Mistystar’s Omen

Mistystar shrugged. She’d question where the apprentices were again later. Whatever they were up to, it could wait. She closed her eyes and pictured her Clanmates roaming across the marsh and up the stream in search of food. Was Beetlewhisker right? Were the trout really coming back to the lake? And if so, would her warriors be able to resist catching them until the water was fully stocked?

Mistystar felt warm breath on her ear, and a familiar, heartbreaking scent wreathed around her. “There are more sources of prey than the lake,” whispered a voice. Mistystar whirled around, peering into the shadows.

“Stonefur? Are you there?”

There was nothing but silence. But Stonefur had visited her! StarClan was still watching them. We are going to survive! Mistystar thought joyously.

Suddenly the branches crashed and Reedwhisker burst through the bushes. “Mistystar! Come quickly! Hollowpaw and Rushpaw are in trouble!”

Mistystar leaped up. “Where are they?”

Reedwhisker skidded to a halt, his expression grim. “By the Twoleg dens.”

Mistystar didn’t ask for an explanation. She just followed her deputy at a sprint through the bushes, down to the stream, and along the muddy bank that led out of their territory. What in the name of StarClan are Hollowpaw and Rushpaw doing there? They weren’t part of Reedwhisker’s patrol.

Reedwhisker clawed his way to the top of the bank with Mistystar close behind him, and the two cats stood panting on the vast stretch of grass. Reedwhisker pointed with his tail. “Mallownose, Graymist, and Robinwing are by the boundary; can you see?”

Mistystar narrowed her eyes against the wind. She could just make out the pale-furred shapes of her Clanmates crouching by the long wall of stones that marked the edge of the field. “Where are the apprentices?”

“On the other side of the wall, by the Twoleg den. They’re trapped in a corner by a pair of dogs.” Reedwhisker glanced at Mistystar. “It looks pretty dangerous.”

“We have to get them out!” Mistystar exclaimed.

“Of course,” Reedwhisker meowed. “I just wanted to warn you, that’s all.”

But Mistystar was already tearing over the grass, leaping high with each stride to avoid being caught in the dense stalks. Reedwhisker caught up to her with a few bounds, and they raced side by side to the wall where the others were waiting.

“Are the dogs still there?” Reedwhisker demanded.

Graymist nodded, her eyes huge and her fur fluffed up. Mistystar jumped on top of the wall. She almost fell off again when she saw the two huge black-and-brown dogs snarling at the edge of the Twoleg den. Cowering under a tiny stone ledge were the RiverClan apprentices.

“Help, help!” shrieked Hollowpaw as one of the dogs thrust its muzzle under the ledge.

“Get back, you brute!” Rushpaw hissed, and Mistystar saw one of his paws flash out, catching the dog on its nose. The dog merely shook its head and curled its lip again. Twin strands of drool hung from its jaws.

“Great StarClan,” Mistystar whispered.

Reedwhisker appeared beside her on the wall. “You and the others distract the dogs,” he meowed. “I’ll go along that fence”—he gestured with his tail to a narrow wooden barrier running from the wall to the Twoleg den—“and lead Hollowpaw and Rushpaw out.”

“It’s too far for you to go on your own!” Mistystar gasped, studying the distance between the wooden fence and the tiny ledge of stone.

“The apprentices won’t come out on their own,” Reedwhisker meowed. “You have to trust me, Mistystar.”

Mistystar gazed at her son. “I do trust you,” she mewed. “Just be careful, please.”

“I will,” Reedwhisker promised. “I value my pelt even more than you do,” he teased over his shoulder as he turned to the warriors crouching below. “Come up here!” he called. Graymist, Mallownose, and Robinwing scrambled onto the wall and balanced beside Mistystar. Reedwhisker started to trot along the top of the stones. “When I’m almost at the Twoleg den, make some noise!” he ordered.

“Are you going to let him do this?” Graymist whispered to Mistystar.

“We don’t have a choice,” Mistystar replied grimly. Oh, StarClan, please watch over him!

The cats watched in silence as Reedwhisker picked his way along the narrow strip of wood. His black pelt looked like a shadow as he crept noiselessly closer to the Twoleg den. When he was less than a fox-length away, Mistystar lifted her head.

“Dog-breath!” she screeched. “Over here, you foulmouthed creatures!”

One of the dogs spun around, its hackles raised. It barked, and the other dog turned to join it.

“Scared of us, are you?” taunted Mallownose.

“Come on, flea-pelts! Pick on someone your own size!” yowled Robinwing.

The dogs took a pace toward the wall. Behind them, Mistystar saw Hollowpaw and Rushpaw peep out from under the ledge. They looked as tiny as kits, and even more vulnerable.