Heronpaw woke to the sound of heated voices. He was confused for a moment. This wasn't his nest, nor was it his den. The scents were all wrong. He opened his eyes and immediately closed them again when a beam of sunlight hit his face.
"Plumleaf wasn't going to do what needed to be done."
That was Petalpaw's voice.
"So, you decided that you were going to do it alone?"
Whose voice was that? Heronpaw's mind raced. Then it all came back to him. He was in the AlderClan medicine den. He and Petalpaw had gone to the Moontree and…
His eyes shot open. The catmint. The Clan!
Heronpaw sat up awkwardly, his body still heavy with sleep. Petalpaw and Finchfoot were in the corner of the den. Petalpaw was facing away from her Clanmate but he could see that her shoulders were stiff and her tail was flicking back and forth. The AlderClan medicine cat was sitting, rather relaxed, across from the agitated apprentice.
"Her judgement was clouded. Her littermate is sick." Petalpaw argued.
Finchfoot scoffed.
"You really think Plumleaf of all cats would let feelings cloud her judgement?" He said.
"You haven't seen her. She's a mess." Petalpaw shot back.
"I've known her for seasons. She isn't some delicate flower." Finchfoot said, rolling his eyes.
Heronpaw felt a tickle of thirst. He tried to ignore it but a cough jumped against the back of his throat. After a moment the cough broke free.
Petalpaw whipped around. Her eyes softened when she saw him.
"Good, you're awake. We need to get out of here." She said brusquely.
"I told you, Eaglestar hasn't decided yet." Finchfoot said. His tail flicked once and his voice had lost a little of the amused tone he had adopted while talking to Petalpaw.
"And I told you," Petalpaw whirled to face the AlderClan medicine cat," -that he has no right to keep us here."
The two medicine cats stood facing each other, fur bristling, for a heartbeat.
"Can we talk to Eaglestar ourselves?" Heronpaw said.
The others turned to look at him. Heronpaw sat up.
"Eaglestar hasn't the time for annoyances." Finchfoot said. He lifted one side of his lip in a lopsided snarl. "You will just have to wait."
Petalpaw shot him a glare but there didn't seem to be anything else she could do. She padded over to where Heronpaw sat and sniffed at the paw he had twisted in his fall.
"Any pain?" she said.
Heronpaw shook his head. He could feel the anxiety coming off of her in waves. It heightened his own.
An AlderClan warrior poked their head into the den and muttered something to Finchfoot. The medicine cat shook his head. The warrior glanced at the CedarClan apprentices and withdrew without a word.
A few heartbeats later, another face poked into the den; a much younger cat, a new apprentice by the look of him, and he was carrying prey.
The mostly white tom looked to Finchfoot for permission before padding over to Heronpaw and Petalpaw and laying two mice at their feet.
Petalpaw thanked the apprentice but didn't begin eating. Heronpaw gave his mouse a half-hearted sniff. It was humiliating being fed like a prisoner. He would much rather be out hunting for his own meal.
As he brooded, he noticed that the AlderClan apprentice hadn't left. He was still standing in front of them. He shuffled his black paws but didn't say anything.
Heronpaw looked up and caught the younger apprentice's eye.
The cat flattened his black ears and looked away. "Nighthawk says you made a cougar chase you. On purpose." he said. His high-pitched mew shook slightly.
Heronpaw blinked. "I, uh, yeah."
"Coalpaw!" Barked Finchfoot.
Coalpaw's amber eyes grew wide and he spun and scrambled away. His black-tipped tail whipped out of sight behind the grayish boulder wall of the den.
Heronpaw glared at Finchfoot, though the medicine cat's back was turned to him.
"Don't go telling the young ones to go looking for trouble with cougars." Finchfoot shot over his shoulder.
Heronpaw opened his mouth to retort that he wasn't going to do any such thing, but Petalpaw stayed his tongue with a soft touch of her tail.
Annoyed, worried, and frustrated, Heronpaw settled down to eat.
. . .
The wait was excruciating. Inside the stuffy medicine den, Heronpaw had no way of telling how much time had passed. Daylight still filtered in through the woven roof of the den, but the angles were inconsistent and unhelpful.
Petalpaw passed the time helping Finchfoot sort herbs. Heronpaw passed the time by pacing.
It wasn't until Heronpaw caught a whiff of dusk in the air that something finally happened. A commotion sounded outside the mouth of the den. Voices began calling for Finchfoot.
With a hurried 'stay here' aimed at his charges Finchfoot grabbed a mouthful of herbs and hurried out of the den.
Without missing a beat, Heronpaw followed Finchfoot to the mouth of the den. Petalpaw followed without complaint.
There was, of course, a warrior guarding the entrance. Fortunately, the gray tom was distracted by what was happening outside. He didn't tell Heronpaw and Petalpaw to go back inside, so they stayed low and watched.
The clearing beyond the mouth of the den was cast in near-dusk shadows. A ring of tall rock walls surrounded the clearing of smooth, lichen-covered gray stone. Finchfoot's den was nestled in a crack in the wall directly opposite of a short but wide rock-fall. Heronpaw could see tall pine trees beyond the rock wall.
All about the clearing were cats. It took a moment for Heronpaw to figure out what had caused the commotion.
A group of cats, most likely a patrol, were gathered at the foot of the rock-fall. As far as Heronpaw could tell, the opening was the entrance to the camp. Finchfoot was seeing to a black warrior's injured shoulder. The other members of the patrol bore claw marks.
The other cats of AlderClan were gathering into anxious groups around the fresh-kill pile and at the mouths of their dens. Heronpaw watched as a few queens swept their kits away from the commotion. Someone broke away from a group of warriors and disappeared into the mouth of a cave that opened about a tail-length up the rock-wall.
A group of apprentices sat together near a few fallen boulders just to the right of Finchfoot's den. Heronpaw recognized Coalpaw among them. The young tom had already noticed Heronpaw. Coalpaw turned and gestured excitedly at Heronpaw to his Clanmates.
One of the apprentices, a ginger tom, rolled his yellow eyes and drew his lips back in a snarl. Coalpaw's ears drooped.
Heronpaw inched forward so he could get a better view of the black and white tom. Another apprentice, a white and brown she-cat, tossed her head at Coalpaw and pointedly turned her back on him. The ginger tom sneered and did the same.
In moments Coalpaw was alone. He turned and hesitated briefly before padding over to the mouth of the medicine den.
"Oh, Coalpaw. Can you keep an eye on these two? I want to see what's going on with Ravenwing's patrol." The warrior guard said as Coalpaw drew near.
"Sure, Ashstorm." Coalpaw said, but the warrior had begun to move away before Coalpaw had started giving his answer.
Unperturbed, Coalpaw looked over at Heronpaw.
"The others don't believe me about the cougar." the apprentice said.
Heronpaw shrugged. "There were witnesses. They can ask them."
Coalpaw's eyes grew round. "That's so cool." he muttered.
Petalpaw snorted quietly beside Heronpaw. He ignored her.
"Any idea what's going on?" Heronpaw gestured to the injured patrol.
"Fox attack." Coalpaw said without hesitation. He flinched after the words left his mouth. "I think," he added quickly.
Something clicked in Heronpaw's head. So that's why they won't let us leave. He exchanged a quick glance with Petalpaw.
"Are there lots of foxes up here?" Heronpaw ventured.
"Yeah, but they aren't usually a problem." Coalpaw said. He flinched again.
Heronpaw knew from experience that Coalpaw had just said something he really shouldn't have. AlderClan had a fox problem and they didn't want anyone else to know.
Petalpaw nudged Heronpaw in the side and gestured to the camp entrance.
Finchfoot was speaking to a large golden tabby tom with many gestures and tail-waving in the direction of the medicine den. The golden tom was listening with a look of consternation on his wide face. He turned his head to look and Heronpaw shrank back, realizing that this must be the Clan leader, Eaglestar.
Eaglestar began heading over to the medicine den. Heronpaw stood his ground even though he knew he was defying orders by doing so. Behind his leader, Finchfoot was helping an injured warrior to their feet.
"You must be moved." Eaglestar said as he approached the CedarClan apprentices. "Finchfoot needs his den."
Petalpaw churned her paws on the ground. "Pardon me, Eaglestar, but why not just release us?"
Eaglestar's blue eyes narrowed. "My warriors have more important things to do than escort two foolish apprentices to the border."
Heronpaw fought the urge to defend their actions.
"Please. We must get back to our Clan." Petalpaw said with a bow of her head.
"You should have thought of that before you came here." Eaglestar growled. He turned to leave with a flick of his tail. Two waiting warriors moved in to flank the apprentices. Heronpaw threw caution to the wind.
"You risk an outbreak of whitecough if you let us stay," he said loudly.
Eaglestar stopped. The warriors on either side of the CedarClan cats faltered and took steps back. Petalpaw set her jaw but said nothing. She seemed to understand that this was a needed risk.
Eaglestar turned and narrowed his eyes. "CedarClan has whitecough?" he said sharply.
"And greencough." Petalpaw said. "That's why-"
Eaglestar waved away her explanation with an impatient tail. His eyes had widened at the mention of greencough. He whirled around.
"Did you know about this?" he shot at Finchfoot.
Finchfoot rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I had them isolated all day?" he scoffed. "I would have told you right away, but medicine cat confidentiality must be preserved."
Eaglestar turned back to his prisoners. His mind seemed to be working fast.
"Nighthawk! Skyclaw!" he called. Two warriors padded forward from the crowd. Heronpaw recognized Nighthawk as the black tom who had found him in the tree. The other, Skyclaw, was a long-legged tabby she-cat.
Eaglestar turned to his warriors. "Escort them to the PineClan border. I want them off AlderClan land as soon as possible."
Nighthawk nodded and made a summoning gesture with his tail. For a moment Heronpaw thought the warrior was signaling to him, but Coalpaw obeyed first. Skyclaw also summoned an apprentice as if from thin air. It was the bad tempered ginger tom from earlier.
The cats of AlderClan parted down the middle of the stony clearing, every cat trying to get as far away from the CedarClan cats as possible. Heronpaw fought back a reaction to the insult. This was how they were going to get home. He couldn't let his pride get in the way of the mission.
He let Nighthawk lead him away from the medicine den. Petalpaw followed while Skyclaw and her apprentice, whom she had called Hornedpaw, brought up the rear. AlderClan eyes followed them with every step. They passed Finchfoot and his patients. Finchfoot gave them begrudging nods.
"Don't lose them." Heronpaw heard the yellow tom mutter to Petalpaw as they passed. She nodded and a new determination sparkled in her eyes. Heronpaw felt her resolve. They were so close.
Nighthawk and Coalpaw led the patrol up the rock-fall. At the top, Heronpaw turned to glance at the AlderClan camp one last time. Anxious faces gazed back up at him, and although they were strangers to him, he recognized the emotions of a Clan that was uncertain of its future.
Heronpaw turned and leapt down from the rock-fall and onto soft, pine-needle strewn ground. He looked around. The forest here was sparse. Thin pine trees and short, shrub-like alder trees were scattered across the snowy, rocky soil. Moss and lichen-stained boulders lay here and there among the shadows. Snow lay atop them like fluffy pelts.
Nighthawk led the patrol to the left. The cats descended into what Heronpaw thought must be a dried riverbed. The path was heavily trafficked. Paw prints dimpled the ground where the snow had been cleared away. The riverbed ran alongside the outside of the rock walls that hid the AlderClan camp from prying eyes.
The journey was a mostly silent one. Nighthawk bent to murmur things in his apprentice's ear from time to time. Coalpaw nodded earnestly. Every once in a while, the young apprentice glanced back at Heronpaw. He looked away quickly every time Heronpaw met his eye.
The silence of the cats behind him and the constant glances from the cat in front of him unnerved Heronpaw. He could feel breath on his haunches. He wanted to whirl around and tell them to back off but he thought better of it.
The sun had risen slightly by the time the group exited the trees and emerged onto a snow-covered rocky shelf. Heronpaw blinked in the sudden bright sunlight. He let his eyes adjust before looking out over the landscape.
The lake looked much closer than it had been the night he had seen it from the mountain. It sparkled and shone in the morning light. The surface reflected the clear blue of the sky overhead. Heronpaw fluffed his fur out against the chill breeze that rushed up the slope from the water. He took a breath. He could smell cedar trees, ferns, and bracken on that breeze.
The cats began the climb down the hill. The AlderClan cats jumped from rock to rock with ease and grace. Heronpaw and Petalpaw had a harder time of it. Heronpaw tried to do his best to put on a confident front while he knew the haughty AlderClan apprentice was watching.
It was past sunhigh by the time the patrol made it down the rocky hill and entered a more shaded part of AlderClan territory. This forest was more familiar to Heronpaw. There were taller trees and more undergrowth here. He was relieved that they were out of direct sunlight and under a thicker canopy. He let himself relax.
He could tell that the AlderClan cats didn't come to this part of their territory that often. They seemed on edge, with ears pricked and tails twitching.
Heronpaw turned to Petalpaw, who was walking beside him.
"He's not so confident now that there's more trees." He purred as they passed into a small, snowy clearing. "Maybe I should offer him some tips?"
Coalpaw glanced over his shoulder from where he was walking side-by-side with Nighthawk at the head of the patrol. Nighthawk shot his apprentice a look.
The younger tom slowed his gait until he was padding alongside Heronpaw.
"Could I have some tips?" Coalpaw said. His mew shook slightly.
Heronpaw blinked, surprised. "Sure."
Coalpaw looked at him expectantly. Heronpaw drew a complete blank.
"Why don't you tell him how not to fall in a river?" Petalpaw mewed wryly.
Heronpaw shot her a look, but Coalpaw wasn't deterred.
"Can you tell me about the cougar?" His voice had steadied.
"I can tell you about cougars, Coalpaw." Hornedpaw drawled from behind them.
Coalpaw didn't take his eyes off of Heronpaw. "You outran one, right?"
Heronpaw's ears grew warm. "Yeah."
Coalpaw's eyes grew round. "That's amazing." He breathed.
Heronpaw heard Hornedpaw make a loud 'tch' sound. Satisfaction spurred Heronpaw forward.
"It was dangerous," He said, trying to sound wise and humble. "But Petalpaw needed my help."
Coalpaw watched Heronpaw, mesmerized, as the older apprentice regaled him with the full story of the cougar. Hornedpaw made a variety of disbelieving noises from just behind them as Heronpaw spoke, but that just drove Heronpaw forward.
Coalpaw listened with silent awe. Heronpaw was faintly impressed that the young tom could manage to walk through the forest while keeping his eyes fixed on his companion's face the entire time.
The story even seemed to reach Nighthawk. One of the warrior's black ears had swiveled around and stayed that way as Heronpaw spoke.
"I heard the cougar's scream from just behind me." Heronpaw said with relish. "I thought I could feel its breath on my heels and then- "
He was cut off by a flash of russet fur speeding across his line of sight. He stopped dead. Skyclaw bumped into his hindquarters.
Coalpaw slowed to a stop and tipped his head to the side. "Wha-?"
"Fox!" Nighthawk hissed from ahead. The whole patrol halted. Nighthawk flicked his tail and the AlderClan cats jumped into action. They spread out around their charges with their claws out and facing the forest. Heronpaw whirled around, ready to help.
"Stay back." Nighthawk hissed. Heronpaw flexed his claws angrily.
"I can fight." He said, lashing his tail.
"Shut up." The black warrior shot over his shoulder. Then to his apprentice he muttered, "Stay behind me."
Coalpaw stared forward, horrified, through unseeing eyes.
"He's practically a kit! Let me fight instead." Heronpaw argued. He shoved his way forward so he was standing next to Nighthawk. He was almost shoulder to shoulder with the AlderClan cat.
"I said, shut up." Nighthawk growled.
A high pitched, rough bark ripped through the air. The cats tensed as a large male fox slipped out of the bracken ahead. Its muzzle was scarred with claw marks and its eyes were dark with hatred. It raised its muzzle and let out another harsh yelp.
Bracken rustled from behind them. Petalpaw gasped. Skyclaw growled. A second scent, distinct from the first, hit Heronpaw's nose. A second fox had flanked the cats. He kept his eyes fixed on the dog fox.
"The vixen." Skyclaw muttered. "Hornedpaw and I will handle her."
Nighthawk lashed his tail and glanced sideways at Heronpaw. The dog fox followed the black warrior's movements with its beady eyes. It pulled back its lips and showed long, yellow teeth.
Then it lunged.
Heronpaw's mind whirled as the fox came at them. He remembered days of fox training with his brothers and Kestrelfeather.
"Foxes are fierce, but mousebrained. Work together against them."
Heronpaw dodged to one side to avoid the fox's snapping jaws. It stumbled and spun, a deep growl rising in its throat. It lunged again, but Nighthawk intercepted it with a vicious slash to the side of the face. Heronpaw made to help, but paused. He glanced over his shoulder to see Petalpaw's tabby tail disappearing into a scrubby bush. She's safe.
Heronpaw redirected his attention to the dog fox. It had seen Coalpaw and was advancing with deadly purpose. The apprentice was standing frozen in place, his eyes wide with terror. Nighthawk was a few paces away, struggling to recover from a fall.
Heronpaw darted forward and grabbed the white tip of the fox's tail in his teeth. The fox barked in pain and whirled to retaliate. Nighthawk was on his paws again and clawed the fox's hind legs as it turned. The fox screeched and spun again, enraged.
Heronpaw caught Nighthawk's eye and the black warrior nodded. Heronpaw dashed to one side of the fox while Nighthawk got in close to the other. The fox twisted, trying to grasp Heronpaw's tail in its teeth, but he whipped it out of the way as yellow fangs clacked together.
With the fox unsure who to attack, the cats had the advantage. Heronpaw and Nighthawk took turns darting in close to land blows on the fox's flank. It flailed, growing increasingly angry as the cats sped out of its reach each time.
A loud screech of pain caused Heronpaw to lose focus for a heartbeat. The dog fox kicked out with a hind paw and caught Heronpaw in the stomach. He stumbled back and collapsed; the air having been driven from his lungs. The fox lunged at Nighthawk with snapping jaws. The black warrior ducked and narrowly avoided getting bitten.
Heronpaw tried to scramble to his paws. His belly ached and breathing in was painful, but he had to get up. He stared wildly around the clearing and saw Skyclaw grappling with the vixen. Hornedpaw lay at her side. Blood stained the snow around his flank.
Heronpaw's heart jumped into his throat as the vixen managed to sink its teeth into Skyclaw's shoulder. The tabby she-cat screeched and wrenched herself free. She fell backwards and rolled in the snow. Her body left a smear of red in its wake.
Heronpaw found his footing and dashed across the clearing. He ducked his head and rammed into the vixen's flank as the fox made to attack Skyclaw. The animal squealed as it was tossed to the side. It tumbled to the ground in a mess of flailing russet paws and tail. Heronpaw rushed to Skyclaw's side, but she was already struggling to her feet. Blood soaked her shoulder but her eyes were still bright.
Together Heronpaw and the AlderClan warrior took turns raking the vixen's flanks. It was younger than the male and inexperienced. The fox cried out in distress as it tried to fight back. Eventually Skyclaw got in a nasty swipe at the creature's eyes. It shrieked and whipped around, fleeing into the trees.
Skyclaw nodded to Heronpaw and made to cross the clearing to help Nighthawk. She took two steps before her left forepaw shook violently and gave out. The warrior slumped to the ground with a grunt of pain.
"Get to Hornedpaw." Heronpaw told her. He didn't bother to make sure she agreed before he took off.
Coalpaw had unfrozen and was nimbly dancing out of the dog fox's reach while Nighthawk slashed at its back legs. Blood sprayed the air and dozens of cuts crisscrossed the fox's pelt, but, unlike the vixen, the male wasn't giving up. Its blows became more violent with every new injury and its calls were wild and piercing.
Heronpaw raced to Nighthawk's side and caught the fox's attention with a sharp yowl. The creature whirled to face the apprentice. Its eyes were crazed and flecks of blood and spittle sprayed from its gaping jaws. It lurched forward on unsteady paws, teeth snapping. Heronpaw jumped back. His whiskers pulled free from between the fox's fangs.
Another yowl pierced the air from somewhere Heronpaw couldn't quite identify. He stumbled back from the fox's flailing limbs and saw three cats burst from the dead undergrowth and race into the clearing. The newcomers leapt on the fox from all sides and dragged it down to the gritty, kicked up ground.
The fox barked and growled but it was too weak to resist three battle-ready warriors. The AlderClan cats ripped and slashed at the dog fox's pelt until it gave a final, guttural wail and bucked wildly. The cats hopped off the creature and landed on light paws. The fox turned once in the snow and then took off into the brush. Two of the warriors sped after it. They disappeared within moments.
Heronpaw exhaled heavily. He looked around and saw that Petalpaw had returned. She was already at Hornedpaw's side. Skyclaw had dragged herself to her apprentice and was hovering nervously over Petalpaw's shoulder.
Nighthawk was being helped to his feet by Coalpaw. The little cat had a claw mark on his flank but was otherwise unharmed. He caught Heronpaw's eye and gave a firm nod. Heronpaw nodded back.
The newcomer was a golden she-cat with white paws. She was talking to Nighthawk and nodding in the direction her Clanmates had gone.
Heronpaw limped over to Petalpaw's side. The medicine cat was hurriedly packing pawfuls of thick cobwebs onto Hornedpaw's flank. The apprentice's eyes were wide open and his breath was shallow. The blood soaked the cobweb through in moments.
"Is he dying?" Skyclaw said in a hoarse whisper.
"I'm going to save him." Petalpaw replied. She shoved her forepaw against the injured cat's side. To Heronpaw's horror her paw disappeared inside the apprentice. Petalpaw's face screwed up in concentration and she leaned in. Hornedpaw's blood stained her white chest and her legs were soaked up to her elbows. Heronpaw stared at the she-cat with a mixture of awe and terror.
"I got it!" Petalpaw gasped after a tense moment. She pushed down on Hornedpaw's blood-soaked flank with her free paw and slowly began to remove the other. Once it was out, Petalpaw placed it beside its twin in a flash.
"What did you do?" Heronpaw asked. Hornedpaw was still bloody and barely breathing but Petalpaw had a gleam of triumph in her green eyes.
"I stopped his bleeding." The tabby said matter-of-factly. Heronpaw looked down. Hornedpaw's ginger fur was still clogged with blood but there was no new flow. The apprentice's fur had even started to dry into gruesome spikes.
"Okay." Heronpaw said. He felt bile rise up his throat at the sight of Hornedpaw's torn flank. Heronpaw turned away and swallowed hard. He looked over to see Nighthawk, Coalpaw, and the golden warrior approaching.
Heronpaw hurried to meet them. Before he could speak, Nighthawk cut in.
"Thank you for fighting by our side." He said. To Heronpaw's surprise the warrior dipped his head. Coalpaw did the same.
"Of course." Heronpaw said. He hadn't thought of doing anything else.
"We cannot spare the warriors to escort you to the border. You'll need to come back to camp with us." The golden warrior spoke up. Her mew was light but reserved. Heronpaw felt his stomach lurch.
"We have to leave." He said firmly.
The golden she-cat eyed him and opened her mouth but Nighthawk moved between them and spoke.
"Daisyspring, we would have died without these apprentices. Surely they've earned the right to go home." The black warrior urged his Clanmate.
Daisyspring hesitated. "We can't just let them wander the territory." She hissed.
"We can send a patrol out to make certain they've gone." Nighthawk said.
"I give you my word." Heronpaw interrupted. The two warriors turned to look at him. "We will leave your territory untouched."
The AlderClan cats exchanged a glance and then Daisyspring nodded.
Heronpaw felt a rush of relief and he turned to tell Petalpaw. The tabby she-cat was still leaning over Hornedpaw's body. The apprentice's side rose and fell very faintly. Petalpaw raised her head to look Heronpaw in the eye. What he saw there made his stomach clench.
"Heronpaw," She said. "I can't leave."