The Secrets of WillowClan: A Warrior Cats Choose your own adventure

Page 20

Eaglekit leaps at you, claws unsheathed, but you duck out of the way just as Brindleclaw taught you. Eaglekit might be larger than you, you realize, but you're faster. You have just enough time to collect your thoughts before he comes at you with a clumsy slash. You duck underneath, bobbing and weaving as he exhausts more and more energy.

At last, one of Eaglekit's slashes connects with your pelt. You feel a sting as the claws graze your skin. You realize that you can't keep just dodging if you want to win. You wait for Eaglekit to strike wide, then you grab onto his stub of a tail and start to shake. Eaglekit's fur bristles and he tries to grab you but all he succeeds is pulling you both round and round in the circle. At last, he drops to the ground, dazed and exhausted. You raise one of your paws just as Brindleclaw taught you, and bring it down hard on his head. Eaglekit collapses to the ground.

"Get off him!" Ravenkit hisses, leaping down from the log. Her fur bristles and her back is arched as she gets between the two of you. You get crouch down, ready for round two.

"That's. Enough," drawls a quiet voice from behind you. You look up to see the sleek tom, pitch black except for a white spot underneath his muzzle. His piercing green eyes look down at you with unpleasant curiosity.

"W-who are you?" you manage.

The tom gave a thin smile. "I suppose I should introduce myself, although I had thought my reputation would have preceded me. Greetings, I am Darkmask, the deputy of Brumestar."

"Uh, i-it's nice to meet you?" you squeak.

Darkmask scoffs. "Indeed. That was an intriguing little display back there. Not many cats could take a kit one moon older than them without even using their claws. You show promise."

"Thanks, I guess?" you gulp.

Darkmask's eyes bore into yours, as if he can somehow read your thoughts with his stare. "I shall watch your progress with interest," he says and turns away with you. Eaglekit groans and tries to get himself to his paws. "As for you, I hope you can learn something from that pathetic display. I have half a mind to hold you back from your apprenticeship a moon. Now, what do we say?"

Eaglekit dips his head to you reluctantly. "I'm s-sorry," he manages to spit out.

"Very good," sneers Darkmask. "Now grovel in the dirt where you belong, you worm." And without another word, he turned tail and slipped back to the Warrior's den.

"Oh poor Eaglekit, are you okay?" asks Ravenkit, rushing to his side.

"Don't touch me!" snaps Eaglekit, fur bristling. He glares at you. "Don't think you're getting away with this. One day I'll beat you and then you'll be sorry!" With a final hiss, he stomps off to the medicine den.

"Why do you have to ruin everything?" sobs Ravenkit, rushing back to the nursery den.

You spend some time taking in the last bits of the setting sun before heading on after her. You smile a little to yourself. It's not every day you get to see a whole new world, full of beauty and new things to try. And it's not every day you get to personally put a bully in their place.

Go to Page 25.

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