Thunder And Shadow

“Hopefully, Onestar won’t find out,” Jayfeather mewed. “But if he does, he’d be mouse-brained to turn on his deputy and his medicine cat. He needs their support, especially if he’s being as unreasonable with his Clanmates as he is with the rest of us.”

Alderpaw’s thoughts flitted back to the fearful glances of the WindClan warriors as they’d watched their leader rage against Leafpool. “At least we m ay have saved som e lives tonight.”

“And we have our own stock of the herb in case the sickness ever reaches our forest.”

Jayfeather shifted his paws.

Alderpaw pressed back a shiver. Tiredness dragged at his bones, and he longed to head to his warm nest. But Jayfeather seem ed to have som ething on his m ind, so he waited in the dark clearing with him until, at last, the ThunderClan medicine cat spoke.

“Well done, speaking up tonight.” His blind blue gaze flashed in the moonlight. “I wondered when y ou’d finally find y our tongue.”

“I’ve spoken up before—”

Jayfeather cut him off. “Talking back to an old badger like m e is not the sam e as standing up for what you believe to cats from other Clans. I was proud of y ou.”

Alderpaw blinked, wondering if he was im agining Jayfeather’s words. Perhaps he had gone to his nest. Perhaps this was a dream.

Jayfeather turned and headed for his den. “I think you m ay be ready to become a full medicine cat.”

Alderpaw watched him go, too stunned to speak. Was it true? Was he going to get his full medicine cat name soon? Alderpatch. Alderleaf. Alderblaze. Possible names flitted through his mind as he headed for the apprentices’ den. Suddenly he hardly felt the cold. Warm th seeped through his pelt as he im agined the other medicine cats cheering his new name. He’d felt self-conscious being the only apprentice, especially when Puddleshine had been named after only two moons of training. Happily, he ducked into the den and clim bed into his nest. Perhaps I will be a great medicine cat after all.

Chapter 22

Violetpaw tore another small morsel from the sparrow and laid it on the edge of Snowbird’s nest.

The white she-cat was recovering well. In the half-moon since Puddleshine had returned to camp with the lungwort, the sickness that had gripped ShadowClan had slowly eased. But the stench of death still lingered in the ShadowClan camp. Wasptail had died the night after Kinkfur, and, more troubling, Crowfrost had been too ill to respond to the herb and had died a few day s later.

ShadowClan had lost its deputy.

As Snowbird leaned forward and lapped up the scrap of sparrow flesh, Violetpaw glanced at Dawnpelt. Her m entor’s gaze was em pty as she gently washed Oakfur’s pelt. It had been hard enough for Dawnpelt to lose Sleekwhisker and Juniperclaw to the rogues. But the death of her mate, Crowfrost, had been devastating. And y et Dawnpelt had carried on with her duties without complaining. Violetpaw wished that som e of her other Clanmates could do the sam e. Mistcloud and Sparrowtail had hardly hunted since Kinkfur’s death. Violetpaw had heard them m uttering about Crowfrost, even as he lay dy ing, blam ing him for letting Twigpaw go. Had they convinced ThunderClan to help by keeping Twigpaw, they might have gotten the herb sooner and not lost their deputy.

Mouse-brains! Violetpaw ripped away another piece of sparrow flesh and laid it in front of Snowbird. Puddleshine had m anaged to gather the herb without a hostage.

Yarrowleaf snored gently in her nest, while Puddleshine leaned over Pinenose, listening to her breathing, his ear pressed against her ribs. Snowbird, Oakfur, Yarrowleaf, and Pinenose were the last four cats recovering from the sickness. In a few day s they’d all be well, and the den would be cleared out to make way for fresh nests. The bramble shelter could become the warriors’ den once more. And with Rowanstar well enough to resum e his role as leader, Violetpaw hoped that ShadowClan would start to feel more organized. Rowanstar was still weak, but he had m ade

Tigerheart his new deputy and given Whorlpaw, Snakepaw, and Flowerpaw their apprentice names. The nursery was em pty now, and Grassheart had returned to her warrior duties.

Snakepaw had recovered quickly from the sickness once Puddleshine had adm inistered the lungwort. Violetpaw could glim pse the honey -colored tabby now, ly ing in a strip of sunshine beside the clearing while Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw practiced stalking in the long grass behind her.

“How are they?” Scorchfur’s urgent question m ade Violetpaw j um p. She turned and saw the dark gray tom swagger into the den, a frown in his eyes. He must have come to check on Snowbird and Yarrowleaf.

Puddleshine turned to face the tom. “Snowbird’s breathing is much better,” he reported. “And

Yarrowleaf is well enough to leave her nest when she feels rested.”

Yarrowleaf opened her eyes. “Hi, Scorchfur.” She greeted her father weakly.