Thunder And Shadow

Needlepaw was m oving quickly now. Violetkit had to grip on hard as the apprentice leaped a fallen tree, picked up speed as she ran down a slope, then cleared three ditches in a row. Watching the forest flash past, lit by strips of moonlight, m ade Violetkit dizzy. She closed her eyes and clung on like a tick. Where were they going?

Needlepaw was heading farther and farther from camp. What if som eone noticed they were gone? What if they got lost? As Violetkit’s thoughts whirled, the scents around her started to change. She opened her eyes and saw that the pines had been replaced by gnarled oaks and slender birch trees. The forest floor was littered with leaves, and their musty scent filled Violetkit’s nose. “Where are we?” she breathed.

“Can’t you tell by the stink?” Needlepaw slowed to a halt and sat down.

Violetkit slid from her shoulders, the leaves crunching beneath her paws as she landed. She took a deep breath. There was cat scent here, but it didn’t sm ell like ShadowClan scent. It was still fam iliar, though. She blinked, remembering. ThunderClan scent! “Are we on ThunderClan land?”

She glanced around nervously. “What if a patrol finds us? What if a ShadowClan cat sees us here?

What if—”

Needlepaw cuffed her gently around the ear. “You and your what-ifs! No one’s going to see us. ThunderClan will be asleep, and our Clanmates are too busy m ourning Littlecloud and worry ing about Grassheart to patrol.”

“Why are we here?” Violetkit gazed at Needlepaw, her ears twitching nervously.

Needlepaw was staring at a clum p of ferns. Moonlight pooled around them. Leaves fluttered down as a breeze stirred the sleeping forest.

“Why —” Violetkit began to ask again but Needlepaw cut her off.

“Hush! They’re coming.”

“Who?”

“Quick! Hide!”

Violetkit felt like her heart was going to burst as Needlepaw darted behind the arching roots of an oak. She scampered quickly after her, panting as she ducked down beside the apprentice. She could hear paw steps. You said they’d all be sleeping. Violetkit didn’t dare speak out loud. Blood roared in her ears. She wanted desperately to peer over the root, but she knew she mustn’t be seen.

“Needlepaw.” A soft mew sounded a few tail-lengths ahead. “Are you here?”

Violetkit frowned. She’d heard that mew before. She opened her m outh and let scent wash over her tongue. It was a tom—a tom she’d m et only a few day s ago. “It’s Alderpaw!” she hissed at Needlepaw, less alarm ed now. “What’s he doing here?”

“He’s brought som eone to see you.” Needlepaw leaped onto the root and swished her tail. “Hi, Alderpaw.” Her eyes shone with am usem ent as Alderpaw backed away, alarm spiking his pelt.

“You m ade m e j um p!” he mewed reproachfully.

“Did I?” Needlepaw tipped her head innocently to one side. “Did you bring her?”

“Bring who?” Pelt prickling with anxiety, Violetkit scram bled up beside Needlepaw and stared at Alderpaw.

A sm all shape m oved behind him. Two ears poked out beside him, then a m uzzle.

“Violetkit?” A tiny mew sounded through the darkness.

Violetkit froze, her thoughts racing. Could it be? She j um ped down from the root and sniffed the air. A strange scent touched her nose, fam iliar and not fam iliar. “Twigkit?”

Green eyes blinked beside Alderpaw. Then a gray kit darted forward and slam m ed into

Violetkit. Unbalanced, Violetkit tum bled backward.

“It’s you! It’s really you!” Twigkit thrust her nose against Violetkit’s cheek, purring loudly.

Surprised, Violetkit shook her off and leaped to her paws. She stared at Twigkit.

Twigkit stared back. “You remember me, right?”

“Of course I do!” Violetkit blinked at her, too overwhelm ed to m ove.

Worry sparked in Twigkit’s gaze. “You are pleased to see m e, aren’t you?”

Violetkit hesitated, em otions swirling through her like storm clouds. She was more pleased than she could say. But what did Twigpaw expect? How should she act? “Of c-course!” she stam m ered.

“You look different and not different all at the sam e tim e,” Twigkit blurted. She leaned forward and sniffed Violetkit. “And you sm ell weird.”

“So do you.” Violetkit was surprised that the sm ell of ThunderClan seem ed so strange to her now. “You sm ell like cobwebs.”

“You sm ell like pine needles.” Twigkit padded around her, purring loudly and rubbing against her. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve been learning how to be a medicine cat. I want to be a medicine apprentice when I’m old enough. Just like Alderpaw. Alderpaw’s m y friend.” She glanced at Needlepaw. “Is she your friend?”

Violetkit followed her sister’s gaze nervously. Would Needlepaw mind if she said yes? She didn’t want Twigkit to think she hadn’t m ade friends in ShadowClan. Twigkit was clearly close to Alderpaw. She probably had lot of friends in ThunderClan. “I guess,” Violetkit mewed softly.

“What’s her name?” Twigkit blinked at Needlepaw.

“I’m Needlepaw.” The sleek, silver she-cat j um ped down from the root and padded around