Tigerheart’s Shadow

“Am I doing it right?” Blaze looked eagerly at Dovewing as he wrapped himself around Ant’s forepaw and began churning his leg with his hind paws.

“You’re doing great!” Dovewing purred.

Spire landed on the ledge beside Tigerheart, and Blaze’s gaze flashed toward them.

“You’re back!” He released Ant’s leg and rushed to meet Spire as the black tom jumped down from the ledge. “Did you go to watch the Twolegs yowling?”

Spire had been right. The cavern throbbed with the noise above. Tigerheart caught Dovewing’s eye and blinked at her affectionately. He followed Spire down from the ledge and crossed the floor to meet her. “The noise is really something.”

Ant, sitting where Blaze had left him, lifted his head. “The first time I heard it, I thought dogs were howling upstairs.”

“It does sound like that,” Dovewing mewed. “Isn’t it strange?”

Tigerheart’s fur brushed hers as he sat down beside her. “Twolegs are weird.”

“Where did you go?” she asked him softly.

Before he could answer, Ant stretched. “Thanks for the fighting tips. I’m going to hunt.” He nodded to Tigerheart. “Do you want to come?”

“Maybe later,” Tigerheart told him. He wanted to speak with Dovewing first. Spire’s dream had shaken him.

Ant flicked his tail. “Okay.”

As the brown-and-black tom headed toward the cavern entrance, Tigerheart leaned closer to Dovewing. “I followed Spire,” he told her. “He told me he’d had a dream.”

Dovewing shifted her paws as though easing her swollen belly into a more comfortable position. “Fierce says he dreams all the time.”

“I know,” Tigerheart mewed, frowning. “He said that sometimes he even dreams when he’s awake.” Worry was tugging in his belly. “The way he talked about it, it seemed a lot like a dream Puddleshine might have.”

“How?” Dovewing blinked at him, concern glittering in her green eyes.

“He dreamed about a shadow and a falling tree. The tree cut through the shadow, and he could see light beyond.”

Dovewing flicked her tail impatiently. “I suppose you think that has something to do with ShadowClan.”

“Perhaps it does.”

“Why? Spire’s not a medicine cat. And these cats all live so far away from the Clans, they had no idea we even existed. Why would StarClan speak to him?”

“Perhaps because they want to reach me here.”

Dovewing rolled her eyes. “Because you’re so important to ShadowClan.”

Anger sparked in Tigerheart’s pelt. “I am important to ShadowClan. I’m their deputy, remember?”

“You were their deputy,” she reminded him. “But you gave all that up to be here with me.”

Not forever. He searched Dovewing’s gaze. Did she really think they would never go home?

She blinked back at him, doubt furrowing her brow. “You did give it up, didn’t you?”

Guilt jabbed Tigerheart’s belly. “I wanted to find you…”

Her green eyes blazed angrily. “So you could bring me back?”

“No!” he yelped. “Well, yes… I don’t know, exactly! I just knew that I wanted to be with you.” His head drooped as he kneaded the ground in confusion.

“You can be with me here.”

Tigerheart felt like a huge paw was pushing down on his head. He couldn’t bear to look up at her, because he feared what he would see in her eyes. Disappointment? Betrayal?

“Tigerheart?” She was searching his gaze now, fear sparking in her eyes. “You gave up ShadowClan to be here with me, right?”

Grief swept through him like a storm tearing through forest. “I… I guess I didn’t know it might be forever,” he meowed helplessly.

“And now because some cat has a dream,” she hissed, “you want to go back? I seem to remember it was not so long ago that you weren’t taking dreams quite so seriously.”

Tigerheart felt a pang of guilt, but stood up straight and looked at her. “Do you really believe we can stay away from our Clans forever? Can you really raise our kits here? They’ll never know what it’s like to have Clanmates, or to have a mentor, or to be willing to fight for their territory.” He stared at her. “You want to raise our kits as strays?”

Pain flashed suddenly across Dovewing’s face.

Tigerheart’s breath caught in his throat. “I’m sorry,” he yowled, pressing himself against her. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh…”

Dovewing gasped and staggered. “It’s not that, you mouse-brain!”

Panic flashed in her eyes. She shot him a desperate look as she dropped into a crouch. Heart pounding in his ears, he scanned the den for a healer.

Fierce was already crossing the floor toward them. She flicked her tail toward Spire. “Dovewing needs help.”

Spire hurried to join her.

“What’s wrong with her?” Tigerheart wailed as they reached him.

Dovewing panted beside him. “The kits are coming.”

Terrified, Tigerheart turned to Spire. “Is it time?”

Spire blinked at him calmly. “I think that your kits have decided it is.”

Chapter 18

Fierce guided Tigerheart away as Spire helped Dovewing to her nest.

“She needs me.” Tigerheart looked at her, contorted with pain as she slumped among the furless pelts.