Night Whispers

“Finish organizing the extra hunting patrols. I want the fresh-kill pile full by sundown. Rowanclaw, come with me.”

Eager eyes turned to Crowfrost as Blackstar withdrew to his den. Rowanclaw padded after his leader, and Littlecloud followed. Flametail waited as they disappeared into the shadows, then pushed his way in after them.

Blackstar’s gaze burned through the dimness, fixing on Flametail as he entered. “You dreamed at the Moonpool?”

Flametail nodded. “A time of war is coming. StarClan is divided into the four Clans we know here. We must break all allegiances and look after ourselves.”

Blackstar looked puzzled. “But we have no allegiances.”

Flametail glanced at Littlecloud. “Medicine cats share a code that crosses boundaries,” he reminded his leader.

Littlecloud sniffed. “Are you sure that’s what your dream meant?”

Flametail felt the fur on his shoulders begin to prick. “Sagewhisker told me exactly what it meant.”

“We can’t simply turn our backs on the other medicine cats,” Littlecloud argued. “Not after countless moons of sharing trouble and help.”

Flametail curled his claws into the needle-strewn floor but held his tongue. Couldn’t Littlecloud hear him?

“I think,” Littlecloud went on, “that we should interpret this dream carefully. StarClan has warned us that trouble is coming, and we must be ready for it. But why must we destroy friendships that have seen us through the most difficult times? It is too soon to forget the Great Journey, or the role medicine cats have played in helping all four Clans to settle here.”

Blackstar narrowed his eyes. “I trust your judgment, Littlecloud.” He dipped his head to Flametail. “Thank you for traveling to the Moonpool and bringing back this warning. We are not so foolish as to sacrifice ourselves for another Clan, but nor are we so stubborn that we’ll ignore help if we need it.”

A coughing spasm gripped Littlecloud.

“Go and rest,” Blackstar ordered.

Littlecloud swallowed hard against his coughing and padded from the den.

“Thank you again, Flametail.” Blackstar flicked his tail, and Flametail knew he was being dismissed. Frustration crawled beneath his pelt as he headed out into the slanting sunshine.

“You should rest, too.”

Rowanclaw’s mew made him jump. Flametail turned to see his father staring at him. “You must be exhausted.” Rowanclaw narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Flametail snorted and looked away.

“You had something else to say, didn’t you?” Rowanclaw pressed.

“I know what I saw at the Moonpool,” Flametail growled. “I passed on the message I was given.” He saw the tip of his mentor’s tail disappear into the medicine den. “Littlecloud’s too attached to ThunderClan.”

“He’s been a medicine cat for longer than you,” Rowanclaw pointed out. “It’s not surprising he has friends in the other Clans.”

“It’s clouded his reason,” Flametail argued. “A time of war is coming. Didn’t any of you hear that? Raggedstar was clear about how we should deal with it. Why can’t Littlecloud and Blackstar see that no other Clan will help us if it comes to a struggle for survival?”

“Don’t underestimate Blackstar.” Rowanclaw’s eyes darkened. “He’s no fool.”

“But he wasn’t listening to me!” Flametail lashed his tail. “He was listening to Littlecloud, and Littlecloud is too close to his medicine-cat friends.”

“Don’t worry.” Rowanclaw ran his tail along Flametail’s spine. “ShadowClan has always stood alone.”

“The warriors, maybe.” Flametail ducked away from his father’s soothing tail. “But never the medicine cats. Something’s happening inside StarClan.” A surge of determination stiffened his weary muscles. “All the Clans will be affected. This time we cannot risk relying on anyone but ourselves.”

Chapter 11

Dovepaw shifted her paws. It was too cold to stand still. The ground was lightly dusted with snow. The sky had cleared, and stars sparkled over the forest. Chilled to the bone, Dovepaw paced the scent line again, keeping her ears pricked. Was Tigerheart coming? She reached through the trees, past the beeches, through the pines, stretching her senses to the ShadowClan camp.

“Move over, Pinepaw! You’re crushing my nest.”

“Have some juniper before you sleep, Littlecloud. Just to ease the wheezing.”

Other sounds crowded at the edge of her hearing. Dovepaw let her senses spread wider.

“Swallowtail!”

The wind whisking the moor nearly swept away the voices from the WindClan camp.

“Where’s Whitetail?”

“She’s sharing Onestar’s den tonight.”

Water lapped at the edge of the RiverClan camp.

“Willowshine?” Mothwing called to her apprentice. “Did you make sure Pouncetail’s bedding was fixed?”

A dog yapped crossly near the horseplace. It reminded Dovepaw of the fox, and she drew her senses closer, sweeping the forest nearby just in case the freezing air had fooled her nose again.