Into the Wild by Erin Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

Smallear,” mewed Graypaw, nodding respectfully.
    â€œThis must be our new apprentice. Firepaw, isn’t it?” meowed a second tom. His patchy fur was dark brown, and there was only a stump where his tail should have been.
    â€œThat’s right,” Firepaw replied, copying Graypaw’s polite nod.
    â€œI’m Halftail,” purred the brown tom. “Welcome to the Clan.”
    â€œHave you two eaten?” meowed Smallear.
    Firepaw and Graypaw both shook their heads.
    â€œWell, there’s enough here. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are turning into fine hunters. Would you mind if these youngsters shared a mouse, One-eye?”
    The pale gray queen who lay beside him shook her head. Firepaw noticed one of her eyes was clouded and sightless.
    â€œWhat about you, Dappletail?”
    The other elder, a tortoiseshell she-cat with a gray muzzle, meowed in a voice cracked with age, “Of course not.”
    â€œThank you,” mewed Graypaw eagerly. He stepped forward and took a large mouse from the pile of prey, then dropped it at Firepaw’s feet. “You still haven’t tasted mouse?” he asked.
    â€œNo,” Firepaw admitted. He suddenly felt excited by thewarm smells that were rising from this piece of fresh-kill. His whole body quivered at the thought of sharing his first real food as a Clan member.
    â€œIn that case, you can have first bite. Just save me some!” Graypaw dipped his head and stood back to give Firepaw room.
    Firepaw crouched down and took a large bite from the mouse. It was juicy and tender, and sang with the flavors of the forest.
    â€œWhat do you think?” asked Graypaw.
    â€œFantastic!” mumbled Firepaw, his mouth still full.
    â€œMove over then,” mewed Graypaw, stepping forward and bending his head to take a bite.
    As the two apprentices shared the mouse, they listened to the elders talk among themselves.
    â€œHow long before Bluestar appoints a new deputy?” asked Smallear.
    â€œWhat did you say, Smallear?” mewed One-eye.
    â€œI think your hearing has become as poor as your eyesight!” snapped Smallear impatiently. “I said, how long before Bluestar appoints a new deputy?”
    One-eye ignored Smallear’s irritated reply and spoke instead to the tortoiseshell queen. “Dappletail, do you remember the day many moons ago when Bluestar herself was appointed deputy?”
    Dappletail mewed earnestly, “Oh, yes! It was not long after she lost her kits.”
    â€œShe’ll not be happy to be appointing a new deputy,” Smallear observed. “Redtail served her long and well. But she’llneed to make up her mind quickly. According to Clan custom, the choice has to be made before moonhigh after the death of the old deputy.”
    â€œAt least this time the choice is obvious,” meowed Halftail.
    Firepaw raised his head and looked around the clearing. Who could Halftail mean? To Firepaw, all the warriors looked worthy of becoming deputy. Perhaps he meant Tigerclaw; after all, he had avenged Redtail’s death.
    Tigerclaw was sitting not far off, his ears angled toward the elders’ conversation.
    As Firepaw stretched with his tongue to lick the last traces of mouse from his whiskers, Bluestar’s voice called from the Highrock. Redtail’s body still lay in the clearing below, pale gray in the fading light. “A new deputy must be appointed,” she meowed. “But first, let us give thanks to StarClan for the life of Redtail. Tonight he sits with his fellow warriors among the stars.”
    Silence fell as all the cats looked up into the sky, which was beginning to darken as evening crept over the forest.
    â€œAnd now I shall name ThunderClan’s new deputy,” Bluestar continued. “I say these words before the body of Redtail, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice.”
    Firepaw looked at Tigerclaw. He couldn’t help noticing the hunger in the big