The Forgotten Warrior

Dovewing was still listening to the approaching WindClan warriors as they crossed the moorland and approached the border with ThunderClan. Suddenly the noise of their voices and paw steps was cut off and their images faded to nothing. Dovewing’s belly churned; she knew what that meant.

“We must hurry!” she meowed to Firestar.

Several other cats looked at her in surprise, not understanding the reason for her eagerness. Of course they don’t know that I can sense WindClan as far away as their own territory.

Hollyleaf came striding over to her. “Lionblaze tells me that you can hear things,” she mewed quietly. “Far away, I mean.”

Dovewing nodded.

“Because of the prophecy about the Three?” Hollyleaf’s voice was strained.

Feeling awkward, Dovewing replied, “Yes.” She could guess how difficult it must be for Hollyleaf not to have a part in the prophecy with her littermates. It can’t be easy for her to talk to me about it.

Hollyleaf was silent for several heartbeats, then gave her ears a decisive twitch. “Well, let’s make the most of it. What are the WindClan cats doing now?”

“They’ve entered the tunnels,” Dovewing told her. “It’s really hard to hear them underground.”

“All the same tunnel?” Hollyleaf prompted.

Dovewing stretched her senses to their limits and found that she could still pick up faint traces of the advancing enemy. “Yes, I think they’re all together,” she muttered, concentrating with every hair on her pelt. “Now they’re entering the cavern with the river running across it… now they’re entering another tunnel…”

“I think I can work out where they are,” Hollyleaf hissed. “And where they’re likely to head…” She turned to Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Lionblaze, who had come over to listen. “We’ll split into three,” she went on. “One patrol will enter the tunnel above the camp, a second will take the tunnel near the old Twoleg nest, and a third the one by the lake. Our aim is to push the WindClan cats back into the cavern with the river, where there’ll be more room to fight.”

Brambleclaw gave her an approving nod. He leaped up onto a boulder and began dividing the warriors up into patrols. “I’ll lead one,” he announced, gesturing with his tail, “Hollyleaf another, and Brackenfur, you take the third. Hollyleaf tells me you’re the best at underground fighting.”

Looking pleased and a bit embarrassed, Brackenfur moved to stand with his patrol.

“But we’re not in a patrol!” Cherrypaw objected.

“We want to fight WindClan,” Molepaw agreed.

“Wrong, Cherrypaw—you’re in my patrol,” Firestar told her. “We’ll stay here in the hollow to defend the elders and the nursery if WindClan manages to break through.”

The two apprentices exchanged a glance; Dovewing could see they weren’t sure whether to be disappointed not to be fighting underground, or pleased to be chosen for a patrol by their Clan leader.

“We can fight, too, if we have to,” Daisy meowed, padding up with Ferncloud. “We’ll guard Sorreltail and the kits.”

“And me,” Purdy added, lumbering across from the elders’ den. “Just because I’m old, don’t mean I can’t fight. I’ve clawed more cats than you young ’uns have eaten mice. There was a time—”

“Thanks, all of you,” Firestar meowed, cutting off Purdy before he could embark on one of his interminable stories.

As the three tunnel patrols set off for the camp entrance, Cinderheart appeared from the medicine cat’s den. “I will fight, too,” she announced, padding over to join Hollyleaf.

Oh, really? Dovewing thought, pricking her ears with interest.

A few cats muttered something in response to Cinderheart’s announcement, but there was no time for questions. Hollyleaf broke into a run, taking the lead as she raced through the thorn tunnel and out into the forest.

Dovewing and Ivypool were in Hollyleaf’s patrol, along with Cinderheart, Sandstorm, Mousewhisker, and Berrynose. Hollyleaf led them in a swift scramble up the path to the top of the hollow and up to the tunnel entrance.

“Follow me in,” she murmured to Dovewing. “I need you to tell me what WindClan is doing. Sandstorm,” she added, raising her voice, “bring up the rear. Let me know if there’s any trouble behind.”

“Got it,” Sandstorm responded, her pale green eyes gleaming in the strengthening dawn light.

Dovewing took a deep breath and followed Hollyleaf into the tunnel. Instantly the sound of WindClan burst into her ears. “They’re running so fast!” she gasped.

“Where?” Hollyleaf’s voice was terse.

“Not here, not yet,” Dovewing whispered as she and Hollyleaf raced down the tunnel at the head of the patrol. “They’ve come up against one of the entrances Dustpelt and Brackenfur blocked off… now they’re turning around… they’re coming this way!”