Long Shadows Page 10

  “Leave him alone,” her brother whispered. “If any cat can work this out, he can.”

  Hollyleaf hoped he was right. Trying to push down her impatience, she kept an eye on the three apprentices, who were stalking around the edge of the marshy ground, looking for prey.

  “Nothing but pond flies!” Dawnpaw exclaimed indignantly.

  “These trees.” Jaypaw broke his silence at last. “Do any of them look as if they could be knocked over?”

  What? Has he gone completely mouse-brained? Hollyleaf flexed her claws and forced herself not to speak.

  “I’ll check,” Lionblaze mewed. “There might be a few.”

  He splashed off into the marsh with water brushing his belly fur and pondweed sticking to his golden pelt. The three apprentices left their hunt to watch, and Hollyleaf waited anxiously while Lionblaze circled several of the trees, giving their trunks a good sniff, then came splashing back.

  “I think we could do it,” he reported. “I could feel roots under my paws, so we should be able to dig them up.”

  “But why?” Hollyleaf only just stopped herself from wailing like a frustrated kit.

  Jaypaw’s sightless blue eyes gleamed. “We’re going to make it look as if ShadowClan’s territory is falling down around them.”

  Hollyleaf’s heart thumped harder. Only Jaypaw would have thought of digging up trees as a message from StarClan. If it worked, it should really convince Blackfoot that following Sol was wrong.

  Under Jaypaw’s direction, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze chose two saplings, not too far from each other.

  “I want them still upright, but ready to fall. And when I give the word, I want them to fall toward each other, so their branches are joined together,” Jaypaw explained. “Okay, get digging.”

  Hollyleaf waded out into the marsh, flinching as cold mud and water soaked into her fur. Dawnpaw joined her at one of the trees, while Lionblaze and Tigerpaw tackled the other.

  As Lionblaze had said, Hollyleaf found that she could easily feel the roots of the tree under her paws. She clawed at them vigorously, trying to dislodge them from the mud. At first she thought she wouldn’t be able to shift them at all.

  “This is hopeless!” Dawnpaw gasped. She was belly deep in the thick mud, and drops of it were spattered over her head and shoulders. “We’ll never do it.”

  “Yes, we will,” Hollyleaf growled, clawing even harder. “We’ve got to!”

  She staggered as the root she was tugging at gave way, barely saving herself from sliding under the mud. Her pelt burned with urgency as she scrabbled around to find another root and dug her claws into it.

  A few fox-lengths away, Lionblaze was struggling with the other tree. Tigerpaw worked alongside him, but Flamepaw was standing back with a troubled look in his eyes.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Tigerpaw asked, flicking mud from his ears. “Come and help!”

  “I still don’t know…” Flamepaw mewed doubtfully. “I’m not sure it’s right to fake a sign from StarClan.”

  Dawnpaw glanced over her shoulder. “We’ve been through this,” she hissed in exasperation. “We already agreed to try anything. This might just work, and let us go back to our own Clan.”

  Flamepaw hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Okay.” He floundered forward into the mud beside Lionblaze and his brother.

  Hollyleaf couldn’t shift the next root however hard she clawed. Growing desperate, she gulped in air, then plunged her head below the surface of the mud and bit down on the stubborn tendril. Mud oozed into her mouth as she gnawed at it. Her chest ached with the need to breathe, but at last the bitter strands parted. Hollyleaf resurfaced, coughing and spitting out mud. Her fur was plastered with it and a foul taste clung to her tongue, but she didn’t care. Triumph flared through her from ears to tail-tip. I’ll do whatever it takes to save ShadowClan!

  “I think we’ve done it!” Dawnpaw exclaimed. “The trunk feels unsteady.”

  Hollyleaf gave the sapling an experimental push. The trunk tilted and a sucking sound came from under the surface of the mud.

  “Stop!” Jaypaw ordered. He had been sniffing at Lionblaze’s tree; now he splashed across to Hollyleaf and stretched out a paw to touch the trunk of her tree. Hollyleaf saw it wobble again.

  “That’s it,” Jaypaw meowed. “You can stop now.”

  “Thank StarClan!” Dawnpaw sighed.

  Jaypaw splashed back to Lionblaze, while Hollyleaf and Dawnpaw headed for the nearest dry spot where they could crawl out and shake some of the mud from their pelts.

  “I thought I was going to turn into a frog!” Dawnpaw gave her chest fur a couple of quick licks. “Ugh! It’ll take moons to get this stuff off.”

  Lionblaze and the other two apprentices were still struggling with their tree, while Hollyleaf flexed her claws impatiently. Rays of weak sunlight slanted through the forest; if they didn’t manage to uproot the trees before nightfall, Jaypaw’s plan would fail. Several sunrises seemed to pass before Jaypaw announced, “That’ll do.”

  “Now one of us has to fetch Blackfoot and Littlecloud,” Lionblaze meowed, hauling himself out onto dry ground.

  “I’ll go,” Tigerpaw offered immediately.

  “No, I will,” Dawnpaw protested.

  “I’d be best at talking to Littlecloud,” Flamepaw pointed out.

  “But I’m the strongest,” Tigerpaw insisted. “And the best fighter. If some cat attacks me I’m most likely to get out alive.”

  Lionblaze nodded. “But you need a warrior for backup. I—”

  “I’ll go,” Hollyleaf interrupted. She didn’t think she could stand waiting here wondering what was happening, while some other cat went deeper into ShadowClan territory to fetch Blackfoot. “You know I’m the best at stalking and keeping hidden. I’ve got light paws and a black pelt.”

  “No, a mud-colored pelt.” Dawnpaw’s eyes glimmered with amusement.

  “Whatever. The mud should help disguise my scent.” Hollyleaf sprang to her paws. “Let’s go, Tigerpaw.”

  The ShadowClan apprentice led the way, skirting around the marsh and heading deeper into ShadowClan territory.

  “I’ll be a few paces behind you,” Hollyleaf murmured. “Don’t expect to see me unless there’s trouble.”

  Tigerpaw nodded. “I’m going to try for Littlecloud first. If he listens to me, he’ll help persuade Blackfoot.”

  “Okay. Good luck.”

  Hollyleaf fell back a few tail-lengths, keeping the apprentice in sight as he slid through the undergrowth in the direction of the ShadowClan camp. Her ears were pricked for the sound of other cats, and she paused now and again to taste the air. The silence of the forest raised the hairs on her pelt. Usually she would have expected to spot a patrol by now; her muscles were braced to leap into hiding, but the ShadowClan scent trails wandered faintly here and there, as if cats were hunting by themselves, and she caught a glimpse of only one tabby pelt, so far away that she couldn’t tell which cat it was.

  This isn’t the way for warriors to live.

  Tigerpaw headed for the stream and leaped lightly across on stepping-stones. Hollyleaf followed, more cautious than ever as the trees she was familiar with on ThunderClan territory gave way to pines, and the undergrowth became sparser. Her paws made no sound on the soft covering of pine needles.

  At last she began to pick up the mingled scents of herbs. Tigerpaw trotted briskly up a rise and paused at the top. Without looking back, he raised his tail to beckon before vanishing down the other side of the ridge.

  Hollyleaf crept after him, then clawed her way up a tree that grew near the top of the slope and crouched on a branch from where she could look down. The ground fell away below her into a shallow bowl, thickly carpeted with bushes covered in bright green leaves. Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat, was standing near the bottom, biting off some stems and laying them carefully to one side.

  “Littlecloud!” Tigerpaw bounded toward him.

  The small tabby tom leaped t
o his paws, his neck fur bristling in surprise. “Tigerpaw! Are you okay? And Tawnypelt and the others?”

  “Yes, we’re all fine, thanks.” Tigerpaw halted in front of the medicine cat and dipped his head. “Littlecloud, I need to ask you something.”

  The medicine cat bit off one more spray of leaves and laid it with the others. “Go ahead.”

  “I brought Flamepaw and Dawnpaw to the border,” Tigerpaw began, gesturing with his tail. “We all want to come back to ShadowClan, but…well, we’re scared that we’ll get into trouble with Blackfoot.”

  Littlecloud nodded. “I see.”

  “Will you help us? Please?”

  “What does Tawnypelt think about this?” Littlecloud asked.

  “She doesn’t know we’re here. If Blackfoot will take us back, then we’ll talk to her about it. But she might not come. She’s really unhappy that ShadowClan doesn’t follow the warrior code anymore.”

  Littlecloud heaved a deep sigh. “She’s not the only cat to feel like that.”

  Hollyleaf tensed, digging her claws into the rough bark beneath her. Tigerpaw might be tempted to share the plan with Littlecloud, and that would ruin everything. But the apprentice said nothing about it, only repeating, “Please help us.”

  “Of course I will,” Littlecloud purred. “Wait here. I’m not sure Blackfoot will listen to me, but I’ll do my best to bring him.” Picking up his bundle of stems, the medicine cat turned and bounded up the opposite side of the hollow.

  “Don’t let Sol know what’s happening!” Tigerpaw called after him.

  Littlecloud glanced back and nodded in acknowledgment, then trotted off among the pine trees.

  Tigerpaw looked up into Hollyleaf’s tree and waved his tail excitedly.

  Thank StarClan! Hollyleaf thought. The plan’s working!

  CHAPTER 9

  Lionblaze and Jaypaw crouched with the two remaining apprentices in a clump of spiky grass. Dawnpaw kept wriggling and bobbing her head up to see over the top of the stems.

  “For StarClan’s sake, keep still,” Jaypaw grumbled. “And keep your head down.”

  “The grass is sticking into me,” she complained. “And I want to see if any cat is coming.”

  Lionblaze laid his tail-tip on her shoulder. “We’ll hear and scent the cats before we see them,” he reminded her. “Keep still or you’ll give us all away.”

  Dawnpaw settled down, though Lionblaze could feel excitement quivering through her as she pressed close to his side. His belly churned with better-hidden anticipation.

  What’s taking so long? The sun was slowly sinking, and Blackfoot was unlikely to come after nightfall, if he came at all.

  Suddenly Lionblaze heard rustling from the other side of the marsh. He pricked his ears and opened his jaws to taste the air. ShadowClan scent!

  “Get to the trees,” Jaypaw whispered.

  Lionblaze was just about to creep into position when Flamepaw hissed, “Wait! That’s not Blackfoot!”

  Lionblaze froze. The lower branches of a bush at the edge of the marsh waved up and down; then a dark brown tom emerged, sniffing the air suspiciously.

  Dawnpaw’s claws dug into the ground. “Toadfoot!”

  “Fox dung!” Jaypaw spat.

  Flamepaw’s eyes stretched wide with dismay. “Now what do we do?”

  For a few heartbeats Lionblaze felt as helpless as a piece of prey under a warrior’s claws. He guessed that the ShadowClan warrior was following the scent trail left by Tigerpaw and Hollyleaf. What would they do if Blackfoot turned up now? Then he gave himself a mental shake. This was no time to panic!

  “Flamepaw,” he whispered, signaling with a twitch of his ears. “Creep around the marsh on that side, and make sure Toadfoot doesn’t see you. I’ll go this way. When I leap on him, you come and help.”

  The apprentice gave him a tense nod and crept away, his belly flat to the ground. Lionblaze headed in the opposite direction, and took cover in a clump of bracken a couple of tail-lengths from Toadfoot. He caught a glimpse of Flamepaw’s ginger pelt under a bush opposite.

  The ShadowClan warrior stalked forward, an aggressive light in his eyes. A low growl came from his throat. “I know you’re there. Come out!”

  “Now!” Lionblaze yowled.

  He leaped out of the clump of bracken and bowled over the astonished Toadfoot. At the same moment Flamepaw hurtled across the boggy ground and flung himself on top of his Clanmate. Lionblaze pinned Toadfoot down with both forepaws on his belly.

  Toadfoot battered at Lionblaze with strong hindpaws. His forepaws flailed, scoring down Flamepaw’s neck and shoulder, but the apprentice held on, stretching himself across Toadfoot’s neck and shoulders.

  “Get him into cover!” Lionblaze ordered.

  Together he and Flamepaw dragged the struggling ShadowClan warrior behind the clump of bracken. Toadfoot lashed out with his claws, landing a painful blow on Lionblaze’s flank, but he couldn’t free himself. His screeches of fury were cut off when Flamepaw pushed his head to the ground and kept a paw over his jaws.

  As soon as the thrashing and yowling stopped, Lionblaze heard the sounds of more cats approaching through the trees. Breathing heavily, he raised his head. Through the bracken fronds he could see Tigerpaw with Littlecloud pacing alongside him, and Blackfoot a tail-length or so behind.

  The ShadowClan leader paused and looked suspiciously around him. “I heard something,” he growled.

  “Some cat hunting, maybe,” Tigerpaw lied easily. “This way, Blackfoot. Flamepaw and Dawnpaw are waiting by the border.”

  At the sound of his leader’s voice, Toadfoot heaved himself up in another attempt to escape. Lionblaze thrust him down again.

  “Keep quiet if you want to save your Clan!” he hissed, planting a paw on Toadfoot’s neck.

  Toadfoot glared at him furiously, but couldn’t move.

  While Lionblaze and Flamepaw were fighting with Toadfoot, Jaypaw and Dawnpaw had slipped back into the marsh and taken up their positions by the saplings they had loosened. Almost covered by the mud, they were hardly visible to any cat who wasn’t looking for them.

  The thin branches were waving as though the trees could fall at any moment. Tigerpaw led Blackfoot and Littlecloud forward as if he was going to skirt the marsh at the very edge. Lionblaze caught a glimpse of Hollyleaf creeping from behind a gorse bush and plunging into the mud to help Dawnpaw. His chest heaved. Now! Now!

  Jaypaw raised his tail and slapped it down on the surface of the mud; then he thrust at the trunk of his tree with outstretched forepaws. Hollyleaf and Dawnpaw pushed their tree. Slowly the trunks tilted. There was a sucking noise and the surface of the marsh churned with brown bubbles.

  Blackfoot let out a yowl of alarm, but it was too late to flee. The trees crashed down, their branches locking together as they fell, the roots rising out of the mud and lashing the air like enormous tails. Peering through the bracken, Lionblaze spotted Tigerpaw scrambling through the branches and taking refuge underneath one of the trunks. He could see Blackfoot, clawing vainly at a mesh of twigs; for a moment he was worried that Littlecloud was hurt, but then he heard the medicine cat’s voice.

  “Blackfoot? Are you okay?”

  “No, I feel as if my pelt’s torn off,” the ShadowClan leader growled. “What happened? Where’s Tigerpaw?”

  “I can’t see him. Tigerpaw!”

  Jaypaw hauled himself out of the mud and balanced among the roots of the nearest tree, out of sight of the trapped cats. “Tigerpaw has vanished…” he whispered, loud enough for the ShadowClan cats to hear.

  “What? Who’s that?” Blackfoot demanded.

  “I am one of the spirits you have denied. More cats than Tigerpaw will be lost if you go on rejecting your warrior ancestors.” Jaypaw’s whisper became more intense. “The forest will fall….”

  “What do you mean?” Lionblaze could just make out Blackfoot’s face, his lips drawn back in a snarl, and Littlecloud peering out of the branches beside him. The med
icine cat’s eyes were wide with awe.

  “A StarClan warrior is speaking to us!” he meowed.

  Toadfoot started struggling again; Lionblaze crouched down on top of him while Flamepaw lay across his neck and shoulders, keeping a paw over his jaws. Keeping the writhing cat pinned down, Lionblaze peered out from hiding.

  Blackfoot was clawing furiously at the branches. “Superstitious nonsense!” he spat, though Lionblaze thought there was uncertainty in his voice.

  “We must listen,” Littlecloud insisted. “StarClan has a message for us. What if they’ve taken Tigerpaw and we never see him again?”

  Blackfoot let out a snort of contempt. “If that’s a StarClan warrior, let it show itself.”

  Lionblaze’s belly churned. Jaypaw wasn’t a warrior with stars in his fur, just an undersized tabby apprentice, covered with mud. If Blackfoot wouldn’t believe him without seeing him, their plan would fail.

  “The forest will fall…” Jaypaw repeated. Lionblaze could just see him, crouched among the roots, his muscles tensed and his claws digging into the bark. “The trees will die. Your warriors will be scattered, and when they die they will never find a place among the stars.”

  It’s not working, Lionblaze thought hopelessly. Blackfoot still wasn’t listening, just making more and more frenzied efforts to claw his way into the open. “Show yourself!” he snarled.

  “The forest will fall….” Jaypaw’s voice had an echoing quality, as if another voice had joined it. “The forest will fall….” Now there was a third, all the voices twining together.

  Lionblaze thought he saw a shimmer on the surface of the marsh. He blinked; then every hair on his pelt stood on end. Two cats balanced on the surface of the mud: one a big tabby with a torn ear, the other a small gray-and-white tom. Frost sparkled at their paws and starlight was reflected in their eyes.

  “Raggedstar! Runningnose!” Littlecloud exclaimed from among the uprooted trees.

  Blackfoot stopped his frantic clawing and stared, his mouth dropping open.

  “Sol’s time in ShadowClan must come to an end,” Raggedstar meowed, his gaze locked with Blackfoot’s. “He is like the darkness that covered the sun.”