by Erin Hunter
I want them to be ready.
“That’s very good, Hootpaw,” Crowfeather meowed, pleasantly surprised at how quickly the young cat had picked up the new move. He balanced well on his hind paws, and there was real strength behind his blows. “Go on like that, and you’ll scare the fur off the stoats!”
Hootpaw ducked his head in embarrassment. “I had a great mentor,” he reminded Crowfeather. “Nightcloud was smart and strong, and she taught me a lot about strategy.”
Crowfeather hadn’t expected to hear such praise of his former mate, though of course Hootpaw, as her apprentice, would have been closer to her than almost any other cat, except for Breezepelt. Crowfeather had always known that Nightcloud was a capable warrior, but he wondered whether he had ever given her the due she deserved. There was probably a lot about her that I never knew. He stifled a sigh. And now I never will.
“You’re doing well too, Featherpaw,” Crowfeather continued to his own apprentice. “Just remember that—”
He broke off at the sound of distressed yowling from the edge of the camp, and recognized Heathertail’s voice. Turning swiftly, he saw Heathertail and Weaselfur at the top of the slope, carrying the limp, black-furred body of a cat between them.
Breezepelt! No!
Why wasn’t Breezepelt moving? Crowfeather’s belly lurched in terror.
Why would he be hurt? Onestar made clear they weren’t supposed to engage the stoats. . . . But seeing Breezepelt’s limp form, Crowfeather knew that there would be plenty of time for explanations later. Great StarClan, he begged, please tell me he isn’t dead. . . . I don’t think I could bear it. His mind flashed back to seeing Hollyleaf’s bloodstained body in his dream. Is that why I had the dream? Was something trying to prepare me for this?
Crowfeather raced up the slope toward the returning warriors, spotting as he did that Weaselfur’s white paws were stained red with blood.
Shock pulsed through Crowfeather’s body from his ears to his claws. Where did that come from? Did Weaselfur kill my son?
Crowfeather stormed to a halt in front of the group of cats, his pelt bristling all along his spine. Breezepelt hung motionless between them, supported on their shoulders, a wound gaping open all along his side.
“What happened?” Crowfeather demanded. Turning on Weaselfur, he added, “Did you do this to him?”
For the first time Crowfeather noticed that Weaselfur was carrying something limp and bloody in his jaws. As he dropped it, Crowfeather could see that it was the body of a stoat, its white fur completely covered in drying blood.
“Of course I didn’t!” Weaselfur snapped, his eyes narrowed in fury. “I don’t think I could cause this much damage if I tried.”
“Please, Crowfeather,” Heathertail meowed, “leave Weaselfur alone and help us get Breezepelt to Kestrelflight’s den.”
He’s not dead!
Relief flooded so strongly through Crowfeather that he had nothing more to say. He rushed to support Breezepelt’s hindquarters, and he and the others struggled across the camp to the medicine-cat den.
“We were doing as Onestar said and watching the tunnels from outside,” Weaselfur explained on the way, “but when we saw so many of them leave to go hunting, we thought it would be a good chance to explore. We found the stoats’ dens and their prey-piles, and the entrances and exits they’re using. Everything was quiet in there, and we were on our way out before we scented stoats. We worked out they were in a den off the main tunnel.”
“We wanted to sneak past, avoiding danger like Onestar told us to,” Heathertail continued. “But Breezepelt . . .” Her voice choked.
“Breezepelt dived in there and attacked them,” Weaselfur meowed, taking up the story again. “He killed one easily.” He jerked his head back to the edge of the camp, where he had left the body of the stoat. “But the other was fiercer, and fought back. It slashed Breezepelt’s side. He would have gone on fighting, but Heathertail and I forced him to retreat. He was losing blood, and finally he lost consciousness. So we carried him out and headed back to camp.”
Crowfeather glanced at Heathertail, who nodded in confirmation of what Weaselfur had told him. “We both tried to stop Breezepelt,” she mewed. “But he was too intent on killing the stoats.”
As she spoke, Crowfeather could see the worry in her eyes. Shivers were passing through her pelt, and she kept turning her head to lick Breezepelt’s wounded side. She must really care about him.
More cats were gathering around as Crowfeather and the others approached Kestrelflight’s den. Shock mingled with gleams of interest in their faces. Crowfeather could hear muttering among them, though he couldn’t make out the words. I imagine most of them are hoping Breezepelt is dead. That would solve a lot of their problems! But it’s not going to happen yet, flea-pelts.
Featherpaw had raced over to the medicine-cat den to alert Kestrelflight, and now the mottled gray tom emerged from the cleft in the rock and padded up to meet them.
“Great StarClan!” he breathed out at the sight of Breezepelt’s injury.
Crowfeather’s pelt prickled with apprehension. It has to be bad when a medicine cat reacts like that!
At once Kestrelflight pulled himself together and added more briskly, “Quick—bring him inside.”
Crowfeather helped the others carry Breezepelt into the den and lay him down on a nest of springy moss. As he watched Kestrelflight examine his son, Crowfeather felt a new feeling flowing through him, warming him from ears to tail-tip. At first he couldn’t identify it, until at last he realized that it was pride.
Breezepelt must have had bees in his brain to go into that stoats’ nest, he thought. But still, that was very brave. Breezepelt had been afraid of the tunnels since he was an apprentice, and Nightcloud’s death couldn’t have helped. It would have taken real courage to face his fears and attack the stoats.
Kestrelflight rose from where he had been crouching beside Breezepelt, licking his wound clean, and turned to Crowfeather. “His injuries are serious,” he reported, “but you can see that already. He’ll need watching carefully.”
Crowfeather’s belly roiled at the medicine cat’s words. Surely I’m not going to lose my son just as I’m beginning to understand him?
“I can stay with him,” Heathertail offered immediately.
Crowfeather shook his head. “Thanks, Heathertail,” he meowed, “but I want to watch over my son—at least for now. Will you go and tell Onestar what happened, and take the stoat to show him?”
Heathertail hesitated, casting an uncertain glance at Breezepelt. Crowfeather could tell that she wanted to stay with him.
“I’ll call you when he wakes,” he promised the young she-cat. “But for now it’s important for Onestar to know what we’re up against.”
“I understand.” Giving her pelt a shake, Heathertail left the den.
While Kestrelflight headed to his herb store at the back of the den, Crowfeather found himself standing beside Weaselfur. The ginger tom’s head was lowered, his expression hard to read. Crowfeather’s pelt prickled with the awkwardness of the moment, remembering what he had said when Weaselfur first appeared. “I’m sorry I accused you of attacking Breezepelt,” he muttered after a moment.
“It’s okay,” Weaselfur responded, his lack of anger surprising Crowfeather. “You had your reasons, after everything I said about your son. But when I saw how brave he was, going after those stoats, I knew there was no way he could have had anything to do with Nightcloud’s death. I’m sorry I said that.”
Crowfeather felt even more awkward, giving his shoulder an embarrassed lick. “You should apologize to Breezepelt when he wakes up,” he mewed.
Weaselfur nodded. “I’ll do that. I’m still not entirely sure Onestar should have let Breezepelt back into the Clan after the Great Battle, but—about this—I can give him the benefit of the doubt. He really did fight for us today.”
Crowfeather was disappointed to hear that Weaselfur still did not entirely trust his son.
But at least he’s willing to give Breezepelt a chance, Crowfeather thought. That’s a start.
“Thanks for bringing him home,” he meowed.
“It was the least I could do,” Weaselfur responded, then headed off toward the warriors’ den with a nod of farewell.
Crowfeather stepped back while Kestrelflight chewed horsetail into a poultice and plastered it over Breezepelt’s wound, fastening it in place with a thick wad of cobweb.
“That should help,” the medicine cat mewed, gazing thoughtfully down at Breezepelt. “At least the bleeding seems to have stopped. Can you watch him for a while? I need to report to Onestar.”
When Kestrelflight was gone, Crowfeather settled down beside Breezepelt, listening to his labored breathing. He could smell the tang of dried blood still matted in his son’s fur. For a few moments he felt as if he were back beside the sun-drown-water and a huge wave was crashing over him, overwhelming him with its power.
But it wasn’t a wave that was doing this to Crowfeather. It was seeing Breezepelt injured, and knowing that Nightcloud was already dead.
Crowfeather leaned toward him, but before he could get close enough to whisper in his ear, Breezepelt’s eyelids slowly eased open. Crowfeather felt a rush of relief that he had regained consciousness, but when he looked into his son’s eyes, all he could see was pain.
Breezepelt blinked a few times, then focused his gaze on Crowfeather. “I killed the stoat, and Nightcloud is still dead,” he whispered miserably. Crowfeather’s heart almost broke with sadness as his son added, “I should never have left her in the tunnels in the first place.”
“Don’t talk now,” Crowfeather told him gently. “You need to rest. I’m sorry about what you’ve been through, but we will avenge your mother, I promise you.” When Breezepelt looked unconvinced, he added, “If there’s a battle ahead, WindClan will need a warrior as bold and strong as you.”
Breezepelt’s eyes widened, and he fixed Crowfeather with an incredulous amber gaze. He remained silent, but that look seemed to be asking, Is it really my father, Crowfeather, telling me this?
Crowfeather cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’ll fetch you some prey to help you regain your strength,” he meowed. “I’ll be right back.”
Outside the medicine-cat den, Crowfeather found Heathertail hovering with Featherpaw and Hootpaw.
“How is Breezepelt?” Heathertail asked anxiously.
“He’s awake,” Crowfeather replied, seeing Heathertail’s blue eyes grow brilliant with relief. “But he needs to rest. In the meantime, all the Clan should get ready.”
“Ready for what?” Hootpaw asked, flicking his tail straight up in the air.
“To fight,” Crowfeather meowed.
CHAPTER 14
“Certainly not,” Harespring meowed, with a stern look at all four apprentices. “Onestar has ordered that no apprentices are going to be in the battle with the stoats.”
“But WindClan needs every cat!” Hootpaw protested, looking up at the Clan deputy with pleading eyes.
“WindClan needs every warrior,” Harespring corrected him.
“Not fair,” Slightpaw muttered.
Crowfeather gave an irritated twitch of his whiskers. They were already wasting valuable practice time while the apprentices argued that they should be allowed to take part in the battle.
“We could let them join in the training,” he suggested to Harespring. Maybe that will shut them up. “After all, it’s possible the stoats will attack the camp. The apprentices should be able to defend themselves and the elders, and any cats who might be in the medicine cat den.”
Featherpaw bounced gently on her paws with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “Oh, yes, please, Harespring!”
The Clan deputy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose it won’t do any harm,” he decided. “You can be responsible for them, Crowfeather.”
Thanks a bunch.
But Crowfeather had to admit to himself that he didn’t mind working with the apprentices. They were all shaping up to be fine warriors. Especially Hootpaw, he thought as he paired them up to practice the battle move he had taught Hootpaw and Featherpaw a few days before. Nightcloud taught him well, Crowfeather thought, with a renewed pang at how much he missed her, and now Gorsetail is doing a good job, too. She’ll have an easier time because Nightcloud started Hootpaw off so well.
Thinking about Hootpaw made Crowfeather pay more attention to his own apprentice. Featherpaw had learned the move well; she had good balance while she stood on her hind paws and attacked her opponent with her forepaws. But she was slightly hesitant, as if she was afraid of hurting her Clanmate, while the rest of the apprentices piled in enthusiastically.
“Be bold!” Crowfeather advised her. “And strike out faster. In a real battle, your enemy won’t wait for you.”
Featherpaw nodded vigorously, then returned to her practice with Oatpaw. Crowfeather watched with approval as she put more speed and strength into her blows, knocking Oatpaw to the ground and then leaping on top of him with a yowl of triumph.
“Well done!” Crowfeather praised her.
Almost the whole of WindClan had assembled on a flat stretch of moorland near the camp, for a training session to prepare for battle. Using the information Breezepelt, Heathertail, and Weaselfur had brought back, Onestar and Harespring had made a plan: Some cats were to go into the tunnels and drive the stoats toward the entrances, while others would wait in ambush to attack when the stoats appeared. Prey would be left near the entrances to lure the stoats into the open.
It should work, Crowfeather thought. And maybe we’ll be able to get rid of these StarClan-cursed creatures for good!
“Okay,” Crowfeather meowed to the apprentices when they had all practiced the move for some time, “you’ve gotten in a couple of good blows, you’ve darted back out of range, so what are you going to do now? Sit and sniff the flowers?”
“Attack again!” Hootpaw yowled, while Featherpaw curled her tail up in amusement.
“Right,” Crowfeather responded. “But your enemy won’t be sniffing the flowers, either. They’ll be coming for you, so you need to do something unexpected. Any ideas?”
“Claw their throat out!” Slightpaw snarled, raising one forepaw with claws extended.
“You could try,” Crowfeather agreed, privately reflecting that it wasn’t as easy as that. “Anything else?”
“Attack from behind?” Featherpaw suggested.
“Good idea,” Crowfeather responded, pleased by his apprentice’s intelligence. “Let’s try that. Practice the first move, then follow it up by attacking your opponent’s hindquarters. And remember, Featherpaw, be bold!”
“But remember too how dangerous your enemy is.” Breezepelt’s voice came from just behind Crowfeather. “You need to be careful.”
Crowfeather realized that Breezepelt had padded up beside him. In the few days since his expedition into the tunnels, he had mostly recovered from his injuries, but Crowfeather felt that the fire inside him had gone out. He’s finally realized that his mother is gone forever.
Seeing the sadness in his son’s eyes, Crowfeather firmly stifled his annoyance that Breezepelt had interrupted his training session. He was determined not to start any more arguments with him.
“That’s right,” he agreed. “In a real battle, no unnecessary risks.”
Crowfeather was aware of Breezepelt standing beside him as the apprentices began practicing again. He hadn’t joined in the training session; instead he had limped along the edge of the practice area, his gait slow and careful, his tail trailing along the ground. Now they were standing so close that they must have seemed comfortable with each other, though Crowfeather knew that wasn’t true. He could hardly bring himself to look at his son and see his dull, lifeless eyes.
Crowfeather believed that most of the Clan was feeling sorry for Breezepelt, as he was. Then he spotted Leaftail and Gorsetail with their heads together a couple of tail-lengths away. Leaftail’s eyes sp
arkled with mockery.
“He’s supposed to be some scary Dark Forest warrior,” he whispered to Gorsetail. Clearly, he had been eavesdropping on Breezepelt’s advice to the apprentices to be careful. “Sounds more like a mouse-hearted cat to me.”
Crowfeather saw Breezepelt freeze as he overheard the snarky comment. His eyes lit with fury, as if he would have liked to fight both cats at the same time.
“It’s great that you have time to gossip,” Crowfeather hissed, glaring at Leaftail. “And that you’re not worried about these stoats that were foretold to destroy the whole Clan. Now shut up and get back to work.”
Leaftail opened his jaws as if he was going to make a rude retort, but Gorsetail gave him a nudge, and both cats bounded away. Crowfeather kept an eye on them until he saw them beginning to practice the leap-and-roll battle move.
“Ignore what they’re saying,” he mewed softly to Breezepelt. “They have no idea what you went through. They don’t know what a great warrior you can be.”
Breezepelt had a grim, determined look on his face. “Well, they’re going to find out,” he meowed. “I’m going to prove it in the battle today.”
Crowfeather was startled. “You’re not back to battle fitness yet!” he blurted out.
“Fox dung to that,” Breezepelt growled.
Crowfeather wanted to talk Breezepelt out of joining in the attack on the tunnels, but Breezepelt’s expression, the intense tone of his voice, told him there would be no point in trying.
At least this time I’ll be there to watch his back, Crowfeather thought. And this time I don’t intend to let him down.
Sunhigh was still some way off when the WindClan cats set out for the tunnels. Harespring was in the lead, with Crowfeather and Weaselfur, while the rest of the warriors streamed across the moor behind them. Breezepelt lagged at the rear, still limping from his injuries, but managing to keep up. Crowfeather had tried keeping an eye on him, until Breezepelt had realized it and fixed him with an irritated glare.