The Apprentice's Quest

Alderpaw shook his head. “I feel like I’m doing a little bit better now, but I’m not sure I can ever be a full medicine cat.”

“You’ll be fine,” Briarlight reassured him.

“Think how much you’ve learned, and you’ve been apprenticed for less than a half-moon.”

Alderpaw hoped that she was right. He felt guilty about being anxious, when Briarlight had so many obstacles and was often in pain. She never gives up, and she hardly ever seems to feel sorry for herself.

“Jayfeather! Jayfeather!”

Alderpaw stiffened as he heard his sister’s frantic yowling in the camp outside. A heartbeat later she came tearing into the den, wild-eyed and panting. “Where’s Jayfeather?” she demanded. “I was out in the woods with Cherryfall and Sorrelstripe, and Cherryfall is hurt—she cut her leg. She needs help right away!”

Alderpaw froze for a moment, on the edge of panic. This is the first time I’ve had an emergency, and I’m here on my own! What do I do?

“Jayfeather is in Bramblestar’s den,” Briarlight meowed steadily. “Sparkpaw, go and get him.”

Sparkpaw dashed out immediately. While he waited, Alderpaw wondered what he should do.

Should I get some herbs out of the stores?

What’s the right herb for a cut leg?

He was relieved a few moments later when he heard Sparkpaw calling to him from outside.

He slid out of the den to find her waiting there with Jayfeather.

“Come on!” Jayfeather ordered. “Sparkpaw, show us where you left Cherryfall.”

Sparkpaw led the way out of the camp and headed toward the ShadowClan border.

Alderpaw followed with Jayfeather, guiding the blind medicine cat around tree stumps and bramble thickets. Even though he was worried about Cherryfall, he was relieved to be out in the forest again instead of being cooped up all day in the medicine cats’ den.

“Can’t you get a move on?” Jayfeather asked him irritably. “Cherryfall could be bleeding to death!”

“I’m doing the best I can,” Alderpaw responded. He felt a spurt of annoyance, because he could have gone a lot faster if he hadn’t been guiding a blind cat. But he knew that Jayfeather was only bad-tempered because he hated needing help, so Alderpaw kept calm and looked ahead to work out the easiest route.

“How did Cherryfall hurt herself?”

Jayfeather asked as they emerged onto the lakeshore where the going was easier.

“Well, we were talking about the prophecy,” Sparkpaw began, “and Cherryfall wondered if ‘what you find in the shadows’ could mean the kittypets who stayed with ThunderClan during the Great Storm. We were going to go try and find the ones who left after, and see if they wanted to come back.”

Alderpaw wasn’t surprised. Since the Gathering he had been too busy to think much about the prophecy, but the rest of his Clanmates seemed to talk of nothing else.

Jayfeather let out a snort. “That was a mouse-brained idea! Kittypets have nothing to do with StarClan. They are no use to Clan cats.”

“Cherryfall thought it was worth a try,” Sparkpaw mewed defensively.

“Besides, you would have to cross

ShadowClan to get to the Twolegplace,” Jayfeather growled, letting out a hiss of annoyance as he stumbled over a fallen branch.

“You should have asked permission before just wandering out of ThunderClan territory. Stupid furballs!”

“It was only an idea.” Sparkpaw’s neck fur bristled at Jayfeather’s dismissive tone.

“Anyway, we didn’t get near ShadowClan territory. Cherryfall slipped and cut herself on some Twoleg rubbish before we came in sight of the border.”

Jayfeather made no response, though he still looked angry.

“We just thought if we made it to the Twolegplace, maybe we’d find some kittypets who knew the cats we wanted to talk to,” Sparkpaw added.

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. “StarClan help us! Mouse-brains!”

Sparkpaw clamped her jaws together as if she was biting back a furious retort. Alderpaw felt sorry for her, though he couldn’t help thinking that Jayfeather was right. Surely kittypets couldn’t be part of a prophecy from StarClan.

“It’s this way,” Sparkpaw meowed after a moment. She veered away from the shore, through a stand of hazel saplings, and into a grassy hollow shaded by a spreading beech tree.

Cherryfall was lying at the foot of the tree with one leg stretched out, while Sorrelstripe paced up and down anxiously beside her.

“Thank StarClan you’re here!” Sorrelstripe exclaimed as Sparkpaw led the way down into the hollow.

Alderpaw followed and stood beside

Jayfeather as the medicine cat examined Cherryfall’s paw. There was a deep cut across her pads, and blood was oozing out of it. Clots of blood had soaked the grass beside her, and Alderpaw spotted some scraps of hard, clear Twoleg stuff close beside her. He dabbed at it experimentally and felt the sharp edge.