Leafpool exchanged glances with Puddleshine and Frecklewish. “We don’t know. But that is his power. Let him use it.” She turned to Tree as though signaling to him to begin.
Alderheart felt silence rise like a flood around him, swallowing every breath of wind. The cats were as still as ice as they watched Tree gaze over the water. Hardly daring to breathe, Alderheart strained to see movement, but nothing appeared on the wide, flat expanse. Disappointment tugged at his belly.
“What are we doing here?” Rowanstar’s explosive mew shattered the peace. “There’s nothing to see. This is crazy! That loner has bees in his brain. He’s mocking us!”
“Hush.” Tawnypelt soothed him.
Violetshine padded closer to Tree. She was staring at him with complete trust. Once more, Alderheart turned his gaze to the lake. His heart lurched as he saw movement. In the breathless air, the water began to stir. Ripples moved across it as figures emerged through the surface.
Cats waded from the depths, emerging dry and wide-eyed onto the shore. Light glowed softly beneath their pelts.
“Beenose!” Scorchfur hurried forward to touch noses with his kit.
His Clanmates streamed around him, rushing to greet the dead.
“Mistcloud!”
“Lioneye!”
“Dawnpelt!”
They called their names, joy and grief choking their mews in equal measure.
Puddleshine’s ears twitched anxiously. “Where are Cloverfoot and Slatefur?”
“Where’s Berryheart and Yarrowleaf?” Scorchfur asked Beenose.
“And Sleekwhisker?” Juniperclaw scanned the dead cats for his littermate.
“If they’re not with us, or in StarClan, they must still be alive,” Beenose murmured.
“Alive?” Juniperclaw blinked.
“Where?” Stonewing mewed.
“Why have they stayed away from their Clan?” Grassheart’s eyes rounded questioningly.
Alderheart blinked, as shocked as ShadowClan to hear that so many of their Clanmates might still be out there, alive somewhere. His attention was snatched away as he recognized a ghostly pelt. His heart seemed to skip. “Needletail.” He stared at her as she padded from the water, her pelt dry as bone and glowing as though she were lit from the inside. Grief choked him.
She stopped in front of him, her eyes flashing in the teasing way they used to when she was still alive. “Did you miss me?”
“Of course.” Alderheart’s mew caught in his throat. She hadn’t changed. Even her scent was the same. He felt her breath on his cheek as she turned her muzzle.
“Violetpaw.” Needletail’s eyes glowed with affection as she saw her friend.
“I’m Violetshine now.” She raced to meet Needletail, a purr rumbling in her chest. She stopped short and blinked, as though a thought had just struck her. “You’re not with StarClan.”
“Not yet,” Needletail told her. “But I am with Clanmates now, thanks to you and Tree. And we will not go far until you are all safe.”
“You’re not angry with me anymore?” Violetshine blinked at her anxiously.
“I never was,” Needletail murmured. “You were the best friend I ever had. We will always be sisters.”
Rowanstar stood as though his paws had become part of the shore, staring wordlessly.
Tawnypelt hurried from his side and brushed her muzzle against the cheek of first Birchbark and then Lioneye. “It’s good to see you once more.”
“We never left you,” Lioneye mewed.
“We couldn’t,” Birchbark told her. “Not until we’d seen the wrongs put right.”
Beenose slid between them and faced Tawnypelt. “You must save ShadowClan.”
“How?” Rowanstar pushed past his Clanmates, growling, and faced the dead cats. “There’s nothing left!”
Beenose stared at him, her eyes glittering in the moonlight. “There is you, and there is still hope. You must fight for your Clan, Rowanstar.”
“You must find your missing Clanmates,” Lioneye told him.
Rowanstar lashed his tail. “Don’t look to me for leadership!” he snarled. “I failed my Clan. I failed my kin.” Pain crossed his face. Was he thinking of Tigerheart? “I’m not worthy of being their leader.”
Panic fluttered in Alderheart’s belly. He was giving up! “Rowanstar.” He faced the ginger tom. “You can try. You can—”
Rowanstar cut him off with a hiss. “Don’t call me Rowanstar! I have no right to that name.”
“But StarClan gave it to you!” How could he deny the gift given by his ancestors? Did he doubt their wisdom?
“StarClan was wrong.” Rowanstar’s green gaze burned with rage. “From now on I am Rowanclaw.”
As he spoke, the ghostly cats began to fade.
“No!” Alderheart’s darted forward, trying to reach Needletail as she began to shimmer into the cold, night air.
Puddleshine stared desperately at his fading Clanmates. “Don’t leave!”
“We have questions to ask!” Tawnypelt wailed.
Needletail’s eyes burned for a moment longer. She threw Alderheart a knowing look and disappeared.
“I’m sorry.” Tree broke the startled silence. “It’s hard to hold them here long.” He looked hopefully at the distraught cats. “They delivered their message, right?”
Leafpool padded to Tree’s side. “Yes,” she told him gently. “Thank you for bringing them here.”
Tree blinked at her anxiously. “So everything’s going to be okay now? You can save the Clans?”
The loner waited for an answer, but no cat spoke.
Alderheart gazed at him, wondering at Tree’s simple faith. Didn’t he realize that the dead cats hadn’t delivered a message of hope? They’d delivered a warning.
All the prophecies StarClan had sent since he had become a medicine cat had told him to do one thing: bring the five Clans together to keep them strong. And now StarClan had gone to extraordinary measures to bring them this message—they must save ShadowClan. But ShadowClan couldn’t survive without a savior, and if Rowanclaw wasn’t up to the job, who would be?
He stared into the lake where the ghost cats had disappeared and felt a chill to his very bones.
What is left of ShadowClan? And how long before it’s too late to save them?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ERIN HUNTER is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the Seekers, Survivors, and Bravelands series.
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BOOKS BY ERIN HUNTER
THE PROPHECIES BEGIN
Book One: Into the Wild