Chapter nine: Pinewhisker's disappearance
I'm back, and I'm still not Erin Hunter!
"AuroraClan!" Sprucestripe wailed.
Instantly, all of LavaClan tried to cram into Pinewhisker's den, crushing the cats inside with questions.
"What happened?"
"Is she dead?"
"What did they do this time?"
"We should attack them here and now!"
"Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey gather for a meeting of LavaClan!" Smokestar shouted over the babble of voices. Instantly, the surge of LavaClan cats swept Saffron into the camp center. Smokestar scrambled up to the top of the hill to loom over them, Emberheart at her side.
"Cats of LavaClan," Smokestar began to speak, her voice loud, sharp and clear. "Our medicine cat, dear Pinewhisker, has vanished. Simple excuses such as she is out, gathering herbs, are rendered mute by the fact that the scent of AuroraClan rests clearly in her den. From this, we can draw only one conclusion: she was kidnapped by them."
Many cats nodded, eyes glinting; Mousenose shouted out, "Are we going to let them keep her?"
Smokestar's eyes narrowed in a cold grin. "Of course not. We will cross the border – such times demand it, I'm afraid – with a party of warriors as a show of force. If they do not return her, we will fight to rescue her.
"The party will consist of myself, Emberheart, Barkclaw, Redclaw, Sprucestripe, Mousenose, Jadepool, and their apprentices. Cindertail, you will be in charge of defending the camp, in case they choose to attack us. Cats coming with me, meet at the exit tunnel."
Saffron watched as the appointed cats swarmed to the tunnel before he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Sprucestripe.
"Come on!" she hissed.
"Why?"
"You're my apprentice, remember? You're coming with us."
Saffron's stomach gave a lurch. Hopefully, the border-crossing did not dissolve into fighting. Something in him insisted in a high, piping voice that AuroraClan was not the enemy, Stonejaw's death was not their fault, and if they had kidnapped Pinewhisker, they had a reason. Their medicine cat was dead, and LavaClan had two. It made sense, right?
He followed the rest of the patrol through the woods to the border. Barely a few hours ago, LavaClan cats had yowled shouts of disapproving when Saffron took one step over the border; now they crossed it carelessly. Saffron was glad to see Flickerlight's body was gone; hopefully, the warriors of AuroraClan had found it.
The AuroraClan territory was ever pieced by a fierce, cold wind that went straight through Saffron's fur, causing him to wince. The territory was hard and rocky under his paws. The patrol headed for the sound of a fierce, powerful, rushing river.
"Tut, tut, Smokestar."
Claws out, the LavaClan cats spun around. Standing behind them was Windtail, the AuroraClan deputy, Wolfshadow, Stormstrike, a light brown she-cat and a muscular ginger tom. None of them seemed surprised to find the trespassers.
"I thought you were against breaking the code," Windtail continued, lazily flicking her tail at Smokestar. "What's changed?"
"We have come," Smokestar declared, with the same icy calm as Windtail, "To demand that you return our medicine cat."
"We did not kidnap her," Stormstrike mewed bluntly.
"Liars!" Mousenose hissed.
"The scent of you rogues was found in her den!" Jadepool snarled, taking a step towards the AuroraClan patrol. "Why'd you do it, huh?"
Windtail's eyes narrowed slightly. "In case you haven't noticed, Flickerlight is dead."
How do they know we know? Saffron thought, shuddering.
"A cat of your Clan died? So did one of ours not too long ago, and we didn't kidnap your medicine cat," Mousenose drawled.
"Well, Flickerlight deserved what he got," Emberheart continued. "In case you didn't know, he was Stonejaw's murderer!"
"Codebreaker!" Yarrowpaw jeered.
"Are you
mouse-brained?!"
Wolfshadow stepped out of rank, towards
the LavaClan patrol. Her ears lay flat, and her eyes were blazing
with fire.
"Flickerlight didn't kill Stonejaw, he tried to save his life! He was the one who crossed the border, who found your warrior dying, and tried to save him! What sort of medicine cat kills cats, for DreamClan's sake?"
Saffron's heart, which had been thumping like crazy, changed its beating – it fluttered.
Wolfshadow wasn't finished berating LavaClan. "If he wasn't dead, I'd call on him to tell you he wasn't the killer, darn it!"
"He was a border crosser," Mousenose argued feebly. His cocky, vigilant demeanor had dissolved in Wolfshadow's presence.
"Aren't we all?" Wolfshadow snapped. She looked pointedly at Smokestar, who did not flinch from her burning gaze. Saffron stared at her, transfixed. He'd never seen someone so strong, or determined, or, now that he thought about it, so beautiful in her dark, enigmatic way…
"Look, my sis is right." Stormstrike stepped forward to stand next to the dark grey cat. "We're not murderers, and we're not kidnappers. You, on the other hand, are hypocrites. Please get off our land."
"Yeah, do," the ginger tom added. "You're certainly not adding to the décor."
None of the LavaClan cats moved. "No," Emberheart growled. "There is the justice of the warrior code that must be dealt with here."
Stormstrike shook his head. "Look, I'd bet my left paw that it wasn't Flickerlight. You never knew him. He was nervous, afraid of many things…he suffered constant headaches and oftened blacked out. The kits could fight better than him – he was too frail, too sickly to kill anyone, especially a strong warrior in his prime."
Mousenose smirked. "All the evidence says he did. Hold out your paw, Stormstrike, you bet it…"
In a flash of grey fur, Windtail was in between Mousenose and Stormstrike. "I refuse to let you even try, Mousenose."
"Besides," Stormstrike added, "There is evidence – Flickerlight's word, and that's now all of our words."
"The words of a Clan of liars?" Mousenose growled.
Sprucestripe pushed her way to the head of the group. "Is my sister alive?" she demanded.
"Who's your sister?" Windtail asked coolly.
"Must be Pinewhisker's littermate," the ginger tom pointed out. "Look at her…if I didn't know, I might say it was Pinewhisker."
"Yes, she is alive," Windtail explained. "Last I checked, she was sleeping."
Sprucestripe's tense muscles slowly began to relax. "And you're not going to kill her?"
Stormstrike's eyes narrowed teasingly. "Why would we kill a medicine cat?"
"You'll see her, at the Gathering," Windtail purred. "I promise."
Sprucestripe's eyes were big and kittenish. "Why?"
"Why?" Mousenose growled. "Why? Because they're codebreaking rogues, that's why. They don't give a-"
A threatening snarl from Windtail interrupted him.
"This is getting nasty," Spiritpaw whispered to Saffron.
"Yeah," Saffron whispered back. "Let's just hope it doesn't result in a fight."
"Your shoulder must be killing you."
"I've been in worse pain, trust me."
"If we get Pinewhisker back, she'll be able to treat it."
"If we don't, I think Swallowwing could also do so."
"Yeah, but he's an apprentice."
"He's my age!"
"Anyway," Windtail spoke over the whispering of the two toms, "I ask that you leave, Smokestar, and take your warriors with you, before we attack."
"There is a reason I brought many warriors," Smokestar replied coolly. "Return Pinewhisker. Now."
"We – didn't – kidnap – her!" Wolfshadow spoke every word sharply, fur bristling.
"Liar!" Mousenose screamed, flying at her.
Stormstrike sprang into action. He slammed into Mousenose moments before he hit Wolfshadow, sending the LavaClan warrior flying. Fur sticking out in every direction, Jadepool sprang, knocking Stormstrike to the group. Wolfshadow attacked the she-cat as she dug her claws into the pinned-down tom.
Windtail, the ginger tom and the brown she-cat rushed at the LavaClan patrol. Emberheart stepped forward. The two deputies seemed to vanish into a red and grey whirlwind of fur and claws.
Stormstrike had managed to get loose from Jadepool's grip, his side bleeding lightly. He lashed out at Mousenose, who was battling his sister.
As the two remaining members of the AuroraClan patrol drew closer to the LavaClan one, Smokestar growled, "Leave them to me," and strode forward. There was a flash of black fur and claws, and a yowl of pain and horror.
Smokestar stood over the fallen form of the dark ginger cat. Her claws had left a wound, gushing scarlet blood that ran from his shoulder to the haunch of his back leg. The light chestnut she-cat stared at the LavaClan leader in horror – and rage.
"How dare you!" she screamed. "Flickerlight is dead – we have no AuroraClan medicine cat to treat that – it could become fatal – must more cats die because of your so-called love of the warrior code? The code itself says you can't kill cats within the code!" And with that she raised a paw to strike Smokestar's muzzle. The LavaClan leader was faster. She dodged, rolling sideways, before leaping up and tearing the AuroraClan warrior's ear.
"Retreat!" Windtail yowled. The AuroraClan cats scattered, trying to escape their attackers. The brown cat grabbed the fallen warrior and dragged him after her.
"After them!" Smokestar commanded. The LavaClan patrol split in every direction. Mousenose and Jadepool tore after Wolfshadow; Emberheart shot after his AuroraClan counterpart. Saffron knew that even though the AuroraClan cats had a head start, there were more LavaClan cats, and they were hot on their tails.
Thinking quickly, he gave a false yelp of pain and fell over, as if he'd tripped. Sprucestripe, who was about to follow the deputies, stopped and spun around.
"Saffron? Are you okay?"
"Ow," Saffron murmured. "Yeah, I'm okay…" he put on a show of trying to stand up and falling back down again.
His ruse had worked. Not only had he distracted Sprucestripe, but Smokestar, Spiritpaw and Redclaw had all stopped chasing the fleeing warriors and looked at him worriedly.
"Mebbe you should go to camp and get Swallowwing to look at that shoulder," Spiritpaw suggested.
Smokestar nodded. "Yes…yes…I think it's best. Sprucestripe, will you help him back to camp?"
Sprucestripe's whiskers drooped. "But –"
Smokestar interrupted her. "It is the word of a leader that is the code, Sprucestripe. Take your apprentice back to camp."
"My sister!" Sprucestripe snapped. "She's missing! No, she's been kidnapped! I can't abandon her, can I?"
"Don't worry, we'll get her back," Redclaw assured the tabby warrior.
"They're getting away!" Jadepool yowled from the distance.
Yes! Saffron cheered silently.
"We'll join you in a moment," Smokestar called back. She turned to Sprucestripe and Saffron. "Return to camp. Those are my orders, Sprucestripe. Return to camp."
Tail drooping, Sprucestripe helped Saffron – who was still feigning injury – up and crossed the rocky plains, heading for the forest.
Once they crossed the stream, Saffron felt safe to stop pretending to be wounded.
"You seem to recover quickly," Sprucestripe teased as they approached camp.
"I'm a loner," Saffron pointed out. "I've spent nine moons of my life not even knowing what a medicine cat was."
Once they reached the camp, Sprucestripe rushed Saffron into the medicine cat den before vanishing out of camp, clearly heading back for the AuroraClan territory. Swallowwing carefully examined Saffron's injury.
"It's not that bad, I'll get some cobwebs, and maybe something in case of infection…" he rushed into the den before returning with spider webs and some herb poultice or another. As he applied it, Saffron asked, "Why didn't Flickerlight have an apprentice?"
"Good StarClan, Saffronpaw, he was barely an apprentice himself. His mentor died only two moons ago during a-" he suddenly broke off.
"During a what?" Saffron prompted suspiciously.
Swallowwing swallowed. "During a battle against…us," he whispered.
Saffron's ears shot up. "Who?"
"Who do you think?"
"Emberheart. Or Mousenose. Or Jadepool."
"It was the first," Swallowwing murmured. "The wound itself wasn't bad enough to be fatal, but it was bad enough for him to fall into the river and drown."
"What was a medicine cat doing in battle?"
"I think…I'm not sure, I wasn't there, but he was acting as a field healer, and he was attacked on the way to a patient and fought back."
"Emberheart attacked a medicine cat?"
"Th-that's Emberheart. He'll attack any enemy that gets too close." Swallowwing lowered his voice so quiet that Saffron could barely hear him. "Once, he even attacked Sprucestripe – he thought she was an opponent."
Saffron disliked Emberheart more every word he heard, and that was saying something.
Sprucestripe was sitting silently by the den, staring at the pawprint-dotted ground. Confidently, Cindertail strode up to her and dropped a mouse at her paws. "Cheer up, Sprucestripe," he meowed airily. "It won't take them very long to get her back. C'mon, have a mouse. This one's nice and fresh!"
Sprucestripe shook her head and pawed the mouse sadly away.
"Think, Sprucestripe. Our leader, our deputy and a whole patrol of budding apprentices and powerful warriors are out there, fighting for your sister. Soon, you'll see her!"
Sighing, Sprucestripe gulped down the mouse and yawned.
"Tired?" Cindertail purred. "I'd imagine so…you've been busy, fighting AuroraClan cats, haven't you? C'mon…" he led her to the warriors' den.
"Hang on, I need to check my stores," Swallowwing mewed quickly before disappearing into the boulder den. Saffron used this time as an excuse to fake limping to the fresh-kill pile and help himself to a squirrel.
Soon, an angry voice came from the hollow inside the three dens. "Poppy seeds! Those aren't mice during Greenleaf, and whaddo they think they're doing! I'm a medicine cat, for DreamClan's sake, not them!"
The patrol who'd gone after the AuroraClan cats entered camp; Saffron noticed, with alarm, that that Pinewhisker was still not among them.
"What-?" a cat began, but she was cut off by Smokestar.
"Emberheart, explain the situation to them," she announced briskly. "Saffronpaw, come with me." She strode up the hill to her den, Saffron reluctantly following her. He wanted to find out what she was going to say, but he was sick and tired of her bossing him around. He was sick of her bossing everyone – Sprucestripe and Pinewhisker, mainly – around. Perhaps even worse was that most of LavaClan didn't care. He admired Sprucestripe for trying to stick up when she was ordered back to camp.
"Where's Pinewhisker?" he demanded the moment he entered the den. He noted that Smokestar had a rather plump, juicy squirrel near her left paw.
Smokestar gazed at her paws. "I'm sorry, Saffronpaw. I'm glad you understand how greatly needed Pinewhisker is to our Clan. She's still in the paws of AuroraClan – they were too quick and dodgy to be caught."
It seemed to Saffron this was all rehearsed.
Smokestar looked up and stared into his eyes, green into gold. "We'll be victorious in this struggle – the code is on our side."
"Whose side is DreamClan on?"
"Ah, Saffronpaw. DreamClan shines while the code dwells among us – surely, they support us. You're finally settling into LavaClan, I see."
Saffron shifted uncomfortably.
Smokestar leaned forward, so close that her and Saffron's muzzles were almost touching. "You remind me of another cat, a warrior from when I had just become leader of my Clan. He was strong and fierce some, a warrior like no other in his body. In his heart, he knew the code was for the good of all, but he chose to ignore it. He felt he was his greatest priority, and not his Clan.
"Even though his Clanmates all were different than him, he continued his actions. But his Clanmates followed the code, and his actions were that of-"
"-hording food," Saffron mewed quietly. "It was Gingertail, wasn't it?"
Smokestar cocked her head. "How do you know?"
"Swallowwing and Spiritpaw told me."
"Swallowwing and Spiritpaw? Swallowwing was a kit and Spiritpaw hadn't been born when Gingertail left, nearly ten months ago. I suppose his name is now used to explain to apprentices to explain why the code must be followed."
"You act as if he almost destroyed the Clan by this simple act," Saffron objected.
Smokestar lowered her voice. "Saffronpaw, this was not his only act of defiance. Not all of his horded food went to him. There was a rogue who he'd met on patrol and hidden – against our rules – on our territory. He fed her and cared for her more than he cared for the Clan of his birth. It was love, Saffronpaw, love. Love is great and terrible; a force that I dearly wish could be confined within boundaries. Yet nothing these days, not even us, can be held back by territorial lines." She sighed.
"When he left, she left too. I can only imagine where the pair left. Much of the Clan did not know of his 'friend'." She gave a hiss of disgust.
Saffron's head spun for several moments before he finally asked, "Was she small? Thin? Silvery-grey, feathery fur?"
"How do you know?"
Saffron took a deep breath. "Smokestar, would you like to know what happened to Gingertail and Luft?"
