Tigerheart’s Shadow

“These cats aren’t rogues,” Dovewing reminded him. “We have seen them fight to protect their denmates, and scavenge for others. They take care of their sick like Clan cats.” She looked at Tigerheart defiantly. “If ShadowClan won’t take them in, then ThunderClan will.”

He saw a flash of pride in her green gaze. Unease prickled beneath his pelt. Here, among the guardian cats, it had been easy to forget she was a ThunderClan cat. She was clearly still fiercely proud of her Clan and shared their values. Could she ever learn to live as a ShadowClan cat? He pushed the thought away. They were both warriors. That was enough for now. “Okay.” He turned to Cinnamon and Ant. “You can come.”

Cinnamon’s eyes shone.

Ant looked at Fierce. “We’re sorry to leave.”

“Others will come,” Fierce reassured him. “Ice-chill is here. Your nests won’t be wasted.”

“When are we leaving?” Blaze asked excitedly.

Tigerheart glanced through a clear stretch of wall. It was sunhigh and the weather was fine. The cold would be hard on the kits, but rain would be worse. “We leave now.”

Cinnamon hurried quickly toward Mittens and Rascal, touching them each on the cheek with her muzzle. Tigerheart pressed against Dovewing as they watched the guardian cats say good-bye to their denmates. Then Ant jumped toward the den entrance. Cinnamon, Spire, and Blaze followed and waited on the wooden ledge for Tigerheart, Dovewing, and the kits.

Pouncekit rushed ahead, leaping nimbly onto the ledge. Lightkit jumped after her and turned as Shadowkit leaped up. His forepaws reached the ledge and clung on, his hind legs dangling. Tigerheart felt Dovewing stiffen beside him. He guessed what she was thinking. If Shadowkit couldn’t make such an easy jump, how would he manage the long journey to the lake? Then Lightkit ducked down and nipped Shadowkit’s scruff between her teeth. Pouncekit reached a paw under his tail and helped heave him up. Hope flickered in Tigerheart’s belly. That’s how. We’ll take care of one another.

Blaze glanced down at him. “How do we get out of the city?”

Tigerheart returned the young tom’s gaze. He’d thought about this night after night. There was only one way he could be sure that they’d find their way home. “We head for the station. We have to find the Silverpath that led me here.”

Chapter 28

Cinnamon helped Tigerheart retrace the path he’d followed from the station, on his way here, a few moons ago. She’d lived in this part of the city before she joined the guardian cats, so she knew it very well. Tigerheart hadn’t walked this way since he’d first found the thorn den. But as soon as he followed her around the final corner, he recognized the tall, wide Thundersnake camp.

He glanced over his shoulder at Dovewing and the kits. The walk here had been slow. Crossing the Thunderpaths had been easier than he’d expected. They’d used the green Twoleg lights to find gaps in the traffic, and carried the kits over by their scruffs. But the bustling walkways had been harder to negotiate. Dovewing and Ant had flanked Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit; Blaze had walked behind with Spire as Tigerheart and Cinnamon led the way. Twolegs hardly ever seemed to look where they were walking, so steering the kits between their legs had proved tricky. In the end, Dovewing, Spire, and Ant had scooped them up, ducking into alleys whenever Twolegs seemed to take an interest in the strange patrol.

Crowds of Twolegs flocked at the entrance to the station. Monsters crawled outside, stopping to let out or pick up Twolegs. Tigerheart took the lead. He knew where he was going now. He skirted the thickest part of the crowd, heading toward the alley that led to the rot piles Dash had shown him.

Relief washed his pelt as he ducked clear of the thronging Twolegs and into the quiet of the deserted alley. He waited while Dovewing, Cinnamon, Ant, Blaze, and Spire caught up. “You can put the kits down now,” he told them. “There aren’t any Twolegs here.”

Dovewing placed Pouncekit on the stone path as Ant and Spire put Lightkit and Shadowkit down. Her gaze darted around warily as she gathered Shadowkit and Lightkit closer to Pouncekit with a swish of her tail. “Where now?” she asked Tigerheart.

“We need to get inside.” Tigerheart nodded down the alley. “There’s an entrance along here.”

He knew Dovewing hadn’t been here before. She’d found her own way into the city, avoiding the long tunnel that had swallowed the Thundersnake at its outskirts. Instead she’d padded along countless streets, wandering for days before she’d found the thorn den. What would she think when she saw inside the Thundersnake nest? Tigerheart shuddered, remembering the terrifying Thundersnakes, each with its own Silverpath. They needed to find the right one. If they chose the wrong track, only StarClan knew where it might lead.