Sign Of The Moon

Chapter 6

Dovewing sat outside the apprentices’ den, giving herself a quick grooming while her Clanmates milled around her, waiting to leave for the Gathering. The last of the daylight was fading from the stone hollow, and already the full moon was rising in the sky. Craning to reach the fur on the back of her neck, Dovewing tried to stifle her feelings of apprehension. I’d be happier to go to this Gathering if Ivypool were with me.

But Ivypool was still recovering from the injuries she had received in the Dark Forest several days ago, just after they became warriors. Dovewing had been shocked to see the state her sister was in when she woke, with deep scratches on her sides and shoulders and her fur clotted with blood. The wounds had been bad enough for Dovewing to call Jayfeather. He had treated Ivypool with cobwebs and horsetail, and invented a story about her falling into a bramble thicket to explain her injuries to her Clanmates.

Remembering how Icecloud had fallen into the hole, Mousefur had spent some time muttering about clumsy youngsters, but Ivypool had endured it silently. She had refused to tell any cat, even Dovewing, exactly how she came by her injuries.

Worry for her littermate prickled right through Dovewing’s pelt. With no sign that the Clan would be leaving soon, she slid back into her den. Ivypool was curled up in her nest; she raised her head as Dovewing entered, her eyes deep pools of weariness.

“Promise me you won’t go to the Dark Forest tonight,” Dovewing begged.

“I don’t have any choice,” Ivypool replied with a stubborn shake of her head. “And even if I did, I have to go because we don’t know enough about the battle yet.”

“But—” Dovewing broke off in frustration, wishing that her sister would confide in her like she used to. Is she still unhappy with me because I kept my powers a secret from her? “I’m worried about you, that’s all.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ivypool meowed with a hint of pride in her voice. “I can cope.”

Dovewing had to fight a twinge of jealousy. Does she think she’s better than me because she’s doing this for our Clan? “Ivypool, I just want—” she began.

“There you are, Dovewing!” Brambleclaw’s voice interrupted her; Dovewing turned to see the ThunderClan deputy peering through the grass that masked the entrance to the den. “Come on, we’re ready to leave.”

“Sorry,” Dovewing mewed. “See you later, Ivypool.” Scrambling out of the den, she raced across to the thorn barrier, where her Clanmates were waiting to file through the tunnel.

“Hi, Dovewing,” Hazeltail greeted her. “Is Ivypool okay?”

“She’s fine,” Dovewing replied.

She spotted Cinderheart heading her way, a worried expression on her face, and guessed that she wanted to ask about her former apprentice. But there was no time to talk; Cinderheart had to turn and plunge into the tunnel, and Dovewing followed her.

Firestar set a brisk pace through the forest. The moon cast shadows over their path, and frost glittered on every blade of grass and frond of bracken. Dovewing gasped when she broke out of the trees and stood at the top of the slope that led down to the lake. The moon traced a path of molten silver from one side to the other. Ripples washed softly against the pebbled shore.

Following her Clanmates, she raced along the water’s edge, splashing through the stream on the WindClan border and heading for the horseplace. She thought back to the shimmering covering of ice, broken by the jagged cracks that had swallowed Flametail. Before that, the lake had been a stretch of drying mud, dotted by dwindling pools where fish flapped and thirsty cats gathered for the last drops of water.

Nothing stays the same, Dovewing realized. Nothing except the prophecy, and that’s no clearer than it ever was.

“Hey, Dovewing!” Foxleap’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Race you to the tree-bridge!”

Thrusting aside her worries, Dovewing sprinted after him, catching up as they crossed the RiverClan scent markings. Panting, they drew to a halt at the end of the tree-bridge, ahead of all the rest of the Clan.

“You’re fast!” Foxleap panted admiringly.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Dovewing replied, giving him a flick on the shoulder with her tail.

The rest of the Clan reached them, and Firestar leaped onto the tree-bridge to lead the way over to the island. Sending out her senses, Dovewing realized that the three other Clans were already there. She picked up a strong feeling of uneasiness; her paws prickled with it as she padded along the fallen tree trunk and ran across the shore to push her way through the bushes that encircled the Great Oak.

In the clearing, the cats from the other Clans were milling around restlessly; Dovewing realized they were still in their Clan groups, rather than gossiping with other Clans as they usually did at Gatherings. When ThunderClan appeared, she felt a wave of hostility from the ShadowClan cats. One or two of them stretched out their necks to let out furious hisses, or pointedly turned their backs.

Dovewing couldn’t help looking for Tigerheart, and spotted him in the shade of a holly bush. His amber gaze met hers, and at once she looked away, heat washing through her pelt. She could never forgive the tabby tom for using her to get at Jayfeather’s supply of herbs. He turned me into a spy for ShadowClan!

But Dovewing couldn’t forget the time she and Tigerheart had spent together, playing in the old Twoleg nest at the edge of ShadowClan’s territory. Their moonlight meetings had been more important to her than anything else.

“Dovewing?” She turned at the soft touch of a tail-tip on her shoulder, and turned to see Bumblestripe. “Don’t let those ShadowClan cats upset you,” the young tom went on. “They’re all fox-hearts!”

Dovewing murmured agreement. When Bumblestripe angled his ears toward their own Clanmates, she let him lead her into their midst, though she couldn’t resist a last glance back at Tigerheart. He was deep in conversation with a RiverClan cat she hadn’t seen before.

Probably another Dark Forest warrior, she guessed with a shudder. How could I ever have trusted Tigerheart? He is Tigerstar’s kin, after all. And every cat knows how evil Tigerstar was!

Then guilt gusted over her as she remembered that Brambleclaw was Tigerstar’s kin, too. And Brambleclaw isn’t evil! He’s ThunderClan’s loyal deputy!

By now all four leaders had taken their places in the Great Oak. Firestar was balancing in the fork of a branch, with Mistystar crouched on the branch below. Onestar sat on a higher branch, his tail hanging down. At first Dovewing couldn’t see Blackstar at all, until she finally spotted him in a clump of dead oak leaves that clung to the bough, casting dappled shadows on his white pelt; his eyes gleamed, glaring down into the clearing.

Dovewing sat beside Bumblestripe, shivering in the chill, damp air, as Onestar called the Gathering to order.

“Prey is running well in spite of the cold weather,” he reported. “And Whiskernose has been made a warrior.”

“Whiskernose! Whiskernose!” WindClan welcomed the young tom, who ducked his head, looking pleased and embarrassed.

Dovewing joined in, though she noticed that not many cats from other Clans were doing the same. Gatherings should be a time for the Clans to be at peace with one another. What is happening to us?

Onestar sat down again, his gaze raking across the cats as if he was asking himself the same question. Blackstar emerged from his clump of leaves. He surveyed the cats below him in silence before he spoke. “Our medicine cat Littlecloud had a brief attack of whitecough,” he announced. “But he is now as strong as ever, and so is ShadowClan.” He closed his jaws with a snap and retreated.

“Huh—brief attack of whitecough!” Dovewing muttered. “Littlecloud was dying, and all ThunderClan knows it. Would it have hurt too much for Blackstar to thank us?”

Bumblestripe blinked at her. “That’s ShadowClan for you.”

Mistystar rose to her paws. “RiverClan is happy to see the ice gone from the lake,” she meowed. “It’s good to catch fish again. And our Clan has welcomed two new warriors this past moon: Rushtail and Troutstream.”

“Rushtail! Troutstream!” More cats from the other Clans joined in this time, as if they were beginning to relax. Or perhaps, Dovewing reflected as she joined her yowls to theirs, Mistystar’s confident and friendly manner had begun to win them over. The RiverClan leader had always been willing to work with other Clans.

“Also,” Mistystar went on when the noise had died down, “a badger was seen in our territory, but Reedwhisker tracked it with Robinwing and Petalfur, until it went away.”

“Which way?” Ashfoot, the WindClan deputy, called out. “Do we need to watch out for it?”

“I don’t think so,” Mistystar replied. “It went out past the horseplace, heading for the hills. If I’d thought there was danger,” she added politely, “I would have sent a message.”

Mistystar finished her report with a nod to Firestar. Dovewing admired his well-muscled body and sleek flame-colored pelt as he stood on the branch. “ThunderClan has good news, too,” he meowed. “A few sunrises ago I named two new warriors: Dovewing and Ivypool.”

Dovewing felt warm with pride as the Clans called out her name and her sister’s. I wish Ivypool were here to share this.

“Hey, where’s Ivypool?” Sedgewhisker of WindClan asked as the cats fell silent again.

“Yeah, she should be here for her first Gathering as a warrior,” Mallownose of RiverClan added.

“Ivypool had an accident,” Firestar mewed, before Dovewing could speak. “She had a quarrel with a bramble thicket while she was out hunting. But our medicine cat has treated her scratches, and she’ll be back on patrol soon. She’ll be here for the next Gathering.” There were a few murmurs of sympathy.

Dovewing jumped when Bumblestripe nudged her. “Look at the medicine cats!” he whispered. “They look really uncomfortable. Do you think they’ve had an argument?”

Dovewing realized that he was right. While the other cats were beginning to mingle, the medicine cats were keeping strictly to their own Clans. Mothwing and Willowshine were talking quietly together, while Littlecloud was staying close to Blackstar, and Kestrelflight crouched under a thornbush, his eyes narrowed as if he was giving the whole Gathering a suspicious glare. Jayfeather sat near the roots of the Great Oak, his tail wrapped around his paws.

“I bet it’s Jayfeather’s fault,” Dovewing whispered to her Clanmate, half joking. “He’s so prickly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s upset all the others!”

But a small worm of apprehension nagged in her belly. Medicine cats don’t have the same Clan boundaries that we do. What’s gone wrong?

Looking around, she saw Tornear and Webfoot from WindClan sharing tongues with Tallpoppy from ShadowClan, and wondered if the elders were discussing the Great Journey, which seemed to be their favorite subject when they met at Gatherings. Two or three apprentices had started a mock fight at one side of the clearing. Sedgewhisker and Petalfur were deep in conversation, maybe sharing memories of the battle against the beavers. Dovewing’s sense of uneasiness faded.

“Hey, Bumblestripe!” Grasspelt, a young RiverClan tom, bounced up. “What’s happened to Briarlight? I haven’t seen her at a Gathering for moons!”

Bumblestripe looked startled. Firestar had never announced Briarlight’s injuries at a Gathering; Dovewing guessed he thought it would make her, and ThunderClan, seem vulnerable. And this wasn’t the right time to pass on the news to other Clans.

“Oh, you know,” she jumped in, saving Bumblestripe from having to reply. “She’s fine, but she’s busy, like the rest of us.”

Grasspelt blinked. “Okay,” he meowed, sounding disappointed, and headed off toward his own Clan.

Bumblestripe let out a long sigh as he watched the young tom pad away. “Thanks,” he murmured to Dovewing.

Dovewing shrugged. “I was only telling the truth.”

Bumblestripe’s eyes widened. “You know you weren’t.”

Dovewing could hear the pain in his voice. She reached out with her tail and touched him gently on the shoulder. “It must be hard for you, to see your sister injured like that.”

“You don’t know what it’s like.” Bumblestripe bowed his head.

“Oh, yes, I do.” Dovewing was thinking of Ivypool. I worry about my sister, too.

“I try not to feel sorry for Briarlight,” Bumblestripe went on. “I know that’s the last thing she’d want. But I do feel sorry for her. Even though I’m really proud of her for fighting on when she knows there’s no hope that she’ll ever walk again.”

“I’m sure Briarlight would understand,” Dovewing responded awkwardly, wishing there was something more she could say to ease her Clanmate’s grief. “She’s lucky to have such a great littermate.”

Bumblestripe blinked, his eyes shining. “Thanks, Dovewing.”

Mintfur and Robinwing from RiverClan padded up, dipping their heads as they approached. “How’s the prey running in ThunderClan?” Mintfur inquired.

Dovewing stepped back a pace as Bumblestripe replied, and glanced around the clearing at the groups of cats. I’m not looking for Tigerheart. Not at all! Heading for the island’s dirtplace, she found herself close to a thornbush where Webfoot and Tornear were sharing tongues with Tallpoppy.

“…never seen wounds like them, outside a battle,” Webfoot was meowing.

“Poor Antpelt,” Tallpoppy murmured. “I met him at the last Gathering, and he seemed such a promising young cat. How did he come to be hurt?”

Tornear shook his head. “No cat knows, and Antpelt isn’t fit to tell us. It must have been a dog, though. The bites aren’t healing, and he’s very sick.”

Webfoot’s voice was hushed as he added, “Kestrelflight doesn’t expect him to pull through.”

Poor WindClan, Dovewing thought sympathetically. I’m glad we don’t see many dogs in ThunderClan territory.

Their voices died away behind her as she pushed through the bushes to the dirtplace. As she finished making her dirt and scratched earth over it, she heard Brambleclaw’s yowl.

“ThunderClan! It’s time to leave.”

Heading out through the bushes, Dovewing spotted a shadow across her path; as she drew closer Tigerheart stepped forward to cut her off.

“We need to talk,” he meowed.

“We have nothing left to say to each other,” Dovewing hissed.

“Please!” Tigerheart’s amber eyes were wide and distressed. “I didn’t use you, I promise I didn’t. Okay, I told Blackstar about Jayfeather’s herbs, but that doesn’t change how I felt about you.” He paused and added in a lower voice, “How I still feel about you.”

Dovewing worked her front claws into the ground. Agitation prickled beneath her pelt, a terrible temptation to give in to Tigerheart and believe what he was telling her. “We can’t talk about this now,” she replied defensively. “Not when any cat could hear us.”

“Then meet me in the usual place,” Tigerheart urged her.

“No. Tigerheart, I don’t have any feelings left for you.” Dovewing’s heart was heavy as she lied.

Anger glowed in the ShadowClan tom’s eyes. “Has your sister been saying things about me?”

Shock crackled through Dovewing. “Like what?”

“Never mind. But maybe you don’t know your sister as well as you think you do.”

Dovewing stared at him. He can’t mean that Ivypool is training in the Dark Forest. Tigerheart knows I know.

Suddenly Tigerheart drew closer to her, so that his familiar scent flooded over her. “Ivypool isn’t the cat you think she is,” he murmured.

And I’m not the cat you think I am. Dovewing wanted to speak the words aloud, but somehow Tigerheart’s gentleness frightened her. It’s as if he’s sorry for me, and wants to help me!

To her relief, another yowl from Brambleclaw broke into their conversation, calling the ThunderClan cats together.

“I have to go,” Dovewing mewed. “And I don’t want to listen to another word from you.”

Tigerheart didn’t protest, just dipped his head as she stalked away. But even though she had escaped from him, Dovewing felt as though she had left half of herself behind.

Why can’t I get him out of my fur?

On the way back from the Gathering Dovewing noticed that Bumblestripe was padding alongside her, a bit closer than usual. But Tigerheart’s scent still wreathed around her; she still seemed to see his amber eyes gazing into hers, and hear the warmth of his meow.

She jumped when she realized that Bumblestripe was saying something. “What?” she snapped.

Bumblestripe blinked. “I—I only said I hope Ivypool can be with us next time.”

“Sorry.” Dovewing tried to push Tigerheart to the back of her mind. “I didn’t mean to sound sharp. I guess I’m just tired.”

Bumblestripe nodded. “Me too.”

He quickened his pace until he caught up to Berrynose and Mousewhisker. Dovewing padded along in silence for a few moments, until she realized that Blossomfall had taken her brother’s place at her side.

“You know, you’ve stolen my brother’s heart,” the young tortoiseshell warrior murmured. Her tone was teasing, but the gaze she turned on Dovewing was serious.

It sounded as if there was a warning in her words. “Bumblestripe? You’re not serious!” When Blossomfall didn’t reply, Dovewing added, “Honestly, I’m sure he doesn’t think of me like that.”

To her relief, Blossomfall seemed to accept what she said. “It’s great that you’re a warrior now,” she went on. “We can go on patrol together, and all sorts of stuff!” Her eyes widened, reflecting the moonlight. “I don’t know how loners and rogues manage on their own, do you, Dovewing?”

“No, being a warrior is great,” Dovewing replied, but her heart wasn’t in her words. She wished that she could feel the same enthusiasm as Blossomfall.

What was Tigerheart trying to tell me? What could Ivypool be hiding?

Even before Dovewing slid into her den, she could hear her sister whimpering. Ivypool was twitching in her nest of bracken, her tail lashing from side to side. Dovewing crouched into the nest beside her and gave her shoulder a gentle shake.

“Hey, Ivypool, wake up!”

Ivypool started, blinked, then scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide and her claws out. “What? What is it?”

“It’s okay,” Dovewing murmured, though anxiety prickled every hair on her pelt. “It’s only me. Were you in the Dark Forest again?”

Ivypool shook her head. “No, just dreaming.” She sat down in her nest and started to groom her fur. “How was the Gathering?”

Dovewing shrugged. “You didn’t miss much. None of the leaders had anything unusual to report.”

“Firestar must have announced that we’re warriors now,” Ivypool meowed.

“He did! And lots of cats were sorry you couldn’t be there. WindClan and RiverClan have new warriors, too,” Dovewing reported. “Oh, and I think WindClan must be having trouble with dogs. Onestar didn’t announce it, but I overheard a couple of their elders saying that a dog had savaged Antpelt.”

“Antpelt!” Ivypool froze. “What else did they say?”

Dovewing blinked. Oh, StarClan, don’t tell me she’s in love with a WindClan warrior!

“Tell me!” Ivypool insisted.

“I wasn’t paying much attention,” Dovewing admitted. “They weren’t talking to me. They said…Antpelt was wounded too badly to tell them what happened, and Kestrelflight didn’t think he would pull through.”

“Oh, no!” Ivypool let out a horrified wail. “It’s all my fault!”

“What do you mean?” But even as she asked the question Dovewing was beginning to understand. “This has something to do with the Dark Forest, doesn’t it?”

Ivypool nodded. Her claws worked in the bracken of her nest for a couple of heartbeats before she began to speak. “Thistleclaw was training Antpelt and me,” she meowed quietly. “We were fighting like you and I would—practicing the moves, but not trying to hurt each other. When I slipped, Antpelt waited for me to get up.” She swallowed. “But that made Thistleclaw call Antpelt a coward, and he went on mocking him and WindClan until Antpelt attacked him. Thistleclaw just shredded him. I think he would have killed him, but I told Antpelt to wake up and he vanished back to WindClan.”

“Then it wasn’t your fault,” Dovewing declared. She was trying to suppress the horror she felt, but shivers ran through her as if she had just been dunked in icy water. “Ivypool, you’re in real danger,” she mewed. “You have to tell Lionblaze and Jayfeather that you can’t spy for them anymore.”

“I’m not giving up now!” Ivypool protested. “I’m so close to finding out when the battle will be. Mapleshade—she’s a really old Dark Forest cat, and all the others seem afraid of her, even Tigerstar—well, Mapleshade is taking a special interest in me. She trusts me now, and I’m so close to the truth!”

Dovewing thought that Mapleshade sounded like the last cat she would want to take an interest in her. Instead, she murmured, “I won’t say anything yet, I promise. Why don’t you get some more sleep? It won’t be dawn for a while.”

Ivypool stretched her jaws in an enormous yawn. “I think I will.” She curled up in the bracken and closed her eyes; soon her regular breathing told Dovewing that she was asleep.

Lying beside her sister, Dovewing couldn’t rest. Her sister’s story, and the discovery that yet another warrior was being trained in the Dark Forest, buzzed in her head like a swarm of bees. Any cat at the Gathering could have allegiance to the Dark Forest.

Even some of our Clanmates…

Sighing, Dovewing wondered if she would be certain about anything ever again.