tail over Jaypaw’s pelt. “I heard you ran into trouble,” she mewed. “It could have happened to any cat.”
Jaypaw shrugged away her tail. “But it happened to me,” he growled.
“It’s only your first day,” Lionpaw reminded him.
Yes, and you caught a vole on your first day, didn’t you?
Hollypaw sniffed at the thorns in Jaypaw’s tail and plucked at one with her teeth.
“I can do that myself,” Jaypaw hissed, flicking his tail away from her.
“Do you want some herbs?” she offered. “I know which ones will soothe the pain and stop infection.” There was pride in her mew.
“No need.” Jaypaw took a bite of mouse, but it felt dry and tasteless. He nudged the mouse over to Lionpaw with his muzzle. “Here, you finish it. I’m not hungry.”
“Wait . . .” Lionpaw began. But Jaypaw padded gloomily away.
He headed toward the apprentices’ den, which was underneath a bushy yew tree growing close to the wall of the hollow. It took him a moment to figure out where the entrance was, and when he had, he nosed his way in cautiously. The unfamiliar scents confused him—moss rich with the smell of different apprentices, the strong tang of yew sap. He had no idea what lay around him or where he should lie down.
“Hey, Jaypaw.” Hazelpaw’s mew came from the far side of the den. “There’s no one here but me. Just head toward my voice. There’s some clean moss next to my nest where you can sleep.”
Jaypaw was too tired and miserable to make a fuss about being helped. Gratefully, he padded toward Hazelpaw’s nest, and as he did, the scents around him began to fall into place, like a flight of birds settling one by one into a tree. He smelled Poppypaw’s scent, so stale that she had clearly not been in here since sunrise; Berrypaw’s nest had been slept in more recently, and Honeypaw’s smelled warm as though she’d just left it. Jaypaw weaved cautiously among the little patches of scent until he found the clean moss beside Hazelpaw.
“Thanks,” he murmured, settling down.
“No problem,” she answered sleepily.
He was glad she sounded too tired to talk. Right now, all he wanted to do was to tuck his nose under his paw and sleep.
CHAPTER 9
Silverpelt glittered overhead as Jaypaw followed the narrow valley upward. He glanced up at the jagged rocks that lined his path, sharp as fox teeth. Ahead, a stream danced down the mountainside, sparkling in the moonlight. A cold breeze whisked down from the gray peaks and set his fur rippling like water.
It felt as though he had been following this stony path for days, and still he had to follow the stream upward, into the mountains.
A paw jabbed his side, catching him painfully between the ribs. Jaypaw flinched. He blinked open his eyes and saw only darkness.
He had been dreaming.
The paw jabbed him again.
“Watch out!” he complained.
“Sorry!” Lionpaw apologized.
“Why are you so fidgety this morning?” Jaypaw lifted his muzzle. He could smell dew on the leaves and guessed that it was hardly dawn. Only Lionpaw and Berrypaw were stirring.
“We’re going on border patrol with Ashfur and Brambleclaw,” Lionpaw explained excitedly.
“Big deal,” Jaypaw muttered. “Brambleclaw’s only taking you because nothing happens on the borders these days.”
“What about ShadowClan and WindClan leaving extra scent markers?”
“Are you scared of smells?” Jaypaw snapped back.
Lionpaw flinched away from him.
“I’m sorry,” Jaypaw murmured. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“Yeah,” Lionpaw agreed quietly. “I’ll see you later.” Without another word he padded out of the den, followed by Berrypaw.
Jaypaw wriggled deeper into his nest, cold now Lionpaw had gone. He tried to go back to his dream but sleep would not come again.
The fresh scent of dawn was filtering slowly into the den when Mousepaw and Hazelpaw began to yawn and stretch.
Hazelpaw nudged Jaypaw. “Stop pretending to be asleep,”
she mewed.
Jaypaw
Jaypaw shrugged away her tail. “But it happened to me,” he growled.
“It’s only your first day,” Lionpaw reminded him.
Yes, and you caught a vole on your first day, didn’t you?
Hollypaw sniffed at the thorns in Jaypaw’s tail and plucked at one with her teeth.
“I can do that myself,” Jaypaw hissed, flicking his tail away from her.
“Do you want some herbs?” she offered. “I know which ones will soothe the pain and stop infection.” There was pride in her mew.
“No need.” Jaypaw took a bite of mouse, but it felt dry and tasteless. He nudged the mouse over to Lionpaw with his muzzle. “Here, you finish it. I’m not hungry.”
“Wait . . .” Lionpaw began. But Jaypaw padded gloomily away.
He headed toward the apprentices’ den, which was underneath a bushy yew tree growing close to the wall of the hollow. It took him a moment to figure out where the entrance was, and when he had, he nosed his way in cautiously. The unfamiliar scents confused him—moss rich with the smell of different apprentices, the strong tang of yew sap. He had no idea what lay around him or where he should lie down.
“Hey, Jaypaw.” Hazelpaw’s mew came from the far side of the den. “There’s no one here but me. Just head toward my voice. There’s some clean moss next to my nest where you can sleep.”
Jaypaw was too tired and miserable to make a fuss about being helped. Gratefully, he padded toward Hazelpaw’s nest, and as he did, the scents around him began to fall into place, like a flight of birds settling one by one into a tree. He smelled Poppypaw’s scent, so stale that she had clearly not been in here since sunrise; Berrypaw’s nest had been slept in more recently, and Honeypaw’s smelled warm as though she’d just left it. Jaypaw weaved cautiously among the little patches of scent until he found the clean moss beside Hazelpaw.
“Thanks,” he murmured, settling down.
“No problem,” she answered sleepily.
He was glad she sounded too tired to talk. Right now, all he wanted to do was to tuck his nose under his paw and sleep.
CHAPTER 9
Silverpelt glittered overhead as Jaypaw followed the narrow valley upward. He glanced up at the jagged rocks that lined his path, sharp as fox teeth. Ahead, a stream danced down the mountainside, sparkling in the moonlight. A cold breeze whisked down from the gray peaks and set his fur rippling like water.
It felt as though he had been following this stony path for days, and still he had to follow the stream upward, into the mountains.
A paw jabbed his side, catching him painfully between the ribs. Jaypaw flinched. He blinked open his eyes and saw only darkness.
He had been dreaming.
The paw jabbed him again.
“Watch out!” he complained.
“Sorry!” Lionpaw apologized.
“Why are you so fidgety this morning?” Jaypaw lifted his muzzle. He could smell dew on the leaves and guessed that it was hardly dawn. Only Lionpaw and Berrypaw were stirring.
“We’re going on border patrol with Ashfur and Brambleclaw,” Lionpaw explained excitedly.
“Big deal,” Jaypaw muttered. “Brambleclaw’s only taking you because nothing happens on the borders these days.”
“What about ShadowClan and WindClan leaving extra scent markers?”
“Are you scared of smells?” Jaypaw snapped back.
Lionpaw flinched away from him.
“I’m sorry,” Jaypaw murmured. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“Yeah,” Lionpaw agreed quietly. “I’ll see you later.” Without another word he padded out of the den, followed by Berrypaw.
Jaypaw wriggled deeper into his nest, cold now Lionpaw had gone. He tried to go back to his dream but sleep would not come again.
The fresh scent of dawn was filtering slowly into the den when Mousepaw and Hazelpaw began to yawn and stretch.
Hazelpaw nudged Jaypaw. “Stop pretending to be asleep,”
she mewed.
Jaypaw
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