Night Whispers

“Of course!” Dovepaw was already bounding out of the training hollow. She followed a narrow trail between two gorse bushes and headed up the slope to the top of the hollow.

Ivypaw was close on her tail. Dovepaw could feel her sister’s warm breath.

“Good thinking!” Ivypaw puffed. “I couldn’t stand another moment of Berrynose showing off.”

Dovepaw didn’t reply. She was rehearsing questions in her head. Why are you doing this? How could you be so stupid?

They reached the edge of the cliffs. Dovepaw pushed on, following the curve of the sheer stone walls, ignoring the sounds of camp life far below.

“Hey, Rosepetal!” Toadstep was calling to his littermate. “Do you want to come hunting with Mousewhisker and me?”

“Leafpool’s patrol just brought back a thrush.”

“Who knows how long this frost will last? It’s best to keep the fresh-kill pile full.”

Dovepaw felt a tug on her tail.

“Weren’t we going to hunt?” Ivypaw meowed crossly.

Dovepaw ignored her, and headed through the beech trees toward the WindClan border. She could hear a squirrel pattering along the ground nearby, but she kept going. She had no intention of stopping to hunt. She had to get Ivypaw somewhere far from the Clan and ask her if Jayfeather was right.

She was suddenly aware that Ivypaw had stopped following. Skidding to a halt on the slippery leaves, she turned back. Ivypaw had dropped into a hunting crouch and was stalking a mouse as it sat nibbling a beechnut between the roots of a tree. Ivypaw pulled herself forward, eyes locked on her prey.

How can you hunt like everything’s normal? Rage rose in Dovepaw’s throat until she couldn’t swallow it back anymore.

“Stop!” she yowled.

The mouse froze, then dropped its nut and darted away beneath the roots of the beech.

“Is it true?” Dovepaw marched toward her sister, pelt bristling, half with fear, half with anger.

Ivypaw blinked at her.

Dovepaw took a deep breath. “Have you been to the Dark Forest?”

“What?” Ivypaw stepped back.

“You heard me!” Dovepaw halted and glared at her sister. “Have you been to the Dark Forest?”

“Of course not!” Ivypaw was bristling now, her green eyes wide. “Why would you say something like that?”

“Jayfeather followed you in your dreams.” Dovepaw saw Ivypaw swallow.

“I—I…”

“So it’s true?” Dovepaw’s heart pounded.

Ivypaw’s blue eyes hardened. “So what if I did? It’s the only way I’m going to learn how to be a great warrior. Everyone’s trying so hard to make you the best warrior in ThunderClan; they hardly bother with me. I’m just Dovepaw’s dumb sister—”

Dovepaw couldn’t bear to listen. “How could you be so stupid? The Dark Forest cats are evil!”

“How would you know?” Ivypaw spat back. “You’ve never met one!”

Dovepaw stared at her. “Of course they’re evil. Why else would they be in the Dark Forest? Do you think StarClan sent Tigerstar there because he was good?”

“Have you ever met Tigerstar?”

“No! But I’ve heard nursery tales about him. So have you! He tried to destroy Firestar; he set BloodClan on him—”

“He’s different now!” Ivypaw thrust her muzzle in Dovepaw’s face. “His time in the Dark Forest has taught him the importance of loyalty.” Was that a challenge in her mew?

Dovepaw didn’t flinch. “You’re wrong,” she hissed. “He wants to destroy Firestar as much as he ever did. The only thing that matters to Tigerstar is power.”

Ivypaw curled her lip. “You haven’t spoken to him. I have! He told me everything. How he only became ShadowClan’s leader after Bluestar forced him out of ThunderClan. How he’s always stayed loyal to his birth Clan. Despite everything they’ve done to him!”

“Everything they’ve done to him?” Dovepaw couldn’t believe her ears.

“Who won the battle yesterday?”

“What’s the battle got to do with it?”

“It was Tigerstar’s idea! He’s the one who told me to persuade Firestar to fight ShadowClan. He warned me that ShadowClan was planning to steal our territory. And because of Tigerstar, we stole their territory instead. What’s that, if it’s not loyalty?”

“But Tigerstar is part of the Dark Forest! You can’t trust him! Don’t you see that the battle caused nothing but trouble?” Dovepaw spat. “Winning a worthless piece of land cost Firestar a life and killed Russetfur!”

Ivypaw narrowed her eyes. “Tigerstar is still loyal to ThunderClan. You’re just jealous. You’re jealous that it’s me he’s visiting and not you! You’re scared I might become a better warrior than you! That I might be the special one, and that Firestar might start taking notice of me instead of you!”

“Don’t be a mouse-brain! You’re my sister.” But Dovepaw found herself yowling at empty air. Ivypaw had turned and bounded into the bracken. Suddenly alone in the frozen forest, Dovepaw started shivering.

Her sister was training in the Dark Forest! How could StarClan have let this happen?

Chapter 5