Perfect! In battle, that would have beaten even the fastest ShadowClan warrior. Did you see how well I made the turn, Tigerstar?
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. Heatherpaw’s late.
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 Gorsetail’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, shouldering 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 again in our training session.” She pressed her nuzzle against Lionpaw’s cheek, then trotted away toward her tunnel. “See you later.”
Lionpaw’s paws tingled. “Bye.” He headed in the opposite direction and raced for the open air.
The forest was damp, washed by a light rain. Lionpaw wriggled under the brambles and headed home through the half-light of early dawn. The trees and bushes cast eerie shadows across the pale forest floor. A light wind rustled the leaves.
“Traitor!”
Lionpaw halted and jerked around, fur spiking.
A familiar outline shimmered against the ferns.
“Tigerstar?”
“What do you think you’re doing?” It was Hawkfrost.
Lionpaw looked for Tigerstar but Hawkfrost was alone. His eyes blazed as he padded toward Lionpaw.
“What do you mean?” Lionpaw protested. Hawkfrost knew about his nightly visits to the tunnels. Why was he challenging him now?
Hawkfrost curled his lip. “You were teaching battle moves to the enemy!”
“Heatherpaw’s not an enemy!” Lionpaw retorted. “She’s my friend!”
“She belongs to another Clan!” Hawkfrost hissed. “That makes her an enemy! What if she uses the moves you just taught her against you one day?”
“Heatherpaw would never do that!”
“Wouldn’t she?”
Lionpaw stiffened, trying to imagine facing Heatherpaw in battle. Surely she wouldn’t take advantage of him like that?
“I thought you and Tigerstar didn’t care about me seeing Heatherpaw.”
“We liked your independence,” Hawkfrost growled. “We assumed it was just a harmless kit-friendship.”
“It is harmless!” Lionpaw bristled. “But it’s not just a kit-friendship! It’s more important than that. That’s why I know she’d never use those battle moves against me!”
“Then you’re a mouse-brain!” Hawkfrost snarled. “I thought you wanted to be a great warrior!”
Lionpaw lifted his chin. “Of course I do!”
“Then why can’t you see what those tunnels mean?”
Lionpaw blinked. The tunnels meant he could meet Heatherpaw without upsetting his Clan.
Hawkfrost snorted. “You don’t understand anything, do you?”
“I do!”
“Then why haven’t you figured out that those tunnels could be used for a surprise attack on WindClan?”