A Cautious Lesson

Crowspirit sat at the tunnel entrance, waiting for his apprentice. He had shown the young tom the territory before, and Clearpaw had proven to be an adept apprentice and quick learner. He had decided he knew his apprentice well enough to trust him in the tunnels. The dark warrior was still wary about them, after collapses rendering his father deaf, and nearly killing his mentor, mother, and leader in one fell swoop.

But the tunnels they were entering were sturdy, and received frequent use. With any luck, there would be no danger today, and Clearpaw would get a good lesson on using the tunnels for travel, hunting, and fighting.

Clearpaw made his way over to the tunnel entrance, spotting his mentor's dark pelt there guarding it and waiting for his arrival. He dipped his head in respect towards Crowspirit and sat down in front of him, the only sign of his excitement being his swishing tail. Clearpaw's deep blue eyes were bright with interest as he peered around Crowspirit at the dark hole in the earth. He had heard stories about the tunnels, how warriors before his time travelled to the Moonstone to learn about the long-forgotten secrets of tunneling and brought those secrets and knowledge back to WindClan. He had also heard about the battles fought down there, and the cave-ins and collapses.

But that was why he was here today, to learn about what and what not to do in the tunnels. Clearpaw was eager to learn the trade so special to WindClan only, as it would mark him a true WindClanner. Turning his attention back to Crowspirit, he blinked slowly. "I'm ready to go in when you are, Crowspirit." His mentor seemed a little tense, hopefully he could prove himself a worthy tunneler today to make him feel better.

Crowspirit let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding until his apprentice appeared, and nodded to Clearpaw. “Alright. We won’t be digging today, but I’ll show you how to use them, and we might do a little tunnel hunting today, eh? Let’s go.” He gave his fur a shake, relieving tension before padding into the dark, feeling his way through with his whiskers. He stopped at the first intersection, taking the time to speak.

”The tunnels are dark, and it’s easy to get lost here. Never go farther than where you are absolutely sure you can find your way out. Two lefts in a row, and the second right will lead to another entrance, just a quick walk from here. But these aren’t just used for traveling. You can trap a rabbit for an easy kill if you chase it down a dead-end tunnel. A warrior who knows these tunnels can use them just like any other part of the territory. During a battle when I was just an apprentice, much of the fighting was done in the tunnels.”

He paused for breath, sidestepping to hug the wall and allow Clearpaw past. “Most of the cats closest to me almost died that day. On a more positive note, why don’t you lead the way? See if you can find a different path to daylight than the one I mentioned earlier. I believe the best way to learn these tunnels is to navigate them, and I’m here to help with any problems and lead us out if you lose your way.”

Clearpaw followed dutifully behind Crowspirit, plunging into the darkness of the tunnels. He said nothing, but his mind was racing with what they would find down here. The lanky apprentice was a little bit too tall to fit comfortably underground, having to crouch some to make sure he didn't bump his head on the dirt ceiling above. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust; he couldn't see a whole lot but he could very faintly make out the shape of his mentor ahead of him. Crowspirit stopped and Clearpaw stopped with him, listening carefully to the instructions he was given.

Crowspirit wanted him to navigate? That seemed like a hefty task, but he promised himself he would do whatever he could to become the best warrior...so if this was what he needed to do, then so be it. "I understand. I'll do my best..." he murmured, brushing past the dark-furred warrior and further into the tunnels ahead. He brushed his tail against the tunnel walls, feeling where it was, while using his whiskers to try and detect any source of wind or air movement from ahead. That made sense, right? Where there was wind, there was an opening above-ground. At least, that was his thought process.

He spent a bit of time concentrating on his task, but there was something he desperately wanted to ask... "Crowspirit, what was that like? Fighting in the tunnels. I've heard stories, but I want to know more. Why were they battling in the tunnels?"

Crowspirit followed his apprentice in silence for a while, taking note of the turns Clearpaw chose. He was doing well so far, searching methodically for a breeze. When his apprentice asked a question he couldn’t help but feel was coming, he let out a breath, a slight chuckle escaping with it. “What I did in the tunnels was less fighting, more being held down by a cat-fox. But I suppose I could elaborate. I’m sure you heard of the events leading up to the battle. There were several attacks on our territory by what we thought, at the time, were foxes and dogs. By the way they attacked so swiftly, and travelled across our territory so often without being seen, we figured they were using the tunnels. Finchstar had the idea of laying poisoned fresh-kill out for them.”

“We knew we were dealing with intelligent creatures when the fresh-kill was dropped back in our camp, near Finchstar’s den in the middle of the night. These creatures were letting us know that they knew our camp, and could attack at any time, but had chosen not to, yet. That’s when the tunnel idea was put in place. The creatures had it out especially for Finchstar, so he pretended to be lame just inside a tunnel entrance. The able warriors and apprentices, myself included, were hiding in the grass and the tunnels, ready to spring when they took the bait.”

He let out a breath, giving his tail a twitch. He was reaching the part of the story difficult for him to retell. “I was among the moor-runners, alongside my mother, Goldengale. My father, Grousefrost, and my mentor, Ploverpuddle, were among the tunnelers. We thought we had laid out the perfect plan. But we underestimated their intelligence again. They split up, and overwhelmed us, although their numbers were lesser. Finchstar disappeared, and not long after every cat had realized the plan had gone wrong I was dragged into a tunnel by one of the foxes.”

Crowspirit was grateful, at least, that he was behind Clearpaw as they travelled. His apprentice wouldn’t see his face. “The fox pinned me down, leaving my mouth free to yowl and draw more cats into the tunnel. I figured what it was up to, and kept silent, struggling. When it realized I wasn’t going to do what it wanted, it prepared to kill me. That’s when Spotpaw, she’s Spotlake now, and my mate, came charging in. She was so small then, but so brave. But two apprentices were no match for the beast facing us. Tunnels are cramped, close. We couldn’t flee. So my mother heard us, and came charging in. She barreled into the fox, and tossed us out. Then, she collapsed the tunnel.”

He touched one of the sticks alongside the edge of the tunnel, gently. “She kicked out the support stick and the tunnel fell on them both. At the time, I thought she was dead. When I had come properly to my senses again, the battle was over. The fox-things had retreated, mostly uninjured. My father and Ploverpuddle were buried, as well. That’s where Ploverpuddle got those scars, and Grousefrost became deaf. We rescued them, and to my relief they were alive.”

He shook his head, trying to keep his voice from catching. “There’s no more to the tunnel part of the story. You’ve heard the rest. Tunnels are a way of life for us, but they can be immensely dangerous. It’s tempting fate to go into an unstablized tunnel alone, or to try and face a predator in one. But, it’s just as important not to fear them. Can you feel a breeze? Or scent aboveground?”

As he traveled, paws silent on the dirt floor below, Clearpaw listened intently to his mentor's story. He stayed silent, taking it all in. Part of him was glad he wasn't around when that happened, it sounded terrifying...and he had a newfound respect for Goldengale now. He had never actually spoken to the older warrior, just seen her in passing, but now he knew she was a true warrior, ready to lay down her life for her Clan. That was inspiring, to say the least. Clearpaw took in a deep breath once Crowspirit was finished, letting it out slowly as he thought about what he could possibly say to all of that.

"Thank you for telling me, I'm sure that was very scary, to live through that." he murmured, his voice marked with sincerity. Now, to focus on the task at hand...He raised his head, coming at a crossroads in the tunnel. Clearpaw stopped, craning his neck down the left side, then the right. He thought he could feel something. Was it his imagination? No...there. His whiskers twitched, moved by an ever-so-slight breeze. By this point, his nose was thoroughly clogged with dirt-smell but he thought he could scent the faint grassy smell of the moors above.

"...Yes. I do feel something. I think I know where to go..." He set off down the left path, farther and farther...until he could see a spark of light from above. The breeze was stronger now, and he could even hear the rustling of the grass. As he kept padding forward, the ground began to slope up beneath him, bringing him to the surface. Blinking in the bright sunlight, Clearpaw crawled out from the tunnel into the moor-grass, his chest puffing with pride. He did it, he navigated a tunnel all on his own.

...Well, with Crowspirit's help, of course.