Chapter 16

Dovepaw barged out of the apprentices’ den after Whitewing and Bumblestripe. Let Cinderheart fuss over her! I found her a thorn. She can explain the rest.

But her rage quickly ebbed. She wasn’t angry. She was scared. Every night she went to sleep wondering what wounds Ivypaw would wake with. And what if Ivypaw started thinking like a Dark Forest warrior? She needed to talk to Jayfeather. He had to help. She headed for his den.

She stalked past the fresh-kill pile, where Purdy was turning over a muddy-looking mouse. “Do you think this will appeal to Mousefur?” he rasped.

Dovepaw paused. “What?”

“It doesn’t look like much.” Purdy dangled the scrawny mouse from a claw. “But it might tempt her.”

“Isn’t she hungry?” Dovepaw was surprised. Surely every cat in the Clan must be hungry?

Squirrelflight hurried over. “Does she have a fever?”

Purdy shook his head. “She just seems tired and sad.” His shoulders drooped. “I was hoping there would be something on the fresh-kill pile to cheer her up.”

“One of the hunting patrols should be back soon,” Squirrelflight meowed. “They might bring something.” She glanced at Dovepaw. “Isn’t Lionblaze taking you out?”

Dovepaw shrugged. “When he’s ready.” Besides, I have something else to do first. She glanced toward the medicine den, hoping Bumblestripe wouldn’t be hanging around there long.

Purdy let the mouse fall with a soft thud into the snow. “If I were a few seasons younger, I’d go out myself.” He stared dreamily up to the top of the hollow. “I was quite a hunter in my youth. I could catch rabbits.” He puffed out his chest. “And pheasants, although…” His whiskers twitched. “Pheasants aren’t that hard to catch. They prefer eating to flying.”

Dovepaw blinked, her attention snatched from Jayfeather. “You caught pheasants?” Purdy wasn’t small, but even he must have been outweighed by a pheasant.

“When I was younger, nothing was too big for me.” Sighing, the old cat headed away toward the elders’ den.

Dovepaw dipped her head to Squirrelflight and hurried to the medicine den.

Bumblestripe was pacing beside Briarlight’s nest. “You should have seen it! So much blood. All from one thorn. And she’d been sleeping on it all night and hadn’t noticed.”

Jayfeather was soaking his pulp-stained paws in the pool. “Don’t exaggerate, Bumblestripe.” He snatched them out and began licking them. “It was nothing more than a couple of scratches.”

“I’m going to be checking moss for Jayfeather now,” Briarlight announced proudly. “I’m the thorn patrol.” She looked across at the medicine cat. “Perhaps I should check the moss for the nursery before it goes in the nests.”

Dovepaw was about to call to Jayfeather, but he was already crossing the den toward her. “I’m sure Daisy and Poppyfrost would appreciate you checking the kits’ moss,” he told Briarlight as he passed her nest. “I’ve got to go out for a while. Bumblestripe, keep Briarlight company. But no more wild stories, please.”

Jayfeather swished past Dovepaw. “Come on,” he whispered, pushing through the brambles. “We need to talk.”

Finally! Was Jayfeather going to start taking Ivypaw’s visits to the Dark Forest seriously? She hurried after him. Without breaking his stride, Jayfeather nodded to Lionblaze. The golden warrior broke away from Firestar and Brambleclaw and bounded after them. Firestar watched, eyes narrowed, as the three padded out of camp.

“Right.” Jayfeather halted in a clearing on the bracken-covered slope outside the hollow. He fixed his blind stare on Dovepaw. “You’ve got to stop Ivypaw coming back from the Dark Forest in such a state. She’s going to give everything away.”

Dovepaw stared at him, openmouthed. Rage roared up from her belly. “I’ve got to stop her?” she spat. “What do you think I’ve been trying to do? And not just because all her scratches and swellings and sprains might give away our secret.” She thrust her muzzle into Jayfeather’s face. “Because I’m scared she’s going to get killed!”

“Calm down.” Lionblaze wove between them. “You’re right, Dovepaw. Ivypaw is getting hurt too often, and it’s our duty to protect her.”

Dovepaw let out a slow breath. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along!”

“But,” Lionblaze added, “we can’t follow her into her dreams.”

“Jayfeather can!” Dovepaw pointed out.

Lionblaze shook his head. “Tigerstar’s already warned him away from the Dark Forest once. We can’t risk him going there again.”

“But you can risk Ivypaw going there night after night,” Dovepaw fumed.

“She’s one of them,” Jayfeather reminded her. “They won’t hurt her on purpose, as long as they think she’s on their side.”

“Can’t you just talk to her?” Dovepaw looked pleadingly from Jayfeather to Lionblaze. “Tell her she can’t go. She might listen to you.”

Lionblaze ran his tail along Dovepaw’s spine. “Do you really think she’d listen?”

Dovepaw’s heart sank. No. Ivypaw seemed convinced that Tigerstar was making her a great warrior. She’d never give that up.

“Besides,” Jayfeather sat down and tucked his tail over his paws, “we need her in the Dark Forest more than ever.”

Lionblaze’s attention flashed toward his brother. “Why?”

“Yellowfang visited me and warned me that we must fight the Dark Forest alone.”

Lionblaze cocked his head. “Alone?”

“All the medicine cats are being told the same thing. We must cut all ties to other Clans and face the danger alone.”

“Do the other Clans know about the Dark Forest warriors?” Lionblaze flattened his ears.

“No.” Jayfeather shifted his paws. “StarClan seems to know, but they’re keeping it from the medicine cats.”

“Why?” Dovepaw demanded.

“They might not want to scare them.” Jayfeather shrugged. “They might simply not know who to trust anymore.”

“Why don’t you tell the medicine cats?” Dovepaw asked.

“Yellowfang ordered me to keep my mouth shut.” Jayfeather shifted his paws. “And when I tried to warn Kestrelflight and Willowshine, I had a vision.”

“What was it?” Lionblaze leaned closer.

“StarClan froze in front of me and shattered like ice until there was nothing left. StarClan was destroyed.”

Dovepaw stared at him. “So we’re on our own?”

Jayfeather shrugged. “ThunderClan has the Three, so ThunderClan must be the one to survive.”

Lionblaze began to pace. “So I’m supposed to fight this battle for everyone?” The tip of his tail flicked angrily. “Great StarClan, why can’t I just have a normal life like any other cat?”

Dovepaw frowned. She thought Lionblaze liked being part of the prophecy. Why was he suddenly acting like he didn’t want to be so powerful? He had always encouraged her to embrace her own powers, and at last she was beginning to enjoy them. Thanks to her super senses she could hear Tigerheart wherever he was. She could hear him hunting with his Clanmates; she could listen to his breathing as he fell asleep in his nest… She jerked her thoughts back. This wasn’t the time to think about Tigerheart. “But why does Ivypaw have to keep visiting the Dark Forest?” she demanded.

“We need to know what they’re up to,” Jayfeather told her.

“We know what they’re up to,” Dovepaw retorted.

“But we don’t know when they plan to strike, or if they’re behind this plan to divide the Clans.” Jayfeather leaned closer to Dovepaw. “Ivypaw could find out for us.”

Dovepaw flinched away. “You want her to spy? Don’t you think she’s in enough danger already? If Tigerstar found out she was spying, StarClan knows what he’d do to her.” Sickness welled in her throat. “No! There’s no way you’re going to put Ivypaw through that. Not even if the whole Clan depends on it!”

She spun around, spraying snow, and stormed through the bracken. Lionblaze and Jayfeather didn’t care about Ivypaw at all! She was just a way of getting what they wanted. First they wanted to use me, and now they want to use Ivypaw.

Pulsing with rage, Dovepaw raced to the top of the slope. The trees thinned at the crest, and she saw the lake below, glittering under a clear blue sky. She might as well use her anger to help her Clan. Plunging down the snowy slope, she headed for the lake. She would hunt.

Where the shore stretched toward the forest stream, Dovepaw picked up the scent of prey. She stopped, her paws aching with cold, and tasted the air.

Water vole.

She padded forward, dipping her nose to sniff the ground. She soon picked up the scent in the snow and saw tracks. Treading lightly, she followed the tiny paw prints along the shore to where the trees lined the stream as it flowed into the lake. After hopping onto the bank, she snuffled her way upstream, weaving through the trees until she spotted the vole—a small, dark shape crouched beside the water. It was focused on the morsel grasped between its front paws.

Dovepaw dropped into a hunting crouch and pulled herself across the snow, keeping her tail and belly high to stop her fur from brushing loudly against the powdery whiteness. She crept closer. The vole kept nibbling, oblivious to the danger. Dovepaw stopped above it. She waggled her hindquarters, then plunged down the bank.

The vole felt warm and fat between her paws, and she finished it off with a sharp, killing bite. Fragrant and limp, it hung in her claws. Her mouth watered from the scent. It was the best piece of fresh-kill she’d seen in days.

“Well done!” Ivypaw called from the opposite bank. Her silver-and-white fur was camouflaged against the snow. She splashed through the shallow, freezing water and scrambled onto the shore beside Dovepaw. “Nice catch.”

Dovepaw wrinkled her nose. Ivypaw’s fur was still matted with herb pulp. Then she noticed that Ivypaw’s eyes were feverishly bright. “You should be resting in camp,” she mewed. “Didn’t Jayfeather say those scratches were infected?”

Ivypaw bristled. “So?” She lifted her muzzle. “They’ve got ointment on.”

“I wasn’t criticizing,” Dovepaw mewed quickly. “I’m just worried about you.” She dropped her catch in front of Ivypaw. “Here, have a bite.” She didn’t want to argue with her sister.

Ivypaw shook her head. “That would be against the warrior code,” she pointed out.

“Just take a small bite,” Dovepaw urged. “You look starving. I’ll say it got damaged in the hunt.”

Ivypaw narrowed her eyes. “No, thank you,” she growled. “I’m not the one who likes breaking the warrior code.”

“What?” Dovepaw stared at her in surprise.

“I’m not the one who disappears at night to meet a ShadowClan warrior.”

Dovepaw’s heart seemed to drop in her chest like a stone. Ivypaw knows about Tigerheart! “How did you find out?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t smell him on you?” Ivypaw’s tail lashed. “Not very loyal, is it? Spending every night with a tom from another Clan?”

Dovepaw stiffened. “At least we’re not putting anyone in danger.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Every time you go to the Dark Forest, you betray your Clanmates.”

“That’s not true!” Ivypaw hissed. “I’m learning to be a great warrior so I can help my Clan!”

“Yeah, right!” Dovepaw snapped scornfully. “Just like Tigerstar. He was a great warrior!”

“He was!”

“He became ShadowClan’s leader. He tried to kill Firestar!” How could Ivypaw be so dumb?

Ivypaw glared at her, eyes cold as ice. “Aren’t you going to ask how I recognized his smell?”

Dovepaw blinked, confused. “What?”

“Don’t you think it’s odd how easily I recognized Tigerheart’s scent?”

Dovepaw froze, her blood draining into her paws. She remembered the look Ivypaw and Tigerheart had shared in battle.

“H-how did you know?” Dovepaw cringed beneath her pelt. She didn’t want to hear the answer. She didn’t want to hear that Tigerheart had been seeing Ivypaw, too. That he’d lied to her. That she wasn’t the only ThunderClan cat that occupied his thoughts.

“I meet him almost every night,” Ivypaw crowed.

“You can’t; he’s with me!”

“Not all night.”

Dovepaw backed away. “Don’t say that! He likes me, not you. Have you been following him? Find your own mate! Leave him alone!”

Ivypaw padded closer. “Oh, I don’t like him in that way. I’m not a soppy dove like you. I’m a warrior, and so is Tigerheart.”

Dovepaw wished she were deaf, wished she could see Ivypaw’s mouth moving without hearing the words.

“Tigerheart doesn’t spend every night cooing in your ears,” Ivypaw taunted. “He’s one of the best warriors the Dark Forest has. That’s where his loyalty lies. Not with you!”

“That’s not true! You’re just jealous!” Dovepaw shrieked at her sister. She couldn’t believe these lies. “You’re jealous that I’m a better warrior than you. I always have been and I always will be, and you can’t stand it. And now you’re jealous that Tigerheart loves me and not you! You want to destroy everything I’ve got because you’re jealous. That’s all!”

Ivypaw’s eyes gleamed. “Really? Why not ask Tigerheart?”

“Shut up!” Dovepaw scrambled up the bank. “If you tell anyone that I’m seeing Tigerheart, then I’ll tell the whole Clan you’ve been training in the Dark Forest with Tigerstar, and then you’ll have no friends. Everyone will hate you as much as I do!” She pelted through the trees.

“You forgot your catch,” Ivypaw called after her.

“You take it!” Dovepaw yowled back. “Then your Clanmates might think you’ve done something right for a change!”

She raced on, blocking out the thoughts that whirled in her head. The ShadowClan scent line was close. Its smell bathed her tongue. Had Tigerheart really betrayed the Clans by the lake? She skidded to a halt and pricked her ears. Casting out her senses, she searched for Tigerheart.

She’d done it so often that it was easy to find him. She could hear his mew, hear his paws on the forest floor. She knew their sound—strong and certain. He was with Clanmates. She listened harder. Ratscar, Pinepaw, and Snowbird. Purrs rumbled in their throats as Pinepaw fell into a snowdrift with a soft thump.

They sounded happy. Dovepaw wished she were with them. She wished she were playing in the snow with Tigerheart, certain that he loved her. She wanted to be with him all the time.

Maybe she should join ShadowClan? The idea flashed wildly in Dovepaw’s mind, making her heart soar.

Don’t be stupid! I’m one of the Three. She couldn’t leave Jayfeather and Lionblaze to face the Dark Forest warriors alone. And deep down, she knew that she couldn’t leave Ivypaw. Pain pierced her heart like a thorn. She shouldn’t have said all those things. She’d been cruel. She’d made it sound like the Clan didn’t want her sister around.

Suddenly Dovepaw felt sick. What if Ivypaw decided to stay in the Dark Forest forever? She whirled around and raced for home. She’d apologize to Ivypaw. She’d tell her she’d been wrong.

But that wouldn’t be enough! Ivypaw would still keep visiting the Dark Forest. She didn’t understand she was being used. Dovepaw pushed harder against the frozen snow. Trees blurred beside her. Ice cracked beneath her paws.

What’s the use of all this power if I can’t keep my own sister safe?

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