The Clash of Stars Book 1: The Key

Chapter 15: Wolfpaw

Eating with the courier apprentices was ... weird, Wolfpaw decided.

She was crouched over a thrush, watching Alderpaw and Mossypaw share a hare. The two were littermates, and not only that, they were the only courier apprentices, so they tended to stick together. Added to that, couriers often woke up earlier than the rest of the Clan to get a head start on their daily rounds. But, now that Peonystar had closed the borders, they'd been going on regular patrols with the warriors and helping out where they could. The dissonance was deafening for Wolfpaw though, and she didn't understand how the rest of the Clan could act so normal about it — about the herb shortage, about everything.

The whole Clan had been helping with the garden since the Gathering. Even Cherrysnow and Sagepaw had opted to not attend the meeting the clerics held in the Hearth every half-moon, though they had also mentioned that the other clerics would not be attending, either. With the shortage and leaf-fall fast approaching, it would be more productive for them to focus every bit of time they had on gathering supplies, they had agreed at the Gathering.

Wolfpaw would have been sharing prey with Dapplepaw, but the other apprentice was already out with her mentor, probably at the garden again. Ever since Birdpaw had died, Dapplepaw had been too withdrawn to share prey with, anyway. The whole ordeal was making Wolfpaw antsy. Sure, herbs were important, but weren't their usual duties, too?

Across camp, Yelloweyes was in deep conversation with one of the warriors, Rootchaser. Wolfpaw just barely heard one of them mention Yarrowfoot's name, and pricked her ears with curiosity.

"It's about time to decide on a mentor for Fuzzykit," Yelloweyes was saying. The brown molly was crouched over a mouse.

"Are you asking me because I mentored Yarrowfoot?" Rootchaser replied. He had a thrush pinned between his paws and was attempting to tear its wing off.

Yelloweyes nudged him. "I'm asking you because you're the oldest warrior," she replied. "You were a warrior when I was a kit in the nursery." She twitched her whiskers in amusement. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm deputy instead of you."

"Come off it," Rootchaser scoffed. "I was a young warrior, mind you." He chewed his thrush with a thoughtful expression for a moment before flicking his short tail. "Leafwish just lost their apprentice," he finally said.

Yelloweyes nodded. "Good point," she agreed. "I'll have to talk with Peonystar, then."

"If you get the chance," Rootchaser snorted. "She's been all over the place the last quarter moon, if you ask me."

"Good thing I didn't," Yelloweyes replied with a good-natured purr. "She's doing her best. Graypetal's been at the garden more often than not, so she's been helping him."

Rootchaser nodded, not perturbed by Yelloweyes's rebuttal. "I think I'll take Leafwish on patrol with me and Darkfern and ask them about taking on Fuzzykit." He sat up, licking a paw and drawing it over his ear. "I invited Sorrelwhisker, but he's been busy in the nursery with the kits."

"It's only been just over a moon since Briardapple kitted, you can't blame him," Yelloweyes teased.

Rootchaser sniffed. "I suppose," he meowed begrudgingly, "but someone has to feed the Clan."

Wolfpaw flicked her tail and turned to Alderpaw and Mossypaw. "Has Peonystar really been in the garden so much?" she asked. She hadn't seen much of her mother, but she'd just assumed she was getting better at avoiding her.

"Sure," Alderpaw replied. "It's been her priority."

"It should be everyone's," Mossypaw added, his eyes flashing at Wolfpaw.