears flicked up with interest, but her eyes betrayed nothing.
“Some cats in LagoonClan are… ill,” the she-cat meowed, her voice level. “With Tansywhisper in your Clan, may we ask to have one of your medicine cats?”
Hazelpaw noticed Sharpfang and Berrysplash in the warriors’ den, their eyes gleaming as they peered outside. A mouse-length away stood Mintstem, who was looking straight at Hazelpaw. Hazelpaw blinked, and Mintstem straightened, her gaze kind.
I can’t keep seeing Mossyscar’s murderer in every cat. Hazelpaw forced herself to focus on the LagoonClan cats.
“...can’t promise you that,” Fernstar’s voice was stern. “Sloefoot is still training Hazelpaw, and Hazelpaw isn’t experienced enough to look after a whole Clan. Especially when said Clan is constantly under threat of attack. Actually, shouldn’t you be looking after your Clan right now? Did Reedstar even give you permission to come here?”
The small black she-cat shifted on her paws. The cream-and-gray she-cat stepped forward. “We do,” she meowed firmly. “And if we can’t find any help here, then we’ll leave.”
“Very well.” Fernstar flicked her tail towards the warriors’ den. “Mintstem, Berrysplash, and Sharpfang, escort these cats out of our territory.” The three warriors nodded dutifully and headed out of camp.
Hazelpaw watched the LagoonClan cats from where she stood until Echopaw gave her a sharp jab in the side.
“What was that for?” Hazelpaw hissed at her sister.
Echopaw was staring at her as though Hazelpaw hadn’t spoken.
“Don’t you get it? What if the murderer is conspiring with LagoonClan?”
Echopaw was standing outside the medicine den, but Hazelpaw knew she wasn’t hurt. Since they’d found Mossyscar’s body, the whole Clan had been in shock.
Not only that, but Echopaw had been acting edgy the whole day after they’d found the dead deputy. And her sister had asked her to talk after the patrol’s news had been shared with the Clan.
“I looked at Mossyscar. His wound… there was a wound on his neck. And it didn’t look like a fox’s bite, I can tell you that.” Echopaw had meowed to Hazelpaw.
“Are you saying… that Mossyscar was murdered?” Hazelpaw gasped.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Echopaw started pacing the clearing. “The question is, who. Sharpfang never liked Mossyscar. Neither did Berrysplash. And don’t you think that Mi-”
“Okay, okay,” Hazelpaw squeezed her eyes tight shut. “I just…it’s hard to think that any cat would murder Mossyscar.”
“I know.” Echopaw mewed quietly. “But if a cat murdered Mossyscar, and if that cat is in our Clan, then… we need to know if a cat is being so cruel.”
Hazelpaw nodded hesitantly. “Okay. Well, how about we talk in the morning? Then we can find Lakepaw, and maybe we’ll find some more clues.”
Echopaw had padded away to her nest, and Sloefoot had called Hazelpaw away to dress a wound on Conewhisker’s paw.
Now Echopaw beckoned her out of the clearing, dark gray pelt bristling. “Lakepaw is on the dawn patrol,” she reported. “They’re going to the fallen tree to make sure there’s no signs of invasion.”
Hazelpaw knew that Fernstar had meant to assign a guard to the fallen tree, but with Mossyscar’s death and the Clan grieving, she hadn’t gotten a chance to.
As Hazelpaw and her sister quietly exited camp, Hazelpaw glanced back, catching the eye of Swallowpaw as she ducked through the camp entrance. He looked confused, but didn’t say anything, to Hazelpaw’s relief.
Echopaw was already scanning the forest by the time Hazelpaw caught up with her. She snapped her gaze back to Hazelpaw. “Lakepaw’s over there,” she whispered.
Echopaw flicked her tail to an undergrowth-covered rise where Lakepaw’s scent was still fresh. She led the way, marching through the undergrowth with Hazelpaw following close behind.
What if they catch us? Will we have to explain what we’re doing? That would be so awful…
Hazelpaw felt worry flash in every hair on her pelt until she was bounding along the slope. And then, fur flashed across her vision and she leaped backwards into the undergrowth, thoroughly spooked. She smelled LagoonClan.
“Hello,” came the awkward voice of a tom. “Do you know where Fernstar is?”
“Of course we do,” Echopaw mewed, fur ruffled as she stared at the black tom. “In fact, we can take you to her right now. I’m sure she’ll be super happy about strange cats on our territory.”
The black tom stepped forward warily, and Echopaw padded toward camp. Her tail was high and her pelt was smooth, but Hazelpaw knew her sister well enough to tell that she was furious at her search for Lakepaw being interrupted.
As Hazelpaw and Echopaw led the patrol of LagoonClan cats to camp, Hazelpaw noticed the other cats in the patrol. One was a cream-and-gray she-cat with a commanding air to her, and next to her was a ginger-and-white warrior who stared uneasily around camp.
Then, trailing a little behind the black tom was a small black she-cat who looked a little older than Hazelpaw.
Then, Fernstar leaped out from her den, fur bristling as she spotted the LagoonClan cats. Sloefoot and Tansywhisper- who had showed up at night, saying that conditions had gotten bad in LagoonClan. The shellshocked Clan had taken her in.
As soon as the black tom and cream-and-gray she-cat noticed Tansywhisper, they flinched away as through Tansywhisper had struck them with claws.
Fernstar padded to where the LagoonClan cats cats stood. “What business do you have with ForestClan?” the gray-and-white she-cat growled.
The cream-and-gray she-cat dipped her head. “We don’t mean any harm. We have come to ask you a favor.”
Fernstar’s ears flicked up with interest, but her eyes betrayed nothing.
“Some cats in LagoonClan are… ill,” the she-cat meowed, her voice level. “With Tansywhisper in your Clan, may we ask to have one of your medicine cats?”
Hazelpaw noticed Sharpfang and Berrysplash in the warriors’ den, their eyes gleaming as they peered outside. A mouse-length away stood Mintstem, who was looking straight at Hazelpaw. Hazelpaw blinked, and Mintstem straightened, her gaze kind.
I can’t keep seeing Mossyscar’s murderer in every cat. Hazelpaw forced herself to focus on the LagoonClan cats.
“...can’t promise you that,” Fernstar’s voice was stern. “Sloefoot is still training Hazelpaw, and Hazelpaw isn’t experienced enough to look after a whole Clan. Especially when said Clan is constantly under threat of attack. Actually, shouldn’t you be looking after your Clan right now? Did Reedstar even give you permission to come here?”
The small black she-cat shifted on her paws. The cream-and-gray she-cat stepped forward. “We do,” she meowed firmly. “And if we can’t find any help here, then we’ll leave.”
“Very well.” Fernstar flicked her tail towards the warriors’ den. “Mintstem, Berrysplash, and Sharpfang, escort these cats out of our territory.” The three warriors nodded dutifully and headed out of camp.
Hazelpaw watched the LagoonClan cats from where she stood until Echopaw gave her a sharp jab in the side.
“What was that for?” Hazelpaw hissed at her sister.
Echopaw was staring at her as though Hazelpaw hadn’t spoken.
“Don’t you get it? What if the murderer is conspiring with LagoonClan?”
Chapter 8
Cinnamon padded quietly to the clump of ferns that edged the island, wincing a little as she set her injured paw on the ground. She crept through the undergrowth and emerged on the shores of the island, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws.
She saw a flash of ginger-and-white in the water, and her gaze snapped to it. Sure enough, Fallenpaw surfaced a tail-length away from Cinnamon. She brushed through the ferns, keeping her injured paw off the ground.
Fallenpaw had started to turn around when Cinnamon swiped her paw by his ear. The ginger-and-white tom sprang to his paws. His startlement quickly faded into calm when he noticed Cinnamon.
“Oh, it’s you,” he meowed. “I thought it was- wait, what happened to your paw?”
Cinnamon lifted her injured paw carefully. “It’s nothing, really. The other rogues were… a little angry about me running off, but I’m fine now.” She wasn’t entirely lying, was she? Her lost claw had stopped bleeding as much, even though it hurt too bad to hunt.
Fallenpaw looked at her paw again. “I’m really sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Cinnamon flicked her tail. “It was mine. I ran off, not you.” She momentarily put her paw down and jerked it up again, wincing in pain.
“Are you okay? I thought a medicine cat would’ve taken care of that by now… but you don’t have a medicine cat in the rogues, do you?” Fallenpaw asked.
Cinnamon shook her head. “Some cats know herbs,” she answered. The only reason Martha had survived her kitting was because she’d been around the sand cats once, who knew herbs well. She was the only one on Cinnamon’s island that had any knowledge of healing.
Fallenpaw gazed back at the weeping willow. “There are some cobwebs on the roots, I think. I’ll go get some. It might help.”
“Race you there,” Cinnamon called, a challenge in her mew. The pale brown tabby pulled up beside Fallenpaw.
“Now!” Cinnamon flung her paw off the ground, racing beside Fallenpaw. She skidded on the sand as the drooping branches of the willow swept into view and tickled her nose.
Fallenpaw stopped beside her and reached down to pick out some cobwebs from the tree roots. “I won,” he teased.
Cinnamon flicked an ear idly. “If my paw wasn’t hurt, I’d have gotten to the tree before you even started running!”
Fallenpaw started to meow back, but his voice was muffled by the cobwebs in his jaws. The ginger-and-white tom placed the bundle of cobweb beside Cinnamon’s paws.
Cinnamon nodded gratefully and took it, wrapping it around her paw. She looked back at Fallenpaw, and then at the dense reeds that she knew were LagoonClan’s territory.
Something sounded in the distance. At first, Cinnamon thought that it was just some prey scrambling around in the bushes.
But as the sound persisted, Cinnamon found her initial thought harder to believe. Fallenpaw was looking towards it now. The brown tabby shot a questioning gaze at her friend.
Fallenpaw peered closer. “Do you think it’s a LagoonClan cat?” he asked.
“I can’t see anything from here.”
“Are you saying we should go to LagoonClan’s territory?” Fallenpaw’s eyes widened.
“It might be too dark for any cat to see anything.”
Fallenpaw’s gaze snapped back to the source of the noise. A silhouette of a cat- no, two cats, was just visible from where they were standing.
Cinnamon had finished wrapping her paw. She dipped her other, uninjured paw in the water and glanced back at Fallenpaw. “It doesn’t take long to swim to LagoonClan territory.” she mewed.
“I know.” Fallenpaw replied. He stepped forward into the water. “Are you sure Maxine won’t wake up?”
“She won’t,” Cinnamon meowed back.
When Cinnamon and Fallenpaw surfaced on the shore of LagoonClan territory, they spotted two shadows, hiding in the reeds.
Cinnamon lowered herself to the ground, and Fallenpaw did the same. Cinnamon strained to make out the hidden cats, but they were too far away, and she didn’t dare alert them of she and Fallenpaw’s presence by walking closer.
“…then?” It was a voice of tom, clearly in the middle of conversation.
Cinnamon could just make out the other cat nodding.
“And you really think she’ll choose you?” There was an edge to the tom’s mew.
“Why shouldn’t she? She trusts me.” It was a she-cat, Cinnamon thought.
“She may have already decided.”
“She hasn’t. And anyway, I bet she wouldn’t even…” The she-cat jerked around, scanning the shore of the small peninsula. “I heard something.” There was suspicion and menace in her voice.
Cinnamon held her breath as the cat’s gaze landed on her and Fallenpaw. She dove underwater, and Fallenpaw tumbled in beside her as a wave crashed over them.
“We’re being watched!” Cinnamon’s head broke the surface for a few moments just to hear the she-cat’s urgent whisper.
Cinnamon and Fallenpaw washed up on the edge of an island. Cinnamon scrambled to her paws. “Are you okay?” she asked Fallenpaw.
The ginger-and-white tom spluttered out water. “I’m fine,” he choked out.
“Something really weird is happening.” Cinnamon meowed anxiously. “The problem is, we don’t know what.”
“But we can find out.” Fallenpaw got to his paws shakily. “If we survived that, and didn’t get caught, then we can survive anything.”
Cinnamon drew herself up. “We need to find out what’s happening, Fallenpaw. Or else…” Everything could go wrong...
She saw a flash of ginger-and-white in the water, and her gaze snapped to it. Sure enough, Fallenpaw surfaced a tail-length away from Cinnamon. She brushed through the ferns, keeping her injured paw off the ground.
Fallenpaw had started to turn around when Cinnamon swiped her paw by his ear. The ginger-and-white tom sprang to his paws. His startlement quickly faded into calm when he noticed Cinnamon.
“Oh, it’s you,” he meowed. “I thought it was- wait, what happened to your paw?”
Cinnamon lifted her injured paw carefully. “It’s nothing, really. The other rogues were… a little angry about me running off, but I’m fine now.” She wasn’t entirely lying, was she? Her lost claw had stopped bleeding as much, even though it hurt too bad to hunt.
Fallenpaw looked at her paw again. “I’m really sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Cinnamon flicked her tail. “It was mine. I ran off, not you.” She momentarily put her paw down and jerked it up again, wincing in pain.
“Are you okay? I thought a medicine cat would’ve taken care of that by now… but you don’t have a medicine cat in the rogues, do you?” Fallenpaw asked.
Cinnamon shook her head. “Some cats know herbs,” she answered. The only reason Martha had survived her kitting was because she’d been around the sand cats once, who knew herbs well. She was the only one on Cinnamon’s island that had any knowledge of healing.
Fallenpaw gazed back at the weeping willow. “There are some cobwebs on the roots, I think. I’ll go get some. It might help.”
“Race you there,” Cinnamon called, a challenge in her mew. The pale brown tabby pulled up beside Fallenpaw.
“Now!” Cinnamon flung her paw off the ground, racing beside Fallenpaw. She skidded on the sand as the drooping branches of the willow swept into view and tickled her nose.
Fallenpaw stopped beside her and reached down to pick out some cobwebs from the tree roots. “I won,” he teased.
Cinnamon flicked an ear idly. “If my paw wasn’t hurt, I’d have gotten to the tree before you even started running!”
Fallenpaw started to meow back, but his voice was muffled by the cobwebs in his jaws. The ginger-and-white tom placed the bundle of cobweb beside Cinnamon’s paws.
Cinnamon nodded gratefully and took it, wrapping it around her paw. She looked back at Fallenpaw, and then at the dense reeds that she knew were LagoonClan’s territory.
Something sounded in the distance. At first, Cinnamon thought that it was just some prey scrambling around in the bushes.
But as the sound persisted, Cinnamon found her initial thought harder to believe. Fallenpaw was looking towards it now. The brown tabby shot a questioning gaze at her friend.
Fallenpaw peered closer. “Do you think it’s a LagoonClan cat?” he asked.
“I can’t see anything from here.”
“Are you saying we should go to LagoonClan’s territory?” Fallenpaw’s eyes widened.
“It might be too dark for any cat to see anything.”
Fallenpaw’s gaze snapped back to the source of the noise. A silhouette of a cat- no, two cats, was just visible from where they were standing.
Cinnamon had finished wrapping her paw. She dipped her other, uninjured paw in the water and glanced back at Fallenpaw. “It doesn’t take long to swim to LagoonClan territory.” she mewed.
“I know.” Fallenpaw replied. He stepped forward into the water. “Are you sure Maxine won’t wake up?”
“She won’t,” Cinnamon meowed back.
When Cinnamon and Fallenpaw surfaced on the shore of LagoonClan territory, they spotted two shadows, hiding in the reeds.
Cinnamon lowered herself to the ground, and Fallenpaw did the same. Cinnamon strained to make out the hidden cats, but they were too far away, and she didn’t dare alert them of she and Fallenpaw’s presence by walking closer.
“…then?” It was a voice of tom, clearly in the middle of conversation.
Cinnamon could just make out the other cat nodding.
“And you really think she’ll choose you?” There was an edge to the tom’s mew.
“Why shouldn’t she? She trusts me.” It was a she-cat, Cinnamon thought.
“She may have already decided.”
“She hasn’t. And anyway, I bet she wouldn’t even…” The she-cat jerked around, scanning the shore of the small peninsula. “I heard something.” There was suspicion and menace in her voice.
Cinnamon held her breath as the cat’s gaze landed on her and Fallenpaw. She dove underwater, and Fallenpaw tumbled in beside her as a wave crashed over them.
“We’re being watched!” Cinnamon’s head broke the surface for a few moments just to hear the she-cat’s urgent whisper.
Cinnamon and Fallenpaw washed up on the edge of an island. Cinnamon scrambled to her paws. “Are you okay?” she asked Fallenpaw.
The ginger-and-white tom spluttered out water. “I’m fine,” he choked out.
“Something really weird is happening.” Cinnamon meowed anxiously. “The problem is, we don’t know what.”
“But we can find out.” Fallenpaw got to his paws shakily. “If we survived that, and didn’t get caught, then we can survive anything.”
Cinnamon drew herself up. “We need to find out what’s happening, Fallenpaw. Or else…” Everything could go wrong...
Chapter 9
Juniperstorm and his patrol padded drearily back to LagoonClan camp, the sense of their failure hanging over them like a storm cloud.
Saltmint lead the silent patrol through RainClan territory. They didn’t meet any cats, though if they had, Juniperstorm doubted they’d meet any resistance.
Finally, after what felt like seasons, they arrived at the camp entrance. Saltmint immediately spilt off from the group to carry on the bad news to the Clan, while Willowthorn headed to the warriors’ den and collapsed inside.
But Juniperstorm’s attention wasn’t on his Clanmates. He glanced toward Adderfoot’s den. It was strangely quiet.
He took a tentative step forward, and peered inside the den. Adderfoot was lying in her nest, still as a rock. Then, Juniperstorm realized with a start that she wasn’t breathing.
He prodded the sleek gray she-cat again, but she didn’t move. By now, cats were starting to gather around the den.
Then, Saltmint pushed Juniperstorm aside and crouched down beside her sister, licking her fur in a desperate attempt to wake her up. But as what seemed like seasons passed, Juniperstorm felt a looming sense of dread as realized that his Clan’s deputy must be dead.
“She can’t be dead!” Wrenpaw’s mew startled Juniperstorm. He hadn’t realized that his kit had followed him.
“First we lose our medicine cat, and now our deputy?” Pinerapids lashed his tail, rage lighting his eyes. “It’s like StarClan has cursed us!”
“Don’t worry. Reedstar will appoint a new deputy.” Tuftfish sounded like he was convincing himself as much as his brother.
“Like Reedstar will ever appoint a new deputy in his state.” Willowthorn, who had poked her head out of the warriors’ den, grumbled.
Saltmint still lay beside her sister. Finally, she rose, eyes heavy with grief. “She will be safe with Breezekit and Fangheart now.”
Juniperstorm felt a pang at the longing glances that Saltmint kept casting back at Adderfoot’s unmoving body, as if she expected the sleek-furred she-cat to get up and start moving.
Juniperstorm heard a violent coughing coming from the medicine den, and Wrenpaw whimpered. The black tom felt fear bubble up inside him until he raced into the den, bursting through the vines that shaded the entrance. He crouched down beside Peatpaw and Vanillashade.
A realization sunk through him, but he refused to believe it. Peatpaw is fine. He has to be fine. Saltmint and I… we healed him, didn’t we?
He spotted Wrenpaw’s night-black fur in the corner of his vision.
“Is Peatpaw okay?” Her voice was so quiet Juniperstorm could barely hear it over the ringing in his ears.
“He’ll be fine.” Juniperstorm meowed, a desperate hope filling his thoughts.
~~~
Hours later, deep into the night, the moon shone over LagoonClan territory as the cats looked down at their former deputy’s body.
“She was my sister,” Saltmint mewed, hollow-eyed. “She…she was a great deputy.”
“It’s a shame that she never became leader.” Willowthorn's voice was dark as she gazed down at the unmoving body of Adderfoot.
It’s a shame that she never became leader. Willowthorn's words rang in Juniperstorm’s ears as a thought surfaced in his mind. Adderfoot was dead. Reedstar was too deathly ill to appoint another deputy. What if… we don’t ever get a leader?
Urgency pulsed in his paws. LagoonClan needed a leader. I have to find out how many lives Reedstar has left.
The black tom sat up. “I’ll go and get Hollyberry.” he lied. “And Reedstar. They need to know… that Adderfoot is dead.”
Saltmint dipped her head, but Juniperstorm quickly realized that her attention was on her dead sister, not him.
Juniperstorm padded to the leader’s den, a solid, massive rock at the end of the clearing. He brushed past the lichen that shaded the entrance and arrived in the gloomy den.
Reedstar was lying in his rest, only the faint rise and fall of his chest betraying the fact that he was alive.
Hollyberry lifted her head from the mossy nest. The speckled she-cat turned her head to Juniperstorm. “What is it?” she mewed quietly.
“It’s… it’s about Adderfoot.” Juniperstorm dipped his head. He had to tell Reedstar and Hollyberry. But Reedstar was dying, and Hollyberry was clearly in pain.
“What happened? No, don’t tell me,” Hollyberry pressed her eyes shut, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Don’t tell me she’s dead.”
Juniperstorm didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”
Hollyberry’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as she looked out at the vigil. Then she rose to her paws and padded out of the den. Juniperstorm followed her out, remembering his mission that had been distracted by the grim task of delivering the news of Adderfoot’s death.
“How many lives-” Juniperstorm started, but Hollyberry had begun to speak. The speckled queen was gazing down at Adderfoot’s body. “We were friends. She was a good deputy, and she would have been a good leader, too.”
Juniperstorm’s ears pricked. A scampering of paws sounded outside camp. He began to move towards it, but paused. It could just be some cat returning to camp. He did smell LagoonClan, so it couldn’t be any other Clan planning an invasion.
The black tom unsheathed his claws. If it is, I’ll be ready.
Saltmint lead the silent patrol through RainClan territory. They didn’t meet any cats, though if they had, Juniperstorm doubted they’d meet any resistance.
Finally, after what felt like seasons, they arrived at the camp entrance. Saltmint immediately spilt off from the group to carry on the bad news to the Clan, while Willowthorn headed to the warriors’ den and collapsed inside.
But Juniperstorm’s attention wasn’t on his Clanmates. He glanced toward Adderfoot’s den. It was strangely quiet.
He took a tentative step forward, and peered inside the den. Adderfoot was lying in her nest, still as a rock. Then, Juniperstorm realized with a start that she wasn’t breathing.
He prodded the sleek gray she-cat again, but she didn’t move. By now, cats were starting to gather around the den.
Then, Saltmint pushed Juniperstorm aside and crouched down beside her sister, licking her fur in a desperate attempt to wake her up. But as what seemed like seasons passed, Juniperstorm felt a looming sense of dread as realized that his Clan’s deputy must be dead.
“She can’t be dead!” Wrenpaw’s mew startled Juniperstorm. He hadn’t realized that his kit had followed him.
“First we lose our medicine cat, and now our deputy?” Pinerapids lashed his tail, rage lighting his eyes. “It’s like StarClan has cursed us!”
“Don’t worry. Reedstar will appoint a new deputy.” Tuftfish sounded like he was convincing himself as much as his brother.
“Like Reedstar will ever appoint a new deputy in his state.” Willowthorn, who had poked her head out of the warriors’ den, grumbled.
Saltmint still lay beside her sister. Finally, she rose, eyes heavy with grief. “She will be safe with Breezekit and Fangheart now.”
Juniperstorm felt a pang at the longing glances that Saltmint kept casting back at Adderfoot’s unmoving body, as if she expected the sleek-furred she-cat to get up and start moving.
Juniperstorm heard a violent coughing coming from the medicine den, and Wrenpaw whimpered. The black tom felt fear bubble up inside him until he raced into the den, bursting through the vines that shaded the entrance. He crouched down beside Peatpaw and Vanillashade.
A realization sunk through him, but he refused to believe it. Peatpaw is fine. He has to be fine. Saltmint and I… we healed him, didn’t we?
He spotted Wrenpaw’s night-black fur in the corner of his vision.
“Is Peatpaw okay?” Her voice was so quiet Juniperstorm could barely hear it over the ringing in his ears.
“He’ll be fine.” Juniperstorm meowed, a desperate hope filling his thoughts.
~~~
Hours later, deep into the night, the moon shone over LagoonClan territory as the cats looked down at their former deputy’s body.
“She was my sister,” Saltmint mewed, hollow-eyed. “She…she was a great deputy.”
“It’s a shame that she never became leader.” Willowthorn's voice was dark as she gazed down at the unmoving body of Adderfoot.
It’s a shame that she never became leader. Willowthorn's words rang in Juniperstorm’s ears as a thought surfaced in his mind. Adderfoot was dead. Reedstar was too deathly ill to appoint another deputy. What if… we don’t ever get a leader?
Urgency pulsed in his paws. LagoonClan needed a leader. I have to find out how many lives Reedstar has left.
The black tom sat up. “I’ll go and get Hollyberry.” he lied. “And Reedstar. They need to know… that Adderfoot is dead.”
Saltmint dipped her head, but Juniperstorm quickly realized that her attention was on her dead sister, not him.
Juniperstorm padded to the leader’s den, a solid, massive rock at the end of the clearing. He brushed past the lichen that shaded the entrance and arrived in the gloomy den.
Reedstar was lying in his rest, only the faint rise and fall of his chest betraying the fact that he was alive.
Hollyberry lifted her head from the mossy nest. The speckled she-cat turned her head to Juniperstorm. “What is it?” she mewed quietly.
“It’s… it’s about Adderfoot.” Juniperstorm dipped his head. He had to tell Reedstar and Hollyberry. But Reedstar was dying, and Hollyberry was clearly in pain.
“What happened? No, don’t tell me,” Hollyberry pressed her eyes shut, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Don’t tell me she’s dead.”
Juniperstorm didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”
Hollyberry’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as she looked out at the vigil. Then she rose to her paws and padded out of the den. Juniperstorm followed her out, remembering his mission that had been distracted by the grim task of delivering the news of Adderfoot’s death.
“How many lives-” Juniperstorm started, but Hollyberry had begun to speak. The speckled queen was gazing down at Adderfoot’s body. “We were friends. She was a good deputy, and she would have been a good leader, too.”
Juniperstorm’s ears pricked. A scampering of paws sounded outside camp. He began to move towards it, but paused. It could just be some cat returning to camp. He did smell LagoonClan, so it couldn’t be any other Clan planning an invasion.
The black tom unsheathed his claws. If it is, I’ll be ready.
Chapter 10
Hazelpaw turned to Echopaw. “This is insane,” she hissed. “We’ll get ourselves killed.”
“It’s just a trip to LagoonClan territory. No one will see us.” Echopaw’s fur brushed Hazelpaw’s in a comforting gesture, but Hazelpaw was still worried.
The black-and-white she-cat hesitated while her sister crept out of the camp entrance.
“Come on!” Echopaw whispered softly, and Hazelpaw took a deep breath and exited the camp.
Once the two sisters were outside, they walked along the forest in silence, only pausing when they reached the fallen tree that connected ForestClan to DesertClan.
Echopaw placed a paw tentatively on the tree roots, as though testing if they would hold her weight.
Hazelpaw opened her jaws to taste the air. “Do you smell that?” she asked her sister.
“A ForestClan cat passed through here.” Echopaw meowed slowly. “Recently. But Fernstar said we can’t go out at night because of whatever- or whoever murdered Mossyscar. And she hasn’t sent any patrols…”
Echopaw started, diving into a bush nearby. Hazelpaw tried to call her sister back, but Echopaw simply stuck her head out and called, “The scent is stronger here! Hazelpaw, come! We-”
Hazelpaw darted to the bush as Echopaw’s voice was cut off by a shriek. She saw her sister, curled in on herself. Something scampered away from the dark tabby form of Echopaw.
A scorpion.
“Echopaw!” Hazelpaw lifted her sister’s paw, confirming her worst fears. Her sister had been bitten by a scorpion.
What do I do? I don’t know how to heal scorpion stings.
Her thoughts racing, Hazelpaw gently lifted Echopaw up by her scruff, and padded over the prairie, stopping once she found a clump of moss growing on the roots of a stunted tree.
The moss was damp, and she bit off some and pressed on Echopaw’s bite. Echopaw roused a little, but stayed limp. I have to get her back to camp. Maybe Sloefoot will know what to do.
~~~
Hazelpaw nearly collapsed once she reached the ForestClan camp. It was deep into the night, and no cat was awake as far as she could see.
She noticed, however, a black paw reaching outside the warriors’ den. Hazelpaw barely paid any attention to it, being tired from everything that had happened. Then the paw moved again, and a cat climbed out of the den. It was Mintstem.
Oh, thank StarClan… “It was a scorpion,” Hazelpaw whispered.
Mintstem looked shocked for a moment before shaking out her fur and helping Hazelpaw carry Echopaw to the medicine den and gently lay her on a nest.
Hazelpaw moved to the herb store and brushed a paw along the herbs. Some edelweiss petals- good for coughs, she thought- were strewn across the floor, but Hazelpaw barely noticed them.
Mintstem exited the den with a dip of her head as Hazelpaw picked out some blackberry leaves from the herb store.
Hazelpaw was just about to rouse Sloefoot and tell him what happened, but before she could even take a step, she felt a paw bat her leg. Echopaw was awake now and staring at her with urgency.
“What is it?” Hazelpaw asked her sister, keeping her voice low.
“You see those petals on the ground?” Echopaw’s gaze flicked to the edelweiss petals.
“Yeah, what about them?”
“Edelweiss flowers are good for coughs.” Echopaw meowed. “But do you know what else they do?”
“Um, yeah.” Hazelpaw responded. What is she saying? Maybe it’s the scorpion venom…
“They attract scorpions.”
Hazelpaw felt horror threaten to overwhelm her. “Are you saying that some cat intentionally broke into this den and took petals just to hurt you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Echopaw flashed back. “And I think whoever did it murdered Mossyscar.”
Hazelpaw felt motionless with shock. “If what you’re saying is true, then the whole Clan could be danger…”
“It’s just a trip to LagoonClan territory. No one will see us.” Echopaw’s fur brushed Hazelpaw’s in a comforting gesture, but Hazelpaw was still worried.
The black-and-white she-cat hesitated while her sister crept out of the camp entrance.
“Come on!” Echopaw whispered softly, and Hazelpaw took a deep breath and exited the camp.
Once the two sisters were outside, they walked along the forest in silence, only pausing when they reached the fallen tree that connected ForestClan to DesertClan.
Echopaw placed a paw tentatively on the tree roots, as though testing if they would hold her weight.
Hazelpaw opened her jaws to taste the air. “Do you smell that?” she asked her sister.
“A ForestClan cat passed through here.” Echopaw meowed slowly. “Recently. But Fernstar said we can’t go out at night because of whatever- or whoever murdered Mossyscar. And she hasn’t sent any patrols…”
Echopaw started, diving into a bush nearby. Hazelpaw tried to call her sister back, but Echopaw simply stuck her head out and called, “The scent is stronger here! Hazelpaw, come! We-”
Hazelpaw darted to the bush as Echopaw’s voice was cut off by a shriek. She saw her sister, curled in on herself. Something scampered away from the dark tabby form of Echopaw.
A scorpion.
“Echopaw!” Hazelpaw lifted her sister’s paw, confirming her worst fears. Her sister had been bitten by a scorpion.
What do I do? I don’t know how to heal scorpion stings.
Her thoughts racing, Hazelpaw gently lifted Echopaw up by her scruff, and padded over the prairie, stopping once she found a clump of moss growing on the roots of a stunted tree.
The moss was damp, and she bit off some and pressed on Echopaw’s bite. Echopaw roused a little, but stayed limp. I have to get her back to camp. Maybe Sloefoot will know what to do.
~~~
Hazelpaw nearly collapsed once she reached the ForestClan camp. It was deep into the night, and no cat was awake as far as she could see.
She noticed, however, a black paw reaching outside the warriors’ den. Hazelpaw barely paid any attention to it, being tired from everything that had happened. Then the paw moved again, and a cat climbed out of the den. It was Mintstem.
Oh, thank StarClan… “It was a scorpion,” Hazelpaw whispered.
Mintstem looked shocked for a moment before shaking out her fur and helping Hazelpaw carry Echopaw to the medicine den and gently lay her on a nest.
Hazelpaw moved to the herb store and brushed a paw along the herbs. Some edelweiss petals- good for coughs, she thought- were strewn across the floor, but Hazelpaw barely noticed them.
Mintstem exited the den with a dip of her head as Hazelpaw picked out some blackberry leaves from the herb store.
Hazelpaw was just about to rouse Sloefoot and tell him what happened, but before she could even take a step, she felt a paw bat her leg. Echopaw was awake now and staring at her with urgency.
“What is it?” Hazelpaw asked her sister, keeping her voice low.
“You see those petals on the ground?” Echopaw’s gaze flicked to the edelweiss petals.
“Yeah, what about them?”
“Edelweiss flowers are good for coughs.” Echopaw meowed. “But do you know what else they do?”
“Um, yeah.” Hazelpaw responded. What is she saying? Maybe it’s the scorpion venom…
“They attract scorpions.”
Hazelpaw felt horror threaten to overwhelm her. “Are you saying that some cat intentionally broke into this den and took petals just to hurt you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Echopaw flashed back. “And I think whoever did it murdered Mossyscar.”
Hazelpaw felt motionless with shock. “If what you’re saying is true, then the whole Clan could be danger…”
Chapter 11
Cinnamon shifted on her paws, trying to get comfortable. The spiny tree branches were poking and snagging at her light brown tabby pelt.
If only Fallenpaw were here. Then I’d have at least one friend with me.
Maxine was standing at the end of clearing, casually licking one paw. Clove was standing next to her, and Cinnamon could sense the twisted satisfaction in her gaze as Maxine started to speak.
“Blue,” the tabby she-cat gestured with her tail toward the young tom as she spoke, “-has been in LagoonClan. He has found out that Reedstar is deathly ill, and Adderfoot is nowhere to be found. We can only assume that she is dead.”
Murmurs rose from the clearing. Cinnamon could only focus on how pale, how miserable, Blue looked as he let out a small, ragged cough.
Maxine, to Cinnamon’s ire, looked like she barely cared about how awful the blue-gray tom looked. The ginger tabby went on. “Now, I have chosen several cats to go to LagoonClan and trail their cats. Cleo, Flurry, Martha, Blue, and Cinnamon.”
Cinnamon felt outrage course through her. “But Martha just had her kits,” she objected boldly. “She’s still recovering, and it’s dangerous territory, and there are sick cats there.”
Maxine narrowed her eyes, and Cinnamon could see pure fury in them. Cinnamon wasn’t scared. She had had to stand up for Martha. Who else would? Then she stepped back and flicked her tail to dismiss the crowd of rogues. Cleo and Flurry stayed behind, and Martha and Blue slowly padded forward to face Maxine. Martha shared a silent, half grateful and half nervous glance with Cinnamon.
“Find out as much information as you possibly can.” she hissed to Cinnamon and the rest of the patrol. The words sounded more like a threat than an instruction.
“And, Cinnamon?” Cinnamon turned around at hearing her name. Maxine was glaring at her. “I want you to catch two pieces of prey on Clan territory by moonhigh.”
Cinnamon opened her mouth, but clamped it shut again from a warning look by Cleo.
That’s impossible! The Clan cats will know a rogue’s trespassed on their territory, and I don’t think I could fight- and win- against fully trained Clan warriors.
As she was musing, Flurry fell in front of the patrol, splashing into the water. She was followed by Martha and Blue. Cinnamon crouched and prepared to jump, but she noticed that Cleo was hesitating.
Why? Cinnamon asked herself. I thought she loved swimming.
At Cinnamon’s concerned glance, Cleo shook her head. “Go,” she meowed simply.
Cinnamon leaped into the water, and she was followed by Cleo, though the she-cat flinched slightly when she splashed into the water.
The patrol surfaced on LagoonClan, Flurry once again leading the cats toward the camp.
Cinnamon brushed past the sharp reeds and swampy ground. How can any cat catch prey here? How am I supposed to catch two pieces of prey here?
Then a thought occurred to her. Maxine just said that I could catch it on Clan territory. She didn’t say anything about what Clan territory it was.
“Cinnamon,” Martha prodded her with a paw. “Look.”
Cinnamon gazed through the reeds into a clearing, where LagoonClan cats were moving around. One cat, a pale tabby she-cat, was murmuring something to a black tom. Cinnamon leaned closer to listen.
“Reedstar is getting sicker,” the tabby mewed. “This morning I tried to wake him and I couldn’t. He’s breathing, but only barely. I get the feeling that he doesn’t have much longer.”
The black tom’s fur spiked. “What…what about Peatpaw and Vanillashade?”
His voice sounded so mournful, so sad. As Cinnamon looked at the tom again, she realized that he looked familiar. Oh. He’s that tom who scared me off that day… the day I met Fallenpaw.
She felt another pang of worry for her friend. She hoped he was safe in RainClan, and that his trips to the islands hadn’t been discovered.
“Not much better.” The tabby glanced toward a rock at the edge of the clearing. “It’s been hard, for all of us. We don’t have a deputy, and- let’s face it- we don’t, and we probably won’t, have a leader.”
Cinnamon whipped around to face Martha. “Does… does that mean that their deputy is dead?” she whispered.
Martha slowly nodded, finally meowing, “I guess it does.”
Blue, crouching to the right of Cinnamon, let out a shocked gasp. Then it turned into a cough. A loud, wracking cough.
The tabby and the black tom instantly turned to the patrol, fur bristling and claws unsheathed.
“Run,” Flurry hissed quietly, beckoning the rest of the cats to follow her as she pounded through the reeds. Cinnamon followed, almost stumbling over her own paws more than once.
Martha looked at her before she dove into the waves. “You still need to catch the prey. Maxine won’t take no for an answer. Cinnamon, hide in the reeds.” Cinnamon nodded quickly and ducked behind a straggly thornbush.
The light brown tabby waited there, her thoughts racing. Then she spotted a group of cats moving towards the LagoonClan. They weren’t RainClan cats; their pelts were short, sleek, and light.
Cinnamon stepped forward. Now isn’t the time to be scared. I need to prove myself; and prove that Maxine is wrong.
If only Fallenpaw were here. Then I’d have at least one friend with me.
Maxine was standing at the end of clearing, casually licking one paw. Clove was standing next to her, and Cinnamon could sense the twisted satisfaction in her gaze as Maxine started to speak.
“Blue,” the tabby she-cat gestured with her tail toward the young tom as she spoke, “-has been in LagoonClan. He has found out that Reedstar is deathly ill, and Adderfoot is nowhere to be found. We can only assume that she is dead.”
Murmurs rose from the clearing. Cinnamon could only focus on how pale, how miserable, Blue looked as he let out a small, ragged cough.
Maxine, to Cinnamon’s ire, looked like she barely cared about how awful the blue-gray tom looked. The ginger tabby went on. “Now, I have chosen several cats to go to LagoonClan and trail their cats. Cleo, Flurry, Martha, Blue, and Cinnamon.”
Cinnamon felt outrage course through her. “But Martha just had her kits,” she objected boldly. “She’s still recovering, and it’s dangerous territory, and there are sick cats there.”
Maxine narrowed her eyes, and Cinnamon could see pure fury in them. Cinnamon wasn’t scared. She had had to stand up for Martha. Who else would? Then she stepped back and flicked her tail to dismiss the crowd of rogues. Cleo and Flurry stayed behind, and Martha and Blue slowly padded forward to face Maxine. Martha shared a silent, half grateful and half nervous glance with Cinnamon.
“Find out as much information as you possibly can.” she hissed to Cinnamon and the rest of the patrol. The words sounded more like a threat than an instruction.
“And, Cinnamon?” Cinnamon turned around at hearing her name. Maxine was glaring at her. “I want you to catch two pieces of prey on Clan territory by moonhigh.”
Cinnamon opened her mouth, but clamped it shut again from a warning look by Cleo.
That’s impossible! The Clan cats will know a rogue’s trespassed on their territory, and I don’t think I could fight- and win- against fully trained Clan warriors.
As she was musing, Flurry fell in front of the patrol, splashing into the water. She was followed by Martha and Blue. Cinnamon crouched and prepared to jump, but she noticed that Cleo was hesitating.
Why? Cinnamon asked herself. I thought she loved swimming.
At Cinnamon’s concerned glance, Cleo shook her head. “Go,” she meowed simply.
Cinnamon leaped into the water, and she was followed by Cleo, though the she-cat flinched slightly when she splashed into the water.
The patrol surfaced on LagoonClan, Flurry once again leading the cats toward the camp.
Cinnamon brushed past the sharp reeds and swampy ground. How can any cat catch prey here? How am I supposed to catch two pieces of prey here?
Then a thought occurred to her. Maxine just said that I could catch it on Clan territory. She didn’t say anything about what Clan territory it was.
“Cinnamon,” Martha prodded her with a paw. “Look.”
Cinnamon gazed through the reeds into a clearing, where LagoonClan cats were moving around. One cat, a pale tabby she-cat, was murmuring something to a black tom. Cinnamon leaned closer to listen.
“Reedstar is getting sicker,” the tabby mewed. “This morning I tried to wake him and I couldn’t. He’s breathing, but only barely. I get the feeling that he doesn’t have much longer.”
The black tom’s fur spiked. “What…what about Peatpaw and Vanillashade?”
His voice sounded so mournful, so sad. As Cinnamon looked at the tom again, she realized that he looked familiar. Oh. He’s that tom who scared me off that day… the day I met Fallenpaw.
She felt another pang of worry for her friend. She hoped he was safe in RainClan, and that his trips to the islands hadn’t been discovered.
“Not much better.” The tabby glanced toward a rock at the edge of the clearing. “It’s been hard, for all of us. We don’t have a deputy, and- let’s face it- we don’t, and we probably won’t, have a leader.”
Cinnamon whipped around to face Martha. “Does… does that mean that their deputy is dead?” she whispered.
Martha slowly nodded, finally meowing, “I guess it does.”
Blue, crouching to the right of Cinnamon, let out a shocked gasp. Then it turned into a cough. A loud, wracking cough.
The tabby and the black tom instantly turned to the patrol, fur bristling and claws unsheathed.
“Run,” Flurry hissed quietly, beckoning the rest of the cats to follow her as she pounded through the reeds. Cinnamon followed, almost stumbling over her own paws more than once.
Martha looked at her before she dove into the waves. “You still need to catch the prey. Maxine won’t take no for an answer. Cinnamon, hide in the reeds.” Cinnamon nodded quickly and ducked behind a straggly thornbush.
The light brown tabby waited there, her thoughts racing. Then she spotted a group of cats moving towards the LagoonClan. They weren’t RainClan cats; their pelts were short, sleek, and light.
Cinnamon stepped forward. Now isn’t the time to be scared. I need to prove myself; and prove that Maxine is wrong.
Chapter 12
Juniperstorm snarled, seeing the shadowy figures in the camp wall scatter. He relaxed, glancing over at Saltmint. “Should we send a patrol to track them down?” he asked.
Saltmint hesitated for a moment, then meowed, “No. I think we scared them enough. They won’t come back again.”
Juniperstorm gave a firm nod in response. Those rogues had better not come near our camp again, or I’ll shred their ears off! Then Pinerapids emerged from the camp entrance.
“DesertClan cats,” he panted. “On the border.”
Saltmint’s gaze snapped to the mottled tom. “What do they want?” Juniperstorm could hear the exasperation in her voice, and he knew exactly why.
“More outsiders poking their noses into our business?” Willowthorn snapped.
Palmnose, the most senior warrior in LagoonClan, bristled. “I bet a moon’s worth of dawn patrols they came to spy on us!”
Juniperstorm unsheathed his claws. They had better not invade our camp! If they lay so much as a whisker on Vanillashade, Peatpaw, or Wrenpaw, I’ll claw their throats out!
Hollyberry padded to the entrance, her tail swishing back and forth. “Who’s there?” she growled, her night-black fur bristling.
Juniperstorm padded up beside her. He stared disbelievingly at the cats at the entrance. It was Sandstar, her deputy, Scorpionfang, and a warrior he didn’t know.
“Hello,” Sandstar mewed, dipping her head politely. “We’d like to talk to Reedstar, please.”
How do the leader and deputy of DesertClan have the nerve to walk up to our camp and order us to bring our leader? How dare they disrespect us like that?
“You’ll talk to Reedstar when we decide you can.” Juniperstorm hissed, his fur bushing up.
Meanwhile, Hollyberry’s eyes were shadowed, and Juniperstorm felt a flood of panic. Don’t give up the secret! They can’t know that Reedstar is deathly ill, and we don’t have anyone to take his place! They’ll think our Clan is weak!
“It’s kind of important,” the other warrior, a pale gray tom, put in. “It involves all five Clans. Including LagoonClan.”
“You’d think that would be obvious,” Juniperstorm muttered under his breath. Hollyberry silenced him with a sharp glare.
“You can talk to us.” the speckled queen meowed. “Reedstar is in his den right now.”
To Juniperstorm’s relief, none of the DesertClan cats asked about why Reedstar couldn’t just come out and talk. Instead, Scorpionfang mewed, “You know the tree that fell by RainClan territory? It connects the two sides of the Clan lands, which means that cats can reach the mesa on our territory without having to swim. Bearstar, Cinderstar, and Sandstar were talking about having a meeting at the mesa once every moon or so, to cool down tensions and resolve misunderstandings before they turn into battle.”
“We know that things haven’t been the most peaceful recently, especially with the rogues. Our medicine cats also took the falling tree as a sign from StarClan that the Clans should be more united.” Sandstar added.
Hollyberry nodded slowly. “It’s a good idea. We can attend.”
Juniperstorm snapped his gaze to the speckled she-cat in disbelief. Hollyberry gave him a look that said not now.
Sandstar nodded. “We’ll see you tonight, then.”
As the DesertClan cats padded away, Juniperstorm turned to Hollyberry. “What?” he burst out. “How can we go to this meeting without a leader? Or a deputy? Or a medicine cat? We can’t, Hollyberry. And what if the rogues spy on us? They’ll find out we’re weak!”
“If we don’t go, they’ll realize something’s wrong.” Hollyberry pointed out. “If we do go, though, we can just say that they’re sick, and it won’t seem like a big deal.”
“That’s like putting cobwebs on a broken leg.” Juniperstorm retorted.
Hollyberry sighed. “I know. But there’s really nothing else we can do right now.”
“I guess not.” Juniperstorm conceded.
Pinerapids and Willowthorn raced up to them, fur bristling. “What did they say?” Pinerapids snarled.
“What explanation could they come up with for trespassing on our territory?” Willowthorn growled.
Hollyberry padded awkwardly over to them, and Juniperstorm realized that it wouldn’t be too long until she kitted. Without a medicine cat, and probably without her mate, too, he thought.
He pushed past the crowd of his Clanmates and entered the medicine cat’s den. Vanillashade was lying in her nest, her breathing uneven and raspy. He crouched beside her, gently pushing some herbs toward her.
One crumbled to dust beneath his claws, and he felt a stab of alarm. Newleaf is soon, he reminded himself. Vanillashade will be fine. She will be fine, and so will Peatpaw.
He wondered that if he repeated it enough, it would become true.
Vanillashade blinked, gazing up at him. “Hello,” she croaked.
“I brought you some herbs.” Juniperstorm meowed, pushing them toward her again.
Vanillashade briefly glanced at them before slowly shaking her head. “Juniperstorm-” her meow was cut off by a vicious cough. “I’m sorry.” she meowed hoarsely.
“Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry I won’t get to see Wrenpaw get her warrior name. I’m sorry I won’t get better.”
“No.” Juniperstorm meowed desperately. “You will get better. You and Peatpaw. I’m sure of it.”
“No, Juniperstorm. I’m seeing StarClan warriors around me, telling me to follow them. Peatpaw sees them too. And I must follow StarClan.”
Juniperstorm felt pure panic and grief flood through him from ears to tail-tip. He pressed his muzzle to Vanillashade’s fur, twining his tail with hers.
“Take care of Wrenpaw for me.” Vanillashade whispered.
“I will. I promise.”
He heard Vanillashade let out a last breath, and then she was still. Juniperstorm stayed there, eventually hearing faint pawsteps behind him.
It was Saltmint and Wrenpaw. Wrenpaw.
Wrenpaw, with a sob, pressed her fur to her father’s. Saltmint settled down beside them, a mouse dropping from her jaws.
“I’m sorry.” The she-cat meowed simply, laying her tail over her friend’s shoulders.
Saltmint hesitated for a moment, then meowed, “No. I think we scared them enough. They won’t come back again.”
Juniperstorm gave a firm nod in response. Those rogues had better not come near our camp again, or I’ll shred their ears off! Then Pinerapids emerged from the camp entrance.
“DesertClan cats,” he panted. “On the border.”
Saltmint’s gaze snapped to the mottled tom. “What do they want?” Juniperstorm could hear the exasperation in her voice, and he knew exactly why.
“More outsiders poking their noses into our business?” Willowthorn snapped.
Palmnose, the most senior warrior in LagoonClan, bristled. “I bet a moon’s worth of dawn patrols they came to spy on us!”
Juniperstorm unsheathed his claws. They had better not invade our camp! If they lay so much as a whisker on Vanillashade, Peatpaw, or Wrenpaw, I’ll claw their throats out!
Hollyberry padded to the entrance, her tail swishing back and forth. “Who’s there?” she growled, her night-black fur bristling.
Juniperstorm padded up beside her. He stared disbelievingly at the cats at the entrance. It was Sandstar, her deputy, Scorpionfang, and a warrior he didn’t know.
“Hello,” Sandstar mewed, dipping her head politely. “We’d like to talk to Reedstar, please.”
How do the leader and deputy of DesertClan have the nerve to walk up to our camp and order us to bring our leader? How dare they disrespect us like that?
“You’ll talk to Reedstar when we decide you can.” Juniperstorm hissed, his fur bushing up.
Meanwhile, Hollyberry’s eyes were shadowed, and Juniperstorm felt a flood of panic. Don’t give up the secret! They can’t know that Reedstar is deathly ill, and we don’t have anyone to take his place! They’ll think our Clan is weak!
“It’s kind of important,” the other warrior, a pale gray tom, put in. “It involves all five Clans. Including LagoonClan.”
“You’d think that would be obvious,” Juniperstorm muttered under his breath. Hollyberry silenced him with a sharp glare.
“You can talk to us.” the speckled queen meowed. “Reedstar is in his den right now.”
To Juniperstorm’s relief, none of the DesertClan cats asked about why Reedstar couldn’t just come out and talk. Instead, Scorpionfang mewed, “You know the tree that fell by RainClan territory? It connects the two sides of the Clan lands, which means that cats can reach the mesa on our territory without having to swim. Bearstar, Cinderstar, and Sandstar were talking about having a meeting at the mesa once every moon or so, to cool down tensions and resolve misunderstandings before they turn into battle.”
“We know that things haven’t been the most peaceful recently, especially with the rogues. Our medicine cats also took the falling tree as a sign from StarClan that the Clans should be more united.” Sandstar added.
Hollyberry nodded slowly. “It’s a good idea. We can attend.”
Juniperstorm snapped his gaze to the speckled she-cat in disbelief. Hollyberry gave him a look that said not now.
Sandstar nodded. “We’ll see you tonight, then.”
As the DesertClan cats padded away, Juniperstorm turned to Hollyberry. “What?” he burst out. “How can we go to this meeting without a leader? Or a deputy? Or a medicine cat? We can’t, Hollyberry. And what if the rogues spy on us? They’ll find out we’re weak!”
“If we don’t go, they’ll realize something’s wrong.” Hollyberry pointed out. “If we do go, though, we can just say that they’re sick, and it won’t seem like a big deal.”
“That’s like putting cobwebs on a broken leg.” Juniperstorm retorted.
Hollyberry sighed. “I know. But there’s really nothing else we can do right now.”
“I guess not.” Juniperstorm conceded.
Pinerapids and Willowthorn raced up to them, fur bristling. “What did they say?” Pinerapids snarled.
“What explanation could they come up with for trespassing on our territory?” Willowthorn growled.
Hollyberry padded awkwardly over to them, and Juniperstorm realized that it wouldn’t be too long until she kitted. Without a medicine cat, and probably without her mate, too, he thought.
He pushed past the crowd of his Clanmates and entered the medicine cat’s den. Vanillashade was lying in her nest, her breathing uneven and raspy. He crouched beside her, gently pushing some herbs toward her.
One crumbled to dust beneath his claws, and he felt a stab of alarm. Newleaf is soon, he reminded himself. Vanillashade will be fine. She will be fine, and so will Peatpaw.
He wondered that if he repeated it enough, it would become true.
Vanillashade blinked, gazing up at him. “Hello,” she croaked.
“I brought you some herbs.” Juniperstorm meowed, pushing them toward her again.
Vanillashade briefly glanced at them before slowly shaking her head. “Juniperstorm-” her meow was cut off by a vicious cough. “I’m sorry.” she meowed hoarsely.
“Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry I won’t get to see Wrenpaw get her warrior name. I’m sorry I won’t get better.”
“No.” Juniperstorm meowed desperately. “You will get better. You and Peatpaw. I’m sure of it.”
“No, Juniperstorm. I’m seeing StarClan warriors around me, telling me to follow them. Peatpaw sees them too. And I must follow StarClan.”
Juniperstorm felt pure panic and grief flood through him from ears to tail-tip. He pressed his muzzle to Vanillashade’s fur, twining his tail with hers.
“Take care of Wrenpaw for me.” Vanillashade whispered.
“I will. I promise.”
He heard Vanillashade let out a last breath, and then she was still. Juniperstorm stayed there, eventually hearing faint pawsteps behind him.
It was Saltmint and Wrenpaw. Wrenpaw.
Wrenpaw, with a sob, pressed her fur to her father’s. Saltmint settled down beside them, a mouse dropping from her jaws.
“I’m sorry.” The she-cat meowed simply, laying her tail over her friend’s shoulders.
Chapter 13
“You’re sure you’re fine?” Hazelpaw meowed skeptically to her sister.
“I’m sure. And I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”
Echopaw bounced beside her sister, while the rest of the Clan gathered around them. Earlier today, the Clan had received a summons from DesertClan to attend a meeting at the mesa, in their territory. Fernstar had accepted. Hazelpaw thought it was a good idea, though she had other things on her mind.
Echopaw moved closer to her. “Who do you think did it?” she whispered in a low tone.
Hazelpaw bristled. “I don’t know! That’s what we’ve been trying to find out!” She winced as she realized that she’d said it too loud, and Sharpfang padded over to the pair of apprentices with a suspicious look.
“What are you trying to ‘find out’, exactly?” he growled.
Hazelpaw stuttered, trying to find something, anything, to explain herself. She’d never been a good liar; Echopaw was good at that, not her.
“Just where this new hunting spot is.” Echopaw meowed quickly. “It has… a lot of squirrels. Lakepaw found it and he won’t tell us where it is.”
Sharpfang snorted. “More sneaking around and I’ll tell Fernstar,” he grunted, padding away to meet Berrysplash.
Hazelpaw let out a sigh of relief.
“Who does he think he is, ordering us around like he’s the deputy already?” Echopaw hissed under her breath.
“Well, we are apprentices, and he’s a senior warrior…” Echopaw gave her a look, and Hazelpaw added hastily, “But you’re right, he’s not technically the deputy yet.”
Echopaw sighed. “What?” Hazelpaw meowed, confused.
“We’re almost there!” Echopaw meowed, and Hazelpaw’s gaze shot up.
The ForestClan cats crossed the tree trunk, Fernstar and Sharpfang leading the way before they reached DesertClan territory.
The sand, warmed up by the newleaf sun, scorched Hazelpaw’s paws.
“How do DesertClan cats hunt in greenleaf?” she mewed to Echopaw, astonished.
But Echopaw’s attention was on something else: a scorpion scuttling over a rock a tail-length away. The dark gray tabby she-cat’s fur was ruffled as she stared uneasily at it, and she started to speed up. Hazelpaw rushed to catch up with her.
As they neared the mesa, Hazelpaw heard Sharpfang mew, “Are you sure? This could be a trap.”
Needlesong, a senior warrior of ForestClan, flicked his ear with her tail. “If it’s a trap, we’ll greatly outnumber DesertClan anyway.”
Sharpfang grunted and started climbing up to the mesa, Fernstar just ahead of him.
Echopaw leaned closer to Hazelpaw as they climbed. “Do you think Sharpfang killed Mossyscar?” she whispered, as quietly as the breeze.
Hazelpaw leaped up to the top of the mesa after Fernstar and Sharpfang. “We don’t really know, Echopaw. We need to find more evidence, like a scent marker or tuft of- oh!” she gasped, a realization coming to her.
“Or what?”
“Whoever did it must’ve planted the scorpion there if any cat was following their scent trail- we know that because of the edelweiss petals.” Hazelpaw mewed. “Which means that they were probably meeting a cat in another Clan’s territory!”
“So I was right all along?” Echopaw mewed teasingly. “Told you so.”
Hazelpaw snorted. She sat down near Lakepaw, Lionpaw, and a few apprentices from RainClan. Echopaw sat beside her.
“When is it going to start?” Echopaw questioned.
Sagewing padded toward them from where she had dropped off the prey at the center of the clearing “Once LagoonClan gets here, Sandstar will call the Clans together.”
Echopaw bounced on her paws. “I can’t wait!”
Hazelpaw’s tail quivered. She almost wanted to leap up and play with her littermates like she had when she was a kit. As she looked around, she saw cats from every Clan, chatting and joking around with each other. Their pelts smoothed, their claws sheathed. The relaxed nature felt almost like they were all one Clan.
Could this be the answer to the prophecy? Could all the trouble with the rogues and LagoonClan, Mossyscar’s murder, be this?
But Hazelpaw knew better than that.
She noticed tortoiseshell fur in the corner of her vision. Sagewing laid her tail across Hazelpaw’s shoulders comfortingly. “Are you okay? You’ve seemed stressed lately.”
“I’m fine,” Hazelpaw mumbled.
Sagewing looked unconvinced. “Sloefoot told me about this prophecy you received, before the tree fell. Is that it?”
“I guess.” Hazelpaw hid her face, knowing that her sister would quickly be able to tell she was lying.
Sagewing was quiet for a moment, then pressed her muzzle to Hazelpaw’s ear. “Well, if there’s anything worrying you or stressing you out, remember I’ll always be here to help.”
Hazelpaw glanced gratefully at her older sister. She’d raised them after their mother had died and carried them to ForestClan camp for safety. Hazelpaw knew she could trust her, but this just wasn’t a secret that she was prepared to tell yet.
Mintstem, who had been agitatedly pacing around the clearing, stopped and sat down beside Sagewing. “When is LagoonClan going to arrive? We can’t wait all night for them.”
“They’ll come,” Sagewing meowed calmly. “Don’t worry.”
As the cats settled into their positions, elders sharing stories and apprentices comparing battle moves, a rustle came from the ferns.
LagoonClan! They’re finally here!
“Where’s Reedstar?” A ginger-and-white RainClan apprentice mewed, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the cats. Hazelpaw thought his name was Fallenpaw.
“You’re right,” Echopaw mewed, an obvious edge to her tone. “Look! Saltmint’s leaping into the tree!”
“Saltmint? What?” Hazelpaw couldn’t believe her eyes. “Look- Adderfoot’s gone too!”
Echopaw stared at her, eyes wide. “What’s going on in LagoonClan?”