Firestar’s Quest

When they reached the nursery, he poked his head around the boulder at the entrance, to find Clovertail keeping watch over the kits. Her own three were play-fighting near the entrance, while Mint and Sage were curled up asleep among the moss.

“Come in, Firestar.” Clovertail rose to her paws. “What can I do for you?”

“I want to introduce you to a new member of SkyClan.”

Firestar slid past the boulder and beckoned Echo with his tail. “This is Echo. Echo, this is Clovertail.”

“I’m Rockkit!” The black kit bounced up to Echo and sniffed her; his two littermates joined him and stood gazing up curiously at the newcomer.

Clovertail dipped her head, but Firestar noticed that she looked a little wary.

“I think Echo might become SkyClan’s medicine cat,” he mewed.

“Are these yours?” Echo asked, twitching her ears at the three kits who surrounded her. “What lovely, strong kits! You must be very proud of them.”

“I am,” Clovertail purred; Firestar realized that Echo had said exactly the right thing. “But they can be mischievous at times.”

Echo gave a soft mrrow of amusement. Padding over to the mossy nest where Mint and Sage were asleep, she mewed, “These can’t be yours too?”

“No, they’re mine.” Light from the entrance was blocked off as Petal came in, mumbling around a vole in her jaws.

Setting it down in front of Clovertail, she added more clearly, “Sparrowpaw tells me that we might have a new medicine cat.” She nodded to Echo. “You’re very welcome.”

“Thank you.” Echo’s eyes grew warm as she gazed down at the kits. “They’re beautiful—and so tiny!”

“You should have seen them when we came here,” Petal replied. “They’re much stronger now. Firestar rescued us from my Twoleg. I think my kits would have died if it hadn’t been for Clovertail. She fed them and looked after them when I was too ill.”

“That’s wonderful!” Echo exclaimed.

Clovertail purred, and Firestar could tell that she might decide to be pleased to have Echo join the Clan. When she had spent a little time talking to the two she-cats, Firestar led her out of the nursery again and farther down the cliff. “I’ll show you the old medicine cat den,” he told her.

Sandstorm was still taking care of Patchfoot in the outer cave, though by now the black-and-white warrior was growing stronger, the infection in his wound almost gone. When Firestar and Echo entered, he was crouched over a piece of fresh-kill, while Sandstorm sat nearby.

She rose to her paws and padded up to Echo to touch noses with her. “Welcome to SkyClan,” she meowed.

Echo glanced at Patchfoot, her eyes widening at the ugly wound on his shoulder. “How were you hurt?” she asked.

Patchfoot waved his tail in greeting and gulped down the last mouthful of blackbird. “Rat bite,” he replied when he could speak. “Sandstorm fixed me up, though.”

Sandstorm shook her head. “I don’t know as much as a real medicine cat—just a few useful remedies.”

Echo padded up to Patchfoot, politely asked, “May I?” and then gave his wound a good sniff. “What’s that I can smell?”

“Burdock root,” Sandstorm replied. “That’s best for rat bites, especially if they get infected. For ordinary wounds we usually use marigold. And cobwebs first of all, to stop the bleeding.”

Echo blinked admiringly. “You know so much!”

“I had great teachers.” Sandstorm caught Firestar’s eye as she spoke, and he knew she meant Spottedleaf as well as Cinderpelt. His heart warmed at the glow in her eyes, and he knew that at last she understood his connection to Spottedleaf, without feeling that the tortoiseshell cat was a threat.

One by one the cats leaped the cleft in the rock and landed on the flat surface of the Skyrock. A full moon floated in a sky without any clouds to hide the glitter of Silverpelt. Back in the forest, Firestar thought with a tug of homesickness, the Clans would be gathering at Fourtrees. Here there was only one Clan, but SkyClan would still gather to honor their warrior ancestors.

Rainfur and Petal had stayed behind to look after the kits, but almost all the Clan cats had assembled when Firestar spotted a group of three making their way up the trail: Sandstorm and Echo—and Patchfoot! Would the black-and-white warrior manage the leap?

He stepped forward, weaving his way between Sharpclaw and Rainfur, but before he could call out Sandstorm had leaped lightly across the gap and turned toward Patchfoot.

“Okay,” she meowed. “I’m ready.”

Patchfoot picked up his pace, though Firestar could see he was limping, and winced with pain when he put his injured leg to the ground. He launched himself into the air and landed with all four paws on the rock, but so close to the edge that he tottered, about to fall backward. Sandstorm sank her teeth into the loose fur on his uninjured shoulder and pulled him to safety. Last of all Echo leaped the gap and gave Patchfoot’s shoulder wound a careful sniff.

“Are you mouse-brained?” Firestar hissed, coming up to them. “What if you’d fallen?”

“I’m a member of this Clan.” Patchfoot faced him determinedly. “I wanted to be at our first Gathering.”