The Forgotten Warrior

Chapter 21

Hollyleaf led the way out of the camp and up the steep path that brought the group to the top of the hollow. Pushing through the undergrowth, she halted beside an outcrop of stones.

“This is near the place where I found those marigold plants in water up a tree,” Ivypool told Dovewing. With a gasp she swung around and faced Hollyleaf. “Wait—was that you?”

Hollyleaf nodded.

“And the yarrow?” Brightheart asked.

Dovewing could tell that Hollyleaf was uncomfortable with the attention of all the cats fixed on her. “I trained as a medicine cat first, remember,” she muttered. “I knew that I could help, so I did.”

“So you were watching us all the time?” Brightheart murmured.

Hollyleaf stiffened. “It wasn’t like that! I wasn’t spying!”

“I wasn’t accusing you of spying.” Brightheart reached out with her tail to rest it on Hollyleaf’s shoulder. “It’s just good to know that you didn’t forget about us.”

“I would never do that,” Hollyleaf mewed. Giving her pelt a shake, she ducked behind the stones. Following her, Dovewing saw the gaping hole in the ground where she and Ivypool had ventured before, following Sol into the tunnels.

“You mean we’re going down there?” Thornclaw asked, his whiskers twitching nervously. “It’s not natural. We’re not moles or foxes! Cats shouldn’t be trapped down a hole!”

Toadstep shoved him to one side. “We won’t be trapped, mouse-brain! Let’s go!”

Before he could plunge into the darkness, Brackenfur stopped him with his tail across the entrance. “Hold on a moment. You can’t just go rushing into danger.” He sniffed warily at the stones that surrounded the hole. “These might fall and block us in.”

“You’re right, Brackenfur,” Hollyleaf agreed, “but if they did, it wouldn’t be a disaster. There are plenty of other ways out. Don’t forget that I know these tunnels.” Stepping back, she gestured with her tail. “All of you, have a good sniff. We’re not going anywhere until every cat is ready.”

While the other cats crowded around the hole, Toadstep glanced at Dovewing and Ivypool. “You two aren’t saying much,” he remarked.

He doesn’t know we’ve already been down there, Dovewing thought. And he’d better not find out. If Firestar knew we entered the tunnels on our own, we would be back on apprentice duties before you could say mouse.

Aloud she mewed, “We’re just looking forward to learning how to move through the tunnels.”

Ivypool nodded. “Right.”

“Right,” Hollyleaf went on when every cat had taken a good look at the entrance. “We’ll go in now. Follow me, and don’t even think about trying to explore on your own.” She gave Toadstep a hard look.

“Okay,” he muttered.

Hollyleaf led the way into the tunnels followed by Brackenfur and then Brightheart. Dovewing hung back to take the last place, guessing that she might be able to use her senses to guard their rear, in case any WindClan warriors were lurking in the tunnels. Thornclaw was hanging back, too; Dovewing could see how reluctant he was to go down into the darkness.

“It’ll be fine,” she mewed as he hesitated at the entrance.

Thornclaw shot her a glare and plunged into the tunnel; Dovewing could guess how much he must hate being reassured by a much younger Clanmate, especially when he didn’t know that she had experience of being underground.

The light from the tunnel entrance soon died away behind them. Dovewing padded along in darkness, adjusting her senses to the unfamiliar surroundings and remembering how freaked out she had been when she first followed this path with Ivypool. Now the damp earth beneath her paws and the sensation of her fur brushing the walls of the tunnel didn’t bother her nearly so much. It was better because they had a confident leader in Hollyleaf. Now and again her voice would echo back along the tunnel.

“Watch your paws here; the ground is uneven.”

“It’s a tight squeeze just here, but it doesn’t last long.”

As the floor began to slant more steeply downward, Dovewing became aware of Thornclaw in front of her; he was breathing hard and once or twice his tail lashed across her face.

He’s getting scared. I know how he feels.

In the next heartbeat she collided with Thornclaw’s hindquarters and realized he was trying to back away. “I’ve got to get out of here,” he muttered.

“No—you can’t!”

The tunnel was so narrow that Dovewing was blocking Thornclaw’s retreat. Panting, he started to claw at her. “Let me out!” he gasped.

“Hollyleaf!” Dovewing called. “Thornclaw needs help.”

“Okay, I’m coming!”

In the blackness Dovewing couldn’t see a thing, but she could hear grunts and hisses from the other cats as Hollyleaf squeezed her way past them until she reached Thornclaw.

“There’s nothing to be scared of,” she told Thornclaw calmly. “The dark can’t hurt you, just because you can’t see. And you have other senses, remember?”

Her words seemed to soothe Thornclaw; at least, he stopped struggling, though Dovewing was close enough to feel him trembling. “I’ll walk with you,” Hollyleaf went on. “I’ve lived for moons down here, and nothing bad has happened to me.”

Thornclaw took a deep breath. “Okay,” he whispered. “Sorry.”

“Brackenfur!” Hollyleaf raised her voice. “Will you take the lead? Just keep on going straight, and ignore any side turns.”

“Right.” Brackenfur’s voice echoed back.

Thornclaw’s brief panic had unsettled Dovewing, and she began to feel uncomfortable, acutely aware of the contrast between bright, warm daylight and this cold blackness. She managed to slide forward past the others until she could pad between Brackenfur and Ivypool, feeling reassured by their closeness. Brackenfur especially was a solid and calm presence, apparently too curious about the tunnels to feel any fear.

“What keeps the roof up?” he asked, sounding impressed. “And what made the tunnels in the first place?”

“Water,” Hollyleaf replied from farther back. “There’s a river, and when it floods the tunnels fill.”

“Will they fill now?” Thornclaw fretted.

“Not a chance,” Hollyleaf told him. “There has to be really heavy rain for a long time before that happens. Run your paw along the stone,” she added, “and you can feel ridges like ripples in a windblown lake. That’s from when the tunnels were first worn away by water.”

Reaching out to feel the tiny furrows, Dovewing felt strangely comforted. Hollyleaf is really at home down here, she thought. She knows every mouse-length of these tunnels!

“I thought we were down here to learn about fighting?” Toadstep remarked as they padded on.

“You are,” Hollyleaf countered. “But you wouldn’t be able to fight a beetle in these narrow tunnels. When it comes to a battle, we’ll have to confront our enemies in larger spaces. The tunnels are useful to flee or pursue, but not for combat. If you try, you’re more likely to hit the walls than your opponent.”

“Sorry I asked,” Toadstep muttered.

As the tunnel grew slightly wider Hollyleaf took the lead again and headed along a twisting side passage. At last Dove-wing realized that she could see, very dimly, the shapes of the cats in front of her. The sound of running water came from up ahead; her pelt prickled at the thought of a flood rising to engulf them.

Moments later the cats emerged into an underground cave. A crack in the roof, high above their heads, gave them enough light to see one another. A river ran across the center of the cavern; Hollyleaf flicked her tail at it.

“See? It’s greenleaf now, so the water level is very low. Nothing at all to worry about.” She seemed hesitant as the cats gathered around her. “I wonder what’s best…” she murmured, half to herself. “Attack or defense?”

“Don’t you even know that?” Thornclaw snapped. “What did you get us down here for?”

Toadstep shot Thornclaw a sharp look, though he said nothing.

“I didn’t spend my time down here fighting,” Hollyleaf retorted. “I had no enemies because I saw no other cats.”

That must have been so lonely, Dovewing thought, with a sympathetic glance at the black she-cat.

“But you know more than any of us about moving around in darkness and confined spaces,” Brackenfur meowed. “That’s what will be helpful. What should we do if a patrol of WindClan cats ambushes us here?”

Hollyleaf gave him a brief nod. “Right,” she began. “You need to remember that the space is small, so you have to change your fighting moves. Keep your blows short and tight, otherwise you risk knocking your paws against the walls.”

Toadstep reared up on his hindpaws, keeping his forelegs tucked into his body while extending his claws against an imaginary enemy. “Like this?”

“Very good,” Hollyleaf mewed. “But don’t rear up unless you know there’s enough space above your head. Braining yourself on the tunnel roof would be a bad idea.”

Dovewing stifled a mrrow of amusement. “Is it better to fight in the light or the dark?” she asked.

Hollyleaf paused for a moment. “It depends,” she replied. “If you think you can beat your opponent, lead them away from the light so you can take advantage of the darkness. But if not, keep them close to the light so you can aim your blows accurately.”

Dovewing glanced around the cavern, suppressing a shiver as she imagined it full of clawing, screeching cats. The advice Hollyleaf was giving suddenly made the coming battle seem closer.

“Right,” Hollyleaf mewed briskly. “Let’s practice. Toadstep, you seem keen, so you can be a ThunderClan warrior. Dove-wing, you be the WindClan warrior that’s attacking him.”

“Great!” Toadstep crouched down, lashing his tail. “Come and get me, WindClan scum!”

“Scum yourself!” Dovewing retorted.

She leaped at Toadstep, but forgot what Hollyleaf had said about keeping moves small and tight. As Toadstep dodged aside, her leap took her too far, and she narrowly missed charging into the cave wall. Her paws skidded, while Toadstep took the chance to deliver a couple of hard blows to her hindquarters.

“Well done!” Hollyleaf called.

Dovewing gritted her teeth. Turning tightly, she reared up as Toadstep came in for the attack, and used the backflip she had learned in the training session with Bumblestripe. Toadstep saw the move coming, but too late, and lost his balance. Dovewing leaped on top of him, battering at him with her forepaws.

But as Toadstep rolled over, wriggling to free himself, one of Dovewing’s flailing paws hit the wall. She let out a yowl of pain. Taking advantage of her brief distraction, Toadstep threw her off and wrapped his forepaws around her neck. However hard she struggled, Dovewing couldn’t dislodge him. Their fight had taken them right up against the cave wall. Heaving Toadstep around, Dovewing managed to trap him in a corner. Though he was still clinging to her neck, he had no way of escaping when she raked at his belly with her hindpaws.

“That’ll do.” Hollyleaf came to separate them. “Very good, both of you. Dovewing, that was a good move, to keep him pressed up against the wall like that. Do you know what you could have done?” she asked Toadstep.

“Not much. I’ll have bruises for a moon,” Toadstep muttered.

“I’ll show you. Brackenfur, come over here and shove me into the corner.”

As the ginger warrior charged at her, Hollyleaf sprang up against the wall and pushed off in an enormous leap that carried her right over Brackenfur’s head. She landed lightly and spun around, ready to attack.

“Brilliant!” Dovewing exclaimed.

There was a murmur of appreciation from the other cats.

“You need space, of course,” Hollyleaf meowed, dipping her head. “And you have to be careful not to scrape your pads. The walls aren’t always smooth. Why don’t you all pair up and practice that?” she suggested.

Within a few heartbeats the cave was full of leaping cats. Dovewing took Ivypool as her partner. It took a few tries before either of them could do the move effectively.

“This is hard!” Ivypool panted. “But it might come in handy you-know-where,” she added in a lower voice.

“Think of it as stalking and pouncing on prey,” Dovewing mewed. “I’ve found that helps.”

“Okay,” Hollyleaf called. “Now I want to try something else. Brightheart, you’ve developed new fighting moves to take advantage of your blind side. Is there anything you can tell us that would help us here?”

Brightheart dipped her head, clearly pleased at being invited to contribute. “I’m used to darkness on one side,” she began, “so the darkness down here doesn’t bother me all that much. You need to make sure you’re using your whiskers and your tail-tip. They’ll help you judge how far away you are from the tunnel walls.”

Hollyleaf nodded. “Let’s try a practice round to show us how that works. Ivypool, come and fight with her.”

Ivypool leaped forward and tried to trap Brightheart against the cave wall. But Brightheart seemed to know exactly where she was without needing to look behind her. She slid to one side and raked her paw down Ivypool’s flank.

“Great!” Ivypool wheezed, struggling to get her breath back. “If your claws were out, I’d be crow-food.”

Brightheart repeated the sequence, but this time slowed down her moves so that every cat could see how she used her tail and whiskers. “Don’t forget you can’t always see your enemy down here,” she added. “You’ll need to use hearing and scent much more than you do when you’re fighting out in the open.”

“Good point,” Hollyleaf meowed. “We’ll do an exercise now to practice that. I’m going to take you into the tunnels one by one, and leave you there. You have to find your way back to us by listening and smelling.”

“What if we can’t?” Thornclaw asked with a twitch of his tail-tip.

“Then I’ll come and get you, mouse-brain,” Hollyleaf retorted. “Come on, you can be first. Meanwhile, the rest of you can practice Brightheart’s moves.”

She disappeared into a nearby tunnel, with Thornclaw trailing reluctantly after her. Dovewing was surprised when the tabby warrior returned soon after Hollyleaf, giving himself a couple of complacent licks as he emerged into the cave again.

“Good,” Hollyleaf mewed. “Now you, Dovewing.”

Hollyleaf led the way down a series of tunnels that twisted and branched so that Dovewing knew she would never have found the way out again without something to guide her.

“All right, this’ll do,” Hollyleaf told her as they reached a dead end. “Wait for as long as it takes to eat a mouse, and then follow me back.”

Dovewing waited much longer than that. Thanks to her special senses she could pick up the sounds of the cats in the cavern and knew exactly where she had to go. She didn’t want to give her powers away, so she tried to judge how long she should have taken before she rejoined them. From the moderate praise Hollyleaf gave her, Dovewing guessed her calculations had been right.

Toadstep was the last cat to go. Growing tired, the rest of the cats had stopped practicing and waited in the cave as the moments dragged out and he didn’t reappear.

“Hollyleaf, do you think—” Brightheart began.

A panic-stricken yowl interrupted her, seeming to come from right inside the walls of the cave. “I’m lost! I can’t get out!”

“It’s okay!” Hollyleaf called back. “We can hear you. You can’t be far away.”

“But I can’t find the right tunnel!”

“Just keep calm,” Hollyleaf instructed him. “Let your senses go still before you try again. Now taste the air for scent. Is it stronger in one direction?”

There was a pause before Toadstep answered, “I… I think so.”

“Okay, try that.”

A few heartbeats’ silence passed before Toadstep popped out of the tunnel entrance again. “Thank StarClan!” he exclaimed.

“If you get lost down here,” Hollyleaf addressed the whole group of cats, “it’s vital not to panic. There’s always something that will tell you the right way. Pay attention to the direction of the airflow. And if the air feels damp and heavy, that means the tunnel will go deeper.”

“And head for the light, right?” Ivypool added.

Hollyleaf hesitated. “Mostly… but don’t forget that some cracks reach far, far down into the rock. They don’t necessarily offer a way out. Like that one,” she added, gesturing with her tail toward the gap in the cave roof.

“What next?” Toadstep asked.

“Next we go back to camp,” Hollyleaf replied. “It’s been a really good session, but we’re all tired now.”

“We’ve learned a lot,” Dovewing meowed. “Thanks, Hollyleaf.”

Murmurs of agreement came from the other cats as Hollyleaf led them back through the tunnels. The sun was setting by the time they emerged, and shadows lay thick under the trees as they padded back through the twilit forest.

“Hollyleaf’s training will be really useful for night fighting, too,” Brackenfur remarked.

“Yeah, we could practice that,” Toadstep agreed eagerly. “I’ve got another idea, too. Down in the tunnels, we could think of ways of getting our enemies lost.”

Ivypool nodded. “Maybe work out a system of signs so that we know where we are but the WindClan cats don’t?”

“Or we could work on ways of luring them into an ambush,” Dovewing added, her pads tingling with excitement. “WindClan won’t know what hit them!”

As the entrance to the hollow came into sight, Toadstep halted and gazed through the shadowy trees toward the WindClan border. “Let them come!” he yowled, his neck fur bristling and his tail lashing. “We are ready!”