Brackenfur went on. “If there’s going to be a battle, we need to be well fed.”
Hollypaw stiffened.
“Go ahead,” Brackenfur agreed. “But don’t be long.”
Hollypaw padded across the clearing and poked her nose through the trailing brambles that covered the medicine den entrance. “Can I come in?”
Cinderpaw was sitting up in her nest, her rush-bound hind leg stuck out awkwardly in front her. She was reaching forward to chase a ball of moss around the edge of her
nest with her forepaws.
Leafpool was soaking dried horsetail stems in the pool at the side of the den. She looked around. “Hi, Hollypaw!”
Hollypaw thought she detected relief in the medicine cat’s mew. She pushed through the brambles.
“I’m glad you’re here. Cinderpaw could do with some company.” Leafpool glanced at her fidgeting patient. “She’s finding it hard to keep still.”
Cinderpaw patted the moss ball so that it flew across the den and landed beside Hollypaw. “Toss it back so I can catch it!” she pleaded.
“Don’t you dare!” Leafpool leaped over and grabbed the ball in her teeth. “You’ve got to keep still if you want your leg to mend straight!”
Hollypaw purred with amusement as Cinderpaw rolled her eyes. Then she noticed Jaypaw at the back of the den. He was busily wrapping up herbs in leaf parcels and piling them against the den wall. He seemed totally absorbed in his task and didn’t look up to greet his sister.
“What are you doing, Jaypaw?” she called across the den.
“Preparing herbs,” he muttered. “What does it look like?”
“That’s a lot of herbs.” Hollypaw could smell horsetail and marigold. She remembered enough of her medicine training to know that he was preparing for combat wounds. She felt sick. It seemed as though the whole Clan had accepted a battle was coming.
“What’s up?” Cinderpaw called from her nest.
Hollypaw padded to her side. “Has anybody told you what
happened at the Gathering?”
Cinderpaw shook her head. “Leafpool and Jaypaw were whispering about something when Leafpool got back, but they haven’t said anything to me.”
“RiverClan is living on the island!”
Cinderpaw’s eyes widened with shock. “
“They can’t use their camp for some reason and all the other Clans think they’ll have to find new territory.”
Cinderpaw gasped. “But that would mess everything up.”
“I know.” Hollypaw glanced at Jaypaw, still busy at the back of the den. “And it seems as if everyone is expecting a fight.”
Cinderpaw plucked at the moss in her nest. “I just hope I’m better in time to join in,” she mewed.
Hollypaw stared at her crossly. “There doesn’t need to
“But if everyone wants one—”
Hollypaw cut her off. “Everyone’s just scared about what RiverClan will do. If we can help RiverClan, then everything will go back to normal.”
She padded out of the den and stared around the clearing.
Foxkit and Icekit were play-fighting outside the nursery; Longtail and Mousefur were drawing battle plans in the sandy earth. Firestar was still talking with Brambleclaw.
She couldn’t let her Clanmates get caught up in a battle before they had tried to find a different way to solve the problem. If she could just find a way to help RiverClan, maybe there would be nothing left to fight about.
Chapter 10
Hollypaw had only been in the den a few moments.
“She must’ve remembered something she had to do.”
Cinderpaw sighed.
“Oh.” Jaypaw went back to wrapping his marigold and horsetail poultices in leaves, preparing for a battle that might never happen. Why hadn’t StarClan warned him? It was not like they were shy about interrupting his dreams.
Suddenly, he felt his pelt begin to warm under Cinderpaw’s gaze. She was staring at him, her mind tingling with curiosity. Irritation made his claws itch. How long was she going to stay here? She was obviously bored and Jaypaw missed the peace and privacy of the empty medicine den. He turned and faced her. “Something wrong?” he asked.
“No.” Cinderpaw sounded oddly thoughtful. “I just think I had a dream about you, and you could
Jaypaw’s ears twitched. She remembered her dream! How much? The camp in the ravine? Being Cinderpelt? He waited for sparks of alarm to flash from Leafpool’s pelt, but the medicine cat was busy soaking horsetail stems in the pool, her
mind focused on her task.
Jaypaw padded forward. “What was I doing in your dream?” he asked casually.
“I don’t remember. I was just surprised you could see.”
Cinderpaw fidgeted in her nest.
“Where were we?”
Cinderpaw hesitated. “Some bit of the forest, I think. You were following me and . . . ”
“And what?” Jaypaw leaned close to her.
“I don’t remember.”
Jaypaw flicked his tail. What would happen if Cinderpaw worked out she had been Cinderpelt? Surely all the old medicine cat’s memories must be buried somewhere in the apprentice’s mind?
“Time for Cinderpaw’s medicine,” Leafpool called from the pool.
“Okay.” Excitement sparked in Jaypaw’s belly. This could be his chance to find out if any trace of Cinderpelt remained.
He darted to the back of the cave, ignoring the comfrey that would help Cinderpaw’s bones to heal, and picked up some of the sweet-smelling mallow leaves instead. The mallow would do nothing but soothe her belly. If any of Cinderpelt’s knowledge lingered inside her, she would know it was the wrong medicine and say something.
“Here you are,” he announced, dropping the mallow leaves in her nest.
“These smell nice,” Cinderpaw mewed.
“It’s mallow,” Jaypaw told her. He nudged them closer.
Great for broken bones.” He searched her mind for any doubt, but nothing stirred except gratitude.
“Thanks, Jaypaw.”
“What are you doing?” Leafpool whisked past and snatched the mallow leaves away. He felt suspicion pricking in the medicine cat’s pelt as she brushed against him. “You should be giving her comfrey.”
“I must have picked up the wrong leaves,” Jaypaw lied.
“Be more careful next time.” Irritation flashed from Leafpool. She didn’t believe him. Had she guessed he had been testing Cinderpaw? “Get back to making poultices,” she snapped. Her voice softened as she spoke to Cinderpaw.
“Sorry, Cinderpaw. It’s not like Jaypaw to be so distracted.”
