Warriors: Power Of Three 4 - Eclipse (28 page)

“Firestar said you fought like a warrior in the battle.” Squirrelf light lifted her head to look at him through sleep-misted eyes. “You don’t seem to have a scratch on you.”

Lionpaw shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.” His belly rumbled.

“You should have something to eat,” Squirrelflight murmured, resting her head down again.

“I will.” Lionpaw licked her ear gently as she closed her eyes.

Jaypaw was still sorting through the leaves he’d brought back.

Had StarClan really not shared anything with him? Or was he just keeping it to himself? “Are you hungry?” Lionpaw asked. Perhaps they could share some prey. It might make him more talkative.

Jaypaw didn’t look up. “I’ve already eaten.”

Sighing, Lionpaw headed out of the den.

Hollypaw was stretching outside the apprentices’ den.

When she spotted Lionpaw, her whiskers twitched. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she demanded, trotting toward him.

“You seemed so tired.”

“No more tired than you!”

Lionpaw snorted. “I was trying to help!” Why were his littermates so snappy with him? “If you’re so desperate to clean out the nursery, then go ahead.” He stomped to the fresh-kill pile and picked a shrew from the top. Crouching to gulp it down, he heard Dustpelt.

“We haven’t had a battle like that in moons.” The brown tabby warrior was sitting beside the halfrock with Ashfur and Poppyfrost.

“It was like the old days back in the forest,” Ashfur agreed.

Poppyfrost’s eyes widened. “You’ve had battles like that before?”

“Worse,” Dustpelt meowed. “Do you remember the battle against BloodClan, Ashfur?”

Ashfur’s tail twitched. “Now, that was a battle!”

“Did the sun go out then?” Poppyfrost mewed.

Dustpelt sighed. “No.”

“I hope this was the worst battle I’ll ever see,” Poppyfrost went on. “I was fighting two warriors at a time! I know we’d covered it in training, but I never imagined I’d have to do it.”

“You fought well,” Ashfur purred.

“Not as well as Lionpaw,” Poppyfrost breathed. “Did you see him? And there’s not a scratch on him!”

Ashfur stopped purring. “He’s ready to become a warrior.”

Lionpaw glanced up from his shrew. Ashfur was staring at him.

“There’s little else I can teach him.” The pale gray warrior got to his paws. “Lionpaw, are you ready for the patrol?”

Lionpaw swallowed and sat up. “Yes.”

Ashfur signaled to Sorreltail and Whitewing, who were sharing tongues outside the warriors’ den. They leaped to their paws and followed Ashfur to the thorn tunnel. Lionpaw hurried after them.

The forest was brighter now that the leaves were beginning to fall. Sunlight streamed through the branches and pooled on the forest f loor. As they padded toward the WindClan border, Lionpaw dropped back. Was he really ready to become a warrior? Since he was a kit, he had dreamed of being the greatest warrior ThunderClan had ever known. But back then it had been a dream. Now the battles were real. He remembered with a shiver the blood pulsing from Crowfeather’s neck, and Heatherpaw’s terror. He had done that, possessed by some strength he seemed unable to control. Was that what being a warrior meant? Would he ever learn to control the power he felt in his paws?

Lionpaw shivered as the woods darkened. Clouds had covered the sun. He could hear his Clanmates rustling through the undergrowth ahead, but something moved in the ferns nearer. He paused. A shape rippled between the trees beside him. A dark-striped pelt.

Tigerstar.

The warrior growled from the shadows. “I watched the battle.” Tigerstar shouldered his way through the bushes and stepped onto the path in front of Lionpaw. “You fought well.

You were a credit to your ancestors.” His amber eyes gleamed.

Lionpaw looked past Tigerstar, searching for Hawkfrost.

“I came alone,” Tigerstar told him. “I have no patience for Hawkfrost’s sneering. He thinks you actually believe this prophecy. But I know you’re too smart to believe Firestar’s mouse-brained dreams.”

Lionpaw shifted his paws, uncomfortable under Tigerstar’s unblinking gaze. “Did you see the sun vanish?”

“It seems the Clans have displeased StarClan.” Tigerstar’s whiskers twitched. “Those starry-eyed fools never had the heart for battle. Unlike you.”

“Ashfur says I’m ready to be a warrior.”

“Really?” Tigerstar circled him. “You think you have learned all there is to learn?”

“I’ve learned all Ashfur has to teach.”

“You still have plenty to learn from me.”

Lionpaw narrowed his eyes. Did Tigerstar really know more? Does he guide my paws in battle? Was it only Tigerstar’s training that helped him beat every enemy and leave the fight unscathed?

Tigerstar’s breath felt hot on his muzzle as the warrior leaned closer. “You have plenty to learn from me, right?”

Lionpaw shifted on his paws. The dark warrior wanted an answer.

“You can teach me more battle skills, I suppose.” Lionpaw lifted his chin. “But what’s the point when I’ve proved I can beat any cat?”

Tigerstar’s eyes blazed like fire. “You think you’re invinci-ble!” A growl rumbled in his throat. “Hawkfrost is right. You do believe this prophecy.”

“Yes!” Lionpaw dug his claws into the ground. “You saw me fight in the battle. Could you have fought better and come out unharmed?” He flicked his tail. “You were kil ed in battle.”

He turned to leave. He didn’t need the guidance of this dead cat!

A roar split the air. Lionpaw spun around. Too late: Claws pierced his shoulders as Tigerstar knocked him to the ground.

Lionpaw struggled, but Tigerstar held him down, his massive shoulders rippling with the effort.

“You think you don’t need me anymore, is that it?” Tigerstar hissed in his ear. “You’re a fool! You’ve just been lucky, nothing more. Firestar’s prophecy is blinding you. You’re like a kit who still believes in nursery tales.” He shoved Lionpaw down harder, pressing his face into the leaves. “You’re powerful because of me, and you will only grow more powerful by learning what I teach you.” He gave Lionpaw another shake before jumping back.

Lionpaw scrambled to his paws and turned on him, anger flaring in his belly. But Tigerstar was fading, his shape dis-solving in front of him.

“I’ve not finished with you yet.” With a final hiss, Tigerstar vanished.

Lionpaw was trembling with fury. Why was Tigerstar so determined to ignore the prophecy?

“Lionpaw!” Ashfur was calling him from the bushes ahead.

He hurried to catch up, his shoulders stinging where Tigerstar’s claws had dug in. He glanced behind him. Was Tigerstar still watching? What did the dark warrior want from him, if he didn’t want the power of the stars?

Hollypaw paused from washing herself. “Are you going to the Gathering?”

Jaypaw heard her tongue scrape along her foreleg. “Yes.”

He rolled onto his side, feeling full.

“Me too.” Lionpaw kicked the remains of the squirrel away and stretched out.

The fresh-kill pile had been restocked in the days following the battle, and they had eaten well. Now they lay beside the halfrock enjoying the last of the evening sun.

Hollypaw yawned. “Do you think the other Clans will turn up?” No one had seen any sign of WindClan since the battle, but tension was still high, with continual patrols along the WindClan border.

“They’ll be scared of upsetting StarClan if they don’t,” Jaypaw mewed.

Lionpaw’s claws scratched the halfrock. “I hope WindClan are there.”

“Don’t forget the truce,” Hollypaw reminded him.

“Like I would.” Lionpaw snorted. “I just want WindClan to see that we’re as strong as we ever were, and ready to fight them again if we have to.”

ThunderClan’s warriors and apprentices were steadily recovering from their battle wounds. Even Spiderleg was taking walks around the clearing. Squirrelflight was still in her nest in the medicine cats’ den, though increasingly impatient at being confined there. But Leafpool wouldn’t let her move, fearful the wound would reopen before it had a chance to heal properly.

Jaypaw suspected that his mother’s injury was the reason Leafpool wasn’t coming with him to the Gathering. She didn’t trust any other cat to keep Squirrelf light in her nest.

She hadn’t even been to the Moonpool to share with StarClan yet.

“If StarClan have something to share with me, they’ll share it,” she had told Firestar.

Jaypaw lifted his head as Graystripe padded out of the nursery. The gray warrior’s pelt was prickling with worry.

“Leafpool!” Graystripe called through the brambles at the entrance to the medicine cats’ den. “She’s coughing again.”

“I’m coming.” Leafpool hurried out, smelling of tansy.

Millie had whitecough. Daisy had moved herself and her kits into the apprentices’ den to avoid catching the sickness, and Rosekit and Toadkit had been strutting around the camp as if they were already apprentices.

Millie was eating well, but her endless coughing was keeping the kits awake and making it hard for them to feed.

Hopefully the tansy would help.

Jaypaw laid his head back down and closed his eyes. He must have dozed, because a moment later Hollypaw was shaking him awake.

“The moon’s up,” she mewed. “Everyone’s getting ready to leave.”

“Not everyone!” Foxpaw’s cross mew sounded behind him.

“How come you three get to go while me and Icepaw and Cinderpaw get left behind?”

Jaypaw scrambled to his paws. “You’ll go next time, I’m sure.”

“Maybe.” Foxpaw’s feet scuffed the ground as he padded away.

While the warriors gathered at the entrance, Graystripe paced around the nursery. Jaypaw could sense that his emo-tions were torn like fresh-kill. The gray warrior longed to join his Clanmates at the Gathering, but the thought of leaving Millie while she was sick pierced his heart. Jaypaw blinked.

An old grief was fanning the flames of Graystripe’s unease, lit by the memory of the silver cat on the huge gray rock.

“Graystripe!” Firestar was heading toward his old friend.

“Stay here and guard the camp for me. We’ve a good show of warriors. WindClan won’t think they’ve weakened us.”

“Thanks.” Graystripe sounded relieved.

Firestar headed for the barrier, where Poppyfrost and Honeyfern could hardly keep their paws still.

“Looking forward to it?” Dustpelt asked them.

“Oh, yes,” Poppyfrost meowed. This would be their first Gathering as warriors.

Sandstorm paced restlessly around Brackenfur. “I wonder what WindClan will have to say for themselves?”

“They’ll come up with some excuse,” Brackenfur muttered.

“Hurry up.” Hollypaw nudged Jaypaw. Lionpaw was already waiting beside Ashfur.

Firestar stood at the camp entrance. “We must show WindClan and RiverClan that we are as strong as ever,” he reminded his Clanmates. “The moon is bright tonight, and that means StarClan is no longer angry.”

“I bet they’re still angry with WindClan,” Spiderleg called from outside the medicine cats’ den.

“We were only defending our borders. StarClan would not punish us for that,” Firestar answered.

“I should hope not.” Sorreltail was sitting outside the warriors’ den, her tail swishing over the ground.

“The vanishing sun frightened us all,” Firestar went on.

“But we must take it as a sign that the battle was wrong. The sun came back when the battle ended. We should have learned by now that the Clans need one another to survive.”

Jaypaw tipped his head. The ThunderClan leader’s confident words hadn’t come from anything Leafpool had said to him. The medicine cat was still baffled and frightened by the vanishing sun, and the silence from StarClan had made her more nervous. But she kept her worries to herself, carrying on as usual, and only Jaypaw could detect the anxiety fluttering beneath her pelt.

“Let’s go!” Firestar led his Clanmates out of the hollow.

Leaves crunched beneath their paws. Jaypaw shivered, feeling the first chill of leaf-fall. He pressed closer to Hollypaw as they headed for WindClan territory, following the familiar route down to the lake. They had to cross WindClan’s part of the shore to reach the island. If they kept within two tail-lengths of the water, WindClan had no right to challenge them. Yet the warriors fell silent as they crossed the border and hurried over the shingle.

“Any sign of WindClan?” Jaypaw whispered.

“Not yet.” Hollypaw’s pelt felt spiky against his.

Water suddenly lapped Jaypaw’s legs. He stumbled in surprise. They didn’t usually skirt the lake this closely.

“Don’t worry,” Hollypaw soothed. “Firestar’s just being careful that no cat can accuse us of straying onto WindClan land.”

The warriors splashed through the shallows, and Jaypaw gritted his teeth, hating the feel of the water on his paws. He tasted the air. Fresh WindClan scents were blowing down from the moorland.

“They’re coming,” Hollypaw warned.

Jaypaw tensed. “Toward us?”

“No. They’re far up the hillside and heading toward the island.”

At the tree-bridge, Hollypaw jumped onto the fallen trunk first and let her tail dangle down. Jaypaw reached up with his paws, feeling for it. He felt the soft tip brush his pads and knew instantly where to jump.

“Thanks,” he puffed, scrambling through the leaf less fallen branches.

The trunk was slippery, its bark shredded and peeling away.

Jaypaw padded after Hollypaw, putting one paw carefully in front of the other until his nose brushed his sister’s tail.

She had stopped where the trunk splayed out in tangled roots. The shingle crunched as she jumped down onto the shore.

This was the hardest part. Jaypaw took a breath and leaped after her. As always the shingle hit his paws suddenly, but this time he didn’t need to stumble to regain his balance.

“Nice landing,” Hollypaw purred.

Their Clanmates were streaming through the undergrowth, making it swish as they disappeared into the trees.

Jaypaw nosed his way through and followed Hollypaw through the soft swaths of fern. As they emerged on the other side, a barrage of scents hit his nose. WindClan and RiverClan were already here. He wrinkled his nose. No sign of ShadowClan.