The Sight

“You did it brilliantly,” Leafpool told her. “Let’s try something else.”

Leafpool demonstrated a few more moves, and Hollypaw copied each one with the same fierce intensity. Although Cloudtail made no more comments, she knew he was keeping one eye on her.

“We could try some combat now,” Leafpool suggested after a while. “Run at me and try to get past me.”

“How?” Hollypaw asked.

“Any way you can,” Leafpool told her. “We’ll discuss tactics afterward.”

Hollypaw crouched down and stared at Leafpool. Her gaze flitted to a sapling at the edge of the clearing behind the medicine cat. That was where she would aim. Leafpool was merely an obstacle to avoid. She darted forward, aware that Leafpool was rearing onto her hind legs, ready to bring her weight down on Hollypaw the moment she tried to slip past.

Hollypaw saw that the medicine cat was leaning back a little and guessed that her weight was mostly balanced on one side.

With lightning speed, she swerved the other way. Leafpool didn’t have a chance to rebalance herself, and she slammed down a mouse-length away from where Hollypaw flashed by.

Hollypaw felt a rush of triumph as she reached the sapling and spun to see Leafpool blinking with surprise. Then a prick of guilt jabbed her. Was she meant to be faster than her mentor?

“That was very good!” Leafpool panted.

“Yes, it was!” Cloudtail was padding over from the other

side of the clearing, Cinderpaw on his heels.

“You were so fast!” Cinderpaw complimented her.

“Thanks!” Hollypaw trotted back to Leafpool’s side.

Cloudtail dipped his head toward Leafpool. “Tell me if I’m butting in,” he began, “but I think Cinderpaw and Hollypaw should try training together. Cinderpaw has more energy than a well-fed rabbit, and she has more experience than Hollypaw. But Hollypaw knows how to watch and listen, and she clearly has an instinct for judging her opponent.”

Hollypaw was almost too excited to speak. A real warrior was offering to help with her battle training!

“I don’t see why not,” Leafpool meowed.

Cloudtail flicked his tail. “Cinderpaw, why don’t you show Hollypaw that fighting move we’ve been practicing?”

Cinderpaw led Hollypaw into the center of the clearing.

The sunshine flooding through the branches overhead dappled her smoky pelt. “You come at me, and I’m going to try to unbalance you.”

Hollypaw took a quick breath, then threw herself at Cinderpaw. Before she knew what was happening,

Cinderpaw had knocked one of her forelegs from under her with a powerful front paw, then tipped her over with a rolling shove from her hind legs.

Hollypaw scrambled to her feet and shook herself. “Wow!”

she mewed, impressed. “Can I try?” She wanted to try the move in a slightly different way. As soon as Cinderpaw rushed her, she ducked her head, knocking Cinderpaw’s

forepaw from under her with her muzzle. She was so low to the ground that it was easy to roll onto her side from there and thrust her hind legs in a powerful kick that sent Cinderpaw flying.

Cinderpaw scrambled to her paws. “I love the way you used your muzzle instead of your paw! It made your rollover much smoother. Can I try it that way on you?”

“Sure!”

Cinderpaw lunged for Hollypaw, this time using her muzzle to unbalance her, just as Hollypaw had done. She finished the move with a hind kick so much quicker that it sent Hollypaw skidding backward across the clearing.

Hollypaw sat up, panting.

“That was great, you two,” Cloudtail praised them.

Cinderpaw licked her paw and drew it over her ear to wipe off some moss that had caught on it. As she went to lick it again her paw twitched as though she were flicking dirt from between her claws. Hollypaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement; Cinderpaw’s little paw flick was something none of the other cats did.

“What did you think?” Hollypaw asked, turning to Leafpool. But Leafpool did not answer. She was staring at Cinderpaw with a look of startled disbelief. Hollypaw wondered if the apprentice had suddenly changed into a badger, but Cinderpaw was still sitting quietly, washing her ears.

“Leafpool?” Hollypaw mewed again.

Leafpool dragged her gaze from Cinderpaw, her eyes still

round with shock. “Y-yes?”

“Are you okay?”

Leafpool shook her head as though to clear it. “Yes, of course. It’s just that Cinderpelt used to flick her paw just like that.” She glanced uneasily back at Cinderpaw, who had finished washing and was circling Cloudtail.

“Will you teach me how to do a back kick?” the gray apprentice begged.

“It’ll be dusk soon,” Cloudtail observed. “I think we should head back to camp.”

Leafpool nodded. “I want to check Millie’s paw while there’s still light.”

The sky was darkening above the trees, and the air was growing chillier. Even so, Hollypaw was sorry to leave the mossy clearing. Her body felt bruised and tired, but her mind was buzzing as she tried to work out how to make the moves she had learned even better.

As she followed Cloudtail and Cinderpaw up the bank and into the trees, Leafpool fell into step beside her. “You fought well. I was really impressed.”

For a moment Hollypaw was thrilled. Joy surged

through her paws, making them light as dandelion floss.

Then her heart plummeted. She’s never praised me like this for being a medicine cat apprentice. Why wasn’t she as good at remembering herbs as she was at remembering fighting moves?

It will happen! Hollypaw told herself firmly. One day her mind would be as sharp in the medicine den as it was in the mossy clearing. It was just a matter of time. She had chosen to become a medicine cat, and she was not about to let herself or her Clan down.

,

Chapter 13

Jaypaw dawdled over his meal, taking minuscule bites from the mouse he had plucked from the fresh-kill pile.

Brook padded past with Stormfur. “No appetite today?”

“Not much,” Jaypaw muttered.

He went back to nibbling at his meal as the two warriors took fresh-kill from the pile and settled at the edge of the clearing. He was in no hurry to begin his apprentice duties.

Still confined to camp— days after Crowfeather had brought him home—he was bored with clearing out dens and running errands. This morning he was supposed to clean out Graystripe and Millie’s den. The new arrivals had recovered enough to eat in the clearing with the rest of the Clan.

“Nice catch, Dustpelt!” Graystripe called out from below Highledge, where he was sharing a rabbit with Millie.

“Thanks,” Dustpelt meowed back.

Jaypaw liked Graystripe. He was easygoing and good-humored, though still guarded when there were lots of cats around. Millie was all right too, for a kittypet. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to clearing the soiled moss from their den while they went out on their first patrol. It wasn’t fair; they

would be out exploring the forest while he would be scrabbling through their stinky bedding.