Night Whispers

The fox lay still, its flanks heaving, a soft whine in its throat. Lionblaze let go and backed off. Crouching, he stared at the fox through a haze of blood. The creature stirred and hauled itself to its paws. Gasping and whining, it headed for the hole. Lionblaze darted forward, snarling and blocking its way. The fox stared at him with wide, terrified eyes and veered past the elderberry bush. With a flick of its scarlet, blood-flecked tail, it headed into the bracken.

Dovepaw slid out from the holly bush, her pelt standing on end. Without speaking, she began to herd the fox onward. Slashing at it from either side, they drove it along the ShadowClan border, making sure it didn’t cross into ShadowClan territory, growling threateningly if it tried to break away into the heart of ThunderClan’s forest. Together they drove it away from the lake and up out of Clan land.

As the slope steepened and oak turned to ash around them, the fox scrambled ahead and vanished under a lump of brambles.

“That’s far enough.” Panting, Lionblaze sat down.

Dovepaw halted beside him and watched the leaves quiver where the fox had disappeared.

“It won’t come back.” Lionblaze’s legs started to shake. “Let’s get back to camp.”

Dovepaw eyed him warily. “Are you hurt?”

“Just tired.” The fight had crushed all the energy from him, and he found himself leaning on Dovepaw as they headed back. He hardly saw where they walked, letting Dovepaw lead. When the scent of the hollow began to touch his muzzle, he paused. The snow felt wonderfully cold against his stinging claws.

“Just let me get my breath back,” he meowed to Dovepaw.

Her eyes were dark. “Are you sure you’re not wounded? You’re covered in blood.”

As Lionblaze gazed down at his pelt, a shriek ripped the air. He stiffened and looked up to see Cinderheart staring at him. Her face was frozen, her eyes wild with horror. “Lionblaze?”

She dashed toward him, sniffing frantically. “What happened? Where are you hurt?” Then she turned and ran. “I’ll get help!” she screeched over her shoulder.

Lionblaze wanted to chase after her and reassure her that it wasn’t his blood, but his paws were still heavy and his mind thick with exhaustion. Blood dripped from his pelt, turning the snow below him crimson. Cinderheart was going to send panic through the Clan.

“We’d better hurry,” he grunted.

“Clean yourself up first,” Dovepaw advised.

Lionblaze lapped at his pelt, gagging at the slimy nettle tang of the fox’s blood.

“Roll yourself in the snow,” Dovepaw suggested.

Lionblaze lay down and wriggled as hard as he could in the cold wet snow. When he clambered to his paws, a wide patch of red stained the white forest floor.

Dovepaw plucked at the ground. “Let’s hope we get back before a rescue patrol arrives.”

Lionblaze felt his energy returning. The snow had refreshed him, and now his heart quickened as he imagined Cinderheart yowling through the camp that he’d been horribly injured.

They met the rescue patrol on the slope outside the hollow.

“Are you all right?” Firestar headed the patrol. Brambleclaw, Graystripe, and Birchfall paced around them, ears and tails twitching.

“What in the name of StarClan happened to you?” Graystripe sniffed warily at Lionblaze.

“We met the fox,” Lionblaze growled.

Birchfall flattened his ears. “Where?” He scanned the trees.

“We’ve chased it out of our territory,” Lionblaze reassured them. “It won’t come back.”

Graystripe guided Lionblaze toward the thorn barrier with his tail. “We’d better get you to the medicine den. Cinderheart’s already helping Jayfeather prepare herbs for you. She made it sound like you were on your last legs.”

Lionblaze’s whiskers twitched as he imagined Jayfeather muttering under his breath while Cinderheart insisted he unpack all his herbs for wounds that would prove to be nonexistent.

Firestar glanced at Dovepaw. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “Lionblaze did most of the fighting,” she mewed. “I just helped guide it off our land.”

“It didn’t stray onto ShadowClan’s territory?” Firestar’s tail twitched.

“No,” Lionblaze told him. “We drove it up toward the mountains.” Why was Firestar always so concerned about the other Clans? They should deal with their own problems.

Firestar narrowed his eyes. “We’d better check.” He turned to Brambleclaw. “Fetch a patrol and go and make sure the fox has definitely gone.”

Brambleclaw bounded back to camp.

“Come on.” Graystripe nudged Lionblaze gently toward the hollow. “Let’s get you home.”

As they entered camp, Lionblaze saw his Clanmates gathered around the clearing.

“Well done, Lionblaze!” Ferncloud called.

Mousefur shook her graying head. “They’ll be telling this story in the elders’ den long after I’ve left it.”

“How did you do it?” Sorreltail stared at Lionblaze in undisguised admiration.

“Are you hurt badly?” Daisy was frowning.

Graystripe prodded Lionblaze toward the medicine den. “Enough questions. Let Jayfeather check him over first.”