Thunder Аnd Shadow

Chapter 4

“Come back, Alderpaw!”

Alderpaw halted and turned. He’d gotten too far ahead of the group again, and Bramblestar was calling him back. Frustration rippled through his pelt. You’re all too slow! What if the rogues had hurt Violetkit? He had to find out. “Can’t we m ove any faster?” he y owled to Bramblestar.

“We need to be wary.” Bramblestar caught him up. “The rogues could be any where. And ShadowClan won’t thank us for charging across their border.”

Pacing restlessly, Alderpaw waited with Bramblestar as Cherry fall, Bum blestripe, Dovewing, and Storm cloud scanned the bushes along the trail. He could see the ShadowClan border ahead, where the oaks turned to pines. The scent of their sap tasted sharp on his tongue.

The rain was easing. Bum blestripe shook out his pelt as he stopped beside Alderpaw. His fur stood on end, spiked and wet.

Cherry fall purred with am usem ent and nudged his shoulder with her nose. “You look like a hedgehog.”

“And you look like a RiverClan cat,” Bum blestripe teased, flicking raindrops from her whiskers with his nose.

Bramblestar paced around them, m outh open as he tasted the air. “Concentrate!” he ordered.

“There could be rogues any where.”

“We’ve been checking for their scent all the way and sm elled nothing,” Storm cloud pointed out.

Dovewing pricked her ears. “They’ve probably run away.”

Bramblestar scanned the forest. “I don’t think these rogues scare that easily.” He glanced at Alderpaw, and Alderpaw guessed what he was thinking. They knew that the rogues were not afraid of Clan cats—not after what they’d done to Sky Clan. “We should still check for their scent along the border before we cross it. They m ay have come the long way around.”

“But we need to get to ShadowClan’s camp and warn them.” Alderpaw plucked at the ground impatiently. And check on Violetkit.

“Knowing where the rogues went is more im portant.” Bramblestar padded past, following a trail that shadowed the border.

Storm cloud followed, with Bum blestripe, Dovewing, and Cherry fall at his heels. Impatiently Alderpaw trotted after them.

Bramblestar stopped suddenly and lifted his m uzzle. He didn’t need to speak. The others had sm elled the scent too.

“They’ve passed this way.” Storm cloud sniffed a thornbush, his nose wrinkling.

“Were they the sam e ones you fought earlier?” Dovewing asked.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “It’s the sam e scent.”

Bum blestripe sniffed. “All rogues sm ell the sam e to m e.”

Bramblestar looked at him sharply. “You’d better learn to tell the difference. We might be dealing with more of them than we know.”

Dovewing’s eyes widened. “Is it an invasion?”

Cherry fall was sniffing the thornbush now, her pelt rippling with fear. “It’s them, isn’t it?” she gasped. “The ones who drove—”

Alderpaw’s heart lurched. Cherry fall had been on the quest with him. She’d m et the rogues.

And she knew about Sky Clan. Before she could betray the secret to Storm cloud, Bum blestripe, and Dovewing, he interrupted. “They’re the ones we m et on our quest,” he confirm ed, glaring at her meaningfully.

She shifted her paws self-consciously. “Oh,” she mumbled.

Dovewing was still staring at Bramblestar. “Do you know who they are?”

“Alderpaw and the others encountered the sam e rogues on their quest,” Bramblestar adm itted.

Storm cloud was frowning. “Why have they come here?”

Bramblestar padded to a bramble and sniffed it. “I don’t know. Let’s hope they are just passing through.”

We have a mission here.

Alderpaw felt his pelt twitch. He was uncom fortable keeping secrets from his Clanmates.

Paws thrum m ed over the forest floor nearby.

Alderpaw stiffened, his heart quickening. Hackles lifting, he backed closer to Bum blestripe as the patrol bunched together.

Bum blestripe tasted the air. “Is it the rogues?”

Storm cloud j erked his m uzzle toward the pines. Shapes m oved between the trunks.

“No!” Dovewing suddenly hurried toward the border. She looked back at the patrol. “It’s ShadowClan.” Her eyes were bright.

Alderpaw glim psed fam iliar pelts between the trees. Tigerheart was trotting toward them, Stonewing and Juniperpaw beside him. His heart quickened with hope as he saw Tawny pelt at the rear. She was Needlepaw’s m entor. Was Needlepaw with them?

The ShadowClan patrol spread out as they neared the scent line and glared at the ThunderClan cats. Disappointm ent pricked Alderpaw’s belly as he saw that Needlepaw wasn’t one of them.

“What are you doing here?” Tigerheart dem anded.

Dovewing padded toward him. “Tigerheart!” She sounded pleased to see him. “We have news.”

Tigerheart showed his teeth as she stepped over the border.

She stopped, her ears twitching with surprise.

Tawny pelt padded forward and looked at Bramblestar. “What news?” Her nose was twitching.

Distractedly, she sniffed the brambles that straddled the border. “What’s that scent? We’ve been sm elling it ever since we left camp.”

“Rogues,” Bramblestar told her. “That’s why we’ve come. We need to speak to Rowanstar.”

“Rogues? On our land?” Tawny pelt’s tail twitched.

Alderpaw felt a glim m er of relief. Violetkit must be safe if ShadowClan wasn’t even aware of the rogues’ presence.

“I must speak to Rowanstar,” Bramblestar insisted.

Tawny pelt nodded. “Tigerheart, escort them to the camp. I’ll follow this scent trail with Stonewing and Juniperpaw.”

“Be careful,” Bramblestar warned. “These rogues aren’t stray s or loners. They’re dangerous.

If you find them, send for help.” He looked at Juniperpaw. He was lithe, his black pelt showing m uscles beneath, but he was sm all. “Two warriors and an apprentice won’t be enough to fight them.”

Juniperpaw puffed out his pelt. “I’m strong.”

“These rogues are stronger,” Bramblestar told her darkly. He crossed the border, meeting Tigerheart’s gaze. “Lead the way. Rowanstar must be inform ed as soon as possible.”

Tigerheart glanced at Tawny pelt, then nodded. “Follow m e.”

Alderpaw padded beside Bum blestripe as Bramblestar fell into step behind Tigerheart. As leaves turned to pine needles beneath his paws, he glanced back at Tawny pelt, Stonewing, and Juniperpaw. “Should Bramblestar have warned them that the rogues killed Furzepelt and stole one of Onestar’s lives?” he whispered.

Bum blestripe shook his head. “Onestar won’t want the news that he’s lost a life to spread around. Leaders don’t like to appear vulnerable.”

Alderpaw suddenly wondered if his father had ever lost a life. He padded between the pines, recognizing the trail to the camp as they neared.

As Tigerheart led the patrol inside, surprised faces turned to glare at them.

Snowbird showed her teeth. “ThunderClan again?”

Beside her, Scorchfur grunted. “It’s bad enough that one of them has to live with us. The others don’t have to visit.”

Bramblestar kept his gaze on Tigerheart. Alderpaw scanned the camp. Was Needlepaw here?

What about Violetkit? He searched for a glim pse of the kit’s black-and-white pelt. There was no sign. Perhaps she was with Needlepaw. His eye wandered further across the camp as he thought of the silver she-cat. Beepaw and Strikepaw were practicing battle m oves at the edge of the clearing, concentrating so hard that they didn’t notice the ThunderClan patrol. Needlepaw wasn’t with them. She wasn’t at the fresh-kill pile either. Where was she?

“Bramblestar.” Rowanstar’s deep mew snapped Alderpaw’s attention back. He alm ost bum ped into Cherry fall, who had stopped beside Bramblestar.

The ShadowClan leader stood at the head of the clearing, his eyes narrow with suspicion.

“Have you come to fetch your medicine cat? She’s out gathering herbs.”

Crowfrost padded from a den in the camp wall as Tigerheart peeled away from the patrol and stood squarely beside Rowanstar.

“They say they have news,” Tigerheart meowed.

“What news?” Rowanstar fixed his gaze on Bramblestar.

“Onestar and his patrol challenged a gang of rogues that was nosing around our territory. The rogues attacked. Furzepelt was killed and Onestar…” Bramblestar hesitated. “Onestar was badly injured. So were the other two members of his patrol.”

Alderpaw exchanged glances with Bum blestripe. The young warrior had been right.

Bramblestar wanted to protect Onestar.

“How many rogues were there?” Rowanstar asked.

“Six.”

Rowanstar’s gaze sharpened with surprise. “Is that all?”

“They might have killed more WindClan warriors if we hadn’t sent a patrol to help,” Bramblestar told him steadily.

“So you say.” Rowanstar sounded unconvinced. “Does ThunderClan have to believe no other Clan can survive without them?”

Bramblestar dipped his head. “I’m just reporting the truth. The safety of your Clan m ay depend on it.”

Dovewing stepped forward. “Their scent is already on your territory!”

Bramblestar shot her a warning glance. “We don’t know how many rogues might be in the woods.”

“What makes you think there might be more?” Rowanstar narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“They are from a large gang of rogues our patrol m et on their quest. We can’t presum e that only a few of them cam e to the lake.” Bramblestar turned his head and glanced around the camp.

“We picked up a rogue scent trail leading from our land to y ours. I’d like your permission to follow it. I want to see if the rogues have left our territories.”

Rowanstar flexed his claws. “You want to search ShadowClan territory?”

“That’s not why we cam e,” Bramblestar m et the ShadowClan leader’s gaze. “But now that we know they’ve been here, I’d like to find out where they’ve gone.”

“No.” Rowanstar’s refusal was instant. “ShadowClan can guard its own territory. It doesn’t need help from ThunderClan.”

Bramblestar dipped his head. “I understand your concerns, Rowanstar. But we know the scent.

I still have rogue blood beneath m y claws. Let’s at least send a j oint patrol—ShadowClan and ThunderClan—to track their trail. We’d be stronger together, and this threatens every Clan. Don’t forget the prophecy : Embrace what you find in the shadows, for only they can clear the sky.

Perhaps these rogues are connected. We have not seen such cruel cats since the battle with the Dark Forest. They might be the danger that StarClan is warning us about.”

Tigerheart’s eyes flashed. “The prophecy meant the kits!”

Crowfrost shifted his paws. “Bramblestar m ay have a point.”

Rowanstar j erked his gaze to his deputy.

Crowfrost held his ground. “What if the rogues are linked with the prophecy? Perhaps we should track them together.”

Tigerheart growled. “Why don’t we track them alone and report what we find at the next

Gathering?”

Rowanstar frowned thoughtfully. “You said Onestar was badly wounded?” He spoke to Bramblestar. “How badly?”

Bramblestar returned his gaze steadily. “Badly enough.”

Rowanstar’s eyes sparked with interest. “So,” he growled. “These rogues truly are dangerous.”

Bum blestripe leaned closer to Alderpaw. “He’s worried he might be the next leader to lose a life.”

“Fine,” Rowanstar agreed. “We will send a patrol to track these rogues with y ou. Crowfrost, you will lead it. Take Tigerheart, Scorchfur, and Spikefur with y ou.”

A dark brown tom with a tuft of fur sticking up between his ears crossed the clearing toward them. “Did you say my name?”

“You’re going with these cats.” Rowanstar threw a scornful look at the ThunderClan patrol.

Alderpaw heard Bum blestripe swallow back a growl. “There are rogues on our land. You will track them and find where they’ve gone.”

“Should I take Yarrowpaw?” Spikefur asked.

“Of course,” Rowanstar meowed. “It will be good training for her.”

The trail headed away from the sun, drawing the two patrols deeper into the pinewoods.

Alderpaw’s pelt twitched nervously as they m ade their way through ShadowClan territory. The needle-strewn ground turned m uddy beneath his paws as the trees clustered tighter and the shadows becam e so dark that it felt like night.

The dank sm ell of a stagnant stream rose ahead. Alderpaw strained to see through the darkness.

Tigerheart was already pacing the bank of a narrow ditch.

As Bramblestar caught up to him, Crowfrost sniffed the earth.

“The trail ends here,” the ShadowClan deputy announced.

“I sm ell rabbit blood.” Dovewing circled the patrols.

Crowfrost sniffed. “They must have hunted here before they left the territory.” He nodded bey ond the ditch. “This is the ShadowClan border. It is no-Clan’s-land bey ond here. If the rogues went that way, as it appears, then they are gone.”

“Shouldn’t we cross the ditch and check?” Bramblestar pressed.

Dovewing leaped over the foul-sm elling stream and began sniffing the earth ahead.

Tigerheart j um ped after her, nudging her aside to press his own nose to the ground. “Nothing here.”

“Perhaps they waded along the stream to disguise their scent,” Dovewing suggested.

Tigerheart snorted. “Rogues aren’t that clever. Besides…” He peered into the ditch. Stinking black water lay at the bottom. “What cat would get their paws wet in there?”

Dovewing glared at him challengingly. “A cat that wants to hide its trail?”

Tigerheart held her gaze for a m om ent, then growled. “You still have to be the sm artest cat in the Clan.”

Dovewing’s blue eyes flashed in the gloom. “And you still have to be the m ost arrogant.”

“Come back, you two.” Bramblestar flicked his tail. “It looks like the rogues have left the territory. We might as well go home.”

Alderpaw wondered if Bramblestar truly believed they were gone. He tried to catch

Bramblestar’s eye for reassurance, but the ThunderClan leader was looking at Crowfrost.

“Thank you for letting us help search your territory.” The ThunderClan leader meowed.

Crowfrost dipped his head form ally. “Let us escort you to your border.”

Alderpaw stiffened. He’d prom ised Twigkit he’d check on Violetkit. “I need to go back to your camp!” he blurted to the ShadowClan deputy.

Crowfrost blinked at him in surprise.

Stam m ering, Alderpaw struggled to gain his com posure. “Jayfeather wants m e to speak with Leafpool. He needs to know when she’ll be returning to her own Clan.”

Crowfrost rolled his eyes. “Very well,” he grunted crossly. “You can go back with Yarrowpaw. Tigerheart, Spikefur, and I will take your Clanmates to the border.”

Bramblestar blinked reassuringly at Alderpaw. “We’ll wait for you there.”

Alderpaw nodded. As the warrior patrol m oved away, he followed Yarrowpaw back to ShadowClan’s camp.

“Where’s Needlepaw today?” he asked, try ing to sound casual.

Yarrowpaw glanced suspiciously over her shoulder. “Why do you want to know?”

“She wasn’t with Tawny pelt,” Alderpaw meowed. “Or in camp. I was just wondering where she was.”

“It’s none of your business,” Yarrowpaw snapped. “Do I ask where your denmates are?”

“I was just try ing to make conversation,” Alderpaw meowed.

Yarrowpaw flicked her tail. “Silence is fine with m e.”

They padded back to camp without another word. At the camp entrance, she led the way through the tunnel, stopping as he em erged, then nodded toward the medicine den. “She’ll be in there if she’s back from gathering herbs. If not, y ou’ll have to wait. I’m not escorting you all over the territory looking for her.”

“Thanks.” Alderpaw m ade a face at the ShadowClan apprentice as she stalked away, then crossed the clearing to the medicine den.

He could sm ell the warm, fam iliar scent of Leafpool as he approached. And the scent of freshly picked herbs. She must be back. “Leafpool?” He stuck his head inside the den and saw her crouched beside Puddlepaw.

“This is tansy and this is horsetail,” she told the young apprentice. “Tansy is good for coughs.

Horsetail is good for infected wounds.”

Surprise flashed beneath Alderpaw’s pelt. Was she still teaching him sim ple facts like that?

She looked up, purring as she saw him. “Alderpaw! I thought I’d missed y ou. Grassheart said a ThunderClan patrol stopped by while I was out.”

“They’re waiting for me at the border,” Alderpaw explained. “I cam e back because

Jayfeather wanted m e to speak with you before we left.” He glanced at Puddlepaw. He wanted a few words alone with Leafpool without the apprentice overhearing.

Leafpool seem ed to guess. “Let’s go outside,” she told him, then turned to Puddlepaw. “I want y ou to split all the herbs we gathered today into separate piles.”

Puddlepaw stared wide-ey ed at the heap in front of him. Alderpaw felt a wave of sy m pathy, suddenly remembering his first day s in the medicine den. He’d thought he’d never learn the name of every herb.

Leafpool shooed Alderpaw backward and slid out of the den. She stood close to him in the easing rain. “I know it was foolish to gather herbs on a day like this.” She shook out her wet pelt.

“They’ll take forever to dry. But I sm ell cold weather on the way. I want to get ShadowClan’s stores as full as possible before leaf-bare.” Worry darkened her gaze, “StarClan knows how they’ll make it through.”

“Is Puddlepaw a quick learner?” Alderpaw asked hopefully.

Leafpool sighed. “He tries his best, but half the time he still can’t tell an herb from a weed.”

“But y ou’ve been training him for half a moon!” How much longer would she have to stay?

“He’s young, and I’m not sure he was ever cut out to be a medicine cat. He has no dream s or visions. He say s he wanted to be a warrior like his littermates until Rowanstar told him he would be a medicine cat.”

Worry tightened Alderpaw’s belly. “Do you think ShadowClan has chosen the wrong cat to be their medicine cat?”

“I don’t know if there’s a right cat in the whole of ShadowClan,” Leafpool fretted. “No wonder Littlecloud never chose an apprentice. The whole lot of them are only interested in hunting and fighting.” She shook her head wearily. “It seem s so unfair. StarClan has given us three medicine cats, and ShadowClan only has Puddlepaw.”

Alderpaw gazed at her anxiously. “Will you be coming home soon?”

“Of course.” Leafpool glanced back toward the medicine den as though she was worry ing how Puddlepaw was m anaging without her. “I don’t want to spend leaf-bare in this gloom y place.”

“They’re treating you okay, though, aren’t they?”

“They’re treating me fine.” Leafpool blinked at him reassuringly. “I always have first pick of the fresh-kill pile. Every one is very polite. And I get along fine with Grassheart. Her kits are adorable.”

“What about Violetkit?” Alderpaw knew she was safe from the rogues, but he remembered how upset she’d been when she’d had to leave her sister in the woods. Was she happier now? “Is she okay? Can I go and visit her before I leave? I prom ised Twigkit I’d check on her.”

Leafpool glanced distractedly toward the medicine den. “I don’t see why not. But I can’t come with y ou. I have to help Puddlepaw. He’s probably put the nettles and waterm int in the sam e pile again.”

Pelt ruffling, she turned to go. As she headed toward the den, she turned. “Thanks for coming.

Please tell Jayfeather I’m fine and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Alderpaw blinked at her fondly as she disappeared into the den. Then he padded toward the nursery. Beepaw and Strikepaw had finished practicing battle m oves and were watching him through narrowed eyes. Would they question where he was going?

“Alderpaw!” A fam iliar mew sounded from the camp entrance. Needlepaw’s scent reached his nose.

“Hi.” He turned to m eet her, purring.

She was bounding across the clearing.

“Where were y ou?” Alderpaw asked as she slid to a halt beside him.

She stared at him. “What do you mean?”

Does she realize she’s shifting back and forth on her paws, like she’s feeling restless… or guilty? “You weren’t with Tawny pelt, or in camp when we got here.” Alderpaw felt suddenly awkward, as though he was pry ing. “I just wondered where you were.”

“I was in Twolegplace,” she told him quickly. “You know how I like a taste of kitty pet food sometimes.”

Alderpaw blinked at her. Yes. But you’re usually not so quick to admit it. Besides, she sm elled of freshly killed prey. He narrowed his eyes. Why was she acting so strange?

Needlepaw changed the subject. “Yarrowpaw says you came with your Clanmates to hunt for rogues. Did you find any?”

“No.” Alderpaw looked at her. She didn’t seem to be herself. Som ething had ruffled her fur.

He wondered with a purr which part of the warrior code she’d been breaking this tim e. He leaned closer and nudged her teasingly. “What have you been up to?”

Needlepaw bristled. “Nothing!” she snapped. “What’s with all the questions?”

“I’m s-sorry.” Her sudden tem per startled Alderpaw. Sham e surged though him. Had he tried to be too fam iliar? But they were friends, weren’t they? Had she forgotten their j ourney together, or finding the kits? Perhaps she didn’t see him as any thing more than a cat from another Clan.

And y et she had raced over to m eet him. Confused, he glanced toward the nursery. “Can I speak to Violetkit?”

“If you want to.” Needlepaw shrugged and headed toward the prickly entrance.

Alderpaw followed, still not sure what to make of Needlepaw’s mood.

“Violetkit!” Needlepaw called through the opening. “Som eone wants to see y ou.”

The brambles rustled and Violetkit scram bled out. Her eyes lit up as she saw Alderpaw, then scanned around him. “Is Twigkit with y ou?” she asked excitedly.

“She’s not allowed out of camp y et,” Alderpaw rem inded her gently.

“But she cam e—”

Needlepaw nudged the kit play fully. “That’s our secret, remember?”

Violetkit blinked at her guiltily. “Oh, yes! I’m sorry.” She clam ped her jaws shut.

Needlepaw nudged her again with her nose. “You’re such a toad-brain.”

Violetkit nudged her back. “You’re such a toad-brain. You remember when we play ed hide the pinecone and you took a whole day to find it?”

“How could I? You hid it under Kinkfur’s nest!” Needlepaw purred. “That old fleabag was sitting on it like forever!”

Alderpaw swallowed back a purr. He was happy to see the closeness between the two cats.

Violetkit wasn’t alone in ShadowClan after all. And it was good to see Needlepaw behaving more like the friendly cat who’d traveled with him on his quest.

Violetkit turned to him, her eyes round. “How’s Twigkit?”

“She’s fine,” he told her. “She sends her love and wanted m e to check that y ou’re okay.”

“I’m great.” Violetkit looked fondly at Needlepaw. “I really like ShadowClan now.

Needlepaw’s teaching m e how to hunt. I caught a moth yesterday.”

Needlepaw purred.

“I still miss Twigkit, though,” Violetkit added.

“She misses you too,” Alderpaw told her.

“Violetkit!” Pinenose’s stern mew sounded from inside the nursery. “Come in out of the rain. I don’t want you catching cold. You might spread it to Grassheart’s kits.”

Violetkit’s shoulders drooped. “I have to go.” She turned toward the entrance. “Tell Twigkit I’ve kept her feather safe. I sleep with it every night.”

Alderpaw purred and touched his m uzzle to her head before she clim bed into the nursery.

As she disappeared, Alderpaw blinked at Needlepaw. “Perhaps we can get them together again soon. Twigkit keeps asking.” Another nighttim e m eeting would do both kits good. And it would be nice to see Needlepaw without the gaze of the other ShadowClan apprentices scorching his pelt.

“I guess.” Needlepaw sounded distracted. Her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

“I’m sure Violetkit would appreciate it,” Alderpaw pressed.

“Yeah.” Needlepaw’s gaze m et his. And y et he felt she wasn’t really seeing him. “Let’s do that.” She nodded and turned to leave.

“Soon?” Alderpaw called after her.

“Soon,” she answered without turning back.

Alderpaw frowned and headed for the camp entrance. Bramblestar and the others would be waiting for him. It would be good to get back to camp and into a dry den. But he couldn’t shake his unease. Soon. Why hadn’t Needlepaw said when? Didn’t she care if the kits m et? She must!

Needlepaw seem ed genuinely fond of Violetkit. Perhaps she doesn’t want to see me anymore.

Disappointm ent weighted his paws like stone as he trudged through the pine forest toward his Clanmates. Perhaps the friendship they’d forged on their j ourney was over now that they were back with their Clans.