Chapter Four
That night, after Cinderpaw had gone back to the apprentice's den, Jaypaw sat down in his nest. The smells of herbs drifted all around him, and he could hear Leafpool coming back from the elders' den. Mousepaw's had a tick bite that had gotten infected, and she had been complaining about it all day.
"It's really raining hard out there," Leafpool commented; Jaypaw could hear water dripping off her pelt and onto the cave floor.
"Sounds like it," Jaypaw replied, listening to the rain steadily fall outside. A strong wind sounded through the clearing and Jaypaw shivered. In the ThunderClan camp, wind always sounded louder.
"I hope it stops by tomorrow," Leafpool went on, getting comfortable in her nest.
"I don't think it will," Jaypaw meowed. Leafpool grunted and curled up in a tight ball. Jaypaw closed his eyes and curled up, too. Eventually, he heard Leafpool's breathing become slow and steady. This soon calmed Jaypaw and he fell into a deep sleep.
Jaypaw opened his eyes to find himself in the forest—near the Moonpool. Did I go into Leafpool's dreams again? Opening his mouth to scent the air, he was happy to see that there wasn't any trace of her—or Crowfeather. Why am I here then? Getting used to the moonlight, Jaypaw looked around. Something was calling him to the pool. Getting to his paws, he slowly made his way down the slope, and to the sparkling surface.
When he reached it, he looked up at Silverpelt. A single star shot down from it and landed in the Moonpool, making it shine a silverish-white color. Jaypaw stared at the sight, gaping. Finally, the shape of a silver warrior appeared, and sat on top of the surface of the pool. Jaypaw realized that his paws were sweating, and he prodded at the ground to make them feel better.
"Don't be alarmed, Jaypaw," the cat said. "It is I, Bluestar." Bluestar had been the ThunderClan leader before Firestar.
"Why did you come to me?" Jaypaw asked, bowing his head slightly.
"I came to give you a prophecy," Bluestar meowed, lighting emanating off her starry pelt. Jaypaw stared at her, his blue eyes wide.
"When danger comes to the Clan, a feathered-pelt can save it. Loyalty may overcome love, but trust your heart when the time comes." After Bluestar had finished, she began to fade.
"Hey!" Jaypaw called. "You can't leave!" He was about to jump into the Moonpool, but then thought against otherwise. "What does that mean?" He stood on his hind paws and pawed at the sky, hoping Bluestar would come back, even though he knew she wouldn't. He crouched down and touched his nose to the cold surface of the Moonpool, hoping that that would bring her back, but it didn't either, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw nothingness—he was blind again.
There was an eerie silence in the den, even though the rain was still pattering away on the ground outside. There was a crack of thunder, and a kit squeaked somewhere in the camp, notifying that he had just seen lightning. Scenting the air, Jaypaw found that he was alone. Happy that no one was around to bother him Jaypaw tried to work out the prophecy.
"When danger comes to the Clan, a feathered-pelt can save it. Loyalty may overcome love, but trust your heart when the time comes." Well, Jaypaw thought, when she said 'the Clan', she must have meant ThunderClanBut a feathered-pelt What's that supposed to mean? He thought about it for a while, trying to plug in different possibilities, but none of them worked. And what did Bluestar mean when she said loyalty may overcome love, but to trust his heart when the time came? Frustrated that he couldn't decipher the prophecy, Jaypaw padded out of the medicine cat den and into the main clearing.
He could hear Mousefur saying something angrily to Longtail in the elders' den, though he couldn't make out what; Leafpool's scent trail was headed to Firestar's den, so Jaypaw guessed that she must have went to talk to him; and there were no cats out in the main clearing because of the rain. Walking over to the fresh kill pile, he grabbed a mouse and then went into the apprentice's den.
"Hi," he meowed to his brother and sister, who were sharing tongues.
"Oh, hey, Jaypaw," Lionpaw meowed.
"Hi," Hollypaw murmured. Jaypaw ignored her and sat down.
"Some weather, huh?" he said, before biting into his meal.
"Ye—" Lionpaw was cut short by Hollypaw's agitated meowed.
"I don't know," she hissed. "Why don't you go ask your new 'best friend'?" She tore away from Lionpaw and walked off indignantly out into the main clearing. Jaypaw heard Lionpaw land on the ground with a soft thump.
"What's got her so angry?" Jaypaw asked.
"I dunno," Lionpaw grunted, getting up. Jaypaw took the time to sniff around the den. To his disappointment, Cinderpaw wasn't there, and neither was Honeypaw or Poppypaw.
"Did they all go out on a patrol?" Jaypaw meowed.
"Yep," Lionpaw replied. "I think so." Jaypaw could hear his hurried licks as he tried to groom himself clean.
"Hollypaw has been all annoyed for a couple days now, hasn't she?" Jaypaw pointed out.
"Yea."
"Do you know why?" Jaypaw felt strange asking so many questions, but he felt curious.
"Nope," Lionpaw meowed. Jaypaw sensed uncertainty prickle off Lionpaw's pelt. There's something that he's not telling me. Jaypaw continued to eat his mouse, and kept silent. When he was done, he heard paw steps coming from the main entrance of the camp, and hurried out into the main clearing to see who had returned.
Lionpaw had been right—there had been a patrol sent out. It consisted of Sandstorm, Honeypaw, Thornclaw, Poppypaw, Cloudtail, and…
"Hi, Cinderpaw!" Jaypaw mewed, walking over to his friend.
"Jaypaw!" She bounded over to him as Honeypaw and Poppypaw put their fresh kill in the pile. By the smell of it, Cinderpaw was carrying a vole and a bird. She put the vole in the fresh kill pile and then turned to Jaypaw.
"I caught this for you," she purred. Jaypaw felt a wave of happiness wash through him, but then vanish.
"Sorry, I already ate," he apologized.
"Oh…," Cinderpaw mewed. "Okay." When she said that, Jaypaw scented Hollypaw and Brackenfur padding towards them. He felt Hollypaw's gaze pierce his fur like a thorn, and flinched.
"Hi, Hollypaw," Cinderpaw purred.
"Hi," Hollypaw said flatly, and walked on by. Sadness rippled off Cinderpaw's pelt.
"Want to come with me back to the medicine cat den?" Jaypaw offered. "You can eat there." Cinderpaw's mood instantly changed.
"Okay," she said, and followed Jaypaw to the den, carrying her bird.
As they sat side by side, out of the rain, Jaypaw drank in her warm and pleasant scent. When she had finished, they laid next to each other. Unusually tired, Jaypaw closed his eyes. Everything seemed perfect, and the only sound that could be heard was the rain, still landing heavily on the ground outside. Before he knew it, a purr came to his throat which he couldn't hold back, and he noticed that Cinderpaw was purring, too. Almost asleep until…
A wail suddenly broke the silence, and hurried footsteps ran to the medicine cat den.
"Jaypaw! Come quick!" It was Icekit.
"What is it?" Jaypaw meowed, pouncing to his paws. Cinderpaw got up, startled, beside him.
"Ferncloud!" Icekit meowed."She's not breathing!"
Ooh! A cliff-hanger—muahaha