Long Shadows Page 8

  “What’s going on?” Jaypaw asked. Hollyleaf picked up the tang of herbs from his pelt; he must have been to see Thornclaw. “ShadowClan cats?”

  “Hi, Lionblaze!” Dawnpaw mumbled around a mouthful of vole. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “It’s good to see you, too,” Lionblaze responded, surveying the scattered fresh-kill pile. “I can see you’re making yourselves at home.”

  “Where’s our mother going?” Flamepaw asked as Tawnypelt padded past with Brambleclaw, heading for the Highledge.

  “Brambleclaw is taking her to see Firestar,” Hollyleaf explained. “His den is up there on that ledge.”

  “Right up there?” Tigerpaw exclaimed. “Cool!”

  “But why are they here?” Jaypaw insisted, an edge to his voice.

  Hollyleaf explained how the dawn patrol had met Tawnypelt and her kits in the forest, and brought them back to camp. “She said she didn’t want to be part of a Clan who didn’t look to their warrior ancestors anymore,” she finished.

  Jaypaw said nothing, but looked thoughtful, his whiskers quivering as if he had scented prey. Hollyleaf guessed he was wondering how many more cats wanted to leave, and whether Tawnypelt and her kits would be any help in his plans to make a sign from StarClan.

  More cats had begun to appear from the warriors’ den. Dustpelt padded across to the fresh-kill pile, followed by Mousewhisker and Honeyfern. Foxpaw and Icepaw bounded across from the apprentices’ den.

  “In StarClan’s name, what’s going on here?” Dustpelt asked, his lip curling. “What has happened to the fresh-kill pile? It looks as if a horde of badgers has trampled through it.”

  “Er…we’ve got visitors,” Hollyleaf mewed.

  Dustpelt’s tail shot straight up as he stared at the apprentices. “ShadowClan cats?” He let out an irritated sigh. “Have they left any dry prey?”

  Tigerpaw spoke up. “We didn’t want to eat the soggy pieces.”

  “No other cat wants to eat them, either,” Honeyfern pointed out, pawing through the remains of the pile to see if she could find a drier piece.

  “And what are we supposed to do?” Icepaw demanded, flicking a sodden rabbit with her tail. “Mousefur will claw our ears off if we take her that!”

  Hollyleaf turned to the three ShadowClan apprentices. “That wasn’t a very polite thing to do, was it?”

  All three young cats studied their paws, their tails drooping. “We’re sorry,” Flamepaw mumbled.

  “Sol says we can only rely on ourselves to take the best care of us,” Dawnpaw explained. “He says we shouldn’t spend all our time thinking about fighting and marking the borders. Then there’d be time for every cat to catch enough prey for themselves, and there wouldn’t be any problem.”

  Hollyleaf exchanged a shocked glance with Lionblaze. Where was the warrior code in the way of life Sol had imposed on ShadowClan?

  “What about cats who can’t hunt for themselves?” she asked Dawnpaw.

  The apprentice looked uncertain. “Well…we wouldn’t let any cat starve.”

  You might not, but others would, if it kept them from going hungry, Hollyleaf thought. And you three look as if you’re pretty close to starving.

  “Dawnpaw, you shouldn’t listen to that dumb ol’ patchy cat,” Tigerpaw declared, giving his sister a shove. “He won’t let us train to be warriors anymore. I want to fight for my Clan!”

  “And I’d really like to be a medicine cat,” Flamepaw added, scoring his paw angrily through the wet earth. “But Sol says we wouldn’t need special cats if every cat knew about herbs and stuff. I was going to be Littlecloud’s apprentice, but now we don’t even have mentors anymore.”

  “Blackstar says we have to call him Blackfoot,” Dawnpaw added, her tail drooping.

  “It sounds as if ShadowClan is breaking up,” Dustpelt remarked, gulping down the last of a blackbird and swiping his tongue around his jaws. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’d be sorry to see it happen. Your Clan has some fine warriors.” He signaled to Mousewhisker and Honeyfern with a wave of his tail. “Come on—let’s get some patrols organized and see if we can find some prey that’s fit to eat.”

  He stalked off toward the warriors’ den. Icepaw and Foxpaw picked up the rabbit and carried it between them toward the elders’ den.

  “You can explain why it’s wet,” Icepaw meowed.

  “No, you can,” Foxpaw retorted.

  Hollyleaf watched them go. Her paws were trembling, yet she felt rooted to the ground. “What can we do?” she asked, hardly expecting a reply. There was nothing they could do to restore ShadowClan’s faith in their warrior ancestors. Even Jaypaw’s plan to fake a sign from StarClan didn’t hold out much hope now they’d heard how much Sol had poisoned ShadowClan against the code.

  Lionblaze shook his head; his amber eyes were uneasy. “I don’t know.”

  “Tell us more about Sol,” Jaypaw prompted. “Does he—”

  “Hey, I look like you, don’t I?” Tigerpaw interrupted, stretching out a paw to compare his golden pelt with Lionblaze’s. “That must be because we share kin.”

  “That’s right,” Lionblaze mewed, giving the smaller cat’s ear a friendly lick. “Your mother and our father were littermates.”

  Tigerpaw nodded proudly. “Tigerstar was their father. I’m named after him. He was the greatest warrior ever!”

  Lionblaze twitched his ears. “We should all try to be the greatest warriors ever.”

  Dawnpaw was gazing up at the Highledge, as if she was waiting for her mother to reappear. “Are we going to join ThunderClan?” she asked; she didn’t sound enthusiastic. “After all, it’s where our mother was born.”

  Flamepaw sighed. “I don’t want to. Leafpool already has an apprentice, and besides, I want to be the ShadowClan medicine cat.”

  Tigerpaw touched his nose to his brother’s ear. “I know. I want to fight for ShadowClan.”

  Hollyleaf’s heart was torn with sympathy for the three young cats. Of course they all wanted to go home. ShadowClan still held their loyalties, even though everything had changed. A tiny flicker of warmth grew inside her. Sol had tried to destroy the warrior code, but he had failed. It lived on inside these apprentices. Sol couldn’t change every cat’s mind about what they had believed for so long.

  She sank her claws into the wet earth. Somehow, they had to find a way to get rid of Sol and bring ShadowClan back to the way of the Clans.

  CHAPTER 7

  From the corner of his eye, Lionblaze spotted movement on the Highledge. Firestar had appeared with Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt.

  “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting,” he yowled.

  He ran nimbly down the tumbled rocks, halting on a boulder just above the heads of the assembling cats. Even on such a gray day, his flame-colored pelt gleamed. Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt picked their way down more slowly, until they stood just behind him.

  Mousefur and Longtail emerged from the elders’ den; Foxpaw and Icepaw followed them, each with a bundle of soiled bedding. Lionblaze noticed Mousefur’s bristling fur and suspicious gaze, and realized that the apprentices must have told her what was going on.

  Graystripe appeared from the dirtplace tunnel and padded over to join the group around the fresh-kill pile, giving the ShadowClan apprentices a friendly nod. Leafpool came to sit outside the bramble screen in front of her den, while Daisy appeared at the entrance to the nursery with the four kits peering curiously from behind her. Whitewing and Birchfall pushed their way out of the warriors’ den, and bounded across the camp to sit at the foot of the boulder where Firestar stood. Lionblaze spotted Thornclaw poking his head out between the branches of the den. Sorreltail and Squirrelflight stood side by side, flicking the tips of their tails.

  As the cats gathered, Lionblaze was aware of uneasy looks cast at Tawnypelt and the three apprentices. He could hear muttering, too, as if many of the warriors were unhappy at seeing ShadowClan cats in t
heir camp.

  Berrynose stalked over to the fresh-kill pile. “Surely Firestar’s not bringing more outsiders into the Clan?”

  “I hope not,” Spiderleg agreed. “That’s what caused the battle with RiverClan and WindClan in the first place.”

  “And where would you be, Berrynose,” Lionblaze asked, his neck fur beginning to rise with annoyance, “if Firestar hadn’t taken you in when you were a kit?”

  Berrynose snorted and turned his back. “That’s different.”

  Jaypaw leaned over to whisper into Lionblaze’s ear. “Yeah, he’s such a special cat.”

  “Cats of ThunderClan,” Firestar began when all the Clan had gathered around him, “you can see that Tawnypelt of ShadowClan has come here with her kits—”

  “We’re apprentices,” Flamepaw muttered.

  “—and she has asked for shelter because of the way her own Clan has changed.”

  “And are you going to agree to that?” Mousefur called out from her place in front of the elders’ den. “Hasn’t there been enough trouble because of taking in other cats?”

  Before Firestar could reply, Graystripe sprang to his paws. “These cats are part of ThunderClan,” he hissed. “They deserve to have a home here.”

  “No cat forced Tawnypelt to leave,” Mousefur retorted. “If you ask me, cats should decide where they want to live and stay there.”

  There was a murmur of agreement; Lionblaze saw dismay in the eyes of the three apprentices.

  “They don’t want us here,” Tigerpaw muttered.

  “Some cats don’t,” Lionblaze admitted, resting his tail-tip on the young cat’s shoulder. “But it’ll be okay. Firestar will talk them around, you’ll see.”

  “I understand your worries,” Firestar went on. “But Tawnypelt isn’t asking for a permanent home in ThunderClan. She and her kits—”

  Dawnpaw rolled her eyes. “How many more times?”

  “—are only here while Sol holds sway in ShadowClan. If she has seen through his lies, others will too, and he won’t be allowed to stay for long.”

  “Then we should take a patrol across the border and drive him out,” Cloudtail meowed. “The lake would be well rid of him.”

  “Yes!” Birchfall agreed. “ShadowClan helped us, so we should—”

  Yowls of protest drowned out his last few words. “There’s been enough fighting,” Sorreltail meowed, glancing at Squirrelflight. “Some cats are still recovering from their wounds.”

  “ShadowClan should deal with their own problems,” Spiderleg added. “It’s no business of ours.”

  Cloudtail whipped his head around to stare at the black warrior. “If ShadowClan cats are moving in here, then it’s not their own problem anymore.”

  “That’s enough!” Firestar raised his tail for silence. “Tawnypelt is welcome to stay for as long as she wants. The apprentices—”

  “At last!” Tigerpaw muttered.

  “—will train and perform duties alongside Foxpaw and Icepaw.”

  Lionblaze saw the two ThunderClan apprentices exchange delighted glances, and he heard some of the younger warriors let out sighs of relief at being freed from helping with the apprentice tasks.

  “Tawnypelt will have a place in the warriors’ den, and take part in patrols,” Firestar went on.

  “Can she be trusted?” Ashfur called out. “Especially along the ShadowClan border?”

  Lionblaze saw Brambleclaw’s fur start to bristle, but Firestar raised his tail, warning him not to retaliate. “It’s time for the regular patrols,” he meowed, ignoring Ashfur’s comment. “The fresh-kill pile needs restocking, and we need to keep a close eye on the border with WindClan.”

  Brambleclaw leaped down from the rocks and began calling cats to him, splitting them up into patrols. “Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, I want you on a hunting patrol with Dustpelt and Sorreltail. And you apprentices go over there and talk to Firestar.”

  Tigerpaw, Flamepaw, and Dawnpaw sprang up, looking a bit daunted at the thought of meeting the Clan leader. “You’ll be fine,” Lionblaze promised them as he padded off to join Sorreltail and Dustpelt.

  As Sorreltail led her patrol toward the camp entrance, Lionblaze glanced back to see Firestar arranging mentors for the three ShadowClan apprentices. Flamepaw was paired with Cloudtail, Tigerpaw with Brackenfur, and Dawnpaw with Spiderleg. Sandstorm and Whitewing beckoned their apprentices, Foxpaw and Icepaw.

  “We’ll all go to the clearing for some hunting practice,” Sandstorm announced.

  Following Sorreltail through the tunnel, Lionblaze couldn’t help feeling relieved that the ShadowClan apprentices weren’t receiving any battle training—at least, not yet. If they learned ThunderClan skills, wouldn’t that give them an unfair advantage in future battles?

  Curiosity burned like a flame inside him. He wondered whether any of the three were being visited by Tigerstar in dreams. Tigerpaw would be an obvious choice; he was big and strong, and he seemed most interested in their shared kin, especially the warrior whose name he bore. Even though he wanted to be rid of Tigerstar’s menacing influence in his dreams, Lionblaze couldn’t suppress a flash of jealousy that the dark warrior might choose another cat to mentor, a cat in a different Clan.

  Perhaps I should warn Tigerpaw, he thought. But then I would have to tell him that Tigerstar visits me. I can’t do that.

  Lionblaze shook his head in confusion. It seemed that since Sol came to the lake, nothing was simple anymore.

  Sorreltail led them toward the top of the territory, where the border gave way to open moorland not claimed by any Clan. Although the rain had stopped, the ground was muddy and the undergrowth was soaked; all the scents were damped down and hard to detect. Lionblaze shivered as he plodded along; every fern or clump of grass that he brushed against released a shower of raindrops and his pelt was soon sodden, the fur plastered against his body.

  Hunching his shoulders, he wished he could be training for battle instead of trying to track down soggy little mice. They’ll all be deep inside their burrows, hiding from the rain. Sometimes I think they have more sense than we do.

  Head down, he blundered into a clump of bracken, letting out a hiss of annoyance as it dumped its load of water drops all over him.

  “Lionblaze!” The yowl came from Sorreltail. “Look where you’re going, won’t you? You just scared off the vole I was stalking.”

  “Sorry.” Lionblaze’s paws tingled with frustration and embarrassment.

  “Sorry fills no bellies,” Sorreltail retorted.

  She stood still, head raised and jaws apart as she tried to locate the vole again. Lionblaze backed off to give her space, and spotted Hollyleaf appearing from behind a bramble thicket with a mouse hanging from her jaws.

  “Well done,” he mewed as she padded up to him and dropped her prey at his paws.

  “Lionblaze, we need to talk.” Hollyleaf ignored his praise; her eyes were wide and distraught. “We have to stop what Sol is doing in ShadowClan. He’s destroying the warrior code!”

  “Keep your fur on.” Lionblaze was startled by his sister’s intensity. “We—”

  “We have to do what Jaypaw suggested, and make a fake sign from ShadowClan. And we have to do it soon! I’ll do anything to remind ShadowClan cats of their warrior ancestors.”

  Lionblaze’s surprise deepened to uneasiness; the passion in Hollyleaf’s eyes unnerved him. “Steady,” he murmured, pressing his muzzle against her shoulder. “Why does it matter so much? We have our own destinies, and they don’t have anything to do with the other Clans.”

  “Of course it matters!” Hollyleaf flashed back at him. “Sol was supposed to be helping us, remember? And what will happen to the rest of us if ShadowClan abandons the warrior code?”

  “I know,” Lionblaze responded. “But how can we fake a sign when ShadowClan is bound to be hostile? They’ll defend their beliefs because they won’t want to admit they’re wrong. Great StarClan, we don’t even know the territory!”

  “We don’
t.” Hollyleaf’s eyes narrowed. “But there are three new apprentices in ThunderClan who do.”

  “Hollyleaf, that’s brilliant!” Lionblaze exclaimed. “But will they—”

  An annoyed hiss interrupted him; he whirled around to see Dustpelt standing a tail-length away.

  “Are you going to stand there gossiping all day?” the senior warrior inquired with a lash of his tail. “Or do you think that you might possibly find time to do some hunting?”

  “Sorry,” Lionblaze muttered. I can’t do anything right today!

  “It might have escaped your notice,” Dustpelt went on with biting sarcasm, “but we have four new mouths to feed. And several of our own cats are sick, so they can’t help with patrols.”

  Lionblaze nodded. He realized that the tabby warrior was angry because he was worried. “I’m really sorry,” he repeated. “We’ll get going right away.”

  “See that you do,” Dustpelt sniffed as he stalked off.

  As he tasted the air, ears pricked for the sound of prey, Lionblaze knew Hollyleaf was right. They had to help ShadowClan so that Tawnypelt and the apprentices could go home, and ThunderClan could concentrate on making itself strong again.

  Lionblaze worked hard for the rest of the hunt, but most of the prey was still hidden in their holes. By sunhigh, when the patrol returned to camp, he had only caught two mice and a shrew. He dropped the meager offering on the fresh-kill pile and padded off to find Jaypaw. After checking the medicine cats’ den and not finding him there, Lionblaze finally tracked him down in the elders’ den.

  “Look, Mousefur,” Jaypaw was saying as Lionblaze ducked under the low branches of the hazel bush, “these tansy leaves should stop you getting greencough. Why don’t you want to eat them?”

  Mousefur gave the leaves a push with one paw. “I told you, I don’t need them. Stop fussing over me and keep them for cats who are really sick.”

  “Jaypaw doesn’t want you to get sick,” Longtail tried to explain.

  Mousefur gave him an angry flick with her tail. “Since when were you a medicine cat?”

  Jaypaw let out an exasperated sigh. “Mousefur, for the last time—”