He’d had a restless night. Dreams swirled through his mind each time he fell asleep, confusing and indistinct, but full of darkness and menace.
“Graypaw!” Firepaw hissed again. But his friend did not stir. He’d eaten two of the poppy seeds before he’d slept, and now he was in a deep slumber.
“Are you awake, Firepaw?” Ravenpaw mewed from his nest.
Firepaw spat silently under his breath. He had wanted to talk to Graypaw before Ravenpaw awoke.
“Yes!” he replied.
Ravenpaw sat up in his bed of moss and heather and began to wash with quick flicks of his tongue. “Are you going to wake him?” he asked, nodding toward Graypaw.
A deep voice growled outside their den. “I hope so! Training is about to start.”
Firepaw and Ravenpaw jumped.
“Graypaw, wake up!” Firepaw poked his friend with one paw. “Tigerclaw is waiting!”
Graypaw lifted his head. His eyes were still heavy with sleep.
“Are you ready yet?” called Tigerclaw.
Firepaw and Ravenpaw crept out of the den, blinking as they emerged into the sunlight.
The deputy was sitting beside the tree stump. “Is the other one coming?” he asked.
“Yes,” Firepaw replied, feeling defensive on behalf of his friend. “He’s only just woken up.”
“Training will do him good,” growled Tigerclaw. “He’s grieved for long enough.”
Firepaw held the menacing amber gaze for a few moments. Warrior and apprentice, for a heartbeat their eyes were locked as enemies.
Graypaw scrambled sleepily out of the den.
“Bluestar will be ready for you in a moment, Firepaw,” announced Tigerclaw. The words distracted Firepaw from his anger. His first training session with Bluestar! Excitement surged through him. He had expected his wounded mentor to be resting still.
“Graypaw,” continued Tigerclaw, “you can join my training session. Do you think you’re up to it, Ravenpaw?” He glowered at his apprentice. “After all, you got some pretty nasty nettle stings while the rest of us were fighting those rats.”
Ravenpaw looked at the ground. “I’m fine,” he mewed.
Graypaw and Ravenpaw followed the deputy out of the camp entrance. Ravenpaw’s head hung low as he disappeared through the gorse tunnel.
Firepaw sat and waited for Bluestar. She did not keep him long. The gray queen emerged from her den and padded across the clearing. Her fur was still matted in places where her wounds were fresh, but she betrayed no pain in her confident stride. “Come,” she called to him.
Firepaw noticed with surprise that she was alone. Darkstripe and Longtail were nowhere to be seen. A thought occurred to him and suddenly his excitement was tinged with anxiety—here was an opportunity to tell Bluestar what he had overheard last night.
He caught up with her as she headed for the gorse tunnel and fell in step behind her. “Will your guards be joining us?” he asked hesitantly.
Bluestar replied without looking back, “I’ve ordered Darkstripe and Longtail to help with the camp repairs. Securing ThunderClan’s base is our first priority.”
Firepaw’s heartbeat quickened. He would tell her about Ravenpaw as soon as they left camp.
The two cats followed the trail to the training hollow. The path was strewn with freshly fallen golden leaves that rustled beneath their paws. Firepaw’s mind raced as he searched for suitable words. What should he tell his leader? That Tigerclaw was plotting to get rid of his apprentice? And what would he say when Bluestar asked him why? Could he bring himself to say out loud that he suspected Tigerclaw had killed Redtail? Even though he had no evidence beyond Ravenpaw’s excited storytelling at the Gathering?
By the time they reached the sandy hollow, Firepaw had still not spoken. The hollow was empty.
“I asked Tigerclaw to hold his training session in another part of the forest today,” Bluestar explained as she padded into the center of the hollow. “I want to concentrate on your fighting skills, and I want you to concentrate on them too—which means no distractions.”
I must tell her now, thought Firepaw. She needs to know about the danger Ravenpaw is in. His paws prickled with anxiety. I won’t have another chance like this…
Sudden movement flashed in the corner of his eye. A swish of gray whirled past his nose, and Firepaw fell forward as his forepaws were knocked lightly from underneath him. He staggered, regained his balance, and spun around to see Bluestar sitting calmly beside him. “Do I have your attention now?” she growled.
“Yes, Bluestar. Sorry!” he replied hastily, looking into her blue eyes.
“That’s better. Firepaw, you have been with us for many moons now. I have watched you fight. With the rats you were quick; with the ShadowClan warriors you were fierce. You outwitted Graypaw on that very first day we met, and you defeated Yellowfang with your cleverness too.” She paused, then lowered her voice to an intense hiss. “But one day you will meet an opponent who is all of these things as well—quick and fierce and clever. It’s my duty to prepare you for that day.”
Firepaw nodded, completely caught up in her words. His senses were fully alert. All thoughts of Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw had disappeared, and the musty odors and tiny noises of the forest rushed in upon him.
“Let’s see how you fight,” Bluestar ordered. “Attack me.”
Firepaw looked at her, sizing her up and wondering the best way to begin. Bluestar was standing less than three rabbit lengths away. She was twice his size, so it would be a waste of effort to begin with the usual paw swipes and wrestling. But if he could leap straight onto her back with a powerful enough jump, he might be able to unbalance her. She hadn’t taken her piercing blue eyes off him for an instant. Firepaw stared back and leaped.
He had aimed to land squarely on her shoulders, but Bluestar was ready for him. She dropped swiftly into a crouch. As Firepaw hit her, she rolled onto her back. Instead of landing on her shoulders he found himself crashing down toward her upturned belly. She caught him with all four paws and flung him easily away from her. Firepaw felt he had been bundled away like a bothersome kit. He hit the dusty ground hard and lay winded for a moment before he scrambled to his feet.
“Interesting strategy, but your eyes betrayed where you were aiming,” growled Bluestar as she stood up and shook off the dust from her thick coat. “Now, try again.”
This time Firepaw looked at her shoulders but aimed for her paws. When Bluestar dropped to the ground he would hit her as she crouched. Firepaw felt a rush of satisfaction as he leaped, but it turned to confusion as Bluestar unexpectedly sprang into the air and let him crash into the ground where she had stood just a heartbeat before. She timed it perfectly—as he landed, she thundered down on top of him, squashing the breath out of him.
“Now try something I don’t expect,” she hissed into his ear, climbing off him and backing away with a challenging gleam in her eyes.
Firepaw scrambled up, panting, and shook himself crossly. Even Yellowfang had not been so tricky. He hissed and leaped again. This time, as he flew at Bluestar, he stretched out his forepaws. She reared up on her hind legs and used her forepaws to twist him away. As he felt himself slipping, Firepaw scrabbled with his hind paws in the sand, but it was too late and he flopped heavily onto his side.
“Firepaw,” Bluestar meowed calmly, as once more he struggled to his paws, “you’re strong and quick, but you must learn to keep control of your speed and body weight so that it’s not so easy for me to unbalance you. Try again.”
Firepaw backed away, hot, dusty, and out of breath. Frustration raged through him. He was determined to get the better of his mentor this time. Slowly he crouched and began to creep toward Bluestar. She mirrored his crouch and hissed into his face as he approached. He raised a paw and swiped at her left ear. She ducked to avoid his strike and reared up, towering over him. Quickly Firepaw rolled onto his back, slithered beneath her body, and in one fast movement kicked both his back legs upward into her belly. Bluestar was flung backward and fell onto the sandy earth with a loud grunt.