Warriors but Wolves: Into the Wild

Chapter 14

     The cold air chilled Firepaw's bones as blackness wrapped itself around him. He could hear nothing, and his nostrils were filled with the musty scent of damp grass. Out of nowhere, a brilliant ball of light flared in front of him. Firepaw ducked his head, screwing up his eyes against the glare. The light shone, dazzling coldly like a star; then it blinked out, disappearing as quickly

as it had come. The darkness fell away, and Firepaw found himself in the forest. He felt comforted by the familiar smells of the woods. He breathed in the moist green scents, and calmness flowed through his body.

Without warning, a dreadful noise burst from the trees. Firepaw's fur bristled. It was the screeching of terrified wolves racing out from the bushes up ahead. Firepaw recognized their ThunderPack pelts as they fled past him. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Then came great wolves, huge dark warriors, their eyes glittering cruelly. They thundered toward him, pounding the ground with massive paws, their claws scoring marks in the dirt behind them. And out of the shadows, Firepaw heard a high, desperate cry filled with grief and rage. Ravenpaw!

Firepaw woke, horrified. His dream vanished, leaving his ears ringing and his fur standing on end. As he opened his eyes, he saw the face of Bearclaw peering into the den. Firepaw leaped to his paws, instantly alert.

"Something wrong, Firepaw?" asked Bearclaw.

"I had a weird dream," Firepaw mumbled.

Bearclaw gave him a curious look, then ordered, "Wake the others. We leave shortly."

Outside the den, the sky glowed with a new dawn, and dew sparkled on the ferns. It would be a warm day once the sun was up, but the early-morning dampness reminded Firepaw that the time of leaf-fall was not far off. Firepaw, Ravenpaw, and Graypaw quickly gulped down the herbs that Bluefur had given them. Bearclaw and Spottedstar sat watching them, ready to leave. The rest of the camp was still asleep.

"Ugh!" complained Graypaw. "I knew they'd be bitter. Why couldn't we eat a fat, juicy fawn

instead?"

"These herbs will keep your hunger at bay longer," answered Spottedstar. "And they will make you strong. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Have you eaten yours already?" Firepaw asked.

"I cannot eat if I'm going to share dreams with StarPack at the Moonstone tonight," replied Spottedstar.

Firepaw felt his paws tingle when he heard these words. He was itching to begin the journey. With the dawn's light and the familiar voices, the terror of his dream had left him. All that remained was the memory of the brilliant light, and Spottedstar's words sent a renewed thrill of excitement through him.

The five canines made their way through the gorse tunnel and out of the camp. Mooseheart was just returning with a patrol. "Safe journey," he barked.

Spottedstar nodded. "I know I can trust you to keep the camp safe," she answered. Mooseheart looked at Ravenpaw and dipped his head. "Remember," he barked, "you are almost a warrior. Don't forget what I have taught you."

Ravenpaw looked back at Mooseheart with affection. "I will always remember, Mooseheart," he said, nudging his head against the wolf's broad golden flank.

They retraced their route to Fourtrees. This was the quickest way to pass into WindPack territory. Highstones lay beyond. As Firepaw bounded down the side of the glade toward the Great Rock, he could still smell the scents of the previous night's Gathering. He followed the others through the grassy clearing and up the slope on the other side, into WindPack territory. The bushy slope became steeper as they climbed, and rockier, until the wolves had to leap from boulder to boulder up the side of a craggy cliff face.