From the sound of it, the warriors and their apprentices were only a foxtail ahead of them. Jaypaw trusted that Lionpaw had chosen a spot where they were still well hidden, and hoped the mushroom dirt was enough to hide their scents.
The air pricked with the excitement of the three apprentices waiting to begin their assessment.
“Cinderpaw can hardly sit still,” Hollypaw commented.
“Poor Honeypaw looks petrified,” Lionpaw whispered.
“But Poppypaw looks as calm as a vixen.”
“Nothing fazes Poppypaw,” Hollypaw mewed.
Hopefulness and determination mingled in the air like meadow scent.
“Good luck,” Thornclaw meowed.
The three warriors melted into the forest, leaving the apprentices alone.
“Where shall I hunt?” Honeypaw mewed nervously.
“Trust your instinct,” Poppypaw advised. “I’m heading this way.”
Jaypaw heard Poppypaw’s paw steps heading toward the bramble where he and his littermates hid. Not daring to back away in case he set the bush shivering, he flattened himself against the ground. Lionpaw and Hollypaw tensed beside him, holding their breath as Poppypaw’s pelt brushed the leaves of the bush.
Don’t let her see us!
Hollypaw dug her claws into the soft earth.
Shh! Jaypaw stiffened. Then he let out a relieved sigh as the apprentice’s paw steps scuffed away up the slope.
“She’s heading to the shore,” Hollypaw guessed.
“Honeypaw’s going the other way,” Lionpaw mewed.
“What about Cinderpaw?” Jaypaw asked.
“She’s tasting the air.” Hollypaw’s breath tickled Jaypaw’s ear fur. “She must have caught a scent. She’s on the move.”
“Come on,” Lionpaw hissed. “Let’s follow her.” He began crawling out from under the bush.
Jaypaw followed, his brother’s tail brushing his nose. Out in the open, he soon recognized the ground beneath his paws; they were following the bottom of the slope. Keeping close to Lionpaw’s tail, and with Hollypaw’s fur brushing his flank, he found it easy to keep up with Cinderpaw as she began to pick up speed.
“She looks confident!” Hollypaw mewed. “Her tail is up.”
Lionpaw stopped without warning. “She’s turning around!” he hissed.
Jaypaw skidded to a halt just before he crashed into his brother. He felt Hollypaw’s teeth grasp his tail and drag him backward; then Lionpaw bundled him sideways and the three of them tumbled through a wall of ferns in time to hear Cinderpaw’s paw steps thrumming past.
“That was close!” Lionpaw panted.
In the distance, a screech split the air and Jaypaw heard the fluttering of wings.
“Mouse dung!” An angry mew rang through the trees.
“Sounds like Honeypaw’s missed her first catch,” Lionpaw guessed.
“Never mind Honeypaw,” Hollypaw mewed. “Cinderpaw’s getting away!” She pushed her way out of the ferns and began to give chase. Lionpaw nudged Jaypaw after her, and they were once more hurrying through the forest after the apprentice.
Jaypaw recognized a scent. “Squirrel!”
Cinderpaw’s footsteps grew quicker.
“She’s following it,” Lionpaw mewed.
“I can see her!” Hollypaw whispered. “She’s definitely stalking it. She’s keeping lower than a snake.”
“Has the squirrel seen her?” Jaypaw asked.
“It’s fleeing,” Lionpaw answered. “But it’s still on the ground. I think it knows something’s up, but it’s not climbing yet.”
“It’s trying to escape,” Hollypaw hissed to Jaypaw. “Cinderpaw’s going to have to make her move soon.”
“It’s running along a fallen tree,” Lionpaw mewed, “heading for an oak. Cinderpaw’s got to attack now or she’ll lose it.”
“There she goes!” Hollypaw mewed triumphantly. “What a leap—” Her voice broke off.
“What’s the matter?” Jaypaw felt a flash of alarm. Through the bushes, he heard a scraping sound, followed by a dull thud.
“She mistimed the jump!” Lionpaw gasped.
“She’s crashed on top of the fallen tree!” Hollypaw yelped.
The air was suddenly thick with pain.
“She’s hurt!” Hollypaw screeched. But Jaypaw was already racing for Cinderpaw, praying nothing would trip him up.
Hollypaw pelted past him and leaped up to her friend, who was helpless and moaning with pain on the trunk. Jaypaw clawed his way up the trunk, the rotting bark splintering beneath his paws. Panting, he crouched beside Cinderpaw.
Cloudtail exploded from the bushes. “Is she hurt?”
Waves of agony flooded from Cinderpaw’s injured leg. Jaypaw pressed his cheek to it. It was swelling already, hot and trembling. “It’s her bad leg!” he called.
Cinderpaw’s breathing was sharp and shallow. “It just buckled as I jumped,” she croaked.
Cloudtail scrabbled onto the trunk, pushing Hollypaw to one side. “I knew she wasn’t ready!”
“We need to get her back to camp,” Jaypaw told him. “Hollypaw, you go on ahead and warn Leafpool.”
Hollypaw hesitated, not wanting to leave her friend.
“Go on!” Jaypaw ordered.
Hollypaw scrambled away, the undergrowth rustling as she disappeared into the forest.
“It’s okay, Cinderpaw,” Cloudtail soothed. “We’ll get you home.” He called to Lionpaw, who was still on the forest floor.
“I’m going to hold her by her scruff and jump down. I need you to make sure her injured leg doesn’t hit anything, or touch the ground. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes.”
Cinderpaw moaned as Cloudtail lifted her carefully by the loose fur at the back of her neck.
Lionpaw’s hind paws stumped heavily on the forest floor as he reached up to help. Jaypaw leaped down beside him, his pelt brushing Cinderpaw’s as she dangled in midair. Carefully, Cloudtail slid down from the tree. Cinderpaw wailed as they landed and Cloudtail laid her on the ground.
Jaypaw pressed his cheek to her trembling flank. Her heart was steady and strong. “Can you walk on three legs?”
“I think so,” she groaned.
“We’ll help you,” Lionpaw promised.
Fur scraped the leafy floor as Cinderpaw dragged herself onto three paws. Jaypaw scuttled out of the way to let Lionpaw and Cloudtail press against either side of her. Slowly, the injured apprentice limped forward, her paws thudding unevenly on the ground.
Every step stabbed Jaypaw like a thorn. “Can’t you carry her?” He bristled with frustration. “Leafpool needs to check her over.” What if she goes into shock?
“Steady, there.” Cloudtail wouldn’t let him hurry them.
“We could damage her leg more.”
At last they reached the thorn barrier and made the final snail-slow steps through the tunnel.
Hollypaw was waiting for them inside, her pelt bristling with worry. “She’s walking!”
“Not exactly,” Cinderpaw grunted.
“How bad is it?” Graystripe called across the clearing.
Daisy was at the nursery entrance. “Is it broken again?”
“We don’t know yet.” Jaypaw circled his patient anxiously as Lionpaw and Cloudtail helped her to hobble across the clearing. Hollypaw held the brambles to one side as they reached Leafpool’s den.
“Lie down here,” Leafpool told Cinderpaw as soon as they entered. From the smell of it she had already prepared a bed of fresh moss in a quiet corner of the cave.
Cinderpaw grunted with pain as her fur brushed the moss.
“Outside, please.” Leafpool shooed Hollypaw and Lionpaw away.
Hollypaw objected. “But I want to stay with Cinderpaw!”
“You can visit her later.” Leafpool was adamant. The two apprentices were bundled out of the entrance. “What happened?” Leafpool’s mew was brittle as she turned to Cloudtail.