Warriors: The New Prophecy #1: Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1) by Hunter Erin

Author:Hunter, Erin [Hunter, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Published: 2009-10-13T04:00:00+00:00

For the rest of that day, Cinderpelt kept Leafpaw busy going over their stocks of herbs, sorting out what needed to be replenished before leaf-fall set in for good. The sun was going down and the air growing cold with the scent of damp leaves when they heard the noise of a cat brushing through the fern tunnel.

“It’s Firestar,” Cinderpelt meowed, glancing out of the mouth of the den. “You carry on with that, and I’ll see what he wants.”

Leafpaw was thankful to stay hidden in the hollow rock and count juniper berries. She caught a glimpse of her father in the clearing outside, the sun turning his pelt to brilliant flame, and shrank farther back so that he would not see her.

“There’s no sign of them anywhere.” Firestar sounded weary. “I tried to follow their scent, but the rain last night must have washed it away. They could be anywhere. Cinderpelt, what do you think I should do?”

“I don’t see what else you can do, except stop worrying.” Cinderpelt’s voice was brisk but sympathetic. “I remember a couple of apprentices who were always sneaking off for one reason or another. No harm ever came to them.”

“Me and Graystripe? That was different. Squirrelpaw—”

“Squirrelpaw has a strong young warrior with her. Brambleclaw will look after her.”

There was a short silence. Leafpaw risked another glance out of the opening in the rock to see her father sitting with his head bowed. He looked utterly defeated, and Leafpaw’s heart twisted in pity. She wanted to go and comfort him, but there was no comfort she could give without breaking her word.

“It’s my fault,” Firestar went on in a low, shaken voice. “I should never have said what I did. If they don’t come back, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Of course they’ll come back. The forest is safe at the moment. Wherever they are, they will be well fed and sheltered.”

“Maybe.” Firestar didn’t sound convinced. Without saying any more, he got up and disappeared into the fern tunnel.

When he had gone, Cinderpelt came back into the cave.

“Leafpaw,” she meowed, “do you know where your sister is now?”

Leafpaw chased with her paw after a juniper berry that had rolled across the floor, not wanting to meet her mentor’s gaze. When she thought about Squirrelpaw, she had a sensation of warmth and safety, and the presence of other cats. She guessed they were at Ravenpaw’s barn, but she couldn’t be sure. She answered truthfully, “No, Cinderpelt, I don’t know where she is.”

“Hmm…” Leafpaw was aware of Cinderpelt’s gaze, and she looked up into her mentor’s blue eyes to see no anger there, only deep pools of wisdom and understanding. “If you did know, you would tell me, wouldn’t you? A medicine cat’s loyalties are not the same as other cats’, but in the end we are all loyal to StarClan and the four Clans in the forest.”

Leafpaw nodded, and to her relief her mentor turned away and started to examine their stocks of marigold leaves.

I didn’t lie to her, Leafpaw told herself miserably.

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