The Apprentice's Quest

“But Sandstorm told Alderpaw there was still time to succeed on his quest,” Leafpool pointed out, her eyes briefly shadowed as she named her dead mother. “And then she told him how to find the kits. I think they could well be

‘what you find in the shadows,’ and if we embrace them, the ‘sky will clear.’”

“Alderpaw, what do you think?”

Squirrelflight asked.

Alderpaw blinked nervously at being put on the spot. “They could be,” he replied, “but I think it’s too soon to be sure. We’ll know more when the kits grow older.”

“Well said,” Bramblestar mewed approvingly. “And that means we shouldn’t give the kits up.”

Jayfeather let out a snort. “I can’t see ShadowClan agreeing to that! And much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. As Alderpaw tells it, Needlepaw was at least half responsible for finding the kits, and so ShadowClan has a claim on them.”

“That may be true,” Bramblestar agreed with a sigh, “but we’ll wait and see what’s said at the Gathering.”

“We know what ShadowClan will say.”

Jayfeather twitched his whiskers. “Even though the last thing Rowanstar needs is two more young cats to keep track of.”

Bramblestar let out a rumble of amusement from deep in his chest.

Alderpaw couldn’t share it. The mention of ShadowClan had made him think of Needlepaw.

…

A chilly wind ruffled the surface of the lake, breaking up the reflection of the full moon, which floated serenely in the sky above.

Branches creaked and rustled in the blast, and dead leaves whirled through the air.

Alderpaw fluffed out his fur against the cold as he padded along the lakeshore with his Clanmates. Violetkit rode on his back, her tiny claws digging deep into his pelt. Beside him, Sparkpaw was carrying Twigkit.

“I don’t think RiverClan and WindClan know anything about our quest to find SkyClan, or ‘what you find in the shadows,’” she meowed to Alderpaw. “Won’t they be surprised! I mean, that we found what lies in the shadows, anyway.

They’ll be furious enough to claw their own ears off when they discover that a ThunderClan cat found it.”

“But Bramblestar isn’t completely sure the prophecy refers to these kits,” Alderpaw pointed out mildly.

“You mean he won’t say,” Sparkpaw responded. She gave an excited bounce, nearly dislodging Twigkit, who let out a squeak of alarm.

“Oops, sorry, Twigkit.

Anyway,” Sparkpaw continued, “the kits totally are what you find in the shadows, and you’d have to be the stupidest furball in the forest not to know it!”

Alderpaw blinked contentedly and let her chatter on as they splashed through the stream and followed Bramblestar and the senior warriors alongside the lake through WindClan territory. It was good to be with Sparkpaw again and to bask in her cheerful confidence, after all the dangers they had suffered.

They were drawing near to the edge of WindClan territory when Alderpaw spotted Onestar and his cats streaming down the hillside and heading around the lake ahead of them, past the horseplace.

“Who are all those cats?” Violetkit asked, sounding nervous.

“Oh, that’s WindClan,” Alderpaw replied.

“Has no cat told you about the Clans?”

Sparkpaw asked. “They should have! Honestly… Well,” she went on, obviously delighted to show off her knowledge to the kits, “there are four Clans around the lake. We’re ThunderClan—we’re the best! Those skinny rabbit-chasers up ahead are WindClan, and then there’s RiverClan and ShadowClan. You’ll meet cats from all of them tonight.”

“Yes, all the Clans meet at the full moon.

It’s called the Gathering,” Alderpaw added. “On that island in the lake—can you see it?” He waved his tail toward the dark bulk of the island.

“I’m scared!” Twigkit mewed. “I don’t want to meet so many cats.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of,” Sparkpaw told her briskly. “Cats never fight at a

Gathering. In fact, you’re both very lucky. Kits aren’t usually allowed to go to Gatherings.

You’re only here because you’re special.”

“Think what you’ll have to tell Leafkit, Larkkit, and Honeykit when you get home,” Alderpaw meowed. If you get home, he added silently.

Twigkit and Violetkit clung on tightly as Alderpaw and Sparkpaw carried them across the tree-bridge to the island. Pushing through the bushes to reach the clearing around the Great

Oak, Alderpaw saw the open space filled with cats. The scents of the other three Clans hung heavily in the air, and he realized that ThunderClan was the last Clan to arrive.

He and Sparkpaw settled down with the kits in the shelter of a bush at the edge of the clearing, while the kits gazed around with huge eyes.

“I didn’t think there were so many cats in the world!” Violetkit mewed.

Almost at once

Alderpaw spotted Needlepaw at the far side of the clearing beyond the Great Oak. Her eyes widened at the sight of Alderpaw with the kits.

Alderpaw expected her to cross the clearing to meet him, but she didn’t move until a white