Path Of A Warrior

But the other ThunderClan warriors had, like Redtail, clearly realized the battle had been lost. Thrushpelt came up to Bluefur’s other side, and between them, he and Redtail supported Bluefur toward the tunnel through the gorse. The other ThunderClan warriors raced after them.

“Run away, ThunderClan!” Mocking yowls and threats rose behind them.

The race back toward Fourtrees was like a nightmare, Redtail gasping for breath as he struggled beneath Bluefur’s half-conscious weight.

As their paws hit the grass of Fourtrees, Redtail and Thrushpelt paused for a moment to catch their breath.

“Cowards!” Tigerclaw hissed. Redtail turned to face him. The big brown tabby’s face was contorted with rage.

“We had to retreat,” Redtail panted. His shoulder ached and his paw pads were burning. Every heartbeat they stopped here to argue, Bluefur might be dying. “Look at her.”

Tigerclaw’s gaze slid over Bluefur. “We should have finished the fight for her. No true warrior would run away from a battle. You’ve brought shame on the whole Clan, Redtail.”

Have I? Bluefur’s breath rattled harshly in her chest, and Redtail realized he was quite sure that he hadn’t. “I did the right thing,” he insisted, his eyes steady on Tigerclaw’s. “True warriors protect their Clanmates. This was never a battle worth fighting.”

Tigerclaw hissed again but said nothing. Thistleclaw and Patchpelt took Redtail and Thrushpelt’s places supporting Bluefur, giving the other cats a chance to catch their breath, and they hurried on toward ThunderClan territory.

Redtail was at the back of the group, tired and sore, as they reached the entrance to ThunderClan’s camp. As the others disappeared into the ravine, Bluefur supported between them, Tigerclaw turned to face Redtail.

“Nice move,” he hissed, his amber eyes dark with anger.

“What do you mean?” Redtail asked.

“Trying to make it look like you’re worried about Bluefur,” Tigerclaw scoffed. “You’re just a coward. You always have been—ever since you were a ’paw and I had to save you on that bridge. So much for loyalty. So much for the life you owe me.”

Redtail didn’t drop his head in guilt or gratitude; he glared straight back into Tigerclaw’s eyes. He felt like he was seeing Tigerclaw for the first time. Where was the brave warrior who had saved him from the hawk? This cat had bullied an apprentice, had lied to their leader, had done everything he could to start a battle no cat needed. And Redtail had let him. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

“I am worried about Bluefur,” he hissed back in a fierce, low whisper. “Your stupid grudge almost got her killed. And I don’t owe you anything anymore.”

He pushed past Tigerclaw and headed into ThunderClan’s camp. He was loyal, but now he knew what being loyal meant.

It wasn’t Tigerclaw he owed his loyalty to. It was ThunderClan.

Chapter Seven

“You’re the one who called a retreat,” Tigerclaw snarled, glaring at Redtail. “What kind of deputy gives up territory?”

Redtail glared back at the older warrior. Newleaf after newleaf had passed since the failed attack on the WindClan camp. Sunstar had lost his last life and gone on to StarClan long ago. Bluefur had become ThunderClan’s leader and, although both Thistleclaw and Tigerclaw had expected to be chosen, she’d named Redtail her deputy instead.

Elders had died, and kits had been born, warriors had moved to the elders’ den, and apprentices had completed their training and become full warriors. And yet, as Redtail stood in the leader’s den, listening to Tigerclaw and Bluestar, the argument sounded exactly the same as it had back when he was a ’paw. Tigerclaw hasn’t changed a whisker.

But things were worse now than they had been for a long time. Only a few days ago, they had lost a battle with RiverClan for Sunningrocks, the only battle they’d lost on ThunderClan territory since Bluestar had first become leader many moons before.

“The kind of deputy who protects the cats in his Clan,” Redtail growled back at him, his tail slashing through the air. How dare Tigerclaw question him about this? There was no way that they could have won that fight! “RiverClan had us outnumbered. We had to get Mousefur to the medicine cat’s den. She’d be dead now if it we hadn’t retreated, and so would other ThunderClan warriors.”

“We have to teach them a lesson,” Tigerclaw snarled, his long front claws flexing angrily against the floor of the leader’s den as he turned to Bluestar. “If we don’t protect our territory, RiverClan will think they can cross our borders whenever they want. Redtail made a mistake.”

“Redtail did the right thing,” Bluestar mewed firmly. “Sometimes you have to lose a battle to keep your Clan safe.” Tigerclaw didn’t reply, his amber gaze sullen. “But you can be sure,” Bluestar continued, “we will reclaim Sunningrocks.”