Yellowfang’s Secret

“The paw prints lead to that new tunnel the Twolegs made under the Thunderpath,” Blizzardwing reported. “And we know where that leads: WindClan territory!”

“What are we going to do?” Rowanpaw demanded.

Brightflower and Blizzardwing both looked at Deerleap, as senior warrior. She thought for a moment. “Blizzardwing, you should go back to camp and fetch reinforcements,” she replied at last. “Foxpaw and Wolfpaw, go with him, and stay in the camp.”

“What?” Wolfpaw exclaimed, dismayed. “We want to fight!”

“Yeah, we know some awesome moves,” Foxpaw added.

“Certainly not,” Deerleap meowed. “You’re both too young for battle.” Turning to Yellowpaw and her littermates, she added, “Do you feel ready for your first attack on an enemy?”

Yellowpaw’s belly flipped over. “Yes!” she choked out.

Her littermates’ eyes were wide with shock; they glanced at each other, then nodded.

“Not fair,” Wolfpaw muttered. “We can fight as well as them.”

Deerleap ignored his comment. “We’ll wait for you near the tunnel entrance,” she told Blizzardwing.

The white tom rounded up the younger apprentices and set off back to camp. When they had gone, Deerleap led the way along the line of the tracks until they came in sight of the narrow tunnel that led to WindClan. Yellowpaw could smell the WindClan scent even more strongly here.

“We’ll stop here,” Deerleap announced, halting beside a clump of long, marshy grass. “Settle down so you can’t be seen. And if any WindClan cats come out of the tunnel, don’t even twitch a whisker until I give the word.”

Yellowpaw obeyed, crouching down in the grass between Rowanpaw and Nutpaw. Her claws were extended and her muscles tensed to leap on any trespassers, but no cats had appeared by the time that Yellowpaw picked up a stronger ShadowClan scent and heard an approaching patrol brushing through the grass.

Deerleap rose to meet them, signaling to the apprentices to do the same. Stonetooth, the Clan deputy, was in the lead, with Brackenfoot and Crowtail close behind. Yellowpaw was surprised and a bit disappointed to see that Raggedpaw and Scorchpaw were with their mentors. She’d wanted herself and her littermates to be the only apprentices to face down WindClan this time.

“Where’s Blizzardwing?” Deerleap asked.

“He stayed to help guard the camp,” Stonetooth meowed. “Just in case WindClan thinks it can bring the battle to us.”

Deerleap sniffed. “I’d like to see them try.”

Excitement bubbled up inside Yellowpaw as the patrol prepared to leave. “We’ll make WindClan sorry they ever touched our prey.”

“Calm down,” Raggedpaw mewed. “This is what warriors do.”

“Yeah,” Scorchpaw added. “It’s just part of living in a Clan.”

“It’s your first time in battle too,” Nutpaw snorted, “so don’t pretend you’re not excited.”

Yellowpaw could see that her littermate was right. Scorchpaw was working his claws in the grass, and Raggedpaw’s amber eyes gleamed.

Stonetooth gathered the patrol with a wave of his tail. “I’ll lead,” he announced. “Brackenfoot, you bring up the rear, and keep an eye out for trouble behind.” The pale ginger tom nodded. Turning to the apprentices, Stonetooth went on. “Listen to everything I say. We won’t attack right away. We’ll give WindClan a chance to explain themselves first.”

“Like they’ll be able to explain WindClan scent and pigeon feathers inside our borders,” Deerleap snarled.

The patrol set off in single file. Yellowpaw was close to the rear, just ahead of Raggedpaw and her father. The tunnel under the Thunderpath was narrower than she had realized—much smaller than the one Deerleap had shown her on their first tour of the territory—and dark. Yellowpaw jumped, her heart beginning to pound, at a roaring noise that seemed to fill the whole of it.

“It’s okay,” Brackenfoot meowed from behind her. “It’s only monsters going past on the Thunderpath.”

Forcing herself to relax, Yellowpaw followed the scent of Crowtail, who was walking in front of her. I wonder what would happen if we met WindClan cats coming the other way. She tried to work out how she could use her battle moves in such a tight space. Soon she could scent fresh air coming from somewhere ahead. A few heartbeats later Crowtail scrambled upward, showering scraps of earth and debris down on Yellowpaw. Blinking, Yellowpaw followed, and broke out into the open. As Raggedpaw and Brackenfoot emerged after her, she took a huge breath and looked around.

I’m on WindClan territory now!

Yellowpaw felt as if every hair on her pelt was standing on end with the thrill of being across enemy borders. Behind her, monsters roared up and down the Thunderpath. In front, a wide stretch of grass swelled to the horizon in an unbroken sweep. Wind blew from the hilltop toward the ShadowClan cats, ruffling their fur and bringing with it the scents of cats and rabbits.

Stonetooth waved his tail. “This way. Stay together.”