Warriors 04 - Rising Storm Read Online Free Page B

in.
    It was cool in the small cave, hollowed out of the base of the Highrock by an ancient stream. The sunlight that filtered through the lichen made the walls glow warmly. Bluestar sat hunched in her nest like a brooding duck. Her long gray fur was dirty and matted. Perhaps her wounds are still too sore to wash properly , Fireheart thought. His mind shied away from considering the other possibility—that his leader no longer wished to look after herself.
    But the worry he had seen in Whitestorm’s eyes pricked at him. Fireheart couldn’t help noticing how thin Bluestar looked,and he remembered the half-eaten bird she’d abandoned last night, returning alone to her den instead of staying to share tongues with her senior warriors, as she’d used to.
    The Clan leader raised her eyes as Fireheart entered, and he was relieved to see a faint spark of interest when she saw him.
    â€œFireheart,” she greeted him, sitting up and lifting her chin. She held her broad gray head with the same dignity Fireheart had admired when he first met her in the woods near his old Twoleg home. It was Bluestar who had invited him to join the Clan, and her faith in him had quickly established a special bond between them.
    â€œBluestar,” he began, respectfully dipping his head. “Whitestorm’s been to the nursery today. Brindleface told him her kits are ready to begin their apprenticeships.”
    Bluestar slowly widened her eyes. “Already?” she murmured.
    Fireheart waited for Bluestar to start giving orders for the apprentice ceremony. But the she-cat just stared at him.
    â€œEr…who do you want to be their mentors?” he prompted.
    â€œMentors,” echoed Bluestar faintly.
    Fireheart’s fur began to prickle with unease.
    Suddenly a flinty hardness flared in her blue eyes. “Is there any cat we can trust to train these innocent kits?” she spat.
    Fireheart flinched, too shocked to answer. The leader’s eyes flashed once more. “Can you take them?” she demanded. “Or Graystripe?”
    Fireheart shook his head, trying to push away the alarm that jabbed at him like an adder. Had Bluestar forgotten thatGraystripe was no longer part of ThunderClan? “I—I already have Cloudpaw. And Graystripe…” His words trailed away. He took a small, fast breath and began again. “Bluestar, the only warrior not fit to train these kits was Tigerclaw, and he has been exiled, remember? Any one of ThunderClan’s warriors would make a fine mentor for Brindleface’s kits.” He searched Bluestar’s face for a reaction, but she was staring unseeing at the floor of the den. “Brindleface is hoping to have a naming ceremony soon,” he persisted. “Her kits are more than ready. Cloudpaw was their littermate, and he’s been an apprentice for half a moon now.”
    Fireheart leaned forward, willing Bluestar to answer. At last the she-cat nodded her head briskly and lifted her eyes to Fireheart. With a wave of relief he saw the tension leave her shoulders. And although her gaze still seemed remote and icy, it was calmer now. “We’ll have the naming ceremony before we eat this evening,” she meowed, as if she had never doubted it.
    â€œSo who do you want to be their mentors?” Fireheart asked cautiously. He felt a tremor ripple through his tail as Bluestar stiffened again and her gaze darted anxiously around the cave.
    â€œYou decide.”
    Her reply was barely audible, and Fireheart decided not to press her any more. He dipped his head and meowed, “Yes, Bluestar,” before backing out of the den.
    He sat in the shade of the Highrock for a moment to gather his thoughts. Tigerclaw’s treachery must have shakenher even more than he realized if she didn’t trust any of her warriors now. Fireheart ducked his head to give his chest a reassuring lick. It was barely a quarter moon since the attack by the rogue