Eclipse

Frustration surged in Hollypaw’s chest. She rounded on her brother, glaring. “You’re not taking this seriously enough! We’ve got to figure out exactly what this prophecy means!”

Lionpaw blinked and took a step backward. “Keep your fur on. You know Jaypaw and his visions. They sound great, but we have to live in the real world.”

“What does the real world mean, now that we have the power of the stars in our paws? We’ll be able to do anything!

Imagine how much we’ll be able to help our Clan!”

Lionpaw frowned. “The prophecy didn’t say anything about helping our Clan; it just mentioned the three of us.”

Hollypaw stared at him. “But the warrior code says we must protect our Clan before anything else!”

Lionpaw’s gaze drifted to the distant hills. “Are we bound by the warrior code if we’re more powerful than StarClan?” he wondered out loud.

“How could you say such a thing?” Hollypaw scolded, but a shiver of foreboding ran along her spine. If the prophecy meant that they had to live outside the warrior code, how would she know what was right? How would she know what she was supposed to do if it came to a choice between her own safety and her Clan’s?

Jaypaw’s pelt brushed hers as he jumped up beside them.

“Could you two speak a bit louder?” he hissed. “I think some of the others didn’t hear you.” His blue eyes were flashing with anger. Blindness had not robbed them of showing feeling.

Hollypaw spun around to see if any of the other cats had been listening, but the warriors were still deep in their own conversation. “No one’s taking any notice of us,” she reassured him.

“Not every cat has got such good hearing as you,” Lionpaw added.

“I’m just warning you to be careful, okay?” Jaypaw mewed.

“We have to keep this a secret.”

“We know,” Lionpaw assured him.

“Actually, I don’t think you do,” Jaypaw argued. “How do you think the other cats would react if they found out we’ve been born with more power than StarClan?”

Lionpaw glanced at Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. “They’d never believe it.”

“I hardly believe it myself,” Hollypaw admitted.

“They’d believe it, all right.” Jaypaw’s voice was icy. “But I don’t think they’d like it.”

“Why not?” Hollypaw felt a jolt of alarm. She hadn’t thought about how her Clanmates would take the news. Surely they’d be glad? They must know she would only use her power to help them!

Lionpaw seemed to agree with her. “Won’t they want us to be the best warriors we can be?”

“This prophecy isn’t about being a good warrior!” Jaypaw warned. His claws scraped against the surface of the boulder in frustration. “It’s about having more power than StarClan.

Don’t you think ordinary cats might find that a bit scary?”

“But we’re not going to do anything bad,” Hollypaw insisted. “This is a gift to our whole Clan, not just us.” What did Jaypaw think they were going to do with their powers?

“Shh!” Jaypaw’s hiss cut her off as Squirrelflight bounded toward them.

She halted at the edge of the boulder. “What are you bickering about?”

“Hollypaw and Lionpaw are just arguing about who’s the best hunter,” Jaypaw mewed smoothly.

Hollypaw opened her mouth to object, then stopped herself. She hated lying, but she couldn’t give their secret away, not here.

“You shouldn’t be standing around chatting,” Squirrelflight told them. “Not when Brambleclaw has just told you to find fresh-kill. He wants to make sure Stormfur and Brook have something to take back to the Tribe.”

They had been so busy arguing, they hadn’t heard the order.

“You shouldn’t have to be asked twice,” Squirrelflight scolded.

Hollypaw hung her head. “Sorry.”

Squirrelflight flicked her tail toward a cluster of trees at the side of the slope. “Try there, and hurry up!” The copse cast a long shadow that stretched up the hillside. The sun would be setting soon.

Lionpaw licked his lips. “There should be plenty of prey in there.”

“Enough for everyone,” Squirrelflight agreed. She turned to Jaypaw. “Will you come check Tawnypelt’s pads? One of them is bruised where she trod on a sharp stone.”

There had been enough sharp stones to bruise everyone’s pads on the trek down from the mountain; Hollypaw guessed that Squirrelflight was finding Jaypaw something useful to do, since he couldn’t hunt. She tensed, knowing how oversensitive Jaypaw could be. But her littermate just nodded and followed Squirrelflight back toward the warriors. He didn’t even bristle when his mother bent down to lick a grubby patch of fur behind his ear.

The gesture pricked at Hollypaw’s heart. Squirrelflight still saw them as kits. It would be easier if they still were; kits didn’t have to worry about having more power than their warrior ancestors. But things change, she told herself. She turned away, suddenly anxious. Would there come a time when Squirrelflight would be afraid of her own kits?

“What’s ruffling your pelt?” Lionpaw asked.

Hollypaw licked the fur prickling on her shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.” She nodded toward the copse. “Let’s hunt.”