Darkest Night

“On the prophecy?” Leafstar’s tail twitched. She turned her muzzle to the new dens where cats were busy weaving branches. “We are building a new home. I’ve had little time to think about prophecies. We are a very busy Clan right now.”

Alderheart leaned forward. “But you must have considered it.”

“‘The dark sky must not herald a storm.’”

As Leafstar quoted Echosong’s warning, Leafpool slid out of the hollow beneath an old cedar. She padded toward them. “Jayfeather!” She greeted her son warmly.

Jayfeather touched his muzzle to hers. “Did you forget about our meeting?”

“Oh!” Her eyes widened with alarm. “Oh, I’m so sorry, all of you. Things have been so busy here . . . it just completely slipped my mind.”

A prophecy slipped your mind? Alderheart thought indignantly. Is every cat too distracted to take this message seriously?

But Jayfeather didn’t seem bothered. “Well, it’s not as though you haven’t had enough to do here,” he said cheerfully. “How are Tinycloud’s kits?”

“They were born just before the patrol left for the gorge,” Leafpool purred. “Two she-kits and a tom.”

Alderheart kneaded the ground impatiently. He was pleased to hear about Tinycloud’s kits, but there were more important things to discuss. “What about the prophecy? Have you had any thoughts about what it might mean?”

“I haven’t. I’ve tried to think it through, but . . . well, we’ve been so busy.” Leafpool echoed Leafstar’s answer apologetically.

Kestrelflight padded forward. “Harestar has stepped up patrols.”

“So has Rowanstar,” Puddleshine told her.

Leafstar pricked her ears. “Does he have enough warriors?”

“He’s only patrolling your border,” Jayfeather told her bluntly. “He thinks the dark sky means SkyClan, of course. ShadowClan never did have much imagination.”

Puddleshine glanced sharply at the blind medicine cat. “Are you surprised Rowanstar’s being cautious?” he snapped. “After everything we’ve been through?”

Leafstar’s ears twitched. “We can’t change what the other Clans do. For now, we must take care of ourselves, and that means finishing our camp and finding our lost Clanmates so that we can be a real Clan again.”

Alderheart felt a pang of sympathy for the Clan leader. Until SkyClan had found their paws in their new home, they could do little except keep going.

Movement caught his eye. A brown-and-ginger tom with a short tail, still raw at the tip, shot out from the ferns. Finpaw. He was pleased to see that the tom was recovering from his accident.

Twigpaw bounced after the apprentice, her whiskers twitching happily as she knocked a pinecone ahead of her. “I found it!”

“Only because I told you where it was.”

Twigpaw! Happiness rippled through Alderheart’s pelt. It was a relief to see that she seemed at home here.

Her eyes shone as she spotted him. “Alderheart!” Racing across the camp, she cleared the stream with one jump and skidded to a halt beside him. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” Alderheart purred. “Are you settling in okay?”

“Yeah.” She glanced back at Finpaw. “It’s great.”

“You must be getting your warrior name soon.”

Twigpaw’s pelt ruffled self-consciously. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to wait. But the other apprentices are great.”

Alderheart frowned. How strange that Leafstar was keeping her an apprentice. “I imagine you’re bored with training,” he meowed. “I’m surprised you’re not with Hawkwing’s patrol. Didn’t you want to go?”

Leafstar answered for her. “Twigpaw wanted to help her Clan build their camp.” The SkyClan leader flashed Alderheart a stern look.

He shifted his paws. Clearly the SkyClan leader didn’t want him stirring up discontent.

Finpaw called across the camp. “Hurry up, Twigpaw! It’s your turn to hide the pinecone.”

Twigpaw looked anxiously from Finpaw to Alderheart. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” she mewed to Alderheart.

He blinked at her. “Sure.” Did she want to end their meeting so quickly? Wasn’t she as eager to talk as he was? Disappointment pricked his belly. She must be settling into SkyClan better than he’d imagined.

She turned and hurried away, leaping the stream and grabbing the pinecone between her jaws before disappearing among the ferns.

Alderheart watched her go. He was glad to see her happy, but he had secretly hoped she was missing ThunderClan more.

Jayfeather whisked his tail. “Thank you for your time, Leafstar.” He nodded to his mother. “Do you still want to come with us to RiverClan? Remember, we’re going to tell Mistystar about the prophecy.”

Leafpool narrowed her eyes. “Do you think you’ll be allowed to cross the border?”

“We have to try,” Jayfeather answered. “Remember what she said at the Gathering: ‘if there is trouble, you may send a patrol to ask for help.’ Well, we’re asking for help.”