CHAPTER 9
The moon floated above the treesthat surrounded the stone hollow, but the nest where Berrykit lay was in deep shadow. Leafpool crouched2 beside the kit1 and touched her nose to his. Berrykit’s nose felt hot and dry with fever, and he whimpered without opening his eyes. He hadn’t regained3 consciousness since Brambleclaw and the others had brought him back to camp, early the previous morning.
Since then, Leafpool had stayed awake to keep watch over him. After doing her best with cobwebs and a poultice of marigold, she had been forced to admit defeat in her efforts to save the whole of his mangled4 tail. That afternoon, she had bitten through the last couple of tendons that held the end in place. Berrykit’s limbs jerked and he let out a squeal5 of pain, but he didn’t wake up. Patting more cobwebs on the new wound, Leafpool had given the end of his tail to Brightheart to bury outside the camp.
Now she fetched borage leaves from her store, chewed them up, and parted Berrykit’s jaws6 to trickle7 a little of the juice into his mouth. StarClan willing, that should bring down his fever. She kept watch for a little longer as the moon shadowcrept across the clearing, but she was so exhausted9 that at last her eyes closed, and she slipped into an uneasy sleep.
She found herself standing10 on the lakeshore with the stars of Silverpelt blazing above her head. A dark shape caught her eye, farther around the lake: a cat, swiftly making his way toward her. As he drew closer she recognized Mudfur, the previous RiverClan medicine cat, who had died in their old home before the Clans11 made their journey. Now his body was strong and lithe12, and his fur was frosted with starlight.
Dipping her head, Leafpool meowed, “Greetings, Mudfur. Do you have a message for me?”
“Yes,” the former medicine cat replied. “I need you to take word to Mothwing.”
Leafpool tensed. Mothwing, the present RiverClan medicine cat, didn’t believe in StarClan, and the spirits of her warrior13 ancestors couldn’t reach her in dreams. Once before, Leafpool had taken a message from Feathertail to Mothwing, warning her of Twoleg poison in RiverClan territory. But she had never felt comfortable about being responsible for this vital part of Mothwing’s duties. She was even more reluctant now, after the new commitment she had made to her own Clan8.
“A RiverClan elder is suffering from greencough,” Mudfur went on. “Mothwing needs catmint to cure him, but she can’t find any.” His eyes filled with anxiety. “Did I make a mistake when I chose Mothwing to be our medicine cat? The sign of the moth’s wing outside my den14 seemed so clear. . . .” He hesitated, as if he was not sure how to go on. “Leafpool, I beg you to make sure that my Clan doesn’t suffer for my poor judgment15.”
“Do you want me to take her some catmint?” Leafpool asked, remembering the thick clumps17 that grew near the abandoned Twoleg nest.
“No. There’s plenty of catmint just outside her own territory if Mothwing knew where to look,” Mudfur meowed. “She must go to the small Thunderpath at the edge of her territory, and follow it away from the lake until she comes to a row of Twoleg nests with gardens. Catmint grows there. Leafpool, will you tell her this?”
He opened his mouth and a thin mewling came out. Leafpool watched in alarm as the old medicine cat faded away, but she could still hear the mewling. Her eyes blinked open and she saw Berrykit thrashing in his nest. “It hurts! My tail hurts!” he wailed18.
Leafpool rested a paw on his chest to calm him, and trickled19 more of the borage juice into his mouth. As she stroked his fur and purred soothingly20 into his ear, she remembered the anxiety in Mudfur’s eyes as he told her about the dreaded21 greencough.
The moon had vanished, and the first traces of dawn light were appearing in the sky; Leafpool could just make out the dark outlines of trees overhead.
“How canI go to RiverClan?” she murmured.
Firestar had given her permission to help RiverClan in the past, but this time she had a sick kit to consider. Berrykit might die if he wasn’t cared for properly. Besides, not many days ago Leafpool had abandoned ThunderClan to go with Crowfeather—what would her Clanmates think if she disappeared again? Even if she told them she was going to help Mothwing, they wouldn’t sympathize with a show of loyalty23 toward a different Clan.
Mothwing will find the catmint on her own if she looks hard enoughAt least tonight is the quarter moon, and I’ll be meeting her at the Moonpool. I can pass on Mudfur’s message then, without having to leave my Clan.
But as she went on watching over Berrykit, she couldn’t push her dream of the old medicine cat out of her mind. Was it part of her duty to carry out his request? She sighed. Why did it suddenly seem so complicated to be a medicine cat? Was her duty to ThunderClan alone, or to StarClan, and therefore all the cats that they watched over?
“I’m not sure I should go,” Leafpool meowed anxiously.
The sun was setting, sending bloodred shafts24 of light into the clearing. Leafpool stood outside her den, gazing down at Berrykit. He was sleeping more peacefully now, curled up in his nest. His fever was waning25, but she still wasn’t convinced that his injuries were healing properly.
After her vigil Leafpool felt almost too exhausted for the long journey to the Moonpool. Besides, she shrank from the thought of seeing the other medicine cats and telling them that Cinderpelt was dead.
“You have to go,” Brightheart told her, flicking26 her on the shoulder with her tail. “Berrykit will be fine with me. I know what to give him if he wakes up.”
Leafpool knew that was true. Brightheart was an efficient helper, and she had all the herbs she would need. And there was Mudfur’s message to deliver to Mothwing.
“Okay,” she meowed. “I’ll go. But I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Brightheart assured her.
After checking Berrykit one last time, Leafpool padded out into the clearing and headed for the thorn tunnel, saying good night to Thornclaw, who was just settling down on guard duty. It felt strange to be going on this journey without Cinderpelt. She longed to feel Cinderpelt’s spirit beside her, but there was no trace of familiar scent27, no brush of soft gray fur. Leafpool had never felt so alone.
The sun dipped below the horizon as she headed for the WindClan border and followed the stream up into the hills. The scents28 of greenleaf wreathed around her as the forest filled with shadows, and the dew was cool on her pads. Her weariness faded away as she thought about crouching29 down to lap the water of the starry30 pool and sharing dreams with StarClan. With the other medicine cats around her, and the warriors31 of StarClan to share tongues with, she wouldn’t feel so lonely.
Near the border of WindClan territory, she saw Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, just ahead of her, and Littlecloud from ShadowClan. They must have scented32 her, because they stopped and waited while she scrambled33 up the last slope and fell in beside them.
“Greetings, Leafpool,” Barkface rumbled34. “It’s good to see you again. I grieve for your loss. It’s sad that Cinderpelt had to go so young to join the ranks of StarClan.”
“What?” Littlecloud exclaimed, his neck fur rising. “Cinderpelt is dead?”
Leafpool knew that the ShadowClan medicine cat wouldn’t have heard the news yet. She nodded. “Badgers35 attacked our camp. Onestar brought WindClan to help us, but they were too late to save Cinderpelt.” I was too late
Littlecloud bowed his head. “She was a great medicine cat. I owed her my life.”
Leafpool had heard the story of how Cinderpelt had disobeyed orders many moons ago to help Littlecloud and one of his Clanmates when sickness struck ShadowClan. Littlecloud always said that was what had made him choose to become a medicine cat.
She wondered if she should tell the others what really happened—that Cinderpelt died because Leafpool had turned her back on her Clanmates and all her medicine cat duties. Would they blame her for Cinderpelt’s death as much as she blamed herself?
Then she realized that there was nothing but sympathy in Barkface’s and Littlecloud’s eyes. There was no point in unburdening herself and only adding to their grief.
“I hope so,” Leafpool replied tightly, her throat almost too choked to speak. “I’ll never forget her or everything she taught me.”
As they climbed farther into the hills, her fellow medicine cats padded one on each side of her, sharing her grief and adding their strength to hers.
Leafpool would have liked to ask Barkface how Crowfeather was, but she knew she couldn’t. You have to stop thinking about him!
By now night had fallen. Leafpool halted at the top of a swell38 of moorland and looked back to see the quarter moon shining over the distant lake. There was no sign of Mothwing, and when she tasted the air she could not pick up her friend’s scent.
“Did you see Mothwing on the way?” she asked the others.
Barkface shook his head.
“I haven’t seen her either, but then she never comes through ShadowClan,” Littlecloud meowed. “But don’t worry. She’s been late before.”
Leafpool knew that was true, but she also knew what was going on in RiverClan. She wondered if Mothwing had been unable to come because she couldn’t leave the elder who was ill with greencough. Perhaps the sickness had spread further, without a supply of catmint to treat the sick cats.
When Leafpool and the others reached the tumbling stream, there was still no sign of Mothwing. Leafpool bounded up beside the star-filled water and pushed her way through the bushes that surrounded the hollow, half hoping that her friend would already be there.
The waterfall poured down the wall of rock, a moving sheet of silver, churning the pool below so that it seemed full of leaping moonlight. But no familiar golden tabby shape rose to greet Leafpool; no friendly scent reached her. The hollow was empty.
Barkface led the way down the spiral path to the edge of the pool. Leafpool followed, feeling her paws slip into the marks left behind by generations of cats long gone. But this time she didn’t feel the peace that always surrounded her in this place. She was too worried about Mothwing and RiverClan, and afraid that if she met Mudfur in her dreams he would blame her for not passing on his message.
She could say nothing about it to the other medicine cats. Instead, she crouched beside them on the edge of the pool and craned her neck to lap from the icy water. The cold seemed to flow into every part of her, gripping her limbs so that she felt like a cat made of ice. Her gaze was transfixed by the churning surface of the water; gradually it stilled, and Leafpool made out the reflections of countless40 cats, lining41 the hollow around her.
She looked up. Barkface and Littlecloud, one on each side of her, were motionless, far distant in their own dreams. Around the pool, and lining the sides of the hollow as far as the circle of bushes, were the glimmering42 shapes of the warriors of StarClan.
A blue-furred cat rose to her paws on a mossy rock jutting43 out over the water. Leafpool recognized Bluestar.
“Welcome,” meowed the former ThunderClan leader. “StarClan welcomes you as the new medicine cat of ThunderClan.”
A murmur22 of greeting rose from the starry ranks around the pool. Leafpool spotted44 Feathertail sitting beside a beautiful silver-furred she-cat who must be her mother, Silverstream. Closer to the water’s edge were Shrewpaw, Larchkit, and Hollykit, Ferncloud’s kits45 who had died in the famine in the old forest. Tallstar, the previous WindClan leader, sat nearby. Leafpool felt herself draw strength from their luminous46 eyes.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I’ll do my best to serve my Clan, I promise.”
On the opposite side of the pool she could see a group of former medicine cats: her own dear guardian47, Spottedleaf, along with Yellowfang and Mudfur. A shadow seemed to hang over them, though above the hollow the moon floated in a cloudless sky. Mudfur’s gaze was fixed39 on his paws; Leafpool’s heart lurched as she wondered if he was deliberately48 avoiding her.
She peered into the shadow, desperate to see Cinderpelt. In spite of what Spottedleaf had said to her, Leafpool was still afraid that her former mentor49 blamed her for abandoning her Clan.
“Please, Cinderpelt . . .” she whispered. Turning to Bluestar, she asked, “Bluestar, where—?”
But the warriors of StarClan were already fading, the shimmer50 of their pelts51 growing dim until Leafpool could see the sides of the hollow through them. For a heartbeat they shone like a thin layer of ice on the rocks; then they were gone, and Leafpool was blinking awake on the edge of the pool.
She rose, stretching to ease her cold, cramped52 limbs. Beside her, Littlecloud sat up and started to wash his face with one paw, while Barkface gave his rumpled53 fur a quick grooming54. Neither of them spoke55 of what they had seen in their dreams.
“When I was out yesterday, I found a good clump16 of watermint, just above the stepping-stones,” Barkface told Leafpool as they climbed the path out of the hollow. “You might want to collect some—there’s plenty for both of us.”
“Thanks,” mewed Leafpool. “It’s the best herb there is for bellyache.”
“I spotted that ginger-and-white cat collecting marigold the other day,” Barkface went on, leading the way down the slope. “Brightheart, is it? She looked busy—too busy to notice me.”
“Yes, she’s been a huge help,” Leafpool admitted. “We’ve needed a lot of marigold to treat wounds after the badger36 attack.”
Littlecloud nodded. “Thank StarClan we haven’t seen the badgers in ShadowClan territory,” he mewed. “Is ThunderClan recovering? Do you need any help?”
Briefly56 Leafpool wondered what Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader, would have to say about Littlecloud’s offer of help to a rival Clan. It was just as well she could refuse with a clear conscience. “No, thanks, we’re fine,” she replied. “Our wounds are healing.”
Dawn was not yet streaking57 the sky above the hills, and Leafpool realized she had a chance to take Mudfur’s message to Mothwing. But if she was late returning to the hollow, what message would that send to her Clanmates? She had left them once before; they needed to see that now she was completely dedicated58 to them. Besides, the sooner she returned to check on Berrykit, the better.
Not only that, but to get to RiverClan she would have to travel through WindClan territory, and the risk of running into Crowfeather was too great.
Following the stream down into ThunderClan territory, she refused to even look sideways at WindClan’s moorland. That part of her life was over, never to be revisited. She was a medicine cat, with the power to walk among StarClan. There was a good reason why she could never be close to any other cat—she walked a different path and always would. If she could just concentrate hard enough on her duties, her feelings would die away, and Crowfeather would mean nothing more to her than any other warrior.
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1
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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25
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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26
flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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33
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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35
badgers
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| n.獾( badger的名词复数 )；獾皮；（大写）獾州人（美国威斯康星州人的别称）；毛鼻袋熊 | |
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badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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47
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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50
shimmer
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| v./n.发微光，发闪光；微光 | |
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51
pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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52
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grooming
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| n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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57
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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