Into The Wild

Spellbound, Firepaw watched as Bluestar padded up to the stone and lay down beside it. She reached her head forward and touched the Moonstone with her nose. Her blue eyes sparkled with its reflection for a moment before she closed them. Now she rested her head on her paws, her eyelids flickering, her paws twitching occasionally. Was she sleeping? Then Firepaw remembered Graypaw’s words: “new leaders have to sleep near the stone, and as they sleep, they have special dreams.”

He waited. The chill was not so intense here, but still he found himself shivering. He had no idea how much time had passed, but suddenly the rock stopped glowing. The cavern was plunged into darkness once more. Firepaw looked up to the opening in the roof of the cavern. The moon had passed on, out of sight. All that remained were tiny stars shimmering in blackness.

Firepaw could just make out the pale shape of his leader, lying beside the Moonstone. He wanted to call out her name, but did not dare break the silence.

After more endless moments, she spoke to him. “Firepaw? Are you still there?” Her voice sounded remote and agitated.

“Yes, Bluestar.” Firepaw heard Bluestar’s pawsteps approaching.

“Hurry,” she hissed. He felt her fur brush past him. “We must return to camp.”

Firepaw raced after her, astonished by the speed with which she rushed through the blackness. He followed her scent blindly, up and up the stone tunnel, until she led him safely back to the outside world.

Tigerclaw was waiting at the opening beside Graypaw and Ravenpaw as Bluestar and Firepaw climbed out of the cave. His expression was cold and his fur was slightly ruffled, but he sat motionless and dignified.

“Tigerclaw.” Bluestar greeted him but did not mention the warrior cat’s flight from the depths.

Tigerclaw relaxed a little. “What did you learn?”

“We must return to camp immediately,” Bluestar meowed briefly.

Firepaw saw a look of desperation in his leader’s eyes. Now the horror of his dream forced its way back into his memory: the fleeing cats; the great, dark warriors; the ear-splitting wail of distress. Firepaw tried to ignore the cold fear that gripped his muscles, and followed Bluestar as she and the others raced down the dark slope away from Mothermouth. Was his nightmare vision about to come true?

CHAPTER 16

They headed back the way they had come. The moon had disappeared behind a bank of clouds. It was dark, but at least the Thunderpath was quieter now. The only monster they heard was far off in the distance. The cats crossed the path together and pushed their way through the hedge on the other side.

Firepaw could feel his muscles growing stiff with tiredness as they hurried on. Bluestar kept up a swift pace with her nose thrust forward and her tail high. Tigerclaw loped beside her. Firepaw followed a few paces behind with Graypaw, but Ravenpaw was flagging.

“Keep up, Ravenpaw!” Tigerclaw growled over his shoulder.

Ravenpaw flinched and bounded forward until he caught up with Firepaw and Graypaw.

“Are you okay?” Firepaw asked.

“Yes,” Ravenpaw panted, not meeting Firepaw’s eyes. “Just a bit tired.”

They scrambled down a deep ditch and up the other side.

“What did Tigerclaw say when he came out of the cave?” Firepaw meowed, trying not to sound too curious.

“He wanted to check that we were still guarding the entrance,” replied Graypaw. “Why?”

Firepaw hesitated. “Did you scent anything strange about him?” he asked.

“Only that damp old cave,” Graypaw mewed, looking surprised.

“He seemed a little edgy,” ventured Ravenpaw.

“He wasn’t the only one!” Graypaw meowed, looking at the black cat.

“What do you mean?” asked Ravenpaw.

“Just that the fur on your neck stands up whenever you see him these days,” whispered Graypaw. “You nearly jumped out of your skin when he came out of the cave.”

“He just surprised me, that’s all,” Ravenpaw protested. “You have to admit, it was a bit creepy by Mothermouth.”

“I suppose so,” agreed Graypaw.

The cats slipped under a hedge into a cornfield that glowed silver in the moonlight, and followed the ditch that ran around its edge.

“So what was it like inside, Firepaw?” Graypaw demanded. “Did you see the Moonstone?”

“Yes, I did. It was amazing!” Firepaw felt his fur tingle at the memory.

Graypaw shot him an admiring glance. “So it’s true! The rock really does shine underground.”

Firepaw didn’t reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the image of the Moonstone that dazzled his mind. Then pictures from his dream crowded into his head, and his eyes shot open. Bluestar was right: they had to get back to camp as quickly as they could.

Ahead, Tigerclaw and Bluestar had leaped through a fence, out of the cornfield. The apprentices followed, squeezing under the fence, onto an earth track. It was the path that led past the Twoleg nest and the dogs. Firepaw looked up and saw Bluestar and Tigerclaw trotting tirelessly together, silhouetted against a skyline tinged with red. The sun would be rising soon.