Thunder And Shadow

Yellowfang blinked at him, giving nothing away. Alderpaw flexed his claws irritably. “Then what about ShadowClan?” He thought of Onestar and ShadowClan and the dy ing cats. “Why tell

Puddleshine where to find lungwort without telling Onestar to let him gather it?”

“What lesson would any cat learn from that?” Yellowfang began to fade, her pelt growing translucent in the bright sunshine.

“Don’t go!” Alderpaw wanted to ask how he could help save ShadowClan. But Yellowfang was hardly more than a shim m ering heat haze above the grass.

“Speak out for what you believe.” Her mew whisked away on the breeze.

Alderpaw opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the gloom of the hollow. The other cats were getting to their paws.

Leafpool fluffed her fur out against the night air. “Did you share with StarClan?” she asked him.

“Yellowfang told m e to speak out for what I believe,” Alderpaw whispered.

Leafpool glanced at Jayfeather, am usem ent flashing in her gaze. “That might not go down too well in the medicine den.”

Kestrelflight whisked his tail. Excitem ent was burning in his eyes. “I spoke to them!” he mewed. “I know what to do. Follow m e!” He bounded up the dim pled path to the rim of the hollow. “Harespring! It’s okay. StarClan say s it’s okay!”

Startled, Alderpaw hurried after the WindClan medicine cat. “What’s okay?”

Mothwing, Willowshine, Jayfeather, and Leafpool followed.

Puddleshine hurried at their heels. “What’s happening?”

Kestrelflight was already j um ping down the steep rocks after Harespring. The WindClan cats’ pelts were spiked. Alderpaw sm elled fear-scent. They were scared! What of? Heart quickening anxiously, he scram bled down after them, relieved when they reached a flatter part of the stream.

“It was Harespring’s idea,” Kestrelflight told him as he caught up to the WindClan medicine cat. “He insisted on being the only warrior to escort m e tonight and told m e about it on the way. I wasn’t sure. That’s why I had to ask StarClan.”

Alderpaw’s thoughts swam. What was Kestrelflight talking about?

The WindClan cat glanced over his shoulder toward the other medicine cats. “Hurry!” He beckoned them on with a flick of his tail and hurried after Harespring.

“Where are we going?” Alderpaw fought for breath as he raced to keep up with the WindClan cats.

“To the m oor.” Kestrelflight nodded to where the heather-covered slopes reached down to the stream. Harespring was already crossing the border onto WindClan territory.

As Kestrelflight followed him, Alderpaw hesitated at the scent line. “Onestar won’t want us on his territory.”

Leafpool and Puddleshine caught up to them. They blinked at Kestrelflight and Harespring, puzzled. The WindClan cats had stopped and were staring at them expectantly.

“Follow m e!” The wind whipped Harespring’s call toward them. “But hurry! We have to be quick.”

“We’re going to show you where the lungwort is,” Kestrelflight told them. “You can gather as much as you want.”

“What about Onestar?” Alderpaw stared at him.

“Onestar doesn’t know.” Harespring flicked his tail impatiently. “He can’t know. He’s wrong to let cats die. The rogues harm ed us, not ShadowClan. ShadowClan shouldn’t have to pay for other cats’ cruelty.”

Jayfeather, Mothwing, and Willowshine reached the border.

“What’s going on?” Jayfeather puffed.

“Harespring and Kestrelflight are going to let us gather lungwort. It was Harespring’s idea.”

Alderpaw nodded toward the WindClan deputy, im pressed by his com passion and sense of duty to the Clan cats bey ond his borders. His pelt bristled with excitem ent, but as he gazed across the heather-pelted slope, fear hollowed his belly. What if a WindClan patrol found them? He pushed the thought away. Who cares? ShadowClan needed the herb. And StarClan had given its permission.

Puddleshine had already crossed the scent line and was following Harespring, who was weaving between the heather bushes.

Alderpaw hurried after them, Kestrelflight at his side. “Is it far?”

“It’s just over the next rise,” Kestrelflight purred.

The chill that comes before dawn was seeping through the forest, spreading deep into

Alderpaw’s bones by the time he reached the ThunderClan camp. Leafpool carried the lungwort she’d gathered to the medicine den, nodding good night to Alderpaw as she went.

Jayfeather paused in the em pty clearing. Around them, gentle snores sounded from the shadowy dens.

“Puddleshine still has a long night ahead of him,” he mewed softly to Alderpaw.

“I wish I could have gone with him to help give the herbs to the sick cats.” Alderpaw’s heart ached with the hope that Puddleshine had gathered the herb soon enough to save his Clanmates.

“There’s been enough sneaking around tonight,” Jayfeather m urm ured.

“I hope Harespring and Kestrelflight don’t get into trouble.” Alderpaw fluffed out his fur against the chill.