Ivypool shook her head. “I know which cats deserve my loyalty. I’ll die before I fight beside Brokenstar and Hawkfrost.”
Tigerheart showed his teeth. “You may have to,” he growled. “You heard what Brokenstar said he’d do if we betrayed him.”
Ivypool met his gaze, anger surging beneath her pelt. “I don’t care.”
“You sound like your sister,” Tigerheart spat back.
Ivypool frowned. “What’s Dovewing got to do with this?”
“She put her Clan ahead of me.”
“So?” Tigerheart’s gaze darkened as Ivypool went on. “You should put your Clan first, too! Have all these moons in the Dark Forest made you forget the warrior code?”
Tigerheart bared his teeth. “I haven’t forgotten anything.”
The bracken beside them rustled. Ivypool whipped around, her heart lurching. Hawkfrost emerged. “Ivypool.” His eyes flashed. “Where have you been?”
“Looking for Blossomfall and Birchfall,” Ivypool stammered.
Hawkfrost stretched his muzzle close. “Find them,” he hissed. “Now. Then go straight to the WindClan camp. I want you with me in the second attack.”
Ivypool nodded and raced away. She glanced back once to see Tigerheart leaning toward Hawkfrost’s ear. Terror scoured her belly. If he tells Hawkfrost I’m a traitor, I’m dead! Her heart pounding, she ducked into the heather and fled. “Birchfall!” she yowled. “Blossomfall!”
“Ivypool!”
She skidded to a halt as she heard Birchfall’s mew. Her Clanmate was crouching beneath a clump of wind-blown gorse. His pale tabby pelt glowed in the darkness. Blossomfall and Mousewhisker huddled at his side, their eyes glittering with fear. Suddenly there was an explosion of shrieks close by and two WindClan warriors streaked past, Dark Forest warriors on their tail. Farther up the slope, more warriors clashed, their yowls splitting the roar of the wind.
“What should we do?” Blossomfall whispered. “We can’t attack Clan cats!”
Ivypool lifted her muzzle. “Of course we can’t! We have to defend the Clans against the Dark Forest.”
Birchfall stared at her. “Did you know all along this is what they were planning?”
“Yes,” Ivypool confessed.
Mousewhisker blinked at her. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I was spying.” She straightened up. “I didn’t know who I could trust. I had to let you work it out for yourselves.”
“She’s right.” Birchfall stepped forward. “We should have guessed earlier what was going on.”
Mousewhisker glanced over his shoulder. “So what do we do?”
“We join the battle, just as Brokenstar ordered, but we fight for the Clans,” Ivypool told him. “We’ve been trained by the Dark Forest, so we can use their own tricks against them.” A familiar scent touched her nose. “Applefur?” she called warily as she smelled the ShadowClan she-cat. Would she have the courage to oppose the Dark Forest warriors?
As Applefur slid out from the heather, Breezepelt barged past her. Ivypool’s fur lifted when she saw Thistleclaw and Snowtuft at his tail.
“There you are!” Breezepelt’s eyes shone. “We’re going to launch an attack on the camp.”
“But Hawkfrost told us to meet him,” Ivypool argued.
“You will,” Thistleclaw growled. “He’ll be attacking from the far side.”
Ivypool blinked at the dark tabby. “Okay. Let’s go.” Her gaze flitted desperately to her Clanmates. We have to play along for now! She charged after Breezepelt’s patrol as it sped toward the WindClan camp. “We don’t have to attack WindClan cats once we’re there,” she hissed to Birchfall as he fell in beside her.
Heather brushed her pelt, its flowery scent smothered by the stench of decay. The peaty earth felt slimy beneath her paws. The moor’s turning into the Dark Forest! Ivypool pushed the thought away. It can’t! I won’t let it!
“Hurry!” Mousewhisker dashed past her. “We can’t let them get there first.”
Scrabbling up between the bushes, her lungs aching, Ivypool followed Birchfall and Blossomfall. From the top she could see into the WindClan camp. The clearing teemed with shrieking cats. Emberfoot reared over a Dark Forest warrior who lunged, screeching, at the WindClan warrior’s hind legs. Another Dark Forest tom slapped Crowfeather to the ground and began thrashing him with claw-spiked paws. Ivypool recognized Whitewing, Berrynose, and Hazeltail, broad-shouldered and sturdy among the lithe WindClan cats. Mallownose of RiverClan and Shrewfoot of ShadowClan fought beside them. A Dark Forest warrior batted Mallownose away with a vicious swipe. A tom clawed at Hazeltail’s belly while another tore lumps from Whitewing’s flank. The Clan warriors were outnumbered and fighting for their lives.
Breezepelt paced the top of the rise, tail lashing. Thistleclaw gazed down into the camp.
“When do we attack?” Applefur sounded scared.
“When the first patrol has weakened them,” Thistleclaw told her.
Blossomfall shifted her paws. Ivypool could feel the tortoiseshell’s pelt pricking with frustration. “Why don’t we help them now?”
“Wait.” Thistleclaw lifted his gaze to the far side of camp where Hawkfrost sat, silhouetted against the clouds. His patrol weaved impatiently beside him. Tigerstar’s tabby pelt shone among them.
A wail flared below. Ivypool caught her breath as she saw a queen rearing up to grapple a Dark Forest tom away from a tiny kit shivering beside the frayed camp wall.
Hurry up! She fought to keep her paws rooted to the spot, then saw Hawkfrost lift his tail. Lashing it down, he gave the signal.
“Attack!” Thistleclaw yowled and charged down the slope, crashing through the heather wall into camp. Snowtuft charged after him, Blossomfall on his tail.
Ivypool blocked Applefur’s way. “You’re not going to fight on their side, are you?”
Applefur stared at Ivypool, her eyes wild with terror. “B-but I have to!”
“You have to defend the Clan!” Ivypool hissed. “Isn’t death better than having Brokenstar as your leader?”
Applefur blinked.
“You are still a warrior,” Ivypool reminded her. “And the warrior code says we should lay down our life for our Clanmates. They have never needed us more than they do now!”
Applefur nodded. “You’re right,” she whispered. “My life is a small price to pay, considering what I’ve done.”
“There’s no time for guilt now,” Ivypool told her. “Fight loyally, and with courage. That is all your Clan asks of you.”
“Then that is what I will give them!” Applefur sprang away toward the camp. Ivypool raced after her. She had to get to Breezepelt. She exploded through the heather and landed, skidding, on the peaty clearing. Cats grappled and yowled on every side. She scanned the camp. Breezepelt was chasing Thistleclaw through the throng. Ivypool snaked after him.
“No!” As Breezepelt reared up to attack a WindClan warrior, Ivypool launched herself at him. Smashing into Breezepelt’s flank, she sent him flying. “You can’t fight for the Dark Forest!”
“Are you crazy?” Breezepelt struggled free and stared at her. “This is what we’ve been training for!”
“But you can’t believe that this is right!” Suddenly claws raked Ivypool’s cheek. Pain shot through her and she staggered sideways.
Thistleclaw loomed over her, his lip curled to show long, yellow teeth. “Traitor!”
“I’m no traitor!” Ivypool hissed. “I’ve been loyal to my Clan all along! I only came to the Dark Forest to find out what you were planning!”
Her heart froze as Hawkfrost appeared behind Thistleclaw’s shoulder. Then Snowtuft landed beside her, his eyes darkening with hate.