Tallstar’s Revenge

“It’s your duty to be the best warrior you can, for your Clan,” Barkpaw argued. “And you could have been the best moor runner ever.”

“I can be the best tunneler ever.” Tallpaw turned and bounded up the bank.

“This won’t bring Sandgorse back, you know!” Barkpaw called after him.

“I know that! This is about me, not him!” Tallpaw marched back to camp, pelt twitching. Why can’t Barkpaw try to understand?

“Hey, Wormpaw!” Shrewpaw was waiting inside the camp entrance. “I hear you’re going to train where you belong, at last.”

Tallpaw shrugged. “Relieved that you don’t have competition anymore, weaselpaw?”

Reena trotted across the clearing. “Arguing again, Tallpaw?”

“He started it!” Tallpaw bristled.

Shrewpaw glanced at Reena. “Tallpaw would argue with his reflection in the spring,” he sniffed. “I can’t wait to train without him snarling at me.”

Tallpaw unsheathed his claws.

“Let all cats old enough to catch prey gather beneath Tallrock.” Heatherstar’s call made Tallpaw spin around. Was she going to announce his new mentor? Excitement rippled through his pelt. Would she choose Woollytail? Sandgorse would be pleased to see his old friend training Tallpaw. Tallpaw raced for the Meeting Hollow, leaping down onto the sandy earth as his Clanmates streamed across the clearing to join him. Tallpaw watched Dawnstripe sheathe and unsheathe her claws as she sat opposite him, her eyes round with worry.

Don’t be upset. Tallpaw felt a prick of guilt. Please understand that I have to do this.

Heatherstar stepped to the edge of the rock. “Meadowslip’s kits have brought new life to WindClan. Let us pray that Hopkit, Sorrelkit, and Pigeonkit grow into strong, healthy warriors.”

Murmurs of approval rippled though the Clan. Tallpaw lifted his chin. Me next. The WindClan leader caught his eye, her shoulders stiffening. Tallpaw paused. Is she angry about my change of heart?

“WindClan,” Heatherstar began, “you have known for some time that I have had doubts about our tunneling.”

“What is she talking about?” Plumclaw hissed.

“Hush.” Hickorynose stared up at their leader.

“Tallpaw has asked to train as a tunneler,” Heatherstar went on. “I can only admire his loyalty to the memory of his father. Sandgorse’s death shook us all. We will grieve him for many moons to come.” She glanced sympathetically at Palebird. “Tallpaw’s wish to learn the skills that led to his father’s death shows true courage.”

Tallpaw padded forward expectantly.

“However.” The sharpening of Heatherstar’s mew made him stop. “I have thought long and hard,” the WindClan leader went on. “And I’ve decided that there will be no more tunneling for WindClan.”

Tallpaw blinked. What?

“This is not a decision I take lightly, but I hope that many of you will support me.”

Reedfeather, at the base of the rock, nodded solemnly. Aspenfall and Cloudrunner exchanged approving looks.

“We do not need the tunnels,” Heatherstar explained. “Prey has run aboveground for many leaf-bares. We have improved our hunting skills, learned to work in teams. Even in the harshest weather, we have been able to catch prey aboveground.”

Plumclaw’s tail whipped over the sandy earth.

Heatherstar pressed on. “WindClan’s tunneling skills have served us well for countless moons, but a new dawn is coming. Our moor-running skills are more important. We have enemies to fight aboveground. And we must fight them. We can’t hide in our tunnels and hope they will go away. We must train hard and become warriors to equal any Clan.” She lifted her muzzle. “It will take time and effort, but we will become stronger than WindClan has ever been. In moons to come, the other Clans will fear us.”

“They fear us already!” Plumclaw yowled.

“You saw Stonetooth when ShadowClan attacked.” Heatherstar’s gaze fixed on the dark gray tunneler. “He spoke as though we were vermin to be cleared from the moor.”

“They think of us as rabbits!” Redclaw growled.

Aspenfall clawed the earth. “We must prove that we are warriors!”

“What about our tunneling skills?” Woollytail growled.

“They won’t be forgotten,” Heatherstar promised. “Our tunnelers won’t have to retrain as moor runners. Their duty now will be to block all the tunnels, making them safe for future generations of WindClan cats.”

“Block them?” Plumclaw stared at her in amazement. “What about all our hard work digging them?”

“I don’t want to lose another cat in those tunnels,” Heatherstar insisted. “And no more cats will train as tunnelers. Ever.”

Rage surged through Tallpaw. How could she deny him his entire future? “Then Sandgorse died for nothing?” he hissed.

Hickorynose padded forward and smoothed Tallpaw’s bristling pelt with his tail. “Not for nothing, Tallpaw,” he meowed gently. “His death will be the last death in the tunnels.”

Tallpaw stared at him. “You sound like you want to stop tunneling!”