“Not if you know where they lie.” Jayfeather leaned forward. “Watch your borders, Onestar, but keep an eye on your own Clan, too.”
Pebbles cracked as Onestar turned to face him. “Are you saying that my warriors aren’t loyal?”
Jayfeather backed away. “Any cat can be tricked into disloyalty.”
Onestar’s breath billowed in Jayfeather’s face. “Are you talking about Sol?”
“No.” The threat from the Dark Forest was far more dangerous than a troublemaking loner. “Just look out for unusual behavior among your warriors.”
Fury sparked from the WindClan leader’s pelt. “I trust my Clan with my life!”
Jayfeather bent his head. “Forgive me.” He slunk past Onestar and walked on toward the RiverClan border. His fur prickled as he felt Onestar’s angry gaze follow him along the shore. Perhaps I shouldn’t have tried to warn him.
The scent line at the RiverClan border reached down to the water’s edge, marking the stones on the shore. Jayfeather crossed it.
“What are you doing here?”
Jayfeather spun around, claws unsheathed. He could smell the fierce scent of Beetlewhisker. Troutstream and Mintfur were bristling beside him.
Jayfeather lifted his tail. “I’m here to speak with Mothwing.”
“You’re not a medicine cat anymore.” Beetlewhisker’s fishy breath grazed Jayfeather’s cheek.
Jayfeather stifled a shiver. He’d heard Beetlewhisker training in the Dark Forest. “ShadowClan doesn’t make decisions for StarClan,” he hissed. “Only StarClan can deny my power to heal.”
Mintfur murmured to her Clanmate. “I think Mistystar should decide.”
“I guess.” Distrust edged Beetlewhisker’s mew. Jayfeather suddenly wished Lionblaze was with him after all.
Troutstream strode forward. “Come on.” The she-cat nosed him uphill and Mintfur and Beetlewhisker fell in beside them.
“There’s a tree-bridge here.” Troutstream’s pelt brushed Jayfeather’s whiskers as she leaped up ahead of him. Jayfeather smelled the stale sap of a fallen trunk. It must span the river that carved RiverClan’s camp from the mainland. He scrambled up after her, digging his claws into the peeling bark, and followed her gingerly, his heart lurching as the log rocked under the weight of Mintfur and Beetlewhisker behind him. The river swished beneath him. It would wash him into the lake if he fell.
When he felt the trunk divide into brittle branches, he knew he’d reached the other side. He gathered his haunches under him and leaped forward, hoping to clear the top of the fallen tree. He landed clumsily among some trailing twigs but Troutstream steadied him.
“This way.” She led Jayfeather through tall grass. RiverClan scent bathed him as they reached a clearing. He could sense shock flash around him from the cats in the camp.
“Why’s he here?”
Heronpaw was silenced by Rushtail. “Listen and you might find out.”
“Welcome, Jayfeather.” Mistystar’s pelt scraped against twigs as she squeezed out of her den. “Have you come to see Mothwing and Willowshine?”
Jayfeather dipped his head. “Yes, if I may.”
“He’s got no right!” Beetlewhisker snarled.
Jayfeather could feel warmth flooding from Mistystar. At least she was pleased to see him. “He has the right of StarClan,” she cautioned her warrior. Her tail-tip touched Jayfeather’s flank. “I’ll take you to the medicine den.”
He followed her across the camp, into a tunnel of grass that opened into a small clearing. Jayfeather inhaled the familiar scents of coltsfoot, borage, and watermint. Grass swished and paws scuffed the ground.
“Jayfeather?” Mothwing sounded surprised.
“Is everything okay?” Willowshine’s tail brushed the soft earth.
Mistystar turned beside him, her pelt brushing his as she padded away. “I’ll leave you to talk.”
Willowshine was at his side in a moment. “What’s the matter? Is someone sick?”
“I needed to talk to Mothwing,” Jayfeather explained.
“But you’re not a medicine cat anymore.” Willowshine sounded puzzled. “Dawnpelt accused you of—”
Jayfeather interrupted her. “If ShadowClan told the river to stop flowing, would it?”
Willowshine stiffened. “It’s not just ShadowClan!” she protested. “StarClan has shared dreams with me and they told me that medicine cats must stay away from one another.”
Mothwing snorted. “They’ve said nothing to me, so you can go collect mallow while I talk to Jayfeather.”
Jayfeather felt silence harden between the two medicine cats. Then Willowshine whipped her tail over the ground. “Okay.” She stomped from the den.
Mothwing’s tail twitched. “If StarClan told her to jump in the lake, she would!”
Jayfeather shrugged. “She can swim.”
A growl rumbled in Mothwing’s throat. “Don’t joke. This is serious. It’s you who told me we are facing a terrible battle.”
How will I know if she’s the fourth cat? He crouched beside her. “The Clans need to unite for the battle that is coming, but that’s impossible while the medicine cats are divided.”
Mothwing’s claws scratched the earth. “It’s so mouse-brained! Ignoring common sense just because some starry old cat tells you to.” Her tail whisked past Jayfeather as she tucked it around her. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I know you believe in StarClan and I respect that. Faith has helped to guide the Clans through difficult times before, but right now it seems to be getting in the way.”
Jayfeather understood the frustration in her mew. StarClan was making the threat of the Dark Forest more dangerous by driving the Clans apart. “If only I could talk to Flametail, perhaps I would be able to persuade him to tell Littlecloud the truth.”
“That would be a start.” Mothwing shifted her paws. “The medicine cats are never going to come together while they think you’re a murderer.” She sat up. “I’ll talk to Littlecloud and Kestrelflight. I might be able to persuade them to see that they’re undermining the strength of the medicine-cat code.”
“Would they listen to you over StarClan?”
Mothwing’s claws scraped the earth. “I’m glad I don’t have StarClan buzzing like bees in my brain! How can you think clearly with old cats muttering in your thoughts all the time?”
“Jayfeather?” Mistystar’s mew sounded softly in the entrance tunnel. “You have to leave.”
But I still need proof that Mothwing’s the fourth cat!
“My senior warriors no longer see you as a medicine cat,” Mistystar explained apologetically. “I have to respect their feelings. You can’t stay here any longer.”
Jayfeather could sense hostility prickling in the air outside the medicine den. “They think I’m a trespasser.”
“I’m afraid so.” Mistystar nudged him to his paws. “It would be best if you left now.” He nodded to Mothwing and headed through the tunnel.
Beetlewhisker paced the camp, Hollowflight and Minnowtail flanking him. Reedfeather stepped forward. “We’ll lead you to the border.”
“Thank you.” Jayfeather dipped his head to the RiverClan deputy. Four warriors to escort me home? He flattened his ears. I’ve done nothing wrong!
He felt Mothwing at his heels. “I’ll come and tell you if I manage to persuade the others to see reason,” she whispered.
“I think the Clans have lost their reason,” Jayfeather hissed back. He could sense the RiverClan warriors flexing their muscles as though they were about to go into battle. You’re fighting the wrong enemy! Forcing his pelt to stay smooth, he followed Reedfeather out of camp. Hollowflight and Beetlewhisker walked on either side, hurrying him up onto the fallen tree, while Minnowtail nudged him from behind.