Chapter 1
Tuifeather awoke, tired. Rivulets of dreams still swirled in her head, released and floating away. But the sleek black she-cat knew from experience she couldn’t catch them. Till tomorrow, she promised. Last night’s trek to the Silverrock, a shimmering rock in the middle of a lake up in the mountains, had been arduous, yet exciting. She had just introduced her new apprentice, Vinepaw, to StarClan. Though, that just added to the ache in her bones and the droopiness in her eyes.
As a kit Vinepaw had always held an interest in herbs. Tuifeather found herself recalling the first trip Vinepaw had made into her den. Green eyes so wide, and paws so unsure. Gazing across at the roused apprentice, Tuifeather purred as she saw how confident Vinepaw was. Stretching in the chilling dawn air, the medicine cat drank in all the scents of the camp. Patrols returning, warriors rousing. But something still stuck in her mind that distracted her from the needs of the camp. A dream, of a tom cat. His fur was the colour of water running over stone, and his eyes penetrated with a knowing sureness. His identity remained as anonymous as foreign herbs. Though, recognition tugged at her fur. She knew this cat! Though every time a name tickled her tongue, the dream was pulled away from her.
Suddenly, a shrill squeak grabbed her scruff, and pulled Tuifeather back to earth. It could only be a kit, and by the stench of fear, it was in trouble. The elegant she-cat quickly gestured to her apprentice with a flick of an ear.
“Keep watch.”
Before seeing the white and tabby pelt, Tuifeather guessed it was Hollykit, the youngest of Tansypetal’s latest litter, and by far the most adventurous. She was thrashing around in the stream that ran through the camp like a ribbon around a present. The medicine cat was poised to help, but already, a maternal white she-cat streaked through camp, and yanked out the kit.
Hollykit’s pitiful mew rang throughout the camp as the white warrior began to lick furiously, scolding between cleaning.
“Mouse-brain! You could have…drowned! What would I…have done if…you had died?”
Tuifeather purred with amusement at the kit’s distress.
“It’s okay, Tansypetal. If anything, a dunk is good for this little cheeky kit. Here,”
Tuifeather gestured to her den. “I’ll treat her.” Seeing the worried look on Tansypetal’s face, the medicine cat replied hastily “Nothing serious, don’t fret.” She flicked the queens chin with her tail, and padded into her den, Hollykit shivering as she walked behind her.
"Vinepaw!" Tuifeather called her apprentice as she ducked under the overhanging moss above her den entrance. Obviously the tabby she-cat had overheard the kit’s little swim, for when she spotted Hollykit, Vinepaw loomed in front of her.
“Hollykit! How will Tansypetal sleep with all this mischief you’re getting into? Fallenstar ought to make all your littermates apprentices except for you.” Vinepaw wore a straight face, but her whiskers twitched with amusement and teasing. Hollykit’s nursery-soft fur shot up, and she let out a sorrowful shriek.
Tuifeather cuffed her apprentice’s ear.
“As this is your first patient, you should be on your best behaviour,” she said through narrowed eyes.
Noticing Vinepaw’s look of shame, she added “This is a perfect test. Hollykit needs warming up, and maybe some light treatment for shock. What should we do?”
The tabby’s eyes lit up, obviously taking pride in knowing the answer.
“First of all, we should keep her warm by licking her. Then for the shock, we’ll get Tansypetal to feed her half a poppy seed, just for some rest. Is – is that it?”
“Very, very good, Vinepaw,” Tuifeather purred with delight at her apprentice’s knowledge. “How about I start licking and you find that poppy seed?” She instructed.
“Yes, Tuifeather.” Vinepaw replied.
“And if you do a good job, we will go hunting for herbs afterwards.”
Vinepaw’s eyes beamed. “Okay!”
MeadowClan is a perfect camp. Its namesake – a flowering meadow with rushes, reeds, grasses and bushes. And best of all, an ice cold stream flowed through the middle of the camp, therefore the Clan always had water. The small river is connected to the mountains and so all the melting snow floods and is sent down this stream. It’s cold and refreshing. Back long ago, the camp lived on one side of the meadow, even though there were equally appealing dens and shelter on the opposite side. There was no way to access the other side, than walking to the further-most point of the meadow, and walking back down the other side. But one greenleaf, StarClan sent a drought. The water became scarce and warm. But while the opportunity was there, cats moved stones from around the meadow and piled them high across the skinniest point in the stream. It created a convenient bridge. When the water returned, cats could live on both sides of the meadow, and have easy access from both sides. On one side of the stream, the leaders den, the apprentices den and the nursery. The leaders den is a small cave made by a huge pile of rocks. Fallenstar, the leader of MeadowClan, is old and sagely. Though his tongue is sharp, he doesn’t fight in battles any longer. His cave is small and warm, and is easily accessible. The apprentice den was an elderly rosemary bush, woven into a tight ball, though with plenty of sleeping space for the apprentices. The nursery is easily the most luxurious place in camp. A carpet of bent rushes for a floor, walls of tussock with ivy running through the tough reeds for a roof. It is adjacent to the river, so expecting queens can gather water without much fuss. On the opposing side, the medicine cat den, the elders den and the warriors den. The warriors den and elders lean against each other – just reed walls with bracken to strengthen it. But the medicine den is by far the most luxurious. It was made to ensure all patients will be taken care of in the best of facilities. A small branching stream comes from the river, and flows into a small, constantly flowing pond. The pond is surrounded by rocks and boulders, and creates a small cavern with a carpet of grass for sick or injured cats to rest. The surrounding forest is vast and unknown. The Meadow is bountiful with prey, fish and mammal alike, and so only in the most severe leafbare do the cats expand their hunting territory to the outer woodlands. It is often a nursery tale that if you wander too far beyond the Meadow, stray loners will gobble up stray kits. So around the Clan, the rule is well known: Don't leave the Meadow. And not many cats were ever bothered to. As I said, MeadowClan is a perfect camp.
Tuifeather wandered through the bordering forest. The meadow was herb-poor, so when she needed to restock, she would venture into the unknown. This time, as promised, Vinepaw had tagged along. This was only the second time she had brought her apprentice along, and still, Tuifeather was anxious in foreign territory. She stopped abruptly, drinking in the air. “Burdock root,” she announced. “Somewhat over…this way.” Tuifeather signalled with her tail to a small plant with wide, overhanging leaves. “If it doesn’t come out when you tug it, the roots probably aren’t ready. So if all else fails, try for that celandine growing underneath it.” Vinepaw gave a determined nod and set off to work on the herbs. Tuifeather watched momentarily to see if she was okay, before setting off to another part of the bush. No matter where she wandered, she always stayed within yowling distance away from her apprentice. You can never be too careful. But just as Tuifeather had feasted her eyes on a fruiting bush of juniper berries, there came a blood-curdling screech from over by where Vinepaw should be. Tuifeather’s paws were moving before she had registered the noise. With loping, leaping strides, she arrived at the small clearing. Vinepaw was crouched next to an uprooted burdock root, shivering, nostrils flaring.
“Vinepaw! What’s happening?” Tuifeather demanded.
The shivering tabby apprentice’s vivid green eyes showed streaks of white and red. “Smoke. I smell smoke…”
A thorn stabbed the black and white she-cat’s heart. Sniffing the air deeply, a sour tinge spiced her nose. Vinepaw was right – it was smoke.
