The Raging Storm

Frecklewish shook her head.

Sparrowpelt let out a low, trembling wail. Violetshine’s pelt prickled as she heard it. He must be in a lot of pain. What was hurting him so badly? She caught her breath as a thought struck her. Sparrowpelt had eaten the vole she’d seen Juniperclaw touching last night. That seemed strange. Perhaps the ShadowClan tom hadn’t been trying to steal SkyClan’s prey after all. Did he have a darker plan? Had Juniperclaw done something to the vole to make it harm Sparrowpelt? Her chest tightened. Destroying the dens could have been a distraction. Had the real plan been for Snowbird and Scorchfur to keep SkyClan busy while Juniperclaw poisoned their prey? Would ShadowClan really do something so fox-hearted?

CHAPTER 13

Alderheart buried the deathberry seeds under the wall of the medicine den with the others. He glanced at the entrance hopefully. The half-moon gathering was tonight. Would Tigerstar let him go? He wanted to be there. He had important news.

Puddleshine was recovering, asleep in his nest now. The ShadowClan medicine cat’s fever had broken in the night. Alderheart still felt light-pawed with relief. His remedy had finally worked! The deathberry flesh he’d given Puddleshine this morning would be the last.

He cleaned his paws in the loose earth at the side of the medicine den. Then he carefully covered the crumbled patch with leaves and glanced over his shoulder at Shadowkit. “You have to stay away from this part of the den, remember?”

The gray kit nodded solemnly. Since his fit, Shadowkit had been helping Alderheart with his medicine-cat duties. Alderheart could hardly turn around without tripping over him. Was this how he’d been when he used to help Jayfeather? The thought amused him. He’d found work for the kit, and now Shadowkit was neatening nests, fetching herbs, and chasing spiders out of the den—often without Alderheart instructing him to do it. He just seems to know what to do.

Alderheart was secretly pleased that Tigerstar had let the kit spend so much time here. The ShadowClan leader had also stopped posting guards. Clearly Tigerstar was starting to trust him.

Paw steps sounded at the den entrance. Lightkit and Pouncekit crowded the doorway, their eyes bright with excitement.

“Shadowkit!” Pouncekit could hardly keep still. “Strikestone and Blazepaw have promised to give us badger rides around the clearing.”

“They’re going to race while we ride them!” Lightkit squeaked. “It’s going to be great.”

“You have to come!” Pouncekit looked pleadingly at Shadowkit. “You’ve missed all the fun since you’ve been helping Alderheart.”

“I’m having fun here,” Shadowkit told her.

Lightkit looked unconvinced. “How can looking after sick cats be as much fun as badger rides?”

“I’ve got a lot to learn,” Shadowkit told him. “I’m going to be a medicine cat one day.”

Alderheart’s chest tightened. He might not live long enough. The kit’s vision flashed in his mind. I could feel water pressing against my fur, in my ears, in my nose . . . in my mouth. . . . And yet Shadowkit was planning his future. His own vision did not fill him with any dread. If Shadowkit was destined to be a medicine cat, perhaps he had received not a prediction, but a warning.

Alderheart shook out his fur and told himself there would be time to figure that out. He hoped he was right. “One day you’ll be too old for badger rides,” he told Shadowkit.

“I don’t care.” The gray tom puffed out his chest. “I want to stay here and help you.”

Pouncekit rolled her eyes and nudged Lightkit out of the den. “We’re wasting our time. Let’s go and have some fun.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go and play?” Alderheart pressed. “You can come and help again afterward.”

“I want to stay here,” Shadowkit mewed firmly.

There was clearly no arguing with the kit. “In that case, fetch the marigold Cloverfoot gathered yesterday,” he told him. “It’s nearly time to re-dress Grassheart’s wound.”

“That’s the bright green one that smells like sour nettles, right?”

“Yes.”

As Shadowkit trotted to the herb store, Alderheart looked at Grassheart. She was asleep in a nest near the medicine den, where early morning sunshine streamed through the entrance. Alderheart had been treating her since she’d returned the day before with a claw wound on her flank. He’d treated Blazepaw, Strikestone, and Snaketooth at the same time. They had scratches, but Grassheart’s wound was so deep he’d kept her in the medicine den. The patrol said SkyClan had ambushed them. Alderheart thought it strange and wondered why SkyClan had provoked ShadowClan with such a bold attack. How would that help the tension between the two Clans?

“Is this it?” Shadowkit nosed a fresh bundle of green stems in front of the herb store.