Dark River

Leopardstar’s gaze flicked to the RiverClan medicine apprentice. “You took her all the way there?”

Willowpaw dipped her head. “I only wanted to reassure her.”

Leopardstar sighed. “Well, Hollypaw,” she meowed, “you had better stay here on the island.”

Hollypaw’s heart lurched. “But my Clan will be worried about me.”

“You should have thought of that before you came here.”

Leopardstar gazed around her Clan. The RiverClan cats had gathered under the oak tree, their ears twitching with interest. “We can’t spare the warriors to escort you home and even if we could, I don’t want to antagonize WindClan or ShadowClan by crossing their territory.”

“But the warrior code says I can safely travel two fox-lengths from the lake,” Hollypaw pointed out.

“If it was time for a Gathering, I would agree,” Leopardstar argued. “But as things stand, our neighbors would want a very good reason for finding RiverClan or ThunderClan scent on their land.” She narrowed her eyes. “Plain nosiness is not good enough.”

“But—” Hollypaw desperately searched for another argument. She had to get home before her Clanmates thought something dreadful had happened to her.

Leopardstar turned away. “You can stay with Mothwing and Willowpaw until it is safe for you to return.”

“Come on.” Willowpaw nudged her. “Let’s get warm and dry in the medicine cave.”

Paws heavy as stone, Hollypaw followed her friend to the edge of the island and over the causeway to the rocky outcrop.

Mothwing was waiting with a pile of herbs beside her. “I thought I told you not to be seen,” she greeted them.

Willowpaw lowered her head. “Sorry.”

Mothwing pawed the herbs toward them. “Eat these,” she ordered. “They’ll help warm you up.”

Hollypaw’s belly rumbled. She’d prefer a fresh, juicy mouse.

“It’s all we have to spare at the moment,” Mothwing told her.

Hollypaw leaned down and began to chew one of the leaves. It was sticky and warmed her tongue as she chewed it.

“What is it?” she whispered to Willowpaw.

“Dried nettle, smeared with honey,” Willowpaw replied.

“Not bad.”

When they had finished eating, Willowpaw led her to a mossy nest at the back of the cave. They washed themselves dry and squeezed together onto the soft bedding. Hollypaw was grateful for Willowpaw’s warmth. The cave was drafty and rain was starting to batter the rocks and hiss over the lake. She yawned, suddenly feeling bone-tired. “You know Leopardstar is just keeping me here because I know too much,” she murmured.

“Yes.” Willowpaw laid her tail across her friend’s paws.

“But would Firestar act any differently?”

Hollypaw sighed. “I guess not.” She closed her eyes. How long would she have to stay here? She was going to be in big trouble with her Clanmates when they found out she was being held by RiverClan, suspected of being a spy.

Chapter 14

Rain pattered on Jaypaw’s pelt as he crossed the clearing. He held a bundle of watermint and juniper berries in his jaws and their pungent scent filled his nose.

Millie trotted beside him. “I told him not to eat another sparrow!” She stopped beneath Highledge where Graystripe was groaning.

“How was I supposed to resist?” Graystripe gasped. He let out another low moan. “It’s been moons since there’s been so much prey.”

Jaypaw dropped his bundle of herbs. He rested a paw on Graystripe’s round belly as he lay fidgeting with pain.

“Keep still.” Jaypaw felt the hardness beneath Graystripe’s flank. “You’ve just given yourself gas.”

“I told you so,” Millie meowed.

Jaypaw rolled the juniper berries toward Graystripe’s muzzle. “These will help,” he mewed. “Then eat the watermint.”

“I thought a warrior would know that you have to start slowly after leaf-bare,” Millie went on. “All those moons on an empty belly. You can’t just stuff yourself as soon as the prey starts to run. You have to get used to it.”

“Don’t go on,” Graystripe pleaded.

Millie’s tongue lapped Graystripe’s pelt. Jaypaw felt her affection for her mate like warm air around him. His whiskers twitched with amusement. It was funny to hear a warrior being lectured by a kittypet. But she’s a warrior now, he reminded himself quickly.

Paw steps hurried into the camp. Jaypaw tasted the air.

Mousepaw and Poppypaw. From the mossy scent on their pelts, he could tell they had been in the training hollow.

“Have you seen Hollypaw?” Poppypaw called as she bounded toward Highledge.

Jaypaw felt Poppypaw’s anxious gaze burning his pelt. It darted away, awkwardness pricking from the apprentice.

“I didn’t mean see,” she corrected herself quickly. “I meant hear or scent—”

“She means, do you know where she is?” Mousepaw’s impatient mew chipped in.

Jaypaw’s pads tingled. He hadn’t seen Hollypaw since this morning. He let his awareness spread around the camp, feeling for her presence in the same way he would grope for poppy seeds among the herb store. Nothing. No sense of Hollypaw in the camp or near it. He shook his head.

Graystripe scrambled to his paws. “How long has she been missing?” he demanded.