Path Оf А Warrior

Chapter Five

They needed to talk to Skystar immediately, Shadowstar decided. The scratch across her forehead still stung, and she ached all over from the fight, but this couldn’t wait. She led Raven Pelt, Mud Paws, and Pebble Heart across ShadowClan’s territory toward SkyClan.

“What if Skystar knew Quick Water was going to attack you?” Raven Pelt asked. “What if he told her to? Should we be going onto SkyClan territory with so few cats?”

Shadowstar twitched her tail, thinking. “Skystar may have had his troubles with the other Clans in the past,” she told him, “but I can’t believe he’d want to kill me, or hurt ShadowClan, no matter how angry he was with me.” Raven Pelt began to speak, but Shadowstar went on. “I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. Skystar wants me as his ally; killing me makes no sense. There has to be another explanation for what Quick Water was doing.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Raven Pelt or herself. I don’t want to believe it about Skystar. I won’t believe it.

She had known Skystar since they were kits together, back in the mountains so long ago. He’d made trouble for the other Clans when he’d felt threatened, but he had grown out of those ways. After the Clans had been formed, he—as much as any leader—had been devoted to the code they’d agreed to follow, in order to avoid any more terrible battles, like the one that had claimed the lives of so many cats of all five Clans. Shadowstar was sure she knew him well enough to trust he was not planning to murder other cats… .

I’ve known Quick Water for a long time, too.

Shadowstar pushed the thought away. “We’ll talk to Skystar,” she said firmly. “He deserves a chance to make this right.”

The moist soil of ShadowClan’s territory felt comfortingly soft under her tired paws, but it became firmer and grassier as they approached the Thunderpath dividing their territory from ThunderClan’s.

Standing at the edge of the Thunderpath, they watched as one Twoleg monster, then another, sped by. The sound of their round black paws made the fur on Shadowstar’s back prickle. For a moment she remembered her belly pressed to that other Thunderpath, the monster rushing toward her, and her mouth went dry. If she had stumbled a few tail-lengths farther, she would have been crushed beneath those round paws.

No. That’s not how I’m going to die. Suddenly she was sure of it. The way that StarClan had saved her when she was pushed in front of that monster convinced her: There was too much happening between the Clans right now. She would not die, not before ShadowClan was safe.

Recklessly, she charged onto the Thunderpath. Her heart was thudding, but she kept running, even as a small, two-footed monster with a Twoleg on its back swerved around her, screeching.

It took the others a few heartbeats to catch up with her. “Are you mouse-brained?” Mud Paws gasped, too frightened to show his leader the usual respect.

Shadowstar brushed her tail over his back in a silent apology but said nothing. How could she explain?

On this side of the Thunderpath—ThunderClan territory—the trees were mostly oaks and birches, their branches spreading wider and letting through more sunlight than the pines and occasional oaks of ShadowClan’s territory. Shadowstar felt exposed, and she could tell that her Clanmates felt the same. They walked closer together, their pelts brushing.

Shadowstar was glad they didn’t run into a ThunderClan patrol. She didn’t want to drag any other Clan into this until she had spoken to Skystar. At the edge of SkyClan territory, she hesitated. “Let’s wait for a patrol,” she said. “If we’re going to accuse one of Skystar’s warriors of trying to kill me, let’s at least go in with his permission.”

Mud Paws and Raven Pelt glanced at each other and nodded. Pebble Heart sat down to wait patiently, his gray tabby tail curled around his paws.

It wasn’t long before Blossom and Red Claw appeared, Red Claw with a mouse dangling from his mouth.

“Hello,” Blossom mewed, looking startled. She dipped her head respectfully to Shadowstar. “Are you—”

“We’d like to see Skystar, please,” Shadowstar told her. “Would you escort us to your camp?”

“Have you had any luck finding us another territory?” Blossom asked. Her tortoiseshell tail curved excitedly over her back.

“We want to see Skystar,” Shadowstar repeated. She made sure to sound polite, but there must have been a coldness in her tone, because Blossom’s eyes went wide.

“Of course,” she meowed. “Follow us.” Beside her, Red Claw nodded and gestured with his tail to Shadowstar’s Clanmates.

When they reached SkyClan’s camp, it seemed both busy and peaceful. Skystar and his mate, Star Flower, were sharing tongues near the entrance to their den. Shadowstar noticed that Star Flower’s sides were slightly rounded with a new litter of kits. No wonder he’s so anxious to make sure their home is safe, she thought. She saw Pebble Heart nod to his sister, SkyClan’s deputy, Sparrow Fur, who was sharpening her claws on a birch, and to Acorn Fur, the Clan’s medicine cat. Dew Petal and Flower Foot, two of Skystar’s grown kits, were changing the bedding in the warriors’ den. And Quick Water, looking as calm and relaxed as if she’d spent all day lazing in the sunshine, was sharing a vole with Honey Pelt, another of SkyClan’s warriors. She raised her head and gave Shadowstar a long, cool glance. Shadowstar glared back, rage rising in her chest.

“Do you have any news?” Skystar demanded, getting to his paws. “What did you think of the territory near Highstones?”

Shadowstar pulled her attention away from Quick Water with difficulty. “It might work,” she mewed, but she knew she sounded doubtful. “We didn’t get much of a chance to look properly.”

Skystar’s blue eyes widened in outrage. “You didn’t look?” he yowled. “If you didn’t bother, then why are you here?”

The fur rose on Shadowstar’s shoulders. “I’m here because one of your warriors tried to kill me,” she spat. “I’m more worried about that then whether you might need new territory.”

Around the clearing, every cat’s head shot up. Flower Foot dropped the moss she was carrying.

“Are you a mouse-brain?” Skystar asked. “What are you saying?”

“Something true,” Shadowstar told him dryly.

“None of my warriors would do anything like that,” Skystar protested, his tail slashing back and forth angrily. “Who are you accusing?”

Shadowstar’s eyes locked with Quick Water’s amber ones. “Her.”

Every SkyClan cat—except Quick Water herself—leaped to their paws, hissing angrily.

“Liar!” Sparrow Fur yowled.

“ShadowClan is just trying to make trouble for us,” Star Flower growled, showing her teeth. “We should chase them off our territory.”

Shadowstar purposefully kept herself from flinching as she wondered if her final death would be at the paws of an angry SkyClan.She continued staring at Quick Water until the gray-and-white cat dropped her gaze.

“Quiet!” Skystar mewed. He stalked closer to Shadowstar, his fur bristling. “If you’re coming onto my territory and accusing one of my Clanmates this way, you’d better have some proof.”

“I have the proof of my own eyes,” Shadowstar told him. “While we were scouting for new territory for your Clan, Quick Water pushed me into the path of a Twoleg monster. After I managed to escape, she attacked me by the side of the Thunderpath. When my Clanmates caught up to us, she ran away.”

Raven Pelt stepped up, shoulder to shoulder with her. “I saw Quick Water fighting with Shadowstar and then running away. I chased her. I’m sure it was her.”

“I only saw from a distance,” Pebble Heart added. “But it looked like Quick Water to me.” Beside him, Mud Paws nodded.

The SkyClan cats exchanged uncertain glances. Slowly, they turned to look at Quick Water, who was gazing down at her paws.

“And I don’t think this was the first time,” Shadowstar went on, her heart feeling heavy in her chest. “The dogs that killed Sun Shadow … I think maybe Quick Water led them there. I saw eyes like hers watching from the woods.” Quick Water raised her head to aim a blazing, amber glare at Shadowstar.

“Nonsense,” Star Flower snapped. She was standing beside Skystar, her tail high with indignation. “‘Eyes watching from the woods,’” she hissed scathingly, “and you’re accusing Quick Water of murder.”

“Why would she do something like that?” Skystar asked, sounding bewildered. “I don’t believe it. She’s been a Clan cat as long as there have been Clans. We all came down from the mountains together. She wouldn’t attack you.” He looked suddenly older, and tired.

Shadowstar hadn’t thought much about why: she hadn’t been able to wrap her mind around it, and she’d been concentrating on how to tell SkyClan about the attacks. But now she could see Quick Water’s reasoning laid out as clearly as a scent trail. “She did it because she’s a Clan cat,” she began slowly. “You’ve all been so worried about the Twolegs taking your territory. From the lives she knows I’ve lost, maybe she decided I could be close to my last.” She paused, pressing her paws into the earth to keep her forelegs from shaking as she tried to make her tone sound dismissive, like the idea of her being on her final life from StarClan was ridiculous. “Perhaps she thought the opportunity was worth breaking our new code. If Sun Shadow and I had both died, ShadowClan would have been without a leader. It would have been easy to move in and take our territory.”

Quick Water dropped her gaze again, working her claws in and out against the ground, and Shadowstar felt a thrill of vindication. I’m right. She knows I’ve seen the truth.

But then the gray-and-white cat looked up, defiant. “I didn’t,” she meowed. “I don’t know who you fought up by Highstones, but it wasn’t me.”

“Then what were you doing?” Shadowstar asked. “Where were you today?” With her tail, she gestured at Quick Water’s side. “That’s a nasty scratch you’ve got there, and I remember scratching the cat I fought.” Quick Water hunched, trying to hide the wound.

“She and Honey Pelt were hunting together,” Skystar meowed. “Weren’t you?”

Everyone looked at Honey Pelt, whose tail drooped. “No,” he answered softly. “We ran into each other outside camp, but we weren’t together before that.”

Every cat looked at Quick Water, and she seemed at a loss, ducking her head silently.

After a moment, Skystar said to Shadowstar, “I never would ask my warriors to attack another Clan’s leader. If I were going to steal territory, I wouldn’t be working so hard to convince the other Clans to change their borders.”

Shadowstar sighed. “I believe you,” she told him.

Skystar turned to Quick Water. “If you can’t prove where you were …” He paused, but Quick Water said nothing, staring back at him, holding very still. “If you can’t tell us what happened, then I have to believe you had some part in this,” he told her. His blue eyes dropped to the ground, his claws flexing like he was wrestling with his decision.

After a long moment, he lifted his head again. “You leave me no choice, Quick Water… . I must exile you.”

There were gasps from his Clanmates. Even Shadowstar was stunned. But Skystar drew himself up. “Go,” he ordered sharply. “You are no longer a SkyClan cat, and you are not welcome on our territory.”

Almost as if she didn’t understand, Quick Water stared at him for a few heartbeats; then she turned and ran out of camp. Even after she disappeared from sight, they could hear the cracks of branches as she forced her way recklessly through the brush.

Skystar looked at Shadowstar again, his gaze bleak. “You made a good case,” he meowed sadly. “I had to exile her, since she couldn’t explain herself. But I want to be clear that I do not like it.”

“I know,” Shadowstar told him. She pressed her cheek against his briefly, grateful that her old friend had listened, however unwillingly. “You did the right thing.”

As they crossed the border onto their own territory, Shadowstar felt as if a weight had been lifted off her back. ShadowClan is safer now.

“It’s been a long day,” Pebble Heart meowed as they approached their camp. The sun had almost set now, and deep shadows stretched beneath the pines.

Mud Paws and Raven Pelt yowled in agreement. “I can’t wait to eat some prey and go to sleep,” Mud Paws added.

“There’s one more thing before we can rest,” Shadowstar told them. Ducking to enter the thorn tunnel, she led them into camp. The rest of ShadowClan had gathered in the clearing and meowed cheerful greetings.

“What did you think of the territory?”

“Pebble Heart, can you look at my paw?”

“Raven Pelt, I saved a vole for you.”

The cats quieted as Shadowstar strode across the clearing and leaped up onto the Clanrock to look down at her Clan. A pale moon was rising over the camp, and it reflected in her Clanmates’ eyes as they gazed up at her.

“I’ve made up my mind,” she told them. She was quite sure of her choice. She looked around at them all: Pebble Heart blinking up at her like he already knew what she would say and approved of it, Juniper Branch grooming Dangling Leaf as if he were still a kit and not a full-grown warrior. Bubbling Stream paused mid-step, carrying a mouse over to share with Dusk Nose. And all the others. She looked down at the upturned faces of the cats of her Clan, cats she had promised to lead and protect, and felt a swell of warmth in her chest. When she left them, she would not leave them alone.

“I’ve chosen a new deputy,” she went on. She almost purred in amusement when she saw Juniper Branch and Mouse Ear eagerly pricking up their ears. “This is a brave and loyal cat, one who I know will always try to make the best choices for ShadowClan.” She thought of Raven Pelt chasing after Quick Water, of him speaking up to Skystar. He would guide the Clan well. “I say these words before StarClan, so that Sun Shadow and the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ShadowClan is Raven Pelt.”

“Raven Pelt! Raven Pelt!” the Clan cheered, and Shadowstar leaped down to touch her nose to her new deputy’s.

“Thank you,” he gasped, his yellow eyes wide with surprise. “I’ll try to … I’ll do my best to be a good deputy, I really will.”

“I know you will,” Shadowstar purred. And when the time comes, you’ll be a good leader.

The Clan was crowding around, congratulating Raven Pelt.

“If it can’t be me, I’m glad it’s you,” Juniper Branch meowed, brushing her muzzle against his. Mouse Ear seemed less pleased, but even he congratulated Raven Pelt stiffly.

When Shadowstar finally settled in her nest that night, aching with exhaustion, she felt more at peace than she had since Sun Shadow’s death. But is a new deputy enough to keep ShadowClan strong and together? She hoped so. It was impossible to know for sure.

As she began to drift into sleep, she suddenly shivered. I’ve appointed ShadowClan’s next leader. Does this mean I’ve taken a paw step closer to my death?

Shadowstar was deeply asleep when a screech of terror broke through the night, jerking her awake. Pebble Heart! Her heart pounding hard, she scrambled out of her nest. Worried heads were poking out of the warrior den, but she passed them without a word and slipped between the boulders into the medicine cat’s den.

Pebble Heart lay in his bed, his eyes wide but unseeing. Every muscle seemed tense, his legs stiff, and he was whimpering, his mouth partly open.

“Pebble Heart!” Shadowstar shook him. “Pebble Heart, wake up!”

He blinked, and gradually his body relaxed and his eyes focused. “Shadowstar,” he murmured.

“What’s happening? Do you need some herbs?” Shadowstar looked doubtfully at the neatly sorted dried leaves and roots at the side of Pebble Heart’s den.

“No, I’m all right.” Pebble Heart sat up, still looking groggy. “It was just a dream.”

“A regular dream or a medicine-cat dream?” Shadowstar asked apprehensively. Even as a kit, before the Clan had had a medicine cat, Pebble Heart had been sent dreams by StarClan, warning of danger or pointing a path for the Clans to follow.

“I’m not sure,” Pebble Heart began slowly. “But it felt true.” He looked up at Shadowstar, his amber gaze apprehensive. “I dreamed that the trees around the camp were bending and swaying, like they were being attacked by a fierce wind. But there was no wind. And when the first tree fell, it …” He hesitated, his tail swishing across the floor of his den as Shadowstar felt a cold claw scrape at her chest fur. She knew what he was going to say.

“It knocked over the next tree… . Soon, every tree was falling down… .”

If ShadowClan falls apart, it could destroy all the Clans. That was what Gray Wing had said to her, the last time she was in StarClan. Could Pebble Heart’s vision be telling her the same thing?

“But we’ve just gotten rid of the threat,” Shadowstar meowed, staring at him. “And now we’re in danger again? StarClan, what’s going on?”