the way they’d come. Perhaps they could make it to the cave!
Fallen Leaves ran faster, clearly remembering the route, pulling past Jaypaw and taking the lead.
Blood pounded in Jaypaw’s ears. Unbridled terror pulsed from Fallen Leaves.
Jaypaw heard a roaring. Wind surged behind him, tugging his fur as it swept over him. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw water skidding toward them, splashing around the walls and roof.
Fallen Leaves glanced backward too, his eyes shining with terror. For the first time, he seemed to see Jaypaw.
“Save me!”
As Fallen Leaves cried out, the water lifted Jaypaw, swallowing his tail, his belly, and finally engulfing all of him so that he was tossed and swirled by cold clutching waves. Water filled his ears, his eyes, his mouth, and he struggled against it, not knowing which way was up, lost in the darkness, drowning. His sight faded, his ears roared, and he let his body go limp.
Jaypaw blinked open his eyes, gulping for air, and leaped away from the branch. Rain was pelting down, drenching his fur, and waves pounded the shore, driven across the lake by a
fierce wind. He wanted to go home, back to the shelter of the camp.
Gingerly he reached out for the branch, feeling for the last uncrossed mark.
Now he knew what it meant. Fallen Leaves had gone into the tunnels, but he had never come out.
Chapter 15
Tigerstar had only taught him the move that afternoon.
Lionpaw had mastered it quickly. He sat back on his haunches now, panting, and sniffed the air.
The cave was dark, the moon hidden by the rain that had been falling since sundown. Jaypaw had returned to camp just after dark, drenched to the skin. The mouse-brain had fallen asleep by the lake! Leafpool had hurried him away to dry off in the medicine den. There was still no sign of Hollypaw. The search party had followed her scent down to the shore where it bordered WindClan territory, and now Thornclaw was even more convinced that she had been captured by a WindClan patrol.
“Did you think I’d forgotten about you?” Heatherpaw’s mew sounded from the tunnel entrance.
Lionpaw leaped to his paws happily. “You’re late!”
“Sorry.” Heatherpaw was out of breath. “I caught Gorse
tail’s kits following me. I had to take them back to camp.”
“They didn’t go near the tunnel entrance, did they?”
“No, but it was close.” Heatherpaw flicked her tail. “They kept themselves well hidden. I didn’t spot them till it was almost too late.”
Lionpaw’s pads pricked. What if their secret had been discovered? “I nearly didn’t come myself,” he confessed.
Heatherpaw widened her eyes. “Why not?”
“Hollypaw’s missing.”
“Missing?”
“A search party followed her trail as far as—” Lionpaw stopped. He didn’t want to let Heatherpaw know that Hollypaw might have crossed the WindClan border. Anxiety spiked his belly. He couldn’t be honest with her without feeling like a traitor to his Clan. The realization stung. At least she might give him some clue about where his sister had gone.
“Have you seen her?”
Heatherpaw shook her head.
Lionpaw gazed into her blue eyes. “Are you sure?”
Heatherpaw blinked. “Of course I’m sure!”
Guilt tickled in his tail. Heatherpaw wouldn’t lie to him.
Clearly WindClan hadn’t captured Hollypaw after all. Lionpaw narrowed his eyes. How could he tell his Clanmates without letting them know how he had found out?
“What are you thinking about?” It was Heatherpaw’s turn to sound suspicious.
“I was just wondering where Hollypaw could be,” Lionpaw lied.
“She’ll be okay,” Heatherpaw mewed, winding around Lionpaw. The touch of her fur soothed him.
“It’s just odd that she didn’t come back before dark.” It had been strange creeping out of the apprentices’ den without having to worry if Hollypaw had one eye open. He had felt guiltily relieved that he didn’t have to have an excuse ready in case she’d asked him where he was going.
“I bet she’ll be back at first light,” Heatherpaw mewed.
“I hope so.” Lionpaw sighed.
“So what have you been doing while you were waiting for me?” Heatherpaw sat back with her head on one side.
“I was practicing some new battle moves.” He plucked the ground excitedly. “Watch this one!”
Flicking his hind legs into the air, he spun around on his forepaws and leaped backward, then reared up and raked the air with each paw before tucking his head down and doing a neat forward roll.
“Impressive!” Heatherpaw pricked her ears. “Did you make it up yourself?”
“Yes.” Lionpaw couldn’t tell her that Tigerstar had taught him. She’d never believe him.
“It’d be perfect for a DarkClan warrior,” Heatherpaw mewed. “Teach me how to do it!”
Lionpaw demonstrated the move again and Heatherpaw copied him.
“Nearly,” he mewed. He crouched in front of her. “Try again, but this time aim your paws at me.”
She flicked out her hind legs, spun, and reared at him.
Lionpaw dodged as she lashed out with her paws, shoulder-ing her away before she could dive into the roll. She fell sprawling onto the cave floor.
Lionpaw’s heart lurched. He had forgotten for a moment that he was stronger than her. He darted to her side and pressed his muzzle against her cheek. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Tigerstar’s training had made him even quicker and tougher than before.
“You only caught me because you knew what my next move was going to be!” she mewed. She twisted away from him and gave her shoulder a quick lick. “I just hope I never have to go into battle against you.” Her eyes glowed with affection as she looked back at him. “Not that I ever could.”
Lionpaw blinked. She was staring at him expectantly. Did she want him to make the same pledge? He couldn’t do that, not when it meant promising to be disloyal to his Clan.
“We’ll just have to hope we never have to,” he mewed, glancing away.
“Dawn’s coming.”
Lionpaw stretched and blinked open his eyes. Heatherpaw was sitting beside him, looking up at the gap in the roof where the sky was growing pale. He got to his paws, feeling his muscles protest. Teaching Heatherpaw the battle moves he’d learned from Tigerstar had tired him out. It seemed like only a few moments since they had dozed off.
“We’d better go,” Heatherpaw told him.
“Will you meet me here tonight?”
Heatherpaw flicked her tail. “Of course, even if Crowfeather makes me run to the top of the moor and back
