wrestled together; in the confined space one of Flamepaw’s hind legs jabbed Hollyleaf in the belly.
“Watch it!” she snarled. When the two apprentices sat up, she went on more calmly. “You’re not taking this seriously.
This isn’t a game. It’s about preserving the warrior code. Do you want your Clan to break up and become a collection of rogues? Because that’s what will happen if we can’t make them believe in StarClan again.”
Serious now, wide-eyed with anxiety, all three apprentices exchanged uncomfortable glances. “Sorry,” Tigerpaw muttered.
“Well, what about that marshy place?” Dawnpaw went back to her original idea. “Not many cats will be anywhere near, especially after all this rain. We wouldn’t be disturbed there while we were setting up the sign. And Sol never goes that far; he doesn’t want to get his paws wet.”
“That sounds pretty good,” Lionblaze meowed. “What do you think?” he asked his littermates.
Hollyleaf nodded, and Jaypaw murmured, “It’s worth checking out.”
“But what will the sign be?” Flamepaw mewed eagerly.
“We’ll work that out when we get there,” Jaypaw replied.
“We’d better go right away.”
Lionblaze stuck his head out into the open. Watery sunlight was gleaming through the clouds. Outside the warriors’ den, Sorreltail and Brackenfur were sharing tongues, with Squirrelflight drowsing in the sunlight nearby. The four remaining kits were playing at the entrance to the nursery, with Daisy and Ferncloud looking on. Otherwise, everything was quiet; Lionblaze guessed that most cats were sleeping in their dens, either sick with the cough or building strength for the next patrol.
“All clear,” he reported. “Let’s go.”
“But I’m hungry,” Flamepaw complained. “Can’t we eat first?”
“There’s barely enough for ThunderClan,” Jaypaw growled.
Seeing the guilty looks on the faces of the apprentices, Lionblaze rested his tail-tip on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s not their fault,” he murmured. “There’s no time to eat now,”
he told Flamepaw, “but we’ll see if we can pick up some prey on the way back.”
Seeing the shock in Hollyleaf ’s green eyes, he added, “Okay, I know, the Clan must be fed first. But faking a sign from StarClan isn’t exactly part of the warrior code, is it? Anyway, we’re not a hunting patrol. I reckon the territory can spare a few mice.”
Hollyleaf didn’t reply, just flicked her tail.
“I’ll go and tell Leafpool that I’m going to collect herbs,”
Jaypaw meowed. “We’re low on almost everything, and I can pick some up on the way back.” He whisked out of their hiding place and behind the bramble screen into the medicine cats’
den.
Lionblaze waited for him to emerge, then took the lead as they headed out of the camp and into the damp forest.
CHAPTER 8
Every hair on Dawnpaw’s pelt was quivering. “This is like being sent on a real warrior mission!”
Hollyleaf could sympathize; she remembered very well how it felt to be a new apprentice, doing something to help her Clan.
“Do you think we’ll get to be warriors, after it’s all over?”
Tigerpaw mewed. “Because we saved our Clan?”
“No,” Hollyleaf replied gently. “Don’t forget, no cat must know we’re doing this. Besides, you’re too young to be warriors yet. You still have a lot to learn.”
The six cats were heading toward the far end of ThunderClan territory, following the same route Hollyleaf and her littermates had taken when they went to find Sol. Already the ShadowClan scent marks were fading along the border, and there was no sign of cats from either Clan. The only sounds were the drip of water from leaves and the rustle of ferns and grasses as the cats brushed through them.
All three of the apprentices were bouncing with excitement, rushing off into the undergrowth or dabbing at one another in the beginnings of a play fight.
“That’s enough,” Lionblaze ordered,
“Watch it!” she snarled. When the two apprentices sat up, she went on more calmly. “You’re not taking this seriously.
This isn’t a game. It’s about preserving the warrior code. Do you want your Clan to break up and become a collection of rogues? Because that’s what will happen if we can’t make them believe in StarClan again.”
Serious now, wide-eyed with anxiety, all three apprentices exchanged uncomfortable glances. “Sorry,” Tigerpaw muttered.
“Well, what about that marshy place?” Dawnpaw went back to her original idea. “Not many cats will be anywhere near, especially after all this rain. We wouldn’t be disturbed there while we were setting up the sign. And Sol never goes that far; he doesn’t want to get his paws wet.”
“That sounds pretty good,” Lionblaze meowed. “What do you think?” he asked his littermates.
Hollyleaf nodded, and Jaypaw murmured, “It’s worth checking out.”
“But what will the sign be?” Flamepaw mewed eagerly.
“We’ll work that out when we get there,” Jaypaw replied.
“We’d better go right away.”
Lionblaze stuck his head out into the open. Watery sunlight was gleaming through the clouds. Outside the warriors’ den, Sorreltail and Brackenfur were sharing tongues, with Squirrelflight drowsing in the sunlight nearby. The four remaining kits were playing at the entrance to the nursery, with Daisy and Ferncloud looking on. Otherwise, everything was quiet; Lionblaze guessed that most cats were sleeping in their dens, either sick with the cough or building strength for the next patrol.
“All clear,” he reported. “Let’s go.”
“But I’m hungry,” Flamepaw complained. “Can’t we eat first?”
“There’s barely enough for ThunderClan,” Jaypaw growled.
Seeing the guilty looks on the faces of the apprentices, Lionblaze rested his tail-tip on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s not their fault,” he murmured. “There’s no time to eat now,”
he told Flamepaw, “but we’ll see if we can pick up some prey on the way back.”
Seeing the shock in Hollyleaf ’s green eyes, he added, “Okay, I know, the Clan must be fed first. But faking a sign from StarClan isn’t exactly part of the warrior code, is it? Anyway, we’re not a hunting patrol. I reckon the territory can spare a few mice.”
Hollyleaf didn’t reply, just flicked her tail.
“I’ll go and tell Leafpool that I’m going to collect herbs,”
Jaypaw meowed. “We’re low on almost everything, and I can pick some up on the way back.” He whisked out of their hiding place and behind the bramble screen into the medicine cats’
den.
Lionblaze waited for him to emerge, then took the lead as they headed out of the camp and into the damp forest.
CHAPTER 8
Every hair on Dawnpaw’s pelt was quivering. “This is like being sent on a real warrior mission!”
Hollyleaf could sympathize; she remembered very well how it felt to be a new apprentice, doing something to help her Clan.
“Do you think we’ll get to be warriors, after it’s all over?”
Tigerpaw mewed. “Because we saved our Clan?”
“No,” Hollyleaf replied gently. “Don’t forget, no cat must know we’re doing this. Besides, you’re too young to be warriors yet. You still have a lot to learn.”
The six cats were heading toward the far end of ThunderClan territory, following the same route Hollyleaf and her littermates had taken when they went to find Sol. Already the ShadowClan scent marks were fading along the border, and there was no sign of cats from either Clan. The only sounds were the drip of water from leaves and the rustle of ferns and grasses as the cats brushed through them.
All three of the apprentices were bouncing with excitement, rushing off into the undergrowth or dabbing at one another in the beginnings of a play fight.
“That’s enough,” Lionblaze ordered,
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