“We’ll throw it back,” Finpaw agreed.
Leafpool shook her head. “You’ll have to catch it first.”
Twigpaw glanced at Finpaw. Her heart seemed to skip as he held her gaze. She wondered if he could possibly be as excited as she was at the thought of spending time together.
CHAPTER 8
As Alderheart stomped out of camp and headed for the lake, Jayfeather hurried to catch up with him. “I know StarClan’s prophecies are frustrating,” the blind tom mewed. “I’ve had to deal with plenty. But this one will become clear eventually, just as the others have.”
“Doesn’t it worry you that Bramblestar won’t do anything?” Alderheart glanced at him. “The last prophecy told us to find SkyClan. We only sent out one patrol. We’d never have found them if Twigpaw hadn’t disobeyed Bramblestar and gone out alone. And now Bramblestar wants to ignore this prophecy.”
Actually, what Bramblestar had said was, “If there were something I could do, then I would. But it would be foolish to act before we fully understand StarClan’s message.” Alderheart’s pelt prickled with frustration, and he wasn’t sure who he was more upset with: Bramblestar or StarClan. Why did StarClan have to be so obscure?
“Our duty is to share messages from StarClan with our leader,” Jayfeather reminded him now. “And to advise him. But he is the leader and he must make the decisions.”
“Even if he’s wrong?” Alderheart’s paws itched with anger.
“He’s Clan leader,” Jayfeather meowed. “If he went into a panic every time some cat came to him with a worry, he’d spend more time running in circles than solving the problems he can solve.”
Alderheart didn’t respond. What was the point? Jayfeather was obviously going to defend Bramblestar whatever happened. Perhaps Kestrelflight and Puddleshine would have something more helpful to say. The day before, Alderheart and Jayfeather had sent messengers to each camp to arrange this meeting.
As he broke from the trees, he could see them waiting on the shore. They stood beside the new SkyClan border, within two tail-lengths of the water, looking toward the forest.
Puddleshine lifted his tail as he caught sight of Alderheart and Jayfeather.
“They’ve seen us.” Alderheart raced ahead of Jayfeather. He leaped onto the pebbles, stumbling as they shifted beneath him. “What did Harestar and Rowanstar say about the prophecy?” He scrambled to a halt in front of them.
Puddleshine eyed him anxiously. “Rowanstar is worried that the dark sky means SkyClan. He’s decided to concentrate patrols on the SkyClan border.”
Alderheart’s pelt pricked uneasily. “But StarClan was pleased we made room for SkyClan beside the lake. They can’t be the dark sky!”
Kestrelflight flicked his ears. “Even if they are, the prophecy says that the dark sky mustn’t herald a storm, and extra patrols will mean extra tension.”
Alderheart frowned. “Do you think Rowanstar might cause the storm StarClan is warning us about?”
Jayfeather reached them. “Rowanstar doesn’t have enough cats to cause a storm. He barely has enough to cause a mild breeze.” He turned his muzzle to Alderheart. “I thought you’d be pleased that he’s taking the prophecy seriously.”
Puddleshine looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t he?”
Alderheart shifted his paws. “Bramblestar doesn’t seem concerned by the prophecy,” he explained. “He thinks we should wait and see.”
“Harestar says that we’ve seen nothing but dark skies in the past few moons,” Kestrelflight meowed. “He fears the prophecy is warning us that the situation might get worse. He’s stepped up patrols too.”
“More tension,” Puddleshine mewed darkly.
“At least they’re doing something.” Alderheart felt a fresh prickle of irritation with his father.
“Yes, and half the Clans are on edge now,” Jayfeather mewed sarcastically. “I’m sure that will help.” He looked a little way up the shore, toward SkyClan’s stretch of forest. “I can’t scent Leafpool.”
“Perhaps we should go into SkyClan’s camp,” Alderheart suggested, “and tell her we’re heading out?”
Jayfeather gave a mew of agreement, and led the medicine cats toward SkyClan’s camp.
Alderheart followed him. “I still don’t understand why StarClan would give us a prophecy if they thought it wouldn’t help.”
“StarClan doesn’t know everything,” Jayfeather murmured.
Puddleshine caught up to them. “They must. They’re StarClan!”
“You haven’t known them as long as I have.” Jayfeather flicked his tail.
Kestrelflight seemed lost in his own thoughts. “I wonder if StarClan has shared the prophecy with Mothwing and Willowshine.”
“You said they didn’t share with you when Onestar cut WindClan off from the Clans,” Alderheart reminded him.
Kestrelflight shrugged. “Maybe they blamed me for not helping enough. The Clans were in crisis then, but things are calmer now.”
Jayfeather grunted. “There’s no point in guessing whether RiverClan knows about the prophecy. We will find out when we get there. But if we go to SkyClan to get Leafpool, we can see what Leafstar thinks.”
Alderheart slid into the lead. He knew the route to SkyClan’s camp. He’d carried herbs there for Leafpool, hoping for a chance to speak with Twigpaw. But Twigpaw had been out training with Sandynose. Would he see her this time? He had not spoken to her since she’d moved to SkyClan. He was eager to know how she’d settled into her new home, and secretly he hoped she missed him and ThunderClan a little.
He climbed the short, steep bank from the shore to the forest and padded between the trees, the other medicine cats following. He was pleased to be out of the wind. His leaf-bare pelt hadn’t grown in yet, and he felt the chill keenly. He followed the scent line until he recognized the place where he’d crossed it with Leafpool. It smelled as though Molewhisker had come this way too. He wondered how the expedition to the gorge was going, his heart lurching as a thought sparked in his mind. What if Twigpaw had gone with Violetpaw and Hawkwing? She’d be away from camp when they reached it.
Of course she’s gone with them. She left ThunderClan to be near them. Prickling with frustration, he led the way between the towering pines. He wove around a sprawling bramble and climbed a rise where boulders clustered at the top. The path between them led downhill, and before long he saw the cedar grove that marked the SkyClan camp. Following the fern wall, he found the entrance and ducked inside.
“Alderheart.” Leafstar stood beside a low-spreading juniper with Plumwillow and Bellaleaf. She blinked at the medicine cat in surprise.
“Forgive us for barging in like this,” Alderheart began.
Jayfeather pushed past him and stopped in front of the SkyClan leader. He dipped his head. “Has Leafpool shared StarClan’s prophecy with you?”
“She has.” Leafstar’s gaze flicked from Jayfeather to Kestrelflight and Puddleshine.
Jayfeather sat down and gazed sightlessly at Leafstar. “May I ask your thoughts?”
“On the prophecy?” Leafstar’s tail twitched. She turned her muzzle to the new dens where cats were busy weaving branches. “We are building a new home. I’ve had little time to think about prophecies. We are a very busy Clan right now.”
Alderheart leaned forward. “But you must have considered it.”
“‘The dark sky must not herald a storm.’”
As Leafstar quoted Echosong’s warning, Leafpool slid out of the hollow beneath an old cedar. She padded toward them. “Jayfeather!” She greeted her son warmly.