Night Whispers

Ivypaw forced herself not to start shaking. “I… I was looking for Hawkfrost.”

“He’s busy.” Mapleshade moved closer. “He wanted me to train you tonight.”

Ivypaw swallowed. “Really?”

“Let’s try out those river moves you learned last time.” Heart sinking, Ivypaw gazed at the river.

“Show me what you learned,” Mapleshade ordered before she turned and waded out into the water.

Ivypaw forced herself to follow. The water oozed around her paws and dragged at her pelt.

“Am I deep enough yet?” Mapleshade asked. The water was lapping the warrior’s shoulders. Ivypaw had to follow on tiptoes to keep her nose above the water. “Now what happens?” Mapleshade prompted. “Come on, you must remember your lesson.”

“I have to knock your legs from under you.”

“Go ahead then, dear.”

Get it over with quickly. Ivypaw took a breath and ducked under, gagging as the warm, slimy water washed her muzzle. She swam down toward Mapleshade’s paws and reached out to grab them. A heavy weight hit her back and pushed her deep into the water, till her chest bumped onto the riverbed. Ivypaw struggled as the blood roared in her ears. Mapleshade had her pinned down. The great she-cat’s claws pierced Ivypaw’s pelt, pressing her harder against the stones.

Ivypaw writhed on the bottom of the river, bubbles escaping her mouth. Mapleshade was pushing the air from her chest. She fought wildly, kicking out with her legs, hoping to knock Mapleshade away. Ivypaw’s lungs screamed. Blackness edged her vision. She fought the urge to suck in water.

Then her flailing hind legs struck a rock. It budged, barely the width of a whisker. Ivypaw flailed again, harder. The stone shifted, then gained speed. Mapleshade’s paws shifted as the rock rolled away. With a mighty shove, Ivypaw pushed upward, wrenching herself free as the she-warrior lost her balance.

Desperate for air, Ivypaw forced herself to stay beneath the water. She struck out with her paws and began swimming underwater as far from Mapleshade as she could. As the riverbed sloped up, she followed the curve, emerging from the water on the far bank. She slithered onto the mud, gulping for air.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Mapleshade splashing around in the river, searching the riverbed with floundering paws. Low as an otter, Ivypaw crept up the bank and slunk between the trees. When she was sure the shadows hid her, she collapsed, panting, onto the ground and coughed up a lungful of black water. Exhausted, she closed her eyes.

“Ivypaw?”

Dovepaw!

She looked up, relief swamping her as she saw the edges of her nest and her sister’s face peering anxiously over its woven stems. Early dawn light was beginning to filter through the ferns.

“Are you okay?”

Ivypaw coughed again, her chest burning. “Yes,” she rasped. “I’m okay now.” She never wanted to go back to the Dark Forest, not ever. “How was the Gathering?”

“I need to ask you something.” Dovepaw was looking anxious. The Clan was beginning to stir outside the den.

“What?”

Dovepaw leaned closer as Ivypaw sat up. “Tell me about Tigerheart again.” Her ears twitched. “Is he really training in the Dark Forest?”

Ivypaw lowered her gaze. “Yes,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Dovepaw sighed. “I don’t think he ever loved me.”

Ivypaw jerked up her muzzle. “Don’t say that!”

Dovepaw shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

“I do!” Ivypaw leaped out of her nest and pressed against Dovepaw. “Tigerstar tricked him just like he tricked me!”

Dovepaw stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“It was all a lie—”

“Wait!” Dovepaw cut her off. “Lionblaze and Jayfeather need to hear this, too.”

Ivypaw stared at her sister. What was she talking about? What did they have to do with it?

“Just trust me.” Dovepaw nosed Ivypaw to her paws and jostled her out of the den.

Jayfeather was padding from the warriors’ den with a bundle of withered herbs in his jaws. He seemed to sense Dovepaw, because he turned his blind gaze on them and narrowed his eyes. Then he tucked the herbs under a stone by the den entrance and hurried over.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“We’re fine,” Dovepaw told him. “Where’s Lionblaze?”

“I’m here.” The golden warrior was bounding down the tumble of rocks from Highledge.

“We need to talk,” Dovepaw hissed. She headed for the entrance with Jayfeather and Lionblaze on her tail.

What’s going on? There seemed to be as many secrets here as there were in the Dark Forest.

Dovepaw led them up the steep slope outside the entrance, forged her way through the drifted snow, and hopped over a fallen tree. The ground behind was clear where the trunk had held back the drift. Dovepaw crouched against the rotting bark as Jayfeather and Lionblaze settled beside her. Ivypaw balanced on the trunk for a moment before jumping down next to them. They huddled together, cocooned from the bitter wind.

“Go on, Ivypaw,” Dovepaw prompted. “Tell them.”