Warriors: Power of Three 01 - The Sight (19 page)

Hollypaw stared at her brother in
astonishment. Jaypaw had always been so sure that he wanted to be a warrior, ever since he had been old enough to pounce on a scrap of moss.

Firestar looked at Hollypaw. “Did you know anything about this?”

“No!” Hollypaw gasped. Firestar sounded as if he suspected they had planned it together.

Jaypaw looked over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes round with anxiety. “Hollypaw, I'm sorry.”

“It's all right.” Leafpool padded over to Jaypaw and brushed his ear with her muzzle. “Hollypaw has already told Firestar that she wants to train as a warrior apprentice instead.”

Jaypaw blinked. “Really?”

Hollypaw nodded. A tingle of hope pricked her paws. Perhaps this was the perfect solution! After all, Jaypaw had always known the herbs better than she did. But would Firestar agree?

Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Are you ready to take on
another apprentice so soon?”

Leafpool sat down and wrapped her tail over her paws. “I would be honored to be Jaypaw's mentor.” She dipped her head. “I think the Clan would be lucky to have him as its medicine cat.”

Hollypaw stared at Leafpool.
Why does she look like she's hiding something?

“What about his blindness?” Firestar queried.

Hollypaw bristled. Surely Jaypaw wouldn't let Firestar get away with that? “He knows the herbs far better than me,” she mewed quickly.

“His sense of smell is incredible,” Leafpool agreed. “He can already tell an infected wound from a clean one a tail-length away.”

Hollypaw waited for Jaypaw to point out that blindness had nothing to do with it, but he only murmured, “I will try as hard as I can. Leafpool will soon see whether I can manage or not.”

“Very well.” Firestar nodded, looking a little dazed. “Leafpool will be your new mentor.”

Jaypaw dipped his head.

“But first,” Firestar went on, “we must tell Brightheart.”

Jaypaw's ears twitched. “She'll be hurt.” Hollypaw could hear anxiety in his mew. Her brother had never gotten on particularly well with his mentor, but he was clearly worried about her feelings.

“Maybe Brightheart could be my mentor,” she suggested.

Firestar shook his head. “Her skills were perfect for training Jaypaw, but not for you.” He shifted his paws. “She will be a mentor again very soon; don't worry.”

“What if she doesn't understand my decision?” Jaypaw mewed.

“It's up to you to
make
her understand,” Firestar answered. “I may be able to tell the Clan what to do, but I can't tell them how to feel.”

“I'll make sure that she knows my decision has nothing to do with her,” Jaypaw promised. “This is something I
have
to do.”

His mew was oddly flat. Hollypaw felt a ripple of unease stir her pelt. It was almost as if being Leafpool's apprentice wasn't Jaypaw's choice at all, but something that had been forced upon him.

Leafpool glanced at Firestar and Sandstorm, the sort of meaningful glance that told Hollypaw that they wanted to exchange words in private.

Taking the hint, she bowed her head. “Shall I fetch Brightheart?”

Firestar nodded. “Yes, please.”

“She's in the warriors' den,” Jaypaw told them.

Hollypaw's whiskers twitched. It was weird that Jaypaw was always totally aware of what was going on in the camp. She bounded down into the clearing and padded over to the warriors' den. Sticking her head through the entrance, she called Brightheart's name.

Brightheart was sitting up in her nest, washing, her warm
breath billowing in the gloom.

“Firestar would like to see you in his den,” Hollypaw told her.

Brightheart stopped, her tongue still half out, and stared at Hollypaw. She looked as if she was about to ask why.

Hollypaw ducked out of the den. She did not want to give Brightheart time to speak. She knew she would not be able to hide the truth, but she also knew that it was Jaypaw's duty to break his news to his mentor. She slipped into the apprentice's den before Brightheart emerged. It seemed a good time to visit her new home. The scent of the yew was strange, and the nests were all empty. Jaypaw's nest would be hers now, she guessed. She sniffed it out and gazed around the shelter, happy at the thought of sleeping among her Clanmates. After the nursery, her nest in the medicine den had seemed cold and lonely. She wished some of the apprentices were here to welcome her.
Everyone must be out training
. The thought brought a prickle of excitement. Before long, she would be out with them.

When Hollypaw slipped out of the den, she saw Brightheart scrambling up the rockfall to Firestar's cave. Thornclaw lay by the halfrock, sharing tongues with Whitewing. Spiderleg was dozing in the early morning sunshine below Highledge.

Foxkit and Icekit burst from the nursery entrance in a flurry of fur and whiskers.

“Don't stray into the clearing,” Ferncloud's voice called from inside the den. “I don't want you getting under anyone's paws!”

“We won't,” Icekit replied.

Icekit flicked her brother's russet-colored muzzle with her tail. Foxkit retaliated with a lunge that sent her tumbling toward Hollypaw.

Hollypaw steadied the snow-white kit with her paw.

“Hi, Hollypaw!” Icekit glanced up at her, then spun and leaped at her brother. She tumbled him over, grasped him with a paw behind each cheek, and began to pummel him enthusiastically with her hind paws.

“Tuck your head in, Foxkit, and give her a good nip!” Hollypaw called.

Icekit squeaked and let go of her brother. “That's not fair,” she wailed. “You're helping him.”

“It doesn't look like you need any help!” Hollypaw mewed.

Foxkit hurled himself at his sister.

“Duck!” Hollypaw warned the snowy kit.

Icekit rolled out of the way just in time, and Foxkit skidded past her into the frosty grass outside the apprentice's den. He turned and, crouching low, prowled back toward Icekit.

“Not so fast,” Hollypaw advised. Icekit was waiting with her chest pressed to the ground and her tail lashing excitedly. “Let her come to you.”

Foxkit stared at his sister, his eyes defiant. “She won't dare come near me!”

Icekit wriggled closer, unable to resist her brother's challenge. Foxkit waited until she was so close that her breath billowed in his face.

“Get behind her now!” Hollypaw urged.

Foxkit darted out of the grass and shot behind Icekit. By the time she had spun around he had jumped onto her back and was rolling her onto her side.

“You two are going to make great warriors!” Hollypaw purred.

A flash of ginger-and-white fur caught her eye. Brightheart was leaping down the tumble of rocks. Hollypaw felt a pang of sympathy. Jaypaw had been Brightheart's first apprentice. She must have been eager to prove that she could make as good a mentor as any other warrior. Hollypaw hoped Jaypaw had persuaded her that his decision had nothing at all to do with the way she had been training him.

“Show us a fighting move!” Foxkit was reaching up to Hollypaw's shoulder with his forepaws, tugging at her pelt.

Hollypaw ducked down and, twisting like a snake, rolled over onto her back.

“Wow!” Icekit breathed. “You're really quick.” The white kit's gaze flicked across the clearing, and she suddenly looked nervous. “Firestar's coming,” she whispered.

“I've decided on your new mentor,” Firestar announced, stopping in front of Hollypaw.

“You've got a new mentor?” Foxkit mewed in surprise.

Firestar gazed down at the little kit. “She's going to train as a warrior,” he explained.

“I thought she was training to be a medicine cat,” squeaked Icekit.

Hollypaw felt a prickle of unease. She still couldn't help worrying that she had broken the warrior code.

“Hollypaw knows best what lies in her heart,” Firestar meowed.

I do
, Hollypaw thought.

Cloudtail came hurrying through the camp entrance. “I've told him,” he called to Firestar. “He's on his way.”

“We'll have an apprentice ceremony later,” Firestar told Hollypaw. “But I've called your new mentor back from the hunting patrol. If he agrees to take you on, you might as well start right away. You've got plenty of training to catch up on.”

Hollypaw nodded, unable to speak because her throat seemed to have closed up with excitement.

The thorn barrier quivered.

“Firestar?” Brackenfur hurried toward the ThunderClan leader, panting. He must have run all the way back. “What is it?”

Hollypaw flicked her tail happily. Not only was Brackenfur a great fighter, but he was also clever and thoughtful; she trusted his judgment as much as his strength.

“Would you be willing to take on Hollypaw as an apprentice?” Firestar asked.

Brackenfur's gaze shot toward Hollypaw. “What happened?”

Hollypaw tensed. Was he going to say no? After all, she had already let one mentor down. “I-I don't think I'm cut out to be a medicine cat.”

Brackenfur gazed at her a moment longer; then he turned back to Firestar. “I'd be pleased to train her.”

Hollypaw felt a wave of relief.

“Good,” Firestar meowed. “I'll leave her in your paws, then.” He turned and padded away.

Brackenfur looked Hollypaw up and down. “You've got some catching up to do,” he warned.

“I know, and I'm going to train extra hard.”

“Good.” Brackenfur flicked his tail. “We'll do battle training every day to begin with.”

“Great!”

Brackenfur stared at her with his head to one side. “I'm not going to ask what made you change your mind. If you're going to be a warrior, I want you to concentrate on the present, not the past. You've made your decision, and I expect you to stick to it.”

“I will!” Hollypaw vowed.

Brackenfur kneaded the ground with his front paws, his shoulders flexing. “Are you ready to start training right away?”

Hollypaw nodded.

“Good. You can join our hunting patrol.” He headed back toward the thorn barrier and raced out of the entrance. Taken by surprise, Hollypaw pelted after him, her tail fluffed out. Her first real hunt!

Brackenfur didn't slow down to accommodate her shorter legs, and Hollypaw had to run twice as fast to keep up with
him. He raced up the slope and headed through the forest. All the time Hollypaw had spent sorting herbs had exercised her mind more than her body. She realized with a jolt how much fitter the other warrior apprentices must be.

Brackenfur glanced over his shoulder as she struggled after him. “We're nearly there,” he encouraged.

Hollypaw dug her claws into the frozen earth and tried even harder to catch up. A fallen tree blocked the path, but Brackenfur cleared it with ease. Hollypaw skidded to a halt in front of it and wriggled through the narrow gap underneath.

Brackenfur was waiting for her on the other side. Graystripe and Millie were pacing the small clearing in the undergrowth. Ashfur and Spiderleg talked quietly nearby, while their apprentices, Lionpaw and Mousepaw, competed to see who could skid farthest through the fallen leaves.

Lionpaw stared at Hollypaw in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Meet my new apprentice,” Brackenfur meowed.

Lionpaw's tail flicked. “That's great!”

Graystripe padded forward and touched his muzzle to hers. “Congratulations.”

“Did you catch anything while I was gone?” Brackenfur asked.

“The prey's hiding from the cold,” Ashfur complained.

“There must be some way to tempt it out,” Brackenfur meowed. “It'll be as hungry as we are.”

“We could dig it out,” Lionpaw suggested. “The shallow
burrows would be easy to scent.”

“The ground's probably too frozen,” Ashfur pointed out.

“What about that huge beech tree near the old Thunderpath?” Spiderleg suggested. “There are always beechnuts on the ground, even this late in leaf-bare.”

“The prey's more likely to venture out there than anywhere else,” Brackenfur agreed.

He raced away again. The patrol took off after him. Taking a deep breath, Hollypaw followed. Did Brackenfur always give such little warning before he shot off? And how did the others know to follow him? Her muscles were screaming for her to stop, but there was no way she was going to show she was struggling to keep up.

Her paws lightened with relief when she recognized the leaves of the beech up ahead. They rustled in the wind, as golden as Brackenfur's pelt. The patrol skidded to a halt before they reached it and padded forward silently, weaving through the bracken toward the clear ground around the trunk. Hollypaw watched and copied them.

No one spoke as Brackenfur drew himself forward and peered from the edge of the bracken. While the others lined up alongside, Hollypaw slid into the space beside her mentor.

“Keep your tail still,” he whispered.

Hollypaw realized that the tip of her tail was twitching with excitement. “Sorry,” she breathed. When she held it still, the dry bracken fronds above her head stopped rattling.

The rest of the patrol lined up along the edge of the
bracken, their eyes all fixed on the leaf-strewn earth around the tree.

“I see something!” Lionpaw hissed.

Hollypaw searched the forest floor, but could see nothing. She looked at Lionpaw and followed his gaze. He was staring at a single leaf trembling beside an exposed root. Was that really prey? She sniffed the air. At first all she smelled was the pungent mustiness of dead leaves. And then she smelled mouse.

She thrashed her tail, setting the bracken rattling again. The leaf up ahead flipped over, and Lionpaw shot out of the bracken and hurled himself toward it.

“Too late!” he cursed as he slammed his paws down on empty ground. He glared at Hollypaw. “You scared it off!”