The Forgotten Warrior

At last he padded up to Firestar, who touched him on the shoulder with his tail-tip. “From this time forward, this kit will be known as Molepaw,” he declared. “Now, go and touch noses with Rosepetal.”

The young tom did as he was told, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“The Clan meeting is over,” Firestar meowed.

But before any cat could move, Brackenfur came bounding over. “Just a moment, Firestar. I have some news to share with the Clan.”

Firestar waved his tail, giving the ginger warrior permission to speak.

“Sorreltail is having kits again,” Brackenfur announced.

Yowls of congratulation rose up from the Clan. Lionblaze spotted Cinderheart and Poppyfrost, the kits of Sorreltail’s first litter, exchanging a delighted glance.

Sorreltail raised her voice above the noise. “They’ll be born in just under a moon.”

Daisy padded over to her and gave her ear a lick, and Ferncloud pressed her muzzle into Sorreltail’s shoulder. “It’s great that you’ll be moving into the nursery with us,” she mewed.

Listening to them, Lionblaze couldn’t help glancing at Cinderheart, but she had moved away from his side and was talking excitedly to Poppyfrost.

Foxleap and Rosepetal were padding toward the thorn tunnel, their apprentices bouncing alongside them. Molepaw seemed to have forgotten his misgivings, and looked as excited as his sister.

“They’re so little,” Poppyfrost murmured as they passed her. “I hope they won’t be too tired, walking all the way around the border.”

“They’ll be fine,” Cinderheart reassured her.

“Of course they will,” Berrynose added, touching his nose to his mate’s ear. “Our kits will be the best apprentices the Clan has ever seen.”

Lionblaze turned away, trying to push down his envy. As the Clan meeting broke up, he spotted Ivypool heading for her den, and bounded across to intercept her. “What was all that about WindClan?” he asked. “Which warriors were involved?”

Ivypool paused as if she was reluctant to answer. “Heathertail and Breezepelt, and their apprentices,” she mewed at last.

It would be, Lionblaze thought. “They just challenged you? There wasn’t any actual fighting?”

Ivypool shook her head.

“It was fine,” Birchfall meowed, overhearing. “We were never in any danger. Breezepelt wasn’t going to cause trouble. Sorreltail overreacted, that’s all.”

Lionblaze studied Birchfall for a heartbeat, surprised at how confident he sounded. Normally any ThunderClan cat returned from an encounter with Breezepelt ruffled and hissing. Why had this time been so different? He narrowed his eyes. Was it because Birchfall and Breezepelt had a connection that went beyond a shared border?

“Tell me more about what happened,” he prompted Ivypool as soon as Birchfall was out of earshot again. “Is there something between Birchfall and Breezepelt? Have you seen Birchfall in the Dark Forest?”

“N-no,” Ivypool replied.

Her hesitation made Lionblaze suspicious. “But you know he goes there, right?” Frustrated, he added, “You’re supposed to tell us everything about the Dark Forest! Even if it involves your father. I think you need to consider where your loyalties lie.”

Fury flared in Ivypool’s eyes. “How dare you question my loyalties?” she snarled. “I risk my life for my Clan every time I go to sleep!”

“What’s going on?” Dovewing’s voice sounded behind Lionblaze, and he turned to see her racing up to him. “What are you doing to Ivypool?”

“Nothing,” Lionblaze defended himself.

“So accusing me of being disloyal is nothing, is it?” Ivypool challenged him, her eyes still blazing with rage.

“That’s not fair!” Dovewing exclaimed. “Just back off, Lionblaze. If we can’t trust our Clanmates, who can we trust?”

Lionblaze snorted. “I don’t know. I’d trust Ivypool more if she’d give me a straight answer.”

Ivypool didn’t answer, just spun around and stalked off. Dovewing was about to follow when Lionblaze blocked her with his tail.

“Make sure you listen carefully for anything happening on the WindClan border,” he meowed.

To his surprise, Dovewing hung her head and muttered something that Lionblaze couldn’t catch.

“What?” he asked.

Dovewing looked up; Lionblaze felt his pelt prickle with apprehension as he saw real fear in her eyes.

“My extra senses haven’t come back after my trip to the mountains,” she confessed. “What if I’ve lost my power?”

Lionblaze stared at her. “But you’re one of the Three.”

Dovewing shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s because I heard and saw too much when I was beyond the ridge of hills, or if I’ve become too good at blocking out far-off sounds. I had to do that when we were traveling, or everything would have overwhelmed me.”

“I’m sure you’ll be all right,” Lionblaze soothed her instinctively, remembering the time when she was his apprentice. “You just need to give it time. Your senses will come back.”