Warriors: Power Of Three 2 - Dark River Read Online Free PDF Page A

. . ”
    Brackenfur shook the rain from his whiskers. “What is it, for StarClan’s sake?”
    “If the new kits in ShadowClan are my kin, do I still have to fight them in battle?”
    “Of course, if they threaten your Clan.” Brackenfur turned away and started padding through the forest once more, his nose twitching as he hunted for scent among the wet undergrowth.
    Hollypaw hurried to keep up with him. “But what if my Clan threatens them and I don’t think it’s fair?”
    “Why should we do that?” Brackenfur’s ears pricked and he dropped into a hunting crouch.
    “But just say we did? Shouldn’t I feel some loyalty to kin?”
    “A true warrior is loyal to her Clan above everything.”
    Brackenfur began to knead the ground with his hind paws; he had spotted something ahead and was preparing to pounce.
    But Hollypaw’s mind was hungrier than her belly.
    “You can’t hurt cats that share your blood,” she argued.
    “Does that mean there are more important things than the warrior code?” She blinked in alarm. “If that’s true, then how do we know what’s right—”
    “Hush!” Brackenfur’s hiss silenced her as a leaf trembled a fox-length away and a small brown shape shot away into the safety of its burrow.
    Brackenfur sat up and stared crossly at his apprentice.
    “Why don’t you stop thinking about the warrior code and start following it? Your Clan is hungry and wet. You should be concentrating on feeding them, not on deciding what’s wrong and what’s right!”
    Hollypaw’s tail drooped. He was right. She had scared off prey that could have fed her Clanmates. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
    “Now stop asking questions and find something to take back to camp!”
    Hollypaw hunted even harder than usual and returned to the camp carrying three mice. Brackenfur led her through the thorn tunnel, a crow in his jaws. He dropped it on a fresh-kill pile that had already been restocked by another hunting patrol.
    “You did well,” he congratulated her. She felt relieved that she had made up for losing him the mouse. “Now go and get dry in your den,” he advised. “I’ll take food to Mousefur and Longtail.”
    The rain had stopped but the forest was still dripping.
    Hollypaw padded to the apprentices’ den. Inside, the nests were empty except for Lionpaw’s. Hollypaw could see his golden pelt rising and falling gently as he slept. How could he sleep the morning away while everyone else was busy looking after the Clan?
    “Doesn’t Ashfur have any jobs for you?” she called irri-tably.
    “Huh? What?” Lionpaw’s head shot up and he stared, blinking, at her. “Is it dawn already?”
    “It’s halfway to sunhigh!”
    Lionpaw leaped to his paws. His eyes were round with guilt. “Has Ashfur been looking for me?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve been out hunting,” Hollypaw answered pointedly. She began tugging at the damp bedding closest to her, pulling at it with her teeth and shaking it to let moisture out and fresh air in. “Why are you so tired anyway?” she asked, her mew muffled by the moss.
    “I didn’t sleep well,” Lionpaw replied.
    Hollypaw glanced at him, but he was staring at the ground, as if avoiding her gaze. “Is there something wrong, Lionpaw?”
    “No,” he mewed quickly.
    “Are you sure?”
    “Of course!” His mew was tetchy.
    Hollypaw felt a wave of sadness. They used to share everything, but now getting details out of her brother was like trying to pick fleas off a hedgehog. Unless they jumped out by themselves, there was no way she could reach them.
    “Okay, okay! There’s no need to bite my head off!” She started plucking at the moss again.
    Lionpaw padded past her. “I wasn’t biting your head off,”
    he muttered. “But sometimes it’s nice to be able to do stuff without being asked so many questions!” He stalked out of the den, leaving Hollypaw alone.
    She sighed and let the moss she was working on drop to the ground. Perhaps Jaypaw knew what was