The Forgotten Warrior

He could hear Briarlight moving around in her nest, and picked up a stifled gasp of pain. “Are you okay?” he asked sharply.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Briarlight replied. “I’m just a little stiff.”

Jayfeather heaved himself out of his nest and padded over to her. Since I’m awake, I might as well do something useful, he decided, settling down beside Briarlight and starting to massage her wasted muscles.

“Thanks, Jayfeather.” Briarlight let out a long sigh. “That feels better.” A moment later, she added, “Do you think Ivypool and Dovewing will be okay?”

“I’m sure they will,” Jayfeather meowed, crushing down his own misgivings. “They’ve probably just gone out for a night hunt.”

Soon Briarlight drifted back into sleep, soothed by Jayfeather’s reassurance and the rhythmic rubbing from his paws. But Jayfeather was fully awake. He rose, arched his back in a long stretch, then made his way out into the clearing again.

Firestar was sitting in the center of the camp, while Daisy paced beside the thorn barrier. Jayfeather could sense her anxiety, as sharp as if two of her own kits were missing. Locating Mousefur outside her den, Jayfeather crossed the camp to her side. “You should be in your nest,” he meowed. “I’m sure there’s no need to worry about Ivypool and Dovewing.”

“I’m fine where I am,” Mousefur snapped back at him. “I can sit and look at the stars if I want.”

“Of course you can,” Jayfeather responded, making his voice more gentle. I wonder if she’s looking for Longtail.

Padding off again, he drew closer to the nursery, and picked up a murmur from Sorreltail. “That’s right, kits. Have a good feed. Grow big and strong.”

The tortoiseshell she-cat still sounded tired, but not with the dragging exhaustion she had felt just after she gave birth. She was recovering well, Jayfeather thought with satisfaction, and her kits were growing stronger. She and Brackenfur had named them: Lilykit and Seedkit.

They’ll all be fine. Jayfeather was warmed by the thought of more kits in the Clan. They meant hope and new life, a faith that the Clan would go on in spite of everything that the Dark Forest was planning. His ears pricked at the sound of a rustle from the thorns. He recognized the scents of Whitewing and Birchfall; their sense of defeat washed over him like a muddy wave.

“There’s no sign of Dovewing and Ivypool by the lake,” Whitewing reported to Firestar. Her voice was taut with worry for her kits.

Foxleap and Icecloud followed their Clanmates in a moment later. “There’s no trace of them between here and WindClan,” Foxleap announced.

“We thought we picked up a scent trail early on,” Icecloud added. “But it faded out, and we couldn’t find it again.”

Jayfeather’s anxiety was rising now, and he padded closer to Firestar. Other cats were emerging into the clearing from their dens: Cloudtail and Brightheart talking quietly to each other; Dustpelt sliding his claws in and out as he stalked around the clearing; Ferncloud popping her head outside the nursery to listen to the news, then disappearing back inside. Leafpool and Squirrelflight slid quietly out of the warriors’ den and sat close together; Cinderheart joined them after a few heartbeats.

More movement from the barrier alerted Jayfeather. This time Brambleclaw and Sandstorm were reporting back, and he could sense their failure before either of them spoke.

“They’re not between here and ShadowClan,” Brambleclaw told Firestar.

“That just leaves Lionblaze and the abandoned Twoleg nest,” Firestar meowed. His voice was heavy with concern. “If they don’t find them—”

He broke off as more cats emerged from the tunnel. Lionblaze was in the lead.

“I found them,” he announced.

Jayfeather tensed at the sound of his brother’s voice. Lionblaze wasn’t pleased or relieved; instead he sounded strained. Something’s wrong.

“Are Dovewing and Ivypool okay?” he called out.

“We’re fine,” Dovewing replied, pushing through the thorns after Lionblaze.

Ivypool followed her, and Whitewing bounded across the clearing to meet them.

“Where have you been?” she demanded, her furious words broken up with purrs of joy as she pressed herself against her daughters. “We’ve been frantic!”

Jayfeather could sense the young she-cats’ embarrassment.

“What’s the big deal?” Ivypool muttered. “We only went for a walk.”

Firestar rose to his paws and padded over to them. “You’re safe, and that’s the most important thing,” he meowed. His voice grew stern as he went on. “Tomorrow we’ll have a talk about letting your Clanmates know where you are at all times, especially when we’re being threatened by our neighbors.”

“Okay,” Dovewing responded in a small voice.

“We’re sorry,” Ivypool mewed.

The she-cats were heading for their den when Lionblaze spoke again. “Wait.” His voice was still strained. “That’s not all I found.”