Tallstar's Revenge by Erin Hunter Page B

out.”
    Heatherstar held Sandgorse’s gaze. “He can run like the wind and leap like a hare. He chases imaginary prey when he thinks no one is watching.”
    Palebird jumped down beside her mate. “He can chase real prey in the tunnels!” she hissed.
    Heatherstar didn’t flinch. “I’ve seen him when the wind’s up. It gets into his fur so he can’t sit still. He needs to be aboveground. He needs be true to his nature.”
    â€œTrue to his nature?” Woollytail spat. “What kit doesn’t run and jump?”
    Hickorynose snorted. “In leaf-bare, you said that the tunnels were too dangerous. Now you say a kit likes the wind in his fur. What excuse will you use next time you give the moor runners an apprentice?”
    Sandgorse took a step closer to Heatherstar, his pelt bristling. “ Tunneling is in his nature,” he growled. “How could it not be? His kin are tunnelers stretching back for moons.”
    Heatherstar’s tail twitched. “If Tallpaw wants to train as a tunneler later, he can. But I want him to train as a moor runner first.”
    Tallpaw flinched as he saw Palebird’s tail droop. She clambered out of the hollow and padded, head down, back to the nursery. Should I tell Heatherstar that I want to be a tunneling apprentice? Tallpaw looked desperately from the WindClan leader to his father.
    â€œHe’s my son,” Sandgorse snarled. “I’ll decide his future.”
    Heatherstar stiffened. “ I decide the future of my warriors.” She turned to Dawnstripe. “Share your speed and courage with Tallpaw. Make him a warrior the whole of WindClan can be proud of.”
    Tallpaw’s heart thumped like rabbit paws on hollow earth. Dawnstripe was one of WindClan’s fastest runners and had never backed down in a fight. He could learn so much from her. I will make WindClan proud.
    He fought to stop himself from trembling as Dawnstripe touched her muzzle to his head, and he pricked his ears, listening for his Clanmates’ cheers. Paws shifted on the sand around him. No cat called his apprentice name. Nervously Tallpaw glanced over his shoulder. Sandgorse had turned his tail on the ceremony. The tunnelers stared in stony silence.
    â€œTallpaw!” Cloudrunner was the first to call his name.
    Hareflight joined in “Tallpaw!”
    â€œTallpaw!” Dawnstripe raised her voice above the others and led the chant, challenging the other moor runners to join in with a glare.
    As more cats began to call his name, Dawnstripe nosed Tallpaw toward Stagpaw and Doepaw. “Come on,” she murmured. “Greet your new denmates.”
    â€œTallpaw! Tallpaw!” Ryepaw pummeled the ground.
    Stagpaw’s eyes shone as Tallpaw approached. “Congratulations.”
    Tallpaw’s tongue felt dry. Stagpaw had never spoken to him as an equal before.
    As the chanting died away, Ryepaw and Doepaw clustered around him. “The first time you see the moor is the best,” Doepaw told him breathlessly.
    â€œYou won’t believe how big it is!” Ryepaw fluffed out her gray fur.
    Barkpaw raced to Tallpaw’s side. “Congratulations!” he mewed. Tallpaw blinked gratefully at his friend. He still didn’t know how to feel. He wanted to be a moor runner, but not if it made his mother and father so angry.
    â€œYou may think you’ve been given an easier path.” Tallpaw turned as a gruff mew sounded in his ear. Hawkheart was standing beside him. The gray-brown medicine cat narrowed his eyes. “But it’s a path that leads away from your kin. Be careful not to lose your way.”
    Tallpaw shook his head. “I won’t; I promise!”
    Barkpaw puffed out his chest. “Of course he won’t!”
    â€œHeatherstar must be crazy.” Shrewpaw barged past his brother. “You should be underground, Wormkit!”
    Tallpaw sniffed. “I’m not a kit. Or a