Darkest Night

A dirt Thunderpath trailed from the cluster of Twoleg dens. It smelled stale, its stench softened by the wind. Alderheart followed it, keeping to the side, his ears pricked for the low roar of a Twoleg monster. Wooden Twoleg dens rose on either side, and he glanced at them nervously. There was no sign of life. Perhaps the Twolegs had gone back to their leaf-bare camp? He ducked under a fence around the edge of a low den, wrinkling his nose as he scented rancid food. Perhaps there were Twolegs here after all. . . .

A hiss made him freeze. A black tom was glaring at him from beside a tall shrub. A tabby she-cat stalked out from behind the foliage. They faced him, their pelts prickling with hostility.

Kittypets!

“I’m not here to steal anything,” Alderheart called out.

The black tom narrowed his eyes. “What did you come for?”

Alderheart hesitated. There was something familiar about the tom. And he seemed to recognize the scent of the tabby she-cat. He searched his memory, wondering if he could have seen these cats before.

The tabby tipped her head, her eyes hard. “Well?” she snarled.

“I’m looking for someone.” Alderheart’s pelt ruffled nervously.

“Are you a rogue?” The tom padded closer. “Did Darktail send you?” Was that fear glittering in his gaze?

Suddenly, Alderheart remembered them. They’d been held captive by Darktail, hadn’t they? He’d seen them fighting in the battle with the rogues. He remembered the she-cat’s name. “Zelda!”

She backed away, looking scared. “How do you know me?”

“I’m Alderheart,” he told her. “I’m ThunderClan’s medicine cat. I saw you in the battle with the rogues.”

The tom stretched his muzzle forward and tasted the air. “You helped fight the rogues?” he asked.

“I didn’t exactly fight,” Alderheart told him. For the first time in moons, he felt self-conscious about his role as a medicine cat. Would these cats understand that fighting wasn’t always the bravest thing a cat could do?

The tom padded forward and sniffed him. “I’m Loki.” He stood back, clearly satisfied that Alderheart wasn’t a threat. “Who are you looking for? There aren’t any Clan cats here.”

“I know.” Alderheart’s pelt smoothed. “The cat I’m looking for doesn’t have to be a Clan cat. It just needs to have six toes.”

Zelda’s eyes widened. “Six toes?”

“Cats don’t have six toes,” Loki grunted.

“Sometimes they have four.” Loki glanced at the fence behind Alderheart. “Like Jasper.”

Alderheart looked around, his heart lurching as he saw a stocky kittypet crouching on top of the fence. The russet tom was glaring at him.

“Jasper lost a toe after it got infected,” Zelda explained.

“That must have hurt,” Alderheart mewed to the russet tom kindly.

“Why do you care?” Jasper curled his lip.

“I’m a medicine cat,” he explained. “It’s my duty to care.”

Jasper hissed. “I don’t need the sympathy of a mangy old stray.”

“He’s a Clan cat, Jasper.” Zelda padded to Alderheart’s side.

“I’ve heard enough about Clan cats to know that they’re a bunch of mangy old strays,” Jasper hissed. “Didn’t you say they held you prisoner?”

“That was the rogues,” Loki told him. “Rogues are different.”

“Wild cats are all the same.” Jasper watched Alderheart coldly.

Zelda blinked apologetically at Alderheart. “Jasper’s okay, really,” she mewed.

“It’s all right.” Alderheart tried to pretend he wasn’t unnerved by Jasper’s open hostility. “We have bad-tempered cats in the Clans too.”

Jasper slid off the fence and stalked away, his tail high.

Relieved, Alderheart blinked hopefully at Zelda. “Do you know of any six-toed cats?”

Zelda shook her head. “Not around here.”

“I’ve never heard of any,” Loki agreed.

“Sorry we can’t help.” Zelda whisked her tail. “Why are you looking for one?”

Would kittypets understand the importance of a StarClan prophecy? Probably not. Alderheart dipped his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he mewed. “I should go home. Thanks for your help.”

“I wish we could have helped more,” Loki meowed.

“Are you hungry?” Zelda asked. “There’s food outside my Twoleg’s nest. It’s really tasty.”

Alderheart tried not to let his shudder show. He’d heard about kittypet food. Graystripe had told him that it tasted like dried leaf mold. “No, thanks,” he meowed politely. “I need to go home.”

“Okay.” Zelda headed across the grass. “Take care.”

Loki followed her. “Bye, Alderheart. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks.” Alderheart headed for the fence and squeezed under it. Disappointment weighed in his paws. He knew there had only been a slim chance that he’d find the answer to StarClan’s prophecy here, but hope had kept his spirits high. Where else could he look for a six-toed kittypet? Perhaps he needed to head farther out of Clan territory. But not today. His Clanmates would worry if he didn’t return soon. He headed along the dirt Thunderpath that led out of the Twoleg camp.

Flattening his ears against the cold, he cut across the grass, leaving the Twoleg camp behind. The wind whistled past his ears, and he narrowed his eyes against it so that he could barely hear or see.