Warriors: Power Of Three 1 - Sight (29 page)

“You’ll be better in no time,” Jaypaw told her, willing it to be true.

Pawsteps padded quickly outside the den, and the honeysuckle rustled. Jaypaw smelled Daisy’s scent at the entrance.

“Leafpool?” The kittypet sounded worried.

Leafpool lifted her head. “Yes?”

“Ferncloud is unwell.”

Alarm shot through Jaypaw.

“What’s wrong?” Leafpool asked.

“She’s wheezing, and her eyes and nose are streaming.”

Mousefur let out an agonized groan. “I went to the nursery yesterday to see the kits,” she croaked.

“Foxkit and Icekit seem fine,” Daisy mewed at once.

“I’ll come and check on Ferncloud,” Leafpool meowed.

“Shall I stay with Mousefur?” Jaypaw offered.

“No.” Mousefur began to cough. “Check on the kits!” She pushed the rest of the catmint away from her. “Don’t waste your time fussing over an old warrior like me.”

“You must take these herbs,” Leafpool insisted, pawing them back under Mousefur’s nose. “You’re not as strong as Ferncloud.”

“Check on the kits first,” Mousefur answered stubbornly.

“Okay, I will.” Leafpool slipped out of the elders’ den.

Jaypaw followed her as she raced across the clearing. He squeezed into the nursery behind her. The familiar smell of his old home was tainted by the smell of sickness. Ferncloud was struggling for breath, and even without touching her, Jaypaw could feel the heat pulsing from her body.

“It’s definitely greencough,” Leafpool announced. “But the kits are not infected.”

“We should get Ferncloud away from them,” Jaypaw suggested.

“I can look after them instead.” Daisy had followed them into the nursery. “They’re close enough to weaning now.”

“Thank you,” Leafpool meowed, nudging Ferncloud to her paws.

Grief flashed from Ferncloud as Foxkit and Icekit began mewling. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised weakly.

Daisy’s fur brushed their tiny pelts as she curled around them. “We’ll have fun with all this space to ourselves,” she told them. “Ferncloud will just be across the clearing. She’s not leaving the camp.”

“Why can’t she stay here?” Foxkit wailed.

“Because we don’t want you getting sick too,” Daisy explained.

“Be good,” Ferncloud mewed, her breath coming in gasps as Leafpool began to guide her from the den.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Icekit called.

Jaypaw could sense the anxiety behind Icekit’s brave words. He flicked his tail over her back. “I’ll ask Hollypaw to come and teach you all the new fighting moves she’s been learning,” he offered.

“Really?” Icekit squeaked, brightening.

“Fetch Mousefur,” Leafpool called to him from outside.

“We’ll settle both cats in the medicine den, where we can keep an eye on them.”

Jaypaw’s heart began pounding again as he scrabbled out of the nursery. He had wanted a chance to protect his Clanmates, but a warrior could do it with teeth and claws, while all he had to offer was a pawful of pulpy roots. How could this be his destiny?

Dawn brought another victim. Jaypaw was woken by Whitewing as she limped into the medicine den, tail down and wheezing. He had learned the deadly scent of greencough by now and sprang from his nest. But Leafpool was already beside the white warrior, listening to her breathing.

“Make a nest for her beside Ferncloud and Mousefur,” she ordered Jaypaw.

He hurried to fetch some of the spare moss they kept at the side of the den. At least they had plenty of that, he thought bitterly. He quickly shaped a nest beside Mousefur, who was sleeping at last, her breathing short and irregular.

And Ferncloud seemed to be comfortable, though her fever was rising as she battled the illness.

Whitewing collapsed gratefully into the nest.

“We need more catmint,” Leafpool hissed so that only Jaypaw’s sharp ears could hear.

Jaypaw sensed terror in her voice. What did she expect him to do? Grow some?

“Check all the other warriors and apprentices,” Leafpool ordered more loudly.

He nodded, then turned and headed out of the den. Why hadn’t StarClan warned them this was going to happen?

Instead of lecturing him, Spottedleaf or Yellowfang could have told him that greencough was coming. He could have gathered catmint before the frost had come.

Dustpelt was pacing outside the nursery. Jaypaw recognized the warrior’s heavy pawsteps on the frozen earth and sensed the turmoil of fear that gripped his thoughts.

“How’s Ferncloud?” he demanded as soon as he saw Jaypaw.

“No worse,” Jaypaw assured him.

“Should I visit her?”

“It’s probably better if you stay away,” Jaypaw advised. “We want to stop the illness from spreading.”

Daisy wriggled out of the nursery. “Your kits are fine,” she told Dustpelt. “But if you keep hanging around here you’re going to worry them.” Jaypaw had never heard her sound so stern. “You should be out in the forest hunting; that’s the best way you can help them.”

Jaypaw felt surprise flash from Dustpelt.

“I want to know if Ferncloud gets worse,” the warrior meowed. Then he padded toward the barrier of thorns and headed out into the forest.

As Jaypaw turned toward the apprentice’s den, the dawn patrol pounded into the clearing, led by Graystripe.

Hollypaw was among them, her scent laced with the fresh smells of the forest.

“How are the sick cats?” she called to Jaypaw.

“Sleeping,” Jaypaw mewed back. “How’s the prey running?” Perhaps if the rest of the Clan could fill their bellies, they might be able to resist the sickness.

“There’s hardly anything aboveground,” Hollypaw reported. “Even the squirrels are staying in their dens.”

Jaypaw closed his eyes. Where are you, StarClan? I’ve hardly had a dream without you sticking your whiskers in! Why don’t you help me now? But he heard nothing except Leafpool’s voice as she padded to his side.

“Check the apprentices, Jaypaw,” she reminded him grimly.

“StarClan are watching us already. But there are some battles we have to fight alone.”

“Dawn’s coming,” Leafpool whispered to Jaypaw. “You should get some rest.”

Jaypaw shook his head. “Not while we have so many sick cats to look after.”

He sniffed Poppypaw. The apprentice had developed a fever during the night and come to the medicine den. She lay now in a nest beside Ferncloud, her eyes sticky with pus, her breathing labored. The heat flooding from her frightened Jaypaw.

He listened, his pelt pricking with panic. The medicine den was crowded, the sound of wheezing and coughing jarred his ears, and the smell of sickness made his paws tremble with frustration. He had done everything he could to help his Clanmates, but no one was any better.

“Should we move them to the elders’ den?” he suggested to Leafpool, who was massaging Mousefur’s flank to try to help clear her breathing. “There’s more room there.”

“Mousefur and Ferncloud are too sick to move,” Leafpool pointed out. “Besides, there is water here.”

The pool of fresh water that trickled down the rock wall and gathered in a dip made it easy to soak moss for the thirsty cats. Jaypaw fetched a dripping ball of it for Poppypaw. He nudged her in an attempt to make her drink, but the tortoiseshell’s eyes were half closed, and she only groaned and pushed him away.

“If you won’t rest, at least get some fresh air,” Leafpool urged.

Jaypaw nodded. Wearily he padded out of the den. The air outside was clean and cold after the stuffy stench of the den.

Even though it was barely dawn, Firestar was already below Highledge with Brambleclaw. They were organizing the patrols. Ashfur and Birchfall paced restlessly around them.

“We need to keep the patrols short,” Brambleclaw meowed to the ThunderClan leader.

“But we must make sure the ShadowClan border remains well guarded,” Ashfur pointed out. “We don’t want them to take advantage of our weakness.”

“Lots of small patrols would be more efficient,” Birchfall suggested.

“Yes,” Firestar agreed. “I don’t want our warriors to wear themselves out when there’s so much sickness around. We need them fit.”

“I can do two patrols a day.” Millie’s mew rang around the frozen hollow. The gray kittypet padded out from behind the warriors’ den, Graystripe at her side.

“Are you sure?” Firestar checked.

“I was given medicine by the vet to stop me from getting sick,” Millie explained. “Whenever other cats fell ill in Twolegplace, I always stayed well.”

Brambleclaw looked confused. “Vet?”

“The Cutter,” Graystripe explained.

“Well, it seems the Cutter has done me a favor,” Firestar meowed. “He has given me a healthy warrior.”

Firestar had called Millie a warrior.

Pleasure glowed from the she-cat, and Jaypaw heard Graystripe’s proud purr as his fur swished against hers.

“But,” Firestar went on, “I don’t want Graystripe to go with you.”

Graystripe’s purr died in his throat. “Why not?”

“You’re still weak from your journey,” Firestar replied.

“And I can’t afford to lose you again. There are plenty of ways you can help in camp.” The ThunderClan leader’s voice was firm, and though Jaypaw felt Graystripe bristle with indignation, he did not challenge his old friend.

The yew bush quivered as Hollypaw and Lionpaw slid out of their den. Anxiously Jaypaw lifted his muzzle to taste their scent. He relaxed when it was clean and healthy.

“We want to go on the first patrol,” Lionpaw mewed.

“Unless the Clan needs us in camp,” Hollypaw added.

“Firestar?” Brambleclaw looked to the ThunderClan leader to decide.

Firestar swept his tail thoughtfully over the ground.

“Lionpaw, you can patrol the border with Ashfur and Millie,”

he meowed. “Hollypaw can hunt with Birchfall.”

“I’ll do my best,” Hollypaw promised.

Jaypaw padded over to her. “Make sure you stay away from the sick cats,” he warned. “Don’t share fresh-kill with any cat.” He glanced at Lionpaw. “And drink water as far from the camp as you can.” How would he cope if he had to watch them suffer along with his other patients? If only they had more catmint!

“Come on, Hollypaw!” Birchfall’s call was edgy with impatience, and she shot away to join him.

“We’ll join the hunt as soon as we’ve checked the border!”

Ashfur called after them as they raced out of the camp.

“Don’t tire yourselves out,” Firestar warned.

“We won’t.” Lionpaw raced away from Jaypaw and pounded out of the camp behind his mentor.

A dark sense of dread pulsed across the clearing and swept Jaypaw like an icy wind. He jerked his head around and stared at Firestar. He’s terrified for us.

Paws hammered outside the thorn barrier. Squirrelflight and Sandstorm were returning to camp. Jaypaw smelled fresh-kill. They had been hunting.

“Is that all you could find?” Firestar’s greeting was sharp with shock.

A mouse and a sparrow. Jaypaw heard the two small bodies drop onto the empty space where the fresh-kill pile used to be.

“Shall we go out again?” Squirrelflight offered.

“Rest first,” Firestar meowed. “Birchfall and Hollypaw are hunting, too.”

His pelt swished as he wove around Sandstorm. Jaypaw sensed that her touch soothed some of the anxiety pounding through his body. The smell of fresh-kill made his belly rumble; he hadn’t eaten since yesterday. But Icekit and Foxkit needed food more than he did.

“Shall I take the mouse to the nursery?” he called to Firestar.

“Yes, please—” Firestar’s answer was cut short by a rustling on the slope outside the thorn barrier. Jaypaw tensed. He smelled WindClan.

Firestar padded to the entrance and sniffed the air.

“There’s only two of them,” Jaypaw called. He did not recognize the scents of the two WindClan cats who were padding toward the entrance of the hollow, but he sensed their anxiety as they padded into the camp.

The older of the two cats spoke first. “Forgive us for trespassing on ThunderClan territory.”

“Weaselfur!” Firestar sounded surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Jaypaw padded closer. The younger cat smelled of herbs.

“I’ve brought Kestrelpaw to speak with Leafpool,”

Weaselfur meowed.

Kestrelpaw! Jaypaw remembered Barkface mentioning his apprentice when they had traveled to the Moonpool.

“Hi, there,” he called.

Kestrelpaw was fidgeting nervously, kneading the ground.

“Are you Jaypaw?” he asked. “I need to speak to your mentor.”

Leafpool was already out of her den and padding toward Kestrelpaw. “What is it?”

“There’s greencough in WindClan,” Kestrelpaw mewed.

“Barkface was hoping you could share your catmint.”

Leafpool sighed. “We have none. The frost killed it. We have sick cats too, and there’s nothing we can do to help them.”

Squirrelflight padded to join her sister. “RiverClan have catmint,” she meowed. “They would share it with us, wouldn’t they?”

“I’ve wondered about that,” Leafpool meowed.

Jaypaw’s tail bristled. Why hadn’t she mentioned it before?

“Let’s go and ask them,” Kestrelpaw suggested.

“Mothwing might need all her supplies for her own Clan,”

Leafpool fretted.

“She wouldn’t let our Clanmates die if she knew how sick they were,” Squirrelflight argued.

“She might already know,” Kestrelpaw pointed out.

“StarClan might have told her.”

Yeah, right, thought Jaypaw.

Leafpool shuffled her paws. “But what if there’s greencough in RiverClan too? She couldn’t risk giving away her supplies.”

Jaypaw didn’t understand why Leafpool was hesitating.

“We’ve got to try!” he mewed. This was their chance to save the Clan.

Squirrelflight’s fur was pricking with frustration too. “The Clans have helped one another before when it’s been life or death.”

“I’ll go and ask RiverClan, if you’re too scared!” Jaypaw put in.

“I’m not scared!” Leafpool growled. “I just don’t want to put Mothwing in a difficult position.”

Jaypaw clawed the ground. “What would she say if she found out cats died and you never asked for help?” He felt Leafpool’s mind recoil with alarm—and something else, the horror of a long-buried memory. “She’d be devastated!” he pressed.