“Is this some sort of joke?” she asked. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
Alderheart shook his head, grief-stricken and confused. “I was so surprised to see you,” he replied after a couple of heartbeats. “And I’m struggling with the news myself. I wish I didn’t have to believe it.”
“But why did she leave camp?” Violetpaw meowed.
Now Alderheart couldn’t meet her gaze. “It was my fault,” he confessed quietly. “I thought… I thought I might have seen one of your kin in a vision.”
Violetpaw’s tone sharpened. “Our kin?”
“I had a vision of SkyClan,” Alderheart began. “They’re a Clan who was driven away from the other Clans long ago, back when we lived in the old forest. I saw a tom who looked like both of you.”
Her breath coming short and fast, Violetpaw felt as though the ground under her paws was beginning to shake. She couldn’t take in everything that Alderheart was telling her.
Does he mean this tom might be my kin? No. The only kin I ever had was Twigpaw, and now Alderheart says that Twigpaw is dead. Violetpaw stood still, her gaze unfocused, while thoughts raced through her mind like clouds in a gale. No, she decided at last. If Twigpaw had been killed, I would have felt it, wouldn’t I?
“You said you think she died. No cat saw it happen?” she asked. “No cat saw her body?”
“That’s true,” Alderheart mewed, “but we’re pretty sure, all the same.” His gaze rested gently on her. “I’m so sorry, Violetpaw. Do you still want to help us?”
Violetpaw’s heart ached so much that she thought it would crack in two. But the pain only made her more resolved.
I have to believe that Twigpaw is still alive somewhere. I’ll do what Alderheart is asking; I’ll help get the weaker cats out of Darktail’s claws. Then, when my sister comes back, she’ll have to forgive me for what happened in the battle. And if she doesn’t… or if she really is dead…
Violetpaw pushed the thought away, refusing even to consider that. “I’ll help you,” she meowed, meeting Alderheart’s gaze steadily. “You can take me to Bramblestar now.”
Alderheart took a pace toward the tumbled rocks that led up to the Highledge, then halted. “No, you’ve been away from your camp for too long,” he decided. “I’ll talk to Bramblestar; you get back before you’re missed. Just remember the plan…”
Violetpaw listened to his rapid instructions, then dipped her head in farewell and left the camp, racing through the forest and along the shoreline until she crossed the border into ShadowClan territory.
I wish I could stay, she thought, but once our plan works… once the rogues are defeated and Twigpaw comes home… maybe she and I and Needletail can all live in ThunderClan territory—together.
The moon shed silver light over the RiverClan camp, the ground blotched with shadows cast by bushes and clumps of reeds. Violetpaw crept furtively from one patch of darkness to the next, her ears pricked for the slightest sound of movement.
When she reached the bramble thicket, she spotted Zelda sitting alone on guard. As Violetpaw watched, the kittypet stretched her jaws in an enormous yawn, then rose and began pacing to and fro, obviously struggling to stay awake.
Violetpaw padded up to her. “Hi, Zelda.”
Zelda whipped around, her neck fur bristling, then relaxed as she saw who had spoken. “Violetpaw! You scared me out of my fur! What are you doing here?”
“I want to check on Needletail,” Violetpaw explained. “I’m worried about her.”
Zelda’s eyes stretched wide in dismay. “I can’t let you do that! What if Darktail found out? He’d claw my ears off.”
“Please… ,” Violetpaw mewed. “I only want to talk to her. You know she’s my friend. What harm could it do?” She paused for a moment, then added, “You could curl up for a nap while I’m in there. I won’t let the prisoners escape.”
Zelda looked even more distraught. “No! Darktail might see me… or one of the Kin would tell him.”
“They’re all snoring in their nests,” Violetpaw told her. “Zelda, please… Aren’t we friends?”
Zelda slid her claws in and out, tearing at the grass. “Okay, Violetpaw,” she mewed at last. “But be quick!”
“Thanks, Zelda.” Violetpaw touched her nose to the kittypet’s ear, then slipped past her and into the thicket, until she reached the clear space in the center.
The RiverClan prisoners were curled up together in a mound of fur, with Needletail close beside them. Violetpaw thought her friend was asleep too; but as she approached, Needletail raised her head and gazed at her, blinking.
“Violetpaw?” Her voice was hoarse.
“I had to talk to you.” Violetpaw crouched down beside her friend and spoke softly into her ear. “I’ve been to ThunderClan and spoken to Alderheart. We have a plan to get you and the prisoners out! I promise, all of you are going to be fine.”
Needletail listened quietly and did not respond when Violetpaw had finished speaking. Her eyes closed, and Violetpaw thought that she had gone back to sleep. Pity clawed at her heart when she saw how weak her friend was.
Violetpaw was beginning to edge backward, ready to leave, when Needletail stirred again, her eyes opening a slit. “All this that’s happening to me… it’s not your fault, Violetpaw. All the mistakes we made were mine.”
“That doesn’t matter now,” Violetpaw responded, briefly burying her nose in Needletail’s shoulder fur. “Don’t worry about anything. I’m going to get you out of here.”
Needletail shook her head. “Don’t take risks for me, Violetpaw. You have to survive, any way you can.”
She fell silent again with a small sigh, and Violetpaw realized that this time she really had gone to sleep.
Violetpaw remained crouching beside her for a moment, smoothing her fur with one paw. Poor Needletail, she thought. I’ve got to make this plan with ThunderClan work…
Warily she slid out of the thicket with a nod to Zelda, then crept back across the camp in the direction of the elders’ den.
I have something to discuss with Ratscar and Oakfur…
Chapter 14
Alderheart crouched in the bushes beside the small Thunderpath that separated ShadowClan territory from RiverClan. Sparkpelt and Ivypool were by his side, while Lionblaze, a tail-length or so away, was keeping watch in case any rogues were patrolling on the ShadowClan side.
Two nights had passed since Violetpaw’s visit to ThunderClan. Clouds were covering the moon, casting a welcome darkness over the trespassing patrol. The only sound was the faint creaking of branches as a breeze wafted through the trees.
“Do you think Violetpaw is close enough to Darktail?” Sparkpelt whispered, sounding doubtful. “Would he really tell her when the patrols go out?”
“Yes, does she really have that much influence?” Ivypool added. “She’s an apprentice, for StarClan’s sake!”
“I believe her,” Alderheart responded, keeping his voice low. “She told me that a patrol goes by at sunset, and then another at moonhigh. Besides, she doesn’t need Darktail to tell her that—if she keeps her wits about her, she can see it for herself.”
Ivypool nodded slowly, her blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. “After all,” she murmured, “this isn’t a real boundary anymore, now that Darktail holds both territories. There’s not a lot of need for regular patrols.”