Snow drifted lazily through the chill evening air as Heronpaw crouched among dried bracken. His yellow eyes were focused on a quivering bush a few paces away. The apprentice took a short breath of the stinging air and held it.
A tiny shivering nose poked out into the open from under the frostbitten stems. Heronpaw stiffened. A brown head and body emerged. The water vole lifted its snout and sniffed the air cautiously. Heronpaw sank back on his haunches, ready to strike.
Before the vole could react, its hunter sprang from the undergrowth and pinned it to the ground. Heronpaw bent and swiftly dispatched his kill. He straightened with the prey in his mouth.
A flash of auburn fur dropped from a tree beside Heronpaw.
"Well done." Kestrelfeather said as he landed. Heronpaw nodded to his mentor but didn't try to speak around his mouthful.
The tantalizing scent of fresh-kill was tickling Heronpaw's nose and flooding his jaws with saliva. A trickle of blood landed on his tongue and his stomach growled loudly.
Kestrelfeather gave his apprentice a sidelong glance. "We've done enough." He announced. "Let's head back."
Heronpaw shook his pelt and fluffed it out against the cold. Together he and Kestrelfeather trudged back towards camp through snow that brushed their bellies. They stopped along the way to pick up the rest of their catch. After a full day of hunting they had only managed a vole, a scrawny pigeon, and one mouse. Leafbare's icy claws had gripped the forest and had not let go.
A full quarter moon had passed since Heronpaw and Petalpaw had decided to trek to the Moontree. They had yet to find a good opportunity to do so. Heavy snowfalls coupled with the worsening health of the Clan had held them back. So, they had kept their heads down and did their duties, biding their time until an opportunity arose.
Heronpaw and Kestrelfeather entered camp just as the sun slipped below the horizon. As per the last few days warriors were scattered around the clearing pushing snow out of the way and patching dens. Whiteshade greeted the new arrivals near the entrance with a wave of his tail. His amber eyes flicked over their meager catch but he didn't say anything. Heronpaw could see worry in the deputy's eyes.
"Bring your vole to the medicine den. Then you can eat and rest. You did well today." Kestrelfeather said, breaking into Heronpaw's thoughts. Heronpaw looked over at his mentor. Before he could thank the warrior, Kestrelfeather bounded away to where Runningriver was packing snow around the base of the elder's den.
Heronpaw shrugged and made his way over to the medicine den. As he went, he suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He glanced over his shoulder to see Crowpaw sitting outside the apprentice's den. His blue eyes narrowed at his brother. Heronpaw sniffed and turned away. He was doing his apprentice duties. Crowpaw had no right to look so suspicious.
A stab of guilt pricked at Heronpaw. He was planning to sneak out of camp with Petalpaw. He shook his head. That was for the good of the Clan, not for any personal reason. Heronpaw straightened his shoulders and stalked away from his littermate.
As he reached the medicine den entrance Heronpaw caught a whiff of a sour, pungent scent coming from the hidden clearing. He wrinkled his nose. A hacking cough ripped through the quiet evening air.
"I have fresh-kill." Heronpaw called through the bracken. He stood just outside the den and shifted from paw to paw, waiting. A few heartbeats later Petalpaw slipped out. She looked exhausted.
"Are you okay?" Heronpaw said immediately. Petalpaw's green eyes were dull and her pelt looked like it needed a good wash. She shook her head.
"We were up all night with Quailstep." She said in a weak voice. "She might have greencough. Plumleaf doesn't want to leave her side."
Heronpaw's blood ran cold.
"The kits?" he asked.
Petalpaw looked up at him. There was defeat in her gaze.
A freezing claw of fear pierced Heronpaw's heart. Their time had run out. He leaned forward on the pretense of giving Petalpaw the vole. As she took it from him he quickly muttered into her ear.
"Tonight."
Petalpaw drew back. Her eyes were wide. They held eye contact for a heartbeat before the medicine cat apprentice gave a firm nod. The fear in her eyes was replaced by determination. Heronpaw nodded back and turned away.
His mind whirled as he grabbed a random piece of fresh-kill from the pile. This was it. They were about to sneak out of camp, trespass across two Clan territories, and climb halfway up a mountain. His heart pounded in his chest.
StarClan, please let this be the right thing to do! He silently pleaded.
. . .
Heronpaw lay curled in his nest, trying to mimic the slow breathing patterns of a sleeping cat. An invisible paw pressed down on his chest preventing him from breathing deeply or being comfortable but it didn't matter. He didn't need sleep. He needed to be alert.
The sounds of his denmates settling down for the night were agony. Every time he thought they were all asleep he would hear Specklepaw shift or Hawkpaw grumble about soggy moss. Only Crowpaw seemed to be fully inert. He had coiled himself neatly into his nest hours ago and hadn't moved since.
Finally, Heronpaw could hear Specklepaw and Hawkpaw's breaths slow into the deep rhythms of slumber. Heronpaw waited a few moments more before daring to move. He unraveled his legs and tail and slowly got to his paws. No cat moved.
Careful to avoid any stray tails or paws, Heronpaw slunk out of the den.
The night air bit down on Heronpaw's nose as he slid out into the open. The camp was completely still and quiet. He quickly fluffed out his pelt and edged along the camp wall. With a final glance around to make sure he was alone, Heronpaw squeezed between two tree trunks and out of the safety of CedarClan's camp.
He fought through thick, dead undergrowth for a few foxlengths before he burst out into open forest. The few streams of moonlight that filtered down to the snow-covered forest floor were bright and pale. The shadows of cedars stretched endlessly in either direction. The snow sparkled softly in the moonbeams. Heronpaw's breath caught in his throat at the beauty. Rarely had he seen the forest so still.
Hesitant to disturb the forest, Heronpaw skirted under bushes and around fallen logs. He kept his paws away from untouched snow. It was best not to leave obvious tracks.
Eventually he arrived at he and Petalpaw's predetermined meeting place; Plumleaf's herb place. As he approached, Petalpaw poked her head out from between the brambles. Her jaws were stuffed with slightly withered leaves. She slid all the way out into the open and touched Heronpaw's nose with her own in greeting. She set the herbs at her paws.
"Are you ready?" she said breathlessly.
"As I'll ever be." Heronpaw said. His heart pounded at the idea of what they were doing but he had made up his mind. He had to know what the white cat was, and he had to help Petalpaw find answers.
Petalpaw sorted the herbs into two piles and together the apprentices licked them up in silence. The taste was strong and bitter, but Heronpaw swallowed anyway.
Heronpaw glanced at Petalpaw. She caught his gaze and nodded. Together they set out through the freezing forest.
Once their paws were moving Heronpaw began to feel more confident. It was the dead of night. There was a slim chance that they would run into any rival Clan's patrols. Once they cleared the heavier undergrowth they broke into a run. The snow was thick here, but daily patrols by CedarClan had gouged tracks through the drifts. They kept to these trails, assuming that their paw prints would be lost amongst their Clanmates' if any cat tried to follow them.
Eventually they reached the riverside and followed it downhill towards the lake. Heronpaw let Petalpaw take the lead here since she actually knew where she was going. She led him a ways down the bank before veering down the frozen slope. Heronpaw clambered after her. The river was narrow here. It dropped past two rock outcrops that jutted out beyond the bank. Petalpaw jumped up onto one of these outcroppings and looked over her shoulder.
"This is where we cross into WillowClan territory." She said.
Heronpaw looked across the water and felt a chill run up his spine. "Do we really have to go this way?" He glanced at his companion, uncertain.
Petalpaw flicked her eyes to him and then back to the WillowClan side of the river. She seemed to give herself a little shake. "Yes. It's the quickest route. Besides," she said, her mew lightened, "I'm a medicine cat. Borders and Clan feuds don't apply to me."
Heronpaw hesitated. He didn't know for sure whether medicine cat apprentices had the same standing as fully fledged ones.
Sensing his uncertainty, Petalpaw pressed her flank against his. "We'll take care not to be spotted." She promised.
Heronpaw thought he could hear some of his own nerves in her voice. He gave himself a shake. They were doing this. They wouldn't get caught. It would be fine.
Heronpaw gave Petalpaw a firm nod. She turned away and crouched. With a strong leap she cleared the river and landed easily on the other side. Heronpaw followed. As his paws touched down on the opposite bank, they slipped out from under him. Heronpaw bit back a yowl as he crashed awkwardly onto the gray slate. Petalpaw was at his side instantly.
"Are you okay?" she gasped. Heronpaw rolled onto his paws and took a few deep breaths to gather himself. The spray from the little waterfall had frozen over the smooth rock, causing him to lose his footing on the landing.
"I'm fine." Heronpaw reassured his friend. He stood up and licked a stinging paw that had been scraped on the gritty ice. Petalpaw sniffed it.
"I wish I had some dock leaf." She fretted.
Heronpaw shook his head. "It's fine." He said. "Let's go."
Petalpaw hesitated before leading him down the bank and deeper into WillowClan territory. The rocks on this side of the river were steeper and more angular. To their left a wall of frozen soil and tangled tree roots rose up several tail lengths above their heads. Heronpaw was thankful for the landscape. Any cat at the top of the incline wouldn't be able to see the two apprentices sneaking along the bank.
This didn't last, however, and the steep bank soon began to flatten out as they got closer to the lake. By the time the glittering mass peeked out from between the trees the river had widened again and the bank was almost level. Instead of breaking tree cover and heading to the lake, Petalpaw led Heronpaw to the left. They kept to the tree line and padded quickly along. They didn't dare speak.
They walked with ears pricked and mouths open, ready to catch any sign of a patrol. WillowClan territory felt alien and hostile. These were not the trees Heronpaw knew, even though they were still mostly cedars and birches. They loomed over the trespassers like disapproving queens scolding their unruly kits. Heronpaw wanted to tuck his tail between his legs and hide but he forced himself to keep going.
The ground below them started a gradual slope. Heronpaw perked up. AlderClan territory was rocky and steep. They couldn't be far away now.
Petalpaw stopped dead.
"Get down!" She hissed, diving into a hazel thicket. Without thinking Heronpaw followed.
His heart painfully skipped a beat as his ears caught the sound of pawsteps crunching through snow. Petalpaw shrank down next to him. Fear scent came off of her in waves. Heronpaw's own heart thumped wildly in his chest. He pressed his flank to hers, trying to calm them both.
"Cougarstar wants us to recheck the AlderClan border." A gruff voice drifted towards them through the trees.
"Again?" A nervous mew followed.
"Yes, again. Those AlderClan mangepelts have been getting way too close." The first voice replied. The crunching pawsteps were getting closer. Heronpaw held his breath and peeked through the branches. Petalpaw stiffened beside him.
"They're on their own territory, aren't they?" A third voice drawled. "Why should we care?"
There was the sound of a paw thumping on flesh. A yelp of pain followed.
"Shut up, Brackenheart."
Four WillowClan cats entered Heronpaw's line of sight. They were several foxlengths away and upwind, but Heronpaw's stomach still wriggled angrily at the sight of them.
Heronpaw didn't recognize any of the warriors, but the fourth cat was an apprentice Heronpaw knew as Splashpaw. The little gray and white she-cat was shivering violently in the night air. Her nose glistened with wetness and her wheezing breath was audible even from this distance. The cat who was most likely her mentor padded at her side with tail nervously twitching.
None of the WillowClan cats showed any sign that they detected the trespassing cats on their territory. They seemed eager to finish their patrol and get back to the warmth of their dens. Still, Heronpaw and Petalpaw stayed hidden for a long while after the rival warriors had disappeared from sight.
"Doesn't any cat realize Splashpaw is sick?" Petalpaw muttered after a lengthy silence. "Cougarstar must be really horrible making her patrol in this weather."
"We're not barging into WillowClan's camp so you can tell off Cougarstar." Heronpaw said, whiskers twitching in amusement. He let the stress of almost being discovered roll off his pelt. If this was how WillowClan patrolled their territory there was little fear of being caught.
Petalpaw shot Heronpaw a glare.
"I know." She huffed. She crawled out from under the cramped hazel bush and shook out her coat. Heronpaw followed. They covered the rest of WillowClan's territory in a rush, following the scent of the patrol. They came upon a small stream that had frozen over. Here the pungent smell of WillowClan mingled with the stony scent of AlderClan. They carefully stepped over the border and into AlderClan territory.
Once they had cleared WillowClan's scent markers, Petalpaw's shoulders visibly relaxed.
Soon the trees began to thin and boulders began appearing more frequently. The cover here was sparse and the snow was gritty with pebbles and stones. A sharp breeze cut through Heronpaw's fur. He shivered.
The moon was creeping down towards the horizon as Heronpaw and Petalpaw clambered over a rocky slope. Heronpaw's pads ached, but he still felt strong. The traveling herbs Petalpaw had given him had flooded his muscles with energy and kept hunger and fatigue at bay. As Heronpaw looked at their path ahead he silently thanked StarClan for her foresight. The trail ahead was steep and rocky and seemed to extend forever. Lone, shrub-like alder trees were scattered about on the slope.
As they climbed rocky slope after rocky slope the night around them began to lighten into dawn. Heronpaw scrabbled up a boulder and turned to look back the way they had come. The view took his breath away.
The forest below him stretched out forever, a mass of faded green and white. The evergreen tips of cedar and pine trees were dusted with snow that shone slightly in the gray dawn. The lake was a vast blue gray expanse that rippled slightly in the calm wind. Beyond that lay the unnatural angles and colors of twolegplace. Heronpaw let out his breath. It billowed out as a cloud.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Petalpaw said, stepping up beside him.
"I can't believe AlderClan cats get to see this every day." Heronpaw breathed.
"Not nearly that often." Petalpaw purred. She flicked her tail down the slope. "We crossed the border a while back."
Heronpaw looked at her, confused.
"I didn't smell any markers." He said.
Petalpaw gestured with her head for them to keep moving. Heronpaw fell into step beside her as they began climbing yet another slope.
"They don't mark their borders this far up." Petalpaw explained. "Cougars might smell them and come down to try for an easy meal."
Heronpaw blinked.
"Okay maybe I'm not jealous." He said. Then a thought occurred to him. "There are cougars up here?"
Petalpaw nodded but she didn't look concerned. "Finchfoot says they stay away mostly."
"Mostly?" Heronpaw echoed. Petalpaw shot him a mischievous look from glittering green eyes.
"Not when chatty apprentices are about." She purred. Heronpaw nudged her and purred back.
They trekked on in silence for a while longer until the sun had risen above the horizon. Heronpaw glanced over his shoulder in the direction he knew CedarClan's camp was. Some cat had to have noticed they were gone by now. He winced inwardly.
"Heronpaw?" Petalpaw's soft mew broke through his thoughts. Heronpaw looked back around at his companion.
"Yeah?"
"Remember when you said you wanted to tell me something?"
"Yeah."
"What was it?"
Heronpaw paused. A quarter moon ago he was ready to tell Petalpaw about the white cat and ask for her help. Now he was on his way to find answers for himself. Why would he put the burden on Petalpaw now?
He looked into Petalpaw's earnest eyes.
"I've been having visions." He found himself saying.
Petalpaw stopped. Heronpaw turned to face her.
She tilted her head to the side, her ears pressed against her head. Her eyes were wide and confused.
Heronpaw looked down. He searched his paws, trying to think of a way to explain.
"I've been seeing a white cat. She's not real." He glanced up trying to gauge Petalpaw's reaction. Her expression was hard to read. Heronpaw continued. "She appears to me before bad things happen." He paused. "And sometimes she comes for no reason." He added, frustrated. "She's never spoken to me and no one else can see her." He ended his explanation, feeling rather lame.
There was a long pause during which Petalpaw looked down at her paws and said nothing. Heronpaw was beginning to think she wasn't going to speak at all.
"Let's keep going." She finally said. Heronpaw watched helplessly as Petalpaw padded past him. He followed her, feeling sick.
They walked in silence for a few heartbeats while Heronpaw's belly flopped around. Finally, Petalpaw spoke.
"When did this start?"
Her voice was level and thoughtful.
"The day of my accident." Heronpaw said, relieved.
"What happened?"
Heronpaw explained his encounters with the white cat. Petalpaw listened intently. As he spoke, Petalpaw's expression grew more and more thoughtful. Her eyes narrowed and she looked off ahead of them with eyes that didn't quite see what was there. When Heronpaw finished there was another silence.
"So…" Heronpaw ventured. "…do you think I'm mad?"
Petalpaw shook her head. Relief washed over Heronpaw.
"There must be some reason she is contacting you." Petalpaw said.
"Do you think she's from StarClan?" Heronpaw asked. There was a pause while the two apprentices took turns leaping from rock to rock up a particularly steep slope. As Heronpaw dragged himself to the top he found Petalpaw sitting at the edge looking far into the distance. He sat beside her and waited.
"I don't know." Petalpaw finally said. "I've never heard of a StarClan cat acting as you have described."
Heronpaw felt nervous again.
"Where else could she have come from?" He said, shuffling his paws. Petalpaw turned to face him. Her ears were halfway flattened.
"I don't know, but StarClan will." She turned and gestured with her head behind them. Heronpaw followed her indication and felt his jaw fall open.
Behind them was a wall of solid rock. The only blemish was a small crevice at the foot of the cold gray stone. A few scrubby bushes flanked the crack. Heronpaw craned his neck so he could see the top of the rocks but to his surprise the mass faded into a dense bank of white mist.
Petalpaw padded forward. "Follow me." She said.
Heronpaw got up and followed Petalpaw to the crack in the rock. She looked back to make sure he was following and ducked into the darkness. Heronpaw hesitated briefly before going after her.
The sides of the tunnel brushed against Heronpaw's whiskers. Darkness pressed against his eyes and the smell of wet rock was overpowering. He did his best to focus on the sound of Petalpaw's footsteps and the feel of her warmth. The closeness of the cold walls made him feel trapped. He forced down his fear and fought the urge to run.
They crept through the gripping blackness for several foxlengths until a soft breeze brushed over Heronpaw's fur. He strained his eyes, trying to see beyond. The soft outline of Petalpaw's ears became visible against a small beam of light that flooded in the cave from a far entrance. As the apprentices got closer the light grew brighter until Heronpaw could make out the details of Petalpaw's light tabby coat.
A few more pawsteps carried them back out into the open. Before Heronpaw could catch his breath, it was stolen away by the sight that beheld him. He had stepped out into an open clearing ringed by a wall of dark gray stone. The sides of the walls stretched up an uncountable number of fox-lengths until they too disappeared into that strange, thick white mist.
He sniffed the air. It was warm. The ground beneath his paws was soft and green with moss and ferns. In the center of the clearing was a pool of clear water. Growing from the water was a gnarled old tree. It was small for a tree, and its bark was gray and peeling. Its branches hung heavily under the weight of not leaves but bunches of round white fruit.
Heronpaw marveled at the sight. It was beautiful.
Petalpaw walked reverently up to the side of the pool. She turned and gestured to Heronpaw with her tail. He hesitated. It was so pristine and perfect. Was he even worthy to be in such a place? Would his ancestors welcome him? He thought of all he had done to get here and all of the questions he needed answers to. With a deep breath he padded forwards and settled down next to Petalpaw.
She reached up with a paw and speared a single white berry on her claw. A tiny trickle of blood red juice seeped out and soaked her white toe-fur.
"This is the Moonfruit." She said in a hushed tone. "When we eat it StarClan will give us sleep and walk in our dreams.
Heronpaw reached up as Petalpaw had done and cautiously hooked a fruit from the nearest clump. The thorn sharp tip of his claw pressed onto the skin for just a moment before the resistance gave way and his claw popped into the flesh. It was plump and firm. He brought his paw down in front of his face and inspected the berry.
"How does it grow in leaf-bare?" he asked.
"The Moontree bears fruit in every season." Petalpaw said. She set the Moonfruit down at her paws and settled herself into a relaxed crouch. Heronpaw mimicked her posture.
"What happens now?" Heronpaw whispered. It felt strange to speak here.
"We eat and dream." Petalpaw said. She looked at him. Her green eyes seemed to reflect starlight that was not there.
"Good luck." She breathed. Then she bent and lapped up the berry. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on her paws. Only heartbeats passed before her breath fell into the rhythm of sleep.
Heronpaw looked down at his own fruit. He took a deep breath and took it in his teeth. He set his chin on his paws and closed his eyes.
StarClan, give me the answers I seek. He pleaded silently.
He bit down.