Dovewing half expected her Clan to stream out through the thorn barrier and race for the WindClan border without any more discussion. Even though she knew what a bad idea that would be, her paws itched to be on the move.
But Firestar raised his tail for silence. Gradually the tumult died away and the cats sat down again, but their neck fur was still fluffed up; their eyes glared with hostility and their claws scratched at the bare earth.
“We are not at war with WindClan yet,” the Clan leader meowed. “We have no way of knowing whether Onestar is aware of this, or whether Sol is making plans with a few cats he has befriended. And we’re not going to approach Onestar about it, because we don’t want to give him the idea of attacking.”
“Then what are we going to do?” Dustpelt challenged. “We can’t just sit here and wait.”
“Of course not,” Firestar replied. “We’ll plan for a battle with the whole of WindClan, but it might not come to that. We’ll wait for WindClan to come to us, because we’re strongest in our own territory. We all know that WindClan doesn’t like fighting among trees.”
“That’s right!” Birchfall called out. “We can climb trees and drop on their heads, like we did when we fought ShadowClan.”
“And ambush them from the undergrowth,” Sandstorm added. “WindClan cats are used to being able to see a long way in all directions.”
“Good suggestions,” Firestar responded, dipping his head.
“I can’t believe this!” Dovewing heard Poppyfrost murmur to Berrynose a couple of tail-lengths away. “That fleapelt even lied about saving our kits!”
Berrynose nodded, flexing his claws. “How dare he betray us! I’ll claw his fur off the next time I see him.”
“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him again,” Graystripe meowed, overhearing them. He had an expression of grim satisfaction on his face. “He’s treacherous through and through.”
While they were speaking, Brambleclaw had risen to his paws and stepped forward to the edge of the Highledge. “We need extra border patrols,” he announced. “Sandstorm, will you lead one with Cloudtail and Hazeltail? Graystripe, you lead the other; Spiderleg and Bumblestripe, go with him. And all the hunting patrols still need to stay away from the WindClan border. We don’t want to look for trouble, so no more washing your paws in the stream!”
“As if we would!” Dovewing exclaimed indignantly, while Ivypool hunched her shoulders and gave her chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks.
“Dustpelt and Brackenfur,” Brambleclaw went on, “I want you to work out a way to block off the entrances to the tunnels nearest the camp. We have to stop WindClan from attacking us in the heart of our territory.”
Hollyleaf sprang up. “Don’t block all of them!”
There were a few gasps of shock, as if some cats couldn’t believe that the newly returned warrior would dare to interrupt the Clan deputy. Brambleclaw looked startled, his neck fur fluffing up as he turned his gaze on the black she-cat.
“Why not?” he queried.
“It’s better that we keep the WindClan cats contained in a small area when they do attack,” Hollyleaf explained. Her voice was quiet, and she dipped her head respectfully to the deputy. “There are tunnels at the edge of our territory that we should block off first, to stop the WindClan cats from surrounding us.”
Brambleclaw blinked thoughtfully, recovering from his surprise, his neck fur flattening again. “So, which tunnels should we block?”
“Come down here, and I’ll show you.”
While Firestar and Brambleclaw ran down the tumbled rocks, Hollyleaf used her tail to clear fallen leaves from a patch of earth. She began to sketch a plan with her claws; Dovewing wriggled in frustration that she was too far away to see.
“These are the farthest tunnels,” Hollyleaf mewed, slicing her claws at the ground. “They should be blocked first.”
Dustpelt and Brackenfur shouldered their way through their Clanmates so they could watch.
“There’s sense in that,” Dustpelt admitted.
“What’s the best way to block the openings?” Brackenfur asked.
“Use stones to shut out the light.” Dovewing was surprised at how confident Hollyleaf sounded. She’s thought all this out! “Sticks will let light through, and so cats will try to get out that way. If you use stones, they’ll just think it’s a dead end.”
Remembering her own time in the tunnels, Dovewing winced at the thought of meeting darkness at every turn. She had to remind herself that WindClan was the enemy. No cat asked them to attack. I shouldn’t feel a mousetail of sympathy for them!
“Hollyleaf,” Brambleclaw meowed, “will you train us in fighting skills that are suitable for the tunnels, in case we have to take the battle underground?”
“Of course I will,” Hollyleaf replied. “I—”
“What?” Spiderleg interrupted, thrusting himself forward. “Is she coming straight back as a warrior, then?”
Brambleclaw gave him a steady glance. “Why not?”
“Well . . .” Spiderleg scuffled his forepaws in the dust. “She’s been away for so long. What if she’s forgotten everything?”
Hollyleaf looked up from her plan, her neck fur bristling and her green eyes sparking with annoyance. “You think I didn’t have to catch my own food while I was away?” she hissed. “Or fight off rogues and foxes without help? I promise you, Spiderleg, my skills are as sharp as they ever were.”
“Just like your tongue,” Berrynose muttered.
There were no more interruptions while Brambleclaw organized the hunting patrols, and named warriors for battle training sessions with Hollyleaf and to help Dustpelt and Brackenfur block up the farthest tunnels. He paused when he came to Dovewing and Ivypool, looking them up and down as he flicked the tip of his tail.
“Since you’ve already been underground,” he mewed, “you’d better learn to look after yourselves properly. You can go into Hollyleaf’s training group.”
Dovewing and Ivypool crossed the clearing to where Hollyleaf was waiting. Brackenfur, Brightheart, Thornclaw, and Toadstep were clustered around her.
“Okay, let’s go,” she meowed. “Listen to everything I tell you, because it could save your life.”
Chapter 21
Hollyleaf led the way out of the camp and up the steep path that brought the group to the top of the hollow. Pushing through the undergrowth, she halted beside an outcrop of stones.
“This is near the place where I found those marigold plants in water up a tree,” Ivypool told Dovewing. With a gasp she swung around and faced Hollyleaf. “Wait—was that you?”
Hollyleaf nodded.
“And the yarrow?” Brightheart asked.
Dovewing could tell that Hollyleaf was uncomfortable with the attention of all the cats fixed on her. “I trained as a medicine cat first, remember,” she muttered. “I knew that I could help, so I did.”
“So you were watching us all the time?” Brightheart murmured.
Hollyleaf stiffened. “It wasn’t like that! I wasn’t spying!”
“I wasn’t accusing you of spying.” Brightheart reached out with her tail to rest it on Hollyleaf’s shoulder. “It’s just good to know that you didn’t forget about us.”
“I would never do that,” Hollyleaf mewed. Giving her pelt a shake, she ducked behind the stones. Following her, Dovewing saw the gaping hole in the ground where she and Ivypool had ventured before, following Sol into the tunnels.
“You mean we’re going down there?” Thornclaw asked, his whiskers twitching nervously. “It’s not natural. We’re not moles or foxes! Cats shouldn’t be trapped down a hole!”
Toadstep shoved him to one side. “We won’t be trapped, mouse-brain! Let’s go!”
Before he could plunge into the darkness, Brackenfur stopped him with his tail across the entrance. “Hold on a moment. You can’t just go rushing into danger.” He sniffed warily at the stones that surrounded the hole. “These might fall and block us in.”
&nbs
p; “You’re right, Brackenfur,” Hollyleaf agreed, “but if they did, it wouldn’t be a disaster. There are plenty of other ways out. Don’t forget that I know these tunnels.” Stepping back, she gestured with her tail. “All of you, have a good sniff. We’re not going anywhere until every cat is ready.”
While the other cats crowded around the hole, Toadstep glanced at Dovewing and Ivypool. “You two aren’t saying much,” he remarked.
He doesn’t know we’ve already been down there, Dovewing thought. And he’d better not find out. If Firestar knew we entered the tunnels on our own, we would be back on apprentice duties before you could say mouse.
Aloud she mewed, “We’re just looking forward to learning how to move through the tunnels.”
Ivypool nodded. “Right.”
“Right,” Hollyleaf went on when every cat had taken a good look at the entrance. “We’ll go in now. Follow me, and don’t even think about trying to explore on your own.” She gave Toadstep a hard look.
“Okay,” he muttered.
Hollyleaf led the way into the tunnels followed by Brackenfur and then Brightheart. Dovewing hung back to take the last place, guessing that she might be able to use her senses to guard their rear, in case any WindClan warriors were lurking in the tunnels. Thornclaw was hanging back, too; Dovewing could see how reluctant he was to go down into the darkness.
“It’ll be fine,” she mewed as he hesitated at the entrance.
Thornclaw shot her a glare and plunged into the tunnel; Dovewing could guess how much he must hate being reassured by a much younger Clanmate, especially when he didn’t know that she had experience of being underground.
The light from the tunnel entrance soon died away behind them. Dovewing padded along in darkness, adjusting her senses to the unfamiliar surroundings and remembering how freaked out she had been when she first followed this path with Ivypool. Now the damp earth beneath her paws and the sensation of her fur brushing the walls of the tunnel didn’t bother her nearly so much. It was better because they had a confident leader in Hollyleaf. Now and again her voice would echo back along the tunnel.
“Watch your paws here; the ground is uneven.”
“It’s a tight squeeze just here, but it doesn’t last long.”
As the floor began to slant more steeply downward, Dovewing became aware of Thornclaw in front of her; he was breathing hard and once or twice his tail lashed across her face.
He’s getting scared. I know how he feels.
In the next heartbeat she collided with Thornclaw’s hindquarters and realized he was trying to back away. “I’ve got to get out of here,” he muttered.
“No—you can’t!”
The tunnel was so narrow that Dovewing was blocking Thornclaw’s retreat. Panting, he started to claw at her. “Let me out!” he gasped.
“Hollyleaf!” Dovewing called. “Thornclaw needs help.”
“Okay, I’m coming!”
In the blackness Dovewing couldn’t see a thing, but she could hear grunts and hisses from the other cats as Hollyleaf squeezed her way past them until she reached Thornclaw.
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” she told Thornclaw calmly. “The dark can’t hurt you, just because you can’t see. And you have other senses, remember?”
Her words seemed to soothe Thornclaw; at least, he stopped struggling, though Dovewing was close enough to feel him trembling. “I’ll walk with you,” Hollyleaf went on. “I’ve lived for moons down here, and nothing bad has happened to me.”
Thornclaw took a deep breath. “Okay,” he whispered. “Sorry.”
“Brackenfur!” Hollyleaf raised her voice. “Will you take the lead? Just keep on going straight, and ignore any side turns.”
“Right.” Brackenfur’s voice echoed back.
Thornclaw’s brief panic had unsettled Dovewing, and she began to feel uncomfortable, acutely aware of the contrast between bright, warm daylight and this cold blackness. She managed to slide forward past the others until she could pad between Brackenfur and Ivypool, feeling reassured by their closeness. Brackenfur especially was a solid and calm presence, apparently too curious about the tunnels to feel any fear.
“What keeps the roof up?” he asked, sounding impressed. “And what made the tunnels in the first place?”
“Water,” Hollyleaf replied from farther back. “There’s a river, and when it floods the tunnels fill.”
“Will they fill now?” Thornclaw fretted.
“Not a chance,” Hollyleaf told him. “There has to be really heavy rain for a long time before that happens. Run your paw along the stone,” she added, “and you can feel ridges like ripples in a windblown lake. That’s from when the tunnels were first worn away by water.”
Reaching out to feel the tiny furrows, Dovewing felt strangely comforted. Hollyleaf is really at home down here, she thought. She knows every mouse-length of these tunnels!
“I thought we were down here to learn about fighting?” Toadstep remarked as they padded on.
“You are,” Hollyleaf countered. “But you wouldn’t be able to fight a beetle in these narrow tunnels. When it comes to a battle, we’ll have to confront our enemies in larger spaces. The tunnels are useful to flee or pursue, but not for combat. If you try, you’re more likely to hit the walls than your opponent.”
“Sorry I asked,” Toadstep muttered.
As the tunnel grew slightly wider Hollyleaf took the lead again and headed along a twisting side passage. At last Dove-wing realized that she could see, very dimly, the shapes of the cats in front of her. The sound of running water came from up ahead; her pelt prickled at the thought of a flood rising to engulf them.
Moments later the cats emerged into an underground cave. A crack in the roof, high above their heads, gave them enough light to see one another. A river ran across the center of the cavern; Hollyleaf flicked her tail at it.
“See? It’s greenleaf now, so the water level is very low. Nothing at all to worry about.” She seemed hesitant as the cats gathered around her. “I wonder what’s best . . .” she murmured, half to herself. “Attack or defense?”
“Don’t you even know that?” Thornclaw snapped. “What did you get us down here for?”
Toadstep shot Thornclaw a sharp look, though he said nothing.
“I didn’t spend my time down here fighting,” Hollyleaf retorted. “I had no enemies because I saw no other cats.”
That must have been so lonely, Dovewing thought, with a sympathetic glance at the black she-cat.
“But you know more than any of us about moving around in darkness and confined spaces,” Brackenfur meowed. “That’s what will be helpful. What should we do if a patrol of WindClan cats ambushes us here?”
Hollyleaf gave him a brief nod. “Right,” she began. “You need to remember that the space is small, so you have to change your fighting moves. Keep your blows short and tight, otherwise you risk knocking your paws against the walls.”
Toadstep reared up on his hindpaws, keeping his forelegs tucked into his body while extending his claws against an imaginary enemy. “Like this?”
“Very good,” Hollyleaf mewed. “But don’t rear up unless you know there’s enough space above your head. Braining yourself on the tunnel roof would be a bad idea.”
Dovewing stifled a mrrow of amusement. “Is it better to fight in the light or the dark?” she asked.
Hollyleaf paused for a moment. “It depends,” she replied. “If you think you can beat your opponent, lead them away from the light so you can take advantage of the darkness. But if not, keep them close to the light so you can aim your blows accurately.”
Dovewing glanced around the cavern, suppressing a shiver as she imagined it full of clawing, screeching cats. The advice Hollyleaf was giving suddenly made the coming battle seem closer.
“Right,” Hollyleaf mewed briskly. “Let’s practice. Toadstep, you seem keen, so you can be a ThunderClan warrior. Dove-wing, you be the WindClan warrior that’s attacking him.”
&
nbsp; “Great!” Toadstep crouched down, lashing his tail. “Come and get me, WindClan scum!”
“Scum yourself!” Dovewing retorted.
She leaped at Toadstep, but forgot what Hollyleaf had said about keeping moves small and tight. As Toadstep dodged aside, her leap took her too far, and she narrowly missed charging into the cave wall. Her paws skidded, while Toadstep took the chance to deliver a couple of hard blows to her hindquarters.
“Well done!” Hollyleaf called.
Dovewing gritted her teeth. Turning tightly, she reared up as Toadstep came in for the attack, and used the backflip she had learned in the training session with Bumblestripe. Toadstep saw the move coming, but too late, and lost his balance. Dovewing leaped on top of him, battering at him with her forepaws.
But as Toadstep rolled over, wriggling to free himself, one of Dovewing’s flailing paws hit the wall. She let out a yowl of pain. Taking advantage of her brief distraction, Toadstep threw her off and wrapped his forepaws around her neck. However hard she struggled, Dovewing couldn’t dislodge him. Their fight had taken them right up against the cave wall. Heaving Toadstep around, Dovewing managed to trap him in a corner. Though he was still clinging to her neck, he had no way of escaping when she raked at his belly with her hindpaws.
“That’ll do.” Hollyleaf came to separate them. “Very good, both of you. Dovewing, that was a good move, to keep him pressed up against the wall like that. Do you know what you could have done?” she asked Toadstep.
“Not much. I’ll have bruises for a moon,” Toadstep muttered.
“I’ll show you. Brackenfur, come over here and shove me into the corner.”
As the ginger warrior charged at her, Hollyleaf sprang up against the wall and pushed off in an enormous leap that carried her right over Brackenfur’s head. She landed lightly and spun around, ready to attack.
“Brilliant!” Dovewing exclaimed.
There was a murmur of appreciation from the other cats.
“You need space, of course,” Hollyleaf meowed, dipping her head. “And you have to be careful not to scrape your pads. The walls aren’t always smooth. Why don’t you all pair up and practice that?” she suggested.