Darkest Night

Was he punishing her for something? She’d been trying hard to listen to him during training and follow his instructions carefully, no matter how rabbit-brained they seemed. She hoped that if she worked hard, her SkyClan apprenticeship would end soon.

Macgyver shifted in his nest with a grunt. “I’ve managed to groom my belly and my paws, but I can’t reach my back.” He turned it toward her. “Sorry about the smell.”

Twigpaw padded to his nest. “The whole camp stinks,” she mewed sympathetically. “The dens and nests are so damp, they’re half rotten. It must be terrible being stuck inside.”

“I’d rather have fresh rain in my fur,” Macgyver agreed. “At least I wouldn’t smell like a badger.”

Twigpaw purred as she buried her muzzle in his thick fur and began to root for fleas. She found one and cracked it between her teeth before lapping the area clean.

Macgyver relaxed beneath her tongue. “Feels good,” he meowed gratefully. “That flea has been nibbling me all night.”

Twigpaw worked her way down his spine, nipping out fleas and washing his pelt thoroughly. At the base of his tail, she found a tick. It was fat with blood. She washed around it and leaned back on her haunches. “That tick will need mouse bile,” she told him. “If I pull it, I can’t promise to get it out cleanly. And you don’t want an infection.”

Macgyver lifted an injured paw. “I’d go to Leafpool’s den if it didn’t hurt so much to walk.”

“I’ll fetch some.” Twigpaw got to her paws. She wondered if Finpaw was back from training. Bellaleaf, who had taken over as his mentor in Blossomheart’s absence, had taken him out early. She was glad he was training again, but she missed seeing him around camp so much. She poked her head out of the den. Sandynose, Dewpaw, and Sagenose had returned from hunting. Reedpaw was helping Leafpool pile mud and moss against the walls of the medicine den to keep the rain out. While Sandynose crossed the swollen stream to talk with Leafstar, Dewpaw helped Sagenose push the prey they’d caught closer to the fern wall of the camp. Twigpaw guessed they were hoping to shelter it from the rain. But the ferns were shriveling now, and the rain was still falling. She doubted there was anywhere in camp where fresh-kill could stay dry.

“Twigpaw!”

As she headed toward Leafpool’s den, Sandynose called her.

She turned, pricking her ears. The tabby tom was heading toward her, his gaze serious. Twigpaw swallowed back a sigh. What was he going to find fault with now?

She stopped and waited. “Was prey running well?” she asked as he reached her.

“As well as can be expected in this weather.” Rain streamed from his whiskers but he didn’t seem to notice. He blinked at her sternly. “I want to speak with you about Finpaw while he’s out of camp.”

Twigpaw frowned. What did he want to say to her that he couldn’t say in front of Finpaw?

“I don’t think you should be around him so much.”

She stared. “We share a den!” How was she supposed to avoid her denmates?

“I know,” Sandynose went on. “But that doesn’t mean you have to go exploring with him or hunting with him every chance you get.”

“You make it sound like I’m stalking him.” Twigpaw’s pelt bristled. “He wants to hunt with me.”

Sandynose grunted. “Try to discourage him.”

“Why?” Twigpaw could hardly believe her ears. Finpaw was a Clanmate. What was wrong with being with him?

Sandynose looked at her steadily. “He’s trying to recover his confidence after his accident. Training is harder for him with half a tail. And he’s got a lot of catching up to do. Seeing you doing everything so easily must be hard for him.”

Twigpaw felt hot. Was that true? “But I’ve been helping him.” Together, they had found new ways for him to stalk and pounce that took advantage of his short tail. “Yesterday we worked out a new hunting crouch.”

“He’s young and he’s clearly fond of you.” Sandynose didn’t seem to be listening. “I don’t want him taking risks to impress you.”

“I’d never let him take a risk!” Twigpaw was angry. Why was Sandynose being so unfair?

“You’re distracting him from his training.” Sandynose’s tail twitched impatiently. “Just stay away from him. It’s for the good of SkyClan.”

He walked away before Twigpaw could reply.

She stared after her mentor, her heart pounding with rage. How dare he tell her to stay away from her Clanmate? For the good of SkyClan? What did that mean? I’m SkyClan too! He talked as though she wasn’t one of them.

Paw steps sounded at the entrance tunnel. Twigpaw glanced toward it. Hope flashed in her belly. Was it Hawkwing’s patrol?

Her ears twitched with surprise as she saw Ivypool lead Lionblaze, Fernsong, and Thornclaw into the clearing.

The ThunderClan warriors stopped beside the stream as Leafstar padded toward them. Sandynose came closer and stared as Dewpaw and Sagenose watched uneasily from beside the fresh-kill pile.

Ivypool dipped her head low. “We waited at the border for a patrol,” she meowed apologetically. “But no cat came.”