Darkest Night

CHAPTER 4

Twigpaw glanced nervously at the towering pines. A fierce wind was hollering through the branches, rocking the trees. She missed ThunderClan territory, where the trees seemed sturdier, their ancient roots thick and twisted deep into the earth. Here in the pine forest, she felt as if a tree could topple anytime.

“Twigpaw! Stop staring at the trees and help,” Finpaw called. The brown-and-ginger apprentice blinked at her.

Leafstar had sent Twigpaw with Finpaw and Dewpaw to find twigs to build the camp, while Reedpaw had stayed behind to pick burrs from the moss they’d gathered yesterday. Finpaw had already collected a pile of sticks. His brother was a little farther off, reaching beneath a bramble bush.

Twigpaw padded toward them, still craning her neck to watch the swirling treetops. “Aren’t you scared a tree might fall down?”

Dewpaw wriggled out from the bramble, his brown tabby fur ruffled. “Why should they? They’ve been here as long as StarClan.”

“But it’s so windy.” Twigpaw had to raise her voice against the swish of the branches. She squeaked with alarm as a small twig tumbled down and landed on her back.

Finpaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement. “I thought you were used to living in a forest.”

“ThunderClan’s forest is different.” Twigpaw fluffed out her fur, pretending not to be embarrassed. “When the wind blows there, you can hardly tell. The trees protect us from the wind; they don’t whirl about like reeds.”

“ShadowClan seems happy in the pine forest,” Finpaw reminded her.

“At least the wind means there are plenty of twigs to gather,” Dewpaw added.

Twigpaw scanned the forest. Falling twigs caught her eye everywhere, and the forest floor was sprinkled with thin stems that would be perfect for weaving into den walls. She pawed one toward her, then turned to pick up the one that had bounced off her back. She tried not to notice the irritation that wormed in her belly. Why had she been sent out on an apprentice errand? She’d passed her assessment. If she’d stayed in ThunderClan, she’d have her warrior name by now. She’d be building dens, not gathering supplies.

She pushed the thought away. You chose to join SkyClan, she reminded herself. You wanted to be with Violetpaw and Hawkwing. And yet she was finding it strange to have new Clanmates. The SkyClan cats were kind, but she was used to the order and routine of the ThunderClan camp. Leafstar seemed more like an ordinary warrior than a leader. She worked and hunted and patrolled alongside her Clanmates as though she were no different. Hawkwing, even though he was deputy, let the cats organize their own hunting patrols. Occasionally he would suggest that it was time to patrol the border, but he let cats volunteer rather than ordering them to go.

It’s just because they are finding their paws in a new home, she decided.

But that didn’t explain SkyClan’s fondness for kittypets. Twigpaw had been shocked to learn that SkyClan used to have kittypets as part of their Clan, and that they used to come and go, living with the Clan and their Twolegs. SkyClan had called these cats “daylight warriors.” Twigpaw couldn’t understand how you could be a warrior only part of the time. You were either a warrior or you weren’t. At least Macgyver had made the decision to stay with the Clan for good. So he was almost a real warrior. But like Millie back in ThunderClan, he’d kept his kittypet name.

And there are so few SkyClan cats. Twigpaw frowned. There were almost as many apprentices as there were warriors. And it was strange to have no elders at all. Twigpaw remembered, with a pang, Graystripe and Millie. They had seemed like the steadying roots of ThunderClan, always ready with a reassuring word or teasing complaint that made everything feel okay.

She had thought being with Violetpaw and Hawkwing would cure her homesickness, but the longer she spent with them, the more she realized how alike the two of them were. They practically shared thoughts. Sometimes, talking to them felt like talking to one cat. It made her feel like an outsider. I’m supposed to be the one with the special bond with Hawkwing. I rescued SkyClan. She was ashamed of the thought, but she couldn’t help thinking it. You do have a bond with Hawkwing, she told herself. It’s just not the same as Violetpaw’s.

She realized that Finpaw was staring at her. “Are all ThunderClan cats such dreamers?” he mewed.

She blinked at him, sensing that she’d been lost in her thoughts. “Sorry.” She reached for another twig and dragged it onto her tiny pile. Pine needles caught under her claws. “I’m still getting used to being in a new home. Don’t you find it strange?”

“Everything has felt strange for so long, it feels almost normal now,” Finpaw told her.

“Do you miss the gorge?” she asked.

Finpaw shrugged. “I never lived there.”

Dewpaw padded over, a bundle of twigs bunched between his jaws. He dropped them beside Finpaw’s. “We were born beside another lake after they’d left the gorge,” he explained. “SkyClan lived there for a season.”

Twigpaw pricked her ears. “So you’ve never seen the gorge?”

“Never,” Finpaw told her. There was a wistful look in his yellow eyes.

“But you wish you had?” she wondered.

Finpaw looked away. “The other cats talk about it so much,” he mewed. “I kind of wish I knew what they were talking about.”

Twigpaw’s heart pricked with sympathy. “Me too.” She’d thought she was the only one who felt left out when the SkyClan warriors started reminiscing about their old life.

Finpaw blinked at her warmly. “Next time they start talking about their old life, we can remember the exciting day we spent collecting twigs.” He winked at her. Then he nodded at her meager pile. “We should collect a few more and head back to camp.”

Dewpaw scanned the forest floor, whisking his tail as his gaze reached a patch of scattered sticks. “I’ll fetch those.”

“We’ll look under this bush.” Finpaw headed toward a spreading juniper. “There might be some snagged in the branches.”

Twigpaw hurried past him. She wanted to make up for gathering so few. She dived under the bush and wriggled on her belly. A few sticks were caught around the central stem. She dug her claws into them and dragged them out. As she emerged, something slithered beside her. “Snake!” With a squeal, she leaped backward, her fur on end.

Finpaw purred loudly. “That’s not a snake.” He lifted a twisted root with his paw and blinked at Twigpaw. “You’re so jumpy!”

Twigpaw shook out her fur, trying not to let him see her paws shaking. “All this wind is making me nervous,” she mewed hotly.

It was still tearing at the trees, roaring louder now. The forest floor echoed with the creaking of trunks.

“Let’s take these twigs back to camp,” Finpaw suggested. He called to Dewpaw. “We’re heading back now.”

“Coming!” Dewpaw grabbed his pile between his jaws and headed toward them.

As he neared, a gust of wind slammed the trees around them. A crack rang though the air. Heart lurching, Twigpaw looked up. A massive branch hurtled at them. It was falling directly toward Finpaw.

“Look out!” She grabbed Finpaw’s scruff in her claws and dragged him toward her. Pine needles sprayed her face as the branch hit the ground with a sickening thud. Dust and bark showered around them.

“Finpaw!”

The apprentice lay beside her, his eyes wide with shock.

“Finpaw!” Twigpaw shook the needles from her fur and leaned over him.

“His tail!” Dewpaw reached them, pelt bristling.

Twigpaw followed the gray cat’s gaze. He was staring at Finpaw’s tail. It was trapped beneath the branch.

“We have to move it!” Twigpaw leaped for the branch and tried to roll it away. The weight of it shocked her.

“It’s too big.” Dewpaw stared along the length of the branch. It was wider than a cat’s belly and as long as an entire tree trunk.

“Finpaw!” Twigpaw darted back to his head and stared into his eyes. They were bright with pain. “Can you speak?”

“Yes,” Finpaw gasped.

“We’re going to get help.” Twigpaw’s thoughts were racing. SkyClan had no medicine cat. She needed Alderheart. But ThunderClan’s camp was too far. Finpaw needed help now. She looked at Dewpaw. “Run back to camp and fetch help. With more paws, we might be able to move the branch. I’ll head for ShadowClan’s camp to get Puddleshine.”

Dewpaw stared at her, ears flat with terror. “We can’t leave Finpaw here alone. What if he—”

Twigpaw cut him off. “It’s not far to camp. You’ll be back in the blink of an eye. Finpaw will be okay.” She glanced at Finpaw. “You’ll be okay,” she promised. “We’ll be back before you know it. Just hang on.” She searched Finpaw’s stricken gaze.

“Hurry,” he croaked.

Twigpaw turned back to Dewpaw. “Run as fast as you can!” But the gray apprentice was already pelting between the trees.

She ran for the ShadowClan border. The forest floor flashed beneath her paws. The springy mat of pine needles seemed to push her on, faster and faster. She hit the scent line, breathing fast, and kept running. Please let me be running the right way. She’d been to ShadowClan’s camp before, to visit Violetpaw. But that had been at night. Still, she knew she was heading away from the lake. The sun was above her, the wind behind. Her heart leaped as she recognized a rotting tree stump, and the ShadowClan scents began to grow stronger. She kept running, her paws burning, and scanned the forest ahead. Were those brambles looming between the trunks? She raced toward them, relief washing her pelt as she recognized the high wall of the ShadowClan camp. She rounded it and skidded through the entrance.

Skidding to a halt in the clearing, she faced the shocked ShadowClan cats.

“What are you doing?” Scorchfur glared at her.

Juniperclaw blinked in surprise. “How dare you—”

“Twigpaw?” Puddleshine poked his head out of his den. “What’s wrong? Are Tinycloud’s kits coming?”

Twigpaw shook her head, fighting for breath. She gasped in a lungful of air and blurted, “Finpaw!”

Puddleshine hurried from his den.

“A branch fell,” Twigpaw puffed. “His tail’s trapped.”

Puddleshine blinked at her, then turned back to his den. “Wait there.” He slid inside.

Juniperclaw and Scorchfur stared at her in silence.

A moment later, Puddleshine emerged, a leaf wrap between his jaws. Herbs were rolled inside it and dangled out either end.

Twigpaw nodded quickly to Rowanstar, who was watching round-eyed from the end of the clearing, then rushed out of the camp.

Running, she led Puddleshine back to Finpaw. As she approached, she saw pelts moving around the branch. “They’re trying to move it.” She ran faster, relieved when she spotted Hawkwing among the other SkyClan warriors.

Plumwillow was crouched beside Finpaw’s head. “Don’t worry, Finpaw. We’ll have this branch moved in no time.”

Reaching them, Twigpaw saw the warriors straining against the branch. Hawkwing, Sandynose, Fallowfern, and Rabbitleap pressed their shoulders to the bark and heaved. Blossomheart and Macgyver had worked a smaller branch underneath and were trying to lever the fallen branch clear. Their paws slithered on the pine needles, and Sandynose grunted with effort. But the branch didn’t budge.

Puddleshine slid past them and crouched beside Finpaw’s tail. He examined it, then leaned close to Finpaw’s head. He ran a paw over his head and spine. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Finpaw didn’t answer. His eyes were glazed over.

“He’s in shock,” Puddleshine meowed. “We need to get him warm.”

Plumwillow pressed close to her kit, her eyes glittering with fear.

“It’s not going to budge.” Hawkwing stared frantically at the branch.

“Can we pull his tail out?” Macgyver asked.

Puddleshine shook his head. “It’s pinned too tight.”

Twigpaw felt sick.

“I need to cut him clear,” Puddleshine meowed starkly. “Find me a sharp stone.”

“Cut?” Plumwillow stared at the ShadowClan medicine cat with alarm. “Are you sure?”

Puddleshine lowered his voice. “If he stays here much longer, he will die of shock. He’s hardly conscious. Cutting it now is our only option.”

Plumwillow seemed to freeze, her gaze fixed on the medicine cat.

Sandynose padded to her side. He looked at Puddleshine. “Is it the only way to save him?”

Puddleshine nodded.

“Then do it,” Sandynose meowed.

Puddleshine looked at Plumwillow, as though asking for her permission. The dark gray she-cat nodded.

As Macgyver dropped a sharp stone beside him, Puddleshine leaned closer to Finpaw’s tail. With a flick of his own tail, he waved the warriors away.

Trembling, Twigpaw hurried to her father’s side. “Will Finpaw be okay?”

“We don’t know yet.” He touched his muzzle to her cheek. He felt strong and warm, and she sheltered against him. “Let’s get you back to camp.”

Twigpaw glanced toward Finpaw. He was a small, limp shape, half hidden by Puddleshine. “I don’t want to leave him,” she whispered. Finpaw felt like the first friend she’d made in SkyClan. What if he died?

“Puddleshine will do his best,” Hawkwing promised. “And Sandynose and Plumwillow are with him. You feel cold. I think you should be in your nest. You’re probably quite shocked too.”

Twigpaw suddenly realized her sister was missing. “Where’s Violetpaw?”

“Rabbitleap took her hunting with Leafstar.” Hawkwing gently nudged Twigpaw forward. “She may be back by now. Let’s go and see.”

Twigpaw glanced over her shoulder, her belly tightening as she heard Finpaw gasp with pain.

Hawkwing guided her away quickly.

Violetpaw met them at the camp entrance. “Where has everyone gone?” she asked. Rabbitleap was standing beside the stream, looking around the deserted camp.

“They’re trying to help Finpaw. He’s had an accident,” Hawkwing told Violetpaw.

Rabbitleap hurried over. “Is it bad?”

“His tail is trapped beneath a branch,” Hawkwing explained. “Puddleshine is with him now.”

Rabbitleap flicked his tail anxiously. “I wish Echosong were still with us.”

“Or Frecklewish,” Hawkwing meowed.

As he spoke, Leafstar ducked through the fern tunnel. “I smell fear-scent. What’s happened?”

Twigpaw was still trembling. She felt cold to the bone.

“Rabbitleap can tell you,” Hawkwing mewed softly. “I want to get Twigpaw to her nest.”

“Is she okay?” Leafstar looked worried.

Violetpaw’s eyes widened. “Did Twigpaw get hurt too?”

Twigpaw gazed at them blankly, her mind spinning. Finpaw was suffering! Why were they wasting time worrying about her?

“She’s just a little shocked and cold.” Hawkwing led Twigpaw to the temporary apprentices’ den, and ushered her inside.

As Twigpaw curled into her nest, Violetpaw hooked a wad of moss from her own nest and gave it to Hawkwing. “This will help her warm up.”

Hawkwing draped it over Twigpaw, tucking it in at the edges. Gratefully, Twigpaw snuggled deep into her nest.

Fur brushed the branches near the den entrance as Leafstar slid inside. “How is she?”

“She’ll be fine,” Hawkwing reassured her.

“Who are Echosong and Frecklewish?” Violetpaw asked suddenly.

Leafstar blinked at her. “They were our medicine cats once. Echosong died on the journey here. Frecklewish disappeared before we left the gorge.”

Hawkwing lapped the top of Twigpaw’s head with his tongue, and finally Twigpaw closed her eyes.

Leafstar’s voice seemed far away. “We don’t even know if Frecklewish is still alive.”

“Maybe we could find out,” Hawkwing meowed. “Isn’t it time we sent a patrol back to the gorge to look for our lost Clanmates?”

“Can I go?” Violetpaw asked eagerly.

“It’s too soon to decide who will go,” Leafstar meowed thoughtfully. “But you’re right, Hawkwing. It’s time we sent one.”

Twigpaw felt herself drifting into sleep. A patrol? To the gorge? If Violetpaw’s going, I should join too. It might be dangerous.

But what about Finpaw? As dreams began to swirl around her, Twigpaw clung to one thought.

I don’t want to leave him until I know he’s all right.