Crowfeather's Trial

But it wasn’t a wave that was doing this to Crowfeather. It was seeing Breezepelt injured, and knowing that Nightcloud was already dead.

Crowfeather leaned toward him, but before he could get close enough to whisper in his ear, Breezepelt’s eyelids slowly eased open. Crowfeather felt a rush of relief that he had regained consciousness, but when he looked into his son’s eyes, all he could see was pain.

Breezepelt blinked a few times, then focused his gaze on Crowfeather. “I killed the stoat, and Nightcloud is still dead,” he whispered miserably. Crowfeather’s heart almost broke with sadness as his son added, “I should never have left her in the tunnels in the first place.”

“Don’t talk now,” Crowfeather told him gently. “You need to rest. I’m sorry about what you’ve been through, but we will avenge your mother, I promise you.” When Breezepelt looked unconvinced, he added, “If there’s a battle ahead, WindClan will need a warrior as bold and strong as you.”

Breezepelt’s eyes widened, and he fixed Crowfeather with an incredulous amber gaze. He remained silent, but that look seemed to be asking, Is it really my father, Crowfeather, telling me this?

Crowfeather cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’ll fetch you some prey to help you regain your strength,” he meowed. “I’ll be right back.”

Outside the medicine-cat den, Crowfeather found Heathertail hovering with Featherpaw and Hootpaw.

“How is Breezepelt?” Heathertail asked anxiously.

“He’s awake,” Crowfeather replied, seeing Heathertail’s blue eyes grow brilliant with relief. “But he needs to rest. In the meantime, all the Clan should get ready.”

“Ready for what?” Hootpaw asked, flicking his tail straight up in the air.

“To fight,” Crowfeather meowed.

Chapter 14

“Certainly not,” Harespring meowed, with a stern look at all four apprentices. “Onestar has ordered that no apprentices are going to be in the battle with the stoats.”

“But WindClan needs every cat!” Hootpaw protested, looking up at the Clan deputy with pleading eyes.

“WindClan needs every warrior,” Harespring corrected him.

“Not fair,” Slightpaw muttered.

Crowfeather gave an irritated twitch of his whiskers. They were already wasting valuable practice time while the apprentices argued that they should be allowed to take part in the battle.

“We could let them join in the training,” he suggested to Harespring. Maybe that will shut them up. “After all, it’s possible the stoats will attack the camp. The apprentices should be able to defend themselves and the elders, and any cats who might be in the medicine cat den.”

Featherpaw bounced gently on her paws with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “Oh, yes, please, Harespring!”

The Clan deputy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose it won’t do any harm,” he decided. “You can be responsible for them, Crowfeather.”

Thanks a bunch.

But Crowfeather had to admit to himself that he didn’t mind working with the apprentices. They were all shaping up to be fine warriors. Especially Hootpaw, he thought as he paired them up to practice the battle move he had taught Hootpaw and Featherpaw a few days before. Nightcloud taught him well, Crowfeather thought, with a renewed pang at how much he missed her, and now Gorsetail is doing a good job, too. She’ll have an easier time because Nightcloud started Hootpaw off so well.

Thinking about Hootpaw made Crowfeather pay more attention to his own apprentice. Featherpaw had learned the move well; she had good balance while she stood on her hind paws and attacked her opponent with her forepaws. But she was slightly hesitant, as if she was afraid of hurting her Clanmate, while the rest of the apprentices piled in enthusiastically.

“Be bold!” Crowfeather advised her. “And strike out faster. In a real battle, your enemy won’t wait for you.”

Featherpaw nodded vigorously, then returned to her practice with Oatpaw. Crowfeather watched with approval as she put more speed and strength into her blows, knocking Oatpaw to the ground and then leaping on top of him with a yowl of triumph.

“Well done!” Crowfeather praised her.

Almost the whole of WindClan had assembled on a flat stretch of moorland near the camp, for a training session to prepare for battle. Using the information Breezepelt, Heathertail, and Weaselfur had brought back, Onestar and Harespring had made a plan: Some cats were to go into the tunnels and drive the stoats toward the entrances, while others would wait in ambush to attack when the stoats appeared. Prey would be left near the entrances to lure the stoats into the open.