The Forgotten Warrior

Dovewing heard several cats catch their breath in excitement. They actually believe this nonsense?

“That mangy fleapelt yowled to the moon and back, I can tell you,” Sol went on. “It went yelping back to its Twolegs with its tail between its legs and me still clinging onto its neck.”

“Did the Twolegs catch you?” Blossomfall asked breathlessly.

Sol shook his head. “Just before the dog ran up to them, I jumped off and hid in some ferns. They shouted at the dog for running off, and put its tendril-thing back on. And that was the last I saw of it.”

Trying to ignore the admiring comments from her Clanmates, Dovewing stared at Sol. She cast back through her recent memories in case she could pick up any faint sounds that might have been him trespassing on ThunderClan territory. But there was nothing. She shook her head in frustration.

If only I had my proper senses… What if I never get them back?

Dovewing jumped as a tail rested on her shoulder, and turned to see Cinderheart.

“Cheer up,” the gray she-cat meowed. “Whatever’s worrying you, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know,” Dovewing murmured. “It’s Sol… I don’t like him, and I don’t like the fact that he’s here.”

Cinderheart nodded, her blue eyes sympathetic. “I’m not too sure about Sol myself,” she confessed. “But if he did save the apprentices, then the Clan owes him a decent meal and shelter, at least.”

While Dovewing was thinking that over, she noticed Bumblestripe getting up from his place beside Blossomfall. The thick-furred warrior, his pelt just like his father’s, stretched before padding over to her.

“Hi, Dovewing,” he meowed. “I feel like going for a walk in the forest. Do you want to come with me?”

“Not right now,” Dovewing replied. “I’ll probably go to my den soon.”

Bumblestripe blinked, a hurt expression in his eyes. “Oh, okay.” He turned away and vanished down the thorn tunnel.

“That wasn’t very kind,” Cinderheart murmured. “Don’t go trampling on Bumblestripe’s heart. He really likes you.”

Dovewing wriggled, feeling her pelt grow hot with embarrassment. “No, he doesn’t…” she began.

“Of course he does.” Cinderheart sounded convinced. “You know,” she added more seriously, “if there are no obstacles to getting to know a cat better, then you should take the opportunity.”

“Does that mean that you and Lionblaze—”

Dovewing broke off as Cinderheart shook her head, her blue eyes clouding with sadness. “No,” she mewed. “There is an obstacle to that, but you’d never understand.”

Dovewing stared at her. Does Cinderheart know about Lionblaze’s special power? Is that the obstacle?

She opened her jaws to question Cinderheart, but the gray she-cat never gave her the chance. “Off you go after Bumblestripe,” she urged. “It’s not too late. He’ll be so happy to see you.”

Though she still had misgivings, Dovewing didn’t argue. Ducking through the barrier, she emerged into the cool, dusky wood. Moonlight shone through the leaves, turning the forest floor into a pattern of silver and shadow. A faint breeze stirred the grass and rustled the leaves above Dovewing’s head.

“Bumblestripe!” she called.

There was no reply. Dovewing tried to send out her senses, straining to listen. After a moment she picked up the sound of paw steps, and the image of a cat sitting by the lake. Excitement tingled through Dovewing from ears to tail-tip. Maybe my special powers are starting to come back!

She raced through the forest in the direction of the cat she had seen. It was harder to stay focused, and the image was fainter than before, but when she burst out of the undergrowth onto the lakeshore she was delighted to see Bumblestripe sitting at the water’s edge, his face turned upward to the stars. The stripes on his pale pelt stood out sharply in the silver moonlight.

“Bumblestripe!” she called, her voice high-pitched with joy that she hadn’t lost her power for good.

Bumblestripe sprang to his paws and whirled around. “Dovewing!” he exclaimed, running to meet her. “You came,” he added, purring so hard he could hardly get the words out. “Come and sit beside me. It’s beautiful here.”

Dovewing suddenly felt awkward. “Is it okay if we go for a walk instead?” she asked.

“Sure.”

Together the two cats turned to pad along the shore, Bumblestripe walking close enough that their pelts brushed. Dovewing fished for something to talk about.

“Do you remember Sol from when he was here before?” she asked as the silence began to drag out.

“Sort of,” Bumblestripe replied. “I recognized him when he turned up today. But I was only a kit then.”

“What do you think of him?”

Bumblestripe shrugged. “He thinks a lot of himself, doesn’t he?”