Eclipse

He padded away, relieved that he knew this part of the forest so well. He didn’t want Brightheart to see him fall flat on his nose. He headed up the track until he was sure he was out of sight, then ducked into the bushes. Lionpaw had said to meet by the oak where the mushrooms grew. It would be easy to find; this time of year the mushrooms were strong enough for even a sighted cat to smell. He could detect their musty odor from here, and, treading carefully through the undergrowth, he followed his nose until he felt the peaty soil of the mushroom bed beneath his paws.

There was no sign of Lionpaw and Hollypaw.

Then the stench of dirtplace hit his nose. The bushes rustled beside him.

“Sorry we’re late,” Hollypaw panted.

“We couldn’t think of an excuse for leaving the camp,” Lionpaw added. “So we sneaked out through the dirtplace tunnel.”

Jaypaw wrinkled his nose. “I can tell.” They smelled stronger than the mushrooms budding around them.

“And I’ve got prickers in my fur,” Hollypaw complained.

“Try rolling in the soil here,” Jaypaw suggested. “It’ll get rid of the smell and the prickers.”

“Good idea!”

Jaypaw leaped backward as Hollypaw sent gritty earth spraying up into his face. “Thanks!” he muttered.

“It was your idea,” she retorted, scrambling to her paws.

She sniffed loudly at her fur. “It worked!”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Jaypaw mewed.

“Let me try.” Lionpaw copied his sister.

“Now you smell like a couple of mushrooms,” Jaypaw complained.

“It’ll be good camouflage,” Hollypaw pointed out.

“Poor Cinderpaw’ll think she’s being stalked by toadstools,” Lionpaw mewed.

Jaypaw pricked his ears. “Shh!” He could hear the undergrowth rustling in the distance. The scents of Sandstorm, Cloudtail, and Thornclaw drifted on the early-morning breeze.

“Follow me, and keep quiet.”

He began to creep forward as though stalking prey, but a tree root snagged his paw and he stumbled.

“I’ll lead,” Lionpaw whispered. “Tell me which way to go.”

“Straight ahead,” Jaypaw muttered, letting Lionpaw slide past him. “Thornclaw and the others are right in front of us.”

After crawling a few tail-lengths through the undergrowth, Hollypaw tugged on Jaypaw’s tail. “I can hear them,” she hissed.

Jaypaw had already heard Thornclaw’s deep mew. “I hope you’re ready,” he was telling Poppypaw.

“There’s a bramble bush here,” Lionpaw warned. “Stay close behind me and keep low.”

Ducking, Jaypaw crawled after his brother, feeling the barbs scrape his pelt.

Cloudtail’s voice was clear now. “I know you will all do your best. But remember, you are not competing against one another, only yourselves.”

“You can’t help one another, either,” Sandstorm warned.

“This is a test of your solo hunting skills.”

“And we shall be watching you, though you may not see us,” Thornclaw meowed.

Lionpaw halted, and Jaypaw wriggled alongside him, feeling the brambles pressing down on his back. Hollypaw pushed in as well. “This is so exciting!”

“Shh!” Lionpaw hissed.

From the sound of it, the warriors and their apprentices were only a foxtail ahead of them. Jaypaw trusted that Lionpaw had chosen a spot where they were still well hidden, and hoped the mushroom dirt was enough to hide their scents.

The air pricked with the excitement of the three apprentices waiting to begin their assessment.

“Cinderpaw can hardly sit still,” Hollypaw commented.

“Poor Honeypaw looks petrified,” Lionpaw whispered.

“But Poppypaw looks as calm as a vixen.”

“Nothing fazes Poppypaw,” Hollypaw mewed.

Hopefulness and determination mingled in the air like meadow scent.

“Good luck,” Thornclaw meowed.

The three warriors melted into the forest, leaving the apprentices alone.

“Where shall I hunt?” Honeypaw mewed nervously.

“Trust your instinct,” Poppypaw advised. “I’m heading this way.”

Jaypaw heard Poppypaw’s paw steps heading toward the bramble where he and his littermates hid. Not daring to back away in case he set the bush shivering, he flattened himself against the ground. Lionpaw and Hollypaw tensed beside him, holding their breath as Poppypaw’s pelt brushed the leaves of the bush.

Don’t let her see us!

Hollypaw dug her claws into the soft earth.

Shh! Jaypaw stiffened. Then he let out a relieved sigh as the apprentice’s paw steps scuffed away up the slope.

“She’s heading to the shore,” Hollypaw guessed.

“Honeypaw’s going the other way,” Lionpaw mewed.

“What about Cinderpaw?” Jaypaw asked.

“She’s tasting the air.” Hollypaw’s breath tickled Jaypaw’s ear fur. “She must have caught a scent. She’s on the move.”

“Come on,” Lionpaw hissed. “Let’s follow her.” He began crawling out from under the bush.

Jaypaw followed, his brother’s tail brushing his nose. Out in the open, he soon recognized the ground beneath his paws; they were following the bottom of the slope. Keeping close to Lionpaw’s tail, and with Hollypaw’s fur brushing his flank, he found it easy to keep up with Cinderpaw as she began to pick up speed.

“She looks confident!” Hollypaw mewed. “Her tail is up.”

Lionpaw stopped without warning. “She’s turning around!” he hissed.