The three cats she named blinked proudly at her praise; Sparrowpelt gave his shoulder fur a couple of embarrassed licks.
“I also need to mention Frecklepaw,” Leafstar went on. On the flat part of the cliff, the apprentice jumped and gazed wide-eyed at her leader, as if she was afraid she was going to be scolded for something in front of the whole Clan. “She worked hard to help Echosong care for the wounded warriors,” Leafstar went on, “and she has learned a great deal about herbs and how to treat injuries.”
Could she be a medicine cat? StarClan, please give me a sign!
But there was no response from the stars, glittering icily above her head. Leafstar spotted Echosong giving the young tabby an approving nod, and Frecklepaw ducked her head in response, her eyes shining.
“Visitors have arrived in the gorge, from a Twolegplace downriver.” Leafstar went on with her report. “Stick, Shorty, Cora, and Coal have settled down well during their stay in the Clan, and we thank them for the help they gave in fighting against the rats.”
Is this the time or the place to invite them to stay with us for good? Leafstar asked herself, aware of Sharpclaw’s green gaze boring into her like a woodpecker attacking a tree. No—and I’m not going to ask them what they are going to do next. I need to find a more private place for that.
To her surprise, Stick rose to his paws and padded to the very edge of the cliff. “Thank you, Leafstar,” he meowed, inclining his head formally to her. “We’re all grateful for SkyClan’s hospitality. We’re glad that we were able to help you with the rats.”
Leafstar dipped her head in reply, and the visiting cat withdrew again to sit beside his friends.
“Now,” she went on, glancing once more around at her warriors, “does any cat have a question or a problem that they want to discuss?”
“I do.” Clovertail rose to her paws and stretched her neck to look over the cats sitting in front of her. “I’d like to use one of the new dens as a birthing den. I know we drove off the rats, but if they come back, or if a fox or a badger finds its way into the gorge, one of those upper dens would be much safer for young kits.”
“It would be easier for them to fall out, though,” Petalnose warned.
Clovertail twitched her ears. “I know. We’d need to move the kits back into the nursery once they were strong enough to go outside.”
Leafstar guessed that Clovertail was worried that her new litter would be overwhelmed by Fallowfern’s rambunctious kits if they were born in the nursery. She could have a point.
“Very well,” she replied to Clovertail. “Let’s move you over there in the morning, and we’ll see how it goes when your kits are born. Mintpaw and Sagepaw, please fetch bedding for Clovertail and make sure she’s comfortable.”
“We will, Leafstar,” Mintpaw called out.
“Thank you. And if all goes well, we’ll make the arrangement permanent.”
Clovertail thanked her and sat down again.
Harveymoon and Macgyver got up and stepped up to the edge of the cliff, glancing at each other as if they weren’t sure which one of them was going to speak first.
“We’re glad to be back,” Harveymoon meowed in a rush.
“We’re looking forward to being part of SkyClan again,” Macgyver added. “We’ve learned not to be so stupid.”
“Good,” Leafstar purred. “We’re happy to welcome you back.”
“I’d like to suggest something,” Petalnose mewed as the two kittypets sat down again. “What about a special rat patrol, just to make sure that they don’t return to that pile of stuff?”
“Good idea!” Shrewtooth agreed, flattening his ears.
A babble of comment broke out; Leafstar let it continue for a few moments before raising her tail for silence. “Sharpclaw, what do you think?”
The deputy paused for a moment, his green eyes narrowed. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t think it’s necessary. The border patrols and hunting patrols will spot any signs of rats in the territory.”
Leafstar nodded. “I think you’re right. But if there are any fresh signs of rats,” she added to Petalnose, “then we’ll set up a rat patrol right away.”
“Thank you, Leafstar,” Petalnose replied, seeming content with that decision.
“What about that loner my patrol scented near the rubbish heap?” Cherrytail asked. “Do we need to do anything?”
“Did the evening border patrol spot anything?” Leafstar meowed.
“We picked up the stale scent,” Billystorm, who had led the patrol, replied, “but nothing new.”
“Then I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” Leafstar decided. “Except that all patrols should keep a good lookout in that area.”
She was about to draw the Gathering to a close, when Lichenfur hauled herself to her paws, shaking her rumpled pelt. “What about the bedding in our den?” she demanded. “I don’t think the moss has been changed for a moon.”
Leafstar spotted Mintpaw open her jaws to protest, and Sagepaw quickly flicked his tail across her mouth. His sister glared at him, but kept quiet.
“Sorry, Lichenfur,” Snookpaw called out. “I’ll fetch some more as soon as I get here in the morning.”
Muttering, the elder sat down again and leaned across to mew something into Tangle’s ear.
When none of the other cats spoke, Leafstar rose to her paws. “We thank StarClan that our Clan is safe and thriving, and that prey is plentiful. The Gathering is at an end.”
She watched as her senior warriors leaped back over the gap, with Sparrowpelt watching Waspwhisker carefully to make sure he didn’t fall, and began to pad down the trail toward the camp. At last only she, Sharpclaw, and Echosong were left.
“I thought that went well,” Leafstar commented. “There don’t seem to be any serious problems.”
“For now,” Sharpclaw meowed, giving his chest fur a couple of thoughtful licks. “I heard what you said about Frecklepaw,” he continued. “It sounds as if you’re going to make her Echosong’s apprentice.”
“I’m thinking about it,” Leafstar responded guardedly.
Sharpclaw’s eyes stretched wide. “Have you got bees in your brain? You must know it’s impossible.”
“Why?” Echosong slid out her claws and her neck fur began to bristle; Leafstar hadn’t often seen the gentle young tabby look this annoyed.
“Why do you need to ask?” Sharpclaw sounded exasperated. “She’s a kittypet!”
“She’s a SkyClan apprentice,” Echosong retorted. “And she has an exceptional talent for healing. I wish I’d learned as quickly when I first came here.”
Sharpclaw’s tail-tip twitched. “But half the time she isn’t here. I don’t care how talented she is. What happens if a warrior is injured while their medicine cat is snoozing in a Twoleg nest?”
“And what happens if I’m killed before I’ve trained an apprentice?” Echosong hissed back. “The Clan wouldn’t have a medicine cat.”
“There are other possibilities,” Sharpclaw argued.
“Name one!”
Leafstar stretched out her tail to separate the two angry cats. “Echosong is right that there’s no full Clan cat with any interest in healing,” she meowed carefully. “Being a medicine cat demands true dedication.”
“But there are kits growing up all the time,” Sharpclaw pointed out. “Fallowfern’s four, and Clovertail’s new litter. Maybe one of them—”
“And maybe not,” Echosong snapped.
“We don’t have to decide now.” Leafstar realized she needed to bring this discussion to a close before either of the quarreling cats said something they would regret later. “Echosong, have you had any sign yet from StarClan about Frecklepaw?”