He’s too strong, Yellowpaw thought despairingly as she struggled to her paws again.
“Out of the way!” A voice sounded in Yellowpaw’s ear and a paw scooped her to one side. With a gasp of shock she saw Raggedpaw flash past her and hurl himself onto the big tom. Raggedpaw’s claws dug into the WindClan warrior’s shoulders and blood started to well up. With a yowl of pain the tom flung Raggedpaw off and fled. Raggedpaw sprang to his paws, ignoring Yellowpaw, then dashed into a fight between Scorchpaw and Reedfeather.
Yellowpaw stayed where she was, panting. Raggedpaw thought he had to rescue me! she thought indignantly, but she couldn’t help admiring his courage and his fighting skill. As she rose to her paws again she winced with pain; it felt as if every scrap of her pelt had been ripped off. But when she checked her fur and flexed each paw in turn, she couldn’t find any wounds except for the scratch along her side.
Glancing around to find another opponent, Yellowpaw realized that the fight was all but over. Most of the WindClan cats were pelting across the moor. Reedfeather was the last to break away and race after his Clanmates, with Rowanpaw hard on his paws.
“No!” Stonetooth commanded. “Rowanpaw, come back!” As Yellowpaw’s sister returned, growling angrily, the Clan deputy continued, “There is no need to pursue a defeated enemy.”
Yellowpaw thought she could discern sympathy in the deputy’s voice and his eyes as he gazed after the vanishing WindClan patrol. But he did not admit as much out loud. Instead he raised his tail. “Back to our territory,” he ordered. “There’s nothing more to do here.”
As they headed back down the hill toward the tunnel, the apprentices bunched together.
“Did you see me scratch that black she-cat’s nose?” Nutpaw puffed. “She ran like a rabbit!”
“I did the latest move Finchflight taught me,” Rowanpaw put in. “The WindClan cat looked so surprised!”
Yellowpaw couldn’t join in their chattering. With every heartbeat, she was growing more annoyed that Raggedpaw had flung her aside in the battle. None of the other apprentices had to be rescued. Does he think I can’t fight?
The rest of ShadowClan greeted the returning patrol with yowls of welcome.
“Thank you all,” Cedarstar meowed, meeting them in the center of the camp. “You have shown our enemies that we in ShadowClan have teeth and claws to defend what is ours. Tonight we will hold a feast in your honor.”
Extra hunting patrols went out, and as the sun set the whole Clan gathered in the clearing to eat. Yellowpaw felt proud and a bit embarrassed when she and the rest of the patrol were allowed to choose the best pieces of fresh-kill before any of the other warriors.
“I can’t believe we got to go on a real mission!” she whispered to Nutpaw as she settled down with a plump starling.
“I wish I’d been there,” Toadskip meowed, digging his claws into the floor of the camp. “But I was out on a hunting patrol. I have the worst luck.”
“There’ll be other chances,” Hollyflower told him with a twitch of her whiskers. “WindClan isn’t going to go away.”
“And ShadowClan will be ready for them,” Archeye added.
A shiver of delight went through Yellowpaw as she listened to the senior warriors. I’m glad I belong to such a strong Clan!
When the Clan was full-fed and lay drowsily sharing tongues, Stonetooth rose to his paws and told the story of the battle against WindClan so that every cat could hear.
“WindClan won’t bother us again for a very long time,” he finished, “and part of that is thanks to the five apprentices who were with us. Our Clan should be proud of them.”
“Those are wise words,” Cedarstar responded, rising to stand beside his deputy. “And from what you tell me, there is already a new warrior among us. Raggedpaw, come here.”
The dark tabby tom sprang up from his place beside Scorchpaw. For a moment he hesitated, glancing around wildly; then he padded forward to stand in front of his leader. Murmurs of surprise rose from the rest of the Clan.
The Clan was silent again as Cedarstar raised his tail and began to address them. “I, Cedarstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” he meowed. “He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and he has proven in battle that he is worthy to become a warrior. Raggedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
Raggedpaw’s voice rang out clear and confident. “I do.”
“Then by the power of StarClan I give you your warrior name,” Cedarstar went on. “Raggedpaw, from this time on, you shall be known as Raggedpelt. StarClan honors your courage and your skill in battle.” He bent his head to rest his muzzle on Raggedpelt’s head, and Raggedpelt licked his shoulder in response.
“Raggedpelt! Raggedpelt! Raggedpelt!” the Clan yowled, their eyes gleaming in the gathering darkness.
Yellowpaw joined in somewhat reluctantly. I still feel bruised all over from being thrown out of the way as if I was a troublesome kit. She noticed Scorchpaw looking furious that he hadn’t been made a warrior along with his brother, and felt a stab of sympathy. It must be tough, falling behind your littermate.
As the yowls died away, Yellowpaw was surprised to see Raggedpelt padding across the clearing toward her. He halted in front of her and dipped his head. “Yellowpaw, I’m sorry I pushed you aside in the battle,” he mewed. “It’s not that I think you can’t fight, but that WindClan cat was too strong for you.”
Yellowpaw opened her jaws for a stinging retort, then stopped herself. Remembering the huge WindClan tom, she had to admit he was right. I’d be licking my wounds in Sagewhisker’s den right now, if it wasn’t for Raggedpelt. “It’s okay,” she muttered.
Raggedpelt let out a brief purr. “I’m looking forward to joining you on patrols when you’re a warrior,” he told her, then dipped his head again and padded off to join the other warriors.
Rowanpaw leaned closer to Yellowpaw, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “Raggedpelt likes you,” she teased.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Yellowpaw retorted. “He’s just a Clanmate, that’s all.”
But as she watched Raggedpelt join Brackenfoot and Featherstorm outside the warriors’ den, Yellowpaw felt a warm glow spreading through her from ears to tail-tip.
Raggedpelt came looking for me. Maybe he doesn’t think I’m a troublesome kit anymore!
Chapter 7
A full moon floated in the sky, shedding silver light over the four great oaks of Fourtrees. With her Clanmates all around her, Yellowpaw followed Cedarstar as he wound around clumps of fern toward the bottom of the hollow. The ShadowClan cats were the last to arrive, and the slopes were already crowded with the cats of the other three Clans.