Warriors: Battles of the Clans Read online

  Tunneling apprenticeships were keenly fought over—in spite of having to live in dark and cramped spaces for their working lives, tunnelers had special status among their Clanmates. Training took twice as long as for warriors, and injuries, even deaths, were common. A few hard-learned rules kept the most experienced tunnelers alive—and gave apprentices a chance to survive their first few moons below the surface of the moor.

  They learned to leave a clear scent trail, marked like a border, so they could find a way out. They came to recognize the feel of the wind on their muzzles, knowing that it did not necessarily mean they were approaching the surface; shafts strike far underground, bringing fresh air to the lowest tunnels, but it is not always possible to climb up them. And even the least experienced tunneler stayed alert for the sound of dripping water—rivers are no place for WindClan cats, whether they’re on the surface or belowground.

  They learned to recognize the smell of underground animals, not to hunt them but to stay out of their way—no cat wants to end up in a den of foxes, and cornered rabbits can break ribs with their hind legs. After several moons of traveling below the surface, tunnelers were able to imagine their route aboveground, so they could keep track of where they were in the dark. This was the skill most highly prized among the Clan, because it was too easy to get lost in the darkness and vanish forever down a bottomless hole. These dark, secretive abilities were feared and respected by the tunnelers’ Clanmates as much as by the other Clans.

  When we settled by the lake, our tunneling skills were abandoned. “There are no tunnels here,” declared the senior warriors. “All cats must be trained to hunt and fight aboveground from now on.”

  But some of us know differently. Some of us have explored and played and battled for our lives in the web of tunnels coiled below our new home. Cats in other Clans know our secret—Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. But it was all a terrible mistake. I should never have followed my curiosity belowground, out of the safety of daylight and fresh, clean air. I risked everything because I was in love with Lionblaze. But my discovery nearly carried us to StarClan—and the games we played ended up breaking our hearts.

  SKYCLAN

  * * *

  SKYCLAN FACTS

  Leader: Leafstar

  Deputy: Sharpclaw

  Medicine cat: Echosong

  Hunting territory: A sandy gorge

  Camp: Caves in wall of gorge

  Unique battle skill: Aboveground combat

  * * *

  Buzzardstar’s Welcome

  Hello, kittypets. Don’t be scared; you’re asleep in WindClan’s apprentice den, safe and well fed. My name is Buzzardstar, and I was once the leader of a Clan many days’ travel from here. Even though I went to StarClan long ago, I can walk in the dreams of some cats. You are lucky that I can walk in yours, because there’s one more Clan that you need to know about. Its name was SkyClan, and we were once the equal of any of the four Clans by the lake.

  We earned our name because our warriors were happiest in the trees, hunting birds and climbing into nests for juicy, warm eggs. We could jump higher than any other cats, and climb more confidently, even to the thinnest branches. Like the hawks and eagles who swoop silently down on prey from above, SkyClan warriors could launch into battle from the air, dropping down on the enemy from the branches of trees and catching even the wariest intruders by surprise.

  We were driven out of the forest many moons ago, when I was the deputy, after our territory was destroyed by Twolegs building new nests. We tried to make a new home at the source of the river that flowed through the forest, but we faced too many enemies, and within a few generations, my Clan had disappeared.

  Even after watching the heartbreaking defeat of the Clanmates who came after me, I knew that SkyClan could live again, strong and proud and preserved by the warrior code. Cloudstar, the leader I had served under as a deputy, summoned Firestar from ThunderClan to find the descendants of the cats who had lived in the gorge and create a new SkyClan for their ancestors—my Clanmates and me—to watch over and protect. Now my Clan lives once more, relearning the old battle moves that moons ago made SkyClan one of the most respected Clans of the forest.

  Special Battle Tactic: Sparrowpaw Explains the Sky-drop

  Clovertail? Clovertail, are you awake? Oh, good. I thought all those kits might have worn you out. Er, yes, they’re lovely. Are they supposed to be that loud? Have they got a thorn stuck in them? They can’t be hungry, surely! All they do is drink milk!

  I think this one here’s gone to sleep. Is that okay? Should I wake him up in case he’s still hungry? I guess it would be nice for you if they all went to sleep. Okay, I’ll leave him alone. Sorry, sorry! I didn’t know his tail was right by my foot! Shhhh, little cat. It’s all right; have some more milk. That’s better. Where was I?

  I wanted to tell you about this totally amazing battle move Sharpclaw taught me today. Apparently our ancestors—you know, the first SkyClan—used it all the time to defeat their enemies. Skywatcher told Firestar, and Firestar told Sharpclaw, and now he’s going to teach all the apprentices! But he started with me, which must mean I’m the best, or the strongest, or the smartest, right?

  Oh, yes, my new battle move. It’s called the Sky-drop! Like something an eagle would do! It was just me doing it today, but usually it would be a whole bunch of warriors, called the drop patrol.

  First I had to climb this really high tree. Then I had to wait on a branch, where I could see the path underneath in both directions. Sharpclaw says that cats tend to look directly ahead or side to side—not up or down. So they don’t realize there’s a patrol right above their heads! SkyClan is so smart!

  You don’t just have to climb the tree quietly—which can be really hard when you get your paw stuck in a hole in the bark, let me tell you—you also have to be dead silent when you’re waiting in the branches.

  You can’t move a muscle, not even one little hair, in case that makes a leaf move. Do you have any idea how noisy leaves can be? When they’re right by your ears, that rustling is like thunder! No wonder I couldn’t hear Sharpclaw muttering down below. It was totally unfair that he got so mad at me. I am not as deaf as an old badger, so there!

  And Sharpclaw says it’s even harder to stay hidden in leaf-bare because there are no leaves to cover you. And if the sun’s shining, then you have to remember that the enemy can see your shadow on the ground.

  Today, Whitewhisker was pretending to be my enemy. So after I’d been waiting up there for about a moon, not breathing or anything, Whitewhisker walked along the path. When he was right underneath my branch, I let myself fall straight down, like Sharpclaw said—he wanted my belly to land on Whitewhisker’s back so that I knocked him over. Later on I’ll learn how to drop with my claws out, or ready to flick the enemy off his feet with my legs. And how to swing from my front legs to claw the enemy’s face with my hind paws! There’s no way we could lose a battle if we did that! I kind of wish there were some Clans living closer, just so we could be invaded. I’d be up the nearest tree, ready to squash them flat!

  What? Oh, Whitewhisker’s fine. I didn’t actually land exactly where I was supposed to. You don’t know how confusing it is to be up a tree, trying to balance on the thinnest branch you ever saw, and keep watching your enemy, and make sure you jump off at the right time. Sharpclaw says I was nowhere near Whitewhisker, but I definitely felt his tail brush against me. And that would be a pretty big shock for an invader, right? I bet it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t land on top of them. They might think it was raining cats! Splash! Splosh!

  Oops. Sorry. Wow, for such stumpy little tails, they sure stretch a long way. Hey, can you believe they’re still hungry? They must be all belly and nothing else inside! Well, good luck getting them back to sleep, Clovertail. They wake up really easily, you know. Maybe you should train them to sleep a bit more deeply? Okay, see you later!

  * * *

  ABOVEGROUND BATTLE MOVES

  It is a matter
of great pride to SkyClan apprentices that they can carry out the Sky-drop, as well as these other moves.

  THE SKY-CRUSHER: Landing with all four feet on top of an opponent, flattening him like a leaf.

  THE FLICK-OVER: Landing with front paws outstretched to sweep the opponent off his feet and roll him onto his back.

  THE KICK: Kicking down hard as the warrior nears the ground, then using momentum from landing to spring away before the opponent can retaliate.

  THE SLICE: Dropping down with claws unsheathed for maximum injury.

  THE BRANCH SWING: Holding on to branch with front claws and swinging hind legs into the opponent’s face.

  THE REVERSE BRANCH SWING: Holding on to branch with hind claws and striking with front legs through the swing.

  THE TRUNK SPRING: Sliding down trunk and springing off at head height, using hind legs to push off and clear opponents (good if tree is surrounded).

  THE REVERSE CLIMB: Climbing backward up the trunk as the opponent advances to gain advantage of height; often followed by Trunk Spring.

  * * *

  Cloudstorm Speaks: A Lesson to Kittypet Thieves

  A battle against those mangy kittypets?” Nightfur’s eyes gleamed, and he unsheathed his claws as if he were already imagining sinking them into glossy fur. The spine of a feather cracked under his front paw, and I looked down at the tattered remains of the plump thrush. It was inedible now, after the trespassers from Twolegplace had toyed with it and dragged it through the mud, not giving it the swift and respectful death that a warrior gives to its prey.

  “They won’t stand a chance against us!” Nightfur’s apprentice, Fernpaw, agreed. “Once we drop out of the trees, we’ll find out just how fast they can run—back to their precious Twolegs!”

  I shook my head. “We can’t fight them in our territory.”

  Buzzardpaw, an apprentice with a reputation for taking on warriors twice his size in battle practice without flinching, curled his lip. “How can you say that? Those kittypets ignore our border marks, chase off our patrols, and steal our prey. Are you suggesting we’re too scared to defend ourselves?” he growled.

  “Of course he isn’t!” Birdflight, a she-cat who had been made warrior at the same time as me, jumped to my defense. “Cloudstorm is as brave as any of you—probably braver!”

  I was grateful for her vote of confidence, but I didn’t want our Clanmates thinking that I needed her to stand up for me. I blinked at her to say thanks, then got to my paws to address the gathered cats. “We know that the Twolegs are already uncomfortably close to our borders. We can tolerate them—but not their kittypets. These aren’t fat, lazy, overfed creatures, but young, strong, bold cats who catch the birds we need for food, jumping high enough and fast enough to snag them in their claws and drag them out of the sky. They must have watched us train our apprentices in order to copy our hunting skills.”

  I noticed Petalfall, the deputy, widen her green eyes in surprise. As one of the youngest warriors, it wasn’t my place to take charge of the Clan meeting. But she gave a tiny nod, so I carried on. I hoped she’d think my plan was good enough to report to Flystar when he returned from the Moonstone.

  “We can’t fight the kittypets in SkyClan because they don’t all come here at once,” I explained.

  “If we scare a couple of them enough, they’ll soon tell their thieving friends to keep away!” Nightfur interrupted.

  “How do we know they talk to one another?” I argued. “They come from different Twoleg nests; they might not even know that other kittypets come into the woods, too. We need to take the battle to them. We must launch an attack on Twolegplace!”

  There was silence. Then Fernpaw mewed, “What, all of it?”

  “Of course not. Look.” Using one of my foreclaws, I drew a line on the dusty ground. “This is the border between Twolegplace and our territory—it’s a fence, right? About the height of a low tree, so we could still use a Sky-drop from it?” As my Clanmates shuffled closer, I drew some straight-edged shapes to represent Twoleg nests, with narrow paths between them. “We’ll attack the kittypets closest to the fence first—on a sunny day they tend to lie in their own territories. After all, they don’t need to hunt our prey for their food.”

  There were growls of agreement. Petalfall rested the tip of one claw on my dust marks. “What about the other kittypets? They don’t all live underneath the fence.”

  “For those, we’ll send patrols farther into Twolegplace,” I meowed, tracing a line around the shapes on the ground. “Most of the little territories are enclosed with fences, and some have small trees that we can use to our advantage.” I looked up and felt my heart pounding with excitement. “We’ll show them we can fight as well in their territory as ours!”

  “We’ll invade Twolegplace!” Nightfur yowled. “This will be the greatest battle in SkyClan’s history!”

  We were ready at dawn the following day. Flystar hadn’t returned from the Moonstone, but Petalfall agreed that we couldn’t wait any longer. With every day that passed, we lost prey to our kittypet enemies. The air was warm before sunrise, promising the kind of hot, sleepy day that would keep the kittypets sprawled in their fussy, cramped territories. We set off through the trees in tense silence, four patrols, each with a different part of Twolegplace to attack. We’d start by lining up along the outer fence to deal with the kittypets who lived closest to the forest so that they couldn’t send word to the others that they were under attack. Then we’d move into Twolegplace in four directions, using all the aboveground moves and warrior skills that defended our territory from other rivals.

  Petalfall drew alongside me. Her rose-cream fur sparkled with dew, and the tips of her ears were dark with water as she brushed through the cool ferns. Her green eyes were worried, so I slowed my pace and steered deeper into the undergrowth, where we could talk without being overheard by the others.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  Petalfall blinked, as if she hadn’t realized her thoughts were so obvious. “I think Flystar should know what we’re doing,” she meowed.

  “He will, when we greet him with news of our victory,” I answered.

  “But what if StarClan has told him to do something else to deal with the kittypets? What if StarClan doesn’t want us to attack them like this, in their own territory?”

  I stopped and faced her. “Our warrior ancestors gave us the warrior code and the battle skills to protect and feed ourselves. They don’t live among us, risking their fur to catch prey and drive out trespassers. These are things we must do for ourselves. We should be grateful for what they have taught us, but our actions are our own.”

  Petalfall took a step back. “But StarClan guides us in all things!”

  “StarClan watches us,” I corrected her. “That’s different. It was my idea to take the fight into Twolegplace, not theirs. I hope we have their support, but our paws will carry us into battle, our claws will prove our strength to those thieving kittypets. This is our fight to win, not StarClan’s.”

  Petalfall turned away, and for a moment I thought she was going to leave me there in the dew-heavy ferns and go back to the camp. I opened my mouth to ask her to stay—we’d need her skills and her courage—just as she paused and looked back at me. “I will fight alongside you,” she meowed quietly. “And with StarClan’s blessing, we will win. But if I were you, I’d be careful about dismissing our ancestors so lightly. We owe them everything, and it is a debt that will never be repaid.”

  The top of the fence dug into my belly as I lowered myself over, stretching my forepaws toward the ground and steadying my weight with the tips of my claws on the smooth, strong-smelling wood. I was aiming for a Trunk Spring to carry me over the thorny bush at the foot of the fence, leaving a clear run across the green grass to the kittypet sprawled under a tree on the far side. I heard fences creak on either side as my Clanmates eased themselves into position; one easy leap took us to the top of the fence, but our next move would be slow and careful,
in order to take the kittypets by surprise. The slender wood underneath me wobbled as Birdflight lost her balance for a moment.

  “Sorry!” she whispered from the territory beside mine.

  I didn’t reply, just sank one claw into the fence to hold myself still. From the other side came a low hiss. It was Petalfall’s command to attack. The fences groaned as we pushed off with our hind legs and sprang into the Twoleg territories. My paws thudded onto soft grass and I crossed the distance to the tree in two bounds. The kittypet, a brown tabby with a flash of white on his chest, barely had time to lift his head before I pounced on him with my claws unsheathed.

  “Wha…?” he yowled. “Get off me!”

  I cuffed his muzzle and jumped back as drops of blood scattered across my chest. “Stay out of our territory!” I snarled. From the other side of the fence, I could hear Birdflight hissing and spitting at the fat orange tom who’d stolen a squirrel in front of our hunting patrol three sunrises ago.

  The brown tabby scrabbled backward, his eyes stretched wide. I tensed. There was something about the way he kept his hind paws tucked under him, the flex of his pelt as he gathered his haunches…. I was ready when he sprang, screeching in an echo of my own battle cry, raking the air with his outstretched claws. I flipped sideways, swiping his back feet from under him as I ducked away from his front paws. The tabby landed with a thud on the hard-packed earth. I stood over him and lowered my face until my muzzle was nearly touching his.