Darkest Night

Tree winked at Violetpaw. “She’s clearly got a talent for rescuing cats.” He swallowed another mouthful and burped. “So?” He looked around the SkyClan cats. “Am I coming with you?”

Hawkwing and Frecklewish exchanged looks. Then Frecklewish nodded.

“Yes.” Hawkwing dipped his head to the yellow tom. “If you’d like to.”

Violetpaw glanced at the sky, wondering if StarClan was watching. Does this mean you’ll help Needletail find her way to you? She looked at Tree, who was washing his vole-stained paws. If Needletail could find her way to StarClan, it would be worth putting up with this arrogant mouse-brain.

CHAPTER 19

For the first time in days, Twigpaw’s fur felt dry. She relished the fresh breeze in her pelt as she followed Sparrowpelt and Sandynose along the ridge that led to the ThunderClan border. Leafstar had sent them to re-mark the scent line, washed away after days of rain.

Sandynose nodded toward the stretch of forest where pine gave way to oak. Twigpaw breathed the ThunderClan scents that rolled across the border, trying to ignore a pang of homesickness. She focused on Sandynose.

“Well-marked borders make good neighbors,” he meowed. “When every cat is clear where their boundaries lie, there is no excuse for misunderstandings. And misunderstandings can lead to battles.”

Twigpaw tried hard to look attentive. She pushed away a prickle of resentment. Was Sandynose trying to remind her that she hadn’t reported seeing Dovewing and Tigerheart inside SkyClan territory? He’s just trying to be a good mentor, she told herself sternly. She was determined to earn her warrior name. This wasn’t just her Clan; it was Hawkwing’s and Violetpaw’s Clan too. When they returned, she wanted them to be proud of her.

“What did I say?” Sandynose was staring at her.

“Good borders make good neighbors,” Twigpaw repeated, hoping he hadn’t said anything else important while she’d been caught in her own thoughts.

“Good.” He looked pleased.

She puffed out her chest, relieved.

Sparrowpelt marked the pines along the edge. “I can’t wait until my kits are old enough to explore here.” He glanced around the forest. “It’s a good place to grow up.” The lake was visible between the trees, sparkling in the bright leaf-fall sunshine. Needles crunched beneath his paws. Prey-scents hung on the air.

“Has Quailkit recovered from his sniffles?” Twigpaw asked.

“Yes.” Sparrowpelt purred. “Leafpool gave him coltsfoot. This morning he felt so much better, he wanted to see if he could jump the stream. Sunnykit and Pigeonkit dared him to try.”

Sandynose flicked his tail. “It sounds as though Tinycloud has her paws full with those three.”

“They’re a joy,” Sparrowpelt meowed as he marked another tree. “Now I want the Clan to thrive, not just for my Clanmates, but for them.”

“Kits can be a worry.” Sandynose’s gaze darkened thoughtfully. “We have so many hopes for them. And yet we can’t protect them from every danger or disappointment.” Twigpaw pricked her ears. Was he talking about Finpaw? She wandered farther along the border, sniffing for stale markers as he went on. “And they grow up so quickly, so sure they know everything, and so determined to make their own choices, even if they’re wrong. We can only pray that StarClan guides their paws.”

Twigpaw hurried ahead, following a weak scent line and refreshing it as she went. If he was complaining about Finpaw’s friendship with her, she didn’t want to hear.

“Well done!” Sandynose called to her through the trees. “You picked up that scent line well.”

Was he actually praising her? She looked at him, puzzled. Perhaps he wasn’t dropping hints about her friendship with Finpaw after all. Stop being paranoid!

“You seem to have a natural sense of where the border lies,” Sandynose went on. Twigpaw didn’t tell him that it used to be the old border with ShadowClan, and she’d marked the ThunderClan side many times with Ivypool. “Head toward the lake, and mark the border there,” he told her. “Sparrowpelt and I will head toward the ditches.”

He trusted her to work alone. Twigpaw lifted her tail. Had she won his confidence at last? Hope pricking in her pelt, she crossed the rise and followed a gully toward the lake, carefully marking each tree as she passed.

“Twigpaw!”

She froze as she heard Finpaw’s mew. His pelt flashed behind a bramble, and he bounced out, excitedly, and stopped in front of her.

She glanced nervously between the trees. She could still see Sandynose and Sparrowpelt heading inland. “Aren’t you supposed to be training with Bellaleaf?” she breathed.

Finpaw paced excitedly back and forth. “She said I’d done enough training this morning. I’m allowed to explore. So I thought I’d come and explore with you.”

“I’m training.” Twigpaw shifted uneasily.

“I thought you were marking borders,” Finpaw mewed. “I can help.”

Her pelt pricked guiltily. “I’m not meant to hang out with you,” she mewed softly.