Dark River

Jaypaw darted back to pick up the leaves he had dropped and followed her into the trees. His paws felt heavy and unease fluttered in his chest. Leaving the stick felt wrong. He wanted to understand why.

I’ll be back, he promised.

Chapter 5

Lionpaw stiffened when he saw Hollypaw’s eyes flash in the darkness, even though they had closed by the time he reached his nest.

Hollypaw had been watching for him to slip back into the apprentices’ den.

“It’s okay,” he hissed into her ear. “I only went to make dirt.” He flexed his claws. Why did he have to explain every movement to her? She rolled over without replying. He curled down into his nest, his back to Hollypaw.

Outside the moon was high, the sky clear, the wind warm.

He longed to sneak out of camp and meet Heatherpaw. She didn’t watch him with that narrowed gaze like she was waiting to prove he was a traitor to his Clan. She knew they were just playing, not swapping Clan secrets. Lionpaw closed his eyes, anger like a hard knot in his belly, and buried himself in sleep. He began to dream.

Hollypaw blinked at him. Her eyes shone from the darkness of a burrow. They were full of warmth and excitement as they had been when they played as kits. Lionpaw crept closer to the entrance. What was she doing in there?

“Hollypaw?”

“I’m going to get you,” she mewed teasingly.

So that was it.

A game.

Lionpaw crouched and crept closer. Hollypaw twitched her whiskers mischievously, her amber eyes glittering in the darkness.

Lionpaw’s blood turned to ice.

Amber? Hollypaw’s eyes were green!

Lionpaw stepped backward. The eyes had lost their play-ful glint. They fixed him with a vicious stare. This wasn’t Hollypaw. A growl sounded from the burrow. Fox! Lionpaw tried to run but his paws seemed to have turned to stone.

Snarling, the creature shot out at him, teeth bared and red with blood.

Lionpaw woke and leaped to his feet. Pale light filtered through the branches of the den, speckling the sleeping cats.

Hollypaw’s head shot up. “Are you okay?”

“Just a nightmare,” Lionpaw panted.

Hollypaw leaned toward him. “What about?”

“A fox,” Lionpaw breathed.

“There are no foxes in here.” Cinderpaw padded from her nest and blinked encouragingly at him.

Lionpaw bristled. Wasn’t anywhere safe from this prying pair? He barged past them. “I’m going to get some food,” he mewed, stalking out of the den.

Brambleclaw was watching the camp from Highledge.

Firestar must be on patrol, Lionpaw guessed. Jaypaw was washing himself beside the halfrock that jutted from the earth on the farside of the clearing. He paused as Lionpaw crossed the camp.

“Are you okay?” Jaypaw tipped his head to one side.

“I had a nightmare, that’s all,” Lionpaw grumbled. He padded to the fresh-kill pile, picked up a small, stiff mouse and carried it back to Jaypaw.

They shared it in silence. At least Jaypaw didn’t seem to want to poke his nose into everything Lionpaw had done in the last moon.

“Lionpaw!” Ashfur padded out of the warriors’ den. “We’re training with Brackenfur and Hollypaw in the hollow this morning.”

Oh, great! Can’t I ever get away from her?

The thorn barrier trembled as an early hunting patrol raced into camp. Firestar and Sandstorm were both holding prey in their jaws. Spiderleg and Mousepaw each carried a mouse, and Whitewing gripped a plump thrush between her teeth.

“Is everything all right?” Brambleclaw called down.

Firestar dropped his prey on the fresh-kill pile. “All quiet and as you can see, the prey is running.”

Berrypaw was already at the fresh-kill pile, sniffing the thrush Whitewing had dropped. He picked it up and carried it to the nursery.

“Hi, Jaypaw.” Hollypaw was bounding across the clearing with Cinderpaw. “Any food left?”

“You can eat later, Hollypaw!” Brackenfur was pacing up and down in front of the camp entrance. “Training first.”

Lionpaw gulped down the last of his mouse, feeling a twinge of satisfaction. Hollypaw had probably been gossiping about him. Serves her right if it means she goes hungry. He got to his paws and hurried toward Brackenfur. Ashfur bounded across the clearing to join them.

“I’m starving!” Hollypaw complained, catching up.

“We’ll hunt after battle training,” Brackenfur promised.

The golden warrior darted through the tunnel. Lionpaw fell in beside Ashfur, leaving Hollypaw to hurry after them.

They padded to the training hollow in silence. Sun was slanting through the bright green leaves, and the air trembled with birdsong. Lionpaw saw Hollypaw lick her lips.

Ashfur sat down in the center of the hollow, his tail whisking over the mossy ground. “Today, we’re going to be thinking about how other Clans fight—their strengths and weaknesses, and the best way to exploit them.”

“So, what strengths do the other Clans have?” Brackenfur prompted.

“RiverClan can swim,” Hollypaw mewed, “which means they can approach from water.”