I stretch luxuriously and start washin' some grass outa my fur. A pale, wintry sun shines directly overhead, casting a soft amber light over the tranquil camp. My muscles are pleasantly sore from the morning's battle practice. A nice nap be callin' my name. I just hope I don't dream of the Bonehill and Mistyfoot's bloody corpse again. Two days and nights have passed since I reported her to Blackfoot, and every time I've closed my eyes, the nightmare is waiting. Nightwhisper is the only cat I've told about being conflicted over what I done. I don't think he really understands my mixed-up feelings, so he's just stopped talkin' about it.
A fox-length away, Littlecloud takes a last bite of frog and swipes his tongue around his jaws. "Off to collect herbs again?" Wetfoot asks, flickin' his brother lightly with his tail.
"Yeah. Runningnose wants to gather as much as possible before it snows, and his joints are really sore today. I could really use an extra set of paws."
"Sorry, Blackfoot told me to mark the WindClan border," Wetfoot meows, gettin' to his paws.
Littlecloud's gaze lands on me. "Nettlethorn, are you busy?" he asks.
"No, I'll help," I meow, glad for somethin' to do.
As we make our way through the forest, a brisk wind blows from the direction of the moor. I can't imagine being WindClan. How do they not freeze their tails off?
"Marigold, that's good for treating infections. We can always use more of that," Littlecloud says, pointing at a plant with broad leaves.
"You need just the leaves or the whole plant?" I ask.
The small medicine cat apprentice blinks. "Not many warriors would think to ask that. We'll just collect the leaves for now. We have to make sure to leave enough so that it regrows in newleaf," he says.
"I couldn't believe it when the exiles first told us about medicine cats. To be honest, that's the first thing that really drew me to clan life. Mama died of an infected rat bite, so…" I look down at my paws.
Littlecloud winces. "I'm so sorry, Nettlethorn. That's a horrible way to go. We use murdock for rat bites, wild garlic if we can't get that."
"Boulder told me you trained as a warrior before becoming Runningnose's apprentice. What made you want to be a medicine cat?" I ask.
Littlecloud don't answer for a long time, just focuses on wrappin' the marigold tightly in a leaf to make it easier to carry. Then he says, "During the worst of the sickness, before you and Tigerstar came, my brother Whitethroat and I . . . we went to ThunderClan for help. We didn't want to be disloyal to our clan. We were just scared and didn't know where else to turn. Everyone here was dying, our leader and deputy were too ill to lead, and Runningnose was overwhelmed. You can't imagine how bad it was."
"No judgment from me," I say. "Did ThunderClan help you?"
"Bluestar turned us away, but their medicine cat apprentice, Cinderpaw, took care of us in secret. I wouldn't be alive if not for her and Firestar. When I came back home, I decided my destiny was to heal, not fight." Firestar again. Littlecloud's story don't fit with Tigerstar's descriptions of a cowardly, fox-hearted traitor. Why exactly is he our enemy? I wonder. Far as I know, he ain't never done anything to hurt ShadowClan.
We go on like this for awhile, gathering herbs and talking easily. I don't reckon I'm cut out to be a medicine cat. I like huntin' and fightin' too much, and the whole no-mate-and-kits thing don't work for me. But I enjoy learnin' what the different herbs do. I figure it can't hurt to have some basic knowledge. Never know when I might be in a situation where I get hurt and there ain't no medicine cat around.
But as we head back to camp, Littlecloud says in a falsely casual tone, "I treated your friend Jaggedtooth for an infected paw recently." This, I realize, is the reason he asked me to come with him.
All my old suspicions come floodin' back in a heartbeat. "What's his paw got to do with me?" I ask, knowing my voice is too harsh.
"It was just a few days after Tigerstar became leader. Jaggedtooth said he landed badly during battle training, but I wonder… I've been having dreams the past few nights: dreams about the Bonehill, dreams about the forest drowning in blood." The medicine cat be circlin' the question he can't bring himself to ask, like a particularly wiley piece of prey. He's not convinced Tigerstar is the right leader for ShadowClan.
I almost tell him about the false sign and my own nightmares of blood and death. But it don't take me long to get the idea right outa my head. Tigerstar ain't the type to let medicine cats get in his way. He'll eat Littlecloud alive if the younger tom tries to make a fuss. And besides, who will lead our clan if not him?
"I don't know nothin' about that," I say, not even soundin' convincing to myself. Littlecloud just shrugs, disbelief all over his face. But he don't push me on it, just picks up his herbs and turns back in the direction of home.
I'm about to do the same when the wind changes. The reak of hardblack alleys and twoleg trash hits my nose, a smell I won't be able to forget if I live a hundred seasons. I open my mouth and taste the air, hopin' being isolated from my clan really has driven me mad. No such luck. Under the familiar scents of twolegplace, I smell cats I recognize.
This nightmare ain't never gonna end, I think as panic freezes me in place. I came to the forest to get away from BloodClan, but now they're here. I want to run and run until the town, the forest, everything is less than a memory. But I'm as helpless as prey.
"Nettlethorn, what is it?" Littlecloud asks, pacing in an anxious circle around me.
His voice snaps me out of my paralysis. I'm not a helpless kit anymore. I'm a TigerClan warrior, and my job is to defend my clanmate, no matter what.
"There's enemies on our territory. I know 'em from twolegplace, and they're nothin' nice. You gotta get back to camp. I'll hold 'em off as long as I can."
Littlecloud bristles and unsheathes his claws. "Mouse dung to that. No cat in ShadowClan fights alone," he hisses.
Our biggest advantage is that the BloodClan tresspassers don't know we're on to 'em. Their stink only gets stronger as we creep forward through the pines. I wrap my newfound silence around me, makin' it my best weapon. The other good news, if you can call it that, is that the intruders are pretty close to the camp. This means if we make enough of a racket, our clanmates are likely to hear and come help.
"There they are," Littlecloud whispers, pausing beneath the spreading branches of a tall spruce.
When I see the huge black-and-white tom leading the BloodClan patrol, I almost lose my nerve again. Every scar he gave me, and there are plenty of 'em, throbs with echoes of pain. I watch in slow motion as one of those massive paws swats Coal aside, his tiny body flying backwards, a flower of blood blooming at his throat. Mama's wail echoes through all the seasons that have passed, cut off by Bone's snarl.
But when I picture him doing the same thing to Lightningkit, Pinekit, and Duskkit, my terror turns to rage. Letting out the loudest caterwaul I can manage, I leap out from behind the tree. I land perfectly, sinking my claws into the thick fur on his shoulders. His eyes widen with surprise, but he recovers quickly, tryin' to shake me off.
I jump off, and when Bone is unbalanced, I hook my paws beneath his, knocking him to the ground.
"Traitor, I'll flay you!" Snipe is there, her teeth meeting in my shoulder. Littlecloud is avoidin' the swipes of another BloodClan cat whose name I don't know.
"Stop this!" Tigerstar's commanding voice easily rises over the screeches of battle. Relief warms my pelt.
"These are the cats I told you about, Tigerstar, BloodClan. I scented 'em tresspassin'," I growl.
To my shock, Bone lets out a mrrow of laughter. "We have permission to be here, little Cici." Say what?
Tigerstar lays his tail across my shoulders. "Her name is Nettlethorn now, and she did well to defend her clan's territory. But Bone is right to say that he and his clanmates are my guests."
The bottom drops out of my stomach. His threat about givin' me back to Bone was real. But why? Is Tigerstar really tryin' to recruit more strays for TigerClan? I never thought Bone would leave BloodClan and Scourge, but weirder shit has gone down lately. I can never accept my brother's murderer as my clanmate. Ain't gonna happen.
But this ain't the place to ask questions, not when Tigerstar, Bone, and Snipe are all in agreement. So, even though I feel like claws are rakin' my heart, I bend my head to the BloodClan cats, the respectful greeting of any warrior to her leader's guests.
"You two get back to camp. Get something to eat and rest, Nettlethorn, because you're coming on a special patrol with me tonight," Tigerstar says.
"Yes, Tigerstar," I say, all too eager to get away.
"Remember, you and Nightwhisper are safe as long as you follow me," the dark tabby murmurs as Littlecloud and I hurry off.
"Got any idea what the special patrol is?" I ask the medicine cat when we're out of earshot.
"Do you honestly think Tigerstar talks to me about warrior business?" Littlecloud asks. Fair point. Is this like one of the missions Tigerstar took Boulder on? I wonder with a prick of anxiety.
I look around camp for Nightwhisper, but then I remember seein' him leave on a hunting patrol. I pace restlessly, wishin' I could talk to someone about Bone. Wishin' Boulder was here instead of in the island camp. With nothin' else to do, I curl up in my nest to get some sleep, followin' orders like a good little warrior. I don't expect to get any rest. But my exhausted brain gets the best of me, and I tumble into oblivion. No menacing dreams of blood and dead bodies, no Mama.
