Chapter 20

By the time the clouds cleared, the sun was making its way towards the horizon. Shadepaw wished they'd been able to set off sooner, but her muscles were pleasantly sore from training with Stormfur and she found herself unable to complain very much.

Shadepaw had known since she was even aware of knowing that she was destined to be a medicine cat – training like a warrior just never occurred to her. Now, though, she could see the appeal of a medicine cat knowing how to defend themselves. Even if things in the forest were peaceful now, that didn't mean they always would be… and with whatever danger was coming to the Clans rearing its head, Shadepaw had a feeling that knowing how to defend herself would come in handy.

Stormfur was leading the way, heading away from the copse and towards where the sun would set. Shadepaw found herself missing the cover of trees, sparse and marshy though the copse had been. These open moorland hills were so barren and lonely, only Crowpaw looked comfortable on their slopes.

"I'm starving," muttered Nightpaw. "You think we'll stop for food any time soon?"

Shadepaw flicked an ear at her brother. She could feel his hunger, as well as her own. "I don't know," she admitted quietly. "But I don't think there's much prey here."

"Hah!" scoffed Crowpaw. Shadepaw flinched at the suddenness of his voice – those big ears of his were quite keen! He stalked up beside her and meowed, "That's only because you forest cats don't know the first thing about finding prey out here!"

Shadepaw felt a twinge of embarrassment. Nightpaw, however, had a little worm of annoyance growing in his pelt. Shadepaw intercepted it before Nightpaw could snap at the WindClan tom: "Would you mind teaching us how to hunt, then?" she asked. "You did say that I'd be good at it."

Crowpaw's eyes widened. Shadepaw tried to plead with her own gaze – she had to admit, she was very curious about hunting like a WindClan warrior, especially since her mother, Sandstorm, was half WindClan herself. It's in our blood!

"Fine," Crowpaw decided. "I think I can teach you."

"Me, too!" insisted Nightpaw. He drew himself up indignantly. "There's no reason to teach just her!"

Crowpaw frowned, but then shrugged. "Fine, fine," he said, his tone suddenly somewhat reluctant. Shadepaw blinked at him, wondering why.

The lean gray tom loped ahead, overtaking Stormfur, who stepped aside with eyes full of curiosity. The whole group paused, gathering around Crowpaw as he stretched each leg in turn in the long grasses. Shadepaw noted he seemed extremely proud of holding knowledge over the others – it made his blue eyes sparkle with zeal.

"Hunting rabbits is about more than just catching up to them," Crowpaw told the group. "It's about endurance, too. You've got to perfect your stride in order to outlast them. Like this!"

He trotted around the group. "Stretch each leg to its limit!" he stated as he made his way around them in a wide circle. Shadepaw watched his legs seemingly grow longer with every step. The ground he covered was immense! "You get more speed that way, without sacrificing your stamina!"

Shadepaw was too eager to try it out. She stretched each of her own legs, and trotted after Crowpaw. Her legs ached a little, but she found herself covering far more ground than she ever had before. It took a little concentration, and she wasn't as fast as Crowpaw, but she was impressed with herself.

The others were trying it, too, to varying degrees of success. Like Crowpaw had predicted, Mistyfoot managed better than the other warriors, with Stoneheart and Feathertail just behind her. Stormfur and Nightpaw lagged, however, weighted down by the physical size of their own legs.

Crowpaw raised his tail for everyone to stop.

"That's so hard!" Nightpaw complained. "I think I'm better off waiting for a rabbit to come to me."

"Same here," sighed Stormfur. "I take too much after Graystripe for this."

Crowpaw rolled his eyes. "WindClan cats hunt in pairs for a reason, you know," he crowed. "We're not all legs. The faster cats chase the rabbits towards the stockier cats, so they get to make the kill before the rabbits flee to their burrows."

Mistyfoot's ears pricked. "Fascinating," she mewed. "Solo hunting is about all ThunderClan cats are taught. It just isn't effective to hunt in pairs in the forest – it's too noisy."

"Same for us," Feathertail remarked. "Fishing is a solo task, and even the land prey we eat doesn't need to be baited unless it's a heron, and those are rare."

"ShadowClan hunt in pairs at night," Stoneheart pointed out. "It helps you keep your bearings, and we use pawspeak to keep utterly silent so prey doesn't hear us. We hunt a lot more slowly than WindClan, though."

"Wow," Nightpaw breathed, eyes wide. Shadepaw could feel her brother's awe, and couldn't blame him. Medicine was just about the same throughout the Clans – knowing that each Clan had their own ways of hunting was very intriguing, and something Shadepaw had never really considered before.

Crowpaw raised his chin, smugness glittering in his eyes. "I'm one of the best hunters in WindClan, according to Mudclaw. I can hunt anywhere."

Nightpaw's whiskers twitched. "There's more to hunting in a forest than running," he pointed out.

"What's it like, having a deputy for a mentor?" Shadepaw wondered.

Crowpaw frowned, and suddenly his demeanor changed. His shoulders hunched, and his chin lowered. His eyes darted about, avoiding contact with any other cat in the group. Shadepaw noted the way his tail twitched in the grass, like an anxious snake.

"It's like any other mentor," he insisted. "Nothing special."

Shadepaw blinked at Crowpaw, sympathy welling in her. She knew something of the pressures of being the kit of a leader, and the apprentice to the Clan's medicine cat – that was all very anxiety-inducing in itself. From his reaction, Shadepaw guessed that Mudclaw was probably quite hard on Crowpaw.

It would explain his… well, his everything, Shadepaw decided. Mudclaw doesn't seem like an easy cat to get along with.

"Let's put this advice to good use," Stormfur decided, stretching out his legs. "We're all starving!"

"We can try back the way we came," Feathertail offered. "There's bound to be prey headed for the copse. Mistyfoot, Stormfur?"

"Of course," Stormfur agreed.

Mistyfoot nodded. "Stoneheart, you'll look after the apprentices?" she guessed.

Stoneheart, to Shadepaw's surprise, shook his head. "Nah," he meowed. "They can look after themselves. I'll scout around – there's some rocks up ahead that might make a good spot to eat."

"Good thinking," Stormfur agreed. "Keep an eye out for predators."

Stoneheart nodded. The strong-bodied gray tom padded off, leaving a trail of flattened grass behind him. Shadepaw looked down at her own small paws and wondered if they'd ever grow that large.

"Mistyfoot, coming?" Stormfur called.

Mistyfoot hesitated, her blue gaze switching from Stoneheart's back to the apprentices. Shadepaw blinked, confused at the worry in her gaze. We can handle ourselves! Shadepaw insisted. We're not alone out here.

Finally Mistyfoot sighed and gave up, turning about to follow Stormfur and Feathertail back towards the copse. Shadepaw stared after her, feeling badly for her own thoughts. She must still be hurting about Shrewpaw, Shadepaw decided. No wonder she'd be reluctant to let any apprentices on their own.

"Mistyfoot is so touchy," Crowpaw complained.

"You're one to talk," Nightpaw insisted, his ice-blue eyes flashing. Shadepaw felt a flash of annoyance in her brother's pelt, and a faint memory of the badger incident. Mistyfoot had saved him then, and Shrewpaw had died defending him. "She's just worried about us."

"Well, she's not our mother, or our mentor," Crowpaw pointed out. "So she can lay off."

Nightpaw bristled, and Shadepaw stepped in. "Stop it, you two; you'll scare all the prey," she meowed. She opened her jaws. "I smell rabbit – let's see if we can bring back more than the warriors, hm?"

Shadepaw was pleased to see Nightpaw's eyes flash with the thrill of competition. Even Crowpaw seemed eager. Nightpaw's claws slid in and out. "I'll catch more than Stormfur!" he declared.

"No, I will," Crowpaw sneered.

"Well I bet I'll catch more than either of you!" Shadepaw crowed, lifting her chin. "But we're working together right now – like WindClan apprentices."

There was a rush of confidence among the three of them as they set off into the long grass. Crowpaw led the way. Shadepaw positioned herself to bring up the rear, straining her ears to listen for any sign of prey.

Shadepaw couldn't deny that the excitement in her pelt wasn't from Nightpaw, though his adventurous nature was infectious. She was a medicine cat at heart, but learning to hunt wasn't going to hurt her knowledge of medicine. After all, how many medicine cats get to do things like this?

It wasn't as if medicine cats were never taught how to hunt – it just wasn't a priority in their duties. Brackenfur's disability made it difficult for him to teach Shadepaw how to hunt, and beyond that, she hadn't been his apprentice long before this journey began. Things were peaceful back in the forest – there was no need for a medicine cat to hunt or fight.

Crowpaw lifted his tail, halting their patrol. "There's a warren up there," he said, pointing with his narrow muzzle. "Nightpaw, go wait up above the hole."

Nightpaw nodded, and slunk off through the grass. He was a black speck in the waving grass, and Shadepaw felt his excitement turn to focused determination.

"Shadepaw, you and I are going to chase our prey to Nightpaw," Crowpaw instructed. "Got it?"

Shadepaw nodded, her paws burning.

"We need to keep the rabbit between us, or it'll go off in who-knows-what direction," Crowpaw stated. "You stay a few paces behind to keep it from doubling back."

"This is complicated!" Shadepaw breathed.

Crowpaw shrugged. "It's how WindClan cats hunt. The moors are too open to be teeming with prey – we've got to make our kills count."

Shadepaw nodded in understanding. Being a moor cat sounds so hard! She thought, watching Crowpaw open his jaws to scent the air. No wonder they're so thin…

She scented rabbit, thick and strong. Shadepaw opened her mouth to call it out, but Crowpaw shook his head at her. Shadepaw clamped her jaws shut, understanding the need to keep quiet. Crowpaw raised his tail as he loped off in the direction of their prey. Shadepaw followed, keeping a few steps behind, and consciously trying to keep her paws from brushing against the grass too much.

The rabbit came into view shortly – a large creature that made Shadepaw salivate just to look at. It was nibbling at some scattered seeds, its nose twitching furiously. With the wind sweeping towards the hunters, their scents were perfectly hidden.

Crowpaw's tail flicked, and Shadepaw slowly drew around the rabbit, positioning herself opposite the WindClan cat.

Wind whistled in Shadepaw's ears, and for a while that was all she could hear. The whole world seemed poised to strike, just like the two hunters in the grass. Then, finally, Crowpaw charged, rustling the grass in such a fury that the rabbit squealed and took off towards Shadepaw.

Shadepaw was struck with nerves as, for a moment, she locked eyes with the terrified creature – but then she stood to her full height and hissed, sending the rabbit skidding and scurrying towards its warren. Crowpaw tore after it, and Shadepaw followed.

She remembered what Crowpaw said – just behind, but make sure it can't get away – and she stretched her legs to meet that demand. Her muscles screamed, her ears filled with the sound of pouding paws and her own heartbeat.

Soon enough the warren was just ahead, Nightpaw hidden in the grasses just behind – visible only to the taller cats. Crowpaw raised his tail, slowing his pace. Shadepaw followed suit as the rabbit charged for the safety of their home – only to be pounced on by Nightpaw, whose teeth flashed.

Satisfaction flowed into Shadepaw through their bond. She stood, panting, her body exhausted. Even Crowpaw was panting, which made her feel a little less weak. Nightpaw dropped the dead rabbit between them, cleaning the blood from his jaws with a paw.

"That was awesome!" he breathed.

"Is hunting always like that?" Shadepaw panted, breathless.

Crowpaw's eyes shone, his pelt rippling in the wind. Shadepaw's pelt prickled with warmth, happy that he looked so happy, and so free. "It is – and you did great, Shadepaw! You're a natural!" he purred.

Nightpaw's whiskers twitched. "Don't get her started," he teased, "she'll want to be a warrior apprentice when she gets home!"

Shadepaw's pelt bristled. "I am a medicine cat, through and through!" she insisted, lifting her jaw proudly. She didn't miss the way Crowpaw's gaze darkened. "But there's no harm in learning to hunt or fight!"

"Are we going for another?" Nightpaw asked.

Crowpaw shook his head. "Nah," he said. "That rabbit will feed all three of us, trust me!"

Nightpaw nodded and picked up the rabbit again. Shadepaw saw by the bend in Nightpaw's neck that Crowpaw was right – that rabbit was probably the largest she'd ever seen.

Crowpaw lifted his tail and led the way to the rocks Stoneheart had mentioned. Shadepaw followed, Nightpaw just behind. As they walked, Shadepaw watched Crowpaw – the way his stride lengthened, the way his chest puffed, the way he held his chin high…

He just wants to be in charge, she thought. He'd been so close to his warrior ceremony before he left on this journey. He just wants to prove himself.

Sunhigh had come and gone when all the journeying cats had settled beside the rock pile. Stoneheart had caught himself his own meal, a mouse that had been sniffing around the stones. Mistyfoot, Stormfur, and Feathertail each managed a catch each, with Feathertail getting lucky with an extra shrew. With the rabbit from the apprentices, they had a respectable fresh-kill pile to split between them.

Stoneheart doled out the prey, but Nightpaw insisted that the apprentices share the rabbit. "We caught it together, after all!" he said.

The others didn't seem to mind. Shadepaw settled down beside Nightpaw, the rabbit stretched out before them. There was just one thing missing…

Crowpaw was looking out of place, his happiness replaced with his usual grumpy attitude. Shadepaw raised her tail at him. "Come share!" she insisted.

The dark gray tom hesitated, but gave in. He tucked his paws between him as he sat beside Shadepaw. The others brought their own meals over to the apprentices. Together they formed a cluster of cats, sitting closer than Shadepaw had ever seen them do before – Stormfur and Mistyfoot's pelts were brushing, Feathertail swapped her shrew for Stoneheart's mouse, and even Nightpaw tore off a leg of the rabbit for Crowpaw. There was a warmth between them all that made Shadepaw's heart feel full as she tucked into her meal.

They ate in relative silence as the sun began to head for setting on the horizon – but when the meal was nothing but scraps and bones, and each cat was pleasantly full, Feathertail rolled onto her back and stretched out her paws.

"You know the thing I miss most?" she mewed. "My nest."

Mistyfoot purred. "Really? You and Stormfur have enough fur between you to make your own nests!"

Stormfur's eyes flashed, and he chuckled, "You can have some if you want, then!"

The way Mistyfoot's fur fluffed made Shadepaw's whiskers twitch with amusement. Was she the only cat to see how close they were getting? From the glances of the other cats, Shadepaw guessed not.

She looked at her brother, finding that he was laughing along with the others. He looks up to Mistyfoot so much, she thought. Is he upset at how close she is to another cat? She tried to feel for any indications, but there was nothing.

Shadepaw was surprised. The whole group – even Crowpaw – were eating and chatting and sharing tongues as if they were a Clan of their own, like Stoneheart had suggested they become. It'd only been a few days, and they hadn't even made much progress today – something that had irritated everyone earlier.

What would that friendship mean when they returned home? Would StarClan's message, and this lake, affect that closeness?

Shadepaw hoped it wouldn't.

"WindClan cats don't even sleep in nests," Crowpaw pointed out.

"So that's why you're all so prickly!" Nightpaw chuckled.

Crowpaw hissed, but there was no malice in it. He only lifted his chin and went on: "Our fur is thicker than you think! We sleep out in the open, under the stars!"

"Even the kits?" Shadepaw fretted.

Crowpaw shook his head. "Nah," he assured. "Kits and queens sleep in burrows we dug out into a nursery. It's not that we don't have dens, we just choose not to use them. Why not sleep with the wind in your fur?"

"Sounds disruptive," Stoneheart pointed out. He gave his chest fur a few licks. "It's too humid in the swamp for ShadowClan cats to sleep too close together. Usually only mates or littermates let their fur touch."

Nightpaw looked between Stoneheart and Crowpaw. "Doesn't sleeping like that get cold in leaf-bare?"

Stoneheart shrugged. "We make do," he answered. "No doubt it's colder in the moor than in the marshes."

Crowpaw flicked an ear. "We sleep in our dens when the wind is too cold, yeah," he said.

"That must be awesome, to sleep beneath the stars," Shadepaw breathed.

Crowpaw blinked at her, and then looked down at his own paws. "Well… it helps not having trees to block them out, y'know?"

"Well, in RiverClan we have amazing nests!" Feathertail crowed, pushing herself up. She puffed out her thick-furred chest. "We decorate our nests with shells and feathers and stuff we find by the river!"

Nightpaw snorted. "What if you roll over onto something?"

"That's what our thick pelts are for," Stormfur joked.

Feathertail's whiskers twitched. "RiverClan mates give one another gifts to put in their nests, too!" she meowed proudly. "It's such a lovely tradition!"

Stoneheart chuckled. "That is such and RiverClan thing."

"Oh? And what do ShadowClan cats do for those they love?" Feathertail huffed. "Share a frog?"

Stoneheart frowned. "For your information… I did give Rowanclaw something when we became mates."

"Oh?" Mistyfoot's ears pricked. "What was it?"

The others leaned in. A ShadowClan cat, show softness? Even Crowpaw was intrigued. Stoneheart blinked, looking indignant at the attention. But he sighed, and meowed, "I saw something shiny by the Thunderpath while on patrol. A Twoleg must have dropped it. Rowanclaw liked it a lot, though."

"So ShadowClan cats do have hearts," chortled Stormfur, who nudged Stoneheart playfully. Stoneheart sighed and looked down at his paws, his tail flicking in embarrassment.

"And what would any of you do?" Stoneheart wondered, glaring at the others. "Hm?"

"Simple!" Stormfur purred. "I know where to find the shiniest stones in RiverClan territory – any mate of mine is getting the best I can find!"

"A snakeskin!" Nightpaw burst, tail flicking. "To show how far I'd go to keep them safe!"

"That's so reckless!" Mistyfoot admonished. Shadepaw wanted to say the same, but Nightpaw's sincerity was so genuine. "But… I'll admit," the blue-gray she-cat went on, "I wouldn't really know what to get another cat."

"What about you, Crowpaw?" Nightpaw wondered.

Crowpaw turned his muzzle away. "This is mouse-brained," he insisted.

"C'mon!" Nightpaw insisted. "Tell us!"

Crowpaw sighed and looked down at his paws. He grumbled, "Sheep's wool."

"That sounds lovely," Shadepaw assured him. Crowpaw didn't meet her eyes.

Shadepaw looked down at her own paws as the others turned expectant gazes on her. "I'm a medicine cat," she reminded them simply. "Taking a mate is against our code."

"That's fair," Feathertail said gently. "But they don't need to be your mate to show you care."

Shadepaw nodded her thanks to Feathertail.

"What about you, then, Feathertail?" Mistyfoot asked. "You haven't answered."

Feathertail blinked. "I…"

Suddenly, she looked rather uncomfortable. Stormfur got to his paws and stretched, meowing, "We need to get some sleep – we've got to make some real progress tomorrow, rain or not."

"True," Stoneheart sighed.

Shadepaw blinked at Feathertail, worried. Though she had started the conversation, the silvery she-cat had averted talking about herself – and even though the group seemed more then friendly, she still looked lonely. Shadepaw felt for the RiverClan cat, hoping time would heal whatever had wounded her heart.

But even as Shadepaw settled herself down beside Nightpaw, her own heart seemed troubled.

I'm a medicine cat, she reflected. I can't take a mate. Her Clanmates could be nothing but friends, and sporadically patients. For the first time, Shadepaw felt the reality of such a commitment really hit home. Though today she'd gotten a taste of warriorhood, being a medicine cat was in her bones – and that meant the medicine cat code, too.

Shadepaw felt fur brush against her own, and realized that Crowpaw had settled down beside her. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through her that tingled to her toes. Shadepaw set her head down on her paws.

Are medicine cats always destined to be so separate from their Clanmates? She wondered. She could feel Crowpaw's breathing settle into a steady rhythm of sleep. She thought of her brother, dragging a snakeskin in to his mate's nest and proclaiming his love for them. She thought of Crowpaw, giving some cat a lump of sheep's wool to warm their nest, trying to avoid directly telling them how he felt but showing it in his own way. It made her heart ache, knowing she would never be able to do the same for another, or have another do so for her.

How is that fair?