Chapter 24

Hailpaw felt a surge of satisfaction as he spotted a clump of chamomile in full bloom. Yellowfang will definitely be pleased with this. Though it was only the first herb on his list, Hailpaw allowed himself to gather a large pile of the delicate plant. There had been an owl sighting, and the elders were as fretful as ever; chamomile would soothe their nerves, and with any luck stop them from frightening the queens with their tales.

As Hailpaw thought of the mighty bird, a chill crept down his spine. Could it be the hunter prowling the forest that Oakheart keeps warning me about…? The young medicine cat had thought for moons that the dream was meant to warn him about the fox that had nearly claimed his life, but now that the warning had reappeared frequently in his dreams, he wasn't so sure. Could it be that there's something worse out there…? Hailpaw shivered, chilled despite the blazing green-leaf sun. If only I'd had more time at the Moonstone! The tensions had been running high since the last Gathering, and while all three of the other medicine cats had been present, they had barely spoken, and no cat was oblivious to the glares Mudfur and Barkface had shared. Halfway through the evening—and through Hailpaw's dream—heavy clouds had blotted out the moonlight, waking them all and ending their stay as it began to rain.

Hailpaw dug his claws into the ground, swaying on his paws as he remembered the stench of blood that had come with the sudden storm. None of the other medicine cats seemed to notice, and Hailpaw had held his tongue. His dreams seemed to be merging together and bleeding out into reality, and the pale tabby had a feeling that it was nearly time for their meaning to become clear. The question is if I'll be able to find out what they mean in time…

"Ah, good, you've found plenty," Yellowfang's raspy meow shook Hailpaw from his thoughts, and the medicine cat apprentice sheathed his claws quickly.

"Y-yes," he stammered. Yellowfang dropped a large leaf on the ground and wrapped the sweet-smelling herb in it.

"Alright, I'll continue on towards the river, you head towards the Thunderpath…" The old medicine cat's meow trailed off. Without warning, she cuffed Hailpaw heavily over the ear. "Why don't you hunt a while?" Her wise yellow gaze was dark. "You need to get whatever's been distracting you out of your mind before you handle any more herbs—working your claws like that you're bound to shred them."

Hailpaw winced, and sheathed his claws again. "Maybe you're right," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Yellowfang. What happened at the Moonstone is still…"

His mentor sighed. "It's been bothering me, too," she admitted softly. "Particularly how you told me the rain smelled of blood to you. If the others noticed, they didn't say… and I certainly didn't smell blood." After a long pause, she shook her head. "StarClan must have a good reason for showing things to you the way they have been; all we can do for now if wait for them to show you more."

He knew the words were meant to comfort him, but they only put Hailpaw more on edge. "I'll go ahead and start towards the Thunderpath," he finally muttered. "Maybe I'll find a mouse or two on my way there."

Yellowfang nodded briskly. "Good. Don't forget to gather the herbs on the way back."

"I won't." Hailpaw flicked his tail and slipped into the undergrowth. The sunhigh patrol was due to go down the RiverClan border, and the hunting patrol Cindercloud was leading had set off for the Owl Tree, hoping to find out if the owl was just passing by or had settled down. There should be plenty of prey, then… He pricked his ears as he stalked through the undergrowth, parting his jaws slightly to taste the air. Mouse! He crept forward until he could see the small animal. With a satisfied purr, he pounced, killing his prey swiftly. He tucked the mouse under a juniper bush, knowing he would need to collect the berries on his way back. Feeling much more relaxed, but not ready to give up on more easy prey, Hailpaw continued towards the Thunderpath on silent paws. He was tracking a squirrel through the undergrowth when a new scent—faint, but fresh—touched his tongue. Did Feathertail take a hunting patrol as well?

Hailpaw brush his cheek against the ferns that held her sweet, familiar scent. No other scents… she must have gone hunting by herself… Maybe I'll bump into her. Though the thought was a cheerful one, the pale silver tom felt his paws prickle with unease. It wasn't a common hunting route. In fact, many warriors avoided it because of how close to Snakerocks it passed. Hailpaw frequented the path for its bountiful herbs and how it kept out of the way of more frequent patrols. She wouldn't have taken this path for the same reason, would she?

Conflicted, Hailpaw took a deep breath. The medicine cat apprentice steeled his resolve as he exhaled, and set off along the trail Feathertail had left through the thick green-leaf undergrowth. He didn't know why he was trying so hard not to be discovered, but he kept his ears low and his movement concealed. The uncomfortable prickle along his spine grew as he moved closer and closer to the ShadowClan border. Dread seeped into his bones as he neared the Thunderpath. His former den-mate's scent trail had not wavered once, and he had found no stash of fresh-kill along the way. He knew something had to be very wrong, but as he slunk out of the cover of the forest, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

But her scent is so strong… He pressed himself closer to the ground as he skirted around the edge of Snakerocks. Her scent trail grew stronger, until a rumbling purr reached Hailpaw's flattened ears. Bracing himself for whatever he might find, Hailpaw stood straight and stepped around the back of the tumble of stones.

"Feathertail?" Hailpaw's ice blue eyes shot wide as he saw the pretty silver tabby. Beside her, a dark gray warrior whirled to face him, his claws unsheathed. He stood protectively in front of Feathertail, who could only stare incredulously at the medicine cat apprentice. Slowly, a look of horror replaced her shock.

"This doesn't concern you," the dark warrior growled. Hailpaw unsheathed his own claws as the distinctive scent of ShadowClan identified the warrior standing in front of Feathertail.

"You're a ShadowClan warrior on my territory," Hailpaw pointed out, his tail beginning to lash. He turned his frosty gaze to Feathertail. "Feathertail, what is he doing here? What are you doing here?"

"I already told you," the ShadowClan warrior lunged forward, his teeth bared.

"No, Cedarheart!" Feathertail gasped, rushing forward and nudged the dark gray warrior aside before he met Hailpaw's ready claws. She stood between them, her tail fluffed out fearfully. "Please don't fight, Hailpaw is my littermate!"

Cedarheart's pale green eyes flickered as he seemed to recognize Hailpaw as a medicine cat apprentice. "I don't care who he is," he hissed. "Why is he here?"

"I followed Feathertail," Hailpaw forced his fur to lie flat as he met Cedarheart's gaze evenly. "I was gathering herbs on the other side of Snakerocks when I caught her scent. It's not a path I've ever scented warriors on before, so I followed it. It's a good thing I did, too." He flicked his ears at Feathertail. "I don't know what you thought you were doing Feathertail, but this has to stop. Come back to camp with me."

Feathertail opened her mouth, but Cedarheart cut her off with a lashing tail. "What Feathertail does or doesn't do isn't any of your business!" The ShadowClan warrior unsheathed his claws again, but Feathertail swept her tail down his flank in a soothing gesture.

"You should go," she murmured, so softly Hailpaw nearly didn't hear. The ShadowClan warrior hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. Their eyes met—pale green and bright blue—and Hailpaw couldn't help but to be shocked by the emotions flickering between the two warriors. Finally, Cedarheart touched noses with Feathertail, sent one last, seething glare at Hailpaw, and bounded across the Thunderpath. Feathertail watched until his tail-tip disappeared into the ferns on the other side before turning and padding past Hailpaw with her head bowed.

Hailpaw followed her. "Why don't you help me gather some herbs?" He offered, obliquely giving her time to think before explaining. The light gray warrior only nodded let Hailpaw take the lead. It wasn't until they were back at the juniper bush where Hailpaw had hidden his mouse that Feathertail spoke.

"I'm sorry, Hailpaw!"

The medicine cat blinked calmly at her. "It's not me you owe an apology to," he mewed gently. "It's the whole of ThunderClan. Meeting with a warrior of another Clan like that is against the warrior code, Feathertail, you know that."

"I'm not sorry for meeting with him," Feathertail brought her gaze up sharply to meet his. "I'm sorry because I can't stop seeing him."

"Can't or won't?"

Feathertail lifted her chin. "Both. I love him, Hailpaw. We're not doing any harm."

"But you are." Hailpaw realized quite suddenly that it wouldn't matter what he said. "Feathetail, he's a ShadowClan warrior."

The pretty she-cat sat down and began washing. "Yes," she acknowledged. "But ThunderClan has no quarrel with ShadowClan right now. The problem is between WindClan and RiverClan."

"Tigerstar leads ShadowClan," Hailpaw reminded her quietly. "We cannot trust them."

Their blue eyes locked for a moment, but neither of them wavered. "Cedarheart is right." Feathertail finally meowed. She licked her chest fur. "What I do is no concern of yours. I won't stop seeing him." With that, Feathertail picked up the bundle of herbs she had been carrying and brushed past him towards camp. A heavy sigh passed Hailpaw's lips. He knew what he had to do, but even as he followed the gray tabby through the gorse tunnel Hailpaw knew he wouldn't be able to betray her secret.

I can only hope that she comes to her senses on her own…

He greeted Yellowfang with a distracted nod and set to work sorting the herbs they had gathered. He hardly noticed when his mentor left and his brother took her place.

"Hailpaw? Are you listening?"

The medicine cat apprentice started, and blinked bewilderedly at the red-furred warrior sitting in front of him. "I'm sorry," he mewed reluctantly. "I hadn't even noticed you were here."

Foxtail's dark blue eyes glinted with concern, but he didn't push. "I didn't think you were. I brought you some fresh-kill."

Hailpaw sighed. "You can leave it here, I'll get to it once I've sorted out these herbs."

Foxtail hesitated. "Actually," he dropped his voice slightly. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

Dismay struck Hailpaw like a blow. Has he found out about Feathertail? "A-about what?" He stuttered, ducking his head to examine the herbs more closely in an attempt to hide his mounting fears.

"I've been…" The red-furred warrior seemed to struggle for the right words. "Having these dreams…"

Hailpaw jerked his head up suddenly to stare at his brother. Foxtail's shoulders were hunched, and a hunting look haunted his dark eyes. His tail-tip flicked anxiously as he averted his gaze. "Dreams?" The medicine cat apprentice stepped around the herbs to press himself comfortingly against his brother. He prompted him gently as he touched his nose to the warrior's lean shoulder, "What about?"

Foxtail shrugged hopelessly. "I don't remember," he whispered. "I don't remember, but every morning I wake up feeling as if I've been drowning, and…" Foxtail's voice caught in his throat. Hailpaw could hardly breathe himself. He knew what his brother was going to say next. "I always wake up smelling blood—with the taste in my mouth…" He shuddered. "I'm no medicine cat, but I've never been so scared to sleep in my life."

Hailpaw measured his words carefully before speaking. "I'll go fetch you something from the fresh-kill pile," he raised a paw to stop his brother from objecting as he continued, "You stay here, and we'll talk more once we've both eaten."

Reluctantly, Foxtail nodded. Hailpaw padded slowly to the fresh-kill pile, gathering his thoughts as best as he could. The liveliness of the camp soothed the medicine cat apprentice as he searched through the fresh-kill pile for something Foxtail would enjoy. Graystripe and Silverstream were sharing tongues by the nettle patch, while Swiftstep lay close by, watching with blatant pride as he and Brightheart's kits played with Sandstorm's much younger litter. Sorreltail was eating beside Brambleclaw, but her warm amber eyes never left the kits as they tumbled across the clearing. Firestar and Yellowfang sat beneath the Highrock, talking quietly as they watched the calm evening enfold the camp. Hailpaw nodded respectfully at his leader and mentor as he finally pulled a squirrel from the pile and turned back towards the medicine den.

Foxtail hadn't moved since he'd left, and Hailpaw settled down beside him, trading the squirrel he had picked out for Foxtail with the vole Foxtail had chosen for him. They ate in silence.

Finally, as Hailpaw pushed the bones aside to bury later, he sighed. "I've been having frightening dreams, too," he admitted suddenly. Foxtail pricked his ears, watching his brother carefully. "I'm always out in the forest, hunting, and just like the day you earned your warrior name, I'm attacked by a fox…" He swallowed hard. "But its teeth never reach me. A wave of blood crashes over everything and Oakheart's warning echoes around my head, even though he hasn't visited my dreams since last half-moon."

"Oakheart?" Foxtail echoed uncertainly.

Hailpaw waved his tail dismissively. "A StarClan warrior," he grunted. "He used to be RiverClan's deputy. He was the StarClan warrior Cindercloud is always talking about when she talks about StarClan helping her recover. He helped me recover, too, after… after Tigerstar attacked our camp."

Foxtail nodded, and Hailpaw realized that he didn't wonder if his brother believed him. Their bond was something Hailpaw had never seen or heard of; if he believed StarClan warriors walked in his dreams, he knew Foxtail would as well. "But what is the warning?"

Hailpaw felt a chill creep down his spine as he spoke the words aloud for the first time. "In the wake of the storm, a new danger rises. A mighty hunter prowls the forest…" He shook his head even as he spoke. "It doesn't make any sense," he mumbled. "I thought for the longest time that the mighty hunter he was talking about was the fox that was on ThunderClan's territory… But I'm still having the same dream, even though the fox was killed moons ago…"

Foxtail's eyes rose to meet his. Staring into their midnight depths, Hailpaw felt as if ice was seeping into his bones. It can't be that…

A desperate screech cut abruptly into Hailpaw's thoughts, and both toms rushed out the medicine den.

"What's happened?" Foxtail hissed as he erupted from the fern tunnel.

"My kit!" Brightheart wailed. "An owl has taken my kit!"

Hailpaw watched with wide blue eyes as Swiftstep and Brackenfur leapt and twisted in the air, trying to get hold of the mighty bird's wings as it seemed to struggle with the weight of Brightheart's white-furred kit. It flew towards the forest, and with a furious snarl, Foxtail tore after it. Swiftstep matched the younger warrior step for step as they flew through the gorse tunnel. Over the thick barrier, he saw Swiftstep throw himself from the ravine, his claws just managing to catch the owl's outstretched wing. As it dipped with the added weight, Foxtail launched into the air, wrapping his paws around the owl's neck and sinking his teeth deep into its throat as they plummeted down the ravine.

Hailpaw didn't move as the rest of the clan rushed to see if the two warriors and small kit were okay. He already knew what they would find.

That's twice now, his paws were frozen to the ground, and his eyes stared numbly at the place just above the ravine the owl had once been. The fox, the owl… Oakheart's words echoed ominously in his head. Could it be that the warnings haven't been about actual predators? No matter how he tried to push the thoughts from his head and busy himself helping Yellowfang tend to Grasskit, a tiny voice nagged relentlessly in the back of his head.

Could the warnings have been about Foxtail all along?