The Forgotten Warrior

Thunder crashed overhead as Jayfeather raced back along the shore. His mind was whirling so much that he kept stumbling, blinder than usual. Somewhere in the chaos he had lost Lionblaze, and the pelting rain smothered his senses. He wasn’t even sure where he was.

Through his confusion he realized that another cat was bounding at his side, matching him stride for stride. Squirrelflight’s voice spoke in his ear. “Here, lean on me. Let me guide you.”

Jayfeather’s instinct was to hiss at her to leave him alone. But her pressure on his side was too comforting, supporting him through the tumult of his thoughts.

How could Dawnpelt think I killed Flametail? I nearly drowned myself—I would have died if it hadn’t been for Rock, forcing me to let Flametail sink into the depths. He shuddered, and almost tripped over a boulder.

“Steady,” Squirrelflight warned. “Come farther this way.” After a moment she murmured into his ear, “Don’t worry, no cat believes Dawnpelt. She’s been driven mad by grief, that’s all.”

Jayfeather wasn’t convinced. Then why did they want me to give up being a medicine cat? The Clans are too eager to believe the worst of one another just now.

Back in the stone hollow, Jayfeather headed for his den. Though the torrential rain had eased off, his pelt was drenched and he was utterly miserable, each paw step a massive effort. But before he reached the screen of brambles, he heard Firestar splashing up to him through the puddles that had formed on the floor of the hollow.

“Get some rest,” his Clan leader ordered. “We’ll discuss this in the morning. But don’t doubt the loyalty of any of your Clanmates. We’ll defend you whatever happens.”

Firestar’s voice was bone-weary, and Jayfeather wondered if he was tired of his cats being accused of murder. He gave Firestar a brief nod and brushed past the brambles into his den.

“Hi,” Briarlight greeted him, raising herself in her nest. “How was the Gathering? Did any cat mention Sol? What did the other Clans think about Hollyleaf coming back?”

“Disastrous, no, and not impressed,” Jayfeather listed, making for his nest and collapsing into it.

“Okay.” Briarlight sounded puzzled rather than offended. Jayfeather heard her dragging herself across to him, and tensed at the feeling of her tongue licking his sodden fur. “It’s obvious that something’s wrong. Let me look after you for once,” she mewed.

Jayfeather was too exhausted to protest; he was already sliding into sleep. He opened his eyes to find himself in a sunny clearing, the air warm and filled with delicious prey-scent. A ruffled gray she-cat was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, waiting for him.

“Oh, no!” Jayfeather groaned. “Not you again!”

“Show a bit of respect,” Yellowfang snapped, jumping down from the tree trunk and padding across to him. “It’s all happening now,” she continued. “But don’t worry. No cat in StarClan thinks you murdered Flametail.”

Oh, great! Jayfeather thought. I’m so glad. It’s a pity that doesn’t help me much, isn’t it? He wondered if any of the StarClan warriors had seen Rock with him in the lake when Flametail died, but before he could ask, Yellowfang turned on him with a lash of her tail.

“What were you thinking, letting Cinderheart give up her warrior duties to become a second medicine cat? That’s not what StarClan wanted!”

“Hey, hang on!” Jayfeather leaped out of range of her claws. “It was you who told me to walk in Cinderheart’s dreams and show her that she used to be Cinderpelt. You said ThunderClan needed a second medicine cat. Don’t start blaming me now because I did what you wanted.”

“Yes… well…” Jayfeather’s eyes stretched wide in amazement as he realized that Yellowfang was embarrassed. “I… er… might have got that wrong,” she admitted, not meeting his gaze. “I was thinking too much about ThunderClan’s needs. Cinderheart’s destiny is to be a warrior.”

Some StarClan cats must have told her off about this, Jayfeather realized, suppressing a purr of laughter. Wow, I wish I’d been a bird on a branch when that conversation was going on!

“Cinderheart is confused,” he meowed. “She doesn’t know who she is.”

“Then you must show her that she is a warrior, nothing else,” Yellowfang told him.

“It might be useful to have a second medicine cat when the final battle comes,” Jayfeather mused. “But I guess Cinderheart can still use her knowledge of herbs and medicine, even if she is a warrior. Like Leafpool does.”