“Puddleshine!” She j erked her m uzzle toward the medicine cat. He was leaning over Snakekit, gently dabbing green pulp around her jaws.
He turned sharply as Violetpaw called. His gaze flicked to Kinkfur, still twitching in her nest.
The coughing gave way to a rattling wheeze. She seem ed no more than fur and bones, shaken by a cruel wind. “Fetch thyme!” Puddleshine ordered.
Violetpaw stared at him. “I don’t know what it looks like!”
“It has woody stem s and sm all leaves—” Puddleshine stopped as Kinkfur fell lim p.
Violetpaw stiffened with panic. “I’ll go and look.”
“There’s no need.” Puddleshine’s mew was desolate. He stared at the old she-cat, his eyes m isting.
“She’s dead?” Violetpaw felt cold. Kinkfur was ly ing still, as though she was sleeping.
“Perhaps the sickness has gone away and she’s just resting.” Kinkfur couldn’t be dead.
Gently Puddleshine touched Kinkfur’s flank with his paw. “She’s with StarClan now.”
“No!” Shock sparked through Violetpaw’s fur as she suddenly saw the stillness of death. She looked like prey. Overwhelm ed, Violetpaw bolted for the entrance. She raced across the clearing, ignoring the surprised stares of her Clanmates.
“Where are you going?” Dawnpelt’s mew rang across the clearing.
Violetpaw didn’t answer. She raced through the entrance tunnel and burst from the camp.
Gulping the pine-scented air outside, she tried to fight the waves of grief washing over her. Her Clanmates were dying. Twigpaw was gone. There was no one in the Clan she could talk to. Not really talk to. For a m om ent she wondered where Needletail was. Needletail would know what to say. She’d flick her tail carelessly and tell Violetpaw not to worry. She’d say that Kinkfur would be happier ly ing in the warm sunshine of StarClan’s hunting grounds than coughing in a stuffy nest.
She’d tell her that she didn’t need Twigpaw because she had her.
I should have stayed with her. Violetpaw had tried not to think of her friend since she’d rej oined ShadowClan. She’d tried not to worry how Needletail might be getting along with the rogues and had kept her thoughts focused on the present. She’d tried to put her Clanmates first. Now, with a stab of grief, Violetpaw realized that Needletail had never abandoned her. When she’d left, she’d taken Violetpaw with her. I abandoned her. Guilt pricked through Violetpaw’s pelt.
She headed away from camp.
“Where are you going?” Dawnpelt padded from the camp and called after her.
Violetpaw looked over her shoulder. “Kinkfur died,” she meowed bluntly. “I need to get som e fresh air.”
Dawnpelt stared at her, shock sparking in her gaze. “She’s dead?”
“Yes.” Violetpaw turned away and headed between the trees. She heard Dawnpelt’s fur brush the brambles as the cream -colored she-cat hurried back into camp.
Paws heavy, Violetpaw walked on. The forest floor was warm where the sun reached it and chilly where shadows lingered. Pushing all thoughts from her m ind, Violetpaw found herself wandering toward her old territory —the land held by the rogues. Do I want to see Needletail?
Violetpaw couldn’t decide. She wanted Needletail to com fort her, like she had when Violetpaw was a kit. But she knew that Needletail was unlikely to treat her kindly if she ever ran into her again.
As Violetpaw felt her chest sink in regret, she heard a fam iliar voice.
“Well, well.” Needletail slid out from behind a pine and blocked her path. “Look who we have here.”
Violetpaw’s heart leaped. “Needletail!” Her old friend’s fur looked glossy. Muscles rippled over her shoulders. Violetpaw broke into a purr.
Needletail scowled and looked over her shoulder. Rain followed her onto the path and stopped beside her. His injured eye was gone. Pale fur covered the space where it had once been. His rem aining eye flitted coldly over Violetpaw.
Violetpaw felt an icy chill settle in her belly. Needletail didn’t look pleased to see her. “I’m sorry I left like I did,” she mewed hurriedly. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Needletail narrowed her eyes. “So you ran away in the night.”
“I wasn’t running away.” Violetpaw pushed back guilt. “I just didn’t feel like I belonged there any more.”
Was that hurt sharpening Needletail’s gaze? Violetpaw leaned closer. “I’m really sorry. I should have talked to y ou. But…” Her mew trailed away as she glanced at Rain. Were Needletail and Rain mates now? Perhaps she’d chosen the right time to leave. May be Needletail didn’t have room for friends in her life any more.
She realized that Needletail was staring at her, m alice shim m ering in her green gaze. There was no hurt there now, only threat. Violetpaw backed away. “H-how are the others?” she asked nervously.
“What do you care?” Needletail hissed. “You’re a ShadowClan cat now. That is where y ou went, isn’t it?” She sniffed Violetpaw’s pelt. “You smell like a Clan cat.”
Violetpaw suddenly felt very sm all.
“Why did you go back?” Needletail’s question sounded more like an accusation.
Violetpaw glanced at Rain again, staring at his lost ey e.
Rain’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. “I think she was scared som eone would spoil her pretty face.”
“Coward, eh?” Needletail stepped closer.
Violetpaw flinched. “I belong in a Clan,” she mewed quietly.
“Traitor!” Needletail’s ears flattened.
You betrayed y our Clan! Violetpaw wished she had the courage to say it. Needletail had been born in ShadowClan. They were her kin. They only took me in because of the prophecy. But Rain and Needletail were staring at her m alevolently. “Every cat has to find their own path.”
Needletail snorted. “You even sound like a Clan cat!”
“It’s where I belong.” Violetpaw was determ ined to appear brave, even though her heart was pounding.
Needletail backed away, her eyes glittering. “So you let m e wake up alone, wondering where y ou’d gone!”
Violetpaw hesitated. That is sadness! Was the sleek silver she-cat truly hurt that Violetpaw had left her? “I couldn’t stay,” she mewed helplessly.
Needletail showed her teeth. “We could take you back with us now. I’m sure Darktail would be delighted to have his special Clan cat back.”
“I don’t want to go back to the rogues!” Violetpaw tried to stop her paws from trem bling.
“Who say s you get a choice?” Needletail hissed.
Violetpaw stared at her pleadingly. “I’m sorry, Needletail. I just want to go home.”
Needletail glanced at Rain. “What do you think?” she asked. “Should we take her back to camp with us?”
Rain stared at Violetpaw, his gaze betray ing nothing.
Violetpaw’s breath stopped in her throat. She glanced around the forest, looking for som e escape. Perhaps if she bolted for the brambles bey ond the ditch, she’d be able to lose them in the tangled branches. Or she could just head back the way she’d come. She was light on her paws.
She might be able to outrun them.
“Well?” Needletail pressed. “Should we take her?”
“No.”
Rain’s mew washed Violetpaw like a cool breeze. She let out a breath as he went on.
“We don’t want cats who don’t want us. Besides, she’s too soft.” He sniffed. “There’s still kit fluff behind her ears.”