The Forgotten Warrior

“Use stones to shut out the light.” Dovewing was surprised at how confident Hollyleaf sounded. She’s thought all this out! “Sticks will let light through, and so cats will try to get out that way. If you use stones, they’ll just think it’s a dead end.”

Remembering her own time in the tunnels, Dovewing winced at the thought of meeting darkness at every turn. She had to remind herself that WindClan was the enemy. No cat asked them to attack. I shouldn’t feel a mousetail of sympathy for them!

“Hollyleaf,” Brambleclaw meowed, “will you train us in fighting skills that are suitable for the tunnels, in case we have to take the battle underground?”

“Of course I will,” Hollyleaf replied. “I—”

“What?” Spiderleg interrupted, thrusting himself forward. “Is she coming straight back as a warrior, then?”

Brambleclaw gave him a steady glance. “Why not?”

“Well…” Spiderleg scuffled his forepaws in the dust. “She’s been away for so long. What if she’s forgotten everything?”

Hollyleaf looked up from her plan, her neck fur bristling and her green eyes sparking with annoyance. “You think I didn’t have to catch my own food while I was away?” she hissed. “Or fight off rogues and foxes without help? I promise you, Spiderleg, my skills are as sharp as they ever were.”

“Just like your tongue,” Berrynose muttered.

There were no more interruptions while Brambleclaw organized the hunting patrols, and named warriors for battle training sessions with Hollyleaf and to help Dustpelt and Brackenfur block up the farthest tunnels. He paused when he came to Dovewing and Ivypool, looking them up and down as he flicked the tip of his tail.

“Since you’ve already been underground,” he mewed, “you’d better learn to look after yourselves properly. You can go into Hollyleaf’s training group.”

Dovewing and Ivypool crossed the clearing to where Hollyleaf was waiting. Brackenfur, Brightheart, Thornclaw, and Toadstep were clustered around her.

“Okay, let’s go,” she meowed. “Listen to everything I tell you, because it could save your life.”

Chapter 21

Hollyleaf led the way out of the camp and up the steep path that brought the group to the top of the hollow. Pushing through the undergrowth, she halted beside an outcrop of stones.

“This is near the place where I found those marigold plants in water up a tree,” Ivypool told Dovewing. With a gasp she swung around and faced Hollyleaf. “Wait—was that you?”

Hollyleaf nodded.

“And the yarrow?” Brightheart asked.

Dovewing could tell that Hollyleaf was uncomfortable with the attention of all the cats fixed on her. “I trained as a medicine cat first, remember,” she muttered. “I knew that I could help, so I did.”

“So you were watching us all the time?” Brightheart murmured.

Hollyleaf stiffened. “It wasn’t like that! I wasn’t spying!”

“I wasn’t accusing you of spying.” Brightheart reached out with her tail to rest it on Hollyleaf’s shoulder. “It’s just good to know that you didn’t forget about us.”

“I would never do that,” Hollyleaf mewed. Giving her pelt a shake, she ducked behind the stones. Following her, Dovewing saw the gaping hole in the ground where she and Ivypool had ventured before, following Sol into the tunnels.

“You mean we’re going down there?” Thornclaw asked, his whiskers twitching nervously. “It’s not natural. We’re not moles or foxes! Cats shouldn’t be trapped down a hole!”

Toadstep shoved him to one side. “We won’t be trapped, mouse-brain! Let’s go!”

Before he could plunge into the darkness, Brackenfur stopped him with his tail across the entrance. “Hold on a moment. You can’t just go rushing into danger.” He sniffed warily at the stones that surrounded the hole. “These might fall and block us in.”

“You’re right, Brackenfur,” Hollyleaf agreed, “but if they did, it wouldn’t be a disaster. There are plenty of other ways out. Don’t forget that I know these tunnels.” Stepping back, she gestured with her tail. “All of you, have a good sniff. We’re not going anywhere until every cat is ready.”

While the other cats crowded around the hole, Toadstep glanced at Dovewing and Ivypool. “You two aren’t saying much,” he remarked.

He doesn’t know we’ve already been down there, Dovewing thought. And he’d better not find out. If Firestar knew we entered the tunnels on our own, we would be back on apprentice duties before you could say mouse.

Aloud she mewed, “We’re just looking forward to learning how to move through the tunnels.”

Ivypool nodded. “Right.”

“Right,” Hollyleaf went on when every cat had taken a good look at the entrance. “We’ll go in now. Follow me, and don’t even think about trying to explore on your own.” She gave Toadstep a hard look.

“Okay,” he muttered.