She quickened her step, hurrying through the camp entrance.
The three ThunderClan warriors faced Leafstar, speaking in low mews. Bellaleaf and Sagenose listened as Finpaw moved restlessly behind them. Leafpool wove anxiously around her Clanmates. Violetpaw could see there was something wrong. Ivypool’s pelt was unkempt. Bumblestripe’s fur was streaked with mud. She could see swelling around Cinderheart’s ears.
“There was no warning,” Ivypool meowed.
“The camp is ruined.” Bumblestripe’s eyes were wide and dark.
“What’s happened?” She hurried forward, cutting into the conversation.
Ivypool blinked at her solemnly. “There was a rockslide in the camp,” she told her grimly.
Twigpaw tried to picture it, her belly tightening. “From the cliff?”
Bumblestripe nodded. “The rain loosened the earth up there. It brought down a great chunk of the cliff face.”
“Is anyone hurt?” Twigpaw could hardly believe her ears.
“Everyone is battered and bruised,” Ivypool told her. “But no one died.”
“Snowbush is badly injured,” Cinderheart’s eyes sparkled with worry. “Alderheart hasn’t left his side.”
Twigpaw’s throat tightened. “Is Lilyheart okay?” Lilyheart had been almost a mother to her.
“She’s fine,” Cinderheart told her. “But she’s worried about Snowbush. We all are.”
Sparrowpelt padded closer. “Did Blossomfall’s kits escape?”
“We got them out before the worst of it,” Ivypool reported.
Leafpool looked at Leafstar. “Perhaps I should return to ThunderClan to help with the injuries.”
“It’s okay,” Ivypool assured her. “Alderheart and Jayfeather are managing.”
“But you said the medicine den is full of mud and stone.” Leafpool’s fur rippled along her spine.
“That’s why we came,” Ivypool told her. “We rescued some of the herbs. But we lost most of them. We were hoping you could spare some of yours.”
“Of course.” Leafpool glanced toward her den, as though working out what she could give from her store.
“We can gather more herbs for you,” Leafstar offered.
“I know what they look like. I can help,” Twigpaw volunteered. Her early moons as a kit had been spent shadowing Alderheart while he’d been a medicine-cat apprentice.
Sandynose swished his tail. “You’re supposed to be training,” he told her.
She stared at him. “But this is an emergency.”
“It’s ThunderClan’s emergency, not ours.”
Twigpaw could hardly believe her ears. After all ThunderClan had done for SkyClan. How could he begrudge them help at a time like this?
Leafstar glanced around the camp. Fallowfern, Harrybrook and Plumwillow were watching from beside the stream. “I don’t have many cats, but I’ll be glad to spare them,” she told Ivypool. “And of course Twigpaw can help.” She looked sternly at Sandynose. “I’m sure her training can wait.”
Ivypool’s ears twitched. “I’m surprised there’s anything left for her to learn,” she mewed. “But we appreciate your help. ThunderClan is camped on the shore until we can shift the earth and stones away from the dens. Patrols have been working day and night since the rain stopped. We’re making good progress. But we need herbs for the injured.”
Leafstar nodded to Twigpaw. “If Leafpool tells you what herbs you need to gather, can you lead a patrol to find them?”
Twigpaw nodded eagerly.
“They’ll need thyme, comfrey, and marigold,” Leafpool told her. “Goldenrod if you can find it, nettles if you can’t.”
Leafstar signaled with her tail. “Take Fallowfern, Harrybrook and Plumwillow with you,” she told Twigpaw. She turned to Ivypool. “Bellaleaf and Finpaw can escort you back to camp. Make use of them.”
Sandynose’s pelt ruffled. “Who’s going to protect our camp with so many cats gone?” He looked toward the nursery, where Tinycloud was peering from the entrance.
“I’m sure we’ll be safe enough until sundown,” Leafstar told him. She nodded Twigpaw away with her nose. “The sooner you start, the more herbs you’ll find.”
Twigpaw headed for the entrance, pleased that she could help.
Sandynose followed her. He blocked her path and leaned close to her ear as Fallowfern and Harrybrook hurried toward her. “You can’t live with a paw in two camps,” he hissed.
She stepped away, blinking at him. “Are you accusing me of being disloyal?”
“No.” His gaze was cold. “You will make a great warrior one day. But first you need to decide which Clan you want to fight for.”
His words cut like thorns. She stared as he stalked away. And yet she couldn’t feel angry with him. Guiltily, she recognized the truth. Shame scorched her pelt. Sandynose had seen something she didn’t want to admit even to herself. Her heart lay as much with ThunderClan as with SkyClan. If staying here meant turning her back on her old Clan, was it a decision she could ever live with?
CHAPTER 20
Alderheart dipped his pad into the dried oak he’d chewed into ointment and ran it gently over the cut on Sorrelstripe’s leg. She winced a little.
“How sore is it?” He checked for warmth and swelling at the edges of the broken skin, relieved when he found none.
“It just stings,” she told him.
“It should heal in a few days,” Alderheart assured her. He leaned back and looked around the makeshift camp. Nests crowded beneath the birch branches that overhung the shore. The swollen lake lapped the pebbles nearby. They’d built the camp hurriedly, and nests were unraveling, sticks and twigs dangling from them already, and moss scattered around their edges.
Bramblestar had reported that their camp in the hollow would be habitable soon, but it would be a long time before all the stone and earth would be completely cleared. Some of the fallen rocks were too big to move and would always remain in the clearing, a reminder of the disaster.
No cat died. Alderheart looked at the nest where Snowbush lay. Not yet, at least. The tom hadn’t moved since he’d collapsed into it. Alderheart and Jayfeather had bound his broken leg and eased honey and nettles into his mouth to fight the fever that had gripped him. Lilyheart had hardly left his side. She was with him now, resting her front paws on the side of his nest. Her eyes glittered with worry. Alderheart wished he could tell her that Snowbush would recover soon, but the infection was lingering, and he could tell from the quiet way Jayfeather moved around him that the blind medicine cat didn’t hold out much hope for the white tom.
As Sorrelstripe limped away, weariness dragged at Alderheart’s bones. He’d hardly slept since the rockslide. There were too many cats to take care of. The falling stones had left the whole Clan cut and bruised. Perhaps now, though, he could nap. The Gathering was tonight. He wanted to be alert. What if one of the leaders brought a clue about the six-toed cat? Or more evidence of the coming storm.
He reasoned with himself, looking at the blue sky, reflected in the still lake. The rain has stopped. He wanted to believe the worst was over. But until StarClan’s prophecy had been fulfilled and the six-toed cat had been found, how could there be anything but darkness waiting?
He crouched and rested his chin on his paws, allowing his eyes to close. Pebbles crunched as his Clanmates came and went around him. Fresh-kill scents drifted on the air. Eaglekit and Stemkit squeaked excitedly among the trees. We are still here. Alderheart comforted himself as sleep blurred the edges of his thoughts.