Tallstar’s Revenge

“Try to reach it without being caught.” Cloudrunner crossed the grass and whispered into Tallpaw’s ear. “Switch course a couple of times. Include a double-back. Make it as hard as you can for them to run you down.”

Tallpaw nodded, dazed. At the last sunrise, he had been a kit, living with his mother in the nursery. This was his first ever taste of warrior training, and he was already being lined up as prey for bigger, stronger, faster cats.

It’s my second day. How am I going to outwit three trained apprentices?

Chapter 8

Tallpaw felt Dawnstripe’s tail sweep his spine. “You’ll do fine,” she murmured. “Just keep moving, and think like a fox.”

“A fox?” Tallpaw had no idea how a fox thought. He’d never even seen one.

“Be smart.” Dawnstripe nosed him away.

Tallpaw slid into the nearest bank of heather. Quiet as he could, he darted between two stems, hoping he’d find a rabbit trail that would lead closer to the rock. The gap opened for a few tail-lengths but ended in a thick gorse stump. Tallpaw’s heart quickened. The apprentices would find him straight away. Shrewpaw would laugh at him for the rest of the day—for the rest of their lives, probably. Tallpaw turned and pushed through the thick heather branches, wincing as he forced his way past. He struggled onward until finally he burst out into a gap between the bushes.

A sharp tang touched his nose. Tiny dirt-berries! He’d found a rabbit track. The trail led among the stems. Tallpaw raced along it. Instinctively he kept low, crouching down so that his spine didn’t set the heather quivering and give his position away.

Am I going the right way? Where’s the rock?

He couldn’t see it through the heather, but if he stretched up his head to get his bearings, the others would spot him. He tasted the air, hoping for a clue. Peat and heather. And the familiar scent of Stagpaw. Was the young tom close?

Tallpaw pushed on harder, twisting his ears back for sounds of pursuit. Paw steps thrummed behind him. Switch course. Cloudrunner’s instruction echoed in his ears as the path forked ahead. Tallpaw swerved, taking the trail that sloped upward. He could feel the ground trembling. More paw steps pounded behind. The apprentices were on his tail.

The path sloped steeply, growing rocky, which forced Tallpaw to slow down so he didn’t trap his paw and break his leg. He told himself that his pursuers would have to slow down too. After a frantic scramble over the stones, the trail emerged from the heather onto a grassy hillside. Tallpaw flattened his ears and ran faster. Remembering his practice earlier, he lengthened his stride. The grass blurred beneath him. Snatching a breath, he glanced over his shoulder.

Stagpaw exploded from the heather. Ryepaw and Doepaw fanned out behind. Tallpaw saw Stagpaw’s tail flick one way, then the other. They were planning to surround him! He swerved sideways, his paws skidding on the grass as he switched direction. Cutting across the apprentices’ path, he blocked their attempt to trap him from on both sides.

“Come on, Stagpaw! Think!” Aspenfall called from higher up the slope.

Wind streamed through Tallpaw’s whiskers. Exhilaration pulsed in his belly. He was running fast as a bird. But the apprentices were gaining on him.

Double back. He was smaller than his pursuers, and that made him nimble. He slowed, gradually at first. They’ll think they’ve outrun me. Tallpaw glanced over his shoulder, pleased to see triumph flash in Ryepaw’s eyes. She was in the lead now, Stagpaw racing just behind, matching her stride step for step. Beside him, Doepaw veered away.

Tallpaw saw the she-cat narrow her eyes. She’s going to try to overtake me and block my path. Suddenly he slammed his paws hard into the grass. He spun around, leaving deep scars in the turf, and charged straight back toward the apprentices. Their eyes stretched wide in astonishment.

Surprised, huh? Ears flat, tail streaking behind, Tallpaw raced down the slope through the gap between Stagpaw and Doepaw.

“Don’t let a kit outpace you!” Cloudrunner yowled from above them.