Dark River

Lionpaw tipped his head to one side. “What, then?”

“Instead of waiting till the next Gathering, why don’t we meet up before?”

“Before?” Lionpaw echoed in surprise. Wasn’t it against the warrior code to meet with cats from another Clan without permission?

“Tomorrow night,” she whispered.

“But how? Where?”

“At the boundary in the woods. Near the yew tree. We can slip away while our Clanmates are sleeping.”

“But—”

Heatherpaw’s whiskers twitched. “Come on! It’ll be exciting. And it’s not like we’d be hurting anyone.”

Lionpaw felt guilt and worry tug at his belly, but Heatherpaw’s blue eyes were sparkling at him hopefully. It did sound like fun. He could always say he’d been practicing his night hunting. And Heatherpaw was right. They wouldn’t be doing any harm, like stealing prey or spying. No cat would even know if they were careful about it. I’ll still be loyal to my Clan and I won’t fall behind in my duties.

He blinked at Heatherpaw. “Okay.”

Chapter 2

Hollypaw was dreaming. She was charging through the forest as rain pounded the leaf-strewn earth. She could glimpse Willowpaw’s striped pelt through the trees. The RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was running fast, always a few steps ahead.

“Wait for me!” Hollypaw called. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“I’ll tell you if you catch up!” Willowpaw called back.

Hollypaw pushed harder, her paws skidding on the mud, but Willowpaw stayed a tail-length out of reach.

“There’s something wrong with RiverClan, isn’t there?”

Hollypaw yowled.

“I can’t hear you. The rain’s too loud.”

“Tell me what’s wrong!”

The rain pelted down more fiercely, rattling against the leaves and bouncing off the ground.

“Willowpaw!”

“I can’t tell you unless you catch me!”

“Slow down!” Hollypaw narrowed her eyes against the downpour. “Willowpaw?”

Willowpaw had disappeared.

Hollypaw was alone in the drenched forest.

She blinked open her eyes. Rain was battering the den roof, finding its way through the thick foliage of the yew branches and dripping into the nests. Hollypaw shivered and snuggled deeper into the moss but something wet was pressing against her.

Lionpaw’s pelt.

Hollypaw shoved him away. “Move over. Your fur is soaking.”

Lionpaw rolled back against her.

“Lionpaw!” She scrambled to her paws and stared at her brother. Dawn light was filtering through the branches, just enough to give color to the pelts of the sleeping cats.

Lionpaw’s fur was drenched, as though he had spent the night out in the rain, though he was fast asleep now. Hollypaw sniffed him suspiciously. Perhaps he had just gone out to make dirt and slipped back into the den for more sleep.

She yawned and stretched, her tail shivering with the effort. She felt cold to the bone. Mousepaw, Berrypaw, and Honeypaw were asleep despite the rain. Poppypaw’s and Hazelpaw’s nests were empty but their scent was fresh; they must have gone out with the dawn patrol.

“Hollypaw?” Cinderpaw lifted her head and blinked open her eyes. “Did the rain wake you?”

Hollypaw shook her head. “Lionpaw did,” she mewed.

“He’s soaking wet.”

“He’s been out in this?” Cinderpaw rubbed her eyes with a paw.

“It looks like it.” Hollypaw’s fur was starting to itch with curiosity. This wasn’t the first time Lionpaw had done something weird. He had woken her before dawn only a few days ago, slinking back into the den. He said he’d been out to make dirt, but his fur smelled of leaves, as though he’d been farther into the forest than just the dirtplace. And he’d snapped the answer back as though she was prying. She was sure he was up to something.

Cinderpaw’s belly began to rumble. “I wonder if there’s any fresh-kill on the pile yet?”

“There may be some left over from last night,” Hollypaw suggested. “Let’s go and see.”

She picked her way among the warm bodies of her sleeping Clanmates and peered out of the entrance. She could hardly see the fresh-kill pile. The dawn sky was dark with clouds and the rain was so heavy that mud danced over the clearing.

Cinderpaw squeezed up beside her. “Let’s make a dash for it.”

“Okay.” Hollypaw screwed up her eyes and darted out of the den.

Stormfur and Brook crouched beneath Highledge, sharing a soggy robin beneath the sheltering overhang.

“This weather’s too wet even for RiverClan!” Stormfur called in greeting.

Hollypaw paused, blinking the rain from her eyes. “Now I know how fish feel!”

Cinderpaw scooted past her.

“Don’t sit there like a startled rabbit, Hollypaw,” Brook urged. “Find shelter!”

Hollypaw hurried after Cinderpaw and sent up a spray of mucky water as she skidded to a halt by the fresh-kill pile. A few sodden pieces of prey lay plastered in mud. She picked up a sorry-looking mouse and carried it to the shelter of the brambles that crowded one side of the medicine den.

“Yuck!” Cinderpaw dropped a dripping wren on the ground and shook herself. Hollypaw flattened her ears as the spray showered her.