CHAPTER 21

“Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and taken my kits! ”

screeched Frostfur. The other queens rushed to Frostfur’s

side and tried to calm her with licks and caresses, but

Frostfur pushed them away and wailed her grief to the

darkening sky. As if in reply, the sky rumbled ominously and

a cold wind ruffled the cats’ fur.

“Yel owfang! ” hissed Tigerclaw. “I always knew she was

a traitor. Now we know how she managed to fight off the

ShadowClan deputy. It was a setup to let her trick her way

into our Clan! ”

Lightning crackled overhead, punctuating Tigerclaw’s

words with a glaring white flash, and a clap of thunder rol ed

around the woods.

Firepaw couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Dazed

with grief, his mind whirled. Could Yel owfang real y have

kil ed Spottedleaf?

Above the shocked murmurings, Darkstripe meowed

loudly, “Bluestar! What do you say? ”

The cats fel silent as they turned to look at their leader.

Bluestar’s gaze moved across the crowd of cats, and

settled final y on Spottedleaf’s body. The first drops of rain

began to fal, sparkling like dewdrops on the medicine cat’s

stil -glossy fur.

Bluestar blinked slowly. Grief clouded her face, and for a

moment Firepaw was afraid that this new death would

overwhelm her. But when her eyes opened they glittered

with a fierceness that showed her determination to seek

revenge for this cruel attack. She lifted her head. “If

Yel owfang has kil ed Spottedleaf and stolen Frostfur’s kits,

she wil be hunted down without mercy. ” The crowd

meowed approvingly. “But we must wait, ” Bluestar went on.

“There is a storm coming, and I am not prepared to risk

more lives. If ShadowClan has our kits, they wil come to no

immediate harm. I suspect Brokenstar wants them as

recruits for his own Clan, or as hostages—to force us to let

him hunt in our territory. As soon as the storm has passed,

a patrol wil fol ow Yel owfang and bring back our kits. ”

“We cannot waste time, or the scent wil be lost in the

rain! ” Tigerclaw protested.

Bluestar flicked her tail impatiently. “If we send out a

hunting party now, our efforts wil be wasted anyway. In this

weather the scent wil already be lost by the time we are

ready. If we wait until after the storm, we stand a better

chance of success. ”

There were murmurs of agreement among the Clan.

Even though it was barely sunhigh, the sky was growing

much darker. The cats were unsettled by the lightning and

thunder, and seemed wil ing to listen to their leader’s

advice.

Bluestar looked at her deputy. “I’d like to discuss our

plans with you, please, Tigerclaw. ” Tigerclaw nodded and

stalked away toward Bluestar’s den, but the leader

hesitated. She glanced at Firepaw, signaling with a flick of

her tail and a ripple of her whiskers that she wanted to

speak to him alone.

The other cats gathered around Spottedleaf and began

to share tongues with her, their wails of grief sounding

above the thunder. Bluestar wound her way through them

and went toward the fern tunnel that led to Spottedleaf’s

den.

Firepaw quietly skirted the mourning cats and fol owed

her inside. It was very dark beneath the ferns. The storm

had blotted out the morning sun so that it seemed as if night

had fal en. Rain was fal ing more heavily now, spattering

noisily against the leaves, but at least it was sheltered in

Spottedleaf’s clearing.

“Firepaw, ” Bluestar meowed urgently as he arrived at

her side, “where is Yel owfang? Do you know? ”

Firepaw hardly heard her. He couldn’t help remembering

the last time he had come to this clearing. An image of

Spottedleaf, trotting out of her den with her coat gleaming in

the sunlight, burned in his mind, and he closed his eyes to

preserve it.

“Firepaw, ” snapped Bluestar, “you must save your

grieving for later. ”

Firepaw shook himself. “I…I saw Yel owfang go through

the camp boundary after the kits went missing. Do you

real y think she kil ed Spottedleaf and took the kits? ”

Bluestar gazed steadily at him. “I don’t know, ” she

admitted. “I want you to find her and bring her back—alive. I

need to know the truth. ”

“You’re not sending Tigerclaw? ” Firepaw couldn’t help

asking.

“Tigerclaw is a great warrior, but in this case his loyalty

to the Clan may cloud his judgment, ” Bluestar explained.

“He wants to give the Clan the vengeance it desires. No cat

can blame him for that. The Clan believes Yel owfang has

betrayed us, and if Tigerclaw thinks he can reassure the

Clan by handing them the dead body of Yel owfang, that’s

what he wil do. ”

Firepaw nodded. She was right—Tigerclaw would kil

Yel owfang without question.

Bluestar looked stern for a moment. “If I find that

Yel owfang is a traitor, then I wil kil her myself. But if she is not…” Her blue eyes burned into Firepaw’s. “I wil not let an

innocent cat die. ”

“But what if Yel owfang won’t come back? ” Firepaw

meowed.

“She wil, if you ask her. ”

Firepaw felt stunned by Bluestar’s faith in him. The

enormity of what she was asking him to do weighed down

on him, and he wondered if he had enough courage to carry

it through.

“Go at once! ” she ordered. “But be careful; you wil be on

your own and there may be enemy patrols about. This

storm wil keep our own warriors in camp for a while. ”

Thunder rol ed overhead as Firepaw dashed out into the

clearing. Rain hammered down, pelting against his fur like

tiny stones. A bolt of lightning lit up the faces of Darkstripe

and Longtail as they watched him cross the clearing.

Firepaw bounded past the nursery. He couldn’t leave

without sharing tongues with Spottedleaf. The other cats

had run for shelter, abandoning the medicine cat’s body to

the downpour while they huddled beneath the dripping

ferns, meowing their fear and loss.

Firepaw buried his nose in Spottedleaf’s wet fur and

breathed in her scent one last time. “Good-bye, my sweet

Spottedleaf, ” he murmured.

His ears pricked as he overheard the voices of Frostfur

and Speckletail talking nearby. He froze, straining to listen.

“Yel owfang must have had help, ” Speckletail growled.

“Someone from ThunderClan? ” came the anxious voice

of Frostfur.

“You’ve heard what Tigerclaw’s been saying about

Ravenpaw. Perhaps he had something to do with it. I’ve

never felt comfortable with him, myself. ”

The fur on Firepaw’s spine prickled. If Tigerclaw had

been spreading his malicious rumors as far as the nursery,

Ravenpaw wouldn’t be safe anywhere in the camp.

Firepaw realized he had to act quickly. He would find

Yel owfang first, then deal with Ravenpaw. He raced to the

spot where he had last seen Yel owfang. He knew her scent

so wel that he could even smel it through the rain-soaked

leaves. He began to push through the bushes, mouth open,

to detect where her trail led.

“Firepaw! ”

Firepaw jumped and then relaxed as he realized it was

Graypaw’s voice.

“I’ve been looking for you! ” mewed his friend as he

rushed toward him.

Firepaw gingerly stepped back out of the ferns.

Graypaw squinted as rain dripped down his long fur and

into his eyes. “Where are you going? ” he mewed.

“To look for Yel owfang, ” Firepaw replied.

“On your own? ” Graypaw’s broad gray face showed

concern.

Firepaw thought for a moment and decided to tel

Graypaw the truth. “Bluestar asked me to bring Yel owfang

back, ” he mewed.

“What? ” Graypaw looked shocked. “Why you? ”

“Maybe she thinks I know Yel owfang best, and that I’d

find her more easily. ”

“Wouldn’t a party of warriors stand more of a chance? ”

Graypaw pointed out. “Tigerclaw’s the best tracker in the

Clan, and if anyone could bring her back, he could. ”

“Maybe Tigerclaw wouldn’t bring her back, ” Firepaw

murmured.

“What do you mean? ”

“Tigerclaw’s out for revenge. He would just kil her. ”

“But if she kil ed Spottedleaf and took the kits…”

“Do you real y believe that? ” Firepaw asked.

Graypaw looked at his friend, shaking his head in

confusion. “Do you think she’s innocent? ” he mewed.

“I don’t know, ” Firepaw admitted. “And neither does

Bluestar. She wants to find out the truth. That’s why she’s

sending me instead of Tigerclaw. ”

“But if she ordered Tigerclaw to bring her back alive…”

Graypaw’s words were drowned by a deafening crack of

thunder, and a flash of lightning lit up the trees around them.

In the dazzling light, Firepaw glimpsed Frostfur chasing

Ravenpaw away from the nursery. The white queen’s face

was twisted with fury as she hissed at the young black cat

and lunged forward to give him a warning nip on the hind

leg.

Graypaw turned to Firepaw. “What’s that al about? ” he

mewed.

Firepaw stared back at his friend, his mind leaping

ahead to a new idea. It looked like Ravenpaw’s time had

run out, and Firepaw needed Graypaw’s help. But would his

friend believe him? The wind was beginning to roar through

the trees above them, and Firepaw had to raise his voice.

“Ravenpaw’s in great danger, ” he meowed.

“What? ”

“I have to get him away from ThunderClan. Right now,

before anything happens to him. ”

Graypaw looked puzzled. “Why? What about

Yel owfang? ”

“There’s no time to explain, ” Firepaw mewed urgently.

“You’l just have to trust me. There must be a way we can

get Ravenpaw away. Bluestar’s going to keep the warriors

in camp til the storm is over, but that doesn’t leave us much

time. ” He tried to picture the hidden corners of the woods,

beyond ThunderClan territory. “We’l have to take him

somewhere Tigerclaw won’t find him, somewhere he can

survive without the Clan. ”

Graypaw stared at him for a moment. “What about

Barley? ”

“Barley! ” Firepaw echoed. “You mean, take Ravenpaw

to the Twolegplace? ” His ears twitched with excitement.

“Yes, that might be the best idea. ”

“Come on, then! ” meowed Graypaw. “What are we

waiting for? ”

Relief washed over Firepaw. He should have known his

old friend would help. He shook the rain from his head, then

touched Graypaw’s fur with his nose. “Thank you, ” he

purred. “Now, let’s get Ravenpaw. ”

They found their friend huddled miserably inside their

den. Sandpaw and Dustpaw were in their nests, too,

looking tense and scared as the storm crashed overhead.

“Ravenpaw, ” Firepaw hissed through the entrance.

Ravenpaw looked up. Firepaw flicked his ears and the

black cat fol owed him out into the storm.

“Come on, ” Firepaw whispered. “We’re taking you to

Barley. ”

“Barley? ” Ravenpaw mewed in bewilderment, narrowing

his eyes against the driving rain. “Why? ”

“Because you’l be safe there, ” Firepaw answered,

looking the black cat straight in the eye.

“Did you see what Frostfur did? ” mewed Ravenpaw, his

voice quavering. “I was only going to check on the kits…. ”

“Come on, ” Firepaw interrupted him. “We must hurry! ”

Ravenpaw met his friend’s gaze. “Thanks, Firepaw, ” he

murmured. Then he turned into the wind and bounded

across the clearing.

The three apprentices rushed toward the camp

entrance, their fur flattened by the howling wind. As they

entered the gorse tunnel, a voice cal ed them back.

“You three! Where are you going? ”

It was Tigerclaw.

Firepaw whirled around, feeling his heart sink. He

wondered desperately what he could say, when he spotted

Bluestar striding toward them. She frowned for a moment;

then her face cleared.

“Wel done, Firepaw, ” she meowed. “I see you’ve

persuaded your two friends to go with you. ThunderClan

has brave apprentices, Tigerclaw, if they are wil ing to run

an errand in weather like this. ”

“Surely this is not a time for errands? ” objected

Tigerclaw.

“One of Brindleface’s kits has a cough. ” Bluestar’s voice

was icily calm. “Firepaw has offered to fetch some coltsfoot

for her. ”

“Does he real y need his friends to go too? ” asked

Tigerclaw.

“In this storm, I think he’s lucky to have the company! ”

answered Bluestar. She looked deep into Firepaw’s eyes,

and he was suddenly aware of the trust she was placing in

him. “Off you go, you three, ” she meowed.

Firepaw returned her gaze grateful y. “Thank you, ” he

purred, dipping his head. With a swift glance at his

companions, he led the way along the familiar paths toward

Fourtrees. The wind roared through the branches above

them and the trees swayed, their trunks creaking and

cracking as though they might fal at any moment. The rain

poured down through the leaves, soaking the cats to their

hides.

They reached the stream, but the stepping-stones they

usual y leaped across had completely disappeared. The

cats stopped on the bank and looked down in dismay at the

wide, brown, swirling river.

“This way, ” Firepaw meowed. “There’s a fal en tree up

here. We can use it to cross. ” He led Graypaw and

Ravenpaw upstream to a log that rested only a kittenstep

above the rushing water. “Be careful, it’l be slippery! ”

Firepaw warned, leaping careful y up onto it. The log’s bark

had been stripped away, leaving only smooth, wet wood to

balance on. Careful y the three cats walked along the trunk.

Firepaw jumped down on the other side and watched his

friends until they, too, had landed safely.

The trees were bigger on the other side, offering some

shelter from the storm as they hurried on, side by side.

“Are you going to tel me exactly why we need to get

Ravenpaw away? ” panted Graypaw.

“Because he knows that Tigerclaw kil ed Redtail, ”

Firepaw answered.

“Tigerclaw kil ed Redtail! ” Graypaw echoed in disbelief,

stopping dead and staring first at Firepaw and then at

Ravenpaw.

“At the battle with RiverClan, ” puffed Ravenpaw. “I saw

him. ”

“But why would he do that? ” Graypaw protested, setting

off again. They started down the slope that led into the

clearing at Fourtrees.

“I don’t know. Maybe he thought Bluestar would make

him deputy, ” Firepaw suggested, raising his voice against

the wind.

Graypaw didn’t reply, but his face darkened.

The cats began to climb the steep slope that led up to

WindClan territory. As Firepaw leaped upward from rock to

rock, he cal ed down to Graypaw behind him. He wanted

his friend to understand just how dangerous it was for

Ravenpaw in the ThunderClan camp. “I overheard

Tigerclaw talking to Darkstripe and Longtail on the night

Lionheart was kil ed, ” he yowled. “He wants to get rid of

Ravenpaw. ”

“Get rid of him? You mean kill him? ” Graypaw sat

heavily on a rock.

Firepaw stopped too. He looked down at his friends.

Ravenpaw had halted farther down the slope, his sides

heaving as he caught his breath. He looked smal er than

ever with his sodden fur clinging to his scrawny body.

“You saw the way Frostfur went for Ravenpaw today? ”

Firepaw meowed to Graypaw. “Tigerclaw’s been hinting to

everyone that Ravenpaw is a traitor. But he’l be safe with

Barley. Now come on; we must hurry! ”

It was impossible to talk in the open expanse of

WindClan territory. The wind howled around them while the

thunder and lightning rol ed and flashed overhead. The

three cats lowered their heads and pushed onward into the

heart of the storm.

Eventual y they reached the edge of the plateau that

marked the end of WindClan’s territory.

“We can’t take you any farther, Ravenpaw, ” meowed

Firepaw through the gale. “We have to get back and find

Yel owfang before the storm has passed. ”

Ravenpaw looked up through the battering rain,

alarmed. Then he nodded.

“Wil you be able to find Barley alone? ” yowled Firepaw.

“Yes, I remember the way, ” answered Ravenpaw.

“Watch out for those dogs, ” warned Graypaw.

Ravenpaw nodded. “I wil! ” Suddenly he frowned, “How

can you be sure Barley wil welcome me? ”

“Just tel him you caught an adder once! ” answered

Graypaw, affectionately nudging his friend’s rain-soaked

shoulder.

“Go, ” Firepaw urged, aware that time was short. He

licked Ravenpaw’s skinny chest. “And don’t worry; I’l make

sure everyone knows you didn’t betray ThunderClan. ”

“What if Tigerclaw comes looking for me? ” Ravenpaw’s

voice was smal against the rumbling storm.

Firepaw met his gaze steadily. “He won’t. I shal tel him

you are dead. ”