“Really?” Dovepaw couldn’t hide her surprise. Then the ShadowClan warrior was up to something. Still, she held her tongue. She’d made a promise to let him explain first, and she wasn’t going to break it. After all, the Gathering was tomorrow. She wouldn’t have to keep her secret long.
“Tigerheart?” Lionblaze sounded equally surprised. “Why would he be up to anything on our borders? He was an ally half a moon ago! He helped us bring the river back.”
But Jayfeather was frowning. “That was half a moon ago,” he pointed out. “Not all cats think that one adventure makes everyone friends forever.”
Dovepaw bristled. Was he criticizing her for going to check on Sedgewhisker? Guilt stabbed her. And now she had agreed to keep Tigerheart’s secret. Perhaps Jayfeather was right to remind her of her loyalties.
A raindrop dripped from her ear tip and tickled the soft fur inside. She shook her head sharply. She would keep quiet until she heard what the ShadowClan warrior had to say at the Gathering.
Chapter 9
Dovepaw padded restlessly beside the barrier of thorns, anxious to be off.
Ivypaw sat watching her, her tail twitching irritably. “You’ll tell me everything?” she asked again.
“Of course,” Dovepaw promised. “As soon as I get back.” Ivypaw seemed to have gotten over her suspicion about why Dovepaw was being treated differently by the senior warriors, until Brambleclaw decided that only Dovepaw would go to the Gathering tonight.
Ivypaw glared at the ThunderClan deputy as he padded past.
He paused. “Don’t sulk,” he meowed. “You’re not a kit. You don’t need your littermate by your side every moment of the day.”
Whitewing sat up from where she’d been dozing after her evening meal. “As I recall, Brambleclaw,” she teased, “you were never pleased to miss a Gathering.” She glanced affectionately at her daughters.
Brambleclaw gave the white she-cat a stern glance, which lasted only a moment before melting into amusement. “Well, at least I had the decency to sulk in the privacy of my den.”
Ivypaw scowled down at her paws, tail flicking.
“Don’t worry.” Dovepaw weaved around her as Brambleclaw padded away to sit beside Graystripe. “When we’re warriors we’ll go to every Gathering together.”
Squirrelflight slid out of the warriors’ den and padded across the clearing. Her gaze darted toward Brambleclaw for a moment before she joined Leafpool beside the fresh-kill pile.
“Do you think Brambleclaw will ever forgive them?” Dovepaw whispered, staring at the two sisters. How could Brambleclaw be so cold toward his former mate? With a shiver, she wondered how two cats who’d been so close could suddenly start acting like they belonged to different Clans. That would never happen to her and Ivypaw.
At least Squirrelflight and Leafpool are still as close. Dovepaw watched the sisters as they leaned together, pelts pressing like littermates straight out of the nursery.
She nudged Ivypaw with her nose. “I’ll make sure I get some juicy gossip from Petalfur,” she mewed. She hoped that the shy RiverClan she-cat wouldn’t act like they’d never shared an adventure.
Firestar bounded down from Highledge. As the stones clacked beneath his paws, the rest of the patrol hurried toward the thorn entrance. Sandstorm, Thornclaw, and Brackenfur weaved restlessly beside the entrance as Foxleap, Rosepetal, and Brightheart emerged from the warriors’ den. Lionblaze was still licking his lips after a hasty meal as he waited for Jayfeather to pad from the medicine den. Together they joined their Clanmates while Millie slid from the dirtplace tunnel and hurried to stand beside Graystripe. Birchfall slid in next to Whitewing while Blossompaw and Briarpaw came dashing from the apprentices’ den, eyes bright with excitement.
Bumblepaw called after them, “I want to know everything that happens!” He’d be staying behind with Ivypaw.
As Squirrelflight left Leafpool’s side and tagged on to the patrol, Firestar signaled with his tail before ducking out of the camp. His Clanmates streamed out after him. Dovepaw sensed restlessness in the patrol as they headed for the lake in silence. Graystripe had been right: The wind had blown the sky clear and Silverpelt glittered around a full, bright moon. But the forest still dripped from the heavy rains, and Dovepaw’s fur was soon soaked as she followed her Clanmates through the wet undergrowth.
The chilly dampness seemed to have set everyone’s fur pricking with irritation.
“We’d better not find any ShadowClan stench on our land!” Foxleap growled.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brambleclaw snapped. “We’re heading around WindClan’s side of the lake. Even ShadowClan wouldn’t be dumb enough to stray that far!”
Thornclaw paused and tasted the air. “I wouldn’t put anything past ShadowClan,” he muttered.
Foxleap lashed his tail. “We should cross into ShadowClan territory and leave our scent. See how they like it!”
“Yeah!” Rosepetal agreed. “I bet they wouldn’t be too pleased.” These days the dark cream she-cat seemed to agree with every word her denmate uttered.
Mouse-brain. Dovepaw instantly felt guilty. Rosepetal was a good warrior. Still, Dovepaw hoped that she would never be too moony about a tomcat to stop thinking for herself.
“We should do it,” Lionblaze growled. “Just to show them. Though their noses are probably too filled with pine scent to notice.”
Squirrelflight bounded up the slope past the golden warrior. “Stop stirring up trouble,” she warned.
Brambleclaw reached the top of the slope and stared down at Squirrelflight. “Sometimes aggression is necessary. StarClan gave us claws for a reason.”
The orange she-cat’s eyes flashed with shock, as though his words had raked her muzzle. Lionblaze winced visibly. The patrol regrouped at the shoreline and followed the lake’s edge, keeping three tail-lengths from the water.
Dovepaw scanned the hillsides. No sign of the other Clans, and no fresh scent tainted the fallen tree spanning the watery gap between the shore and the island. As Dovepaw crossed, her claws unsheathed to grip the slippery bark, she listened past the water rippling below the trunk, beyond the wind stirring the island trees.
The clearing was empty. She hopped down from the tree-bridge. The shingle crunched beneath her paws and water soaked up through her paw fur.
“Come on,” she whispered to Blossompaw. “Let’s explore.”
“But—”
She left Blossompaw trailing as she raced through the trees. “It’s okay,” she called over her shoulder. “We’re the first here.”
Blossompaw burst from the ferns a moment after Dovepaw had skidded into the clearing at the center of the island. The air was foul with the stench of weeds rotting on the waterlogged shoreline. Dovepaw wrinkled her nose. How did RiverClan bear it?
“Wait for me!” Briarpaw hurtled from the undergrowth after them. She halted and stared around the deserted clearing. Their Clanmates were still traipsing through the bushes, tree-lengths behind them.
“Let’s climb the big tree!” Blossompaw was already racing toward the Great Oak that loomed at the head of the clearing. In a blink Blossompaw had shot up the trunk and was sitting on the lowest branch, laying her tail regally over her front paws and puffing out her chest as though she were about to address the Clans.
“I, Blossomstar, welcome you—”
“Get down!” At Squirrelflight’s stinging yowl, Blossompaw slid off the branch and tumbled to the ground.