The Apprentice's Quest (13 page)

“I don't care what you say!”
Sandstorm hissed. “I'm going on this quest, and that's final!”

“It's out of the question!” Bramblestar snapped back at her. “I asked you here to tell Alderpaw all you know about SkyClan. I never intended for you to go with him.”

Alderpaw shifted nervously from paw to paw on the sandy floor of Bramblestar's den. It was the day after his father had told him that he must go on the quest, but so far no decisions had been made about which cats would accompany him.

And it doesn't look like I'll be leaving anytime soon, not if Bramblestar and Sandstorm keep on arguing.
He had always believed that the two cats got along well together. Now they looked furious enough to claw each other's pelts off.

“Then you may be Clan leader, but you're acting like a mouse-brained apprentice.” Sandstorm's neck fur was bristling with anger. “I'm the only—”

“Enough!” Bramblestar lashed his tail. “Sandstorm, you're an elder. You've made your contribution to our Clan, and it's been a magnificent contribution. Now you deserve to have the rest of us take care of you. I want you safe in camp, not
traipsing about in unknown territory.”

“That's exactly the point.” Sandstorm's voice grew quieter, the words forced out through clenched teeth. Alderpaw was glad she wasn't glaring at him like she was glaring at Bramblestar. “I'm the only living cat who has any idea how to find SkyClan's camp. And I'm the only one who has met the cats of SkyClan before. They're more likely to accept me than cats they've never laid eyes on.”

As she spoke, the anger in Bramblestar's face was fading, replaced with a thoughtful expression. “I understand,” he began uncertainly, “but elders just don't—”

He broke off at the sound of a patter of paw steps approaching up the tumbled rocks. Alderpaw turned to see Squirrelflight at the entrance to the den. Bramblestar and Sandstorm exchanged a swift glance, and Alderpaw realized that Squirrelflight didn't know about SkyClan either.

“All the hunting patrols have gone out,” she reported. “I wanted to ask which warriors you've chosen to go with Alderpaw. He'll need a strong group of cats. I don't know where his paws will lead him, but I do know there'll be danger.”

“I will be going with him,” Sandstorm announced, before Bramblestar could reply.

Her green eyes flashed with triumph when Bramblestar reluctantly dipped his head in agreement, but Squirrelflight's expression was horrified.

“Sandstorm, you can't!” she exclaimed. “It's bad enough having to let Alderpaw go. Do you think I want my kit
and
my mother off on a dangerous quest together? I couldn't bear it!”

Dangerous?
Alderpaw thought, feeling more nervous still.

“Squirrelflight, it will be fine,” Sandstorm meowed. “I may be old, but I'm still strong. And Alderpaw will be in a lot less danger if I go with him.”

“I hate to admit it, but she's right,” Bramblestar agreed.

Squirrelflight glanced sharply from her mother to Bramblestar and back again, her green eyes glittering. “Is there something you're not telling me?” she demanded.

“You have to trust me,” Bramblestar responded.

A few tense heartbeats passed while Squirrelflight held Bramblestar's amber gaze. Then she sighed, her tail drooping. “I suppose I do.”

Without further argument, Bramblestar led the way out of the den and onto the Highledge. Squirrelflight stayed by his side, while Sandstorm and Alderpaw picked their way down the tumbled rocks to the floor of the camp.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting,” Bramblestar yowled.

All the cats in the clearing turned toward the Highledge. Leafpool and Jayfeather emerged from their den and sat side by side in front of the bramble screen. Lilyheart and Daisy appeared from the nursery and settled themselves near the entrance while Lilyheart's kits play wrestled around their paws. Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Dovewing slid out from the warriors' den and took their places at the foot of the rock wall.

Purdy broke off a story he was telling to Snowbush and Ambermoon. “I'll finish the rest later,” he promised as he
padded off to flop down beside Graystripe and Millie near the elders' den.

Alderpaw looked around for Sparkpaw and spotted her emerging from the thorn tunnel with Cherryfall and Molewhisker.
She's hardly limping at all,
he told himself with a burst of pride.
I did a good job.
All three cats were loaded with prey; they bounded across the camp to drop it on the fresh-kill pile, then joined their Clanmates to listen to Bramblestar.

“Cats of ThunderClan,” their leader began, “I have important news. Alderpaw has had a vision about the prophecy from StarClan. We think that it will help us find what will ‘clear the sky,' and so he must go on a quest to find the place that he saw in his dream. Because Sandstorm knows about some of what he saw in the vision, she will be going with him.”

Murmurs of amazement rose from the assembled cats at Bramblestar's words, and they exchanged glances alive with curiosity. Alderpaw thought that Graystripe and Millie looked especially shocked to hear that Sandstorm would be part of the quest.

“Why Alderpaw, and not one of the medicine cats?” Thornclaw asked, sounding faintly aggressive.

Leafpool spoke up from her place in front of her den. “Alderpaw
is
a medicine cat, Thornclaw, and you know that as well as I do. As for why StarClan chose him . . .” She shrugged. “I'm sure they knew what they were doing.”

“More important, why Sandstorm?” Brightheart asked, with an affectionate glance at the ginger she-cat. “She's an elder; she's earned her rest.”

“Because I was afraid she would claw my ears off if I forbade her from going,” Bramblestar responded drily.

“And I would have,” Sandstorm muttered.

“There are reasons why I believe Sandstorm is vital to the quest,” Bramblestar went on. “Now all that's left is to choose warriors to join the group.”

Several enthusiastic yowls greeted his words.

“I'll go!”

“Let me!”

Sparkpaw scampered up to Alderpaw and pressed herself against his side, her eyes shining. “I'll come and help you!” she mewed.

“Oh, thank you!” Alderpaw responded, his relief at the thought of having his sister with him flooding over him.

Then he noticed that Bramblestar and Squirrelflight, up on the Highledge, were exchanging dubious glances. Cherryfall, who had followed her apprentice, shook her head sternly. “Bramblestar decides who will go,” she told Sparkpaw. “And he's not likely to choose an apprentice for a quest like this.”

Shaken, Alderpaw gazed up at Bramblestar. “Please,” he begged desperately, “can't Sparkpaw come?”

Bramblestar paused, clearly torn, while Squirrelflight leaned closer to him and murmured something into his ear. She looked horrified at the thought of both their kits risking themselves on this quest.

The Clan leader and his deputy spoke together quietly for a few heartbeats. Then Bramblestar turned back to the cats in
the clearing. “Very well,” he meowed. “Sparkpaw may go with you. And in that case,” he added, raising his voice to be heard above Sparkpaw's squeals of triumph, “Cherryfall and Molewhisker will join the group as well.”

The two cats exchanged delighted glances.

“You leave at dawn tomorrow,” Bramblestar finished. “And may StarClan light your path.”

“Alderpaw! Come on! Wake up!”

Sparkpaw's voice seemed to come from a long way away. Alderpaw opened his eyes, blinked blearily, and made out her face right next to his, her green eyes gleaming in the shadow of their den.

“Wake up!” she repeated, prodding him hard in the side. “It's time to go. This is
your quest
, mouse-brain, and you're still asleep.”

Alderpaw stretched his jaws into a massive yawn and staggered to his paws. He had lain awake for so long the night before, thinking about the quest, that it felt as if he had only been sleeping for a heartbeat.

Following Sparkpaw, he scrambled through the ferns that shaded the apprentices' den and headed out into the clearing, holding his head and tail high to hide how nervous he felt.

The dawn air was damp and chilly, striking deep into Alderpaw's fur. Above his head the sky was washed with the pale light of dawn, and a faint breeze was rustling the trees on top of the hollow.

It seemed to Alderpaw that the whole of ThunderClan was out in the clearing, most of them clustering around the medicine cats' den. Their excited murmurs sounded like the buzzing of a whole colony of bees.

Alderpaw and Sparkpaw pushed their way through the crowd to join Jayfeather and Leafpool outside their den. Cherryfall, Molewhisker, and Sandstorm were already waiting there, and Leafpool was distributing small leaf wraps of herbs to them.

“There you are!” Jayfeather mewed to the two apprentices. Alderpaw had expected to be scolded for being late, but for once Jayfeather sounded friendly. “Come and have some traveling herbs.”

Leafpool set down two more leaf wraps in front of Alderpaw and Sparkpaw. Alderpaw delicately separated the herbs with one paw, studying them carefully.

“That's sorrel to quench thirst.” Jayfeather identified the herbs by sniffing at each one. “Daisy to keep your joints supple, and—” He broke off, then added, “But I guess you know all this. You're really starting to learn your herbs.”

“Chamomile to ease tiredness, and burnet for strength.” Alderpaw identified the other two herbs in the mixture. He was happy at Jayfeather's praise.
He and Leafpool have been treating me differently since they talked to Bramblestar about my vision,
he reflected.
It's almost as if they think that there's more to the quest than they know about, and they believe I know the truth.
He suppressed a shiver.
And, of course, I
do
know.

Jayfeather nodded at Alderpaw's accurate description.
“Good. We give these herbs to every cat who needs to travel. They'll help keep you going even if you don't have the chance to hunt.”

“They taste weird,” Sparkpaw commented as she licked up her share.

Jayfeather rolled his eyes but said nothing.

While Alderpaw was eating his share of the herbs, he noticed that Bramblestar had appeared and had drawn Sandstorm away from the other questing cats. The two of them were having a quiet conversation, their expressions serious. Alderpaw caught a few words.

“If this secret gets out, it could be devastating for the Clans,” Bramblestar meowed.

“But StarClan gave Alderpaw this vision . . . ,” Sandstorm began. Alderpaw lost the rest of what she said as the cats moved away.

Uneasiness stirred in Alderpaw's belly. This was his own quest, and yet there was so much about it that he didn't understand.
And suppose I give away the secret about SkyClan? I wouldn't mean to, but . . . what would happen then?
He heaved a massive sigh.
At least Sandstorm is coming with us, and she can advise me.

At last Bramblestar stepped back from Sandstorm with a nod of agreement, and he bounded across the camp to climb up to the Highledge.

Sandstorm padded over to Alderpaw and rubbed her cheek against his, her green eyes shining with pride in him. “You look worried,” she murmured.

“I heard part of what you and Bramblestar were saying,”
Alderpaw confessed. “It sounds like he doesn't trust me.”

“Nonsense!” Sandstorm responded. “It's not that Bramblestar doesn't want you to know about SkyClan; he doesn't want
any
cat to know. It's not his feelings about you. It's his guilt about what the four Clans allowed to happen to SkyClan.”

But that was seasons and seasons before Bramblestar was born,
Alderpaw thought.
Why should he feel bad about it? It wasn't his fault.