Tallstar’s Revenge

Tallpaw wrinkled his nose as he scooped up a pawful of slippery earth and smeared it against the side of the tunnel. He felt the earth trembling beneath his pads. The river must be very close.

Splat. Another lump landed at his paws. Splat. Splat.

The tunnelers were tossing clods so fast that Tallpaw hopped back to avoid them. He snatched another pawful and slapped it against the wall. Working as fast as he could, he gathered pawful after pawful of clay, spreading it along the passage behind him until he could hardly squeeze past the fresh, slimy layer. He paused for breath, his muscles aching. He must look like a mud-drowned rat by now.

“Tallpaw?”

As he turned back for more mud, he felt his father’s breath near his muzzle. “What?”

“This is what I always dreamed of,” Sandgorse mewed softly. “You working beside me. Digging a new tunnel together, a tunnel that may be the one to change WindClan’s destiny forever.”

Tallpaw stiffened. Did Sandgorse think he’d change his mind about becoming a moor runner now that he’d been underground? Another gob of clay splatted in the passage beside Tallpaw and his father darted back to help the others.

“Are we nearly there?” Tallpaw called above the rumbling of the river. His ear fur quivered. Has it gotten louder?

“We’ll hit air any moment!” Sandgorse sounded as excited as a kit at his naming ceremony.

“Wait!” Mistmouse snapped from somewhere in the darkness.

“What is it?” Woollytail’s mew was edged with alarm.

The tunnelers paused. A long, mournful creak echoed along the passage. It sounded like stone flexing, with the deep suck of mud gradually releasing its grip on a hillside that had stood for moons.

“StarClan, help us.” Hickorynose’s mew was barely more than a whisper.

“What’s happening?” Tallpaw asked nervously.

“Run!”

Paws scrambled in the darkness. Tallpaw felt fur press against him.

“Tallpaw!” Sandgorse’s yowl pierced his ear fur. “Run!”

Shock pulsed though Tallpaw. Spinning around, he pelted up the tunnel. “Sandgorse!” He glanced over his shoulder into blackness.

“Behind you!” Sandgorse called. “Hickorynose? Woollytail? Mistmouse?”

“Here!”

“Here!

“Here!”

“Faster, Tallpaw!” Sandgorse urged, panic edging his mew.

Behind them, an earsplitting roar shook the earth as water exploded into the tunnel. Tallpaw’s pads slithered on the mud. Ears flat, he flailed in the darkness, skidding against walls as the tunnels twisted.

“Let me through.” Sandgorse barged past him. “Keep your nose to my tail and run!”

Tallpaw obeyed, too frightened to speak. He couldn’t run properly here. There was no space to curve his spine or stretch his legs. Terror pulsing through every hair, he focused on the touch of Sandgorse’s tail-tip on his nose. Water roared behind them like wind caught in a valley. It charged after them, making the ground tremble.

Just keep running!

Tallpaw’s chest heaved. There was no air here! How could he breathe? Panic flared inside him, but he kept running until light flashed ahead—brighter, brighter, now dazzling—and they were out, bursting from the tunnel like rabbits chased by a fox.

Tallpaw collapsed on the grass. Through glazed eyes he saw Hickorynose flash past him with Woollytail and Mistmouse. They had all made it. With a sigh, Tallpaw shut his eyes, his breath slowing.

Paw steps paced the grass beside him. “I can’t believe we got it wrong.”

Tallpaw pricked his ears. Sandgorse sounded annoyed. Wasn’t he scared?

Hickorynose grunted. “I’d been counting the tail-lengths, and I was sure we had two more to go before we reached the river.”

“We didn’t take enough notice of the easy digging in leaf-bare,” Woollytail huffed angrily. “We reached the water faster than we expected.”

Tallpaw opened his eyes.

Mistmouse was peering down the rabbit hole. “At least the flooding will let us know where the river is.”

Tallpaw sat up. “We nearly drowned! You can’t go back down there!”

“But we didn’t drown,” Sandgorse pointed out. “And we’ve learned a lot for next time.”

“Next time?” Tallpaw shook his ears in disbelief. “Are you planning to carry on with the tunnel?”

“Of course.” Mistmouse looked over her shoulder at him. “Now that we have a tunnel with water in it, we’ll know what level to aim for on the wall of the gorge. Obviously the new tunnel will have to come out higher next time.”

“Should I fetch Plumclaw?” Hickorynose suggested. “She’ll want to be part of this.”

“Yes.” Woollytail turned excitedly in a circle. “We’ll be through to the gorge by moonhigh.”

“But it’s dangerous!” Tallpaw’s heart seemed to beat in his throat.

“Not if you know what you’re doing.” Sandgorse’s eyes were bright with exhilaration. Had he enjoyed racing the river? Tallpaw winced. His father had even more courage than he thought.

“Why don’t you go back to camp?” Sandgorse meowed. “Have a rest and get cleaned up. Then you can come back and help us with the new section.”

Come back? Tallpaw decided he’d rather face a patrol of ShadowClan warriors.