Dark River полностью

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 best friend since before he was born.

Sorreltail’s breath ruffled Cinderpaw’s pelt. “May StarClan protect you,” she whispered.

“She will be all right, won’t she?” Honeypaw’s frightened mew sounded beside Sorreltail.

“Don’t let her die!” Poppypaw sobbed.

“Come on,” Sorreltail encouraged them. “Let’s go and see Brackenfur. He’ll need company.” She guided her kits out of the medicine den, leaving Jaypaw alone with Leafpool.

With the other cats gone, Jaypaw could feel Leafpool’s anxiety buzzing like a swarm of bees. Suddenly, Cinderpaw stirred.

Leafpool swished her tail over the young cat’s flank. “Don’t be frightened,” she soothed. “You are safely back at camp. You fell from the Sky Oak and you’ve hurt your leg. But we’re going to fix it.” Desperate hope flared in her mind, but her voice remained calm. “What were you trying to do? Did you think you were a bird? Did you think you could fly?”

Her mew was as gentle as a mother’s. Jaypaw had never wondered if Leafpool felt sad she would never have kits of her own.

Cinderpaw let out a soft moan, then her breathing deepened. She was unconscious once more.

“Come on, Jaypaw,” Leafpool mewed, suddenly brisk.

“Let’s get this leg set. First, we need to take this binding off.”

Jaypaw began to help Leafpool to gnaw through the cobweb, releasing the rushes.

“Now, we need fresh rushes.” Leafpool darted to the back of the cave before Jaypaw could move and fetched three fresh rushes and another wad of cobweb. “If we place those two there, and hold another one here—”

Jaypaw reached out to help, but felt her paw already pressing the rush gently to Cinderpaw’s hind leg while she used her teeth to wrap cobwebs around it. “This should hold it tight.”

Jaypaw started to feel as if he wasn’t needed. Was Leafpool showing him what to do, or just talking herself through it?

“Shall I get some comfrey?” he offered.

“What?” Leafpool sounded distracted. “Yes, yes. Good idea.”

Jaypaw collected a mouthful of leaves and began chewing them into a pulp. He could still hear Leafpool fussing over the dressing. “A bit more cobweb here should hold it just right,” she murmured.

Cinderpaw twitched and let out a small whine.

“Perhaps we should leave her to rest,” he ventured.

“There’s nothing more we can do for her now.”

In an instant he felt Leafpool’s hot breath on his face.

“There’s everything we can do for her!” she hissed.

Alarmed, Jaypaw backed away, ears flattened.

Anger flamed from Leafpool’s pelt. “We can’t let Cinderpaw lose the use of her leg!”

“I—I—” he stammered.

Leafpool backed off and Jaypaw felt guilt flood her mind.

“I’m sorry, Jaypaw. I shouldn’t have snapped. You’ve been a great help.”

But you didn’t let me do anything. Jaypaw bit back the words, wary of antagonizing her again.

Leafpool turned away. “I must go and talk to Sorreltail and Brackenfur.” The brambles rustled as she pushed her way through them. Jaypaw stayed where he was. What had gotten into his mentor? He knew she cared deeply for her Clanmates, but he’d never seen her angry that a cat had been hurt before. It was as though healing Cinderpaw was the most important thing she’d ever have to do. Was it because Cinderpaw was her friend’s kit?

He checked Cinderpaw’s heart, pressing his ear to her chest. It was beating too rapidly, her breathing too quick. He settled down beside her and let his warmth spread into her body. Speeding up his breath to match hers, he closed his eyes.

He was standing at the top of a ravine. Thick woodland crowded every side, and far below, trees and bushes hid the ground from view. Is this part of StarClan’s territory? Fear clutched his heart. Was Cinderpaw dying? Had he been brought here to save her the way he’d done with Poppypaw?