CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Reedriver wasn't sure what to make of what had happened over the last couple of days. First he encountered some random cat that had turned his life upside down. Now he was about to embark on a journey to the mountains for a Clan that wasn't his own. His mind was still reeling with shock as he imagined what poor Birdpaw must be going through. The fact that she had survived at all should have made him feel suspicious over whether or not she was telling the truth.

Her voice sounded different when she spoke to us all, he thought warily. Will my voice sound different if... River speaks through me? A shiver ran through him at the thought. The last thing he wanted was to lose himself. Minnowstar had said that he was River, the cat mentioned in the prophecy. An ancient leader who founded the Clans together with five others. It made Reedriver realize just how small the world really was.

With a sigh of frustration, Reedriver slipped out of his nest and decided to think for a while. With everything that was happening, he wondered if the Clans would ever be the same again. Their lives were changing, and maybe for the worst as the Great Five revealed themselves. He still wondered who Shadow was, and if she had anything to do with that apprentice he met at the Gathering. Whatever the case, he needed to focus on what lay ahead.

He noticed with a start that the ThunderClan tom known as Flamestrike was spending some time with Birdpaw. The two of them were quietly talking to one another, oblivious to the world around them. Reedriver's eyes narrowed as he wondered what was going on between those two. They seemed oddly close considering they were from enemy Clans.

"I'm scared," Birdpaw admitted as he got closer. "I should be there with my Clanmates... I've never felt more useless than now."

"Well, I think you're brave for going all the way here on your own," Flamestrike reassured her. "There aren't many cats I know who could do that willingly."

The ThunderClan tom did have a good point. He hated to admit that Birdpaw was brave for putting herself through these trials. Most apprentices her age were just getting ready to become warriors or still learning the ways of a Clan.

A few more heartbeats seemed to pass on before Birdpaw was finally asleep. Reedriver narrowed his eyes when he noticed how close Flamestrike was to her. They were from enemy Clans. Getting close to another she-cat only spelled trouble in his eyes.

"You seem awfully close to her," he meowed after Flamestrike had padded away. The ginger tom jumped in surprise before spinning around to glare at him.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes in anger.

Reedriver was suddenly aware of their size differences as he squared up to Flamestrike. The ThunderClan warrior was much bigger than him, with powerful muscles rippling beneath his pelt. He could easily overwhelm Reedriver if he decided to fight back.

"I just mean, be careful around she-cats," he growled under his breath. "One minute they could act like everything's fine, and the next, they could turn their backs on you."

And I'm not just referring to my sisters, he added silently. He'd never thought of finding a mate of his own until now. With training and everything else, finding a mate had never occurred to him. Maybe seeing Flamestrike with Birdpaw had made him jealous.

"You don't have to tell me who I should and shouldn't hang out with, RiverClanner," Flamestrike snapped. "I'll follow my own advice, and my own destiny."

With that, Flamestrike turned away and returned to his spot beside Birdpaw. Reedriver stood there in disbelief as he realized what Flamestrike just said. Usually it was ThunderClan who stuck their noses in business that wasn't theirs. He wondered if things had really changed so much that he was becoming like ThunderClan.

...

"I can't wait to leave and see what the mountains are like," Spruceleaf was meowing as Reedriver woke up. "I heard that the top of the mountain is always covered in snow."

"Just make sure you stay warm in the cold," Wildheart told her.

Reedriver was surprised by how close the family was. He suspected it had something to do with the death of Spruceleaf's mother and father. Wildheart was her uncle after all, and Palemist's kits were her kin. He suddenly wished his own family could be that close.

"Can you tell us stories about the mountains?" Gorsekit asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I wish we were going!" Harekit added.

Purring in amusement, Spruceleaf told them they were too young to go along. Reedriver could imagine how disappointed they were after hearing stories of what it was like in the mountains. He suspected they were hoping to see what it was like for themselves.

It wasn't long before cats from both ThunderClan and RiverClan were gathered in the center of the barn. Reedriver felt uneasy with the ThunderClan cats there. He remembered the way they had acted at the Gathering a few nights ago. They were always so full of themselves in a way that irritated Reedriver to no end. He didn't know whether they could be trusted or not.

"So, once we get there, how exactly are we going to deal with these Tribe cats?" Watertail asked after narrowing her eyes.

She does make a good point, Reedriver thought. He didn't want to think of the consequences they would face while trespassing in an enemy's territory. Birdpaw might be in over her head on this one, especially given the condition SkyClan would be in once they were found.

"If we find the leader of the Tribe, maybe we can persuade him to let them go," Spruceleaf suggested. "He can't be nearly as ruthless as everyone thinks."

Reedriver studied Birdpaw's expression as they discussed SkyClan's fate. She wasn't sure what to do herself. He could see that she was both anxious and angry that the Clans were debating whether it was worth the journey or not.

"Look, I don't know whether or not I should believe what this apprentice says," Reedriver meowed after giving it some thought. "But if a Clan needs our help, than we need to make it a point to do so. We all know that when one Clan falls, the others will follow."

Luckily no one argued against that. Reedriver wasn't sure what had compelled him to say such a thing. But he knew that it was true. The Clans relied on each other for protection, despite what everyone was taught to believe.

And so the journey began. Blizzardwind had passed along traveling herbs for everyone so they wouldn't feel the need to stop and hunt. The sooner they reached the mountains, the better off they were.

"This is the first time any of us have gone into the mountains," the medicine cat murmured thoughtfully. "I wonder if it has changed since the stories that were passed down."

Amusement washed over Reedriver at the thought of the mountains actually changing. He doubted they had if the stories were correct. From what Birdpaw had described, the very top of the mountains were covered in snow all of the time. Further down they had rocky cliffs and very sparse grass covering the sides.

"I just hope everyone makes it out okay," Acorntail muttered.

"Will you quit your whining?" Foxfur growled irritably.

Reedriver had quickly learned that Foxfur lived up to his reputable name. He was annoyed with the fact that the ThunderClan cats acted so high and mighty. Acorntail didn't bother saying anything though. He had an attitude about him that could easily outrank the ThunderClan warriors, but Acorntail was smart enough not to let it show.

"There's a Thunderpath up ahead that we'll have to cross, and then we go through a small part of Twolegplace," Birdpaw explained as she took the lead.

It was odd following an apprentice. Reedriver realized with a start that Birdpaw was the youngest among the group. Yet she acted like an adult. She was brave for putting herself in danger while the rest of them were doubting whether her Clan needed help.

He noticed that every cat was sticking with their own Clanmates. Foxfur, Stormshadow and Oakfire were wary of the RiverClan cats. He could easily say the same about Blizzardwind and Acorntail. Neither of them wanted to be seen associated with anyone outside their Clan.

"Are you sure we can trust the word of one apprentice?" he heard Acorntail ask. Spruceleaf was in between all five warriors. She seemed oblivious to the tension rising between them, but her ears were angled towards Acorntail and Blizzardwind.

"I don't know," Blizzardwind replied warily. "As a medicine cat, I can sympathize with her. But... I just don't know whether or not this is real."

He could understand their doubts. Reedriver remembered what Minnowstar had mentioned about the prophecy involving him and four other cats. He didn't want to believe her at the time. But after hearing Birdpaw speak and sound like someone else, he knew that his leader was right.

Minnowstar said that we were meant to work alongside each other, he told himself. Yet the instinct that had kept him alive for so many moons told him that was wrong. Working alongside an enemy Clan cat didn't sit well with him. Whatever happened to them, Reedriver had a feeling that even the ShadowClan apprentice he met earlier would meet them soon. He just hoped they were prepared for what would happen next.