Shadowpaw knew that what Reedwhisker said made sense. “I don’t know why I’m here,” he responded, feeling more and more self-conscious with every passing heartbeat. “I can only tell you what happened.”
“So there was a voice,” the WindClan warrior Nightcloud meowed. “What did it say?”
Shadowpaw opened his jaws to reply, but Mallownose of RiverClan interrupted, his voice loud and dismissive. “I think this is all very dubious. Why would only a ShadowClan cat—and an apprentice at that—get a message from StarClan?” His glance raked around the crowd. “Does no other cat find that suspicious? After all, how much trouble has befallen the Clans for believing the things ShadowClan says?”
There were a few murmurs of protest at the RiverClan warrior’s harsh words, but Shadowpaw saw that most of the gazes resting on him were hostile. Even his fellow medicine cats were giving him uneasy glances.
Shadowpaw had heard some of his Clanmates say that the other Clans didn’t trust them, but he had never really understood what that meant until now. When he looked around, all he could see were bristling pelts and eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Do they really think we’re bad cats?
To Shadowpaw’s relief, Tigerstar seemed to sense how uncomfortable he was, and leaped down from his place in the Great Oak to stand by his side. “Perhaps the leaders should talk to Shadowpaw alone,” he said.
His tone of voice made the suggestion sound more like a command; Shadowpaw was grateful that no cat objected, though Jayfeather twitched his tail-tip and muttered something under his breath.
Tigerstar wrapped his tail around Shadowpaw’s shoulders and drew him to one side of the clearing, nodding at Puddleshine to join them. The other leaders leaped down from the tree and padded over to them, while the rest of the cats huddled together in anxious groups, murmuring doubtfully to one another.
“Okay,” Tigerstar began when Shadowpaw, Puddleshine, and all the leaders had settled themselves under the spreading branches of an elder bush. “Shadowpaw, tell us about this voice.”
“I heard it speaking to me when I recovered from the lightning strike,” Shadowpaw explained. He felt less nervous now that he had to tell his story to only a small group of cats, even though they were all Clan leaders. “It said, ‘There is a darkness in the Clans that must be driven out.’” His voice shook as he repeated the ominous words. “I’ve heard it again since then, in my dreams.”
The Clan leaders exchanged thoughtful glances. “Is it a voice you recognize?” Bramblestar asked.
Shadowpaw shook his head. “No, I’ve never heard it before.”
“Then are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” Mistystar’s blue eyes were sympathetic.
“I’m quite sure,” Shadowpaw insisted.
“But Mallownose had a point,” Harestar interrupted. “Why would StarClan send a message only to ShadowClan?”
Shadowpaw didn’t know the answer to that either. He was thankful that none of the leaders were being openly hostile to him, but he could see that they were all worried and suspicious, uncertain whether to believe him.
“Shadowpaw has always been special.” Tigerstar defended him, his ears twitching in annoyance. “He has received visions ever since he was a kit.”
The other leaders glanced at one another; Shadowpaw struggled with feelings of frustration, guessing that they thought Tigerstar was just a fond father, boasting about his kit.
“That’s true, and I’ve always had seizures along with my visions,” he explained. “But not this time.”
“Then I wonder if the fact that you’re not having seizures means that you’re not actually having visions either,” Leafstar mewed.
“No, the vision was real,” Tigerstar insisted. “And we need to listen to this message. Remember that he foresaw his own near drowning in the flood. If we’d listened to him then, maybe the flood would never have happened.”
Bramblestar turned to Puddleshine, who was sitting on the edge of the group, following the discussion without speaking. “What do you think?” he asked. “Is Shadowpaw having true visions?”
For a few heartbeats Puddleshine hesitated; Shadowpaw felt a hollow place inside him at the doubtful look on his mentor’s face.
“There’s no question that I believe Shadowpaw,” Puddleshine replied at last. “He’s had important visions before. But I can’t be sure that these are actual messages from StarClan. We’ve all had visions, but this seems like something else. Leading him to the Moonpool on his own? Striking him with lightning?” He shot an apologetic look at his apprentice. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, Shadowpaw, but I’m not sure what to make of it.”
Once again the Clan leaders exchanged glances. “This is something I must discuss with my deputy and RiverClan’s medicine cats,” Mistystar meowed.
The other leaders murmured agreement.
“Then you mustn’t take too long about it,” Tigerstar warned them. “All the Clans must work together to understand this before we act on it.”
Bramblestar dipped his head toward Shadowpaw. “Thank you for telling us about this,” he meowed. “It took courage to stand up before a whole Gathering like that.”
As he spoke, he gave Shadowpaw a friendly nudge. At the touch, a strange sensation shot through Shadowpaw, as if claws were gripping him inside, twisting his belly and chilling his spine like the icy leaf-bare wind. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up at Bramblestar.
That felt so . . . wrong.
Chapter 11
“Okay, today we’re going to teach you a new battle move,” Dewspring announced. “Reedclaw and I will show you first. Are you ready, Reedclaw?”
“When you are,” the tabby she-cat replied.
Two sunrises had passed since the Gathering, and although fierce cold still clamped down on the forest, at least there had been no fresh snow. Rootpaw and Needlepaw were training with their mentors in a sheltered hollow where the covering of dead leaves was visible under a light drifting of white.
“Watch carefully,” Dewspring told the two apprentices. “I’m going to attack Reedclaw. I’m bigger and heavier than her, but she’s going to beat me.”
Rootpaw crouched beside his sister, eager to see what the new move would be. Energy was rushing through him, as if he were a stream suddenly released from the grip of frost. “Wait till it’s our turn,” he whispered to Needlepaw. “I’m going to squash you!”
Needlepaw let out a small mrrow of laughter. “You can always try!”
Dewspring reared up on his hind paws and bore down on Reedclaw, who flattened herself to the ground, gazing up at him with wide eyes, as if she were terrified. But before Dewspring could land on top of her, she launched herself forward, still keeping low, and scooped his hind paws out from under him.
Rootpaw let out a yowl of excitement as Dewspring tumbled onto his side, hitting the ground with a thud. But Reedclaw hadn’t finished. As swift as a striking snake, she spun around and leaped on top of Dewspring, pinning him down with one paw on his throat and another at the base of his tail.
“Awesome!” Needlepaw breathed out.
Reedclaw stepped back to let Dewspring scramble to his paws. He stood for a moment, breathing hard and shaking leaf mold out of his pelt. “That’s the move,” he meowed. “In a battle, you might not get the chance to do the second part, but it’s a good way to deal with any creature who attacks you on hind paws. Especially if they think you’re scared.”
Needlepaw leaped up, bouncing on her paws with excitement. “I want to try! Come on, Rootpaw, attack me.” She crouched on the ground and blinked at him. “Oh, you’re such a big, strong cat! Please don’t hurt me!”