Hawkwing’s Journey

Chapter 32

Hawkwing’s heart was heavy as he padded out of the camp early the next morning with Curlypaw by his side. He still found it hard to believe that his apprentice was lost to him, and to the whole of SkyClan. It was harder still to be angry with her, after all the trouble SkyClan had suffered since Duskpaw’s death in the fire and the arrival of Darktail.

How much more must we go through before we find our new home?

The dawn light was gray and dim, the clouds barely clearing the tops of the trees. Tall grasses bent over with the weight of dew, brushing the cats’ pelts as they passed. The damp cold struck deep beneath Hawkwing’s fur, and he shivered.

“You’ll give me the chance to get to Parsleyseed’s den?”

Curlypaw asked. “I don’t want any cat chasing me and trying to make me stay.”

“No cat will come after you,” Hawkwing promised. “If that’s what you really want.”

His belly cramped with apprehension as he imagined the reaction of his Clanmates when they found out she had actually gone. He didn’t want them to think that Curlypaw was a coward, or just looking for a soft and easy life.

And what will they think of me? he asked himself gloomily. A warrior who couldn’t keep his apprentice. If I lose their respect, how will I convince Leafstar that we need to move on?

The two cats halted on the bank of a small stream. Beyond it was a long slope covered with fern, and from the top of that, Hawkwing knew, Curlypaw would be able to see Parsleyseed’s Twoleg nest.

“This is it, then,” Hawkwing meowed. “You’re sure you won’t change your mind?”

Curlypaw shook her head. “I’ve thought long and hard about this, Hawkwing,” she replied. “I know it’s the right decision for me. But it’s not like we’ll never see each other again,” she added, clearly trying to sound cheerful. “We still live beside the same lake.”

We do for now, Hawkwing thought, still fiercely hoping that he could persuade Leafstar to change her mind and move on. But he didn’t think that would make any difference to Curlypaw. “Good luck,” he mewed. “And may StarClan light your path.”

“Yours, too,” Curlypaw responded, rubbing her cheek against his.

I’m really going to miss her, Hawkwing thought. She’s so smart and capable. And if SkyClan can’t hold on to young cats like her, what kind of future do we have?

With a final dip of her head, Curlypaw leaped across the stream and disappeared into the ferns. Hawkwing stood there for a long time, watching the movement of the fronds as Curlypaw climbed the slope. At last all movement ceased, and he knew she must have crossed the ridge and must be racing toward Parsleyseed’s den and her new life as a kittypet.

And now I have to talk to Leafstar, he thought, turning away with a sigh.

When Hawkwing returned to camp, Leafstar and Waspwhisker were in the middle of arranging the dawn patrols. Hawkwing stood to one side until the groups separated and set out. Then he padded up to his Clan leader.

“Leafstar, may I speak to you in private?” he asked.

“What is this all about?” Waspwhisker asked.

Hawkwing gave the Clan deputy an awkward glance. He had wanted to discuss the Clan’s future with Leafstar alone, but Waspwhisker was standing there as if his paws had grown roots, and Leafstar made no attempt to dismiss him.

Giving in, Hawkwing dipped his head respectfully. “I feel it’s time to rethink our decision to stay here by the lake,” he began.

“Dewkit, Reedkit, and Finkit could have been killed yesterday.

And we’re losing young cats to Twolegs, of all things.”

At these words, Leafstar exchanged a glance with Waspwhisker, and Hawkwing guessed that she had already told her deputy that Curlypaw had gone to join Parsleyseed.

“I understand we do not want to make the wrong decision,” Hawkwing continued. “But I’ve had the feeling for a long time that there has to be a better place for us to be than this. And I can’t ignore it any longer.”

As Hawkwing spoke, Waspwhisker’s eyes narrowed and his shoulder fur began to bristle. “You’ve got a feeling?” the deputy challenged him. “And because of this feeling we all have to set out again, going StarClan knows where?”

“Echosong didn’t think it was right, either,” mumbled Plumwillow.

“Isn’t any other cat sick of traveling!?” Waspwhisker hissed.

“Waspwhisker, that’s enough,” Leafstar mewed with a twitch of her tail-tip. “I don’t like what Hawkwing is saying any more than you do. But I have to admit that the same thoughts have been going through my mind.”

A jolt of surprise throbbed through Hawkwing. I expected a real argument with Leafstar. But here she is agreeing with me.

“I keep expecting life to get easier here by the lake,” Leafstar continued, “but… it doesn’t. And I can see that some of our young cats are losing touch with StarClan.”

Like Curlypaw, Hawkwing thought, remembering what his former apprentice had said the night before.

“And…” Leafstar went on, “Fidgetpaw hasn’t had any visions since Echosong left. Now I understand what Echosong meant about losing her connection to StarClan. I can’t help but think that if we were surrounded by other Clans, we would be better able to keep our faith in StarClan strong.”

Waspwhisker had listened carefully to everything his Clan leader said, and now he gave a reluctant nod of acceptance. “What do you want to do, then?” he asked.

Leafstar hesitated, her eyes deep pools of thought. Hawkwing felt as though a whole family of mice were chasing each other in his belly as he waited for her decision.

Finally the Clan leader drew herself up and took a deep breath.

“The only solution is to leave,” she announced.

Waspwhisker’s eyes stretched wide with amazement. “Leave now?” His shoulder fur began to bristle. “For StarClan’s, sake, Leafstar, it’s nearly leaf-bare. We had a terrible time traveling from the gorge to here, and that was in newleaf. What cat can imagine wandering in the wilderness for moons in the coldest weather, when prey is the most scarce?”

“But that’s the worst that could happen,” Hawkwing pointed out. “It’s possible we would meet up with Echosong very soon, and find our place by the lake where the other Clans live, before leaf-bare. It’s early yet—there’s still a moon or two of leaf-fall ahead.”

“Oh, yes,” Waspwhisker meowed with a scowl, his voice heavily sarcastic. “This journey has gone really great for us so far—and you’re saying the worst won’t happen?”

Hawkwing winced. He realized how stupid he had been, after all the Clan had been through, to speak so optimistically.

“We mustn’t lose faith,” Leafstar insisted. “I know it will be a difficult journey, even if it is a short one. But we must remember what is at stake here: the future of SkyClan.” Gazing at Hawkwing, her amber eyes softened. “It was brave of you to bring this up,” she meowed. “A bit more like the Hawkwing I know.” Before Hawkwing could ask her what she meant by that, she turned away.

“I’ll go speak to Fidgetpaw about preparing traveling herbs.”

The sun had gone down, and twilight was gathering. Hawkwing watched as Leafstar leaped up to the branch of an oak tree that jutted out over the camp. His belly churned in anticipation of what was coming.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here underneath this tree for a Clan meeting,” she called.

In response to their leader’s voice, the cats of SkyClan began to emerge from their dens. Waspwhisker bounded over to the tree and sat next to the trunk, looking up at his leader. Hawkwing padded over to join Plumwillow as she appeared at the entrance to the nursery. Her kits peered curiously around her, even though it was time for them to sleep. Sparrowpelt and Tinycloud sat nearby, their pelts brushing, while Fidgetpaw slid out of the medicine cat’s den, and went to sit with Birdwing, Sagenose, and M acgyver.

As the rest of the Clan assembled they glanced uneasily at each other, whiskers twitching and shoulder fur beginning to rise. And no wonder, Hawkwing thought. It’s never good news when the Clan leader calls an unexpected meeting at this time.

“The lake was never meant to be our new camp,” Leafstar began. “It was simply somewhere to regroup, while we waited for a new sign from StarClan, or figured out once and for all what they were asking of us. And now, dogs and Twolegs give us trouble, and our young cats have begun to drift away from Clan life.” She paused for a moment, closing her eyes briefly, then continued, “It is past time for SkyClan to leave this place, and resume our quest to seek out the other Clans.”

A gasp of astonishment rose from the assembled cats. For a moment they were stunned into silence. Then Sparrowpelt rose to his paws.

“I’m sorry, Leafstar,” he meowed, “but if you weren’t my Clan leader, I’d tell you there must be bees in your brain. Leave? When we finally have a decent place to live, and all the prey we can eat?”

“And monsters, and Twolegs, and dogs,” his mate, Tinycloud, reminded him. “Your bees are swarming if you think this is where StarClan intended us to be.”

“It’s still a bad time to go,” Birdwing pointed out. “Leaf-bare will be on us soon, and we don’t even know where we’re going.”

“And worse things might happen if we stay,” Leafstar responded. “M y mind is made up. Our destiny has always been to be reunited with the other Clans. I am leaving in the morning, with any cats who want to come with me.”

An uncomfortable silence fell at the Clan leader’s words.

Clovertail voiced what Hawkwing—and, he guessed, the rest of his Clan—was thinking.

“If we don’t follow our leader, then it’s the end of SkyClan.”

“It might be the end of us anyway,” Sagenose pointed out.

“Who knows what dangers might be waiting for us out there?”

“We’ve had our fair share of danger,” Rileypool agreed. “But if any cats stay here, they won’t be part of our Clan anymore. Do you want to be a kittypet, Sagenose?”

The older warrior’s only reply was an irritated lash of his tail.

“Of course we’re coming with you, Leafstar,” Waspwhisker declared in a tone that didn’t invite argument.

A murmur of agreement rose from the other cats, and Hawkwing sensed relief that the Clan deputy had made the decision for them. Some of them, like Tinycloud and Rileypool, even looked excited at the thought of seeking out other Clan cats.

Reedkit let out a disappointed wail. “But why can’t we stay?” she whined. “I like it here by the lake.”

Hawkwing, sitting with Plumwillow and the kits, bent his head and touched his nose to hers. “Don’t worry,” he mewed. “We’ll live by a new lake someday. One with fewer Twolegs.”

“But I heard that Twolegs like to leave out nice food for cats,” Finkit piped up.

Hawkwing exchanged a concerned glance with Plumwillow.

“There’ll be plenty of nice food where we’re going,” Hawkwing reassured Finkit. “And it always tastes better if you catch it yourself!”

“Will you teach us, then?” Dewkit asked eagerly. “I won’t mind leaving if we can be apprentices and you’ll be our mentor!”

Hawkwing gave a mock shudder. “M entor all three of you? Oh, StarClan, no!”

“M entors only have one apprentice at a time,” Plumwillow mewed briskly. “Besides, you’re too young to be apprentices yet.

And now it’s time for sleep,” she added. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”

When Hawkwing had helped Plumwillow settle the kits in the nursery, he returned to the clearing to see Leafstar still sitting on the branch from where she had spoken to her Clan. Full darkness had fallen, and most of the other cats had already retreated to their dens.

“Leafstar, are you all right?” Hawkwing asked, leaping up to sit on the branch beside her.

Leafstar’s gaze was fixed on the lake, just visible through the trees, her eyes luminous pools of regret. Hawkwing’s pelt warmed with the depth of his respect for her, with a twinge of sadness as he recognized the massive burden of leadership resting on her shoulders in these dark times.

Being Clan leader must be like being a parent to all the cats in the Clan.

“I’m going to miss this place,” Leafstar murmured. “I wanted so much for it to be our home forever. But it isn’t.”

Hawkwing nodded in agreement. “Perhaps something even better is waiting for us,” he suggested.

“I hope so,” Leafstar responded.

But Hawkwing could see the doubt in her eyes.

Hawkwing padded through deep woodland, where sunlight slanting through the branches dappled the ground with golden light.

Though he didn’t turn his head to see her, he could feel

Pebbleshine’s pelt brushing his, and smell her sweet scent. He felt filled up with happiness like a pool after heavy rain.

A sudden throaty roar disturbed Hawkwing’s contentment. He glanced around sharply, half expecting to see a lion or a tiger from one of the elders’ nursery tales. As he looked, the trees seemed to grow dim, their outlines blurred, and there was no trace of Pebbleshine.

“Don’t go!” he yowled.

The roaring grew louder, and now Hawkwing recognized the sound of a monster. But there shouldn’t be monsters here! he thought, his pelt prickling with the first onset of panic.

Hawkwing jerked awake, and raised his head to see dawn light trickling through the branches that sheltered the warriors’ den, and his Clanmates stirring around him. The roaring continued, growing louder still.

I certainly won’t miss that! he thought. I wish we could find a camp far, far away from any Thunderpaths, so I never have to hear that sound again.

Then Rileypool poked his head into the den. “Come out, quickly!” he meowed urgently. “There are Twolegs in the forest!”

“Then come in here and hide.” Hawkwing’s jaws stretched in a massive yawn. “That’s what we usually do when Twolegs get too close. Twolegs are too stupid to see what’s right in front of them!”

“No, this is different,” Rileypool told him, his voice tight with tension. “There are too many of them, and—”

A yowl from outside interrupted him, followed by the heavy pounding of Twoleg paw steps. Hawkwing’s neck fur began to bristle in alarm. Cautiously he peered out of the den, and cold horror shivered through him from ears to tail-tip at what he saw.

Five Twolegs were tramping into the camp. They wore strange coverings on their paws and slick pelts the color of dandelions.

Even worse, each of them was carrying a long stick with something made of interlaced tendrils, like a huge cobweb, on the end of it.

By now Hawkwing’s Clanmates were pressing around him, trying to look out and gasping with fear at the sight.

“What are they doing?” Rabbitleap demanded, but no cat could answer him.

As Hawkwing watched, he spotted Fidgetpaw emerge from the medicine cat’s den and stand there stunned at the invasion.

Immediately one of the Twolegs swung his stick at Fidgetpaw, then lifted it with Fidgetpaw tangled inside the cobweb. The medicine cat struggled, but he couldn’t break free.

Horror crawled like ants through Hawkwing’s pelt as he watched. The Twoleg said something to one of his companions, and the two of them slapped paws. Then the second Twoleg rolled a tiny den into the camp, made of thin, shiny sticks. He opened one side, and the first Twoleg dumped Fidgetpaw inside.

“He’s trapped!” Hawkwing yowled.

He hurled himself out of the warriors’ den, his claws extended as he raced toward the invading Twolegs. His Clanmates poured out after him, snarling defiance.

But suddenly Leafstar was in their midst. “Don’t fight!” she ordered. “We can’t win. Run! M eet up in the long grass by the lake.”

“But they have Fidgetpaw!” Hawkwing protested.

“There’s nothing we can do!” Leafstar snapped back at him.

“Head for the lake!”

His heart wrenched at the thought of abandoning Fidgetpaw, but Hawkwing had to admit that she was right. These Twolegs with their weird pelts and sticks were impossible for them to fight.

He dodged around one of the cobweb-things, then halted as another Twoleg swung his stick around and scooped up Waspwhisker.

This can’t be happening! he thought as he stared at the Clan deputy, who was screeching and fighting in vain as the Twoleg carried him over to the shiny den.

“No!” Plumwillow yowled, giving Hawkwing a mighty shove.

“Run!”

Hawkwing pulled himself together. We have to save the kits!

He followed Plumwillow as she gathered her kits together. All three of them were staring open-mouthed at the Twolegs, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, or didn’t understand.

“What are they doing?” Dewkit asked.

“You can see what they’re doing,” Plumwillow snapped, giving the little tom a shove. “Now go!”

Hawkwing helped her push the others along until the kits finally realized the danger they were in and scurried for the camp entrance. Once in the open they began to panic, scattering in three different directions.

“This way!” Hawkwing called.

Together with Plumwillow he managed to round up the terrified kits and head toward the lake. On the way there they spotted more

Twolegs standing beside two monsters on a small Thunderpath that led through the woods and down to the Twoleg dens. As

Hawkwing and Plumwillow ran past with the kits the Twolegs let out a roar and lumbered toward them.

“Quick! This way!” Hawkwing gasped.

He veered toward an outcrop of rocks, and spotted the entrance to a rabbit burrow half concealed among the boulders. He pushed the kits into the opening of the burrow, then dived in himself with Plumwillow. Hawkwing gestured to the kits to be silent, and they crouched there, wide-eyed, listening to the Twolegs tramping around the rocky outcrop.

Finally the heavy paw steps died away; Hawkwing peered out cautiously and saw the Twolegs heading back toward their monster.

“Okay,” he whispered. “We can go.”

Keeping low, their bellies pressed to the ground as if they were stalking prey, Hawkwing and Plumwillow led the kits toward the lake. Hawkwing’s fur was bushed up with fear, and with every paw step he expected to see one of the Twolegs’ cobweb-sticks swooping down to envelop the kits.

I can’t lose these kits too, he thought, remembering the lost

Pebbleshine and her litter. I have to save them!

Hawkwing felt as if whole moons were passing as they crept along, until finally they made it to the tall grass and collapsed there, panting.

Rileypool and Sagenose had already arrived at the meeting-place, their fur bristling and a wild look in their eyes.

“They took Waspwhisker!” Rileypool exclaimed disbelievingly.

“What will they do with him?”

“And Fidgetpaw!” Sagenose tore at the grass with his claws. “I have to save my kit!”

Peering out through the long stems, Hawkwing saw two

Twolegs emerge from the trees, rolling the shiny den in front of them, with Fidgetpaw and Waspwhisker still trapped inside. The rest of the Clan was scattering, all of them making for the long grass, with the Twolegs in pursuit.

Hawkwing watched helplessly as they swung their sticks again and trapped Clovertail, then Birdwing, and carried the struggling cats over to the monster.

“Birdwing!” Sagenose howled as he saw his mate disappear into the belly of the monster. “Birdwing, not you too!”

Claws of pain gripped Hawkwing’s heart; he knew exactly how his Clanmate felt. But he still blocked Sagenose’s way as he tried to leap out of hiding and follow Birdwing. Sagenose tried to dodge around him, and Hawkwing had to dart to the side, anticipating which way his Clanmate would move, and stop him from charging into danger.

“No,” he mewed, nose to nose with Sagenose. “You can’t help them.”

“I can at least go with them!” Sagenose panted, sliding out his claws to attack Hawkwing.

“No.” That was Leafstar, appearing through the grass stems and resting her tail on Sagenose’s shoulder. “SkyClan needs you, Sagenose.”

“Birdwing and Fidgetpaw need me,” Sagenose responded, bunching his muscles and preparing to leap out into the open.

Before he could move, Hawkwing slammed a paw down hard on his neck. “Stop that!” he hissed. “Leafstar is right. We need you here.”

For a moment Sagenose writhed in Hawkwing’s grip, growling furiously. Then he collapsed with his nose on his paws and his eyes closed, not trying to fight anymore.

At last the remaining warriors of SkyClan made it to the tall grass, and watched as the Twolegs climbed back into the monsters, which awoke with a roar and sped along the Thunderpath, heading away from the lake.

“What just happened?” Dewkit asked plaintively. “Did they take them to be kittypets?”

“M aybe,” Leafstar replied, though Hawkwing could tell by looking at her that she didn’t believe it.

I don’t believe it, either, he thought. I know enough about Twolegs to be sure they don’t treat their kittypets that way. Our Clanmates are prisoners. Horror shivered through his pelt again as he added to himself, What do they do to their prisoners?

“They’re gone,” Leafstar meowed when the noise of the monsters had died away. Her voice was shaking with anger and grief. “The Twolegs are no longer willing to live in peace with us.

This proves that we’re right to leave.”

“Leave?” Sagenose let out a desperate wail. “Surely we can’t leave Birdwing and Fidgetpaw?”

“And Waspwhisker,” Rabbitleap added.

“They are already gone,” Leafstar told them gently. “M onsters can travel very far, very fast. Remember what happened to Pebbleshine!” As she spoke she cast an embarrassed glance at Hawkwing, as if she was sorry to have mentioned the name of his lost mate. Hawkwing didn’t need the reminder. He was already reliving that terrible day. “She got trapped inside a monster that ran off with her. She never came back,” Leafstar finished.

Rileypool let out a wail. “Are we going to lose all our Clanmates?”

“I know you’re hurting,” Leafstar meowed, “but you must be quiet. The Twolegs might hear you. And we must all be brave,” she continued, gazing around at her Clan. “We have lost two special cats: our medicine cat, Fidgetpaw, and our deputy, Waspwhisker.

We can only pray to StarClan to send Echosong back to us, but we can and will have another deputy.”

A stir of surprise traveled through the remaining cats of SkyClan, as if none of them had thought of replacing Waspwhisker so quickly. But it has to be done, Hawkwing thought regretfully. I wonder who Leafstar will choose.

Leafstar stood silent for a few heartbeats, gazing down at her paws, as if she was deep in thought. Then she raised her head again. “I speak these words before StarClan,” she announced, “that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice. Hawkwing will be the new deputy of SkyClan.”

Hawkwing stared at his Clan leader, stunned. He couldn’t have been more astonished if the ground had opened up and swallowed him. “M e?” he gasped. “But I—”

“You, Hawkwing,” Leafstar interrupted him. “I can think of no cat better suited to help me lead our Clan through these dark days.”

Hawkwing couldn’t agree with her. I failed my Clan… I’ve failed time and time again! I couldn’t even keep my apprentice. But as he gazed around at his Clanmates, saw their eyes shining and heard their approving murmurs, he realized with even more amazement that they wanted him to be their deputy.

“You’ll do a marvelous job,” Firefern assured him. “Remember how you saved the whole Clan back in the Twolegplace.”

Plumwillow’s gaze was warm as she turned to him. “Leafstar couldn’t have made a better choice.”

“That’s right,” Sparrowpelt added. “You’ll be a great deputy, just like your father was.”

Hawkwing couldn’t agree with that. I’ll never be as good as Sharpclaw. But his Clanmates were murmuring their agreement with Sparrowpelt’s words. Even though it was too dangerous for them to chant his name, he couldn’t have hoped for a better sign of their support.

“Then… thank you, Leafstar,” Hawkwing stammered, his voice hoarse. “I swear that I will be loyal to SkyClan, and spend my last drop of blood defending it.”

Leafstar dipped her head. “And now we must go,” she meowed. “It is a difficult journey ahead of us, but we must make it, to have any chance of saving our Clan.”

With a wave of her tail she ventured out of the long grass, checked that no more Twolegs were lurking, then led the way back into the trees in the direction Echosong had gone, a little more than two moons ago. Her Clan followed.

Hawkwing, his mind still reeling, took up a position in the rear.

At the edge of the woods he halted and took a last look back at the lake. We should never have stayed here, he reflected. Echosong was right.

Then with a deep breath he turned and padded into the shadows after Leafstar and the tattered remnants of his Clan.