Outcast

“I’ll say good-bye for you.” Heatherpaw darted forward and touched her nose to Breezepaw’s shoulder. “And don’t worry. You’ll have some amazing stories to tell us when you come back.”

Breezepaw didn’t look as if the idea cheered him up.

A black she-cat emerged from the group of WindClan cats; Hollypaw recognized Crowfeather’s mate, Nightcloud.

She brushed her pelt against Crowfeather’s. “Take care,” she meowed.

Crowfeather gave her ear a quick lick, but Hollypaw noticed that his eyes were gazing into the distance.

Squirrelflight dipped her head to Onestar and thanked him. Then Crowfeather led the way up the slope and out of the WindClan camp. As they trekked across the moor he still looked sour, and Breezepaw sulked all the way, refusing to talk to Hollypaw even when she tried to be friendly.

I don’t think this journey is going to be much fun after all, Hollypaw thought gloomily.

Chapter 13

Jaypaw shivered in the dawn chill. The sharp scent of the traveling herbs wreathed around him, almost masking the scent of Leafpool as she worked beside him in the medicine cat’s den.

Stifling a yawn, he thought back to his dreams of the night before, full of strange scents, jagged rocks, and unfamiliar cats, and the screech of warriors meeting in battle. He had lost count of the number of times he had jerked awake, his heart pounding until he realized that he was curled up in his own nest of ferns. Nothing in the dreams made any sense to him, and he flicked his tail impatiently. What’s the point of dreaming if I don’t learn anything?

Soft sounds filtered through the bramble screen as the cats in the clearing began to wake up. Jaypaw couldn’t remember the hollow ever being so full, with the WindClan and ShadowClan cats as well as the visitors from the Tribe. It was just as well the night had been warm enough for some of them to sleep in the open; the WindClan cats especially were used to that. Jaypaw’s claws slid out as he remembered his dismay when he discovered that Breezepaw had come along with his father.

I can’t stand that arrogant, mange-ridden excuse for a cat!

He would never forget how useless Breezepaw had been when they were trapped underground. It was no wonder that the tunnels had been sealed up, so Jaypaw couldn’t reach Rock and Fallen Leaves anymore. What could you expect when Breezepaw hadn’t shown any sense or respect?

“Jaypaw, what are you daydreaming about?” Leafpool’s voice broke into Jaypaw’s thoughts. “You can start taking these herbs out to the cats who are leaving.”

“Don’t you want to do that?” Jaypaw was surprised; the Tribe cats would probably want a medicine cat to explain to them what they were eating.

“No.” Leafpool sounded agitated. “I’ve got to check these herbs one more time.”

Rubbish! Jaypaw thought. It doesn’t take all this fuss to make up a few traveling herbs. But he just picked up the first portion of herbs and padded out into the clearing.

The scent of the herbs in his jaws made it harder to locate the cats, but after a couple of heartbeats he pinpointed a group of them just outside the warriors’ den: Crowfeather, Breezepaw, Squirrelflight, and Tawnypelt.

Jaypaw padded up to them and dropped the herbs at Crowfeather’s paws. “Traveling herbs,” he mewed.

“Thank you.” There was a tension about Crowfeather that Jaypaw didn’t understand; it felt like more than the natural anticipation of the journey. Who knows what goes on in the minds of those weird WindClan cats?

Returning to his den, he was tempted by the thought of sneaking something disgusting into Breezepaw’s traveling herbs. A few yarrow leaves, maybe. The first part of their journey would be around the lake on WindClan territory; if Breezepaw started being sick, they would have to leave him behind.

Or maybe he’d just delay the rest of us. Jaypaw considered the punishment he’d receive if any cat found out what he’d done. He’d be made to stay at home, for sure. The risk wasn’t worth it.

He went on dividing up the herbs. Soon the Tribe cats appeared with Stormfur and Brook and joined the others by the warriors’ den.

“What’s this?” Talon queried when Jaypaw put down his share of the herbs.

“Traveling herbs,” Jaypaw replied. “They’ll make you stronger, and you won’t feel so hungry.”

“Are you sure?” Jaypaw pictured the cave-guard prodding the herbs suspiciously with one paw. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“Stoneteller never heard of them, either,” Night agreed.

Jaypaw heard her sniffing at the little pile of leaves.

“For StarClan’s sake!” he snapped. “Just eat them. We’re not trying to poison you.”