Dark River wpot-2

by Erin Hunter

  “Jump this way, Jaypaw!” Hollypaw called from the shore on the far side. “The sand’s a bit soft, but it’s clear.”

  Jaypaw leaped down, landing a little clumsily, but straightened up at once.

  Lionpaw felt a wave of relief.

  “Hurry up, Lionpaw!”

  Berrypaw was trying to push past him. Lionpaw leaped onto the trunk to block his way, but the tree trembled as Berrypaw leaped straight up after him.

  “Come on!” Berrypaw urged.

  Lionpaw felt his denmate’s breath on his heels, hurrying him forward. Clutching tightly with his claws, he scrambled along the tree.

  “There’s no need to rush.” Brackenfur’s warning mew sounded a tail-length behind them. But Berrypaw kept pressing up behind Lionpaw.

  “Stop hanging arou—”

  The apprentice’s mew suddenly turned to a yelp. Lionpaw glanced back to see him sliding off the trunk, his cream pelt plummeting toward the black water.

  Brackenfur lunged forward and grasped Berrypaw by the scruff. Berrypaw jerked and dangled, his paws churning the air, the tip of his thick, cream tail rippling the surface of the lake.

  “Hold still,” Brackenfur grunted through clenched teeth.

  Muscles straining beneath his pelt, the golden warrior heaved Berrypaw up onto the trunk. “I told you not to rush!”

  Lionpaw blinked. Thank StarClan it wasn’t me! He turned and padded the rest of the way, glad that Berrypaw wasn’t still trying to shove past him. The fresh scent of RiverClan drifted from the shore; their patrol must have been heading down to the lake. Lionpaw scanned the edge of the water but saw no sign of them.

  “Is everyone ready?” Firestar called as he, Berrypaw, Brackenfur, and finally Ashfur jumped down onto the beach.

  The cats nodded. Firestar signaled with his tail, and the party began to head into the trees.

  Lionpaw watched Hollypaw’s black pelt disappear into the bracken. His paws tingled with excitement as he prepared to spring after her. But Jaypaw wasn’t moving. He was just staring into the trees. Is he nervous?

  “It’s only bracken,” Lionpaw reassured him. “Just push through. The clearing’s not far.” He rested his tail on Jaypaw’s flank and felt his brother’s muscles, strong and lean, beneath his pelt.

  “Come on, you two!” Hollypaw came crashing back through the bracken. “Why are you dawdling?”

  “Just planning our entrance.” Jaypaw flicked his tail and padded forward.

  The brittle fronds of bracken scratched Lionpaw’s nose as he followed his littermates toward the clearing, but he could feel soft baby fern leaves curled under his paws. New leaves for newleaf.

  “ShadowClan and WindClan are waiting in the clearing,”

  Hollypaw called over her shoulder. “But RiverClan haven’t arrived yet.”

  “They’re on their way,” Lionpaw mewed. “I smelled them from the tree-bridge.”

  Jaypaw lifted his nose. “You’re right.” His whiskers twitched. “But there’s something odd . . .”

  Lionpaw opened his mouth and tasted the fresh scent of

  RiverClan again. It seemed the same as usual to him.

  “Probably just been eating too much fish,” he guessed.

  “Let’s make sure we beat them.” Hollypaw urged them through the bracken and out onto the edge of the clearing.

  As they emerged into the open, Jaypaw stiffened. “Are there always so many cats?” he whispered.

  Lionpaw gazed at the warriors, apprentices, and medicine cat who crowded the clearing. It looked like an ordinary Gathering to him. Was Heatherpaw here?

  “Hey! Kittypet!”

  Whitetail, a WindClan she-cat, was rushing toward Millie.

  Whitetail’s apprentice, Breezepaw, hurried after her, ears flattened. Lionpaw unsheathed his claws, ready to defend his Clanmate.

  “Hi, Millie!” Whitetail rubbed muzzles with Millie and twined her tail with hers as if they were old friends.

  Lionpaw let his claws slide back in.

  “Do they know each other?” Hollypaw gasped.

  Lionpaw shrugged.

  Breezepaw stared wide-eyed as his mentor stepped away from Millie and blinked warmly at her. “Thanks for the rabbit you gave us at the contest,” she purred. “You share like a Clan cat.”

  Millie dipped her head. “It was a day for sharing,” she meowed.

  “It looks like the contest did some good after all,”

  Hollypaw whispered to Lionpaw.

  But another WindClan warrior, Tornear, was staring at

  Millie through narrowed eyes. He clearly didn’t like the sight of his denmate talking with a kittypet. Russetfur was watching, too, pelt bristling as she leaned forward to whisper something into a Clanmate’s ear.

  Breezepaw didn’t say anything, just padded away from his mentor and pushed his way through the busy clearing. Berrypaw and Hazelpaw were chatting with a crowd of ShadowClan and WindClan apprentices. As Breezepaw joined them, Lionpaw’s pelt bristled with expectation. Was Heatherpaw’s pale tabby fur anywhere among the jumble of pelts?

  He couldn’t see her.

  “What are you so disappointed about?” Jaypaw asked.

  Lionpaw stared at him. “D-disappointed?” Jaypaw always had an uncanny way of guessing what he was feeling. “I’m not disappointed!”

  “A mouse on the moor could have heard your tail hit the ground,” Jaypaw mewed.

  “I was hoping to see someone,” Lionpaw admitted.

  Hollypaw flicked her ears anxiously. “Heatherpaw?”

  “Well, you want to see Willowpaw!” he retorted, his fur bristling at her accusing tone.

  “It’s not the same.”

  “Yes, it is!” Lionpaw protested. “We’re just friends.” As he spoke, he smelled a warmly familiar scent. Heatherpaw was racing across the clearing toward him.

  “Lionpaw! You’re here!”

  He felt his heart skip, then glanced nervously at Jaypaw.

  Was he listening to his heartbeat, too? As though burying

  prey ready to taste later, Lionpaw pushed his excitement away. “Hello, Heatherpaw,” he mewed coolly.

  “You don’t sound very pleased to see me.” The WindClan cat’s ears twitched. “I’ve been on my best behavior all moon so that Crowfeather couldn’t possibly leave me behind.”

  Lionpaw felt a flash of guilt about his lack of enthusiasm.

  Then anger pricked his paws. Why should he feel guilty? She was just a friend. “I’m glad you made it,” he mewed.

  Hollypaw stepped in front of him and lightly brushed muzzles with Heatherpaw. “StarClan have given us fine weather again,” she mewed politely.

  “You brought your brother!” Heatherpaw’s eyes shone as she noticed Jaypaw. Jealousy ran like cold water along Lionpaw’s spine. He wished she hadn’t been around to watch Jaypaw rescue him from the collapsed badger set.

  He was almost grateful when Jaypaw snapped at her hotly,

  “Nobody brought me! I came with my Clan!”

  “Of course,” Heatherpaw mewed at once. “I’m sorry. I know you can travel by yourself. It’s just—”

  “Jaypaw!” Leafpool’s call rescued Heatherpaw from her flustered apology. “Come and join us!” She was sitting with Barkface and Mothwing.

  Lionpaw watched Jaypaw weave his way over to the other medicine cats. “Take no notice of Jaypaw,” he mewed to Heatherpaw. “He’s as grumpy as a badger.”

  “Who’s grumpy?”

  Lionpaw jerked around to see who had spoken. His heart plummeted when he saw Breezepaw padding toward them.

  “You’re not going to waste your time chatting to these two, are you?” The black-pelted WindClan apprentice sat down beside Heatherpaw. “Ivypaw and Owlpaw have just challenged Berrypaw to a competition to see who can jump the highest.”

  He licked a forepaw and drew it over his ear.

  “Why don’t you go and watch it, then?” Heatherpaw replied.

  “Why don’t you come with me?” A
challenging glint sparked in Breezepaw’s eye.

  Lionpaw heard the ferns rustling and smelled a familiar tang. “RiverClan is here,” he mewed.

  Hollypaw stretched up on tiptoe beside him to watch RiverClan file into the clearing.

  Something seemed wrong. Their tails were down and their ears were flat back. Jaypaw’s words buzzed in Lionpaw’s ears. There’s something odd. . . .

  Hollypaw narrowed her eyes. “Leopardstar doesn’t look very happy.”

  The golden tabby she-cat was touching muzzles with Firestar, but her tail flicked impatiently, her gaze flitting around the clearing.

  “Hollypaw!” Willowpaw broke away from her Clanmates and hurried to greet Hollypaw. “I can’t stay.” The RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was out of breath. “I have to join Mothwing. But I just wanted to say hello.”

  “Is everything okay?” Hollypaw asked. “With your Clan, I mean. It’s just that you all seem a bit—”

  At that moment, Crowfeather padded over to join them.

  Lionpaw’s whiskers twitched with frustration. Would he

  never get a moment alone with Heatherpaw?

  “Heatherpaw,” the WindClan warrior greeted his apprentice briskly. “Why don’t you go and talk to some of the apprentices from the other Clans? This is a good chance to get to know different cats.” His gaze flickered over Lionpaw and Hollypaw.

  “Come on,” Breezepaw urged. “Let’s see if Ivypaw out-jumped Berrypaw.”

  Heatherpaw glanced at Lionpaw, then shrugged. “Okay, then.”

  Lionpaw’s tail stirred the needle-strewn earth behind him as he watched Crowfeather and Breezepaw guide her away.

  “Let all the Clans gather beneath StarClan!”

  Blackstar’s loud meow sounded from the Great Oak. The four leaders were lined along the lowest branch, silhouettes in the moonlight, their eyes shining in the dark. Lionpaw hurried after Hollypaw as she pushed her way in among her Clanmates and sat down beside Brackenfur. Lionpaw squeezed in front of her and sat beside Ashfur.

  “Hey!” Hollypaw hissed. “Keep your head down. I want to see.”

  Lionpaw ducked, suddenly realizing that he was larger than his sister now, outpacing her in size if nothing else as they grew with the passing moons.

  “ShadowClan brings happy news,” Blackstar announced.

  “We have three new kits born to Tawnypelt.”

  Meows of congratulations rose from the crowd, the loudest from Squirrelflight. “Well done, Tawnypelt!”

  Blackstar went on. “They are named Flamekit, Dawnkit, and Tigerkit!”

  The meows died in the throats of the older warriors at the name Tigerkit. Lionpaw blinked. How could Tigerstar still frighten them when he was nothing but a memory from long ago and far away? They were as superstitious as owls!

  “If they’re Tawnypelt’s kits,” he whispered over his shoulder to Hollypaw, “they’ll be our kin!” It felt odd to have kin in another Clan. For the first time he tried to imagine how his father must feel about Tawnypelt. She was Brambleclaw’s sister, yet she had found her destiny with another Clan. Had he ever had to face her in a fight?

  “Anything else to report?” Firestar’s voice jolted Lionpaw from his daydreaming.

  “Did I miss anything?” Lionpaw glanced back at his sister.

  She shook her head, but her eyes were shaded with worry.

  Blackstar had tucked his tail over his paws and was looking satisfied. Onestar turned his head from the ThunderClan leader, signaling he had nothing to say.

  Firestar nodded. “All has been well with ThunderClan, too.” He turned to the RiverClan leader. “Leopardstar? You’ve shared no news.”

  “There’s no news to share,” she meowed curtly. “The fish are returning to the edge of the lake. Hunting is good. My Clan is well.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it,” Firestar replied.

  “Then the Gathering is over,” Leopardstar declared.

  The Clans began to pad away from the Great Oak as their

  leaders bounded down from the low branch. Lionpaw stretched, feeling cold from sitting still.

  Hazelpaw nudged him with her muzzle. “Three new ShadowClan cats!” she mewed. “We’re going to have to train harder than ever!” She began to follow her Clanmates across the clearing.

  Lionpaw hurried after her. “But they’re only kits.”

  “Kits become warriors!” Hazelpaw reminded him.

  Lionpaw felt Hollypaw pressing beside him. Her pelt was bristling. “Do you think we’ll ever have to fight them?” she whispered anxiously.

  “Let’s not talk about fighting now.” Squirrelflight had joined them and overheard. “Three kits are a blessing to any Clan.” She was clearly pleased at Tawnypelt’s news.

  Leafpool caught up, Jaypaw at her side. “I noticed Tawnypelt was expecting last time I saw her.”

  Squirrelflight looked surprised. “You never mentioned it.”

  “It was not for me to say when it still lay in the paws of StarClan,” Leafpool answered.

  “Besides, it was none of your business!” A gruff mew startled the cats.

  Lionpaw turned to see Rowanclaw, a ginger ShadowClan warrior, staring at them with narrowed eyes. He must be the father.

  Squirrelflight returned his gaze. “Congratulations, Rowanclaw. You are blessed to have three healthy kits.”

  Rowanclaw curled his lip. “Three healthy Clanborn kits,” he growled.

  “That is only a blessing if they remain loyal to the Clan they were born to,” Squirrelflight pointed out sharply, letting her temper flare.

  Rowanclaw let out a low growl.

  Leafpool stepped between the two warriors. “There’s no need to argue.”

  “He was only speaking the truth.”

  Who said that? Lionpaw snapped his head around. Breezepaw!

  The WindClan apprentice was standing beside his father.

  Crowfeather was staring at Leafpool, his eyes glittering.

  “Don’t forget, Breezepaw, ThunderClan actually celebrates mixed blood.”

  Leafpool jerked her head backward as though Crowfeather had raked his claws across her muzzle. She turned quickly and hurried away.

  “He’s acting like there’s something wrong with ThunderClan!” Lionpaw unsheathed his claws, then felt his mother’s tail run along his flank.

  “Come along, Lionpaw. Don’t forget the truce.” She pressed against Lionpaw and padded toward the edge of the clearing, steering him away from Crowfeather, Breezepaw, and Rowanclaw.

  Lionpaw glared over his shoulder at the three cats, wishing he could ignore the stupid truce and rip a piece of fur from each of them.

  “Lionpaw!” Heatherpaw was bounding toward him.

  “What?” Lionpaw stopped and faced Heatherpaw.

  Squirrelflight paused beside him.

  Heatherpaw gazed up at her. “Can I speak to Lionpaw, please?”

  Squirrelflight’s ears twitched, but she nodded. “Don’t be long.” She padded into the bracken after Leafpool, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw.

  “Please don’t be angry,” Heatherpaw begged. “Crowfeather’s always bad-tempered. It’s just his way. And Breezepaw thinks he’s a warrior already.”

  “But you heard what they said about mixed blood in ThunderClan! They just can’t let it go, can they?”

  “Maybe they can’t, but can we forget it?” Heatherpaw’s eyes were shining. “I’ve got a plan.”

  “To get back at them?”

  Heatherpaw’s eyes widened. “Of course not! They’re my Clanmates!” She flicked her tail. “My plan is something else entirely.”

  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?”

  “A
t 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 excit

  ing. 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.”