Forest Of Secrets

Growing drowsy under the steady rasp of Graystripe’s tongue, Fireheart jumped at the rustle of branches outside the den. Tigerclaw entered, followed by Darkstripe and Longtail. All three of them glowered at Fireheart as they settled in a huddle closer to the center of the bush. Fireheart watched them through slitted eyes, wishing that he could make out their conversation. It was too easy to imagine they were plotting against him. Fireheart’s muscles tensed as he realized that he would never be safe within his own Clan while Tigerclaw’s treachery remained a secret.

“What’s the matter?” asked Graystripe, lifting his head.

Fireheart stretched, trying to relax again. “I don’t trust them,” he murmured, flicking his ears in the direction of Tigerclaw and the others.

“I don’t blame you,” meowed Graystripe. “If Tigerclaw ever found out about Silverstream…” He shuddered.

Fireheart pressed closer to his side, comforting him, while his ears still strained to catch what Tigerclaw was saying. He thought he heard his own name, and was tempted to creep a little closer, but just then he caught Longtail’s eye.

“What are you staring at, kittypet?” hissed the tabby warrior. “ThunderClan only wants loyal cats.” Deliberately he turned his back on Fireheart.

Fireheart sprang to his paws at once. “And who gave you the right to question our loyalty?” he spat.

Longtail ignored him.

“That does it!” Fireheart mewed in a fierce undertone to Graystripe. “It’s obvious that Tigerclaw is spreading rumors about me.”

“But what can you do?” Graystripe sounded resigned to the deputy’s hostility.

“I want to talk to Ravenpaw again,” Fireheart meowed. “He might remember something else about the battle, something I could use to convince Bluestar.”

“But Ravenpaw lives at the Twoleg farm now. You’d have to go all the way across WindClan territory. How would you explain being out of the camp for so long? It would only make Tigerclaw’s lies seem like the truth.”

Fireheart knew he was willing to take that risk. He had never asked Ravenpaw for any details about how Redtail had died in the battle against RiverClan all those moons ago. At the time it had seemed more important to get the apprentice out of Tigerclaw’s way.

Now he knew that he had to find out exactly what Ravenpaw saw. Because he was becoming more and more certain that his friend must know something that could prove just how dangerous Tigerclaw was to the Clan.

“I’ll go tonight,” Fireheart mewed softly. “After the Gathering, I’m going to slip away. If I bring back fresh-kill, I can say I’ve been hunting.”

“You’re taking a big risk,” mewed Graystripe, giving Fireheart’s ear a quick and affectionate lick. “But Tigerclaw is my problem too. If you’re determined to go, then I’m coming with you.”

The snow had stopped and the clouds had cleared away by the time the ThunderClan cats, Fireheart and Graystripe among them, left the camp and headed through the forest toward Fourtrees. The snow-covered ground seemed to glow in the white light of the full moon, and frost glittered on every twig and stone.

A breeze blew toward them, ruffling the surface of the snow and bearing the scent of many cats. Fireheart shivered with excitement. The territories of all four Clans met in the sacred hollow, and at every full moon a truce was declared for the Clans to gather beneath the four great oaks that stood in the center of the steep-sided clearing.

Fireheart fell in behind Bluestar, who had already dropped into a crouch to creep the last few tail-lengths to the top of the slope and peer down into the glade. A rock reared up in the center of the clearing between the oaks, its jagged outline black against the snow. As Fireheart waited for Bluestar’s signal to move, he watched the other Clan cats greeting one another below. He could not help noticing the glares and raised hackles as WindClan faced the cats of RiverClan and ShadowClan. Clearly none of them had forgotten the recent battle; if it weren’t for the truce, they would be clawing one another’s fur.

Fireheart recognized Tallstar, the leader of WindClan, sitting near the Great Rock, with his deputy, Deadfoot, beside him. Not far away, Runningnose and Mudfur, the medicine cats of ShadowClan and RiverClan, sat side by side, gazing at the other cats with eyes that reflected the moon.

Beside Fireheart, Graystripe’s muscles were tense, and his yellow eyes glowed with excitement as he stared down into the glade. Following his gaze, Fireheart saw Silverstream emerge from the shadow, her beautiful black-and-silver coat rippling in the moonlight.

Fireheart suppressed a sigh. “If you’re going to talk to her, be careful who sees you,” he warned his friend.

“Don’t worry,” Graystripe meowed. His front paws kneaded the hard ground as he waited for the moment when he could be with the RiverClan cat again.