The Forgotten Warrior

She was poised to come to Hollyleaf’s aid with teeth and claws, but quickly she realized that she wouldn’t be needed. Hollyleaf fought with swift, neat blows, remembering her own tunnel training, while Sol was soon flailing around at random shadows as Hollyleaf slid nimbly away from his blows.

At last Hollyleaf darted in with her belly brushing the floor, and knocked Sol’s legs out from under him. As Sol fell on one side she pinned him down with one forepaw on his belly and the other across his throat. Sol looked up at her with fear and hatred in his eyes.

“I would gladly kill you,” Hollyleaf told him. “But the warrior code tells us to show mercy to a defeated enemy. I will let you escape once and for all, if you promise never to come back and trouble the Clans again.”

Sol was silent as Hollyleaf stood back and allowed him to stand up. He stood over her, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. “I cannot make that promise,” he hissed.

Hollyleaf didn’t flinch. “Then I will kill you, if you return and threaten my Clanmates.”

“I’ll be ready.” Sol’s voice was soft and menacing. Then he slipped past Hollyleaf and was lost in the darkness.

“Why did you let him go?” Dovewing demanded, every hair on her pelt quivering. “He was at your mercy!”

“We have to let the warrior code rule our hearts,” Hollyleaf answered. Her voice was blurred with exhaustion. “The death of a warrior does not mean victory.”

Dovewing took a pace forward and pressed her muzzle into Hollyleaf’s shoulder. Sending out her special senses, she could hear WindClan retreating to their camp, and her own Clanmates heading back through the tunnels, bleeding and battered, but triumphant. Later, there would be time to think about Sol’s strange threat, about this mysterious Clan that had wronged him so long ago. For now, the battle had been won. A much greater battle lay ahead, one that would be lost unless the four Clans by the lake could unite and fight side by side. Every moment that the Clans were at war with one another, they were at the mercy of the Dark Forest. They had to find a way to settle their quarrels, to join together against their greatest enemy. Was that what the prophecy meant, that Dovewing, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze would be able to unite the cats around the lake?

Dovewing felt bone-weary from her ears to the tip of her tail. Just because she had better hearing, sharper senses than any other cat didn’t seem to give her more strength. She needed to rest, eat, talk with Jayfeather and Lionblaze about the challenge that Sol had left them with, of hostile Clans that would be crushed by the Dark Forest if they tried to fight alone. StarClan, light my path, please.

“Come on,” she meowed to Hollyleaf. “It’s time we went home. Our Clanmates are waiting for us.”

Warriors Adventure Game

Training Day

Whatever the previous adventure you played, consider that one moon has passed since then. Determine what age that makes all of the cat characters (including the one belonging to the person who will take the first turn as Narrator) and use the information found in the “Improving Your Cat” section of Chapter Four in the game rules to make the necessary improvements.

Unless you are the first person who will act as Narrator in this adventure, you should stop reading here. The information beginning in the next paragraph is for the Narrator only.

The Adventure Begins

Hello, Narrator! It’s time to begin playing “Training Day.” Make sure all the players have their character sheets, the correct number of chips, a piece of paper, and a pencil. For this adventure, you will also need a six-sided die (like those you find in most standard board games). Remember that the point of the game is to have fun, so don’t be afraid to go slow, keep the players involved, and refer to the rules if you aren’t sure exactly what should happen next.

When you’re ready, begin with 1 below.

1. A Time to Teach

Special Note: Over the course of the previously published adventures, your cat characters have grown and improved—going from newly promoted apprentices to experienced warriors. The Clans are tight-knit groups that depend on older members to pass their knowledge down to the younger ones. Just as the players’ cats had mentors and teachers who taught them the basics of life in the forests around the lake, in the opening scenes of “Training Day” the players’ cats take their turn sharing the knowledge they’ve gained with a new generation of apprentices.

Read Aloud: “Usually, the training of apprentices is handled completely within their own Clans. However, in an effort to reduce suspicion and tension between Clans, the Clan leaders have decided to try an experiment. They want a group of warriors to spend a day working with apprentices from Clans other than their own, and your cats have been chosen to take part in this experiment.”