The Forgotten Warrior

Still treading carefully, he slunk around the boulders, his gaze flicking from side to side in search of another hole. Finally he found it: smaller than the first, and well-hidden in a clump of ferns.

Yes!

After a moment’s thought, Lionblaze searched until he found a fallen branch, and dragged it back to the second hole, jamming it firmly across the opening.

I don’t know if the intruder is in there, but I’m taking no chances.

He returned to the first entrance, crouching down and straining to see inside. But it was impossible to make out anything in the darkness.

There’s no other choice. I’ll have to go in.

For a couple of heartbeats he hesitated. He really didn’t want to squeeze himself into the dark hole. It was too small for him, and he felt as if he would hardly be able to breathe in the cramped space. There could be anything down there… snakes… foxes…

Then he gave his pelt a shake. Are you a warrior, or a mouse? Flattening himself to the ground, he began to thrust his shoulders into the narrow gap and crawl forward.

A voice spoke behind him. “Hello, Lionblaze.”

Lionblaze’s heart jumped. He whipped around, banging his head on the boulder that sheltered the hole. Then his jaw dropped open and he stared in astonishment. In front of him stood a cat that he had never expected to see again.

“Sol!”

Sol inclined his head. His mottled brown-and-black pelt gleamed in the sunlight and his whiskers arched with amusement as he looked at Lionblaze. “How appropriate that you’re the first cat that I see when I return,” he mewed, giving his chest fur a couple of licks. “After all, you were the last cat I saw before I left.”

Guilt surged over Lionblaze as he remembered how he had helped Sol escape from the ThunderClan camp, genuinely believing that he didn’t deserve to be kept prisoner.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his mind racing.

Sol’s ears twitched in surprise. “No warm welcome for a former Clanmate?”

“You were never my Clanmate,” Lionblaze retorted, struggling to keep calm, furious with himself that Sol had caught him off-balance, with his pelt covered in soil and debris. “And you’re wrong to expect a welcome from any of us,” he went on. “We know what you did to Blackstar and ShadowClan.”

Sol’s eyes widened in a hurt expression. “I simply suggested a different way of living. The world doesn’t begin and end with the warrior code, you know.” An ominous note crept into his voice. “But I also know that the warrior code insists that you treat visitors with courtesy. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to visit old friends, is there?”

Lionblaze gritted his teeth. This cat leaves me wrong-footed whatever I say! “We were never your friends,” he muttered.

“Oh, I think you were,” Sol meowed. “After all, you helped me to escape, didn’t you?” Blinking at Lionblaze’s hiss of annoyance, he added, “Ah, I see that this isn’t common knowledge. I can’t say I’m surprised. Hardly your finest moment, was it, releasing a prisoner? Though I have to say I was never entirely sure what I was captured for.” He examined the claws on one forepaw. “So, are you going to take me to Firestar?”

Surprise rippled through Lionblaze’s pelt. “Really?”

Sol nodded. “Why not? I have no quarrel with him, even if he did imprison me for no reason. We can share stories about the old days by the lake. The vanishing sun—remember that?”

Lionblaze shuddered and looked up at the sky, remembering the unnatural darkness, chill, and silence all too clearly.

“It’s all right,” Sol purred. “I’m not going to make it disappear again. As long as I’m not treated unfairly, that is.”

Lionblaze emerged from the thorn tunnel with Sol just behind him. Most of the patrols had returned by this time, and the stone hollow was filled with cats sunning themselves, sharing tongues, or gossiping beside the fresh-kill pile. Dustpelt was crossing the clearing, heading for the dirtplace tunnel; he halted when he spotted Sol.

“I don’t believe it!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Cloudtail and Brightheart, curled up together in a sunny spot, raised their heads and stared. “Sol! It can’t be!” Cloudtail’s voice was a yowl of astonishment.

Alerted by the noise, two or three warriors poked their heads out of their den, then slid into the open. Brackenfur, who was sharing tongues with Sorreltail just outside, took one look, sprang to his paws, and raced up the rockfall toward Firestar’s den.

“Sol!” Squirrelflight gasped, looking up from the fresh-kill pile with a vole in her jaws. “Oh, no!”

Cherrypaw and Molepaw scampered across the clearing and skidded to a halt in front of Sol, gazing at him with eyes stretched wide in wonder.

“Are you really Sol?” Cherrypaw asked. “Mousefur was just telling us about you!”

“Yeah, are you the cat who stole the sun?” Molepaw added.