River, page 18
Mothwing still shook her head dubiously. “You wouldn’t know this, but my brother, Hawkfrost, once left a moth’s wing outside the RiverClan medicine cat’s den so he would choose me as his apprentice. Since I found out about that, I’ve always felt we shouldn’t put too much faith in signs.”
Frostpaw’s heart began to pound, in horror that any cat would dare to fake a sign, and hurt that her mentor suspected her of lying. “Do you think I put the feather there? Or that I’m making it all up?”
“No, of course not,” Mothwing assured her quickly. “I believe that you’re sincere. But I think you should sleep on it. You should be sure before we tell the rest of the Clan, that’s all.”
Frostpaw hesitated, struggling with anger. Mothwing doesn’t speak to StarClan, so I have to do all this on my own. And she’s still telling me I’m doing it wrong! But she couldn’t bring herself to put any of that into words and quarrel with the mentor she still respected, in spite of everything.
“Okay,” she agreed at last. “I’m so exhausted now, I’m ready to see if StarClan will send me a dream.”
She headed into the den and curled up in her nest. Worn out by the long journey, she relaxed and let sleep enfold her like a dark pelt.
Almost at once, Frostpaw found herself beside the Moonpool again. But this time, the ground by the pool and all the sides of the hollow were covered in curled white feathers. As Frostpaw gazed, entranced, they took to the sky and became birds, whirling around her head like a blizzard.
A clear voice spoke from the sky. “Have faith in yourself, Frostpaw.”
Half rousing from her dream, Frostpaw let out a satisfied sigh. “You can’t have a clearer answer than that,” she murmured, burrowing deeper into her nest.
Chapter 21
“Push!”
“Come on, Fringewhisker!”
“You can do it!”
Sunbeam looked on as Fringewhisker, a brown-and-white she-cat from SkyClan, struggled to push a fallen tree branch out of the ShadowClan camp. The youngest ShadowClan warriors were jumping up and down with excitement, loudly urging her on. Obviously, Sunbeam thought, they were caught up in the moment, not giving any thought to what this actually meant for the Clans. If they had really thought about welcoming a SkyClan cat into the Clan, they wouldn’t be so enthusiastic. SkyClan has only lived by the lake for a few seasons. What do we really know about them?
Cheering loudest of all was Sunbeam’s brother Spireclaw, but he knew exactly what this meant. It was the first ever trial of strength to decide whether a cat would be allowed to change Clans. If Fringewhisker succeeded in this test, she would be accepted into ShadowClan and could become Spireclaw’s mate.
The branch was a heavy one; it had taken three or four warriors to drag it into the camp for the trial. Fringewhisker had to summon all her strength to move it, especially as there was an upward slope from the center of the camp to the barrier of bushes that surrounded it.
Most of the Clan was out in the clearing to watch. Tigerstar stood at the front of the crowd; his expression showed nothing of what he was thinking. Hawkwing, the SkyClan deputy, who had come with Fringewhisker to witness the trial, was easier for Sunbeam to read. His gaze was full of disapproval; he clearly wanted Fringewhisker to fail, or to come to her senses.
Fringewhisker had managed to push the tree branch to the top of the slope. There were a few tricky moments as she maneuvered it past the line of bushes, shoving it through until it disappeared, but then Sunbeam could hear it bumping down the slope on the other side.
Panting, her eyes shining with triumph, Fringewhisker turned back and bounded into the center of the camp. Tigerstar stepped forward to meet her.
“Fringewhisker has succeeded in completing this challenge,” he announced.
The younger ShadowClan cats exploded into cheering, while Spireclaw raced forward to touch noses with the cat he loved.
But not every cat was happy with the outcome. Sunbeam spotted her mother, Berryheart, with a small group of the older cats, all shaking their heads as if something terrible had happened. Sunbeam eased closer so that she could hear what they were saying.
“This is dreadful,” Berryheart muttered. “I never thought I’d see such a thing.”
“What’s so dreadful about it?” Tawnypelt asked.
“Well, you might not think so.” Berryheart looked the tortoiseshell she-cat up and down, and Sunbeam remembered that Tawnypelt had been born in ThunderClan, the sister of its leader Bramblestar. “But I always imagined Spireclaw with a ShadowClan she-cat—I even had a few in mind. They would have made beautiful ShadowClan kits together. But now,” Berryheart continued with a lash of her tail, “I’ll have half-Clan kin whose mother will always have one paw back in SkyClan. And all because of this stupid sham of a test!”
Tawnypelt seemed to stifle a hiss and stalked off. Sunbeam watched her go, remembering that Tawnypelt had joined ShadowClan long before she was born, from ThunderClan. She must not like all this half-Clan business, she mused.
“Berryheart,” Sunbeam’s father, Sparrowtail, mewed, “maybe we should let this—“
But Snowbird interrupted.
“Why do you think it was a sham?” she asked.
Sparrowtail looked pained as Berryheart let out a disapproving snort. “To begin with, it was way too easy. Even the youngest apprentices know how to clear debris out of the dens. What’s so hard about pushing a branch out of the way? And did you see what Fringewhisker did before she started? She broke off some of the smaller branches and twigs that would have slowed her down, so the branch was smoother and was easier to roll.”
But that’s not cheating, Sunbeam thought as Sparrowtail got to his feet and walked away. That’s just common sense. Maybe we should be glad to welcome a bright warrior like Fringewhisker into our Clan.
“The last bit of the challenge was on flat ground, at the top of the slope,” Berryheart went on. “And once she got it through the bushes, it rolled down the other side on its own. This whole idea is mouse-brained!”
“If that’s true,” Grassheart mewed, looking puzzled, “then why would Tigerstar go along with it? Is he biased in some way?”
“How do I know what goes through his head?” Berryheart demanded with an angry shrug. “Maybe he just wants to steal a warrior from SkyClan. Maybe since Rowankit and Birchkit were born, and they’re so small and fragile, he would like another fully grown warrior to help protect them. Who knows? But I’ll tell you one thing: I doubt Tigerstar will be so cool about it when a ShadowClan warrior wants to leave. Then he’ll see what damage switching Clans like this can cause.”
Murmurs of agreement came from the cats around her. “But what can we do?” Snowbird wondered.
“The warrior code forbade this for a reason,” Berryheart responded. “Maybe the Clan just needs a reminder.”
A reminder? Sunbeam backed away out of earshot, not liking the sound of that at all. The way her mother was talking sounded like a cat planning to make trouble for the Clan. And after all they had been through with Ashfur, Sunbeam thought Tigerstar ought to know about it right away, so that he could nip it in the bud.
But can I inform on Berryheart like that? Sunbeam asked herself. She’s my mother, for StarClan’s sake! She remembered how she had told the truth about Lightleap, and how badly that had gone. If she had kept her jaws shut, she wouldn’t have quarreled with her best friend, or been in trouble with her Clan leader.
Besides, the last thing Sunbeam wanted was to get Berryheart into trouble, especially if she was wrong. Her mother might be just venting, without really intending to do anything.
Sunbeam remembered how Blazefire used to tease her about being too caught up in the rules. But if Berryheart does do something, and I knew about it but kept my mouth shut, how will I feel?
From the first day Sunbeam had been an apprentice, she had been taught that loyalty to Clan was even more important than loyalty to kin. If Berryheart was planning something that would be anything like Ashfur’s evil plots, then Tigerstar needed to know. Telling him was the right thing to do. What he did with the information was up to him.
Taking a deep breath, Sunbeam braced herself and looked around for Tigerstar. Soon she spotted the Clan leader standing to one side, gazing proudly at the young cats who were gathered around Fringewhisker, congratulating her on her success.
It’s the perfect moment to speak to him.
Sunbeam padded up to her Clan leader and cleared her throat. “Do you have a moment?” she asked shyly.
“Of course,” Tigerstar responded, dipping his head. “I always have time to talk to my warriors. What’s on your mind?”
The words Sunbeam wanted to say were poised on the tip of her tongue, like birds about to take off from a branch. But when she spotted her mother at the other side of the camp, then glanced at Spireclaw as he happily praised Fringewhisker, her throat dried up and the words remained unspoken.
If I tell Tigerstar what I heard, what will happen to Berryheart? Will he punish her? Exile her? And what about Spireclaw? If Tigerstar thinks our mother is a traitor, will he think the same about him?
Sunbeam could imagine Tigerstar punishing Spireclaw by refusing to accept Fringewhisker into the Clan. And would there be any good reason for it? she asked herself. What do I really know, anyway?
Berryheart hadn’t been making specific plans when Sunbeam overheard her. If she voiced her suspicions to Tigerstar now, with no more evidence than her mother’s disapproval of changing Clans, she would only sound silly. I don’t want to be in trouble with him again!
Tigerstar was still waiting for her to speak; his whiskers had started to twitch impatiently. “Well?” he prompted her. “Spit it out!”
“Oh . . . um . . . I just wanted to go on the next hunting patrol,” Sunbeam mewed desperately.
Tigerstar stared at her as if she had just sprouted another head. “That’s it?” When Sunbeam only nodded, he continued, “Okay, fine. Just let Cloverfoot know.”
“Thanks, Tigerstar,” Sunbeam choked out.
“Is everything okay with you?” Tigerstar asked. “I know you’ve had a tough time lately.” He hesitated, then added awkwardly, “If you need to talk . . .”
Sunbeam quailed inwardly at the thought of unburdening herself to her Clan leader, who wasn’t known for his patience. “No, it’s fine, Tigerstar,” she assured him hastily. “Thanks all the same.”
She bounded away, feeling utterly ridiculous, and only hoping that her leader didn’t think she was a mouse-brain.
Sunbeam headed for the fresh-kill pile, hoping a juicy mouse might make her feel better. But almost as soon as she settled down to eat, Berryheart appeared at her side. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Sunbeam looked up, alarm pulsing through her. Did she see me talking to Tigerstar? Does she know what I was planning to tell him?
“I’m fine,” she managed to reply. “Why?”
Berryheart leaned close to her. “I’m quite aware of what you’re thinking,” she murmured. “I’m your mother, and I know you better than you know yourself. I saw your face when you were listening to me and the others talking, and it seemed to upset you.”
Sunbeam felt all her muscles tense as she waited for her mother to accuse her of informing on her to Tigerstar. But to her relief, Berryheart said nothing more, only standing with her head tilted expectantly for a response.
“After all the Clans have been through,” Sunbeam responded with a weak nod, “I just want every cat to get along.”
Berryheart gave her a sideways, sardonic look that made Sunbeam feel like what she had just said was naive.
“I want that, too,” Berryheart meowed. “But if you really heard me and some of the others out, I’m sure you would agree with us about what’s best for the Clan. After all, you want ShadowClan to be as strong and united as possible, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then why don’t you join the discussion next time?” Berryheart suggested. Her voice was pleasant, but somehow it sent a shiver right down to the tips of Sunbeam’s claws. “We’re only trying to preserve the ShadowClan we all know and love—surely you agree with that?”
Sunbeam nodded mutely, feeling more uncomfortable with every heartbeat.
“Then join us,” Berryheart mewed. “You might like what you hear.”
Chapter 22
Stalking forward on moss-soft paws, Flamepaw hardly dared to breathe. He skimmed over the forest floor, careful not to make a sound, his senses alert for any change in the breeze, any crackling dead leaf that might give him away to his prey.
Somewhere nearby, he knew, Lilyheart and Squirrelflight would be keeping an eye on him, but he hoped that the rabbit he was tracking couldn’t see him. He had watched it leave its burrow, nose twitching as it tried to sense something succulent to eat. He had flattened himself in the long grass while it hopped forward and plunged its muzzle into a clump of bright green leaves. Then he began to work his way around to the mouth of the burrow.
Thank StarClan I’m pretty skinny, he thought. I’m just the right size for this.
Flamepaw reached the opening and turned around to back tail-first into the tunnel. When he was far enough from the entrance that he couldn’t be seen, he settled down to wait patiently. Before long he could hear the shuffle of the rabbit’s paws on the earth floor, and the crunching of one last crisp leaf.
Then the sounds stopped. Flamepaw couldn’t see anything in the darkness of the burrow, but he guessed that the rabbit had caught his scent. It was too late, though. Powering forward, he slammed into his prey and fastened his teeth into its neck.
The rabbit fought back, pounding Flamepaw’s side with its wide, flat paws; Flamepaw held on, sinking his teeth in even further and shaking the rabbit until it collapsed into a limp heap.
“Thank you, StarClan, for this prey,” Flamepaw gasped.
Getting the rabbit out of the burrow was harder than he had expected. It was heavy, and too big for him to squeeze past in the narrow tunnel. He had to push instead, panting with the effort until he managed to thrust it out into the light.
Lilyheart burst out of a nearby clump of fern, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “That was clever!” she exclaimed. “Such a good idea, and brilliant stalking!”
“Thank you,” Flamepaw responded. Her praise warmed him, but his heart started pounding unpleasantly as he asked her the inevitable question; he was almost too afraid to listen to the answer. “Does that mean I pass?”
Lilyheart glanced over her shoulder, and Flamepaw spotted Squirrelflight lingering beside the nearby trees. Slowly the Clan deputy padded over to join them, and stood for an endless moment eyeing Flamepaw and the lifeless rabbit.
“Great StarClan, Flamepaw,” she meowed at last. “You do have to find weird ways of doing stuff, don’t you?”
Far from pounding, Flamepaw’s heart felt like it might stop. Is she telling me that I’ve failed my assessment a third time?
Squirrelflight relaxed, a gleam of humor in her green eyes. Then she nodded. “I’d call that a pass, wouldn’t you, Lilyheart?”
“I would,” Lilyheart agreed. “Well done, Flamepaw. I knew you would get there in the end.”
Flamepaw wanted to jump up and down, squealing with excitement, like a kit playing moss-ball. But he knew that warriors didn’t behave like that. Instead, trying to be dignified, he dipped his head to his mentor and his Clan deputy. “Thank you,” he mewed.
“Flamepaw, I hope you know I was only hard on you because I’ve known all along what you were capable of,” Squirrelflight told him. “I didn’t want you to settle for anything less. Now you’ve proven that you’ll be a smart, brave warrior, and a credit to ThunderClan.”
Flamepaw repeated his thanks. Part of him would have liked to argue that he felt he had proved his worth during his previous assessment, but he pushed the thought away, just happy to be a warrior at last.
“You’d better get back to camp,” Squirrelflight continued. “Lilyheart and I will bring your rabbit. It’s too big for one cat to manage.”
Flamepaw wanted to stay calm and self-controlled, but his paws were itching with pride and relief, and by the time he reached the stone hollow, he was speeding through the trees, eager to share his news with all his Clanmates. He shot through the thorn tunnel and burst out into the camp.
“I did it!” he yowled. “I passed!”
His sister, Finchlight, who was outside the nursery playing with Spotfur’s kits, looked up, then raced across the camp to join him.
“Congratulations!” she purred, nuzzling his shoulder. “Tell me all about it.”
“Well,” Flamepaw began, “there was this enormous rabbit. . . .”
As he told the story, more of his Clanmates padded up to offer their congratulations. Jayfeather was one of the first, giving Flamepaw a curt nod. “About time,” he rasped.
“A big rabbit, eh?” Cloudtail passed his tongue over his jaws. “The Clan will eat well tonight.”
“Good job, youngster,” Lionblaze praised him, his amber eyes glowing. “You’ll make a fine warrior.”
Seeing how pleased they were gave Flamepaw a warm feeling from ears to tail-tip; he had been afraid that no cat in the Clan, except his sister, cared whether he passed or not. He felt happier still when he saw his mother, Sparkpelt, shouldering her way through the crowd and gazing down at him with approval in her eyes.
“So you passed!” she meowed. “I’m so proud of you, Flamepaw.”
“Thank you,” Flamepaw responded, feeling closer to her than he had in a long while.
“I knew you could do it,” Sparkpelt continued. “After all, you’re a descendant of Firestar. Being a skilled hunter is in your blood.”
