Chapter 10

Afternoon sunlight flashed through thinning clouds as Flametail slipped into the ShadowClan camp. He glanced guiltily around the clearing. He’d only planned to close his eyes for a moment beside the Moonpool, but he’d been so tired he’d woken to find the night gone and the bright air shimmering with snowflakes.

Ivytail was washing outside the nursery, and she looked up as Flametail crossed the snow-dusted clearing. He dipped his head and hurried past her in silence. He had to make his first report to his mentor and then to Blackstar.

As Flametail pushed through the prickly wall of the medicine den, he was relieved to see Littlecloud out of his nest and sorting through a pile of dried herbs. They were smoky with dust, and he coughed as he pawed through them.

“We’ll need fresh supplies before the frost withers everything,” Littlecloud meowed to Flametail without looking up.

“Perhaps you should take a little of the coltsfoot,” Flametail suggested. “It might ease that cough.”

“It’s just the dust.”

Flametail halted beside his mentor. “How are you feeling?” There was less heat flooding from his pelt, but his eyes still looked milky.

“Better,” Littlecloud insisted. “A good night’s sleep is all I needed. What happened at the Moonpool? You’ve been gone a long time.”

Flametail stared at his paws. “I fell asleep in the hollow.”

“It’s a hard journey to the Moonpool, and you were already exhausted.”

“But I should have come straight back after a vision like that!”

Littlecloud leaned forward. “What?”

“StarClan warned me that trouble is coming.”

Littlecloud frowned. “What sort of trouble?”

“They won’t say exactly, but it’s serious.” Flametail shivered. “There was fire in the hollow. It was everywhere. Raggedstar said war was coming.”

“War?” Littlecloud pricked his ears. “What else did he say?”

“That we must forget all of our allegiances and look after our Clan alone.”

“Forget all of our allegiances?” Littlecloud’s tail began to twitch.

“Even our allegiances with the other medicine cats.”

Littlecloud blinked. “That’s never happened before!”

Flametail willed Littlecloud to understand. “Even StarClan is divided now. We can’t trust anyone but ourselves and our own ancestors.”

Littlecloud hurried to the entrance. “We must tell Blackstar.”

Outside, Blackstar had joined Rowanclaw at the head of the clearing. Oakfur was bounding toward the camp entrance with Snowbird and Ratscar at his heels. Crowfrost and Scorchfur were awaiting orders, while Olivenose and Owlclaw paced impatiently around them.

Littlecloud caught Blackstar’s eye.

Blackstar nodded to him. “Crowfrost!”

The black-and-white tom straightened up. “Yes?”

“Finish organizing the extra hunting patrols. I want the fresh-kill pile full by sundown. Rowanclaw, come with me.”

Eager eyes turned to Crowfrost as Blackstar withdrew to his den. Rowanclaw padded after his leader, and Littlecloud followed. Flametail waited as they disappeared into the shadows, then pushed his way in after them.

Blackstar’s gaze burned through the dimness, fixing on Flametail as he entered. “You dreamed at the Moonpool?”

Flametail nodded. “A time of war is coming. StarClan is divided into the four Clans we know here. We must break all allegiances and look after ourselves.”

Blackstar looked puzzled. “But we have no allegiances.”

Flametail glanced at Littlecloud. “Medicine cats share a code that crosses boundaries,” he reminded his leader.

Littlecloud sniffed. “Are you sure that’s what your dream meant?”

Flametail felt the fur on his shoulders begin to prick. “Sagewhisker told me exactly what it meant.”

“We can’t simply turn our backs on the other medicine cats,” Littlecloud argued. “Not after countless moons of sharing trouble and help.”

Flametail curled his claws into the needle-strewn floor but held his tongue. Couldn’t Littlecloud hear him?

“I think,” Littlecloud went on, “that we should interpret this dream carefully. StarClan has warned us that trouble is coming, and we must be ready for it. But why must we destroy friendships that have seen us through the most difficult times? It is too soon to forget the Great Journey, or the role medicine cats have played in helping all four Clans to settle here.”

Blackstar narrowed his eyes. “I trust your judgment, Littlecloud.” He dipped his head to Flametail. “Thank you for traveling to the Moonpool and bringing back this warning. We are not so foolish as to sacrifice ourselves for another Clan, but nor are we so stubborn that we’ll ignore help if we need it.”

A coughing spasm gripped Littlecloud.

“Go and rest,” Blackstar ordered.

Littlecloud swallowed hard against his coughing and padded from the den.

“Thank you again, Flametail.” Blackstar flicked his tail, and Flametail knew he was being dismissed. Frustration crawled beneath his pelt as he headed out into the slanting sunshine.

“You should rest, too.”

Rowanclaw’s mew made him jump. Flametail turned to see his father staring at him. “You must be exhausted.” Rowanclaw narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Flametail snorted and looked away.

“You had something else to say, didn’t you?” Rowanclaw pressed.

“I know what I saw at the Moonpool,” Flametail growled. “I passed on the message I was given.” He saw the tip of his mentor’s tail disappear into the medicine den. “Littlecloud’s too attached to ThunderClan.”

“He’s been a medicine cat for longer than you,” Rowanclaw pointed out. “It’s not surprising he has friends in the other Clans.”

“It’s clouded his reason,” Flametail argued. “A time of war is coming. Didn’t any of you hear that? Raggedstar was clear about how we should deal with it. Why can’t Littlecloud and Blackstar see that no other Clan will help us if it comes to a struggle for survival?”

“Don’t underestimate Blackstar.” Rowanclaw’s eyes darkened. “He’s no fool.”

“But he wasn’t listening to me!” Flametail lashed his tail. “He was listening to Littlecloud, and Littlecloud is too close to his medicine-cat friends.”

“Don’t worry.” Rowanclaw ran his tail along Flametail’s spine. “ShadowClan has always stood alone.”

“The warriors, maybe.” Flametail ducked away from his father’s soothing tail. “But never the medicine cats. Something’s happening inside StarClan.” A surge of determination stiffened his weary muscles. “All the Clans will be affected. This time we cannot risk relying on anyone but ourselves.”

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