Dovewing’s Silence

Lionblaze prodded the fox with one paw. Its head lolled away from him and another gush of blood came from its mouth. “She’s dead,” the warrior announced unnecessarily.

Bramblestar walked over and looked down at the silver teeth still clutching the fox’s foreleg. “Cherrypaw and Molepaw said they found traces of a fox inside the border. Did you chase it into the trap?”

Dovewing padded forward. “No,” she mewed. “This fox was already trapped when the first patrol found it.” She stared at the apprentices. “Wasn’t it?”

Cherrypaw nodded miserably.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “That’s not what they told me.”

“Nor us,” Dovewing meowed. “I think they wanted my patrol to find it when it was alive and crazed with pain.”

“Why would they do that?” Squirrelflight asked.

Dovewing let her gaze travel over the shamefaced warriors to rest on her brave patrol. “Because my patrol was made up of cats who once trained with the Dark Forest. Cherrypaw and Molepaw feel no loyalty toward them, and were willing to send them into great danger.”

Bramblestar’s hackles rose. “Is she right?” he demanded.

Molepaw shifted his paws. “We didn’t know they’d attack it!” he whined. “We just wanted to scare them!”

There was a blur of movement, and suddenly Lionblaze was looming over the apprentices. “You nearly killed them!” he hissed.

Cherrypaw shrank to the ground. “We didn’t mean to!” she bleated.

“Stand down, Lionblaze,” Bramblestar ordered. “We’ll return to the hollow. All of you who fought this fox, I want Jayfeather to check you over.” He turned and stalked out of the clearing. The cats trailed after him, silent now from shame or exhaustion after the frenzy of fighting for their lives. Dovewing’s head spun and she leaned gratefully on Cinderheart’s shoulder as they pushed through the ferns and descended the slope to the camp.

Inside, Bramblestar was standing on Highledge. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a meeting!” he roared.

There was a ripple of shock as cats emerged from the dens or put down the fresh-kill they’d been eating. Bumblestripe raced over to Dovewing. “What’s happened? Are you all right?”

She breathed in his warm scent and let it comfort her. “I’ll be okay,” she mewed.

Bramblestar barely gave the cats a chance to settle before he began speaking. His words were flung into the hollow like stones into a pool. “There are brave warriors among you today,” he declared. “Cats who risked their lives to protect their Clan, who rushed into a situation without knowing what they faced but didn’t turn back. They fought the most savage of enemies, and won. We are in their debt.”

A murmur passed through the crowd and cats turned to one another in confusion. What had they missed? Had there been an attack from another Clan?

Bramblestar continued: “Ivypool, Blossomfall, Mousewhisker, Thornclaw, and Birchfall, please come to the front.”

The five cats limped to the foot of the cliff. Thornclaw’s lip was torn, and a scab was already forming above Ivypool’s eye. Birchfall and Mousewhisker were missing several clumps of fur.

“Some of you continue to blame these cats for the battle with the Dark Forest,” Bramblestar meowed. “You are wrong. Today, these cats saved our lives. They were tricked—yes, tricked—into taking on a wounded fox. I am pleased to report that the creature was defeated and ThunderClan is safe. If you feel anything toward these warriors, it should be gratitude, respect, and the utmost loyalty. They have proved that they are willing to lay down their lives for you. In future, you will be prepared to do the same.”

Dovewing looked around and saw that several of her Clanmates seemed uncomfortable, flattening their ears and shifting their paws. Berrynose and Poppyfrost were among them.

Bramblestar raked the Clan with his amber gaze. “Know this, warriors. The Dark Forest will win if we do not forgive those cats who were once their allies. Forgiveness is far more powerful than hatred and suspicion. United, we are as strong as we ever were. Divided, we will fall. Remember that the Dark Forest is still out there, ready to prey on our dreams. Hostility and distrust among us will give them more force than they deserve. Do you want that?”

“No!” chorused the cats.

Bramblestar tipped his head to one side. “I don’t hear you!”

“No!” ThunderClan yowled, shivering the leaves on the trees.

Bramblestar lowered his head to pray. “Great StarClan, we thank you for giving courage and strength to these warriors today. May we honor them always.”

His words were echoed by the rest of the cats, quietly like a soft breeze. There was a stir of movement near the front, and Dovewing stood on tiptoe to see Cherrypaw and Molepaw approach the cats at the bottom of the cliff.

“We’re very sorry,” Molepaw mewed. “What we did was wrong, and broke the warrior code.”

“It won’t happen again,” Cherrypaw added.

Birchfall reached out with his tail and stroked the she-cat on her flank. “I believe you,” he meowed. He paused. “Will you patrol with me tomorrow, Cherrypaw?”