Path Of A Warrior

Hesitantly, Sun Shadow stepped toward him. In a moment, they were gone, leaving a trail of starry paw prints in the grass. Shadowstar looked after them, aching inside. Whatever Sun Shadow said, she should have been able to prevent his death. She was his leader. What would she do without her deputy?

In the grass at some distance, she could see a faint black shape. Herself, stars glimmering in her fur. Each time she came here, the shape was a little clearer, a little firmer. Next time, it would be her.

She brushed her tail against Gray Wing’s. “I only have one more life,” she mewed.

“I hope it’ll be enough.” Gray Wing’s expression was grim.

Alarm stirred inside Shadowstar. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Gray Wing shook his head. “I don’t know what it will mean for ShadowClan, or for any of the Clans, when you die,” he told her, his gaze steady. “None of us do. A leader’s never lost all nine lives before. I hope that ShadowClan will be strong enough to survive your loss. If ShadowClan falls apart, it could destroy all the Clans.”

Shadowstar shuddered, suddenly chilled. She’d founded ShadowClan. She’d brought all those cats together and built their life in the pine forest. Would they stay together without her? The feeling of vulnerability was back, stronger than before. One life was such a fragile, temporary thing.

And it wasn’t just her own life that was at stake. It was also the life of her Clan.

Chapter Two

Vroooom.

At the sound of a Twoleg monster roaring by, Shadowstar opened her eyes. She was lying in the grass near the side of the Thunderpath, not far from the Twoleg bridge. Dawn was breaking, soft pink and golden clouds at the horizon.

For a moment, Shadowstar felt as if she were waking from a long, good sleep. She got to her feet and arched her back, stretching her paws in front of her, enjoying the loosening of her muscles.

Then her eyes fell upon the bridge, and she pictured the fierce dog stepping out from the shadows, its teeth bared.

I died, she remembered with a shudder. Gray Wing’s worried face came back to her.

When I’m gone, not even StarClan knows what will happen to the Clans. There had to be five Clans. That was one thing they’d learned as they had fought against one another and then come together at last. If ShadowClan fell apart at Shadowstar’s death, then all the Clans might be destroyed.

Of course, that was why she, and every leader, had named a deputy. But … Her stomach gave a sickening twist, and she looked around.

Sun Shadow lay in the grass a little way off. He looked as though he could have been sleeping, his eyes closed, his face peaceful. But a long gash ran along his belly, and his fur was matted with blood.

“Oh, Sun Shadow,” she whispered, pressing her muzzle against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.” He was cold, and the stench of blood and dog overlaid his own familiar scent. Her deputy, her friend, her kin, killed by dogs. Rage and sorrow flooded through her, and she dug her claws into the grass.

“Shadowstar!”

Raising her head at the call, she saw a black tom hurrying toward her from the pine trees. For a moment, it looked like Sun Shadow.

“Where have you been?” the tom yowled, and Shadowstar felt her shoulders sag. It wasn’t her deputy—of course it wasn’t. It was Raven Pelt, a loyal ShadowClan warrior, and his yellow eyes were bright with concern.

“You and Sun Shadow never came home last night,” he said. “Half the Clan’s out looking for you. I—” He halted, catching sight of the dead body at her paws. “What happened?”

In as few words as possible, Shadowstar told him how they had been attacked. Her chest ached with sorrow as she spoke. “I will wait with Sun Shadow,” she said at last. “Go find some warriors to help carry him back to camp. We need to say good-bye.”

The sun was setting, and Sun Shadow’s body lay in the center of camp. Pebble Heart had cleaned his wounds as well as he could, but the impression Shadowstar had gotten at dawn, that Sun Shadow could be sleeping, was gone now. He didn’t look anything but dead.

She dipped her head to touch her nose gently to her deputy’s forehead and then spoke. “Sun Shadow first came to the forest as a young cat, searching for his father. Even though Moon Shadow was gone, he found his kin here. More than that, he found his Clan. He proved his loyalty many times: in battle, in the hunt, in the way he always put the good of his Clanmates first.” She paused, misery rising inside her, and took a deep breath. “Sun Shadow was the best deputy I could have asked for. He was a brave, compassionate cat who cared about every cat in this Clan, and he deserved a better death. He died trying to save me.”

From where he sat by Sun Shadow’s side, Dangling Leaf raised his head. “Sun Shadow taught me how to catch frogs,” he began.