Thunder And Shadow

The dank sm ell of a stagnant stream rose ahead. Alderpaw strained to see through the darkness.

Tigerheart was already pacing the bank of a narrow ditch.

As Bramblestar caught up to him, Crowfrost sniffed the earth.

“The trail ends here,” the ShadowClan deputy announced.

“I sm ell rabbit blood.” Dovewing circled the patrols.

Crowfrost sniffed. “They must have hunted here before they left the territory.” He nodded bey ond the ditch. “This is the ShadowClan border. It is no-Clan’s-land bey ond here. If the rogues went that way, as it appears, then they are gone.”

“Shouldn’t we cross the ditch and check?” Bramblestar pressed.

Dovewing leaped over the foul-sm elling stream and began sniffing the earth ahead.

Tigerheart j um ped after her, nudging her aside to press his own nose to the ground. “Nothing here.”

“Perhaps they waded along the stream to disguise their scent,” Dovewing suggested.

Tigerheart snorted. “Rogues aren’t that clever. Besides…” He peered into the ditch. Stinking black water lay at the bottom. “What cat would get their paws wet in there?”

Dovewing glared at him challengingly. “A cat that wants to hide its trail?”

Tigerheart held her gaze for a m om ent, then growled. “You still have to be the sm artest cat in the Clan.”

Dovewing’s blue eyes flashed in the gloom. “And you still have to be the m ost arrogant.”

“Come back, you two.” Bramblestar flicked his tail. “It looks like the rogues have left the territory. We might as well go home.”

Alderpaw wondered if Bramblestar truly believed they were gone. He tried to catch

Bramblestar’s eye for reassurance, but the ThunderClan leader was looking at Crowfrost.

“Thank you for letting us help search your territory.” The ThunderClan leader meowed.

Crowfrost dipped his head form ally. “Let us escort you to your border.”

Alderpaw stiffened. He’d prom ised Twigkit he’d check on Violetkit. “I need to go back to your camp!” he blurted to the ShadowClan deputy.

Crowfrost blinked at him in surprise.

Stam m ering, Alderpaw struggled to gain his com posure. “Jayfeather wants m e to speak with Leafpool. He needs to know when she’ll be returning to her own Clan.”

Crowfrost rolled his eyes. “Very well,” he grunted crossly. “You can go back with Yarrowpaw. Tigerheart, Spikefur, and I will take your Clanmates to the border.”

Bramblestar blinked reassuringly at Alderpaw. “We’ll wait for you there.”

Alderpaw nodded. As the warrior patrol m oved away, he followed Yarrowpaw back to ShadowClan’s camp.

“Where’s Needlepaw today?” he asked, try ing to sound casual.

Yarrowpaw glanced suspiciously over her shoulder. “Why do you want to know?”

“She wasn’t with Tawny pelt,” Alderpaw meowed. “Or in camp. I was just wondering where she was.”

“It’s none of your business,” Yarrowpaw snapped. “Do I ask where your denmates are?”

“I was just try ing to make conversation,” Alderpaw meowed.

Yarrowpaw flicked her tail. “Silence is fine with m e.”

They padded back to camp without another word. At the camp entrance, she led the way through the tunnel, stopping as he em erged, then nodded toward the medicine den. “She’ll be in there if she’s back from gathering herbs. If not, y ou’ll have to wait. I’m not escorting you all over the territory looking for her.”

“Thanks.” Alderpaw m ade a face at the ShadowClan apprentice as she stalked away, then crossed the clearing to the medicine den.

He could sm ell the warm, fam iliar scent of Leafpool as he approached. And the scent of freshly picked herbs. She must be back. “Leafpool?” He stuck his head inside the den and saw her crouched beside Puddlepaw.

“This is tansy and this is horsetail,” she told the young apprentice. “Tansy is good for coughs.

Horsetail is good for infected wounds.”

Surprise flashed beneath Alderpaw’s pelt. Was she still teaching him sim ple facts like that?

She looked up, purring as she saw him. “Alderpaw! I thought I’d missed y ou. Grassheart said a ThunderClan patrol stopped by while I was out.”

“They’re waiting for me at the border,” Alderpaw explained. “I cam e back because

Jayfeather wanted m e to speak with you before we left.” He glanced at Puddlepaw. He wanted a few words alone with Leafpool without the apprentice overhearing.

Leafpool seem ed to guess. “Let’s go outside,” she told him, then turned to Puddlepaw. “I want y ou to split all the herbs we gathered today into separate piles.”

Puddlepaw stared wide-ey ed at the heap in front of him. Alderpaw felt a wave of sy m pathy, suddenly remembering his first day s in the medicine den. He’d thought he’d never learn the name of every herb.

Leafpool shooed Alderpaw backward and slid out of the den. She stood close to him in the easing rain. “I know it was foolish to gather herbs on a day like this.” She shook out her wet pelt.

“They’ll take forever to dry. But I sm ell cold weather on the way. I want to get ShadowClan’s stores as full as possible before leaf-bare.” Worry darkened her gaze, “StarClan knows how they’ll make it through.”

“Is Puddlepaw a quick learner?” Alderpaw asked hopefully.