Free Firestar's Quest by Erin Hunter Page B

here, anyway?”
    â€œWe’re the border patrol,” Brambleclaw told him. “With Dustpelt and Mousefur. Look, here they come.”
    Following the direction of his pointing tail, Firestar spotted the two older warriors bounding rapidly through the trees.
    â€œIn StarClan’s name, what’s going on?” Dustpelt demanded. “I thought a fox must have gotten you from all that noise.”
    â€œNo, just a kittypet,” Firestar mewed, faintly amused at Brambleclaw’s and Ashfur’s outraged expressions. “Okay, carry on with your patrol,” he added.
    â€œBut what about the kittypet?” Ashfur asked.
    â€œI think I can handle him,” Firestar mewed. “You’re doing fine, but just remember that not everything you haven’t seen before is a threat.”
    Brambleclaw and Ashfur fell in behind Dustpelt and Mousefur as they continued their patrol; Brambleclaw cast a threatening glance back at Smudge and hissed, “Stay off our territory in the future!”
    Smudge heaved himself to his paws, glaring at his attackers. His fur was covered in dust and stuck out in all directions, but he didn’t seem to be hurt.
    â€œYou’re lucky I was here to save your pelt,” Firestar remarked as the patrol vanished among the trees.
    His old friend let out a furious snort. “I’ll never understand you, Firestar. You actually want to live with these violent ruffians?”
    Firestar hid his amusement. There was no point trying toexplain that these violent ruffians were warriors who had risked their lives at his side time and time again.
    â€œIt’s good to see you again, Smudge,” he meowed. “Why did you come so far into the forest? You know it’s dangerous for you.”
    Smudge looked away, scuffling the ground with his forepaws.
    â€œWell?” Firestar prompted, when Smudge had been silent for several heartbeats.
    The kittypet blinked. “I…I think,” he began haltingly, “that is, I’m afraid I might have to come and live in the forest with you.”
    â€œGreat StarClan! What’s happened? It’s not BloodClan, is it?” Firestar asked fearfully.
    Smudge looked up for a moment. “Who?”
    â€œNever mind. Your Twolegs, then—they haven’t thrown you out, have they?”
    â€œNo! My housefolk have always been very good to me.” Smudge cast a longing look over his shoulder toward the red stone nest where he lived. “It’s just…well, I’ve been having these weird dreams, and I remember you told me that you had dreams before you went to join the forest cats.” Horror gleamed in his eyes, and Firestar, for all his sympathy, found himself hiding a purr of amusement that his old friend couldn’t imagine anything worse than having to live in a Clan. “I thought my dreams must mean I’d have to leave my housefolk.”
    Firestar swept his tail around to touch his old friend onthe shoulder. “I wouldn’t worry. Dreams have many meanings, and sometimes a dream is just a dream. I’m sure you won’t have to eat bones just yet.”
    Smudge didn’t look reassured. “But these dreams are terrible!” he mewed. “I keep seeing lots of cats—they’re running away, but I never get to see what’s chasing them. They’re wailing and shrieking as if they’re scared or in pain. And sometimes I see a gray-and-white cat on his own. He keeps opening and closing his mouth as if he’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.”
    Every hair on Firestar’s pelt bristled. Smudge was having the same dreams as him! But why? Surely SkyClan didn’t think that a kittypet could help them?
    â€œWhat do you think?” Smudge asked nervously. “ Do I have to come and live in the forest?”
    Firestar knew he had to decide how much to tell his friend. Though his faith in StarClan