Into the Wild (16 page)

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.”

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?

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.”

“We know about the dogs. We saw them earlier—” Tigerclaw began impatiently.

“We are grateful to you for the warning,” interrupted Bluestar. “Thank you, Barley. Until next time . . .”

Barley flicked his tail. “Have a safe journey,” he meowed as he bounded away up the track.

“Come,” ordered Bluestar. She pushed her way through the long grass between the path and the fence that led back into the cornfield. The three apprentices followed, but Tigerclaw hesitated.

“You trust the word of a loner?” he meowed.

Bluestar stopped and turned to face him. “Would you rather face those dogs?”

“They were tied up when we passed them earlier,” Tigerclaw pointed out.

“They may be untied now. We're going this way,” meowed Bluestar. She ducked under the fence into the field. Firepaw slipped after her, followed by Graypaw, Ravenpaw, and finally Tigerclaw.

By now, the sun had lifted its head above the horizon. The
hedgerows sparkled with dew, promising another warm day.

The cats padded along the edge of the ditch. Firepaw looked down into the deep gully, steep-sided and filled with nettles. Firepaw could smell prey-scent. There was something familiar about the bitter odor, but it was one he hadn't smelled for a long time.

An earsplitting squeal made Firepaw whip around. Ravenpaw was struggling and clawing at the earth. Something had hold of his leg and was dragging him down into the ditch.

“Rats!” spat Tigerclaw. “Barley has sent us into a trap!”

Before they could react, all five cats were surrounded. Huge brown rats swarmed out of the ditch, squeaking shrilly. Firepaw could see their sharp front teeth glinting in the early dawn light.

Suddenly one leaped onto Firepaw's shoulder. Fiery pain shot through his shoulder as the rat sank its teeth into his flesh. Another grasped his leg between its powerful jaws.

Firepaw flung himself down and writhed madly, trying to shake free. He knew the rats were not as strong as he was, but there were so many of them. Yowls, hisses, and spits told him that the others were also being attacked.

Firepaw slashed fiercely with his claws, slicing out at a rat that held on to his leg. It let go, but another one gripped his tail. Fast as lightning, powered by fear and rage, Firepaw fought and hacked at his attackers. Twisting his head around, he sank his teeth into the rat that had embedded itself into his shoulders. He felt the bones of its neck crunch in his mouth and its body go limp, before it fell away onto the dirt track.

Firepaw gasped with pain as yet another rat leaped onto his back and sank its teeth in. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of white fur. For a moment he was confused; then he felt the rat being dragged off him. Firepaw spun around to see Barley flinging the rodent into the ditch.

Without hesitating, Barley glanced around and sprinted over to Bluestar. She was writhing on the path, covered in rats. In a flash Barley had the spine of one between his teeth and was plucking it off her with practiced ease. He spat it onto the ground and grabbed another in his mouth as Bluestar thrashed beneath him.

Firepaw rushed over to Graypaw, who was being attacked from both sides by two smaller rats. Firepaw lunged at the nearest one, giving it a bite that left it dead. Graypaw managed to turn and pin down the other with his claws. He grabbed it with his teeth and flung it into the ditch as hard as he could. It did not come back.

“They're running away!” Tigerclaw yowled.

Sure enough, the remaining rats were fleeing down into the safety of the ditch. Firepaw could hear the scrabbling of small paws disappearing into the nettles. The bites in his shoulder and hind leg stung sharply. He licked carefully at his fur, wet and matted with blood, its sharp tang mingling with the stench of the rats.

Firepaw looked around for Ravenpaw. Graypaw was standing at the edge of the nettles, mewing encouragement as Ravenpaw pulled himself out of the ditch, muddy and stung. A young rat was still hanging on to his tail. Firepaw bounded
over and finished it off quickly while Graypaw helped to pull Ravenpaw over the top of the ditch.

Now Firepaw looked for Bluestar. He saw Barley first, standing at the top of the ditch, scanning the depths for more rats. Bluestar was lying on the path nearby. Alarmed, Firepaw dashed to his leader's side. The thick gray fur at the back of her neck was drenched with blood. “Bluestar?” he mewed.

Bluestar did not reply.

A furious yowl made Firepaw look up.

Tigerclaw leaped on top of Barley and pinned him to the ground. “You sent us into a trap!” he snarled.

“I didn't know the rats were here!” spat Barley, his paws scrabbling in the dust as he struggled to stand up.

“Why did you send us this way?” hissed Tigerclaw.

“The dogs!”

“The dogs were tied when we passed them earlier!”

“The Twoleg unties them at night. They guard his nest,” Barley panted, wheezing under the weight of Tigerclaw's massive paws.

“Tigerclaw! Bluestar is injured!” Firepaw burst out.

Tigerclaw released Barley at once. Barley got up and shook the dust from his coat. The great warrior bounded over to Bluestar's side and sniffed her wounds.

“Is there anything we can do?” Firepaw asked.

“She is in the hands of StarClan now,” meowed Tigerclaw solemnly, stepping back.

Firepaw opened his eyes wide with shock. Did Tigerclaw mean that Bluestar was dead? His fur prickled as he looked
down at his leader. Is this what the spirits at the Moonstone had warned her about?

Graypaw and Ravenpaw had joined them and stood beside their leader, horror-struck. Barley hung back, craning his neck to see what was happening.

Bluestar's eyes were open but glazed, and her gray body lay motionless. She didn't even appear to be breathing.

“Is she dead?” whispered Ravenpaw.

“I don't know. We must wait and see,” replied Tigerclaw.

The five cats waited in silence as the sun began to climb into the sky. Firepaw found himself wordlessly begging StarClan to protect his leader, to send her back to them.

Then Bluestar stirred. The end of her tail twitched and she lifted her head.

“Bluestar?” mewed Firepaw, his voice trembling.

“It's all right,” Bluestar rasped. “I am still here. I have lost a life, but it wasn't my ninth.”

Joy flooded Firepaw. He looked at Tigerclaw, expecting to see relief on his face, but the dark warrior was expressionless.

“Right,” Tigerclaw meowed in a commanding tone. “Ravenpaw, fetch cobwebs for Bluestar's wounds. Graypaw, find marigold or horsetail.” The two apprentices dashed away. “Barley, I think you should leave us now.”

Firepaw looked over to the loner who had fought so bravely to help them. He wanted to thank him, but under Tigerclaw's fierce gaze, he didn't dare. Instead of speaking, Firepaw gave Barley a tiny nod. Barley seemed to understand, for he nodded in return and left without another word.

Bluestar was still lying on the dirt track. “Is everyone all right?” she asked hoarsely.

Tigerclaw nodded.

Ravenpaw came charging back, his left forepaw wrapped in a thick wad of cobwebs. “Here,” he mewed.

“Should I put them on her wounds?” Firepaw asked Tigerclaw. “Yellowfang showed me how.”

“Very well,” agreed Tigerclaw. He walked away and scanned the ditch again, his ears pricked for more rats.

Firepaw peeled a clump of cobwebs from Ravenpaw's paw and began to press them firmly onto Bluestar's wounds.

She winced under his touch. “If it had not been for Tigerclaw, those rats would have eaten me alive,” she murmured, her voice tight with pain.