Forest of Secrets (Warriors, Book 3)

334 Pages·2004·2.49 MB·English

by  Erin Hunter

To Schrödi, hunting with StarClan,
and to Abbey Cruden,
who has met the real Fireheart
Special thanks to Cherith Baldry
CONTENTS

ALLEGIANCES vii
MAP xiii
PROLOGUE
Cold gripped the forest, fields, and moorland
like an icy… 1
CHAPTER 1
The icy wind whirled snow into Fireheart’s face as he… 6
CHAPTER 2
Fireheart sniffed warily at a path where the snow had… 24
CHAPTER 3
“Well?” Tigerclaw challenged. 36
CHAPTER 4
Fireheart bounded up the ravine, the snow crisp
under his… 43
CHAPTER 5
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Fireheart
muttered as he… 60
CHAPTER 6
“What?” Fireheart was so astonished he could hardly
speak. “Are… 70
CHAPTER 7
Confused and unhappy, Fireheart made for the
warriors’ den. Before… 78
CHAPTER 8
Fireheart crouched in the nursery, watching a
litter of kits… 89
CHAPTER 9
In Yellowfang’s den, Fireheart explained what had
happened while Cinderpaw… 101
CHAPTER 10
Back in the camp, Fireheart spotted Bluestar leaving
the nursery. 109
CHAPTER 11
“Great StarClan!” breathed Sandstorm. 115
CHAPTER 12
“No!” Graystripe yowled, launching himself after
the drowning kit. 124
CHAPTER 13
It was a cold, gray morning. Fireheart dragged
himself reluctantly… 136
CHAPTER 14
His heart thudding, Fireheart looked from Graystripe
to Silverstream. She… 143
CHAPTER 15
“Well, if it isn’t our newest apprentice, Firepaw!” 154
CHAPTER 16
Fireheart stepped out of the ferns that enclosed
the apprentices’… 162
CHAPTER 17
As he plunged into the stream Fireheart managed
to keep… 169
CHAPTER 18
The sun began to set for the third time since… 178
CHAPTER 19
Shocked and angry caterwauls rose up from the
cats surrounding… 189
CHAPTER 20
“Where? How many warriors?” Fireheart
demanded. 202
CHAPTER 21
When Cinderpaw had finished tending to Fireheart’s
wounds, he went… 212
CHAPTER 22
Tigerclaw went on ahead, and by the time
Fireheart and… 225
CHAPTER 23
“Come,” Bluestar ordered. She began to walk slowly
across the… 231
CHAPTER 24
Fireheart leaped from one stepping-stone to the next
across the… 239
CHAPTER 25
Fireheart paused at the edge of the trees.
“Wait,” he… 250
CHAPTER 26
Fireheart tried to hide his misgivings as
he led the… 256
CHAPTER 27
“Run!” Fireheart ordered his apprentice. “Run like
you’ve never run… 270
CHAPTER 28
Fireheart sprang forward and burst through the
curtain of lichen. 275
CHAPTER 29
As he watched his defeated enemy disappear, Fireheart
could not… 290
CHAPTER 30
“Well, Clan deputy,” Whitestorm meowed softly in
his ear. “What… 299
About the Author
Other Books by Erin Hunter
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
ALLEGIANCES
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.