Path Of A Warrior

A hot wind rushed over her, ruffling her fur; the growl of the monster was deafening.

And then the noise and the wind stopped.

Shadowstar lay still, her eyes tightly shut. Am I dead?

She could still smell the foul monster scent, and her belly felt sore and scraped from pressing against the Thunderpath. If this was StarClan, it was very different than it had been before. A raindrop hit the top of her head, and Shadowstar opened her eyes. She was still on the Thunderpath. She was alive. Turning, she saw the monster disappearing in the distance. Had it passed right over her?

A fine drizzle had begun to fall, and it quickly soaked through her fur. She shook the raindrops out of her eyes, feeling dazed. I have to get off the Thunderpath.

She got to her paws with difficulty, her legs weak and shaky, and headed back toward ShadowClan territory.

It wasn’t until she reached the grass at the edge of the Thunderpath that she realized: I was pushed… . It was the only possible explanation.

The cat I scented was trying to kill me!

Before she had quite gotten her bearings, a heavy weight slammed into her side, rolling her onto the ground. Shadowstar’s heart was pounding, her blood roaring in her ears, and she kicked out with her hind paws, trying to throw off the attacker above her.

Pain shot through her as a claw sliced at the skin above her eyes. Half-blinded by blood, Shadowstar howled with rage and swiped her front paw across her attacker’s side. Shaking the blood from her face, she glimpsed gray-and-white fur.

“Shadowstar!” Her Clanmates had heard her howl.

At the sound of their voices, the cat on top of her leaped away. Gasping for breath, Shadowstar rolled onto her belly and tried to wipe the blood away from her eyes with one paw.

Mud Paws and Pebble Heart were running toward her. Raven Pelt was veering away from them, chasing after the rapidly fleeing cat. It was hard to see through the rain and through the blood running down her face, but Shadowstar recognized her attacker.

Quick Water?

Shadowstar felt a sharp pang of betrayal and disbelief. She and the SkyClan warrior had always gotten along well… . Quick Water had been one of the cats who had come down from the mountains with Shadowstar and Skystar, looking for a better life. They’d known each other all their lives.

Had Shadowstar’s old friend really become her enemy?

Pebble Heart and Mud Paws reached Shadowstar, and the medicine cat immediately began to pat her over with soft paws—“Does this hurt? Does this?”—and to clean the blood from her fur. It was not until he finally nodded in approval that Shadowstar was able to question them.

“Did you see who I was fighting?” she demanded.

Pebble Heart and Mud Paws exchanged frightened looks.

“It was hard to tell, but it looked like—”

“I wasn’t sure, but it looked like—”

“It was Quick Water.” Raven Pelt was trotting back toward them, looking tired. “I’m sorry, Shadowstar, I lost her by the carrionplace, but I’m sure it was her.”

“I’m glad you made sure,” Shadowstar told him. “You’ve done well.” Raven Pelt’s yellow eyes brightened at her praise. He’s brave and loyal, Shadowstar thought, and he doesn’t lose his head in a crisis. Maybe I’ve finally found my deputy.

But there was a more pressing matter now. A SkyClan cat—Quick Water—had just tried to kill her. Thinking back on the dogs that had tracked her and Sun Shadow through the woods, and the amber eyes that had watched them die, Shadowstar wondered if maybe this hadn’t been the first time.

Chapter Five

They needed to talk to Skystar immediately, Shadowstar decided. The scratch across her forehead still stung, and she ached all over from the fight, but this couldn’t wait. She led Raven Pelt, Mud Paws, and Pebble Heart across ShadowClan’s territory toward SkyClan.

“What if Skystar knew Quick Water was going to attack you?” Raven Pelt asked. “What if he told her to? Should we be going onto SkyClan territory with so few cats?”

Shadowstar twitched her tail, thinking. “Skystar may have had his troubles with the other Clans in the past,” she told him, “but I can’t believe he’d want to kill me, or hurt ShadowClan, no matter how angry he was with me.” Raven Pelt began to speak, but Shadowstar went on. “I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. Skystar wants me as his ally; killing me makes no sense. There has to be another explanation for what Quick Water was doing.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Raven Pelt or herself. I don’t want to believe it about Skystar. I won’t believe it.