Firepaw looked at the distant horizon. The land rose sharply up to a point, jagged and barren. “Do we have to cross the Thunderpath then?”
“Yep,” mewed Graypaw. His voice was strong and confident, almost cheerful, as he faced the difficult journey.
“Come on!” Bluestar meowed. She bounded forward. “We can be there by moonrise as long as we keep up the pace.”
Firepaw followed her with the others, down the hill, away from the bleak hunting grounds of WindClan and into the lush Twoleg territory.
Keeping near the hedges, the cats walked on. Once or twice Firepaw could smell prey-scent from the bushes, but Spottedleaf’s herbs had succeeded in taking the edge off his hunger. The sun was still hot on his back, even in the shadows of the hedgerows.
They skirted a Twoleg nest. It stood on a wide expanse of hard white stone, with smaller nests round the edges. Keeping low, the cats crept past the fence that surrounded the white stone. A sudden barrage of barking and snarling made them spin around.
Dogs! Firepaw’s heart missed a beat. He arched his back, fur bristling from nose to tail.
Tigerclaw peered through the fence. “It’s all right. They’re tied up!” he hissed.
Firepaw looked at the two dogs scrabbling on the stone barely ten tail-lengths away. They were nothing like the pampered pets that lived in the gardens of the Twolegplace. These creatures stared at him with wild, killing eyes. They strained at their ties and reared up on their hind legs. They growled and barked, their lips drawn back to reveal huge teeth, until the shout of an unseen Twoleg silenced them. The cats moved on.
The sun was beginning to sink by the time they reached the Thunderpath. Bluestar signaled to them to stop and wait beneath a hedge. His eyes and throat stinging from the fumes, Firepaw watched as the great monsters flashed to and fro in front of him.
“We’ll go one at a time,” meowed Tigerclaw. “Ravenpaw, you first.”
“No, Tigerclaw,” Bluestar interrupted. “I will go first. Don’t forget, this will be the first time of crossing for the apprentices. Let them see how it is done.”
Firepaw stared at his leader as she padded to the edge of the Thunderpath and looked up and down. She waited calmly as one monster after another flew past her, ruffling her fur. Then, when the earsplitting roar paused for a moment, she raced across to the other side.
“Off you go, Ravenpaw; now you’ve seen how it’s done,” meowed Tigerclaw.
Firepaw saw Ravenpaw’s eyes widen with fear. He knew just how his friend felt. He could smell his own fear-scent. The small black cat crept forward to the edge of the road. It was quiet, but Ravenpaw hesitated.
“Go!” hissed Tigerclaw from the hedge. Firepaw saw Ravenpaw’s muscles tighten as he prepared to run. Then the ground began to tremble beneath his paws. A monster sped out of the distance and hurtled past. The black cat shrank back for a moment, then pelted over to join Bluestar. A monster coming in the other direction threw dust up where his paws had been just a heartbeat before. Firepaw felt his fur shiver and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
Graypaw was lucky. A long lull let him cross safely. Then it was Firepaw’s turn.
“Go on, then,” growled Tigerclaw. Firepaw looked from Tigerclaw to the Thunderpath, and then walked out from beneath the hedge. He waited at the edge, as Bluestar had done. A monster was rushing toward him. Firepaw looked at the approaching monster. After this one, he thought, and waited for it to pass. Suddenly his heart lurched as he realized the monster had veered off the Thunderpath and was bumping along the grass. It was heading straight for him! A Twoleg was jeering from an opening in its side. Firepaw leaped backward, claws out, battered by the storm of wind from the Twoleg monster as it roared past him only a whisker away. He crouched, trembling, in the dirt and stared as it swerved back onto the path and disappeared into the distance. Through the roaring of blood in his ears, Firepaw realized the Thunderpath was quiet again, and he raced across, running faster than he had ever done in his life.
“I thought you were fresh-kill!” cried Graypaw as Firepaw cannoned into him, almost knocking him over.
“Me too!” Firepaw gasped. He was trying to stop shaking. He turned back to watch Tigerclaw dart over the path toward them.
“Twolegs!” he spat as he arrived at their side.
“Do you want to rest before we go on?” Bluestar asked Firepaw.
Firepaw looked up. The sun was low in the sky. “No,” he answered. “I’m okay.” But he had leaped so frantically out of the monster’s way that his claws felt frayed and tender.
The cats carried on, with Bluestar in the lead. The earth was darker on this side of the Thunderpath and the grass felt coarser underpaw. As they approached the foot of Highstones, the grass gave way to bare, rocky soil, dotted with patches of heather. The land sloped up now, toward the sky. Craggy rocks topped the slope, blazing orange in the sun.
Bluestar stopped once more. She chose a sun-warmed rock to sit upon, flat and wide enough for all five cats to rest side by side.
“Look,” she meowed, tilting her nose toward the dark slope before them. “Mothermouth.”
Firepaw peered upward. The glare of the setting sun blinded him, and the slope was engulfed in shadow.
The cats waited in silence. Gradually, as the sun dropped down behind Highstones, Firepaw began to make out the cave entrance, a square black hole that yawned darkly beneath a stone archway.
“We’ll wait here until the moon is higher,” meowed Bluestar. “You should hunt if you are hungry and then get some rest.”
Firepaw was pleased to have a chance to find food. He was starving now. Graypaw clearly felt the same and leaped away into a clump of heather, following the prey-scent that was thick in the air. Firepaw and Ravenpaw followed him. Tigerclaw set off in the opposite direction, but Bluestar remained where she was. She sat still and silent, gazing unblinkingly at Mothermouth.
The three apprentices gathered plenty of fresh-kill. With Tigerclaw they crouched on the stony hillside and feasted. But in spite of their easy hunt, no cat said much, and the air still felt thick with tension and anticipation.
Afterward, the cats rested beside their leader until the warmth had seeped out of the rock on which they lay and cold black shadows reached up on all sides. Only then did Bluestar call out, “Come. It is time.”
CHAPTER 15
Bluestar stood and began to pad toward Mothermouth. Tigerclaw walked beside her, matching her strides step for step.
“Come on, Ravenpaw!” called Graypaw. Ravenpaw was still sitting on the rock, staring up at the rocks. At Graypaw’s mew, he stood and began to follow slowly. Firepaw realized his friend had hardly said a word the whole journey. Is he just worried about ShadowClan, or is there something else troubling him? Firepaw wondered.
It took the cats only a few moments to reach Mothermouth. Firepaw stood on the threshold and peered inside. The blackness beyond the stone archway was darker than the cloudiest night. Firepaw narrowed his eyes, trying to see where the tunnel led, but he couldn’t see a thing.
Beside him, Graypaw and Ravenpaw craned their heads nervously around the entrance. Even Tigerclaw seemed unsettled by the black hole ahead of them. “How will we find our way in such darkness?” he asked.
“I will know the way,” answered Bluestar. “Just follow my scent. Ravenpaw and Graypaw, you will remain on guard outside. Firepaw, you will accompany me and Tigerclaw to the Moonstone.”
Firepaw felt a thrill jolt through him. What an honor! Firepaw glanced sideways at Tigerclaw. The warrior sat with his chin boldly raised, but Firepaw could detect a subtle fear-scent coming from him. It grew stronger as Bluestar stepped forward into the blackness.
Tigerclaw shook his mighty head and padded after Bluestar. With a brief nod to the other apprentices, Firepaw followed.
Inside the cave, his eyes still detected nothing. The complete and utter blackness felt strange, but he was surprised to find that he wasn’t frightened. His eagerness to discover what
lay ahead was stronger.
The cold, damp air reached through his thick fur and into his bones, stiffening his muscles. Even the coldest nights did not hold the same chill as the air here. This ground has never known the warmth of the sun, thought Firepaw, feeling the rock smooth like ice beneath his paws. Freezing air filled his lungs with each breath, until he felt light-headed.
He followed Bluestar and Tigerclaw through the darkness, judging his way by scent and feel alone. They were walking along a tunnel that sloped down and down, winding first one way and then the other. Firepaw’s whiskers brushed the side of the cave, telling him where to walk and where to turn. His nose told him that Bluestar and Tigerclaw were only a tail-length ahead of him.
On and on they went. How far have we come? Firepaw wondered. Then he felt a tingle in his whiskers. The air in his nostrils seemed fresher than before. He sniffed again, relieved to smell the familiar world above. He could smell peat, and prey, and the scent of heather. There must be a hole somewhere in the roof of the tunnel. “Where are we?” he mewed into the darkness.
“We have entered the cavern of the Moonstone,” came Bluestar’s soft reply. “Wait here. It will be moonhigh soon.”
Firepaw folded his hind legs under him on the chilly stone floor and waited. He could hear the steady breathing of Bluestar and the more rapid, fear-scented panting of Tigerclaw.
Suddenly, in a flash more blinding than the setting sun, the cave was lit up. Firepaw’s eyes were wide open after the blackness of the tunnel. He closed them quickly against the cold, white light. Then slowly he opened them into tiny slits and peered ahead.
He saw a gleaming rock, which glittered as if it were made from countless dewdrops. The Moonstone! Firepaw looked around. In the cold light reflected from the stone, he could make out the shadowy edges of a high-roofed cavern. The Moonstone rose up from the middle of the floor, three tail-lengths high.
Bluestar was staring upward, her fur bleached white in the glow of the Moonstone. Even Tigerclaw’s dark pelt shone silver. Firepaw followed Bluestar’s gaze. High in the roof was an opening that revealed a narrow triangle of night sky. The moon was casting a beam of light through the hole, down onto the Moonstone, making it sparkle like a star.
Beside him, Firepaw smelled Tigerclaw’s fear-scent growing, until it became overpowering. Firepaw felt startled. Could the warrior see something else here, something dangerous? He saw a flash of movement, felt fur rush past him, and heard the fleeing pawsteps of Tigerclaw racing back to the entrance.
“Firepaw?” Bluestar’s voice was quiet and calm.
“I’m still here,” he answered nervously. What had frightened Tigerclaw?
“Bluestar?” Firepaw mewed again when she didn’t answer. His heart was beating fast, making the blood roar in his ears.
“It is all right, young warrior; don’t be afraid,” Bluestar murmured. Her calm voice settled him a little. “I think Tigerclaw was surprised by the power of the Moonstone. In the world above, Tigerclaw is a fearless and mighty warrior, but down here, where the spirits of StarClan speak, a cat needs a different kind of strength. What do you feel, Firepaw?”
Firepaw sniffed the air deeply, and forced his body to relax. “Only my own curiosity,” he admitted.
“That is good,” Bluestar replied.
Firepaw looked back at the Moonstone. His eyes had gotten used to its light and he was no longer dazzled. Instead, it soothed him. With a twitch of his tail, he remembered his dream. This was the brilliant ball of light he had seen!
Spellbound, Firepaw watched as Bluestar padded up to the stone and lay down beside it. She reached her head forward and touched the Moonstone with her nose. Her blue eyes sparkled with its reflection for a moment before she closed them. Now she rested her head on her paws, her eyelids flickering, her paws twitching occasionally. Was she sleeping? Then Firepaw remembered Graypaw’s words: new leaders have to sleep near the stone, and as they sleep, they have special dreams.
He waited. The chill was not so intense here, but still he found himself shivering. He had no idea how much time had passed, but suddenly the rock stopped glowing. The cavern was plunged into darkness once more. Firepaw looked up to the opening in the roof of the cavern. The moon had passed on, out of sight. All that remained were tiny stars shimmering in blackness.
Firepaw could just make out the pale shape of his leader, lying beside the Moonstone. He wanted to call out her name, but did not dare break the silence.
After more endless moments, she spoke to him. “Firepaw? Are you still there?” Her voice sounded remote and agitated.
“Yes, Bluestar.” Firepaw heard Bluestar’s pawsteps approaching.
“Hurry,” she hissed. He felt her fur brush past him. “We must return to camp.”
Firepaw raced after her, astonished by the speed with which she rushed through the blackness. He followed her scent blindly, up and up the stone tunnel, until she led him safely back to the outside world.
Tigerclaw was waiting at the opening beside Graypaw and Ravenpaw as Bluestar and Firepaw climbed out of the cave. His expression was cold and his fur was slightly ruffled, but he sat motionless and dignified.
“Tigerclaw.” Bluestar greeted him but did not mention the warrior cat’s flight from the depths.
Tigerclaw relaxed a little. “What did you learn?”
“We must return to camp immediately,” Bluestar meowed briefly.
Firepaw saw a look of desperation in his leader’s eyes. Now the horror of his dream forced its way back into his memory: the fleeing cats; the great, dark warriors; the ear-splitting wail of distress. Firepaw tried to ignore the cold fear that gripped his muscles, and followed Bluestar as she and the others raced down the dark slope away from Mothermouth. Was his nightmare vision about to come true?
CHAPTER 16
They headed back the way they had come. The moon had disappeared behind a bank of clouds. It was dark, but at least the Thunderpath was quieter now. The only monster they heard was far off in the distance. The cats crossed the path together and pushed their way through the hedge on the other side.
Firepaw could feel his muscles growing stiff with tiredness as they hurried on. Bluestar kept up a swift pace with her nose thrust forward and her tail high. Tigerclaw loped beside her. Firepaw followed a few paces behind with Graypaw, but Ravenpaw was flagging.
“Keep up, Ravenpaw!” Tigerclaw growled over his shoulder.
Ravenpaw flinched and bounded forward until he caught up with Firepaw and Graypaw.
“Are you okay?” Firepaw asked.
“Yes,” Ravenpaw panted, not meeting Firepaw’s eyes. “Just a bit tired.”
They scrambled down a deep ditch and up the other side.
“What did Tigerclaw say when he came out of the cave?” Firepaw meowed, trying not to sound too curious.
“He wanted to check that we were still guarding the entrance,” replied Graypaw. “Why?”
Firepaw hesitated. “Did you scent anything strange about him?” he asked.
“Only that damp old cave,” Graypaw mewed, looking surprised.
“He seemed a little edgy,” ventured Ravenpaw.
“He wasn’t the only one!” Graypaw meowed, looking at the black cat.
“What do you mean?” asked Ravenpaw.
“Just that the fur on your neck stands up whenever you see him these days,” whispered Graypaw. “You nearly jumped out of your skin when he came out of the cave.”
“He just surprised me, that’s all,” Ravenpaw protested. “You have to admit, it was a bit creepy by Mothermouth.”
“I suppose so,” agreed Graypaw.
The cats slipped under a hedge into a cornfield that glowed silver in the moonlight, and followed the ditch that ran around its edge.
“So what was it like inside, Firepaw?” Graypaw demanded. “Did you see the Moonstone?”
“Yes, I did. It was amazing!” Firepaw felt his fur tingle at the memory.
Graypaw shot him an admiring glance
. “So it’s true! The rock really does shine underground.”
Firepaw didn’t reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the image of the Moonstone that dazzled his mind. Then pictures from his dream crowded into his head, and his eyes shot open. Bluestar was right: they had to get back to camp as quickly as they could.
Ahead, Tigerclaw and Bluestar had leaped through a fence, out of the cornfield. The apprentices followed, squeezing under the fence, onto an earth track. It was the path that led past the Twoleg nest and the dogs. Firepaw looked up and saw Bluestar and Tigerclaw trotting tirelessly together, silhouetted against a skyline tinged with red. The sun would be rising soon.
“Look!” he called to Graypaw and Ravenpaw. An unfamiliar cat had jumped out in front of the two warriors.
“It’s a loner!” hissed Graypaw. The three apprentices hurried forward.
The stranger was a stout black-and-white tom, shorter than the warriors, but well muscled.
“This is Barley,” Bluestar explained to the apprentices as they caught up. “He lives near this Twoleg nest.”
“Hi!” meowed the cat. “I haven’t seen any of your Clan for some moons. How are you, Bluestar?”
“I’m well, thank you,” replied Bluestar. “And you, Barley? How’s the prey been running since we last passed this way?”
“Not so bad,” replied Barley, with an amiable gleam in his eye. “One good thing about Twolegs—you’ll always find plenty of rats nearby.” The black-and-white tom went on: “You seem in more of a hurry than usual. Is everything all right?”
Tigerclaw looked at Barley. A growl rumbled deep in his chest. Firepaw could sense that the warrior was suspicious of the loner’s curiosity.
“I don’t like to be away from my Clan too long,” Bluestar answered smoothly.
“As always, Bluestar, you are tied to your Clan like a queen to her kits,” observed Barley, not unkindly.
“What is it you want, Barley?” asked Tigerclaw.
Barley flashed him a reproachful look. “I just wanted to warn you that there are two dogs here now. You’d be safer going back into the cornfield instead of past the yard.”