The Sight

hard at her duties, and I’ve loved training her, but she feels her strengths lie elsewhere. And if this is what she believes, then she will make a better warrior.”

“I’ll remember everything Leafpool has taught me,”

Hollypaw promised. “It might be useful one day.”

Firestar nodded. “Very well. Since Leafpool agrees, you can train as a warrior. I’ll find you a mentor as soon as I can.”

Hollypaw looked up at Firestar, wondering if he would say more, but he was gazing wordlessly at her. He must be trying to think of a suitable mentor. She turned and began to head past Leafpool out of the entrance.

“It must have taken a lot of courage to do this,” Firestar called after her. “I’m very proud of you.”

She glanced back at the ThunderClan leader. “Thank you,” she mewed.

She leaped down into the clearing, her paws light with relief. Suddenly she remembered that she had intended to go hunting this morning. Perhaps Lionpaw would come with her. She glanced toward the apprentice den, wondering if he was awake yet, and then she saw Jaypaw slipping in through the thorn barrier. Brook followed him in, looking relieved.

From the way he stumbled wearily into the clearing, Hollypaw guessed her brother had been out all night. She hurried over to him as Brook padded toward the warrior den to get some well-earned sleep.

“You look exhausted!” she mewed. “Where have you been?”

Jaypaw’s eyes were bleary and his fur unkempt. “I’ll explain later,” he mewed. “I have to see Firestar.”

“You should get some sleep first,” Hollypaw advised.

“Besides, Firestar is busy talking to Leafpool.”

“I have to see her too.”

What was he talking about? Had something happened?

Alarm shot through Hollypaw’s tail, making it twitch.

Jaypaw tripped as he tried to climb the tumble of rocks up to Firestar’s cave.

“Let me help,” Hollypaw offered. “You’re too tired to manage alone.”

For once Jaypaw didn’t object. Hollypaw’s anxiety grew

stronger, but she bit her tongue. He was obviously determined to speak to Firestar, and she wasn’t going to waste time arguing. Instead she laid her tail over his shoulders and guided him up the rockfall.

At the ledge outside Firestar’s den, Hollypaw announced her arrival once more.

“Back already?” Firestar called her inside.

He looked surprised to see Jaypaw with her, but before he could speak Jaypaw stumbled into the center of the den. He fixed his sightless gaze on Firestar, his stare so intense it seemed as though he could see the ThunderClan leader as clearly as the rest of them could.

“I need to train to be a medicine cat,” he mewed.

,

Chapter 18

Hollypaw stared at her brother in astonishment. Jaypaw had always been so sure that he wanted to be a warrior, ever since he had been old enough to pounce on a scrap of moss.

Firestar looked at Hollypaw. “Did you know anything about this?”

“No!” Hollypaw gasped. Firestar sounded as if he suspected they had planned it together.

Jaypaw looked over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes round with anxiety. “Hollypaw, I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Leafpool padded over to Jaypaw and brushed his ear with her muzzle. “Hollypaw has already told Firestar that she wants to train as a warrior apprentice instead.”

Jaypaw blinked. “Really?”

Hollypaw nodded. A tingle of hope pricked her paws.

Perhaps this was the perfect solution! After all, Jaypaw had always known the herbs better than she did. But would Firestar agree?

Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Are you ready to take on

another apprentice so soon?”

Leafpool sat down and wrapped her tail over her paws. “I would be honored to be Jaypaw’s mentor.” She dipped her head. “I think the Clan would be lucky to have him as its medicine cat.”

Hollypaw stared at Leafpool. Why does she look like she’s hiding something?

“What about his blindness?” Firestar queried.

Hollypaw bristled. Surely Jaypaw wouldn’t let Firestar get away with that? “He knows the herbs far better than me,” she mewed quickly.

“His sense of smell is incredible,” Leafpool agreed. “He can already tell an infected wound from a clean one a tail-length away.”

Hollypaw waited for Jaypaw to point out that blindness had nothing to do with it, but he only murmured, “I will try as hard as I can. Leafpool will soon see whether I can manage or not.”

“Very well.” Firestar nodded, looking a little dazed. “Leafpool will be your new mentor.”

Jaypaw dipped his head.

“But first,” Firestar went on, “we must tell Brightheart.”

Jaypaw’s ears twitched. “She’ll be hurt.” Hollypaw could hear anxiety in his mew. Her brother had never gotten on particularly well with his mentor, but he was clearly worried about her feelings.

“Maybe Brightheart could be my mentor,” she suggested.

Firestar shook his head. “Her skills were perfect for training Jaypaw, but not for you.” He shifted his paws. “She will be a mentor again very soon; don’t worry.”

“What if she doesn’t understand my decision?” Jaypaw mewed.

“It’s up to you to make her understand,” Firestar answered.

“I may be able to tell the Clan what to do, but I can’t tell them how to feel.”

“I’ll make sure that she knows my decision has nothing to do with her,” Jaypaw promised. “This is something I have to do.”

His mew was oddly flat. Hollypaw felt a ripple of unease stir her pelt. It was almost as if being Leafpool’s apprentice wasn’t Jaypaw’s choice at all, but something that had been forced upon him.

Leafpool glanced at Firestar and Sandstorm, the sort of meaningful glance that told Hollypaw that they wanted to exchange words in private.

Taking the hint, she bowed her head. “Shall I fetch Brightheart?”

Firestar nodded. “Yes, please.”

“She’s in the warriors’ den,” Jaypaw told them.

Hollypaw’s whiskers twitched. It was weird that Jaypaw was always totally aware of what was going on in the camp.

She bounded down into the clearing and padded over to the warriors’ den. Sticking her head through the entrance, she called Brightheart’s name.

Brightheart was sitting up in her nest, washing, her warm

breath billowing in the gloom.

“Firestar would like to see you in his den,” Hollypaw told her.

Brightheart stopped, her tongue still half out, and stared at Hollypaw. She looked as if she was about to ask why.

Hollypaw ducked out of the den. She did not want to give Brightheart time to speak. She knew she would not be able to hide the truth, but she also knew that it was Jaypaw’s duty to break his news to his mentor. She slipped into the apprentice’s den before Brightheart emerged. It seemed a good time to visit her new home. The scent of the yew was strange, and the nests were all empty. Jaypaw’s nest would be hers now, she guessed.

She sniffed it out and gazed around the shelter, happy at the thought of sleeping among her Clanmates. After the nursery, her nest in the medicine den had seemed cold and lonely. She wished some of the apprentices were