Sign Of The Moon

Chapter 10

Ivypool blinked open her eyes to see the pale light of the Dark Forest all around her. She was curled up in the shade of an elder bush, its leaves casting dark patterns on her silver-white fur. Yawning, she scrambled to her paws and slid out. The trees clustered close together here, their branches entwined over Ivypool’s head. It was a relief not to be able to see the starless sky, always the most frightening reminder that she wasn’t in ThunderClan.

“But it still feels a long, long way from home,” she muttered.

Tasting the air, she picked up the scent of many cats, and heard voices coming faintly from among the trees several fox-lengths away. Ivypool padded in that direction and found herself on the edge of a clearing. Halting, she peered out from the shelter of a clump of bracken. Hawkfrost stood in the center with a ragged circle of younger cats around him. Ivypool recognized Tigerheart and Breezepelt, and a white RiverClan she-cat whose name she couldn’t remember. Others weren’t familiar at all.

Hawkfrost’s ice-blue eyes shone in the pallid light. “In a battle, you won’t be fighting one-on-one,” he meowed. “Cats will come at you from all directions, and you have to be ready. Now, I want all of you to attack me at once.”

“All of us?” Breezepelt sounded disbelieving.

“That’s what I said.” Hawkfrost’s voice had an edge. “I’ll take you on by myself later, if you want.”

“No, that’s fine, Hawkfrost,” Breezepelt answered hastily.

Mouse-brain! Ivypool thought.

“Okay.” Hawkfrost’s icy gaze traveled over the group of younger cats. “Attack—now!”

For a moment Ivypool lost sight of the dark tabby warrior as he was buried under a squirming heap of screeching, yowling cats. Then his head reappeared, as if he was trying to swim in a lake of fur. In spite of her dislike of Hawkfrost, Ivypool drew in a breath of admiration as he recovered his paws, lashing out at his attackers. His legs were a blur of motion. His jaws seemed to be everywhere, snapping and tearing. First one, then another of the attacking cats reared back, until Hawkfrost stood alone once again, ruffled and panting but with no injuries that Ivypool could see.

That was awesome, she admitted reluctantly. Almost against her will, her paws were itching to learn how Hawkfrost had managed that.

“Now,” the tabby warrior went on when he had caught his breath, “who can tell me what you’ve learned today?”

“Stay away from your claws,” Tigerheart muttered, licking one bleeding paw.

A murmur of amusement rose from the young cats, but Hawkfrost didn’t share it. “Anything useful?” he prompted.

The white RiverClan warrior raised her tail. “It looked as if you were fighting with all four paws,” she mewed.

“Good, Icewing.” Hawkfrost gave her an approving nod. “That’s exactly what I was doing.”

“But how?” another cat demanded.

“Watch, and I’ll show you. I’ll do it slowly.” Hawkfrost balanced on his hind paws and reached out with his forepaws, claws extended. Then with a swift movement he raked them downward. The moment his forepaws touched the ground, he struck out with his hind paws; any cat unlucky enough to be behind him would have received a blow hard enough to knock them to the ground. “Like that,” he finished. He repeated the move, faster this time. “Now you try.”

Watching the Clan cats practice, Ivypool realized that there were more of them than she had ever seen at one time in the Dark Forest. So many! she thought, her belly tight with apprehension. As well as Tigerheart, his Clanmates Redwillow and Ratscar were there, Sunstrike from WindClan, and a RiverClan apprentice with the white warrior Icewing.

“I always thought Ratscar looked a bit shifty,” Ivypool muttered under her breath. “I’m not surprised he’s here. And Breezepelt has always been an annoying lump of fur. But I sort of liked Sunstrike when I met her at Gatherings, and Icewing looks friendly. What are they doing here?”

What am I doing here? she reminded herself. I’m a spy. So maybe some of these cats are spies for their Clans as well.

But judging by the eagerness with which they were practicing Hawkfrost’s moves, all the young cats wanted to be there for the same reasons as Ivypool first had: to train to be better warriors than their Clans could make them, to be the best they could at fighting and defending their home.

Ivypool knew that if she stayed much longer hiding in the bracken, some cat would scent her. She didn’t want to be accused of skulking around. Even if that’s what I’m doing! Emerging from the bracken clump, she skirted the training cats and padded up to Hawkfrost, giving him a polite nod as she halted in front of him. “Greetings,” she mewed.

Hawkfrost’s eyes were chips of ice. “You’re late,” he snapped.

“Sorry. I found it hard to get to sleep.”

The dark tabby twitched his ears. “Is your Clan not working you hard enough?” he inquired, his voice a menacing purr. “We can soon take care of that.” He raised his voice. “Cats of the Dark Forest!”

At once the cats stopped what they were doing and gathered around him again. Hawkfrost surveyed them approvingly. “Well done,” he meowed. “Now you need a chance to practice your new skill in battle. Ivypool is ready to help you. Strike!”

He leaped out of the circle as the Dark Forest cats converged on Ivypool. She hardly had time for a protesting screech before Breezepelt was on her. He tried the balance-and-slash part of Hawkfrost’s move, but Ivypool sprang backward and he missed, losing his balance and striking the ground so hard that he staggered.

“Tough, mange-pelt!” Ivypool snarled.

Claws raked down her back; she tried to spin around but another cat landed on top of her and she fell to the ground, the breath driven out of her body as the other cat pressed her down. She saw Tigerheart’s amber eyes a mouse-length from her own.

“I’ll teach you to attack my brother!” he growled.

Ivypool lashed out with her hind paws, battering at Tigerheart’s belly. He rolled away, catching her blow over the ear as he did so. Another cat replaced him, and yet another had teeth fixed in her tail. Ivypool could scarcely move. The vicious yowls and caterwauls were so loud they hurt her ears.

I’m fighting for my life!

Suddenly a shadow fell across the battling cats. The screeching was abruptly cut off. Ivypool felt the weight that was pinning her down vanish. She scrambled to her paws, briefly blinded by blood that trickled down from a scratch above her eye. Swiping at it with a paw, she looked up to see Brokenstar standing at the edge of the clearing. Another cat stood behind him in the shadows.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Brokenstar meowed.

Hawkfrost took a pace toward him, dipping his head respectfully. “Welcome, Brokenstar. Can we do anything for you?”

“The question should be, what can I do for you?” the former ShadowClan leader replied. “I have a new apprentice for you to meet.” He paced forward into the center of the clearing, and the cat behind him followed. As the brown tabby emerged into the light, Ivypool drew in a horrified breath.

“This is Blossomfall of ThunderClan,” Brokenstar went on. “Some of you know her already. Blossomfall, these are your new Clanmates.”

Blossomfall glanced around nervously. Recognition flared in her eyes as her gaze fell on Ivypool, but she said nothing, just gave her a curt nod. Ivypool guessed she didn’t want to give the Dark Forest cats the idea that she would be more loyal to a ThunderClan cat than any of the others.

Some of the Dark Forest cats murmured greetings to Blossomfall, but none of them said anything more. Ivypool recoiled from how false everything was in the Dark Forest. Are all the cats here supposed to be a Clan? We don’t behave like one! And how can another ThunderClan cat be here? ThunderClan cats are loyal!

“So,” Hawkfrost drawled, “are you going to show us what this new cat is made of, Brokenstar?”

In answer, the ShadowClan cat beckoned to Ratscar with his tail. “Fight,” he rasped.

Ratscar had a torn ear from his bout with Hawkfrost, but he didn’t hesitate. He hurled himself at Blossomfall, who was so surprised by the sudden attack that she let him carry her off her paws. Ratscar let out a screech of triumph and slammed one paw down on her throat. Ivypool watched, her belly churning with tension, as Blossomfall lashed out with her hind paws and managed to throw Ratscar off. While he still lay on the ground she darted past him and got in a soft blow to his side before she spun around and waited for his next move.

You have to unsheathe your claws! Ivypool thought anxiously This isn’t a ThunderClan training exercise.

Ratscar crouched and leaped for Blossomfall; she dived underneath him, but at the last moment he twisted in the air and landed on her haunches, sinking his teeth into the base of her tail. Blossomfall yowled in pain and shock. The Shadow Clan warrior had pinned her down again, and this time Blossomfall couldn’t free herself. She struck out blindly at Ratscar’s head and shoulders, but Ivypool could tell that her blows were growing weaker.

Ivypool couldn’t watch her Clanmate being torn to pieces by the bigger, more experienced ShadowClan cat. She darted forward, thrusting her shoulders against Ratscar and rolling him off Blossomfall, raking his ears with her claws as she did so. Ratscar turned on her with a disbelieving snarl as Blossomfall stumbled to her paws.

“Stop!” Brokenstar’s voice rang out across the clearing before Ratscar could strike another blow.

All three cats froze as the black cat paced across the open ground to join them. Dismissing Ratscar with a flick of his ears, he loomed over Ivypool and fixed her with a baleful amber gaze. “Just what do you think you were doing?” His voice was low, but the menace in it made Ivypool tremble from ears to paws. “What gives you the right to interfere?”

Striving not to show how frightened she was, Ivypool lifted her head and returned glare for glare. “We’re loyal to one another, right?” A gush of genuine anger began to drive out her fear. “Should we stand by like cowards and let one another be defeated in battle?”

Brokenstar narrowed his eyes; every hair on his pelt was proclaiming his distrust of her. “You saved your Clanmate,” he pointed out.

“Here, they are all my Clanmates,” Ivypool retorted. StarClan, let him believe me! “I don’t see why an apprentice should be lost on her first visit.”

Brokenstar stood still for a moment more, his gaze boring into her, then let out a snort and stepped aside. Ivypool was left facing Blossomfall.

“You didn’t have to do that,” the tortoiseshell warrior hissed, smoothing her ripped fur. “I could have beaten Ratscar in the end.”

And hedgehogs can fly, Ivypool thought. Turning away, she spotted a brown tom in the group of Dark Forest cats and recognized him by his one black ear.

“Antpelt!” she exclaimed, bounding over to him. “I didn’t see you there. It’s great that you’re okay.”

The WindClan warrior’s wounds had healed, leaving long scars that sliced across his back and throat, but he looked strong and free from pain. He gave Ivypool a puzzled look. “This is my home now,” he meowed.

For a heartbeat Ivypool didn’t understand him; then she felt as though she had fallen into an icy stream. “You—you died?” she gasped.

Antpelt shrugged. “You can see it that way if you want.”

“Did you choose to come here?” Ivypool asked, trying to keep the shock out of her voice. I liked Antpelt! He doesn’t belong with these evil cats.

“These are my Clanmates, more than WindClan ever was,” Antpelt told her with a trace of regret in his voice. “Where else would I go?”

Ivypool couldn’t answer that question. “I’m sorry you died,” she mewed awkwardly.

“This is where I want to be,” Antpelt responded with another shrug.

“Ivypool, come here!”

Almost relieved to hear Hawkfrost calling her, Ivypool dipped her head to the WindClan warrior and ran across the clearing to Hawkfrost. A RiverClan apprentice was standing beside him, looking wide-eyed and anxious.

“This is Hollowpaw,” Hawkfrost told her. “He’s new. Teach him a move or two, will you?”

“Sure,” Ivypool replied. She was pleased that Hawkfrost didn’t stay to watch, but padded across the clearing to where Tigerheart and Sunstrike were beginning a practice bout.

“Hi, Hollowpaw,” she meowed. “Is this your first visit?”

“Second.” Hollowpaw squeaked out the word like a kit, and cleared his throat. “I came here in a dream, and talked to Hawkfrost,” he added. “I told him how the other apprentices were bullying me, and he said he’d teach me how to stand up to them.”

“Oh, yes, we can do that,” Ivypool promised, her heart aching for the nervous apprentice. He doesn’t know what he’s getting into, but neither did I. Still, she thought, teaching him some good fighting techniques won’t do him any harm.

Hollowpaw brightened up as she spoke. “Great! Troutstream and Mossypaw will get a major surprise! Troutstream is even more of a pain in the butt since he was made a warrior,” he added.

“For now, you’d better keep your claws sheathed,” Ivypool advised, hoping that Hawkfrost and Brokenstar wouldn’t notice. I’ve been in enough trouble for one night. “Okay,” she continued briskly, “I’m a fox coming to attack the RiverClan camp. What are you going to do?”

In response, Hollowpaw flung himself at her, his teeth bared in a snarl and his paws outstretched, leaving himself completely open to attack. Ivypool sidestepped, hooked his paws out from under him, and pinned him to the ground with one paw on his shoulder and another on his belly. Hollowpaw squirmed helplessly underneath her.

Great StarClan! What do they teach them in RiverClan?

Aloud, she mewed, “And now I’m a fox that’s going to carry you off to my den and eat you.” She released the apprentice, who scrambled to his paws and stood with his head bowed, front claws scraping the ground in his embarrassment.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t be.” Ivypool glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Hawkfrost and Brokenstar were still out of earshot. “You’re here to learn, after all. Now you be the fox, and I’ll show you what you should have done.”

She taught Hollowpaw a fairly basic move, showing him how to dart in, rake the enemy with his claws, and dart out of range again. “Remember that a fox or—StarClan forbid—a badger is much bigger and heavier than you are. Brute strength won’t get you anywhere. You have to be fast and clever. Try it.”

Hollowpaw sprang at her with an eager look in his eyes, lashed at her side with a sheathed paw, and bounced away again. “Like that?”

“Very good. Again.”

While the apprentice practiced, Ivypool shot another glance at Brokenstar and Hawkfrost. They had split up and were padding around the clearing, watching the other practice bouts. Just don’t come over here, okay?

She had called a halt, and was starting to explain another move to Hollowpaw, when she heard Hawkfrost’s voice. “Ivypool!”

Oh, no!

But when Ivypool spun around, the tabby warrior was beckoning all the training cats into the center of the clearing. Ivypool heaved a sigh of relief as she realized that the session was over.

“You’ve all done well,” Hawkfrost meowed when the cats were gathered around him. “Especially you, Blossomfall,” he added, giving the new ThunderClan recruit an approving nod. “That leap-and-twist is coming on nicely.”

Blossomfall’s eyes shone with pride. “Thanks, Hawkfrost,” she mewed, ducking her head to the Dark Forest warrior.

“I think you’re going to fit in here really well,” Hawkfrost told her.

With a sinking heart, Ivypool let her gaze travel around the circle of lean, muscled, battle-hungry warriors. Oh, StarClan help us, she thought. The Dark Forest is trying to recruit an army of loyal warriors from inside all the Clans—and they’re succeeding!