River Of Fire

Velvet slipped through the crowd to stand in front of him, and Alderheart followed, along with Fuzzball, who scurried across from the medicine cats’ den. Jayfeather followed with a curious look on his face.

“Hi, Ajax,” Velvet mewed, dipping her head toward him.

“Hi!” Fuzzball added, with an excited little bounce. “It’s great to see you, Ajax.”

“Thank goodness I’ve found you,” Ajax responded. “I thought I’d be wandering around this creepy forest all night. I’ve come to tell you that your housefolk are back, and they’ve fixed their dens after the fire. Won’t you come home where it’s safe?”

“Oh, we’re fine here!” Fuzzball exclaimed. “I’ve had such a great time with these wild cats, and now I can hunt and fight just like they can. And I’ve learned about all sorts of herbs.”

Alderheart spotted several cats exchanging amused glances at the little tom’s enthusiastic boasting.

“But I’ve really missed my housefolk,” Fuzzball went on. “And they’ll be so happy to see me.” Blinking happily, he gazed around at the cats gathered around him. “Thanks for being such great friends. Especially you, Jayfeather.”

Alderheart gave Velvet a long look. I’m really going to miss her, he thought.

“That’s good news, that you can go home now,” Bramblestar meowed firmly. “But since it’s getting dark, you’re welcome to stay the night and leave in the morning.” His brisk tone made it quite clear that the two kittypets weren’t invited to think about staying any longer with the Clan.

“I’m not sure about this,” Ajax muttered as Velvet and Fuzzball led him over to the apprentices’ den. “It’s dark and crowded in there,” he added as he peered through the ferns, wrinkling his nose at the scent of Clan cats. “I don’t want to get fleas.”

“We offer him a bed for the night, and he fusses about fleas,” Sparkpelt murmured to Alderheart. “Does he think we’re rogues?”

Fuzzball had dashed over to the fresh-kill pile and returned with a large thrush. “Look,” he mewed to Ajax, “I’ve brought you some prey.”

Ajax stared at the bird, clearly struggling to stay polite. “It’s got feathers,” he choked out after a moment.

“Well, yes, it’s a bird,” Fuzzball responded. “Don’t you want it?”

“Er . . . no, I’ll pass, thanks,” Ajax told him. “I had a big meal earlier, so I’m not really hungry.”

“Your friend is a bit . . . strange,” Alderheart meowed to Velvet. He had fetched a vole to share with her, and they crouched side by side to eat in the gathering twilight.

“I know,” Velvet replied. “But he’s a good friend to come so far to find us. I know he doesn’t like to stray too far from his housefolk.”

“Do you want to get back to your housefolk?” Alderheart asked her.

For a moment Velvet hesitated, and Alderheart felt his heart lift in the hope that she would stay. I know that would be a really bad idea, but still . . .

“Yes,” Velvet finally responded with a sigh. “But there are some parts of Clan life that I’m going to miss.”

As she spoke, she gave Alderheart a shy, sideways glance, and he realized that she was talking about him. Not sure how to react to her, he concentrated on gulping down his share of the vole.

Later that night, Alderheart couldn’t sleep. The den seemed empty without Velvet sleeping close by him. He tossed and turned in his bedding, feeling hotter and more uncomfortable with every heartbeat. He was fearful of disturbing Jayfeather and Rosepetal, but finally he couldn’t stand being in the den any longer. Rising to his paws, he slipped stealthily past the bramble screen. Out in the open, he stood drinking in the cool night air and gazing up at the frosty glitter of Silverpelt splashed across the sky.

A quiver in his whiskers told Alderheart that some cat was standing beside him; he turned his head to see Jayfeather.

“You may think it would be better, easier, outside of the medicine cats’ den,” his fellow medicine cat meowed. “But it won’t.”

“What do you mean?” Alderheart asked, his eyes widening in confusion.

“I know you and Velvet are starting to care for each other.” Jayfeather’s tone was dry and unemotional. “And I know how that story usually ends.”

“But I—” Alderheart began.

“I understand,” Jayfeather interrupted. “Your feelings aren’t wrong, but acting on them would be wrong. A mate and kits can’t be part of a medicine cat’s life. Your responsibilities to the Clan mean that you stand as a father to them, and they need to be your focus. You know Leafpool’s my mother, right? You’ve heard that story?”

Alderheart nodded, and tried once more to speak, but Jayfeather forestalled him.

“Leafpool decided to fall in love and have kits,” he went on. “Then she had to pretend that they were Squirrelflight’s, and Squirrelflight went along with that because she loved her sister. That decision ruined part of my life, and my littermates’—especially my sister’s life, because Hollyleaf killed Ashfur to keep the secret.”