Night Whispers

Crowfeather’s eyes flashed with pain. “Maybe you did,” he growled. “But it wasn’t enough, was it?”

“Get away from her!” Nightcloud had crossed the ditch. She sank her claws into Crowfeather’s pelt and dragged him away from Leafpool.

Crowfeather turned on his mate, hissing. Breezepelt darted between them with a wail of protest. Lionblaze felt sick. He’s my brother. How can I fight my brother?

Breezepelt faced his father, tail bushed, lips drawn back. “Leave my mother alone.” The thrush had been forgotten. This was about a different kind of blood now, the sort that flowed in a cat’s veins, binding him to another.

Lionblaze shook his head, making his ears flap. These cats aren’t my kin. A few paces away, Leafpool heaved herself to her paws. Lionblaze glared at her. It’s her fault. She made this mess. Yet her eyes were shot with grief, and he suddenly felt her pain as though it were his own. She has suffered more than any of us.

Crowfeather, growling, turned away from Breezepelt and jumped the ditch back onto WindClan territory. “Come on,” he snarled. “If ThunderClan is going to starve without that puny bird, let them have it.” Breezepelt slunk after him, leaving a thin trail of blood in the snow.

Lionblaze fluffed out his fur. He hadn’t felt a scratch. Should he stop fighting Clan cats? It’s cheating. Dovepaw’s words echoed in his mind. Perhaps he should save his powers for the Dark Forest warriors.

Nightcloud leaped the ditch, then paused and turned back. “Next time we’ll shred you!” she spat.

Dovepaw darted forward. “Breezepelt started it!”

“Hush.” Cinderheart guided her away from the border, murmuring to Lionblaze as she passed, “Perhaps you shouldn’t have fought him.”

Dovepaw’s ears pricked. “Why not?”

Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. “Have you caught anything yet?” he asked his apprentice pointedly.

Dovepaw flicked her tail. “Not yet.”

“Then start hunting.” Lionblaze watched Dovepaw stamp away, then turned to Leafpool. “You should go back to the camp and get Jayfeather to look at your wounds,” he ordered. Leafpool dragged her gaze from the border and nodded.

Lionblaze waited till the two cats had disappeared past the brambles. “Why are you worried about a WindClan cat?” he hissed to Cinderheart.

“You could’ve really hurt him!”

Do you think I don’t know that? “I know what I’m doing!” he growled. “Stop treating me like a two-headed fox!”

Cinderheart stared at her paws. “Well, excuse me for not knowing how to handle this,” she muttered. “You’re the one who changed everything.”

Lionblaze stared at her. Tiredness swamped him like a black wave. “No,” he sighed. “This was all decided long before I was born.” He turned away. “Let’s hunt and go home. The Clan is hungry.”

Lionblaze stood back while Graystripe circled the fresh-kill pile, licking his lips. They’d brought back two rabbits, the thrush, and a grouse.

“We should hunt on the WindClan border more often,” the gray warrior purred.

Berrynose’s mouth fell open. “It looks like a pile again!”

Lionblaze stared across the clearing. The good day’s hunting hadn’t eased the pain in his heart. Cinderheart hadn’t even looked at him since they’d talked, and Leafpool had hardly spoken to anyone. He watched Sandstorm coughing. The ginger she-cat was crouched beside the halfrock with Firestar. Brightheart was with them. “She should see Jayfeather,” she meowed.

“Really, it’s just snowflakes,” Sandstorm insisted.

Brightheart circled her. “We’re all breathing in snowflakes,” she fretted. “You’re the only one coughing.”

Firestar sniffed her. “Perhaps Jayfeather should check you out.”

Brightheart nodded. “It sounds like whitecough.” Firestar flashed the one-eyed warrior a sharp look. Brightheart twitched her tail. “If it is whitecough, we need to know.”

Firestar leaned forward. “Keep your voice down!” Clearly he didn’t want the Clan worried.

“I’m going to fetch Jayfeather,” Brightheart decided. She hurried away to the medicine den.

“Well done, Lionblaze.” Brambleclaw sniffed the fresh-kill pile. “Poppyfrost should eat first, and the kits.”

“Briarlight will need some too,” Millie added.

Lionblaze rolled a rabbit distractedly with his paw. “There’ll be enough for everyone.”

Jayfeather was following Brightheart from his den. He stopped beside Sandstorm and leaned over her.

Lionblaze broke away from his Clanmates. “Is it whitecough?” he asked softly as he neared his brother.

“Shhh!” Jayfeather pressed his ear closer to Sandstorm’s flank. His tail quivered. “She’ll need rest.” He straightened. “And keep her warm.”

Brightheart shifted her paws. “So it is whitecough.”

“It may be.” Jayfeather touched Sandstorm’s ear with a pad. “I’ll see if there’s any feverfew left.”

Lionblaze sat down. It was early in leaf-bare for whitecough. What if it spread? A flash of tabby pelt caught his eye. Leafpool was hurrying toward her mother.