CHAPTER TEN

"Help! ShadowClan's attacking!"

I jerked my head up from the mouse I was sharing with my new mate Lionblaze. It was three days after the night at the lake. Lionblaze and I had made our feelings for each other well known among the Clan, and we had discussed together about the possibility of kits further down the road, but not until after the Dark Forest war. The Clan was happy for us, but I could tell Cinderheart was jealous of me. Apparently she still had feelings for Lionblaze, but kits on the way and Mousewhisker as her mate, there was no going back.

Anyway. Back to the point. Cherrypaw's mew was terrified. Firestar bounded up to her and raised his voice so all could hear. "Dustpelt, Graystripe, Sorreltail, Thornclaw, Berrynose, Foxleap, Bumblestripe, Lionblaze, Nightshade, Dayshine, Gingerclaw!" he called. "Help Whitewing's patrol!"

My tail went straight up in excitement. I was going to fight in my first real battle! I had fought with foxes and badgers and a trespassing rogue before, but never with a real Clan.

The cats streamed out of camp, heading to the ShadowClan border. When we arrived, there was a ShadowClan patrol closing in on Whitewing, Birchfall, and Icecloud. I tensed, waiting for Firestar's signal. He flicked his tail, and we leaped out.

As soon as my claws met a dark gray ShadowClan tom's fur, all was chaos. With Lionblaze at my side, I defeated warrior after warrior. However, soon Foxleap called for help, and my mate ran off to save him. I was alone.

Alone except for my phantom voice, that was. "Turn around!" it hissed. I did, and saw a reddish brown tom leaping at me. I recognized him as Dan Green, now Pigface, my old enemy from Ms. D's class. He realized who I was too, and fought even harder. But I was a much better fighter than he, and with all my rage, he was soon at my mercy. I wanted too kill him, but that was against the warrior code big time, so instead I gave him a few slashes to the belly and sent him running.

Then a large weight jumped on me, and my vision went black.

It was my old friend, Sam! I believed her warrior name to be Wolfclaw. I had talked with her at a Gathering when we were apprentices, but she was busy all the other times.

"Watch what you're doing, squirrel-brain! Pigface may be annoying, but he's my Clanmate!" she muttered in my ear.

"Reveal yourself!" the voice said.

"Sam! It's me!" I called desperately after my vision cleared. Wolfclaw loosened her grip, surprised, and I used that to my advantage. I flipped over, kicking her with my hind legs.

"Toad-breath!" I taunted. Enraged, she leaped at me.

We were evenly matched. We were both good fighters who had the best warriors in the Clan as our previous mentors. We each had the same skills. My phantom voice stayed silent.

We leaped and clawed. We bit and scratched. If I hadn't decided to let her win (Sam, if you're reading this, you know it's true!) we would have torn each other to bits. She flipped me on my back and asked, confused, "What do I do now?"

I grinned her scowling face and answered, "I scream, and you let me go."

She couldn't help it: she smiled. I screamed. She let me go.

The battle was soon over.

Blackstar and Firestar were lying on the ground. The latter soon raised his head and got to his feet shakily. Graystripe darted forward to steady him.

The ThunderClan leader nudged Blackstar. "Blackstar? Blackstar?" The great white tom didn't move.

A white ShadowClan she-cat nosed him and sadly said, "He's dead."

"Rowanclaw is leader now," Firestar mewed, looking expectantly at the ShadowClan cats.

No cat moved forward. I gasped. Rowanclaw must be dead as well!

Tawnypelt nudged a lump of fur at the edge of the clearing. She let out a pitiful wail.

A fluffy gray she-cat said, "Who's our leader now?"

Every cat went into muttered conversations, debating on who the next leader should be.

"Silence!" Firestar yowled. "As a peace offering, I grant ShadowClan this clearing. It isn't worth the blood spilled over it. I will give ShadowClan a moon of peace to recover and choose their new leader."

He flicked his tail, and vanished into the forest.

To my great surprise, Wolfclaw became ShadowClan leader! Apparently, Blackstar and Rowanclaw had appeared to Storkleg in a dream and said that StarClan had chosen the strongest and bravest cat in the Clan to be leader—and it just happened to be Sam.

This bit of news made me decide right then and there that I was going to become lead ThunderClan. It was an irrational dream, but I was going for the gold here. If a human could become a cat, why couldn't an young warrior become leader?

I worked harder on patrols, practiced fighting with Lionblaze, and did everything else I could do to get Firestar's attention. Cinderheart had her kits a few moons later, and I was anxious to see who their mentors would be at their apprentice ceremony in greenleaf.

"Lichenkit!" our ginger leader called. Cinderheart's little she-cat bounded forward enthusiastically, her mottled gray pelt almost blending in with forest behind her. "Rabbitkit!" Her gray-and-white brother, and deputy in Trouble, ran up behind her.

"You have reached the age of six moons, and it is high time you two should be apprenticed," Firestar said, a tinge of amusement in his voice. The whole Clan purred. Rabbitkit and Lichenkit had gotten into a lot of mischief as kits, from leaving burrs in Jayfeather's nest—which he did not appreciate—to hiding dead rats in the elder's den. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Lichenpaw—" he nodded toward the apprentice "—and Rabbitpaw," he concluded, looking at the tom. "I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior." He turned toward a warrior in the crowd. "Mothface!"

Mothface looked startled, but walked forward until he was right in front of the newly made apprentices.

"Mothface, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Dovewing, and have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Rabbitpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know." Mentor and apprentice touched noses, and Firestar turned toward ... me?

"Gingerclaw!"

Well, that was certainly the surprise of a lifetime, but quite a welcome one! I walked forward, and Firestar mewed, "You have had excellent training under Lionblaze, and have proved your worth to the Clan many times. You will mentor Lichenpaw."

A few days later, Cloudtail and Firestar came back from their border patrol dragging Brambleclaw between them. The whole patrol stank of badger. Firestar looked weak, as if he had recently lost a life ... and if that was true, he only had one left!

Jayfeather and the newly named Mousefoot rushed to their aid. Everycat watched in shocked silence as the ThunderClan deputy bled to death.

"There's nothing I can do," Jayfeather announced at last. "He's gone to StarClan."

Oh no! Brambleclaw, dead!

"I will decide who the new deputy is soon," Firestar mewed heavily. "But first ..." And then he passed out. Nice move.

Mouseface and Jayfeather carried him to the medicine den for further treatment. Despite my sadness at Brambleclaw's death, I couldn't help the excitement bubbling inside me.

I had worked hard for moons. I doubted I was a contender in this little contest, but still—the thought nagged me.

Was it possible that I could be the next ThunderClan deputy?