Night Whispers

Dovepaw’s heart seemed to stop. How could she explain why Ivypaw had been taken? She might give away her meetings with Tigerheart. How could Lionblaze or Jayfeather trust her again? Would her Clanmates ever forgive her? She pricked her ears, searching for Ivypaw, until she heard voices from the ShadowClan camp.

A kit was squeaking excitedly. “Who’s that?”

“Just a ThunderClan ’paw, dear,” a queen soothed. “Go back to your nest. It’s late.”

Dovepaw listened harder.

“Blackstar will see you in the morning.” That was Smokefoot! He must be talking to Ivypaw. “Stay here until you are fetched.”

“There’s some moss in the corner.” She heard Tigerheart’s whisper. “You can make a nest out of it. You won’t be disturbed. Just keep quiet and don’t try to escape.”

The tightness in Dovepaw’s chest eased. They were treating Ivypaw well. There would be no need for a rescue party, surely? Dovepaw padded home and crept through the dirtplace tunnel. Treading lightly, she slipped past the ferns into her den. As she curled into soft moss, she was painfully aware of Ivypaw’s cold, empty nest. Thoughts spinning, heart pounding, she closed her eyes.

The sounds of the camp woke her. Brambleclaw was organizing the hunting patrols below Highledge. Sandstorm was coughing. Poppyfrost was in the medicine den begging Jayfeather for a little tansy for Cherrykit. Ruffled and anxious, Dovepaw climbed out of her nest. She listened hard to locate the ShadowClan camp and finally heard a gruff ShadowClan warrior. “Blackstar will see you later.” A small thud made Dovepaw jump. “Eat this.” He must have thrown her some prey.

“Thank you.” Ivypaw didn’t sound frightened.

Dovepaw lifted her chin. She knew what she had to do now. “Ivypaw?” she called. She waited a few moments, then hopped out of the den.

“Ivypaw?”

Graystripe, Berrynose, Millie, and Whitewing were sitting with Icecloud and Foxleap beneath Highledge. Brambleclaw paced in front of them.

Dovepaw took a deep breath and called to them. “Has Ivypaw already left on patrol?”

Graystripe turned and glanced, puzzled, at Dovepaw. “Do you need her for something?”

Dovepaw shrugged as casually as she could. “She wasn’t in her nest when I woke up.”

Whitewing got to her paws. “I haven’t seen her.” Concern edged her mew. “Birchfall?” She called to her mate.

Birchfall paused from digging in the snow. He was unearthing a prey store. “What’s up?”

“Have you seen Ivypaw?” Whitewing asked.

Birchfall looked at Dovepaw. “Isn’t she in her nest?”

Dovepaw shook her head. “She was gone when I woke up.”

Whitewing pushed her way into the apprentices’ den, popping out a moment later. “Her nest is cold. She hasn’t been in it all night.”

Birchfall’s fur spiked. “Brambleclaw?”

The Clan deputy looked up. “Is everything okay?”

“Ivypaw hasn’t slept in her nest,” Birchfall told him.

Brambleclaw glanced around the gathered warriors. “Has anyone seen her?”

“Not since last night,” Berrynose answered.

“I shared a mouse with her at sundown,” Sorreltail told him.

Cinderheart came hurrying from the dirtplace tunnel. “Did someone say Ivypaw’s missing?”

Whitewing paced at the edge of the clearing. “Her nest hasn’t been slept in.”

“It’s too cold to be out of camp for long.,” Brambleclaw meowed.

“What if she’s hurt?” Whitewing gasped.

Birchfall brushed his tail along her ruffled spine. “We don’t know that.”

“We’ll have to start searching for her,” Brambleclaw decided. He nodded to Berrynose and Graystripe. “Take a patrol each and search the forest.”

Dovepaw’s heart began to race. They mustn’t waste hunting patrols! Her thoughts whirled. She couldn’t blurt out that Ivypaw was in ShadowClan’s camp. They’d wonder how she knew.

Jayfeather! He’d understand.

Glancing furtively at her Clanmates, Dovepaw headed for the medicine den. “Jayfeather!”

“Shhh!” The medicine cat was soaking leaves in the pool. “Sandstorm’s sleeping!”

Briarlight propped herself up on the edge of her nest. “What’s wrong?”

“Ivypaw’s missing,” Dovepaw mewed. She stared at Jayfeather, willing him to hear the urgency in her mew. She had to speak to him in private.

Carefully he rolled the soaked leaf into a dripping bundle and laid it beside the pool. “Come with me,” he told Dovepaw, and padded past her. Briarlight’s eyes were sharp with curiosity as Dovepaw followed Jayfeather out of the den.

Toadstep and Icecloud were clambering over the beech. Toadstep peered down the gap between the branches and the cliff wall. “Ivypaw?”

Rosepetal was checking behind the nursery. “No sign of her here.”

“I’m guessing she’s not in camp,” Jayfeather muttered.

“I know where she is!” Dovepaw could hardly keep the words in. “I can hear her. She’s in ShadowClan’s camp!”

“What’s she doing there?” Jayfeather demanded.

“I… I don’t know. I can just hear her. I think they’re holding her captive. They told her to stay where she was and gave her some food and said that Blackstar would see her later.”