Thunder And Shadow

Needlepaw glanced toward the medicine den. “Wouldn’t it be easier to carry Littlecloud to a ditch and let him drink there? He weighs hardly more than a m ouse.”

Rowanstar showed his teeth, his eyes flashing with anger. “Do as I tell you.”

Tawny pelt hurried toward them. “Are you being insolent again, Needlepaw?” She glared crossly at her apprentice.

Needlepaw’s eyes rounded innocently. “I was just m aking a suggestion.”

Leafpool shook out her fur and headed across the clearing. “I assum e the nursery is still where it’s always been?”

“Yes.” Tawny pelt followed her. “Grassheart is resting. But she’s eating well and hasn’t complained of any pain.”

“Good.”

As the two she-cats walked away, Alderpaw glanced at Needlepaw. “Where’s the best place to collect m oss?”

“The whole forest is practically one big m oss garden.” Needlepaw sighed and padded toward the camp entrance. “Hi, by the way.”

“H-hi.” Alderpaw followed, his pelt hot. Is she pleased to see me? She was acting so casual it was hard to tell. He searched for som ething interesting to say, but Needlepaw beat him to it.

“Every cat around here is really im pressed with m e,” she told him. Her voice echoed around the trees as they em erged from the bramble tunnel. “I brought back a special kit for the Clan. Now we’re part of the prophecy too.”

Alderpaw ignored her boasting. “How is Violetkit? Is she okay? Has she settled in?”

“How should I know?” Needlepaw mewed. “She’s in the nursery most of the time with Pinenose and her kits.”

Anxiety prickled in Alderpaw’s belly. “But she comes out to play, right?”

“Of course she comes out to play.” Needlepaw stopped at a large pine and began scraping m oss from between the roots. “She’s a kit. What else do kits do?”

“Do you play with her?” Alderpaw thought of the gam es he play ed with Twigkit: m oss-ball, cat and m ouse, hunt the acorn…

“She’s a kit.” Needlepaw pulled off a long strip of m oss and flung it toward Alderpaw. “I don’t play kit gam es.”

“But you helped find her,” Alderpaw rem inded her. “Doesn’t that make her special to you?”

Needlepaw glanced at him. “Do you play with Twigkit?”

“When I’m not busy with m y apprentice duties,” Alderpaw told her.

Needlepaw sat back and looked at the pile of m oss she’d collected. “I’m training to be a warrior, not a medicine cat. It takes up all m y tim e. Are you going to help with the m oss or what?”

“I think you’ve gathered enough,” Alderpaw told her. “We just need to soak it in water now.”

“There’s a pool over there.” Needlepaw nodded past the camp wall. “Follow m e.”

As she m arched away, Alderpaw grabbed the m oss between his jaws and followed.

When they reached a sm all pool filled with rainwater, he dunked the m oss. The cold m ade his nose ache. As he lifted it out, water dripped onto his chest.

Needlepaw stared at him, her bold green eyes sparkling with am usem ent. “You look like an otter.”

Alderpaw’s fur ruffled along his spine. He turned, self-conscious, and headed toward the camp entrance.

As he carried the sodden m oss into the medicine den, Dawnpelt stood to greet him. Her jaws were green with tansy pulp; Alderpaw could sm ell the sharp tang of it even over the musty scent of the dripping m oss. Needlepaw padded in and stopped beside the entrance, looking curiously at the sick medicine cat. “He looks so sm all,” she com m ented.

“His fur needs washing.” Alderpaw piled the m oss beside Littlecloud’s nest and lifted a clum p of it to the sick tom’s m outh.

Littlecloud’s nose twitched, but he didn’t open his eyes. Turning his head, he lapped helplessly at the m oss. Alderpaw pressed the soaked leaves closer so that the m oisture ran into his m outh.

Littlecloud swallowed with a gasp.

Alderpaw turned to Dawnpelt. “You need to make sure he has water all the tim e.”

Dawnpelt nodded, looking guilty. “Okay.”

As she spoke, Leafpool padded into the den. “Grassheart seem s well. She’s close to kitting.”

She stopped beside Alderpaw and pressed her ear to Littlecloud’s chest. “The tansy has eased his breathing,” she com m ented. “I’ll m ix som e herbs that will help his fever.”

“Can I help?” Alderpaw reached for the herb pile.

“You can fetch clean bedding with Needlepaw,” Leafpool told him.

Alderpaw felt a stab of disappointm ent. He wanted to show Needlepaw how much he’d learned about being a medicine cat. But he didn’t argue. He should be focusing on helping Littlecloud, not showing off to Needlepaw. Nodding, he headed for the entrance. “Do you know where there’s any dry bracken?” he asked as he brushed past her.

She followed him out of the den, ignoring his question. “Don’t you get bored of being bossed around?”

“I want to help my Clanmates.”

“Littlecloud isn’t your Clanmate; he’s mine.”

Alderpaw stopped and faced her. “Don’t you want to help him?”

Needlepaw shrugged. “I guess, but I thought that was why Leafpool cam e here.”

“She can’t do every thing by herself,” Alderpaw meowed, feeling a prickle of irritation.