The Forgotten Warrior

She and Toadstep gained on the squirrel as it raced across the open space. They swerved past the pelt-dens, their paws splashing briefly in the stream. Dovewing drew ahead; the squirrel was so close that she was bunching her muscles for a leap when the reek of ShadowClan scent brought her skidding to a halt.

Great StarClan! I nearly crossed the border.

The squirrel bounded ahead and disappeared up a nearby ash tree with a flick of its tail. Dovewing glanced around as she stood panting at the edge of her territory, but she couldn’t see Toadstep or the rest of the patrol.

“You stopped this time.”

Dovewing’s heart thumped in her chest at the sound of the voice. She spun around to see Tigerheart padding out from a thicket of brambles. He paced up to his own side of the border and dipped his head.

“I haven’t set paw on your territory!” Dovewing meowed defensively, her neck fur beginning to fluff up with anger. I wish the others would get here, she thought.

“Relax. I’m alone,” Tigerheart responded. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Actually, I was hoping to see you.”

Dovewing narrowed her eyes. “I told you, we can’t talk like this anymore. It’s… it’s over.”

Tigerheart blinked. “No, there’s something else.” He hesitated and added reluctantly, “It’s about Dawnpelt.”

Dovewing’s fur began to lie flat as curiosity overtook her nervousness.

“She’s been acting weird ever since Flametail’s death,” the tabby tom went on. “She… she thinks it was Jayfeather’s fault that he drowned.”

“That’s not true!” Dovewing hissed. “Jayfeather was trying to save him.”

Tigerheart sighed. “He probably was. But I guess it’s hard to know the truth, and Dawnpelt wants revenge.”

Dovewing stared at him, carried back in her mind to the terrible day when the young ShadowClan medicine cat, Tigerheart’s and Dawnpelt’s littermate, had fallen through the ice on the frozen lake and drowned.

“You know the medicine cats have been acting strange,” Tigerheart went on. “Not going to the Moonpool at the half-moon, that kind of thing. Dawnpelt thinks that Jayfeather had a quarrel with Flametail, and then murdered him when he fell through the ice.”

“That’s nonsense!” Dovewing’s claws tore at the grass in front of her. “Dawnpelt needs to grow up. Jayfeather would never do anything like that—he was devastated that he couldn’t save Flametail. I can’t believe you’d listen to that kind of rumor!”

“I’m not telling you because I think it’s true.” Tigerheart’s voice rose. “I’m trying to warn you. I think Dawnpelt might do something to hurt ThunderClan in revenge.” His voice dropped and he shook his head. “She’s acting really weird.”

Dovewing couldn’t feel sympathetic. “I think we can handle Dawnpelt losing her temper, thanks,” she snapped. “Please don’t talk to me again. We’ll both be in trouble if we get caught.” She turned, poised to run into the woods on the other side of the clearing.

“I was just trying to help.” There was anger and sorrow in Tigerheart’s voice. “I want to prove to you that we don’t have to be enemies.”

“It’s too late for that,” Dovewing mewed.

Without looking at Tigerheart again she headed for the trees. Before she reached them, the squirrel shot past her, and Dovewing let out a hiss of irritation. I know Tigerheart chased it back onto our territory. Doesn’t he think I can hunt on my own?

But at the same time her paws carried her swiftly after her prey, and she killed it with a neat blow to the spine. Picking it up, she plunged into the shelter of the trees, spotting Mousewhisker and the rest of the patrol a few tail-lengths away.

“Great catch!” Toadstep exclaimed as she bounded up to them.

“Yeah, you’re really fast on your paws,” Mousewhisker added, while Icecloud gave the fresh-kill an admiring sniff.

As the patrol headed back toward the camp, Dovewing cast a final glance back across the clearing. Tigerheart had vanished. Is what he told me true? she wondered. Is Dawnpelt planning revenge for a murder that never happened?

Chapter 4

Lionblaze padded through the thorn tunnel into the camp and stood flexing his aching muscles. “That was a great training session,” he meowed to Blossomfall as she emerged behind him. “You certainly caught me with that backward leap and twist.”

“Yeah, will you show me how to do it?” Foxleap asked as he followed Blossomfall.

The young she-cat’s eyes glowed at her Clanmates’ praise and she gave her chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks. “It’s not that hard,” she murmured. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, Lionblaze.”

“I’ll be fine.” Lionblaze gave her a friendly flick over her ear with the tip of his tail. “I should have been a bit quicker.”