Leading the way past the bramble screen, Alderheart saw that Leafpool was curled up asleep in her nest, while Jayfeather was sitting up, irritably scratching at his ear with one hind paw. To Alderheart’s relief he saw that there was enough dry bedding stored by the back wall of the den to make nests for the two kittypets.

“This is Leafpool,” he told them, pointing with his tail, “and this is Jayfeather. They’re both medicine cats, but right now they’re here because they’re sick with bellyache.”

“Greetings,” Velvet mewed with a polite dip of her head, while Fuzzball squeaked, “Hi!” with another excited bounce.

Jayfeather merely glared at the pair of them, not returning their greeting. “My nest is full of thorns,” he snapped at Alderheart.

“Then I’ve got just the thing for you,” Alderheart responded. “This is Fuzzball.” He urged the little tom forward with a sweep of his tail, and Fuzzball seemed to be trembling with eagerness to help. “Fuzzball will be looking after all your needs from now on,” he continued. “Thorns in your nest? Need your bedding fluffed? Ask Fuzzball. Need water? Ask Fuzzball!”

“I don’t believe this!” Jayfeather growled. “What are you meowing about?”

Before Alderheart could reply, Fuzzball hurled himself at Jayfeather and crouched down beside him, beginning to part the fern fronds and clumps of moss as he searched for thorns.

“Are you blind?” he asked Jayfeather, staring at his eyes. “What’s it like being blind? How did it happen?”

Jayfeather opened his jaws: not to reply, Alderheart guessed, but to deliver a stinging rebuke. But Fuzzball chattered on obliviously. “Was it in a fight with a badger? Or a dog? Did the dog die? Is your belly hurting? How bad? Would you like me to rub it?”

Turning his head, Jayfeather glared at Alderheart, almost as if he could see him. “When I get better, I’m going to kill you,” he grumbled.

Alderheart backed away, whiskers twitching with amusement, and saw the same amusement glimmering in Velvet’s eyes. “We’ll make a nest for you,” he told her, “and then you can get some sleep.”

Velvet put down the scrap of fur she had brought with her into the den. “Later,” she mewed. “I wouldn’t be able to relax, knowing how busy you are. You have a lot of cats to take care of, and I’d like to help you.”

Alderheart gave her a doubtful look; he didn’t think she would know enough to help a Clan medicine cat.

“I lived as a stray for a while,” Velvet continued, clearly understanding his hesitation. “I had to take care of myself, and I learned a thing or two about herbs and healing. If you don’t mind, I’d rather help you tend the sick cats and make myself useful.”