The cats who were leaving had gathered together in the middle of the stone hollow. Jaypaw found Hollypaw and Lionpaw and bounded over to stand beside them.
“What kept you?” Hollypaw asked. “We’re all waiting.”
“I’m here now,” Jaypaw retorted. “And I’ve got stuff to tell you two.”
The chilly air of dawn had vanished as the sun rose. Jaypaw could feel the beams slicing down through the trees, falling across his pelt. It was a perfect morning to traveclass="underline" cool and clear, with warm sunshine later on.
He heard rustling from the warriors’ den as several of his Clanmates emerged to see the travelers off. There was a rapid patter of paws from the apprentices’ den, and Jaypaw heard Icepaw mew, “It’s not fair! I want to go too.”
“Maybe your turn will come another time,” Whitewing told her kindly.
The sound of a huge yawn came close to Jaypaw’s ear, and Cloudtail’s scent wafted over him. “Why don’t you get moving?” he mumbled. “Then every cat can get a bit more sleep.”
“No chance.” Dustpelt spoke sharply nearby. “You’re coming with me and Sandstorm on the dawn patrol.”
“Mouse dung!” Cloudtail muttered.
Jaypaw picked up Firestar’s scent and heard his paw steps as he padded across to join the traveling cats. Graystripe was just behind him; Jaypaw could picture the gray warrior standing at his leader’s shoulder with a glow in his amber eyes.
As if he’s deputy already!
“Farewell, all of you,” Firestar meowed. “May StarClan light your path—and may you all come home safe.”
A sudden tension sprang up between the departing cats, as if Clan warriors and Tribe cats were facing one another, gathering their courage for the first paw steps of their journey.
Squirrelflight had returned, slipping up to Brambleclaw’s side.
“Ready?” Brambleclaw asked.
“Yes, ready,” Stormfur replied.
Jaypaw stood still and let all the scents and sounds of the stone hollow—the herbs from the den he had just left, the milky scents of the nursery and the dusty smell of the ground, the voices of his Clanmates and the rustle of wind in the trees—soak into his pelt.
What if I never come back? StarClan would have warned me, wouldn’t they? Isn’t that something they do, tell cats when they’re going to die?
“Jaypaw!” Hollypaw’s voice sounded from the thorn tunnel. “Wake up! Every cat is leaving.”
Jaypaw jumped. Dashing across the clearing, he followed his sister into the tunnel and out into the forest.
Chapter 14
Jaypaw could feel dappled sunlight and shade on his pelt as he padded beneath the trees. Lionpaw flanked him on one side, while Hollypaw bounded ahead for a few paw steps, then returned to join her littermates. The air was full of birdsong and the rustling of leaves, and the scents of prey were sharp in the undergrowth.
The three apprentices brought up the rear of the group of traveling cats. Brambleclaw had taken the lead, with Stormfur and Brook, closely followed by Talon and Night. Just ahead of Jaypaw he could scent Squirrelflight and Tawnypelt.
“…and Tigerkit has already learned the hunter’s crouch,” Tawnypelt was meowing. “But I think Dawnkit will be the best fighter, if only she listens to what her mentor tells her once she’s apprenticed. Right now she doesn’t listen to any cat.”
“All kits can be deaf when they choose,” Squirrelflight told her. “They’ll grow into fine warriors, you’ll see.”
Kits! Jaypaw thought. Boring!
He angled his ears, trying to pick up more interesting snippets of conversation, but all he could hear was Crowfeather telling Breezepaw about the best way to catch prey in the mountains. The two WindClan cats were padding side by side a few tail-lengths from the rest; Jaypaw could feel Breezepaw’s resentment at being forced to come on the journey. I don’t think he and his father even like each other, Jaypaw decided.
“Hey, look!” Lionpaw exclaimed. “Bet you I can catch that butterfly!”
“Bet you can’t,” Hollypaw returned.
“Just watch!” Lionpaw took off in an enormous leap, then crashed back to the forest floor.
“Missed it!” Hollypaw let out a mrrow of laughter. “Told you!”
Jaypaw heard heavier paw steps in the bracken and his mother’s scent drifted over him.
“Just what do you three think you’re doing?” she scolded them. “Are you kits, let out of camp for the first time? This is a serious journey, and you need to save your strength. You’ll need it later.”
“Sorry,” Lionpaw muttered.
Jaypaw drew his lips back in the beginning of a snarl as he imagined Breezepaw’s smug expression; he knew the WindClan apprentice was listening.
If he says one word, I’ll claw his ear off!
But Breezepaw had the sense to keep his jaws shut.
Soon Jaypaw began to pick up the clean scent of water.
Stronger sunlight on his pelt told him they had left the shelter of the trees. He realized they had emerged beside the lake, and for a moment his paws itched to search for the stick with the marks Rock had made. But he couldn’t carry the stick all the way to the mountains.
I’ll have to leave it behind. But I’m not leaving you behind, Rock. When I get to the mountains, I know I’ll find you there.
“We’re near the WindClan border,” Hollypaw whispered into his ear. “We have to cross the stream.”
For a couple of heartbeats Jaypaw froze, remembering the smothering water in the tunnels. He hated getting his paws wet!
Lionpaw butted him gently in the shoulder. “It’ll be okay.
The water’s really shallow.”
Jaypaw bit back an indignant retort, though it was really himself he was angry with. Would he always have to fight this terror of drowning?
He could hear splashing as the other cats crossed the stream. Hollypaw guided him to the bank with her tail across his shoulders. Jaypaw tensed when he felt the current swirling around his paws. The stream bed shelved down until the water brushed his belly fur. He could feel Hollypaw and Lionpaw close on either side; Lionpaw murmured, “This way a bit; there’s a deeper place just there.” Then the stream grew shallower again, and Jaypaw could scramble up the bank on the other side. He halted a tail-length away and shook himself to hide his tremors of relief.
“Hey, do you mind?” Breezepaw’s unfriendly voice came from just behind him. “You’re making my fur wet!”
“Sor-ree,” Jaypaw muttered.
The cats continued along the lakeshore, across WindClan territory and past the horseplace. Jaypaw could just pick up the scent of the horseplace cats beneath the overwhelming scent of horse, but neither Smoky nor Floss appeared to greet them. He pricked his ears at distant barking and decided that the dog who lived near the horseplace was too far away to be a nuisance.
Once past the horseplace, Brambleclaw led the way uphill.
Jaypaw’s paws tingled as he realized he was setting them down on unfamiliar ground. This was the real beginning of the adventure! The scents of home were fading behind him, and a stiff breeze brought new scents to him, wild and strange. His paws faltered briefly. Stupid cat! he berated himself. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? He felt his littermates’ pelts touching his on either side, and sensed that they too were daunted by the unknown path where they had set their paws.
The ground underfoot was growing wetter and more uneven. Jaypaw brushed past a clump of reeds and heard a splash accompanied by a strong scent of frog. A moment later, one of his paws slipped on a tussock of wet grass and water surged over his hindquarters.