Warriors 03 - Forest of Secrets

WARRIORS
FOREST OF SECRETS
ERIN HUNTER

To Schrödi, hunting with StarClan,
and to Abbey Cruden,
who has met the real Fireheart

Special thanks to Cherith Baldry

Contents

Prologue

Cold gripped the forest, fields, and moorland like an icy…

Chapter 1

The icy wind whirled snow into Fireheart's face as he…

Chapter 2

Fireheart sniffed warily at a path where the snow had…

Chapter 3

“Well?” Tigerclaw challenged.

Chapter 4

Fireheart bounded up the ravine, the snow crisp under his…

Chapter 5

“I can't believe I'm doing this,” Fireheart muttered as he…

Chapter 6

“What?” Fireheart was so astonished he could hardly speak. “Are…

Chapter 7

Confused and unhappy, Fireheart made for the warriors' den. Before…

Chapter 8

Fireheart crouched in the nursery, watching a litter of kits…

Chapter 9

In Yellowfang's den, Fireheart explained what had happened while Cinderpaw…

Chapter 10

Back in the camp, Fireheart spotted Bluestar leaving the nursery.

Chapter 11

“Great StarClan!” breathed Sandstorm.

Chapter 12

“No!” Graystripe yowled, launching himself after the drowning kit.

Chapter 13

It was a cold, gray morning. Fireheart dragged himself reluctantly…

Chapter 14

His heart thudding, Fireheart looked from Graystripe to Silverstream. She…

Chapter 15

“Well, if it isn't our newest apprentice, Firepaw!”

Chapter 16

Fireheart stepped out of the ferns that enclosed the apprentices'…

Chapter 17

As he plunged into the stream Fireheart managed to keep…

Chapter 18

The sun began to set for the third time since…

Chapter 19

Shocked and angry caterwauls rose up from the cats surrounding…

Chapter 20

“Where? How many warriors?” Fireheart demanded.

Chapter 21

When Cinderpaw had finished tending to Fireheart's wounds, he went…

Chapter 22

Tigerclaw went on ahead, and by the time Fireheart and…

Chapter 23

“Come,” Bluestar ordered. She began to walk slowly across the…

Chapter 24

Fireheart leaped from one stepping-stone to the next across the…

Chapter 25

Fireheart paused at the edge of the trees. “Wait,” he…

Chapter 26

Fireheart tried to hide his misgivings as he led the…

Chapter 27

“Run!” Fireheart ordered his apprentice. “Run like you've never run…

Chapter 28

Fireheart sprang forward and burst through the curtain of lichen.

Chapter 29

As he watched his defeated enemy disappear, Fireheart could not…

Chapter 30

“Well, Clan deputy,” Whitestorm meowed softly in his ear. “What…

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

BLUESTAR
—blue-gray she-cat, tinged with silver around her muzzle.

DEPUTY

TIGERCLAW
—big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws.

MEDICINE CAT

YELLOWFANG
—old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face, formerly of ShadowClan.
APPRENTICE, CINDERPELT
—dark gray she-cat

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

 

WHITESTORM
—big white tom.
APPRENTICE, BRIGHTPAW

 

DARKSTRIPE
—sleek black-and-gray tabby tom.

 

LONGTAIL
—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes.
APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW

 

RUNNINGWIND
—swift tabby tom.

 

WILLOWPELT
—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes.

 

MOUSEFUR
—small dusky brown she-cat.
APPRENTICE, THORNPAW

 

FIREHEART
—handsome ginger tom.
APPRENTICE, CLOUDPAW

 

GRAYSTRIPE
—long-haired solid gray tom.
APPRENTICE, BRACKENPAW

 

DUSTPELT
—dark brown tabby tom.

 

SANDSTORM
—pale ginger she-cat.

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

 

SWIFTPAW
—black-and-white tom.

 

BRACKENPAW
—golden brown tabby tom.

 

CLOUDPAW
—long-haired white tom.

 

BRIGHTPAW
—she-cat, white with ginger splotches.

 

THORNPAW
—golden brown tabby tom.

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

 

FROSTFUR
—beautiful white coat and blue eyes.

 

BRINDLEFACE
—pretty tabby.

 

GOLDENFLOWER
—pale ginger coat.

 

SPECKLETAIL
—pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen.

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens, now retired)

 

HALFTAIL
—big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing.

 

SMALLEAR
—gray tom with very small ears; the oldest tom in ThunderClan.

 

PATCHPELT
—small black-and-white tom.

 

ONE-EYE
—pale gray she-cat; the oldest cat in ThunderClan; virtually blind and deaf.

 

DAPPLETAIL
—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat.

 

BROKENTAIL
—long-haired dark brown tabby; blind; formerly ShadowClan leader.

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

NIGHTSTAR
—old black tom.

DEPUTY

CINDERFUR
—thin gray tom.

MEDICINE CAT

RUNNINGNOSE
—small gray-and-white tom.

WARRIORS

STUMPYTAIL
—brown tabby tom.
APPRENTICE, BROWNPAW

 

WETFOOT
—gray tabby tom.
APPRENTICE, OAKPAW

 

LITTLECLOUD
—very small tabby tom.

QUEENS

DAWNCLOUD
—small tabby.

 

DARKFLOWER
—black she-cat.

 

TALLPOPPY
—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat.

WINDCLAN

LEADER

TALLSTAR
—black-and-white tom with a very long tail.

DEPUTY

DEADFOOT
—black tom with a twisted paw.

MEDICINE CAT

BARKFACE
—short-tailed brown tom.

WARRIORS

MUDCLAW
—mottled dark brown tom.
APPRENTICE, WEBPAW

 

TORNEAR
—tabby tom.
APPRENTICE, RUNNINGPAW

 

ONEWHISKER
—young brown tabby tom.
APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

QUEENS

ASHFOOT
—gray she-cat.

 

MORNINGFLOWER
—tortoiseshell she-cat.

RIVERCLAN

LEADER

CROOKEDSTAR
—huge light-colored tabby with a twisted jaw.

DEPUTY

LEOPARDFUR
—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat.

MEDICINE CAT

MUDFUR
—long-haired light brown tom.

WARRIORS

BLACKCLAW
—smoky black tom.
APPRENTICE, HEAVYPAW

 

STONEFUR
—gray tom with battle-scarred ears.
APPRENTICE, SHADEPAW

 

LOUDBELLY
—dark brown tom.
APPRENTICE, SILVERPAW

 

SILVERSTREAM
—pretty silver tabby.

QUEENS

MISTYFOOT
—dark gray she-cat.

ELDERS

GRAYPOOL
—thin gray she-cat with patchy fur and a scarred muzzle.

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS

 

BARLEY
—black-and-white tom who lives on a farm close to the forest.

 

BLACKFOOT
—large white tom with huge jet-black paws, formerly ShadowClan deputy.

 

BOULDER
—silver tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan.

 

PRINCESS
—light brown tabby with a distinctive white chest and paws—a kittypet.

 

RAVENPAW
—sleek black cat with a white-tipped tail who lives on the farm with Barley.

 

SMUDGE
—plump, friendly black-and-white kitten who lives in a house at the edge of the forest.

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