The Sight

The ThunderClan leader went on. “Graystripe was my deputy and my friend. I trained with him and fought with him. I trusted him more than any cat. Having him back is like having one of my own lives restored.”

“He’s going to make Graystripe deputy again!” Hollypaw hissed under her breath.

“Wait,” Jaypaw warned.

Lionpaw shot his brother a look. Why did he sound so certain?

“But Brambleclaw has helped me lead the Clan through some of its most terrifying challenges. I’ve never seen him waver in his loyalty to his Clanmates. The last thing ThunderClan needs now is more change.” He paused and glanced at the two warriors. “So I’ve decided that Brambleclaw should remain deputy.”

“But—” The gasp escaped Brackenfur before he could stop it. Sorreltail echoed it, and mews of surprise rippled around the Clan. Lionpaw searched Graystripe’s face for some sign of regret, but he couldn’t read the gray warrior’s expression.

Squirrelflight raised her voice happily. “Brambleclaw!”

“Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!” Ashfur quickly joined in.

Squirrelflight whipped her head around and stared at him.

Why does she look surprised? Lionpaw wondered.

Dustpelt and Thornclaw started calling Brambleclaw’s name too. Graystripe got to his paws and joined in, and Brambleclaw dipped his head respectfully to the former ThunderClan deputy.

“Told you so,” Jaypaw murmured.

Lionpaw glanced suspiciously at his brother. “How did you know?”

Jaypaw shrugged. “It was the wisest choice.”

“Do you think Graystripe minds?” Hollypaw whispered.

“Does it matter?” Jaypaw asked.

“He must know the Clan has changed a lot,” Lionpaw replied.

“But what about when he’s fully recovered?” Hollypaw persisted. “Will he be happy just being a warrior?”

“I think Firestar made the right decision.”

The meow made Lionpaw jump. He glanced up and saw Ashfur padding toward them.

“And you must be pleased that your father’s still deputy,”

the warrior purred.

“Brambleclaw should be deputy,” Lionpaw told him firmly.

“Graystripe doesn’t even know the territory yet. He’d be as lost as a WindClan kit in a ShadowClan nursery.”

“True.” Ashfur nodded.

“And Graystripe is going to take another moon to recover,”

Jaypaw put in. “He still smells of crow-food.”

“He’ll be strong soon,” Hollypaw mewed defensively.

“Soon isn’t good enough,” Lionpaw argued. “We need a strong deputy now. Leaf- bare’s clearly not finished with us, and ShadowClan is never going to make our life easy. We can’t afford to wait for Graystripe to recover.”

“But he was deputy first!” Hollypaw protested. “Has everyone forgotten? When Mistyfoot was taken by Twolegs, Hawkfrost replaced her only until she returned. Because according to the warrior code she never stopped being the deputy!”

“Your sister has a point,” Ashfur commented.

“I know, but”—Lionpaw was surprised at Hollypaw’s fierceness—“Firestar has to be practical.”

“If we start ignoring the warrior code, then we are no longer warriors!” Hollypaw declared. The fur along her spine was bristling, and her eyes glittered with anxiety.

“What if StarClan told Firestar to choose Brambleclaw?”

Jaypaw asked softly.

Brambleclaw was padding toward them, with Berrypaw beside him. “We’re going hunting.”

“Can we join you?” Ashfur asked.

“Of course. Brightheart and Jaypaw are coming too. But if you don’t mind a crowd—”

“Of course not.” Ashfur narrowed his eyes. “I just thought it might be fun for Lionpaw and Berrypaw to have a little competition.”

Brambleclaw’s eyes glittered. “Good idea.”

Berrypaw clawed the ground excitedly. “Oh, yes!”

“Great!” Lionpaw mewed.

“Okay,” Brambleclaw decided. “The first apprentice to catch three pieces of prey gets first pick from the fresh-kill pile tonight.”

Lionpaw glanced at Berrypaw. His denmate was larger than he and more experienced. He would have to rely more on senses than speed if he was going to win.

Brightheart and Jaypaw joined them.

“Why do we need to go with them?” Jaypaw was complaining. “I’m perfectly capable of hunting on my own.”

Pity flashed in Brightheart’s eye, and Lionpaw winced.

Jaypaw glared at his mentor as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

“We’ll go in a moment,” Brambleclaw meowed. “First, I want to ask Dustpelt and Birchfall to patrol the ShadowClan border. I’ll meet you at the entrance.” Before he padded away, the ThunderClan deputy glanced at Hollypaw. “Shouldn’t you be helping Leafpool?”

“Um, yes,” Hollypaw mewed hastily. She turned and slunk away, the tip of her black tail dragging over the ice-white clearing.

“So you think you can beat me, do you?” Berrypaw hissed in Lionpaw’s ear.

“I caught a vole on my first hunting expedition,” Lionpaw reminded him.

“Good,” Berrypaw mewed. “I’d hate to win too easily.”

“You’ll be lucky to win at all!” Lionpaw growled.

“How’s a tiny scrap like you going to catch three bits of prey in one morning?”

Lionpaw wasn’t going to let his denmate get away with that. He crouched into attack position, wriggling his hindquarters. “Say that again!” he challenged.

“You’re hardly bigger than a mouse!” Berrypaw purred.

Lionpaw launched himself at the young tom, and the two apprentices bundled toward the thorn barrier.

Berrypaw’s weight took Lionpaw by surprise. He scrabbled to push the larger apprentice off, but Berrypaw heaved him toward the prickly spines of the thornbush. Thinking quickly, Lionpaw let himself go limp, becoming so slippery that it was easy to wriggle out of Berrypaw’s grip. Quick as a flash, he sprang onto Berrypaw’s back and nipped his friend’s scruff with his teeth. Berrypaw tried to shake him off, but even with his claws sheathed, Lionpaw found that he had the strength to hold his grip on Berrypaw’s broad shoulders.

“Lionpaw!”

He looked up to see his sister charging back toward them, and, in that instant, Berrypaw threw him off and pinned him to the ground.

“You’re my first catch of the day,” Berrypaw mewed triumphantly.

“Hollypaw put me off!” Lionpaw complained.

“A good warrior is never distracted,” Ashfur meowed. The pale gray warrior had stopped to watch the two apprentices.

Lionpaw scrambled to his paws, prickling with embarrassment.

Hollypaw was trotting around them in circles. “Leafpool wants me to collect some tansy in case this cold weather brings whitecough,” she panted excitedly. “She says there’s a clump by the old Thunderpath, and she asked if I could join your patrol to fetch some.” She looked around. “Where’s Brambleclaw?”

“Giving orders to Dustpelt,” Ashfur answered.

As he spoke, Brambleclaw bounded over from halfrock.

Graystripe was with him.

“Mind if I join you?” the gray warrior asked Ashfur. “I want to get familiar with the territory and see how the