Night Whispers

Dovepaw reached out with her senses, up the WindClan slopes where the heather creaked under the layers of snow. The warriors waiting at the top made no sound, only watched. Unease began to prick Dovepaw’s belly. She stretched her senses farther, back to ShadowClan territory.

“It could be a trap.” Crowfrost’s mew was sharp with worry.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t go.”

Blackstar cleared his throat. “We must not show fear,” he meowed. “They won’t attack under the full-moon truce.”

“Can you be sure?” Snowbird demanded.

“It’s a Gathering!” Tawnypelt declared. “They wouldn’t dare!”

Who are they frightened of? Had StarClan warned them about the Dark Forest warriors? Dovepaw turned her ears toward RiverClan.

“Are you coming?” Mothwing was calling across the camp.

Willowshine’s reply was firm. “I’m staying here.”

“Will they obey the truce?” Reedwhisker muttered.

Mosspelt’s paws pattered over the snow. “Perhaps we should hide the kits and elders until they’ve left the island.”

Fear was darkening every Clan like clouds across the moon.

Dovepaw could hear RiverClan warriors pacing the clearing when ThunderClan reached the island. She nosed her way past Blossomfall and Rosepetal and crouched on the shore beside Jayfeather and Lionblaze. “They know!” she whispered.

Lionblaze blinked at her. “Who knows?”

“The other Clans! They know about the Dark Forest.”

“You’re imagining it.” Jayfeather’s eyes glinted in the moonlight. “Only we know about the Dark Forest.”

Dovepaw realized that she hadn’t actually heard any cat mention the Dark Forest. “Well, they’re scared of something,” she hissed.

“I know,” Jayfeather agreed. “I can sense it in the air. The medicine cats must have told their Clanmates about StarClan’s warning.”

“Perhaps we should tell our Clanmates,” Dovepaw suggested.

“And scare them to death?” Lionblaze dug his claws into the snow. “We can deal with whatever’s coming by ourselves.”

“Look!” Foxleap called from the edge of the water. “It’s solid all the way to the island!” The young warrior was already slithering across the frozen lake.

Dovepaw padded to the edge and put out a tentative paw. The ice burned, but as her pad grew numb, she tried another paw, and another, until she was standing on the hard white surface.

“Come back!” Sorreltail called. “It might break!”

“Don’t worry,” Foxleap yowled. “It’s shallow here.” With unsteady paws he wobbled farther out, picking up speed and falling into a clumsy skid. “Whoa!” He slithered to a halt, purring. “Try it, Blossomfall! It’s fun.”

Blossomfall hurtled after him, yowling with surprise and pleasure as she glided over the ice. Dovepaw’s heart lurched as her paws slid underneath her. Tensing to stay upright, she picked her way across. Every muscle felt stiff with fear, but it was still thrilling to be walking across the lake. She could see the dark shadow of water lapping beneath the moon-white surface. With every paw step, the ice groaned and creaked.

“Come on!” Firestar’s sharp order sounded from the island shore. “Get off there.”

Dovepaw’s claws scraped the ice as she fought to grip it, and she slithered ungraciously onto the snowy shore, relieved to feel solid earth beneath her.

Brambleclaw and Dustpelt were already pushing through the bracken toward the clearing in the pine trees. Dovepaw slipped through the crackling fronds, lost for a moment as her Clanmates disappeared around her. She followed the sound of their fur brushing stems until she slid out onto the edge of the clearing. The RiverClan warriors froze, as though trapped in ice, while they watched ThunderClan arrive.

“What’s up with them?” Rosepetal whispered.

Firestar headed for the Great Oak and climbed onto one of the snow-laden roots. The RiverClan cats drew closer to one another like fish bunching into a shoal. Dovepaw eyed them warily and padded closer to Blossomfall.

“What’s spooking them?” Blossomfall hissed.

“Who knows?” Dovepaw stared at her paws.

The bracken behind her crunched, and she turned to see WindClan flooding into the clearing. She bristled, surprised that they were here already. She’d lost track of them while she’d played on the ice. They filed around ThunderClan, hardly making eye contact. Breezepelt’s gaze grazed Dovepaw’s but quickly jerked away.

Dustpelt was pacing. “I’ve never heard it so quiet.”

“Isn’t anyone going to share tongues?” Squirrelflight gazed around, puzzled.

The ShadowClan patrol came last, tense and round-eyed. Dovepaw spotted Tigerheart’s dark brown ear tips. He didn’t look around for her, but stayed in the knot of his Clanmates. Dovepaw felt a jab of frustration. How could things change so quickly? Each Clan was acting like it was at war with the others. Was it StarClan who had sown the seeds of mistrust, or the Dark Forest warriors?

“It’s so cold; we must be quick!” Mistystar called from the lowest branch of the Great Oak. Firestar sat a little farther along the branch, Onestar and Blackstar stiff as owls beyond him.