Dustpelt stared at him. “I… I thought I imagined it.”
Firestar went on. “A battle is coming that we have to win, for the sake of every warrior that ever lived. We must fight alongside the other Clans, because this enemy threatens us all. ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan will each send three warriors here at dusk to join our patrols. We will send three warriors to their camps.” He glanced down at his deputy. “Brambleclaw, you choose who will go.”
Thornclaw’s tail brushed the earth. “Won’t ShadowClan just take advantage of this to steal our territory?”
“If they do, all will be lost,” Firestar muttered darkly.
“How will I protect my kits?” Brightheart wailed.
Cloudtail pressed against her. “I won’t let anything harm them!”
Ferncloud lashed her tail. “Nor will I!”
Sorreltail lifted her chin. “No one will hurt ThunderClan kits.”
Ivypool walked to the front and turned to face her Clan. Lionblaze saw her take a breath and steady her trembling paws. “I know how they fight. I can teach their moves to the Clan.”
Blossomfall huddled closer to Birchfall.
“How do you know?” Dustpelt hissed.
“I sent her to spy.” Firestar leaped down the rock tumble and stood beside Ivypool. “She knows more about our enemy than any cat. Learn from her.”
Mousewhisker gaped at her. “You were spying in the Dark Forest?”
Cherrypaw’s eyes grew as round as moons. “You’re so brave!”
Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. Had Firestar asked Ivypool who else had been training in the Dark Forest? He glanced around his Clanmates, searching faces for a glimmer of guilt. Some of them must have visited the Place of No Stars with Ivypool, trapped by Tigerstar’s lies and Brokenstar’s false promises. His claws sank into the wet ground and he felt the fur rise along his spine.
Firestar lashed his tail. “We will win this battle because we are fighting for our lives and the lives of our Clanmates. Our enemies are already dead. They fight only out of hate and that will be their weakness.”
“We’ll beat them!” Cloudtail yowled.
Molepaw reared up and raked the air with unsheathed claws. “I’ll shred any Dark Forest warrior I lay my paws on!”
Firestar nodded. “Then let’s start training. For victory!”
The Clan broke into clusters, murmuring like anxious pigeons. “We need to teach the elders and queens some defensive moves,” Lionblaze told Brambleclaw. “I’ve already thought of some tactics Daisy can use even though she’s never had warrior training.”
“Good.” Brambleclaw scanned the Clan. “Spiderleg can train Mousefur and Purdy. He’s known them longest. They won’t mind taking orders from him.”
Spiderleg was huddled deep in conversation with Brackenfur. Lionblaze noticed for the first time that his black muzzle was flecked with gray. He’ll be moving into the elders’ den before long. His pelt pricked. If there’s a den left.
Brambleclaw flexed his claws. “We need to prepare for a new type of enemy.”
“We have to learn to fight as viciously as Dark Forest warriors.” Lionblaze swallowed the anger rising in his throat. “They’re forcing us to break the warrior code.”
“Defend your Clan above all things,” Brambleclaw reminded him. “If that means fighting like rogues, then we must fight like rogues.”
“I’ll fight like Brokenstar if it means protecting the Clan.”
“You may have to.” Brambleclaw turned his dark gaze toward Spiderleg and called to the warrior. “I want you to teach Mousefur and Purdy some moves.”
“Okay.” Spiderleg headed for the elders’ den.
“Hollyleaf!” Brambleclaw meowed. “Take Molepaw, Rosepetal, and Whitewing out of camp and practice every battle move you know. Ivypool will come and train with you next.”
Sorreltail bounded toward the ThunderClan deputy. “Let me train with Ivypool first,” she begged.
“If she shows us the Dark Forest’s most deadly moves, we can figure out how to defend ourselves,” Dustpelt added.
While Brambleclaw divided the Clan into training patrols, Lionblaze headed for the nursery. He padded past Daisy and stuck his head inside.
“My poor kits!” Brightheart was in her nest, curled around three squirming scraps of fur. Cloudtail crouched beside her, his pelt ruffled. Lilykit and Seedkit sat on the edge of their nest, chins high.
“We’ll protect them,” Seedkit declared.
“You’ll stay hidden in your nests,” Lionblaze ordered. He turned to Cloudtail. “Join your Clanmates. I’ll teach Brightheart how to defend Snowkit, Amberkit, and Dewkit.”
As Cloudtail slid out, Lionblaze hopped past him. “Come here, Daisy,” he called. “I need you.”
“What do you want me to do?” Daisy heaved her soft body inside. “I don’t know any warrior moves.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Lionblaze told her. “You and Brightheart are going to work together. You’ve got five kits to protect. Sorreltail will be needed on battle patrol so I’m relying on you to help defend the nursery. There is no cat more dangerous than a queen!” He flicked his nose toward Brightheart. “Stand up!”
Brightheart pushed herself to her paws. Lionblaze lunged toward her kits, teeth bared. Hissing, Brightheart lashed out as fast as lightning, her claws raking his nose.
Lionblaze pulled away. “See? All her instincts will protect her kits.”
Daisy glared at Lionblaze. “How dare you attack her like that?”
“It’s okay.” Brightheart met Lionblaze’s gaze, excited. “Let me practice another move.”
Lionblaze flicked his tail toward Daisy. “You can learn this one, too.” He moved backward, focusing on an imaginary attacker, then jabbed a forepaw high and swung his other one low. “It’s easy to do and confuses your attacker.”
“Let me try it on you!” Brightheart balanced on the edge of her nest. “Come at me.”
Daisy hesitated, then darted toward Brightheart. Brightheart swiped high and Daisy instinctively looked at her paw. As she did, Brightheart used her other paw to scoop Daisy’s forelegs out from under her. Daisy stumbled forward and bumped her muzzle on the den floor.
“If you work together, one can trip an enemy while the other attacks.” He was relieved to see that the fear had faded from Brightheart’s gaze. “Just make sure you always keep one eye on your kits.” Dewkit, Amberkit, and Snowkit were clambering up the side of their nest, staring at their suddenly ferocious mother. “You three, stay in the nest. Right at the bottom,” Lionblaze ordered.
Blinking at him, they slid down and huddled deep in the moss.
He turned back to Daisy and Brightheart. “Working together will make you as strong as the fittest warrior.” He felt a rush of satisfaction. For the first time in a long while, he felt as if he was doing exactly what he should. He’d spent too much time worrying these past moons. Now he was ready to fight like the warrior he was born to be. Midnight’s words echoed in his ears. The journey you make is your choice.
My choice! He froze, his heart leaping. It’s all my choice!
“Can I leave you to practice?” he asked Brightheart.
“Can we work out some moves of our own?” she asked.
“Sure.” Lionblaze stuck his head through the wall of the nursery and scanned the clearing. “I’ll be back soon to watch them.”
Where is she? He tasted the air and finally detected Cinderheart’s scent mingled with Icecloud’s and Leafpool’s. He followed it across the clearing and out of the camp, breaking into a run as he headed up the slope. Leafpool and Icecloud were batting each other with their forepaws, practicing swipes while Cinderheart watched.