“Injuries are a part of life,” Mothwing retorted. “If we believed StarClan was angry with us every time a warrior gets hurt, then we’d have to believe they were angry with us all the time!”
“This is different,” Alderheart mewed softly. “This is the first time StarClan has ever stopped speaking to us.” He nodded to the still, black water. “Can you remember a time when there were no stars glittering in the Moonpool? Something has changed, and if Shadowsight has had a vision that tells us what’s wrong, we must listen to it.” His dark ginger fur rippled nervously.
Shadowsight felt a wave of sympathy. Alderheart’s mother was on the list of codebreakers, too. He knew how hard it was to admit that the codebreakers might be the reason for StarClan’s silence. “I can’t let my Clanmates suffer.”
Kestrelflight glared suddenly at Shadowsight. “Are you sure you heard the vision right?”
“I told you everything I saw and heard,” Shadowsight told him.
“But how can we be sure you remembered right?” Kestrelflight looked around the other cats. “He’s the youngest of us. Why should we trust a cat with so little experience?”
Puddleshine padded to Shadowsight’s side. “He’s been having visions since he was a kit,” he mewed firmly. “And he’s trying to do the right thing.”
Frecklewish nodded. “The vision sounds pretty clear. I don’t see how Shadowsight could have gotten it wrong.”
Kestrelflight frowned. “But it doesn’t make sense,” he mewed. “Why is Dovewing named and not Tigerstar? They both fell in love with cats from different Clans. They both ran away. Why should only Dovewing be held responsible? It doesn’t seem fair.”
Jayfeather whisked his tail angrily. “Why am I named? Or Lionblaze? When have we broken the code?”
“We’ve all probably broken the code at some point,” Kestrelflight pointed out. “Without even realizing.”
“Then why isn’t every cat named?” Jayfeather snapped. “Am I going to be punished because my mother broke the code? She was the one who had kits with a cat from another Clan, not me!”
Frecklewish blinked at Jayfeather. “StarClan has spoken,” she mewed. “We have to obey.”
Jayfeather snorted. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not named! No SkyClan cat is!”
Alderheart was frowning. “I don’t understand why StarClan has decided these codebreakers should be punished now. Why not sooner? Warriors have been breaking the code for generations. Long before we were born. StarClan has never asked the Clans to suffer for it until now.”
Shadowsight’s pelt prickled uneasily. Why were the other medicine cats questioning his vision? They should act, not talk. “We’re wasting time,” he mewed. “We should be deciding what to do next.”
“Should we tell our Clans about the vision?” Willowshine’s eyes glittered darkly in the moonlight.
“No!” Jayfeather’s bind blue gaze swung toward her. “Can you imagine what Bramblestar will do when he knows who to blame?”
“We can’t keep it to ourselves,” Alderheart argued. “It’s too important.”
Frecklewish nodded. “It affects every cat in the Clans.”
Shadowsight’s belly tightened. “We have to tell them.” His Clanmates had already suffered too much because of his silence.
Kestrelflight nodded. “If it’s true, our Clanmates must know.”
“They should have known sooner,” Puddleshine murmured.
Shadowsight felt the sting of his denmate’s words. He’s angry because I kept the vision to myself.
Alderheart swished his tail. “The sooner the codebreakers atone, the sooner the Clans will be safe.”
Frecklewish lifted her muzzle. “Let’s go home and tell our leaders what we’ve learned.”
Willowshine’s ears twitched. “Let’s hope they know what to do.”
The chill of the hollow cut through Shadowsight’s pelt. He had a second confession to make. He braced himself. He’d known from the start the next one would be harder: he was going to have to tell Tigerstar that he’d broken his promise and told the other medicine cats. He tried not to picture his father’s anger, but he knew he was going to have to face it eventually. Fear fluttered in his chest, and yet he still felt relieved. He’d shared his vision at last. Now the Clans could take action and his Clanmates’ suffering could end.
He watched Jayfeather settle beside the Moonpool. The blind medicine cat touched his nose to the water. Did he still hope that StarClan would share with him tonight? As Jayfeather closed his eyes, the ThunderClan medicine cat’s words rang in Shadowsight’s ears. Can you imagine what Bramblestar will do when he knows who to blame? Shadowsight stifled a shudder. Would his vision end his Clanmates’ suffering, or make it worse?
Shadowsight waited until dawn. He’d given up trying to sleep and was watching anxiously from his nest. At last, as pale light began to loosen the shadows, he heard the paw steps of the dawn patrol gathering in the clearing. Heart quickening, he crept from his nest and waited until Snaketooth, Yarrowleaf, Conefoot, and Gullswoop headed out of camp, then ducked outside and crossed to his father’s den.
“Tigerstar,” he whispered into the darkness, his heart pounding so hard that he felt his body pulse with its beat. Puddleshine had offered to come with him to tell Tigerstar about last night’s meeting, but this was something Shadowsight wanted to do alone. He was the one who had betrayed his father’s trust.
Bracken rustled inside, and Shadowsight stepped back as he heard paw steps cross the den.
His father emerged, blinking, into the clearing. “Is something wrong?” His eyes rounded with worry as he scanned the sleeping camp.
“The Clan is safe,” Shadowsight reassured him.
Dovewing slid past Tigerstar and looked anxiously at Shadowsight. “It’s early,” she mewed. “Is everything okay?”
“I have something to tell you.” Shadowsight glanced over his shoulder to make sure no cat was listening. “About the half-moon meeting.”
Tigerstar’s gaze darkened. Had he guessed?
Dovewing tipped her head seriously. “It sounds serious.”
“It is.” Shadowsight held his father’s gaze, his breath shallow. “I told the other medicine cats about my vision.”
Anger flashed in Tigerstar’s eyes.
Dovewing looked puzzled. “What vision?”
“The one StarClan sent me.” Shadowsight dragged his gaze to his mother. “It told me that there are codebreakers in the Clans, and that the Clans must suffer because of them.”
Dovewing’s ears pricked. “Codebreakers?”
“They named cats who have broken the warrior code.” His throat tightened. He had to force himself not to look away. “You were one of them.”
Dovewing seemed to flinch. She looked anxiously at Tigerstar. “And your father?”
“They didn’t name him.”
“Who else?” Fear sharpened Dovewing’s mew.
“Crowfeather and Squirrelflight.” Shadowsight didn’t dare look at Tigerstar. From the corner of his eye, he could see his father’s breath billowing in the cold morning air. He wanted to ask for forgiveness for what he’d done. Instead he pressed on. “Jayfeather, Twigbranch, Lionblaze, and Mothwing.”
“Is that all?” His mother stared at him.
“That’s all they showed me.”
“We can’t be the only warriors who have broken the code.” Dovewing swung her muzzle toward Tigerstar. “You broke it too. Why aren’t you named?”
Tigerstar was staring at Shadowsight. “You shouldn’t have told them,” he growled. His tail flicked ominously.
“I had to.” Shadowsight held his ground. “Bad things kept happening to our Clanmates. Antfur died. It was a sign from StarClan, don’t you see? They warned me that cats would have to pay a price, that they would have to suffer. . . . I had to tell the others so terrible things would stop happening.”