Firestar’s Quest

Cherrypaw gave him a look of smoldering anger. “The stupid rats aren’t going to come anyway,” she muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

Firestar paused, narrowing his eyes. If the Clan was starting to think like this, they would quickly lose their battle edge. The sooner they could attack, the better.

“Leafdapple, it’s your turn to go on watch,” Sandstorm continued. “Sparrowpaw is up there now, so you can send him down for battle training.”

The tabby she-cat waved her tail in acknowledgment and set off up the trail toward the Skyrock. Sharpclaw followed her on the rat patrol with Cherrypaw and Shortwhisker.

When they had gone, Firestar padded up to Sandstorm.

“How’s Patchfoot?”

“A lot better.” Sandstorm twitched her ears to where the black-and-white warrior was standing a little way downstream with Rainfur and Clovertail. “He’s going on hunting patrol this morning, just to see how his shoulder holds up.”

“Good. I’ll have a word with him when he gets back.”

As he was speaking, Echosong appeared from her den, bounded lightly down the rocks, and went up to Patchfoot.

She gave his shoulder a careful sniff, then stood back as the hunting patrol waved their tails in farewell and set off downriver. Patchfoot seemed to be walking as well as any cat.

“Echosong has done a marvelous job so far,” Sandstorm murmured. “She just seems to know what’s right. And she learns so quickly! Soon there won’t be anything more I can teach her.”

But her words gave Firestar another reason to worry.

Without another medicine cat, how could Echosong learn everything she needed to serve her Clan properly? Sandstorm could teach her some things about herbs and treat-ments, but a true medicine cat’s training took many moons, and included mysteries that no other Clan cat knew about.

When the hunting patrol had gone, Echosong padded upstream and joined Firestar and Sandstorm at the base of the Rockpile. “I’m ready,” she mewed to Sandstorm.

Firestar flicked his ears inquiringly.

“I’m going to give Echosong some battle training,” Sandstorm explained.

Echosong nodded. “Sandstorm says medicine cats don’t usually fight, but they need to be able to defend themselves and their Clanmates.”

“You might have to, soon,” Firestar meowed.

They set off toward the training area, joined by Sparrowpaw, who came bounding down the trail from the Skyrock. At the top of the Rockpile, Firestar heard an excited squeal, and spotted Petal shepherding all five kits from the nursery. He waited for them to catch up, while Sandstorm and the others went on.

“We want to watch the training.” Bouncekit scrambled up beside Firestar. “Petal says we can.”

“I hope that’s okay,” Petal added. “It’ll give me the chance to do some training myself. You know, in case the rats attack.”

She lowered her voice and shot a nervous glance at Mint and Sage, stumbling after the older kits.

“Yes, that’s fine,” Firestar replied. Calling after the kits, he added, “Keep away from the fighting. There’ll be claws unsheathed, and I don’t want any of you hurt.”

“When can we learn to fight?” Tinykit asked as they went on up the gorge.

“Soon,” Petal mewed. “When you’re apprentices.”

“What about us?” Mint asked. “Can we be apprentices too?”

“No,” his mother told him. “We don’t belong to SkyClan.”

“But that’s not fair!” Sage wailed. “Why don’t we?”

Petal gave her a gentle tap with her tail. “You’re too little to understand.”

“Is that why they don’t have ‘kit’ in their names, like us?”

Rockkit asked.

Firestar nodded. “If Rainfur and Petal decide to join the Clan, then Mint and Sage will have new names.”

Mint’s ears pricked up. “You’ve got to stay,” he mewed to his mother. “Please!”

Petal shook her head. “It’s not as easy as that.”

They arrived at the training area, where Sandstorm and Sparrowpaw were already sparring. Firestar was impressed by the tabby tom’s speed, flashing past Sandstorm to strike a blow on her shoulder before she had time to dodge.

“Now you, Echosong,” Sandstorm meowed. “You’ve watched Sparrowpaw do that move enough times—see if you can copy him.”

The young cat stepped forward, but before she could face Sandstorm they were interrupted by a loud wail of fright from Sage. Firestar’s head whipped around. The tiny kit had climbed up onto a rock and was teetering at the very top.

Before any cat could reach her she lost her balance and rolled to the bottom in a flurry of legs and tail.

Petal bounded over to her. She sat up, holding out one paw.

“It hurts,” she whimpered.

Instantly Echosong was beside her, sniffing at the injured paw. “You’ve snagged a claw,” she murmured, giving it a few gentle licks. “I know how painful that can be, but it’ll be okay soon.”

As she went on licking, Sage’s whimpering died away.

“You’re making it feel better,” she mewed.

“You’re very brave,” Echosong told the tiny kit. “Just like a warrior. Try standing on your paw now.”