Chapter 6
“Well, would you like to take a patrol of our territory?” Dewfrost mewed enthusiastically. Hollypaw and Dewfrost were padding along slowly, skirting Hawkground. The pair had barely said a word to each other apart from ‘Greetings’.
“You be careful with her, Dewfrost,” Barkfur had mewed, narrowing his eyes at the grey she-cat. Dewfrost knew that nearly no-one trusted her with Hollypaw, but today she would prove them wrong, and possibly work out Tansypetal’s mysterious warning. She would wear down the walls between her and Hollypaw and eventually learn her secret.
“Sure.” Hollypaw mewed quickly. Dewfrost swallowed and beckoned with her tail hastily. “This is Hawkground. It’s where apprentices train. Ah! There’s Starlingflight and Mistpaw.” Dewfrost mewed, spotting the sleek black and white pelt of her friend, and her fluffy grey apprentice. Dewfrost thought that Hollypaw might relax more around her sister, but she shook her head. “Could we see all of the territory first, please?” Hollypaw questioned. Dewfrost purred in response.
Dewfrost tapped Hollypaw on the shoulder with her tail. “You see that big tree over there?” she whispered. The first outing was going well, and so far Hollypaw had retained a positive attitude the whole time. Of course, the pair had barely moved twelve fox-lengths since Dewfrost began her tour, so it was too early to be sure Hollypaw was happy.
“It’s one of the only two trees in the Meadow,” Dewfrost said, watching with satisfaction Hollypaw’s look of awe. “Good for bird hunting and shade in leafgreen.” Hollypaw gazed at the large, gnarled tree with the sparse foliage. Without a second thought, the tabby and white apprentice bounded across the brown tussock of the west of the Meadow, leaping like a frog. She hastily scrambled up the tree and perched like a bird in one of the low branches. Two blackbirds fled with a started cry.
“It’s not good for bird hunting anymore,” Hollypaw purred. Dewfrost watched the birds fly away absent-mindedly. If Tuifeather was right, and the water was really contaminated, then soon it wouldn’t just be the birds flying away. The fish would die. The plants would eventually get poisoned, and all the small, furry animals would starve. MeadowClan would cease to exist if they stayed. Dewfrost sighed. This was no time to worry.
“Hollypaw, we best get a move on!” the grey warrior called. Hollypaw poked her head out through a fork in a branch before scuttling down the tree and racing back to her mentor. She was breathless and her eyes were shining.
“This is one of the borders,” Dewfrost mewed, trying to force her words down Hollypaw’s deaf ears. “And now, I’ll show you the rest.” Hollypaw gave a small jump of joy and pressed herself close to her mentor. Dewfrost looked happily down at her apprentice before quickening her pace, making the small tabby run to catch up. As they pelted across the outside of the Meadow, Dewfrost threw words over her shoulder, hoping Hollypaw would catch them before the wind tossed them away. “This broken two-leg fence is one of our borders,” she meowed loudly. “And further down here is the small grove of young gum trees. I’ll get you to remark them with me!” Hollypaw dug in her claws and managed to round the corner of the Meadow in time with her mentor. They gasped in breaths for a while, and then Dewfrost showed Hollypaw where to mark the border. The two then padded slowly back to camp, chatting civilly.
After showing Hollypaw the prime hunting grounds, where to gather moss for nests and where to fish, the pair stopped to groom themselves outside the camp’s entrance. Hollypaw stopped every few licks to talk about what she had liked about the tour.
“Lilystem says that if I collect really soft moss for her bed lining, she’ll tell me the story of when she fought off a badger!” Hollypaw mewed excitedly. “I bet I could fight a badger, when I’m a warrior.” Dewfrost looked at Hollypaw as if she had grown ears. Kits – and young apprentices – have dreams, but Hollypaw had an ambitious look, like she truly believed she could fight a badger, not just one in her head. Dewfrost purred uneasily, stretched and stood.
“The sky is turning red,” Dewfrost observed thoughtfully. “We better get back soon. But if you want, we could go over a hunting technique.” Hollypaw let out a mrrow of amusement to Dewfrost’s surprise. She flexed her claws and picked out a scrap of moss between her paws.
“I already have a technique.” Hollypaw tipped her head to the side. Spotting a small herring in the stream, Hollypaw angled her ears to her mentor, Dewfrost. Dewfrost sighed and watched her inexperienced apprentice sit by the stream. The tabby and white she-cat looked concentrated, but not on the fish gliding around in the water. Hollypaw’s eyes were shut! Dewfrost was utterly confused by her apprentice.
What in StarClan is she doing?
Suddenly, the water around the fish froze, as if separated from the world. The fish looked around with widened eyes. Hollypaw twitched a whisker, and as if a wind cat had breathed on it, sending a huge wave of water rushing onto the shore, the fish still trapped in it. The wave collapsed and the herring was left flapping among the wet grass, suffocating.
Hollypaw forced a paw down on the fish and delivered a killing bite. The tabby and white apprentice looked up with tired rasp and a look of triumph. Dewfrost returned it with a look of horror. Her paws trembled as she decided whether to run or confront her apprentice. My apprentice, Dewfrost thought with a pang of fright. My apprentice, who can make fish leap out of the water. Hollypaw flattened her ears to her head.
“What’s wrong?” she cried.
“You…” Dewfrost swallowed and spoke in a shaky voice. “How can you do that? Other cats can’t do that – normal cats can’t do that!” Hollypaw looked as though she thought her mentor would be pleased. “It’s a gift,” Hollypaw hissed. “Tansypetal told me I was special! I thought you’d understand! I chose you because I thought you’d understand!” Dewfrost knew that Hollypaw was talking about how she chose herself for a mentor. Seeing the tabby and white apprentice begin to flee, Dewfrost cried out.
“Hollypaw, wait!” But the apprentice was already hot-heeling her way back to camp. Dewfrost flopped to the ground. She had failed. Dewfrost hadn’t redeemed herself – she had only made things worse.
Vinepaw watched warily from the den entrance. The sun was sinking behind the tall grass stems, casting long, gold and black shadows across the camp. She pricked her ears at the sounds of tired but determined voices. On cue, Treeleaf, Riverfur, Volewhisker and Dandelionfur padded across the camp and headed for the entrance. Judging by the time of day, Vinepaw guessed it was a border patrol. She immediately leaped up and intercepted them. Her confidence wavered as she met the stern and wise gaze of Treeleaf. “I…err… Tuifeather wanted me to tell you to gather wet moss for the elders.”
“The stream is right beside her den,” Volewhisker pointed out. “Why can’t she get the water?” he continued, puzzled.
Vinepaw blinked and answered slowly, judging each word carefully. “The water is fresher along the edge of the Meadow, near Hawkground.” She ended conclusively. Treeleaf shrugged, with a quick glance at the rest of his patrol. Before they headed off again, Vinepaw leaped forward. “Wait!” she mewed. Treeleaf spun around, his patience tested. “What now?”
“Dandelionfur should be resting up,” Vinepaw lifted her head up to face the experienced warrior. “Her kits are due this moon, and I don’t think Swiftstream would want her out of the camp now.” Dandelionfur ducked her head, embarrassed. Treeleaf cast an unsure gaze at Vinepaw, before murmuring something in Dandelionfur’s ear. The pretty cream queen nodded and walked off to the nursery. The patrol of warriors watched her go, but didn’t move. They were looking expectantly at Vinepaw.
“Oh, right!” she mewed hastily. “Take Tweetpaw – Cricketsong is out with Yarrowleaf.” Tweetpaw pricked his ears from lazing under an overhanging bush. He trotted over with an encouraging nod from Vinepaw. Riverfur rubbed against the black apprentice; Tansypetal was Tweetpaw’s mother, and Riverfur was his father. Treeleaf flicked his tail at Vinepaw in thanks and trotted off with his patrol. The tabby apprentice padded to her den and flopped down on her nest. Whilst talking to older warriors gave her a sense of importance, it was exhausting thinking of intelligent things to say!
Before the fine mists of dreams had sunk into Vinepaw’s mind, she felt a soft prod in her side. The sweet scents of Tuifeather flooded Vinepaw’s nose and she sat up with a groan.
"What?" Vinepaw asked rudely. Tuifeather wasn't watching her apprentice. The black and white she-cat was standing, erect, with her ears pricked and nostrils flaring.
"What?" Vinepaw repeated, heart beat starting to run faster. Tuifeather bent her head down, eyes still fixed on a point Vinepaw couldn't see.
"What can you smell?" Tuifeather mewed. There seemed to be a hidden meaning behind her words. Vinepaw breathed deeply, and recoiled in horror when a sickly smell clotted her nose. The look in Tuifeather's eyes gave evidence she already knew what it was. The two cats raced outside, narrowly missing trodding on Swiftstream's tail. The two paused with an identical look of horror by the stream. The particular body of water was unseeable from the camp, in a small knot not far from the medicine den. The water running into camp carried strands of brown fur. The cat, body half-submerged in water was dead. Vinepaw trembled, unable to speak. Tuifeather took a few steps backwards, threw back her head and said what the Clan needed to hear from their medicine cat.
"Barkfur is dead!"
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