Firestar’s Quest

Gazing at the smoldering courage in his eyes, Firestar couldn’t go on being angry. “Okay,” he mewed, waving his tail.

“You’re here now. But for StarClan’s sake, be careful going back. You’re too good a warrior to lose.”

He jumped onto one of the tumbled boulders where the Skyrock met the cliff. When the rest of the Clan turned to face him, the pale glow of their eyes set every hair on his pelt pricking. Sharpclaw was scraping at the rock as if he couldn’t wait to sink his claws into a rat’s pelt. Cherrypaw crouched beside him, as ready for battle as her mentor. Clovertail and Shortwhisker sat side by side, their ears pricked. Leafdapple beckoned Sparrowpaw over to her with a sweep of her tail, and the two cats settled down to listen at the foot of Firestar’s rock.

Firestar knew he was seeing how loyal they were to their Clan, how determined to fight for their right to live in the gorge. In that moment he didn’t believe that anything, not even the rats, would overcome them.

“Cats of SkyClan,” he began, “when several Clans gather together, they exchange news of what has happened in the previous moon. We can’t do that, but we can share our news with one another. Does any cat have something to report?”

Leafdapple raised her tail. “I’d like to say how well Sparrowpaw’s hunting skills are coming along. He brought back more prey than any cat yesterday.”

“Excellent!” Firestar mewed, while Sparrowpaw licked his chest fur to cover his embarrassment.

“My apprentice is doing well, too.” Sharpclaw obviously didn’t intend to be outdone. “I promise you, she would have clawed my ear off this morning if Sandstorm hadn’t stopped her.”

“You just wait!” Cherrypaw muttered, only half joking.

“One day when Sandstorm isn’t around…”

Sharpclaw gave her an affectionate swipe across the haunches with his tail.

“Well done,” Firestar told her. “But please leave your mentor in one piece. We need him.”

Sandstorm stepped forward. “I’d like to say something about Petal, even though I know she isn’t a member of SkyClan. She volunteered to stay with the kits tonight, so that Clovertail could come here. And she’s been so helpful collecting herbs in the forest. I don’t know what Echo and I would have done without her.”

“I’ll mention it to her,” Firestar promised.

“There’s something else I want to say,” Sharpclaw meowed. “We haven’t seen so much as the hair of a rat since their leader spoke to us by the Twoleg barn. What are we going to do about them?”

“You know what we’re doing,” Firestar replied. “The patrols, the battle training—”

Sharpclaw lashed his tail. “But none of that is getting rid of the rats. Why don’t we go out there and sort them out once and for all?”

“It’s not the right time yet.”

“At this rate it will never be the right time.” Sharpclaw bared his teeth. “How long do you expect us to live with the threat hanging over us?”

“Not much longer, I hope,” Firestar replied. “I hate waiting as much as you do. If you’re willing, I think we should attack as soon as Patchfoot is fit.”

“It won’t be long,” Patchfoot put in. “I could fight now if I had to.”

“You’ll fight when Sandstorm says you can,” Firestar told him. “Sharpclaw, does that answer your question?”

Sharpclaw hesitated before giving him a curt nod. Firestar thought he still didn’t look happy about the decision, but as important as it was to know when to attack, it was just as important to know when to hold back.

When no other cat spoke, Firestar beckoned to Echo.

“Cats of SkyClan,” he called, “tonight, under this moon, we welcome a new Clanmate and make her a member of the Clan before the spirits of our ancestors. I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan and mentor to SkyClan, call upon their warrior ancestors to look down upon this cat,” he went on. “She has walked with you in dreams, and I commend her to you as a member of SkyClan.” Leaping down from the boulder to stand in front of Echo, he went on. “Echo, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and serve this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Echo raised her head. “I do.”

“Then before the spirits of your ancestors I give you your name. From this moment you will be known as Echosong.

StarClan honors your wisdom and faith, and we receive you into SkyClan.”

He rested his muzzle on Echosong’s head, and she licked his shoulder in return.

“Echosong… Echosong…” The name swept across the Skyrock like a breeze, while the warriors of StarClan blazed down.

Thank you, Skywatcher, Firestar thought.

A few sunrises after the Gathering, Firestar padded down the trail to the river to find Sandstorm sorting out the day’s duties. The sun was shining, but there was a crisp tang in the air that promised frost. Leaf-fall was on its way, bringing darker days and less cover for prey to hide in.

“But I’m fed up with rat patrol!” Cherrypaw was protesting. “Why can’t I go hunting instead?”

“Because Sandstorm put you on rat patrol.” Sharpclaw gave her ear a sharp flick with his tail. “Don’t argue.”