“What would you know about hawks and foxes, kittypet?” Cherrytail hissed from the other side of the fresh-kill pile.
Leafstar wasn’t sure if Billystorm had heard; he gave no sign of it. But she thought it was time to step in. The full Clan cats and the daylight-warriors have to get on together. A divided Clan cannot survive.
“We can’t blame Billystorm for Nettlekit’s accident,” she meowed, padding up to stand beside the group of cats. “Kits play all the time, and they don’t watch where they’re putting their paws. If they’re not play fighting, they’re pretending to stalk like foxes or fly like owls. I hope you’ll all be more careful from now on,” she finished, gazing down at Nettlekit and his littermates.
Nettlekit nodded vigorously, his eyes stretched wide at being addressed by his Clan leader.
“And can Billystorm keep teaching us?” Plumkit begged.
“If he wants to,” Leafstar agreed. “And provided your mother says yes.”
All four kits hurled themselves at Fallowfern, who staggered under the impact.
“Please!”
“We’ll stay away from the river!”
“We promise.”
“Well…” Fallowfern still looked reluctant. “I suppose so…”
Squeaks of delight came from the kits. They immediately started wrestling, pummeling one another with soft paws.
“Billystorm, look at me!”
“No, watch me! I’m going to bite Rabbitkit’s throat out!”
“That’s enough for now,” Leafstar mewed. Spotting Sharpclaw padding up to her, she added, “It’s time to set the patrols.”
Sharpclaw gave her a curt nod. “I’ll lead a patrol to check the borders on this side of the gorge. Cherrytail and Patchfoot, you can come with me. Sparrowpelt, you can lead a border patrol on the other side; take Bouncefire and… yes, Ebonyclaw, since your apprentice isn’t here today, you might as well go with them.”
Leafstar’s whiskers twitched; there was a definite edge to her deputy’s words when he spoke to the daylight-warrior, as if he didn’t think she was much use to the Clan.
He might think that, Leafstar thought. But that’s just his opinion. He doesn’t have to be so obvious about it.
Ebonyclaw had understood the barb in Sharpclaw’s comment, Leafstar could see, but she just dipped her head politely to the deputy, and went to stand beside Sparrowpelt and Bouncefire.
“What about me and Tinycloud?” Rockshade asked, his eyes shining. “We want to do our first patrol as warriors.”
“I haven’t forgotten you,” Sharpclaw meowed, sounding much more friendly as he addressed the gorge-born cats. “We need more fresh-kill… Try the woods farther downriver. Shrewtooth, you can go with him.”
The black tom gave a nervous jump. “Right, Sharpclaw.”
“And Billystorm—”
“I’d like Billystorm and Snookpaw to join the other mentors and apprentices at battle training,” Leafstar interrupted.
Sharpclaw nodded. “Fine. Then that’s every cat. Let’s go.”
“Just a moment.” Echosong padded up with a courteous flick of her tail to Sharpclaw. “I need a cat to help me collect herbs. May I have Tinycloud?”
“But that’s an apprentice task!” Tinycloud objected, her neck fur fluffing up in dismay. “I’m a warrior now.”
“And warriors do what they’re told,” Sharpclaw growled.
“But—”
“It needs doing, Tinycloud,” Echosong interrupted gently. “And what if a fox or a badger attacks me while I’m out of the gorge? I’ll need a warrior to protect me.”
“Oh…” Tinycloud’s eyes brightened and her neck fur lay flat again. “Then I’ll be glad to come, Echosong. I’ll make sure you’re safe!”
Leafstar watched the various patrols dispersing. It must be just like this in the forest where Firestar lives. We’re a real Clan, just like them.
“Sharpclaw,” she murmured, before her deputy could leave. “Just a quick word.”
Sharpclaw cast a glance to where the other members of his border patrol were waiting a little farther up the gorge. His tail-tip twitched, but he waited for his Clan leader to continue.
“Was it necessary to sneer at Ebonyclaw like that?” Leafstar asked.
“I didn’t—” Sharpclaw began to protest, his eyes sparking with anger, then broke off with a sigh. “All right. I was a bit sharp, and I’m sorry. But these kitty-warriors ruffle my fur.”
Leafstar flattened her ears and felt her neck fur start to bristle. “Kitty-warriors, Sharpclaw? Don’t you think that’s a bit insulting?”
Sharpclaw met her gaze steadily. “I’m just trying to be accurate. What would you call them? They don’t live here in the gorge. They turn up when they feel like it. How can they follow the warrior code when they go home to their Twolegs every night?”
“We’ve been through this already, Sharpclaw.” Leafstar sighed. “Too many times. You know my thinking on this. We’re a small Clan, and if we give these cats the chance to experience the way that warriors live, they might decide to join us permanently.”
“It can’t be too soon for me,” Sharpclaw snorted. “Even their names are half kittypet! Snookypaw… please!”
“Snookpaw,” Leafstar corrected him. “He doesn’t think that Snooky sounds like a warrior.”
“And Snook does, I suppose?”
Leafstar gave him a half-exasperated, half-amused nudge. “If their names are all you’ve got to complain about, they’re doing well. Go on, your patrol is waiting for you. And just be a bit kinder to Ebonyclaw next time. She’s one of the keenest cats we have.”
“She’s a kittypet!” Sharpclaw twitched his whiskers. “She wears a collar, for StarClan’s sake!”
“And look at the way she’s tucked moss around it,” Leafstar countered. “She’s doing everything she can not to scare off prey. So don’t discourage her, okay?”
“All right, Leafstar.” Sharpclaw blinked at her, the anger gone from his green eyes. “I might think your brain is full of bees, but I’ll do as you say.” Turning, he padded away and joined his patrol.
Leafstar saw that Fallowfern was herding her kits back up the trail to the nursery, ignoring their protests. “You can play with Billystorm later. Right now it’s time for your naps.”
“I’ll still be here, kits!” Billystorm called after them.
Leafstar waved her tail to beckon him and Snookpaw, and led the way up the gorge, following in the paw steps of Sharpclaw’s patrol. By now the sun had disappeared behind swelling black clouds and a chill breeze stirred up the dust.
Rain before sunset, Leafstar thought.
A few tail-lengths farther on, the cliff curved inward, leaving a wide, sandy space between the rocks and the river. Petalnose and Waspwhisker were seated at one side of it, watching their apprentices. Mintpaw was crouched in the middle of the sandy area, her tail lashing as if she was about to pounce on a piece of prey. Sagepaw stalked forward, then suddenly ran at her, flashing out his claws to rake her along one side. But Mintpaw was too fast; she rolled toward him, ducked under his outstretched paw, and hooked his hind legs out from under him. Springing to her paws, she left her littermate scrabbling helplessly in the sand.
“Well done!” Leafstar called.
Mintpaw gave a little bounce of excitement when she realized that her Clan leader had seen her successful move.
“Yes, very well done,” Waspwhisker meowed. “But next time follow it up. While he’s floundering about in the sand, you could get in a couple of good blows.”
“And next time, Sagepaw,” Petalnose added, “try feinting to one side before you attack on the other. That way you get your opponent confused.”