Promisepaw awoke with a wailing cry echoing in her ears. The white she-cat yawned, blinking around confusedly at the world. Something warm was pressed up against her. She caught a glimpse of Trickpaw's golden-ginger pelt and nodded. A dream. It had only been a dream. But what a dream!
She had been padding along a stretch of hard, slick ground. Fine, white dust drifted down around her: snow. Promisepaw recalled how the world had been a chilly, wintry place, devoid of any notable landscape, when suddenly, two yellow lights began to burn in front of her. She had padded over to them, curious. Cold wind had swirled around, lifting fallen snow into the air and swiping it across her ears and muzzle.
The lights came closer as she neared them. They were eyes, and whatever they belonged to was coming her way. Promisepaw had stiffened, and the creature had appeared. A fox, a pure white fox. Promisepaw had opened her mouth to speak, but the fox had lifted its muzzle to the gray skies and howled that mournful wail.
Young one...
Promisepaw leapt to her paws, looking around rapidly. Nothing was there except for sleeping apprentices. She lay back down beside Trickpaw.
Young one...
The white queen pricked up her ears. "Who's there?" she asked. "Who's talking to me?"
Speak with your heart...answer me...
How am I supposed to speak with my heart? Promisepaw thought curiously. She thought for a while. I suppose if I want to speak with it enough, I will be speaking 'with my heart.'
She closed her eyes. Yes? she tried.
Hearken to me, young one...heed my voice...Have you found the moorlands?
Yes...we're there. Where are you? Who are you?
My name bears no importance, young one. Listen closely. When you find Ratnest, enter with courage.
Exactly what is the Ratnest?
I cannot say. I do not know. I only know that you must enter with courage.
I will...but how are you speaking to me? Are you a warrior of StarClan?
I am not who you would like me to be, I'm afraid. Heed my words...and do not give up...you must save the Promised Clan...
Wait...how do you know that? Promisepaw waited on pins and needles for the answer. There was no reply. Come back! Tell me how you know the prophecy! Silence greeted her words. Promisepaw sighed and lay her head back on Trickpaw's stomach, which was upturned now.
"Hey, you guys better wake up and come see this!" Sunpaw mewed from the mouth f the old badger tunnel where they had slept for the night. "This place is awesome during the day!"
"Sunpaw, go stalk a fox," Wavepaw grumbled as he rolled over onto his side, away from the young cat's voice. Sunpaw persisted.
"I'm serious! It looks just like the Windfields at the edge of MeadowClan territory."
"That's fantastic, Sunpaw," Shadowpaw muttered. "But really, we're all tired, so you're not going to convince any of us to get out of our nice, warm burrows. So be a dear..."
"You're just a bunch of sticks in the mud!" Sunpaw scoffed. "Come on, there's heaps of fresh-kill waiting! I was out hunting while you were all asleep."
"Sunpaw!" Promisepaw and Trickpaw snapped.
There came a soft sigh from the mouth of the sett. "Well...maybe I should tell you the real reason why I want you guys out of the old badger burrows."
"We're waiting."
"They weren't abandoned after all. The badger came back while we were all asleep."
Promisepaw's eyes snapped wide open. She scented the air. Yes...there was badger scent...but it was stronger than before! The white she-cat jumped up and whirled to face the other end of the den. She could make out the shape of the badger, snoring peacefully. Her gaze shifted to Wavepaw and Shadowpaw, cowering together in the corner. "All right...walk as quietly as you can," she whispered shakily. "J-just try to imagine you're walking past the nursery...you don't want to wake up all those kits, do you?"
Wavepaw lifted a front paw slowly. Shadowpaw's hackles rose, and she tore past him and out of the sett. Promisepaw stepped aside to let her pass. The badger slept on. "Wavepaw, you next. Slowly, gently...you can do it."
Wavepaw gave a strangled mew of terror. In the shadows of the den, a single eye opened and glinted in the dim light. Promisepaw gulped. She took a deep breath. "PROMISECLAN!" she yowled. "RETREAT!"
Trickpaw and Wavepaw pelted out, side by side. The badger snarled and thundered after them. Promisepaw darted away as fast as her paws would carry her. Sunpaw led the group of running apprentices, his long strides carrying him effortlessly over the moor. Promisepaw chanced a glimpse over her shoulder at their pursuer. The stocky creature was hot on their paws.
"Promisepaw! I...can't...keep...this...up!" Trickpaw panted. He was lagging behind, dangerously close to the badger. Promisepaw's heart was hammering and she was gasping for breath, but down inside, she felt the endurance of DuskClan kick in. She wheeled away from the group and charged straight at the badger. The creature opened its mouth wide to take a bite of her. Promisepaw loosed her claws and struck, catching it across the roof of the mouth and knocking a fang loose in the process. Without a thought, she grabbed the fang in her mouth and ran beside Trickpaw.
The badger dropped back a pace, licking its bleeding muzzle furiously. Its small eyes narrowed angrily, and it gave a roar of rage. The huge paws pounded the ground, and at the last second, it swiped out, catching Trickpaw across the head. The tom rolled on the ground. Sunpaw gave a battle cry, and the rest of the apprentices flung themselves at the badger. The beast snarled and batted at the young cats.
Promisepaw sliced her claws at its brow. The blood dripped into the badger's eyes, blinding it. Shadowpaw wove her thin body in between its legs. The badger stumbled, and Wavepaw was on it like streak of silver, his long claws slashing and swiping. The badger stumbled to its paws and lumbered away, limping and groaning. Promisepaw panted heavily, relieved at her Clanmates' quick action. Then she remembered Trickpaw and ran to his side.
The young tom was unconscious, the side of his face bleeding profusely. Promisepaw's tail bristled fearfully. This was the first real injury she had dealt with in her whole life. The sight of it sickened her. She thought she might be sick to her stomach. Then she remembered how over a moon ago, he had joined them on the journey. I can't let it end like this for him!
"Sunpaw, you're a good runner. Go out and find some cobwebs. Shadowpaw, look for marigold. Wavepaw—"
"I can find water. Soak moss in it and bring it back here," the silver tom offered.
"Good. Go do that. A lot of it. And hurry, all of you. Trickpaw needs us." The three apprentices nodded and raced off to do what they could. Promisepaw started to lick Trickpaw's face clean. "Oh, Trickpaw," she mewed sadly. "I'll do what I can, but I can't guarantee anything."
Shadowpaw was the first one back. The dark gray she-cat was panting heavily as she dropped a small plant at the medicine cat apprentice's paws. Promisepaw inspected the plant. It was indeed marigold, but it seemed that Shadowpaw, not knowing which part was needed, had dug the whole thing up. There were dirty roots poking out from under the leaves. Shadowpaw slumped down in a seated position. "Got what I could. That's right, isn't it?"
"Yes. Very much. Thank you, Shadowpaw." Promisepaw used her thin claws to separate the petals from the flowers. She started to chew them into a poultice.
Sunpaw appeared next. He was hobbling slightly, but Promisepaw realized that he was trying to keep the cobwebs clean. He sat in front of the white she-cat and held out his paw. "Got you as much as I could," he meowed breathlessly. Promisepaw nodded her thanks as she peeled the webs from his foot.
Wavepaw was the last back. He had his tail wrapped around huge wads of moss, and held another clump of it in his teeth. He laid them down on Trickpaw's face and started to swab it clean. When he was finished, Promisepaw spat the chewed petals onto the claw-marks. She pressed them down and secured them with cobwebs, then heaved a sigh of relief. "Wonderful."
"So...what now?" Shadowpaw asked. Her tail twitched in an aggravated way.
"We wait," Promisepaw mewed. She laid her ear against the golden flank of Trickpaw and listened. His breathing was steady, but his heartbeat was irregular. "Comfrey," she meowed. "We need some of that."
"Does comfrey grow in these kinds of lands?" Wavepaw wondered. "I mean, not much does." He gazed out at the almost barren landscape. Promisepaw shrugged.
"Well, if we can't, then thyme would work."
"I saw a patch of poppy flowers while I was out," Sunpaw meowed. "They looked kind of dried-up to me. Want me to go back and try to get some for you?"
"Yes. Take Wavepaw with you, though. I don't want us going out alone in this land." Promisepaw watched the two toms head out. She sighed. Shadowpaw laid her tail on the white cat's shoulders.
"I know. It's hard for you."
"It's just...Trickpaw is so kind and loving. I don't think he knows we can't be in love."
"I know what you mean. And frankly, I think he does know."
Promisepaw gazed at her fellow apprentice. After a moon of growth, Shadowpaw was a slender, lithe she-cat with sleek fur. Her ribs no longer poked out from her sides, even though hunger had never been an issue. She was taller than the stocky Promisepaw, but not quite as tall as Sunpaw.
"We're changing," she mewed.
"I know. In more than one way."
Promisepaw nodded. "Like that time you saved Wavepaw from the dog?" she asked. "Back in PromiseClan, I never thought that would happen. Not that you weren't loyal to the Clan, just not loyal to Wavepaw."
"Or how about Wavepaw and Sunpaw? They never got along back in PromiseClan."
"I know. Now look at them! Best friends!"
Shadowpaw purred. "We've changed, too, Promisepaw," she meowed. "Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"
Promisepaw shook her head. She gazed down at her paws. They weren't so chubby anymore. Rather...they fit her body quite nicely. Her fur was no longer fluffy and kit-like, but sleek and glossy. She purred as well. "I guess you're right."
"Promisepaw...can you keep a secret?"
"Of course I can, Shadowpaw."
"Well...Sunpaw...Sunpaw and I like each other...a lot. He wants to have kits when we're older. I...I do too, even though I like the idea of being a hunting, fighting warrior much better than I do of being a queen stuck in the nursery surrounded by mewling kits."
"Shadowpaw, that's no secret. We all know how much you and Sunpaw like each other."
Shadowpaw sighed. "I suppose you're right. We've not been too secretive about it, have we?" Promisepaw shook her head.
"But that's okay. You two like each other a lot. You're a part of the same Clan now. You can have kits when you're warriors."
The two she-cats sat together, watching the sun climb higher into the skies. Sunpaw and Wavepaw returned about an hour later, each carrying several dead flowers. Shadowpaw purred softly and rubbed her head against Sunpaw's flank. "Sunpaw, if you wanted to bring me flowers, you should have gotten living ones," she joked. Sunpaw spat his poppies out and licked her head.
Promisepaw batted at one of the flower heads. A couple of black seeds rolled out. She sighed with relief. "Good. We'll have poppy seeds when he comes to," she murmured.
"Wow, Promisepaw, I'm impressed," Wavepaw mewed. "A cat went down and you just—BAM—sprang right into action like you were pouncing on a fat mouse! I think Trickpaw will be feeling better when he wakes up."
"Likely not, but at least he's not dead." Promisepaw laid her ear to his flank again. His heartbeat had evened out, but it was still rapid. "He's in shock," she reported. "There's nothing much we can do except keep him warm and pray that StarClan leaves him with us."
Every cat curled up around their friend to keep him warm. Promisepaw sighed softly and gazed up at the sky. At least Trickpaw had chosen a sheltered place to get hurt. They were underneath the branches of a lone tree, nestled up against its trunk. The white she-cat sent a prayer up to her warrior ancestors: Keep Trickpaw safe...