her,” Leafpool snapped.
The medicine cat moved around to Cinderpaw’s other side. “Lick more gently now,” she ordered. Jaypaw began to lap Cinderpaw delicately, relieved to feel her heart slowing.
He could hear Leafpool sniffing Cinderpaw’s body, examin-ing her. Suddenly, the medicine cat stiffened.
“What’s wrong?” Jaypaw whispered.
Leafpool backed away as though stung by a wasp.
“What’s the matter?” Brackenfur surged forward, nearly knocking Jaypaw over.
What had frightened Leafpool so much? Jaypaw stopped licking, and searched her mind. He felt dread there like darkness, threatening to overwhelm her. What could be so bad?
“Sh-she’s broken a hind leg,” Leafpool gulped.
“We can bind it with the rushes,” Jaypaw suggested.
Leafpool didn’t reply. Not again!
Fear and bewilderment sparked from Brackenfur. “She won’t die of a broken leg, will she?”
Leafpool didn’t move. Jaypaw focused on her mind, saw an image of a gray cat limping, felt grief sear Leafpool’s heart.
“Here!” Jaypaw tugged one of the rushes free. He jabbed it at Leafpool. She jerked and then took it. Jaypaw felt a wave of relief as she laid it beside Cinderpaw’s broken leg and took another. He passed her the cobweb, and she carefully began to bind the rushes to Cinderpaw’s leg. “We need to secure it until we can get her back to camp,” Leafpool muttered.
“Then I can set the break properly.”
When she had finished, Leafpool sat up. “Ashfur, Cloudtail, you help Brackenfur carry her back to camp. Make sure her leg moves as little as possible.”
Cinderpaw let out a soft moan as Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Ashfur lifted her.
“Careful!” Leafpool gasped.
Jaypaw could hear her paw steps dancing around the warriors, pushing aside brambles, fear sparking from her pelt.
“Watch those roots! Take her around the fallen tree! Avoid that dip! Hold her more steadily!”
Hollypaw pressed against him. She was trembling. “I thought she was dead,” she murmured.
“She’s going to be okay,” Jaypaw reassured her. “She’s got a strong heart. And it’s only her leg that’s broken.”
“Only her leg!” Leafpool’s sharp mew took him by surprise.
“A warrior needs four good legs!”
Hollypaw pressed her muzzle to Jaypaw’s ear. “I’ve never seen her so upset,” she whispered.
Jaypaw shook his head. “Me neither.” He leaned against Hollypaw, letting her guide him through the undergrowth.
He wanted to focus his attention on Leafpool. He could feel panic, anger, and regret seething in the medicine cat’s mind. Why? She hadn’t pushed Cinderpaw out of the tree.
It was just an accident.
Why did Leafpool feel so responsible?
Cinderpaw’s fur swished against the sandy floor as the three warriors laid her gently down in the medicine den.
Sorreltail was in the den already, plucking at the ground with trembling paws. Grief and fear crackled from her pelt.
Poppypaw and Honeypaw fidgeted beside Hollypaw, breathing in frightened gulps.
“Thank you,” Leafpool mewed briskly to Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Ashfur. “Leave us now.”
“But—” Brackenfur began to protest, but Sorreltail interrupted him softly.
“I’ll stay with her.”
The brambles rustled as the tom followed Ashfur and Cloudtail out.
Jaypaw bent down and licked Cinderpaw between her ears. She was unconscious again. “We’ll take care of you,” he promised. He felt Hollypaw’s gaze on his pelt.
“You’d better go too,” he advised her. “Firestar’s waiting.”
He could sense the ThunderClan leader’s heavy presence outside the den. “He’ll want to know what happened.”
“You will make her better?” Hollypaw mewed.
“We’ll try.”
As Hollypaw padded from the den, Leafpool murmured to Sorreltail, “I’ll do everything in my power to make her well.”
“I know you will.” Sorreltail’s voice cracked with grief, but Jaypaw could still hear affection in her mew. She had been Leafpool’s
The medicine cat moved around to Cinderpaw’s other side. “Lick more gently now,” she ordered. Jaypaw began to lap Cinderpaw delicately, relieved to feel her heart slowing.
He could hear Leafpool sniffing Cinderpaw’s body, examin-ing her. Suddenly, the medicine cat stiffened.
“What’s wrong?” Jaypaw whispered.
Leafpool backed away as though stung by a wasp.
“What’s the matter?” Brackenfur surged forward, nearly knocking Jaypaw over.
What had frightened Leafpool so much? Jaypaw stopped licking, and searched her mind. He felt dread there like darkness, threatening to overwhelm her. What could be so bad?
“Sh-she’s broken a hind leg,” Leafpool gulped.
“We can bind it with the rushes,” Jaypaw suggested.
Leafpool didn’t reply. Not again!
Fear and bewilderment sparked from Brackenfur. “She won’t die of a broken leg, will she?”
Leafpool didn’t move. Jaypaw focused on her mind, saw an image of a gray cat limping, felt grief sear Leafpool’s heart.
“Here!” Jaypaw tugged one of the rushes free. He jabbed it at Leafpool. She jerked and then took it. Jaypaw felt a wave of relief as she laid it beside Cinderpaw’s broken leg and took another. He passed her the cobweb, and she carefully began to bind the rushes to Cinderpaw’s leg. “We need to secure it until we can get her back to camp,” Leafpool muttered.
“Then I can set the break properly.”
When she had finished, Leafpool sat up. “Ashfur, Cloudtail, you help Brackenfur carry her back to camp. Make sure her leg moves as little as possible.”
Cinderpaw let out a soft moan as Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Ashfur lifted her.
“Careful!” Leafpool gasped.
Jaypaw could hear her paw steps dancing around the warriors, pushing aside brambles, fear sparking from her pelt.
“Watch those roots! Take her around the fallen tree! Avoid that dip! Hold her more steadily!”
Hollypaw pressed against him. She was trembling. “I thought she was dead,” she murmured.
“She’s going to be okay,” Jaypaw reassured her. “She’s got a strong heart. And it’s only her leg that’s broken.”
“Only her leg!” Leafpool’s sharp mew took him by surprise.
“A warrior needs four good legs!”
Hollypaw pressed her muzzle to Jaypaw’s ear. “I’ve never seen her so upset,” she whispered.
Jaypaw shook his head. “Me neither.” He leaned against Hollypaw, letting her guide him through the undergrowth.
He wanted to focus his attention on Leafpool. He could feel panic, anger, and regret seething in the medicine cat’s mind. Why? She hadn’t pushed Cinderpaw out of the tree.
It was just an accident.
Why did Leafpool feel so responsible?
Cinderpaw’s fur swished against the sandy floor as the three warriors laid her gently down in the medicine den.
Sorreltail was in the den already, plucking at the ground with trembling paws. Grief and fear crackled from her pelt.
Poppypaw and Honeypaw fidgeted beside Hollypaw, breathing in frightened gulps.
“Thank you,” Leafpool mewed briskly to Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Ashfur. “Leave us now.”
“But—” Brackenfur began to protest, but Sorreltail interrupted him softly.
“I’ll stay with her.”
The brambles rustled as the tom followed Ashfur and Cloudtail out.
Jaypaw bent down and licked Cinderpaw between her ears. She was unconscious again. “We’ll take care of you,” he promised. He felt Hollypaw’s gaze on his pelt.
“You’d better go too,” he advised her. “Firestar’s waiting.”
He could sense the ThunderClan leader’s heavy presence outside the den. “He’ll want to know what happened.”
“You will make her better?” Hollypaw mewed.
“We’ll try.”
As Hollypaw padded from the den, Leafpool murmured to Sorreltail, “I’ll do everything in my power to make her well.”
“I know you will.” Sorreltail’s voice cracked with grief, but Jaypaw could still hear affection in her mew. She had been Leafpool’s
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