The Forgotten Warrior

Dovewing nodded, concentrating hard as the WindClan leader’s words faded in, as if he were approaching from a long distance.

“…trouble with ThunderClan,” Onestar meowed. “Border patrols need to keep a special lookout. If you pick up their scent on our side of the stream, I want to know about it.”

“You will, don’t worry,” Crowfeather growled, digging his claws into the earth.

Dovewing repeated what she could hear to Firestar, who twitched one ear in surprise.

“That’s almost word for word what I said to ThunderClan,” he murmured. “Has Onestar mentioned Sol at all?”

Dovewing kept listening, but the WindClan leader had gone on to give Ashfoot instructions about hunting patrols.

“Not a word,” she replied to Firestar.

“Then either he doesn’t know what Sol is planning,” Firestar mewed, “or he’s being very careful about what he says. At any rate, it doesn’t sound as if the attack will happen anytime soon. Can you see Sol?” he added.

Dovewing cast her senses out again, carefully searching the WindClan camp, then widening her focus to take in the whole of the WindClan territory as far as the horseplace. Sweeping back toward the ThunderClan border, she encountered one of the tunnel entrances and tried to penetrate the tunnels, but after a few fox-lengths the weight of stones and earth blocked her from continuing.

Returning to reality in Firestar’s den felt like coming back to the surface after sinking for a long time into dark water.

“Not a trace,” she replied to Firestar’s question. “He doesn’t seem to be in WindClan, unless he’s down one of the tunnels. My senses don’t work too well underground.”

Firestar nodded thoughtfully, not speaking.

“I suppose it’s too much to hope that Sol has gone away?” Dovewing suggested after a moment.

“No, he’s still here,” Firestar assured her. “He has a score to settle with the Clans—I just don’t know why.”

When Firestar dismissed her, Dovewing ran lightly down the tumbled rocks to find Bumblestripe waiting for her.

“Brambleclaw went ahead with the others,” the young warrior explained. “He asked me to wait for you and show you where we’re going to train.”

“Okay, thanks,” Dovewing mewed. It felt comfortable to head across the clearing beside Bumblestripe.

“What did Firestar want?” the gray tom asked. “Are you in trouble?”

“No, it was just… stuff.” However much she liked Bumblestripe, she couldn’t tell him what Firestar had asked her to do. That would take a whole moon to explain!

“Firestar has never invited me into his den,” Bumblestripe continued, sounding slightly envious.

Dovewing shrugged. “It was no big deal.”

Leading the way through the thorn tunnel, she realized that she wanted to push her special powers to the back of her mind when she was with Bumblestripe. She just wanted to be an ordinary cat. It’s a nice change from when I was with Tigerheart! Then I always had to be listening to make sure no other cats found us.

Brambleclaw had taken the rest of the group to a small clearing on the ShadowClan side of the territory, not far from the dead tree. Holly and elder bushes lined the rim of a shallow dip, which was filled with long grass and ferns.

When Dovewing and Bumblestripe arrived, Brambleclaw was sitting at one side of the hollow, watching Toadstep and Blossomfall as they stalked around each other. Without warning, Blossomfall darted in, skillfully hooked Toadstep’s legs from under him, and delivered a blow to his hindquarters before leaping back out of range.

“Well done,” Brambleclaw meowed. “You’ve got that move perfectly, Blossomfall.”

Toadstep scrambled to his paws and shook scraps of fern out of his pelt. “She sure has!”

Brambleclaw looked up as Dovewing and Bumblestripe padded down the slope to join the others. “Good, you made it. Now I’m going to show you a new move.”

“Great!” Blossomfall exclaimed, bounding over to Bumblestripe. “Come on,” she urged him, “let’s work on it together.”

Bumblestripe looked briefly embarrassed. “Er… sorry, but I’m going to partner with Dovewing.”

Blossomfall’s ears shot straight up in surprise. “Excuse me, but who’s your littermate?” she muttered. “You could show a little loyalty, you know.”

Dovewing was slightly shocked at Blossomfall’s hostility. Why is it such a big deal? “I don’t mind if you partner with Blossomfall,” she told Bumblestripe.

“No, Blossomfall’s being ridiculous,” Bumblestripe retorted. “Of course I’m not being disloyal if I partner with you.”

“Do you mind?” Brambleclaw rose to his paws and padded over to them, his strong shoulders thrusting the ferns aside. “Stop twittering like a lot of starlings and let’s get on with it.”

Blossomfall spun around, stuck her tail in the air, and stalked across the clearing to Toadstep.

“I’ll demonstrate the move first, and then you can try it yourselves,” Brambleclaw meowed. “Dovewing, you’re a WindClan cat. Come and attack me.”