Darkness Within Read online

  “Didn’t StarClan try to stop you?” Squirrelflight asked.

  “StarClan!” Ashfur grunted in disgust. “That bunch of do-gooders didn’t stand a chance. And they won’t be getting in my way ever again. I’ve seen to that.”

  No! Rage flashed like lightning through Shadowsight’s pelt, driving out fear. “What have you done?” He crossed the clearing, pushing Squirrelflight aside, and glared at Ashfur. “Have you hurt them?”

  “Stay out of this!” Ashfur unsheathed his claws and swung a paw at Shadowsight. As Shadowsight ducked, Squirrelflight tugged him backward by the scruff and bundled him behind her.

  “Don’t waste time on him,” she told Ashfur. “We need to get out of here.”

  Ashfur grunted. “I should have killed him last time.”

  “Last time?” Squirrelflight’s eyes widened.

  “On his way to the Moonpool.” Ashfur glared threateningly at Shadowsight as he crouched behind Squirrelflight. “Berrynose lured his Clanmate away, and I attacked him. I should have checked he was dead before I threw him down the gorge. He’s tougher than he looks.”

  Squirrelflight was staring at him. “Berrynose lured Puddleshine away?”

  “Of course.” He looked surprised. “He was my deputy. He was following orders.”

  Squirrelflight didn’t move, but Shadowsight could see that she was struggling to keep the fur along her spine smooth. “I didn’t think Berrynose would have the courage to do anything as brave as trying to kill another leader’s kit.”

  “He didn’t know we were trying to kill him,” Ashfur growled. “I told him we were just going to scare him. Berrynose pretended to be wounded so I could get that little goody-four-paws alone and deal with him. Afterward I told Berrynose I’d scared him so much he’d run away.”

  The brambles at the camp entrance swished. Shadowsight’s heart lurched as paws pounded over the clearing. He turned as Tigerstar leaped past him and hurled himself, spitting, at Ashfur. “You tried to kill my son!” Rage turned the ShadowClan leader’s yowl into a hiss as he sent Ashfur tumbling across the clearing. He plunged after the impostor, hooking his claws deep into his flesh.

  Ashfur’s eyes lost their glitter of shock and narrowed to slits. He twisted in Tigerstar’s grip, pushing up with powerful hind paws, and shook the ShadowClan leader from his back. Eyes blazing with hate, he aimed a vicious blow at Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader met his attack with a snarl, raising his forepaws to slash at Ashfur’s muzzle. Ashfur ducked clear, darting beneath Tigerstar and knocking his legs from under him.

  Leave him alone! Desperate with terror, Shadowsight prepared to leap at the impostor. Before he could, Harestar’s yowl echoed across the clearing.

  “Stop them!”

  Shadowsight froze as warriors streamed around him. The leaders and their deputies were surging into the ShadowClan camp.

  Reedwhisker and Hawkwing raced ahead to drive Ashfur back, while Cloverfoot dragged Tigerstar away. The ShadowClan leader spat with fury, struggling in Cloverfoot’s grip until Crowfeather grabbed his scruff and pressed him to the ground.

  “Calm down,” hissed the WindClan deputy.

  Ashfur ducked and slipped past Reedwhisker, hissing when Hawkwing tried to drag him onto his side. Blood showed on Ashfur’s flank where a wound from the Clan battle had reopened. But the impostor seemed impervious to pain. He fought wildly as Lionblaze darted in and grasped his churning hind legs while Hawkwing pinned his tail so fiercely to the ground that he couldn’t move.

  Ashfur snarled in their grip. His gaze flashed around the leaders before stopping on Squirrelflight. “You lied.” Hurt showed in his face for a moment before it twisted into hate. “You betrayed me!” Thrashing in vain, he tried to get free. “You think you’ve won, but you don’t know how powerful I am! You’re all going to suffer!” His yowl was wild with fury. “And not just you. Your descendants will pay for what you’ve done to me. And your ancestors! The Clans are going to get a taste of real justice, the kind they’ve avoided for far too long!”

  “Take him back to the hollow tree.” Tigerstar hauled himself to his paws as Crowfeather and Cloverfoot released their grip.

  “You can’t hold me forever!” Ashfur screeched as Crowfeather and Hawkwing dragged him, writhing, toward the bramble enclosure. Blood trailed behind him as Cloverfoot and Reedwhisker hurried to help.

  Shadowsight swallowed. What had Ashfur meant? How could he harm their descendants? Or their ancestors? Then he remembered Ashfur’s boast to Squirrelflight about StarClan. They won’t be getting in my way ever again. I’ve seen to that. Had he already hurt StarClan?

  Perhaps he’s just trying to scare us. And yet Ashfur could move between the living and the dead. Shadowsight had seen it with his own eyes. Could he really be powerful enough to sink his claws into StarClan’s hunting grounds?

  Tigerstar shook out his pelt. “He’ll never see reason.”

  Shadowsight blinked in surprise. His father was staring hollow-eyed at Ashfur as the deputies shoved him into the brambled enclosure. Ashfur had clearly shaken him.

  “What do we do?” Harestar meowed. “We can’t hold him prisoner forever.”

  Squirrelflight flicked her tail. “Of course we can’t. Bramblestar needs his body back.”

  Mistystar and Leafstar exchanged glances, as though unsure what to say.

  “We need to act quickly,” Tigerstar meowed.

  “But we still don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Mistystar mewed. “How has he done this?”

  Leafstar nodded. “He clearly has powers we don’t understand. We need to think about what to do.”

  “It’s clear what we have to do,” Tigerstar growled darkly.

  Shadowsight’s fur lifted along his spine. He knew what his father was about to suggest. Tigerstar wanted to kill Ashfur.

  “Let’s not do anything rash,” Mistystar mewed quickly. Had she also guessed what Tigerstar was thinking? “We need to make sure Ashfur can’t escape. He mustn’t be allowed to hurt any more cats, living or dead.” She looked around at the other leaders. “It’s too much to expect ShadowClan to shoulder this burden alone.” Leafstar dipped her head in agreement as she went on. “Each Clan should send two of its strongest warriors to guard Ashfur until we figure out what to do.”

  “Really?” Tigerstar looked surprised. “You think we can guard him forever?”

  “Just until we’ve decided what to do,” Harestar mewed.

  “But you heard what he said!” Indignation sparked in Tigerstar’s eyes. “He’s confessed to everything. Why do you want to keep him around? He’s dangerous.”

  Squirrelflight blinked at him. “What else can we do?”

  “We can kill him,” Tigerstar meowed bluntly. “Keeping Ashfur alive is like keeping deathberries in a nursery. Some cat is going to get hurt eventually.”

  Mistystar looked away. Harestar shifted his paws. Only Leafstar met Tigerstar’s gaze. Was she going to agree?

  Squirrelflight’s hackles lifted. “You can’t kill him!” she gasped. “We need him alive until we can work out a way to get Bramblestar back into his body!”

  Shadowsight stared at her. How in StarClan could they possibly do that?

  Leafstar dipped her head. “Okay,” she meowed. “For now. Ashfur should remain under guard, and as long as we know where he is, there’s no need for us to do anything hasty.”

  Mistystar whisked her tail. “We’ll try to hold out until Bramblestar’s ghost returns, or StarClan can give us guidance.”

  Harestar grunted. “StarClan’s been gone so long, I wonder if they’re ever coming back.”

  Shadowsight thrust his muzzle toward the WindClan leader. “Of course they’re coming back!” he blurted. “They must. They have to!” The thought that the Clans would have to survive without StarClan forever sent a ripple of panic through his fur.

  Tigerstar’s gaze darkened. “Perhaps they can’t return as long as Ashfur is here in the forest, alive in Bramblestar’s body.”r />
  Shadowsight stared at his father, pressing his paws into the ground to stop them from trembling. A darker thought struck him. What if it made no difference whether Ashfur was alive in Bramblestar’s body or not? He’d seen Ashfur’s spirit. He knew that it didn’t need a body to exist. His breath caught in his throat. What if the Clans’ last resort—killing Bramblestar’s body—wasn’t enough to prevent Ashfur from destroying the Clans? Would they be sacrificing the only chance the Thunderclan leader had of returning, only to discover that Ashfur was still powerful enough to break the connection between them and StarClan forever?

  Chapter 3

  Rootspring’s heart felt heavy as he nosed his way through the long grass that edged the island. He could smell the scents of the other Clans in the clearing ahead. Each Clan had already buried its own lost warriors on its territory, but it felt right that they should come together to hold a vigil for all the warriors who had died at the paws of their Clanmates in the battle to drive the impostor from the lake. Rootspring hoped that this vigil would bring peace and reconciliation to those left behind.

  His Clanmates moved like shadows in the grass around him. Violetshine and Tree padded at his side, while Frecklewish and Macgyver trailed a few tail-lengths behind with Palesky and Sagenose. Leafstar and Hawkwing were already filing into the clearing. He could hear Squirrelflight and Harestar greet them, their mews ringing in the soft night air.

  Violetshine leaned closer to Tree. “She’s hardly slept since Sandynose died,” she whispered, nodding toward Plumwillow. The dark gray she-cat’s tail grazed the earth as she followed Hawkwing, Dewspring, and Reedclaw, their heads low.

  Tree watched them pad into the clearing. “I’ll miss him.”

  Rootspring was surprised to hear his father sound so fond of any SkyClan cat. Less than a moon ago, he’d been talking about leaving the Clans and taking Rootspring, Needleclaw, and Violetshine with him.

  “The Clan seems strange without him,” Violetshine mewed. “I still can’t believe he died.”

  “I can’t believe any cat died,” Tree murmured. “How could warriors fight on the side of that impostor?”

  “They believed he spoke for StarClan,” Violetshine reminded him.

  Rootspring’s pelt bristled. “Why would StarClan order warriors to fight against their Clanmates?”

  Palesky mewed from behind. “Enough. This vigil is about forgiveness,” she reminded Rootspring.

  Sagenose grunted. “It’ll take more than a vigil to forget that Sandynose was killed by warriors for the sake of a traitor.”

  Violetshine glanced back at the pale gray tom. “No cat will forget,” she told him. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t forgive.”

  Rootspring blinked at his mother. How could she be so kind? And yet she was right. It wouldn’t help to blame the Clans. The impostor was responsible, and now they knew who he was and that he hadn’t been trying to defend StarClan or the warrior code when he’d turned the Clans against one another. He’d only wanted revenge for something that had happened moons ago. Anger sparked afresh in Rootspring’s belly. Did Ashfur really want to destroy the Clans just because Squirrelflight had rejected him? Could any cat be so selfish? If every cat tried to kill their Clanmates after they had been dumped, there would be no Clans left.

  Rootspring followed Violetshine and Tree into the clearing. Warriors milled about in the moonlight. The Thunderclan patrol stood silently together, and Rootspring wondered if the impostor who’d pretended to be their leader had left rifts in the Clan.

  Bristlefrost caught his eye from where she stood beside Blossomfall and Spotfur. She blinked at him warmly and Rootspring felt his grief ease, but only a little. The secret rebellion against the impostor was over now; peace between the Clans meant he wouldn’t see her as often. He blinked a greeting in return, then looked away self-consciously, wondering who she shared a den with now. Was her nest beside a warrior she’d fought only a quarter moon ago?

  He guessed there weren’t such divisions in ShadowClan. They’d all fought side by side in the battle. WindClan had been united too, admittedly in defense of the impostor. Only Breezepelt and Crowfeather had rebelled. And WindClan was now mingling comfortably with ShadowClan. Dovewing was talking to Heathertail, while Cloverfoot and Crowfeather shared news, their heads bent close. Hope surged in Rootspring’s chest. Perhaps this vigil would allow the Clans to forgive one another and themselves, just as Violetshine had hoped.

  And yet the clearing wasn’t crowded. Moonlight rippled in the empty spaces between groups of cats. Rootspring noticed that hardly any RiverClan cats had come. Mothwing was here, with Harelight and Icewing, but they weren’t RiverClan cats anymore. Mistystar had refused to take Harelight and Icewing back after they’d joined the rebels. Mothwing had been a rebel too, but Mistystar had invited the medicine cat back into the Clan. Mothwing had declared she wouldn’t go until their leader extended the same invitation to Harelight and Icewing.

  They stood now with the ShadowClan cats, their gazes mournful as they watched the pawful of RiverClan cats that had come to the vigil: only Reedwhisker, Willowshine, Lizardtail, and Gorseclaw. Rootspring realized with a jolt that the RiverClan leader wasn’t in the clearing. He hurried toward Harelight, Icewing, and Mothwing.

  Harelight saw him and flicked his long white tail in greeting, just as he’d done when they’d met as rebels outside the Clans. “How are you?”

  “Good, thanks.” Rootspring scanned the gathered cats distractedly. “Is Mistystar here?”

  “I haven’t seen her,” Harelight answered.

  Icewing sniffed. “I guess she doesn’t want to be part of a vigil that honors rebels.”

  “But Reedwhisker came.” Rootspring glanced across the clearing at the RiverClan deputy.

  “Mistystar had to send some cat so she wouldn’t offend the other Clans,” Harelight pointed out. “And to honor Softpelt.” Rootspring’s chest tightened. Would Mistystar’s absence cause more friction they couldn’t afford?

  “Besides,” Icewing growled, “what do we care who she sends? We’re ShadowClan cats now.” Her mew was bitter.

  Mothwing arched her tail to touch her Clanmate’s spine. “We’ll always be RiverClan cats at heart.” As she spoke, her gaze reached toward Willowshine. Her former apprentice returned it eagerly; Reedwhisker dipped his head, while Gorseclaw and Lizardtail blinked warmly at the dappled medicine cat. Mothwing lifted her tail. “It looks like they still want to talk to us.” She padded quickly toward her former Clanmates. “Are you coming?” she asked Icewing, not looking back.

  Icewing sniffed again. “It’s okay for her. Mistystar asked her to come back to the Clan.”

  Harelight glanced sympathetically at the white she-cat. “She might forgive us eventually and ask us back too.”

  Rootspring’s heart ached at the hurt and hope mingled in the warrior’s words. He didn’t want to think what it must be like to be banished from his Clan. “Mistystar let Softpelt’s kin come to the vigil,” he offered encouragingly. “That’s close to forgiveness, isn’t it?”

  “Softpelt fought for the impostor, not against him,” Icewing reminded him. “Do you suppose she would have let them come if Dappletuft had been the only warrior to die?”

  “I would have been here for them both, whatever happened,” Harelight mewed mournfully.

  Rootspring blinked at him, sharing Harelight’s sorrow. Dappletuft and Softpelt had been the white tom’s littermates. “Mistystar must realize by now that we were all trying to defend the Clans in our own way.”

  As he spoke, Squirrelflight lifted her tail and gazed around the gathered cats. “Let’s begin,” she mewed.

  Rootspring hesitated as Harelight and Icewing followed ShadowClan toward the middle of the clearing. He frowned, puzzled. How could the Gathering begin? The leaders hadn’t climbed into the Great Oak yet. They stood in the clearing, gazing expectantly at their Clanmates. It’s a vigil, not a Gathering, Rootspring reminded himself. He hurried to join his
Clanmates, wondering what would happen next.

  Solemnly, the cats formed a circle around the center of the clearing, where the Great Oak cast a shadow across the empty earth.

  As Rootspring slid in beside Tree and Violetshine, Squirrelflight padded forward. “We have come here tonight,” she mewed grimly, “to remember our Clanmates who died fighting for what they thought was right.”

  A murmur of approval rippled around the encircling cats.

  Harestar joined Squirrelflight, his pelt sleek, his head high. “Every warrior who fought that day believed they were fighting for StarClan.”

  Nodding, Tigerstar joined them. “Every cat who died, died for their Clan.”

  “We can ask no more of our warriors than that.” Leafstar padded to the ShadowClan leader’s side. “We come to honor those who gave their lives to defend the way of life they believed in.”

  Rootspring saw eyes glitter with sadness around the clearing. He felt the Clans’ grief like a weight, and knew it must be reaching as cold and heavy as rain through every cat’s pelt. Snowbird leaned, trembling, against Scorchfur. Their kits Conefoot and Frondwhisker had died in the battle.

  Squirrelflight spoke again. “This is a time for remembrance and forgiveness. . . .”

  Rootspring let his attention drift around the clearing, searching for ghosts. He used to be so panicked when he spotted one; now he wanted to see them. It had become instinct to look out for them. He wondered if this was how Tree had lived his whole life. The shadows between the trees were no longer places he scanned only for prey. Ghosts might move there. And yet he hadn’t seen one since the battle. Bramblestar’s spirit had disappeared, and none of the cats who’d died had appeared in the forest. He wanted to believe they were safe in StarClan now, but he doubted it. When Harestar had lost a life in the battle, he’d traveled to StarClan to be given another. I was in StarClan’s hunting grounds, he’d told the Clans afterward. I heard only distorted voices, and saw only the haziest figures, no more than a blur. Our warrior ancestors were still there, but it was like they were fading into nothing.