Warriors: Power Of Three 4 - Eclipse (18 page)

How would he explain his suspicions to the others?

“We should get back to camp,” Birchfall warned. “WindClan are still on our land.” Eyes round with worry, he glanced at his Clanmates before bounding away. Lionpaw raced after him, Cloudtail and Dustpelt on his heels. The forest floor blurred beneath his paws as they sped for home.

“Firestar!” Dustpelt exploded through the thorn tunnel and called to the ThunderClan leader.

Lionpaw saw with relief that the camp was the same as when they had left. Foxpaw and Icepaw were passing up brambles to Brightheart, who stretched up to weave them into the thorn barrier. Spiderleg was dragging more branches out from behind the medicine den, while Berrynose and Honeyfern pressed mud and leaves around the bottom of the barrier to root it more firmly into place. Graystripe paced outside the nursery, the fur bristling along his spine. Mousefur and Longtail crouched on Highledge.

Firestar looked up sharply. “Have they left?” He had been talking with Brambleclaw in the middle of the moonlit clearing.

Dustpelt shook his head.

“What?” Firestar dug his claws into the soft earth.

“They’ve split up into three groups and disappeared.”

Graystripe hurried from the nursery. “Split up?”

“They must be trying to weaken us by dividing us up,”

Brambleclaw growled.

“The attack on the camp was just to get our attention,” Firestar concluded. “They want to draw us out into the forest.”

“If they’ve split up, they’ve weakened themselves too,”

Dustpelt pointed out.

“But they have the advantage of surprise,” Graystripe muttered. “They know we’re coming.”

“And we don’t know where they’re hiding,” Dustpelt finished.

Brightheart left her work at the barrier and padded into the clearing. Spiderleg, Berrynose, and Honeyfern joined her, ears pricked and tails flicking nervously.

“We know which way they headed,” Cloudtail meowed.

“One group went up toward the top of the territory, one went down toward the lake, and it looks like one doubled back and headed for the old Twoleg path.”

“How in the name of StarClan did they know which way to go?” Dustpelt wondered.

Firestar frowned. “It looks like they know our territory better than we imagined.”

“That’s impossible!” Brambleclaw insisted. “Our patrols have kept them from crossing the border.”

Lionpaw listened silently, his belly churning as he pictured WindClan warriors creeping night after night from the fox hole, past the patrols, and into the very heart of ThunderClan territory to scout for places to fight.

The thorn barrier shook as Whitewing charged into the camp. “No sign of trouble on the ShadowClan border!”

Brackenfur and Hollypaw raced in after her, Icepaw and Sorreltail on their heels.

Firestar faced them. “WindClan have split up and are still on our territory.”

Hollypaw’s eyes widened.

“They didn’t leave?” Sorreltail gasped.

“No.” Firestar paced the clearing. “We need three battle patrols to go out and find them. A fourth patrol will stay behind to defend the camp.” He swung his head toward his old friend. “Graystripe, that will be your duty.”

Graystripe nodded.

“I’ll lead one patrol. Brambleclaw, you lead the second, and Dustpelt will lead the third.”

By now the whole Clan was gathered around their leader.

Leafpool and Jaypaw listened from outside the medicine den. Firestar scanned the anxious faces. “ThunderClan will defend its territory,” he promised. “Ashfur, Lionpaw, Berrynose, Spiderleg, Poppyfrost, you’ll follow me.” He turned to Brambleclaw and Dustpelt. “Pick your own warriors. Leafpool and Jaypaw will stay in camp with the queens and elders.

Brightheart and Whitewing, you stay with them. Cinderpaw, Ferncloud, and Icepaw, you stay too.”

Cinderpaw looked ready to argue, but held her tongue.

Icepaw wasn’t so wise. “But I—” she began to complain.

Firestar glared at her. “Do you think kits and elders aren’t worth defending?”

“Of c-course!” Icepaw backed away.

Dustpelt and Brambleclaw began to gather their patrols, choosing cats with a f lick of their tail. The Clan divided like water around rocks, pooling behind the two warriors.

“Are we ready?” Firestar asked.

Brambleclaw beckoned Mousewhisker and Hazeltail, then nodded.

“What about me?” Foxpaw mewed.

“You’ll be with us, of course,” Squirrelflight called from beside Dustpelt.

The apprentice hurried to his mentor.

“I’ll head into the woods near the border,” Firestar declared.

Lionpaw pricked his ears. Would he have a chance to check out the fox hole? He might even be able to seal it up.

“Brambleclaw,” Firestar went on, “you go to the ShadowClan border. Check the abandoned Twoleg nest. And Dustpelt . . .”

The tabby warrior leaned forward.

“. . . you head for the lake.”

Lionpaw darted to Hollypaw’s side. “You’ll be careful?”

“I’ll do what I have to,” she answered.

Jaypaw’s gray pelt shimmered in the moonlight as he hurried from the medicine den. “You must both come back,” he told them. His blind blue gaze sparked with fear.

The prophecy! Was that all he cared about? Their territory was at stake.

“Of course we’ll come back,” Hollypaw promised, her voice catching in her throat. She brushed her cheek against Jaypaw’s.

Lionpaw felt a prickle of guilt. Perhaps he was just worried about them.

At the entrance to the nursery, Millie pressed her muzzle into Graystripe’s pelt. She looked weary, but as she stepped back Lionpaw could see her eyes glittering with determination. She would die to save her kits.

Daisy squeezed out behind her and called across the clearing, “Take care, Spiderleg!” But the warrior was talking to Berrynose and didn’t turn. Had he heard?

Ferncloud weaved around Dustpelt, then nodded a brisk farewell to her mate before turning to Foxpaw. “Be strong and brave, and do exactly as you’re ordered.”

“Of course.” Foxpaw nodded.

Ferncloud opened her mouth to say more but turned away, her eyes clouding for an instant. She had watched her mate, Dustpelt, leave for battle many times, but it was harder to say good-bye to one of her kits.

Icepaw scampered to her mother’s side. “I’ll be strong and brave too!”

Ferncloud touched her muzzle to the little cat’s ear. “I know.”

“Lionpaw!” Firestar called from the mouth of the thorn tunnel. His patrol was already filing out into the forest.

“Good luck!” Lionpaw whispered to Hollypaw and Jaypaw before running out of the camp after his Clanmates.

Firestar led them quickly through the woods, keeping to the undergrowth. No cat spoke as they moved through the bushes. In the darkness, Lionpaw stumbled over roots and tripped on stones. They were heading into battle, but the familiar tingle of excitement was dulled by worry. What if his hunch was right? Had WindClan really been sneaking through the fox hole he’d discovered?

Berrynose was jostling behind him, but Lionpaw refused to let him pass.

“Mouse dung!” The cream-colored tom suddenly cursed.

Lionpaw turned to see him hopping about, flapping his paw.

“What happened?”

“A dumb mouse hole tripped me.”

“Are you okay?”

Berrynose pressed his sore paw carefully to the ground, then sighed with relief. “Nothing sprained.”

The rest of the patrol had pushed on ahead.

“We’d better catch up,” Lionpaw whispered.

He quickened his pace, glancing back to make sure Berrynose was keeping up.

The scent of WindClan soured the air. Worse, it was growing stronger as they neared the border, until it seemed every leaf and twig were tainted by their stench. Lionpaw’s heart was racing. Why hadn’t he done something about the tunnel?

He should have told Firestar, or blocked it up.

An angry yowl made him jump.

“The fox-hearted cowards!” Firestar was furious.

Lionpaw burst from the undergrowth to see the ThunderClan leader standing at the edge of the thicket where the fox hole lay concealed. The patrol gathered around it and, even in the moonlight filtering through the trees, the WindClan paw prints were obvious. The forest floor had been trodden to mud by the comings and goings of the WindClan intruders.

“They must have been using this for ages!” Ashfur growled.

Firestar stooped to sniff the prints. “They used it tonight; that’s for sure.”

Spiderleg was squeezing out of the thicket, using the same gap Lionpaw had wriggled through days earlier. “There’s a tunnel in here,” he confirmed. “I didn’t go down too far, but it stinks of WindClan, and leads toward their territory.”

“Then we must block it up,” Firestar ordered. “No more WindClan warriors will be coming in this way.”

“Or leaving,” Ashfur hissed.

Poppyfrost glanced around nervously. “But they’re here already.”

“Then we’ll deal with them next,” Firestar promised. He grabbed a dead branch in his jaws and rammed it into the gap in the thicket. “We can seal off the entrance to the tunnel later,” he meowed. “Blocking this opening should be enough for now.”

Ashfur turned and began kicking mud against the gap in the brambles. The others followed suit. Lionpaw grabbed a broken branch and shoved it in beside Firestar’s, churned-up earth spattering his f lank. Why hadn’t he done this days ago?

Firestar nudged him out of the way. “You and Poppyfrost stand guard.” He nodded to the others. “We’ll continue checking the border.” He led them away from the thicket in silence, each cat prowling now as if hunting for prey. WindClan prey.

Standing by the heap of branches blocking the way into the thicket, Lionpaw scanned the forest, whiskers stiff.

Poppyfrost paced a little ways from him, nose twitching.

He glanced at her. “Any sign?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but a bush rustled a few tail-lengths ahead of them. She froze.

A shadow streaked toward her.

Nightcloud!

“Attac—” Lionpaw’s warning was cut off as Harespring shot from beneath a bramble and slammed him to the ground.

Struggling to his paws, Lionpaw screeched again as WindClan warriors swarmed from the shadows on every side.

A rising wind stirred the forest. Branches rattled and leaves showered down onto the patrol as Hollypaw followed her Clanmates through the woods.

It’s so dark!

She glanced up. No starlight glittered through the leaves, and clouds had hidden the moon.

Brackenfur’s tail brushed her cheek. He was only a few paw steps ahead of her, but she could hardly see him.

“Stay close,” he whispered.

The patrol was moving slowly, picking its way through the forest. WindClan might be hiding anywhere, waiting for them to pass by.

“Ow!” Mousewhisker’s muted yelp from behind made Hollypaw jump.

“Are you all right?” she hissed over her shoulder.

“Scratched my eye on a bramble.”

Hollypaw stopped and peered through the darkness at Mousewhisker’s cut. Blood was welling around his eye and it was already puffed up.

Mousewhisker brushed away the drips with his paw. “I’ll be okay,” he mewed.

“Keep up!” Brackenfur called to them.

Falling in beside Mousewhisker to guide him, Hollypaw quickened her pace. It was like running blind. Her paws fell on leaves, then mud, then tangled roots. She sniffed the air, her heart racing as she tried to picture where she was. This was how Jaypaw must feel all the time.

Only when her paws scraped against stone did she realize they had reached the old Twoleg path. It was dotted with tufts of weeds, and she had to be careful not to trip.

“Stay close together,” Brambleclaw warned. Hollypaw could only just make out his shadow in the darkness. “It’ll be easy for WindClan to surprise us.”

What do WindClan want? The question whirled in Hollypaw’s mind. All of our territory? But where would we go? We don’t deserve this! Only ThunderClan had tried to help when other Clans refused. Daisy, Millie, Stormfur, and Brook would have had to survive as loners if ThunderClan hadn’t welcomed them.

And Firestar would never have been able to save ThunderClan—to save all the Clans—if Bluestar hadn’t taken him in as a kittypet all those moons ago.

Why did the other Clans make such a fuss about it?

Because the warrior code rejects kittypets, loners, and rogues.

As the grim answer flashed in Hollypaw’s mind, the ground seemed to rock beneath her paws. Her Clan had been ignoring the warrior code forever! Glancing ahead, she could just make out the abandoned Twoleg nest looming darkly against the black sky. It seemed to sway in front of her.

“Ambush!”

Brambleclaw’s yowl snapped her back to alertness and she realized the nest was not swaying, but swarming with the shadows of WindClan warriors. They streamed from the openings, their night-grayed pelts ghostly in the darkness.

“Spread out!” Brambleclaw ordered.

Where? Hollypaw tried to make out the signal he must be making with his tail, but it was too dark. Then WindClan were on him, and he disappeared altogether in a mass of shadowy pelts. She stared in terror as two warriors—Weaselfur and Emberfoot—streaked from the gloom, heading straight for her. Their eyes gleamed with hunger for blood. Her paws felt frozen. Then she was tumbling to the ground while claws raked her side like fire in her flesh.

Remember your training!

Anger shot through her like lightning, and she leaped to her paws, claws unsheathed, and lashed out at her attackers.

She caught Weaselfur across the muzzle and felt his blood spatter her fur.

Mousewhisker appeared beside her, his injured eye half-closed, and lunged for Emberfoot, while Hollypaw swiped again at Weaselfur. She had to jump back as Brackenfur rolled past, grappling with Tornear. Weaselfur saw his chance and leaped for her, sending her staggering back with a heavy blow to her cheek. Her paws skidded on the stone path, and she fell. The WindClan warrior’s eyes flashed with triumph as he dropped on her, lips drawn back in a snarl. Blood roared in Hollypaw’s ears as she fought panic. She twisted just in time to avoid the warrior’s sharp teeth, and pushed out with her hind legs.