As Cherrytail bent over Snookpaw, he began struggling to sit up. Shivering with shock, he coughed up a stream of water and flopped back onto the stones again.
At least he’s alive, Leafstar thought. Thank StarClan!
By now more cats were racing across the Rockpile, or leaping across the stepping-stones a little farther downstream. Echosong was among them, pushing her way through as they crowded around.
“Keep back and let me see him,” she ordered, crouching down beside the young black-and-white tom. “Leafstar, what happened?”
“He was fetching moss, and he slipped into the river,” Leafstar croaked, managing to get to her paws and give her pelt a good shake.
Echosong nodded and gently pressed Snookpaw’s belly with one paw. Another stream of water gushed out of the apprentice’s mouth.
“You’ll be fine,” Echosong told him reassuringly. “Come with me to my den. I’ll give you some thyme leaves for the shock, and you can have a good sleep.”
Still coughing, Snookpaw tottered to his paws. “No,” he rasped. “I want to go home. Don’t make me stay here.”
Startled, Leafstar took a pace back. She wanted to tell him that the medicine cat would look after him just as well as his Twolegs, but she couldn’t bring herself to make him stay in the gorge when he looked so miserable.
“All right,” she meowed. “If you’re sure you can make it that far.”
“I’ll go with him,” Cherrytail offered, letting Snookpaw lean against her shoulder. “I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
“Thank you, Cherrytail.” The young tortoiseshell warrior had been a kittypet once, and she would be familiar with the Twolegplace. “Make sure you get some rest, Snookpaw, and we’ll see you again as soon as you’re ready.”
Snookpaw headed off with Cherrytail, then halted and glanced back. “Thank you, Leafstar. You saved my life.”
“You’re welcome,” Leafstar mewed gently.
She watched Cherrytail helping Snookpaw across the Rockpile. Though she was thankful the accident had been no worse, she was still shaken. Gazing at the cats gathered around her, she announced, “From now on, no cat must go to the Whispering Cave alone—except for you, Echosong. And moss-gathering must always be supervised by a warrior.”
“Good idea,” Waspwhisker meowed.
Petalnose nodded. “When I think what could happen to our apprentices…” She shuddered.
Leaving her Clanmates to return to camp, Leafstar ventured back along the ledge until she found the remains of the moss that she and Snookpaw had dropped. Most of it had been washed away by the river, but Leafstar rolled up what was left and carried it across the Rockpile to the elders’ den.
“What’s that?” Lichenfur sniffed. “There’s not enough moss there to make a bed for a tick!”
“Well, it’s all you’re getting for now,” Leafstar retorted. “Snookpaw fell in the river fetching this. He could have died.”
Lichenfur blinked. “Clumsy apprentice,” she muttered. “He should watch where he’s putting his paws.”
Biting back an angry retort, Leafstar left her and went to find a sunny spot where she could sit and clean the river water from her pelt. She was drowsing in the sunlight when she heard excited squeaks behind her. Fallowfern’s kits were scampering over to the bottom of the trail where Sharpclaw and the border patrol were climbing down.
“Billystorm! Billystorm!” Plumkit squealed. “Snookpaw fell in the river and he nearly drowned!”
“What?” Billystorm leaped down the last couple of tail-lengths, his fur beginning to fluff up and his eyes wide with horror. “Where is he?”
“It’s not as bad as that.” Leafstar rose to her paws and padded over to the ginger-and-white tom. “He did fall in the river, fetching moss from the cave. But he was fine. He went home.”
Billystorm let his neck fur lie flat again, though his eyes were still full of concern. “I’ll check on him later,” he promised. “My Twoleg nest isn’t far from his.”
“Thanks,” Leafstar replied. “I’m worried about him. I wish he’d stayed and let Echosong take a look at him.”
“You can come with me to see him if you like,” Billystorm suggested.
“Me—come with you to the Twolegplace?” Leafstar felt every hair on her pelt start to prickle. “No thanks, Billystorm. I don’t feel comfortable among Twoleg nests.”
“Unlike your Clanmates,” Billystorm murmured.
Leafstar didn’t respond. She hadn’t forgotten his report that he had seen—or thought he saw—Sharpclaw and Stick leading a patrol in the Twolegplace. But she didn’t want to hear any more of the rumors. In the end she hadn’t confronted Sharpclaw about it, because she knew her deputy would never do such a thing without telling her.
Billystorm must have mistaken some kittypets for our warriors.
“What’s this I hear about Snookpaw?” Sharpclaw called, padding over to her with Fallowfern’s kits tumbling around his paws. “Is he all right?”
“He will be,” Leafstar assured him.
“At least we have enough warriors for the rest of today’s patrols,” Sharpclaw meowed. He hurried off, calling to Waspwhisker and Petalnose as he went.
“I’d better go with him,” Billystorm meowed. “I’ve nothing to do, seeing that my apprentice isn’t here. I’d promised to show him some fighting moves.”
“Show us instead!” Fallowfern’s kits chorused, scrabbling at his fur until they nearly knocked him off his paws.
Billystorm cast an amused glance at Leafstar. “You’re not apprenticed yet,” he told the kits.
“But you could help me with them if you want,” Leafstar mewed. “Fallowfern is worn out from looking after them. Besides, she wants to help Clovertail move into the new birthing den. We could take them off her paws for a bit.”
“Yes, please!” Creekkit begged. “I can fight better than all the others.”
“Can’t!” Nettlekit squeaked, jumping on his littermate.
Leafstar let out a small mrrow of laughter as she watched the kits rolling around, battering at one another with tiny paws.
“Are they bothering you, Leafstar?” Fallowfern puffed, bounding up with a harassed look.
“Not a bit,” Leafstar replied. “Should we take them for a while? It would leave you free to help Clovertail.”
“Oh, would you?” Fallowfern’s voice was full of gratitude. “Now listen,” she went on sternly to her kits. “You do exactly what Leafstar and Billystorm tell you. I don’t want to hear that you’ve put one whisker out of place. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Fallowfern.” The kits sat up, their fur rumpled and their eyes wide and innocent. “We’ll be good.”
“And hedgehogs will fly,” Billystorm whispered into Leafstar’s ear.
As Fallowfern padded off to join Clovertail, Billystorm rounded up the kits. “Come on. We’ll go to the training area.”
“Yes!” Rabbitkit bounced up and down with his tail waving. “Last one there’s a kittypet!”
All four kits took off in a flurry of sand. When Leafstar and Billystorm caught up to them at the training area, Creekkit was crouched in the middle of the open space. His lips were drawn back to display tiny sharp teeth. “I’m a fox and I’m attacking the camp!” he announced.
“Stay away or I’ll rip your fur off!” Plumkit responded, sliding out her claws.
“That’s enough.” Billystorm strode out into the sandy space and raised his tail to block Plumkit as she hurled herself at her brother.
“Watch it, the fox will get you!” she squealed.
Billystorm sidestepped rapidly to stop Creekkit from sinking his teeth into his hind leg.
“This is not a training session,” Leafstar reminded the excited kits. “That won’t happen until you’re apprentices.”
“But that’s moons away,” Creekkit muttered, disappointed. “I want to show you my battle moves.”