Path Оf А Warrior

Chapter Eight

“Please let me come with you,” Dustpaw begged, trailing after Redtail across camp. The sky was just beginning to get light, and the camp was quiet, most of the cats sleeping. Runningwind was standing guard at the camp’s entrance and acknowledged Redtail with a tired flick of his ears.

“No,” Redtail told Dustpaw, choosing a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. “Have something to eat, check to see if the elders need anything, and then I want you to train with Whitestorm and Sandpaw this morning while I’m gone. You can brush up on your fighting techniques.”

“I’d rather go with you,” Dustpaw wheedled. “And I’ve never been to Sunningrocks. I’m sure I’d learn a lot.”

Redtail looked at his apprentice sternly. “I said no and I meant it. You’ve never been there because Sunningrocks is too dangerous for apprentices right now.”

Dustpaw sighed. “Ravenpaw’s going.”

“Is he?” Surprised, Redtail looked across the clearing to where the skinny black tom sat patiently outside the warriors’ den, waiting for Tigerclaw to emerge. His pelt prickled with discomfort. Tigerclaw’s apprentice looked so young, even younger and smaller than Dustpaw. “Well, Ravenpaw’s not my apprentice; you are. And I’m not taking my apprentice to Sunningrocks.”

Dustpaw’s tail drooped, but he dipped his head respectfully. “Yes, Redtail.”

Redtail nudged him to make him look up again and mewed gently, “I’ll be checking with Whitestorm when I get back, and if you’ve been training hard, I’ll take you out hunting.”

By the time Redtail left his apprentice, Dustpaw seemed resigned, happy with Redtail’s promise. Redtail headed toward the camp entrance, where Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw waited for him.

“You’re planning for Ravenpaw to come with us?” Redtail asked as he reached them. “We don’t take apprentices into dangerous parts of the territory.”

Tigerclaw blinked at him. “We’re just going to mark the border, Redtail,” he replied. “There’s nothing to worry about.” There was the slightest trace of mockery in his tone.

Redtail hesitated. He was ThunderClan’s deputy; he could order Tigerclaw to leave Ravenpaw behind. Is it worth arguing with Tigerclaw?

Tigerclaw took a step closer. “I won’t let him get hurt,” he mewed softly. “I’ll look after him. You know that.”

I do know that. Redtail had a sharp flash of memory: Willowpelt saying, back when they were ’paws, He wouldn’t let us get hurt. It wouldn’t be good for his reputation.. And then Tigerclaw had saved him from the hawk. Despite everything that had happened since, he owed Tigerclaw his life. “All right,” he agreed. “But we’re just marking our territory, remember.”

He led the other two cats through the gorse tunnel and out of the ravine. In the forest, he and Tigerclaw padded side by side toward Sunningrocks, Ravenpaw a few paces behind. The sky was growing lighter and lighter, and a cool dawn mist hung in the air, dampening their fur.

Behind them, Ravenpaw gave a small, squeaking growl. Redtail looked back to see the apprentice rear up on his hind legs, his forepaws slashing at an imaginary enemy.

“Very nice, Ravenpaw,” Tigerclaw praised the apprentice, his purr rich with amusement.

“I can’t wait to fight RiverClan,” Ravenpaw meowed happily, his tail slashing with excitement. “The best way to learn to be a warrior is to be in a real battle!”

Redtail twitched his ears uneasily. This was Tigerclaw’s influence, he knew it. It was so much like what Tigerclaw had said to him, back when he was a ’paw. And it was important to be a strong warrior, to defend the Clan, but was a battle all Tigerclaw ever wanted? Was he teaching his apprentice to think the same way?

“We won’t be fighting RiverClan today,” he reminded the apprentice calmly. “Keeping our Clan safe is more important than beating the other Clans.”

Ravenpaw sighed but didn’t answer, and they padded on. Redtail glanced sideways at Tigerclaw. Maybe I should talk to Bluestar about how Tigerclaw’s teaching his apprentice, he thought. In any case, today he would keep a close eye on Ravenpaw. I don’t want Tigerclaw encouraging him to do anything reckless.

The sun was rising well above the horizon as they reached Sunningrocks, warming their pelts and bringing with it fresh breezes and scents of prey. The smooth granite boulders of Sunningrocks were still night-cool under Redtail’s paws, but he knew that they would be warm enough to bask on by midmorning. A mouthwatering scent of mouse rose from the spaces between and below the stones. Redtail could also smell the strong musty scent of RiverClan.

“Spread out and mark the whole territory,” he told the others. “Especially by the river.”

Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw moved off across the rocks, and Redtail began to mark over the scent boundaries RiverClan had left at the edge of Sunningrocks. There was no sound but the whisper of leaves in the forest behind them and the rush of the river at the far edge of the rocks.

Maybe we won’t run into any trouble, Redtail thought, beginning to relax. Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw came back across the rocks toward him.

“It’s well marked,” Tigerclaw observed. “But perhaps—”

He was interrupted by an angry hiss. Five cats appeared over the far edge of the rocks, their fur bristling. Leading them was a large, broad-shouldered reddish-brown tom, who advanced on Redtail, his eyes narrowing.

“Oakheart,” Redtail breathed. He felt the fur on his own back rise as he paced forward to meet the RiverClan deputy.

“What are you doing here?” Oakheart hissed. “This is our territory now.”

Redtail slid out his claws. “Sunningrocks is ours,” he mewed simply. “It’s past time for this to be settled.” His heart was hammering, but he kept his voice calm. “Tell Crookedstar that ThunderClan isn’t backing down. This has gone on long enough.”

He saw two of the RiverClan cats behind Oakheart exchange glances, but Oakheart’s gaze was steady. “RiverClan will not give up this hunting ground.”

“Neither will ThunderClan,” Redtail answered, meeting Oakheart’s eyes. “Tell Crookedstar.”

The RiverClan deputy nodded. Redtail rose out of his crouch, his haunches relaxing. Oakheart would carry the message to his leader. More blood would be shed over Sunningrocks, but not today.

With a sudden, fierce yowl, Tigerclaw lashed a paw out at the smaller black-and-gray warrior nearest him. Surprised, she fell backward and blinked up at him. Blood rose from her scratched chest. Redtail gasped.

I should have known, he thought. Tigerclaw would never let this end peacefully. The RiverClan cats were frozen in shock, but that wouldn’t last. At least he could get Ravenpaw out of this. He glanced back at the skinny black apprentice, who was gaping in surprise.

“Ravenpaw, run!”