Treacherous Skies

Chapter 4

Echoheart woke up in the warriors' den and turned her head. Whispersong's nest was empty. She leapt to her paws and raced outside, but Whispersong was just sharing a meal with Sparrowtail and Cloverpaw. Relief flooded over Echoheart. Over the past few days, after Echoheart had seen her sister with the starling, Whispersong hadn't snuck out of camp. She knew  Whispersong had met Bumblefrost again that night, that she actually hadn't been hunting all night. Her lie may have convinced the rest of the Clan, but it hadn't convinced Echoheart.

Echoheart stretched, then walked over to join Raypaw and Hailpaw, who were play-fighting by the sunning-stones. "What are you doing?" she asked the two apprentices.

"Waiting for Twigfoot and Prairiefoot to get back from the dawn patrol," Raypaw meowed, rolling over.

"They said they'd take us training at sunhigh," Hailpaw explained. Echoheart looked up; it was halfway to sunhigh.

"Don't you have apprentice duties you should do?" The question wasn't in scorn; Echoheart knew, from her own experiences, that apprentices couldn't eat or go training until they had finished their apprentice duties for the day.

"Goldheart ordered us not to do them," Raypaw answered.

"He said he didn't want us near the elders, because then we might catch whitecough," Hailpaw frowned. "Or spread it to the rest of the Clan, and we don't want to be near the nursery either, and risk spreading it to the queens and kits."

Echoheart nodded solemnly. She was reminded yet again that Ferrettail had come down with whitecough a few days ago, and Spruceclaw had shown signs that he was getting sick too. Echoheart sighed. She hoped that Goldheart had enough herbs, and she prayed to StarClan that no cats would die from sickness this season.

Just then, Eveningstar leapt down from the High-stone with Twilightfoot, Rustypelt, and Sunfur behind him. He spoke in an urgent whisper, then left the three senior warriors, jumping back up onto the boulder. "Cats of DawnClan, let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High-stone for a Clan meeting!" he yowled. He waited for most of the Clan to gather quickly beneath the High-stone, then continued. "We need more hunting patrols! With whitecough spreading faster than the wind across the moor, we need food to keep up our strength!" He stepped back as Goldheart leapt up onto the High-stone beside him.

"We need to stop this sickness before it can turn to greencough, or spread to every single cat in the forest. A good way to prevent getting whitecough," Goldheart yowled, "is to keep up your strength, and prey can do that." He paused, then raised his voice. "Another thing: stay away from the queen, kits, and elders. They are the most prone to these illnesses, and are the most affected." Every cat nodded.

"Good," Eveningstar meowed. "Now, we need to pause training for the apprentices; we need them for hunting right now." Echoheart saw Raypaw, Hailpaw, and Cloverpaw exchange sad glances, but then nod in understanding at Eveningstar. "I want Rustypelt, Twilightfoot, and Sunfur to each lead a hunting patrol; take three other cats with you," he ordered the three older warriors, who nodded.

When the meeting broke up, Rustypelt padded over to Echoheart. "Would you like to join my hunting patrol?" he asked.

"Sure," Echoheart nodded. "Who else is coming with us?"

"Sparktail and Hailpaw."

Soon the two joined them; and the four were off, heading out toward the NightClan border. Echoheart walked beside Hailpaw, their pawsteps drumming against the cold forest floor. "Bet you I catch more than you," Hailpaw teased, his bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief.