Thunder And Shadow

Squirrelflight’s gaze darkened. “I wouldn’t be so sure. He’s been getting more unreasonable every moon.”

“Will he listen to us?” Alderpaw asked nervously.

“I don’t know,” Leafpool confessed. “That’s why we need to speak with Kestrelflight first. If we can get his support, perhaps he can persuade Onestar to see reason. We have to try. Not just for Twigpaw’s sake, but for Puddleshine’s sake too.” Her eyes glittered with worry. Alderpaw suddenly realized that she must be concerned about her form er apprentice coping alone with the illness that was raging through ShadowClan.

Alderpaw lifted his chin. “When do we leave?”

“The sooner the better,” Bramblestar meowed. “I want Twigpaw home as soon as possible.”

“Can we leave now?” Alderpaw whipped his tail.

“I’m ready if you are,” Leafpool told him.

Nodding good-by e to their Clanmates, they headed out of camp and followed the trail to the WindClan border, as though traveling to the Moonpool. But instead of following the stream uphill, they leaped over it and crossed onto the m oor. Heather crowded around them as they clim bed the slope. Gorse rose ahead, its y ellow buds bright in the afternoon sunshine.

Alderpaw glanced around nervously. “Should we stop and wait for a WindClan patrol to find us?” he asked Leafpool.

“Let’s find them.” She ducked into a swath of heather.

Alderpaw followed. The peaty earth felt soft underpaw, and the prickly fronds scraped his pelt. As they em erged at the far side, Alderpaw glim psed the pale gray-and-white pelt of Gorsetail across a stretch of grass. Emberfoot was with her.

Leafpool halted and lifted her tail. “Hi!” she called across the slope.

The WindClan cats j erked their heads around and stared, anger sparking in their gazes.

Alderpaw m oved closer to Leafpool, his heart pounding.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’re medicine cats, remember?”

She held her tail high as the WindClan cats bounded across the hillside to m eet them.

Emberfoot reached them first, his pelt bristling. “What are you doing on our territory?”

Leafpool m et his gaze, unflinching. “We need to speak with Kestrelflight.”

Gorsetail caught up. “What about?”

Leafpool sniffed. “It’s medicine-cat business.”

Alderpaw blinked at her adm iringly. Wasn’t she afraid? Gorsetail’s and Emberfoot’s ears were flat. Mistrust glittered in their eyes.

Leafpool lifted her chin. “Are you going to take us to him or do we have to find our own way?”

Gorsetail’s ears twitched. “We’ll take y ou,” she growled grudgingly.

Leafpool brushed against Alderpaw as the WindClan cats turned and headed up the slope.

“Stick close to m e,” she whispered.

Alderpaw’s heartbeat thundered in his ears as he followed Gorsetail and Emberfoot into the WindClan camp. Although it was tucked into a dip in the hillside, the wide, grassy clearing felt exposed. Wind whipped over the encircling gorse and tugged at Alderpaw’s fur.

WindClan cats stared from the long grass rippling at the edges of the camp, surprise glinting in their eyes. Breezepelt strode toward them, chest puffed out indignantly. “What are they doing here?”

“They want to speak with Kestrelflight,” Emberfoot told him.

Breezepelt narrowed his eyes.

Nearby, Nightcloud’s gaze flicked nervously toward a den entrance at the head of the clearing.

Was that Onestar’s den?

Gorsetail stopped. She nodded toward an opening in the gorse wall of the camp. “He’s in there.”

Leafpool dipped her head and ducked inside.

Alderpaw followed her quickly, relieved to be out of the wind and hidden from the curious gazes of the WindClan cats.

Kestrelflight was tearing borage leaves into strips and rolling them into tight bundles. He looked up as Leafpool and Alderpaw entered. “What are you doing here?” Surprise edged his mew.

Leafpool whisked her tail. “One medicine cat m ay visit another, surely?”

Kestrelflight glanced nervously toward the den entrance. “Does Onestar know y ou’re here?”

“He probably does by now,” Leafpool answered m atter-of-factly.

Alderpaw looked over his shoulder, half expecting the WindClan leader to barge angrily into the den.

“He won’t be pleased,” Kestrelflight warned.

“We’re not ShadowClan cats,” Leafpool pointed out.

“Onestar doesn’t trust any cat these day s,” Kestrelflight lowered his voice. “Not even his own

Clanmates.”

Leafpool’s eyes rounded. “Why not?”

Kestrelflight looked at his paws, not answering.

“Surely losing a life can’t have affected him so badly?” Leafpool’s ears twitched impatiently.

“Have the rogues done som ething else to unsettle him?”

Kestrelflight bristled defensively. “Wasn’t killing Furzepelt and bringing sickness to the lake enough?”

Leafpool stiffened. “Is the sickness here?”

“Not y et.” Kestrelflight’s eye shone with worry. “But what if it comes?”

Leafpool shrugged. “If Puddleshine’s dream is correct, you have the cure growing right here on y our territory.”

Kestrelflight padded past her to the entrance and peered out as though checking to see if any one was listening. “Is that why y ou’re here?” he whispered, turning back to Leafpool.