Tigerheart’s Shadow

Yelping with pain, the fox thrashed desperately as the guardian cats clung on. Fierce hissed at it and raked her claws across its muzzle.

Tigerheart still held his breath. The vixen must be close. Foxes rarely left each other’s side once they’d mated. He saw red fur near the Thunderpath leg. That must be where the den was. “She’s coming!” With a yowl, he charged forward, blocking the vixen’s path to its mate. As it crashed from the undergrowth, he faced it. Anger bristled through its pelt as it saw him. Instantly it tried to snatch at his ear, its jaws snapping shut a whisker away as he ducked clear. With relief, he saw Rascal and Mittens dart from their hiding places. Dotty leaped from hers, aiming for the second fox’s tail as they’d planned. As she sank her teeth into the thick brush, Rascal and Mittens copied Cinnamon and Ant’s tactic and leaped for the vixen’s flanks. Tigerheart faced its muzzle, triumph surging in his chest. It staggered under the weight of the others. He swiped his claws across its nose. Confusion and panic lit its eyes. Its mate had been dragged to the ground. Fierce, Ant, Cinnamon, and Pipsqueak clawed at it with such speed and ferocity, it could only flail its paws and snap. With a yelp, the vixen called to its mate. The dog fox scrabbled free of its attackers. Shrieking in terror, both fled through the scrub, their shredded tails bobbing behind them as they disappeared from the herb patch.

Fierce met Tigerheart’s gaze, her fur bushed with excitement. “We did it!”

Cinnamon, Ant, and Pipsqueak wove around each other happily while Rascal, Mittens, and Dotty congratulated one another.

“You moved so fast!” Dotty told Mittens.

“You got such a good grip on its tail, it didn’t know what to do!” Rascal praised her.

Tigerheart shook out his fur, a purr rippling through him as he let his eyes rove over all the guardian cats. None of them had been hurt, and the foxes had fled. They had won!

He glanced toward the wide stone leg where the foxes had been nesting. “Let’s block up their den in case they find the courage to come back.”

His paws ached by the time he slumped down beside Dovewing in the cavern. Late-afternoon sunshine filled the Twoleg space with rosy light. He’d spent the afternoon with the others, hauling rocks and earth to the foxes’ den and filling it so thoroughly that no fox would ever have the patience to unearth it.

Rascal and Mittens had left the patrol early to hunt, and they slid through the entrance now, mice dangling from their jaws. They jumped from the ledge and crossed the space, where the guardian cats had gathered to celebrate their victory. Dropping their catch in the middle, they nodded to Fierce, who was washing mud from her paws.

“We met Boots and Bracken while we were hunting,” Mittens told her. “They’re bringing more prey. There will be food for every cat.”

Fierce nodded to the tabby tom, her eyes shining. “Thank you.”

Mittens picked up two mice by their tails and carried them toward Tigerheart and Dovewing. He dropped them at their paws. “Thanks for your help today.”

“Thanks for yours.” Tigerheart pointed his muzzle toward a huge pile of herbs at the side of the cavern. “Spire and Peanut gathered a lot of leaves.”

Spire was lying next to Blaze nearby, his gaze clear and happy. “Once I’ve sorted and dried them, we’ll have enough herbs for a moon.”

Blaze snuggled closer to the skinny tom. “Will you teach me which herb is which?”

“Of course.” Spire lapped the kit’s head.

Pipsqueak and Dotty stretched happily in the sunshine pooling on the floor.

“I didn’t think we could actually do it,” Pipsqueak admitted.

Tigerheart blinked at him. “When cats work together, they can do anything.”

As he spoke, Boots and Bracken jumped down from the entrance. They were carrying prey as they’d promised and dropped it beside the rest.

Tigerheart rubbed his cheek against Dovewing’s as he watched the guardian cats settle beside one another to eat. “I’m glad we came here,” he murmured.

“Really?” She blinked at him, her eyes round.

“We’ve helped these cats. And everyone seems happy.” After the unease and mistrust that had permeated ShadowClan for so long, the simple worries and joys of the guardian cats seemed a relief.

Dovewing’s gaze softened. “So… are you starting to feel like you belong here?”

Tigerheart felt his spine stiffen. That wasn’t what he’d meant. “I guess,” he told her. “For now.”

Dovewing said nothing. She just leaned against him, and Tigerheart felt the contented purr as her ribs swelled to nudge his. “I’m so happy you like it here… ,” she murmured.

Tigerheart’s belly churned. Fighting beside the guardian cats had felt good, but he’d still assumed that, eventually, they’d return to the lake… even though, lately, his Clanmates seemed more interested in fighting one another than their enemies. After all, he and Dovewing were warriors. Surely they would raise their kits to be, too?