Dark River

This time he tensed every muscle in his body before pushing up with his back legs and leaping forward. He landed perfectly and ducked, baring his teeth to nip Tigerstar’s hind leg.

But Tigerstar was already up and pacing. “That’s more like it,” he growled. “But you should slash out with your forepaw as you spin. That way, you could scratch the badger as well as bite it.”

Lionpaw’s heart was pounding with excitement. He hadn’t felt this awake in days. “Let’s try it!”

He managed it perfectly the first time.

Tigerstar dodged to avoid being raked by Lionpaw’s fast forepaw slash.

“Much better!”

“How are you getting on?” Ashfur’s call made Lionpaw jump. He spun around guiltily, and saw his mentor padding toward him. He glanced nervously over his shoulder.

Tigerstar was gone.

Ashfur narrowed his eyes. “You have been practicing, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Lionpaw mewed quickly.

“Show me.”

Lionpaw performed the move even better than he had with Tigerstar. He finished in a perfect crouch and glanced up at Ashfur. His mentor’s eyes were glowing. “You might make a warrior, after all.” He beckoned to Brambleclaw with his tail. “Come and watch this.”

Brambleclaw bounded to join them, Berrypaw on his heels.

“You be the badger, Berrypaw,” Ashfur ordered.

Berrypaw crouched, and Lionpaw reared up and leaped over him. He spun and flicked out a claw that parted Berrypaw’s fur, then finished by grazing Berrypaw’s hind leg with his teeth.

“A badger wouldn’t stand a chance!” Ashfur meowed proudly.

“He could have jumped higher,” Berrypaw mewed.

“It would have slowed him down,” Ashfur argued.

“Brambleclaw?” Lionpaw was itching to know what his father thought. “Was it okay?” A troubled look seemed to be clouding the ThunderClan deputy’s gaze.

Brambleclaw blinked. “It was great,” he meowed. He turned to Ashfur. “Did you teach him the move with the claw?”

“No, he came up with that by himself.”

“Did you?” Brambleclaw’s gaze seemed to burn into Lionpaw’s.

Lionpaw nodded guiltily. Had his father recognized Tigerstar’s move? “Did you like it?”

“It’s a nice touch.” Brambleclaw stroked his tail along Lionpaw’s flank. “Let’s get back to camp.”

The ThunderClan deputy padded out of the mossy clearing, his striped tail disappearing into the ferns. Berrypaw made a face at Lionpaw before following his mentor into the undergrowth.

“Are you coming?” Ashfur meowed.

“In a moment.” Lionpaw wanted to see if Tigerstar would come back. He wanted to know why the dark warrior was taking so much interest in him. Jaypaw was the one who spoke with their ancestors. As Ashfur slipped into the ferns, Lionpaw scanned the clearing. There was no sign of Tigerstar, not even a scent. The tabby warrior had vanished.

Lionpaw shook away the doubt pricking in his pelt. He should be grateful. Tigerstar seemed to care more about his training than his mentor did.

“Thanks, Tigerstar,” he whispered into the trees, and followed his Clanmates home toward camp.

Chapter 12

“Watch out!”

Graystripe’s warning was muffled by the bramble stem clasped in his jaws. Hollypaw hopped backward as the trail of brambles swished past her. Millie scurried by, trying to guide Graystripe’s prickly load safely across the clearing.

“I thought the den was finished,” Hollypaw mewed to Hazelpaw, flicking her tail at the addition to the warriors’ den. Its walls were thick and its roof pressed firmly into place.

Why do they need even more brambles?

“It’s not for the warriors’ den.” Hazelpaw shook her gray-and-white head. “They’re reinforcing the nursery.”

Hollypaw’s heart sank. Why was everyone so sure there was going to be a battle?

Ferncloud began shooing Foxkit and Icekit away from the nursery while Graystripe and Millie wrapped the brambles around the already densely tangled bush.

Hazelpaw nodded toward the fresh-kill pile where Mousepaw was choosing his midday snack. “Are you coming?”

Hollypaw shook her head. She wasn’t hungry. Anxiety had been churning in her belly since the Gathering. Besides, she was hunting with Brackenfur later; she could eat then. She watched Hazelpaw pick a mouse from the pile and settle down beside Mousepaw, their fluffy gray pelts merging into one.

Suddenly, the honeysuckle quivered and Brightheart rushed from the elders’ den. The one-eyed cat was snapping instructions over her shoulder. “Quick, this way!”

Longtail shot out behind her, Mousefur limping after him.

“I don’t see why we have to practice,” Mousefur coughed.

“I know the drill.”

Brightheart halted at the bottom of the tumble of rocks.

“You need to know it by heart in case there’s an attack at night.”

Longtail paused beside Brightheart. “Dark or light, it makes no difference to me.” His sightless eyes sparkled teasingly.