Thunder And Shadow

Hoarse coughing sounded from inside the den.

Scorchfur backed away. “He sounds like Wasptail and Oakfur did.”

Crowfrost straightened, his gaze hardening. “Fetch Puddleshine,” he told Violetpaw.

Violetpaw turned and raced for the medicine den. She burst in, gagging as the stench of sickness swept over her. Wasptail and Oakfur wheezed in their nests, their fur m atted, their m uzzles dripping.

Puddleshine was dozing beside a pile of herbs. He j erked his head up and blinked at her. “I was just taking a nap,” he mumbled.

Violetpaw stiffened with alarm. “Are you sick too?”

Puddleshine scram bled to his paws. “No. Just tired.”

“You’ve been working hard,” Violetpaw sy m pathized. “But we need y ou. Rowanstar is—” She stopped. Puddleshine was staring at her as though he hardly saw her. Stars seem ed to sparkle in his faraway gaze. She tipped her head, anxious. Perhaps he was sick? “Are you sure y ou’re okay?”

Puddleshine blinked, his attention flashing to her. “I’m fine!” He pushed past her eagerly.

She followed him into the clearing, surprise sparking through her fur. What was wrong with the medicine cat? Why was he acting so strangely?

“Crowfrost!” Puddleshine slid to a halt in front of the deputy, his pelt glittering as rain caught in his fur. “I had a dream!” He sounded j ubilant. “StarClan has finally shared dream s with m e!”

Crowfrost stared at the young tom, his ears flicking. “What was it?”

“The sickness is called y ellowcough. Runningnose cam e and led m e to StarClan’s hunting grounds. He told m e what to do.” Puddleshine spoke fast. “There’s an herb called lungwort. It grows on the m oor. Its leaves will cure our Clanmates.”

Crowfrost lifted his tail. “Did he show you what it looks like?”

“Yes!” Puddleshine nodded excitedly.

“Good.” Crowfrost glanced toward Rowanstar’s den. “Our leader is sick.”

Puddleshine ducked inside, darting out a few m om ents later. He glanced around his Clanmates, his gaze clouded with worry. “Do any of you know what tansy looks like?”

“I do.” Dawnpelt nodded toward the bundle of herbs at her paws. “And coltsfoot and borage.”

“Of course!” Puddleshine mewed, as though only just remembering he’d shown her what they looked like earlier that m orning. “Chew equal parts into a thick pulp and try to get Rowanstar to swallow it. It won’t cure him, but it will help his sy m ptom s until I can get back with the lungwort.” Puddleshine turned toward the entrance.

“Wait!” Crowfrost blinked through the rain at the medicine cat. “You’re needed here.”

“I’m the only one who knows what lungwort looks like.” Puddleshine stared at the deputy.

Crowfrost hesitated, then nodded toward Tigerheart. “Go with him. You too, Scorchfur.”

Violetpaw stiffened in surprise as Crowfrost’s gaze flicked to her. “And y ou.”

Joy fizzed in her paws. Crowfrost trusted her enough to send her on this im portant mission!

Scorchfur frowned. “Tawny pelt should come instead of her.” He scowled at Violetpaw.

“Tawnypelt can be trusted.”

Crowfrost scowled. “So can Violetpaw!”

Scorchfur grunted.

“Hurry!” Puddleshine headed for the entrance. “We mustn’t waste tim e.”

Crowfrost flicked his tail toward the medicine cat. “Go with him.”

Violetpaw bounded across the wet clearing, Tigerheart at her tail. Scorchfur raced past her, kicking up m ud as he passed, and ducked out of camp.

As Violetpaw followed them, Tigerheart called from behind. “I’ll lead! I know the quickest route.” He pulled past Violetpaw, Scorchfur, and Puddleshine, heading for the ditches. As he reached each one, he leaped it in turn. Violetpaw raced behind, one eye on Puddleshine as she cleared the gashes in the forest floor. The medicine cat was nim ble, m aking the j um ps with ease.

As the ground sm oothed ahead, she glim psed light. They were nearing the edge of the forest.

Tigerheart broke from the trees first. Violetpaw followed, narrowing her eyes against the driving rain as she left the shelter of the pines. She dodged a bramble, her paws slithering on the wet grass as she hurried toward the lake.

She could see the Twoleg halfbridge reaching into the water. Bey ond it, a stretch of m eadow led to the lower slopes of the m oor.

“Tigerheart!” A loud y owl sounded from behind the patrol.

Violetpaw looked back. A ThunderClan cat was calling from the border. She could just make out the shape on the shore. Dovewing. Another cat was with her. She strained to see. Twigpaw! Her heart leaped. Did her sister know she’d left the rogues and returned to ShadowClan? Has she come here to see me? She thought, with a pang of guilt, about their last m eeting, when she’d refused to help Twigpaw search for their mother. Had Twigpaw gone alone? Had she found her?

Dovewing paced the scent line, staring eagerly at the ShadowClan patrol. Did they have news? Violetpaw turned to Tigerheart. The tabby tom was still charging toward the WindClan border. He couldn’t have heard Dovewing’s call. “Wait!” she y owled.