by Erin Hunter
“Bees!” Frecklepaw exclaimed, her whiskers quivering. “Honey is so good for soothing sore throats. And for binding poultices together.”
Leafstar couldn’t resist a glance at Ebonyclaw, expecting to see the black she-cat looking annoyed. Instead, she caught a resigned eye-roll from Frecklepaw’s mentor. Maybe Frecklepaw is meant to be a medicine cat after all.
“No, Frecklepaw! Get back!”
Shrewtooth’s urgent yowl made Leafstar jump. She spun around to see that Frecklepaw had started to climb the tree, her gaze fixed on the hole in the trunk. Shrewtooth’s warning startled the apprentice; she lost her balance and grabbed at the nearest branch.
There was a loud crack. The branch Frecklepaw was holding gave way, and she half fell, half leaped to the ground in a tumble of mottled brown fur. The low humming of the bees grew to a high-pitched, angry buzzing. More and more of them poured out of the hole in a swelling cloud, reaching out toward the cats like a dark paw.
“Run!” Leafstar screeched.
She pushed the dazed Frecklepaw in front of her as the patrol fled back to the gorge. Her heart pounded as the striped black-and-yellow bodies whirled around her head, and she braced herself for the stab of their vicious stings. The swarm pursued them all the way, a threatening storm that hovered over them, occasionally darting down in a noisy frond to strike. Ebonyclaw let out a yowl as a bee stung her ear, flailing her tail wildly to try to keep them off.
As the patrol bounded over the Rockpile, the cats who still remained in the gorge sprang up in alarm. Clovertail, roused from a doze outside Echosong’s den, let out a terrified wail. Tangle and Lichenfur slid out their claws as if this was an enemy they could attack. Echosong shot out of her den and gazed upward, her fur bristling.
“Into the water!” Leafstar yowled. “Quick!”
As her paws hit the ground at the foot of the Rockpile she launched herself at Tangle and Lichenfur, pushing them into the river. Tangle let out an outraged screech that ended in a splutter as Lichenfur shoved his head under. Echosong was helping Clovertail. Shrewtooth, Ebonyclaw, and Frecklepaw ran into the water without breaking stride and ducked their heads under the surface.
Leafstar followed them, crouching at the edge of the river with just her nose and eyes out of the water. She shivered at the cold touch of the current that threatened to carry her off her paws. Thank StarClan that most of the Clan are out on patrol! And that Fallowfern and her kits are safely in the nursery!
The bees buzzed furiously overhead; Leafstar thought she could hear their frustration that their prey had escaped. They circled around the pool, hovering low over the surface, but there was nothing for them to attack. After what felt like several moons, the swarm bunched together again and flew away.
Leafstar hauled herself out of the pool; her fur felt heavy and water streamed from it, pooling around her paws. The rest of her Clanmates dragged themselves onto the bank; they looked thin and bedraggled with their pelts plastered to their sides.
“What were you trying to drown me for?” Tangle snapped at Lichenfur.
“Next time I’ll let you get stung,” the old she-cat muttered.
Echosong was staring around at the drenched cats, speechless with shock. Leafstar couldn’t understand what was bothering her; she was usually far quicker than this to react to an emergency.
“Hey, what happened?”
The voice came from the other side of the river; Leafstar looked up to see Harveymoon and Macgyver, carrying bundles of moss from the cave and staring down in amazement at their sodden Clanmates.
“Bee attack,” Tangle grunted.
“Bee attack?” Harveymoon echoed, his eyes bulging from his head. “How did that happen?”
“It was an accident, but it’s over now. Take the moss to Fallowfern,” Leafstar told the daylight-warriors. “Tell her to keep her kits in the nursery in case there are any bees hanging around. I’ll come up and see them in a moment.”
As Harveymoon and Macgyver raced off, Leafstar realized that almost all the cats were hurt. Clovertail had a sting dangerously close to her eye; it was swelling fast as she pawed at it with whimpers of pain. Ebonyclaw was circling, trying to reach a bite on her rump, while Shrewtooth was biting at his forepaw in a vain attempt to get the sting out.
Leafstar padded over to Echosong. “Don’t these cats need help?” she prompted, giving the medicine cat a gentle prod on her shoulder.
Echosong jumped. “Yes, of course. Sorry, Leafstar.” She padded forward, beckoning her Clanmates with her tail. “Line up here so I can take your stings out,” she instructed. “Don’t scratch them; you’ll only make it worse. Frecklepaw, are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine,” the apprentice replied, pattering up.
“Then you can help me. Go into my den and fetch some blackberry leaves.”
Frecklepaw gave herself a good shake, scattering water droplets everywhere, before plunging into Echosong’s den.
Seeing that everything was under control, Leafstar padded away to check on the nursery. “Come and see me later!” Echosong called after her.
Leafstar waved her tail in acknowledgment and headed up the trail. To her relief, none of the swarm had found their way into the nursery.
“It’s not fair!” Plumkit complained. “We never got to see the bees.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to,” Fallowfern assured her. “We’re very lucky that we were safe in here.”
When Leafstar returned to the bottom of the gorge, she discovered that Sharpclaw had returned with his hunting patrol; Shrewtooth was reporting on how Frecklepaw had disturbed the bees.
“It’s a good thing it was no worse,” Sharpclaw commented, glancing over to where Echosong was treating the cats who had been stung. “Do you think we should do something?” he asked Leafstar as she padded up.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” Leafstar replied, “unless you want to try moving a whole swarm of bees. No, we’ll just have to stay well clear, and reset the border markers to keep all the cats away from the tree.”
Sharpclaw let out an annoyed hiss. “You’re right—but I hate losing territory.”
“Leafstar! Leafstar!” Frecklepaw came bounding over, her eyes wide and troubled, the sharp scent of blackberry leaves clinging to her fur. “I’m so sorry. It was all my fault. It was stupid to climb that tree.”
Leafstar touched the apprentice’s shoulder with the tip of her tail. “It wasn’t the best idea you’ve ever had, but you were right that honey is very useful for Echosong. It’s a pity we can’t get any from there.”
“Next time think before you act, or ask your mentor,” Sharpclaw added, though he didn’t sound as scathing as Leafstar had expected, seeing that he was speaking to a daylight-warrior.
Frecklepaw nodded. “I will, I promise.”
Leafstar glanced toward the medicine cat’s den to see that she had finished treating the injured cats: Shrewtooth was just limping away from her, to flop down beside the river and begin to groom his damp fur.
At least the sun will soon dry us off, Leafstar thought.
She bounded over to the medicine cat’s den as Echosong was heading inside with the remains of the blackberry leaves. “You wanted to talk to me?” she asked.
“Yes, I—” Echosong broke off, staring at Leafstar’s shoulder. “You’ve got a sting in there,” she murmured. “Hold still while I get it out.”
“I never even realized,” Leafstar meowed, while Echosong parted her fur and delicately removed the sting with her teeth.
The medicine cat chewed up some of the blackberry leaves and patted the poultice onto Leafstar’s shoulder. “The bee attack meant something else,” she told Leafstar while her head was still bent over the wound. “It was a sign.”
Leafstar blinked. “What sort of sign? Does it mean that Frecklepaw shouldn’t be a medicine cat?”
Echosong shook her head. “No, it’s more serious than that.” Hesitating, she stared out across the gorge, as if sh
e was seeing something more distant than the cliffs opposite. “It was definitely a sign,” she went on at last, “but I don’t know exactly what it means. Maybe you do.”
She cast a glance at Leafstar as if she was acknowledging that they hadn’t been so close lately, that Leafstar might well know something that she hadn’t shared with her medicine cat. Leafstar couldn’t think of anything to say. She hadn’t been keeping secrets from Echosong, had she? She doesn’t know you saw Billystorm in the Twolegplace last night.
“There is trouble somewhere, far off now. A great battle between cats who believe they are right and cats who believe they have been wronged beyond all measure.” Echosong spoke unexpectedly, in a voice that sounded as if it was coming from far away. “If we don’t act, it will come to us. A force of pain and violence, seething with rage, will come right into the gorge, and there will be no escape, not even the river. Our Clan will be devastated, and the quarrel will become ours.”
Leafstar felt a chill run through her from ears to tail-tip, as if a storm cloud had covered the sun. Echosong, no. Don’t tell me this.…
Echosong looked at her leader, her beautiful green eyes troubled. “Does that make any sense to you?” she asked, her voice sounding normal again. “Is there a battle we can fight somewhere else, before it comes to our camp?”
CHAPTER 33
Leafstar fluffed up her fur against the dawn chill. The sky was pale gold where the sun would come up, but shadows still lay thick in the gorge. From where she sat on the Rockpile, she could watch her warriors as they slipped silently out of their dens and gathered beside the pool.
She and Sharpclaw had arrived first, followed almost at once by the four Twolegplace cats. They stood huddled together; Leafstar remembered the hope that flared in their eyes when she gave them her decision the night before; now they just looked anxious, murmuring quietly to one another.
Sparrowpelt and Cherrytail stood side by side, their pelts brushing, while Shrewtooth paced nervously up and down the riverbank. Leafstar hoped she was right to include the young black tom on this mission. But he’s started to show such promise. I want to give him a chance to prove himself.
Rockshade was saying farewell to his littermates, Bouncefire and Tinycloud. “I guess we’ll be back in a few days,” he meowed, trying and failing to sound cheerful.
“It’s not fair!” Tinycloud exclaimed enviously. “Why do you get to go and we don’t?”
There was a sudden patter of paws as Fallowfern’s kits scampered down the trail and hurled themselves at Waspwhisker while he was padding toward the meeting place.
“No! You can’t go!” Plumkit squealed.
“We’ll miss you.” Nettlekit pushed his head into his father’s shoulder. “What if you never come back?”
All four of the kits set up a loud wail.
“That’s enough,” Waspwhisker told them, nuzzling each kit in turn. “Of course I’m coming back. And you have to look after your mother while I’m away. Make sure you do everything she tells you.”
“We will!” Creekkit promised.
Waspwhisker’s gaze met his mate’s as Fallowfern padded up to him. “Take care,” she whispered.
“Of course I will.” The two cats stood with their tails twining for a moment before Waspwhisker turned away and went to join Sharpclaw and the others.
Leafstar’s whiskers twitched as she spotted a pale shape slipping into the midst of the cats. What’s Egg doing? I said that no apprentices were to come. She thought that the cream tom was trying to stay unnoticed, but Sharpclaw’s eyes were sharper than that.
“Egg? What are you doing here? Didn’t you hear Leafstar say no apprentices?”
Egg shouldered through the cluster of cats until he could face his mentor. “But Sharpclaw—”
“I don’t have time for this,” the deputy interrupted, waving him away with a swift lash of his tail.
“I’ve been in Twolegplaces before,” Egg went on, his voice growing louder until Leafstar could hear him clearly from where she stood on the Rockpile. “And I’m just as old and strong as some of the warriors, even though I haven’t finished my training. You know this, Sharpclaw. You said as much when I did my assessment the other day.”
Sharpclaw paused, unusually hesitant, while his gaze traveled over the young tom. “That’s true…”
“I really want to come.” Egg kneaded the ground with his forepaws. “I want to prove my loyalty to SkyClan.”
Sharpclaw hesitated for a heartbeat longer, then turned to look up at Leafstar. “What do you think?”
Leafstar gazed down at the eager apprentice. It was true that he was strong; his thin frame had filled out since he had lived with the Clan, and his muscles swelled beneath his sleek pelt. And she had watched him in training; he was swift and agile in battle, easily outmatching the other apprentices.
“Very well,” she meowed. “You can come, Egg. But remember, Sharpclaw is your mentor. You must do as he tells you.”
“I will!” Egg promised, his eyes shining. “Thanks, Leafstar, Sharpclaw. You won’t be sorry.” He dipped his head to Leafstar and went to stand beside Rockshade.
The cats who were to leave the gorge were all gathered beside the pool, their Clanmates standing a little way off to bid them farewell. Sharpclaw padded over to Patchfoot, who would be in charge while the Clan leader and the deputy were away. Leafstar could see that Sharpclaw was giving the black-and-white tom some final instructions, but they were too far away for her to hear what they said.
Tension hung over the gorge like mist. Leafstar could read it in the bristling fur and jerky movements of the cats who were leaving, and in the somber gazes of those who were left behind. Letting out a long sigh, she lifted her head to the fading stars. “Please let this be the right thing to do,” she murmured. “Bring all my cats safe home again.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
For a heartbeat, Leafstar thought that a warrior of StarClan had answered her. Then she recognized the voice; opening her eyes, she spun around to see Billystorm standing on the Rockpile a little way below her. Her heart swelled with joy as she realized that he was looking at her warmly, if with a wariness that she hadn’t seen before.
“It means a lot, actually,” she managed to reply, giving him a nod of welcome. “Thank you.”
Billystorm stepped up onto the rock beside her. “I—I want to apologize,” he meowed.
Surprise rippled through Leafstar. “What for?”
“I wasn’t fair to you,” the ginger-and-white tom replied. “Above everything else, you are leader of SkyClan. Which means you are my leader, and you have my loyalty, always.”
Leafstar caught her breath. Did this mean he had forgiven her for being bound by her duty to their Clan? She longed to brush her pelt against Billystorm and twine her tail with his, but this was not the time. Lowering her head, she murmured, “Thank you.”
“I want to come with you,” Billystorm announced.
Leafstar blinked in surprise. “You don’t have to.”
“Why?” Billystorm’s voice was challenging. “Because I’m half kittypet? But I’m half warrior, too. And when I’m here, I’m all warrior. As one of your warriors, I wish to help these cats.”
Leafstar gazed at him. Suddenly she felt more confident at the idea that she could set out on this mission with Billystorm beside her. She had never considered including the daylight-warriors. This wasn’t like leaving them out of Clan activities; this was a dangerous expedition into unknown territory, and that made it harder for the kittypets than for any other cat.
“What about your housefolk?”
“You mean if I don’t come back?” Billystorm’s green gaze burned into Leafstar. “I have no more to lose than any of my Clanmates. We all have something precious that we risk losing every time we fight.”
Leafstar could not meet that intense stare. She turned her head away, and Billystorm let out a small trill of satisfaction, as if he r
ecognized that she had agreed.
Down below, Sharpclaw was gathering the patrol together, ready to head downstream. Echosong had emerged from her den and was distributing traveling herbs to give the warriors strength for their journey.
“It’s time to go,” Leafstar mewed.
She leaped down from the Rockpile; as Billystorm was about to follow he checked and pointed with his tail at a dead mouse that she had left lying at the very summit of the rocks. “You forgot your fresh-kill.”
Leafstar glanced back. “Some other cat will eat it.” StarClan, please take this food and watch over us.
Sharpclaw flicked his ears in surprise at Billystorm’s presence as he and Leafstar joined the patrol. Leafstar nodded, braced to argue with her deputy, but he made no comment.
“Stick, you lead the way,” he ordered, waving his tail at the Twolegplace cat.
Stick padded downriver until he could cross by the stepping-stones. As the patrol lined up to follow, Cora paused in front of Leafstar.
“Thank you for doing this,” she meowed.
“Thank us all later,” Leafstar responded.
She was waiting for her turn to cross when Echosong came over to her with a mouthful of traveling herbs. She looked even more troubled than when she had told Leafstar about the sign on the previous day. Leafstar knew that she felt entirely responsible for SkyClan’s getting involved in the problems of the Twolegplace cats.
“I know this is what StarClan wants us to do,” Leafstar reassured her, wishing that she felt as certain as she sounded. “They will watch over us.”
Echosong nodded, though her troubled gaze did not clear. “May StarClan light your path,” she whispered as she stretched forward to touch noses with her Clan leader. “I will await your return.”
Leafstar dipped her head and joined the long line of cats who were crossing the river and climbing the trail that led out of the gorge.
The sun rose before the cats had gone far along the edge of the cliffs. The pale blue of the sky deepened; fluffy white clouds floated across it on a gentle breeze. Leafstar silently thanked StarClan that they had good weather for traveling.