The Sight

into the air. As Heatherpaw skidded wildly beneath her, Hollypaw crashed down onto the confused WindClan cat’s back.

Wrapping her paws around her opponent, she rolled Heatherpaw over and began pummeling her with her hind paws.

Heatherpaw, slippery as a snake, wriggled free of her grasp.

She reared onto her hind legs and faced Hollypaw with flailing forepaws. Hollypaw rose to meet her, and the two apprentices battled like dancing hares.

“Finish her, Heatherpaw!” Crowfeather called.

“Knock her off her paws!” Brackenfur yowled.

What do you think I’m trying to do?

Hollypaw’s muzzle was beginning to sting. Heatherpaw’s blows were strong and well aimed, and Hollypaw didn’t want this to go on for much longer. Taking a deep breath, she ducked, leaving Heatherpaw flapping her paws at thin air.

She scooted between Heatherpaw’s hind legs, unbalancing the WindClan apprentice. Then she twisted and sank her teeth—careful not to draw blood—into Heatherpaw’s scruff, pressing her chin into the ground. Heatherpaw let out an angry wail, struggling furiously, but Hollypaw had dug her claws into the earth on either side of the WindClan apprentice. Heatherpaw could not get free.

“It’s all over!” Onestar meowed. “Hollypaw is the winner!”

The ThunderClan cats cheered, and Hollypaw let go.

Heatherpaw jumped up. “Well done,” she panted. “That was a great move at the end!”

“Thanks,” mewed Hollypaw. “You fought well, too.”

“Good work, Hollypaw!” Brambleclaw rushed over and swept his tail over his daughter’s flank.

“She wouldn’t have beaten me so easily,” hissed a voice close by.

Heatherpaw narrowed her eyes at Ivypaw, a ShadowClan apprentice.

Hollypaw spun around. “Want to bet on that?”

She felt a paw cuff her ear. “One win is enough.” Brackenfur was staring at her proudly.

Suddenly Hollypaw saw a distinctive gray shape flash across the top of the slope. “Jaypaw! You just missed me winning the contest!” But her brother didn’t seem to hear. He pelted away into the trees, heading for ShadowClan territory.

What in the name of StarClan was he up to now?

Jaypaw dashed along the slope toward the ShadowClan border, remembering the stench of fox and badger from his vision. There was an old badger set near the border, dug out of a fox den. His mother had described it to him. She had helped chase a badger from it long ago, soon after the four Clans came to the lake.

He dug his claws harder into the grass and pushed himself on. Fresh scents rolled in from the lake, but he focused on the smell of badger, searching it out as he raced into the woods.

His instincts and senses were not enough to guide him quickly through this strange territory. He skidded to a halt, sniffing desperately, and began to feel his way with his whiskers. StarClan, let me see now! Please! I have to find Lionpaw!

Suddenly he tasted the rank stench of badger. It was old and laced with the smell of fox. He gazed around blindly, wondering where Lionpaw was. Then he heard pawsteps speeding over the leaf-strewn forest floor ahead.

He could smell Lionpaw.

Then Breezepaw.

Then squirrel.

Their excitement singed his pelt. With a jolt of terror, Jaypaw realized that the two apprentices were chasing the

squirrel straight toward the badger stench. The place where the ground was not safe, where the earth would swallow them up . . .

“No!” His wail rang through the trees. He pelted forward, breathless with fear. Then shock pierced him and he skidded to a halt.

There was no sound of pawsteps. Only the squirrel’s claws skittering away up a tree. The forest was deadly silent.

“Lionpaw!” Jaypaw shot forward. He stumbled as the earth became rock beneath his paws. The sun was suddenly hot on his back. A clearing, ringed with trees. Boulders reared up before him.

His fur stood on end as muffled mews sounded from above.

“Help!”

“StarClan, save me!”

Feeling his way frantically, Jaypaw clambered up the rocks.

Where had they fallen in? Was he near? The ground was still rock beneath his paws. It flattened, then sloped smoothly away in front of him. He began to slide forward. Blood roared in his ears. What if I fall in too? The vision played in his mind again—earth choking his ears, his eyes, his lungs screaming for air. He unsheathed his claws. They scraped over the stone as he half crept, half slithered downward.

Suddenly his front paws touched sand and sank. Jaypaw sprang backward, clinging to the rock with his hind paws.

Then the sand moved; he felt it quivering beneath his forepaws as though something squirmed beneath it.

They’re down there!

Gripping with his hind claws, he squatted down and began to dig, scooping out earth as fast as he could.

“Help!” he wailed, hoping some cat would hear. “Over here!”

His hind claws lost their grip and he slid forward, his forepaws sinking into the sand. “StarClan help me!”

He reared backward, his muscles screaming with the effort. He couldn’t give up now. He slithered forward again and kept digging, his hind paws trembling with the effort of keeping him out of the sinking ground. Soil pressed up against his chest and chin. Terror gripped his whole body.

The vision was so strong in his mind he could feel soil in his throat and see nothing but earth.

Suddenly his paws brushed against fur. With a rush of hope, he hooked his claws into it and heaved with all his strength. The fur wriggled and fought in his grip, struggling to push upward until Jaypaw could scrabble far enough back to drag the body out of the soil.

Spluttering and gasping, Lionpaw slithered away from the patch of soft earth and collapsed on the rock. Jaypaw plunged his paws back into the soil. Breezepaw was still down there.

“What’s going on?” Crowfeather’s shocked cry sounded behind him.

Without stopping Jaypaw screeched at the WindClan warrior, “The den collapsed. Lionpaw and Breezepaw fell in!”

Crowfeather was at his side in an instant, sending sandy soil flying in his desperation to save his son.

Claws scrabbled up the boulders behind them.

“Crowfeather?” Heatherpaw’s mew sounded breathless.

“Breezepaw’s still buried!” Crowfeather panted.

“Breezepaw?” Nightcloud’s horrified gasp sounded close by. The WindClan she-cat must have leaped up the boulders with Heatherpaw. She pressed in beside Jaypaw and began digging. “Oh, my precious kit!”

Then Jaypaw felt another movement in the earth beneath his claws. “I can feel him!”

Crowfeather burrowed his paws toward Jaypaw’s and lunged down. A growl of effort rose in his throat as he heaved his son out from the suffocating earth. Jaypaw felt soil spray his face and sting his eyes as Breezepaw’s body was dragged free. He listened closely for the apprentice’s breathing. It had stopped.

“Fetch Leafpool!” he shrieked.

“I’m here!” Leafpool’s voice came as a rush of warm air to Jaypaw’s ears.

“Can you save them?” he begged. “I came here as fast as I could, but—”

“Lionpaw is breathing,” Leafpool told him. “I’ve cleared the soil from his throat.”

Jaypaw felt Breezepaw stir, and for a moment he thought the WindClan apprentice had recovered. Then he