Tigerheart’s pelt crawled with resentment. Now Rowanstar was behaving like a leader—over a piece of prey!
“I did the right thing,” Tigerheart felt certain now. His worry over Dovewing hadn’t influenced him. His instinct had been true: Warriors should be fair, and keeping peace with their neighbors was more important than one catch. “It was clearly Plumwillow’s rabbit. And if there’s one rabbit in the forest, there must be more. Let’s catch our own prey, not steal from other Clans.”
Rowanstar narrowed his eyes. “It was our rabbit,” he growled softly. “We have to make SkyClan pay for stealing it.”
“I gave it to them!” Frustration rippled beneath Tigerheart’s pelt.
But his father wasn’t listening. The ShadowClan leader nodded to Juniperclaw. “Come with me.” Glancing around the clearing, he called to the cats watching around the camp. “Snowbird, Whorlpaw, Scorchfur, Flowerpaw, Grassheart, Stonewing! Follow me.”
He marched out of camp. His Clanmates followed, exchanging approving glances, their pelts rippling with excitement. Tigerheart dug his claws into the ground. He’d stayed to save his Clan, and they weren’t even listening to him. Was Rowanstar really going to start a war over a rabbit?
He felt fur brush his flank. Tawnypelt’s mew sounded in his ear. “It looks like old times,” she murmured wistfully as the warriors disappeared from camp.
Tigerheart didn’t look at her. “He’s wrong.”
“He’s fighting for his Clan.” There was relief in her mew. She was clearly pleased to see Rowanstar being so strong. “Why don’t you go with him? He wants to teach you how to lead. It’ll be your turn one day.”
Dread dropped like a stone in Tigerheart’s belly. My turn. He was going to be tied to ShadowClan forever. What about Dovewing?
Tawnypelt nudged him forward. “Go on.”
Reluctantly, Tigerheart followed his father and Clanmates out of camp. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to stop the war Rowanstar seemed so intent on starting. As he hurried through the woods, tracking the path of scuffed pine needles, he couldn’t help thinking Plumwillow had been right. We are keeping your borders safe while you recover. ShadowClan was weak. It needed allies on its borders while it recovered, not enemies.
He remembered his dream and saw the strong sunshine glinting on his pelt as the shadows deepened around him. He saw the long, dark shadow he cast. I must be the sun from Puddleshine’s vision. Rowanstar is only leading them into trouble.
He caught up with the ShadowClan patrol as they neared the SkyClan camp. Surely SkyClan would hear them coming? They weren’t trying to hide their paw steps, and he could hear their voices before he saw them.
“We’ll show them!” Juniperclaw muttered angrily.
“No one steals our prey,” growled Snowbird.
“Tigerheart.” Rowanstar turned to look at him as he slid past Stonewing and Scorchfur. “You’ve come to see how a Clan fights for its honor.” Pride burned so fiercely in his father’s eyes that Tigerheart felt a twinge of pity. You are wrong. But Juniperclaw and Snowbird were plucking excitedly at the ground while Grassheart and Scorchfur’s pelts rippled. They were clearly relishing the prospect of a battle.
The wide stretch of bracken that hid the entrance to SkyClan’s camp shivered. Leafstar pushed her way through. Plumwillow, Sandynose, and Sparrowpelt followed at her heels. The warriors stopped and stared quizzically at the ShadowClan patrol.
“Is something wrong?” Leafstar asked.
“You stole a rabbit of ours.” Rowanstar cut straight to the point.
Juniperclaw snorted, and Stonewing raised his hackles aggressively.
Leafstar looked puzzled.
“I chased a rabbit over the scent line and killed it on ShadowClan land,” Plumwillow explained.
Leafstar’s gaze remained fixed on Rowanstar as Plumwillow went on.
“But Tigerheart said I could keep it, so I brought it back to camp.”
“Tigerheart was wrong.” Rowanstar glared at Leafstar. “SkyClan should know better than to take prey killed on another Clan’s land. Or perhaps you forgot the warrior code while you were in the gorge.”
Leafstar’s fur twitched irritably along her spine, but her eyes remained calm. “We know the warrior code. And so, I assume, does Tigerheart. He let Plumwillow take the rabbit. I guess he had his reasons.”
Tigerheart shifted uneasily. He still believed he’d made the right decision. SkyClan was worth keeping as an ally. But his Clanmates clearly disagreed. Scorchfur shot him a look of reproach. Tigerheart ignored it. This was Rowanstar’s moment. Perhaps this challenge to SkyClan would regain him the respect and loyalty of his Clan.
It might also make enemies when ShadowClan needed enemies least.
“Tigerheart was wrong,” Rowanstar growled again.
Leafstar whisked her tail lightly. “Even if he was, we can’t give back what we’ve already eaten.”
“Already?” Juniperclaw glared distrustfully at Leafstar.
“Do you think I’m lying?” Leafstar returned the warrior’s gaze unwaveringly.
“I think SkyClan should be taught some respect,” the black tom hissed. He glanced at Rowanstar, as though asking permission to attack.
Rowanstar glanced around his warriors, then flicked his tail. “Battle stances!” he ordered.
No! Tigerheart’s pelt bushed with alarm. As Juniperclaw, Scorchfur, Grassheart, and the others crouched, ready to leap, he shot between the two groups of warriors. “We can’t fight over a rabbit!” he yowled. He glared at his Clanmates, facing them with bared teeth.
They blinked at him, shock freezing them where they stood.
“We need SkyClan’s friendship more than we needed that rabbit!” Tigerheart stared imploringly at his father, willing him to understand that good neighbors meant strong borders.
Rowanstar’s fur pricked. His brow furrowed as he returned Tigerheart’s gaze. Before he could speak, Leafstar cut in.
“If it’s a rabbit you want, we will give ShadowClan the next rabbit we catch.”
Relief washed Tigerheart’s pelt. At least one leader was ready to be sensible. He looked hopefully at Rowanstar. “That sounds fair,” he meowed.
Rowanstar was still staring at him. Tigerheart saw anger in his father’s eyes. His Clanmates began to shift nervously, as though uncertain what to do. They glanced at Rowanstar, but the ShadowClan leader’s attention was fixed on Tigerheart.
“I guess having their next rabbit sounds reasonable,” Snowbird mewed grudgingly.
“I suppose it shows respect,” Stonewing conceded.
Tigerheart saw his Clanmates’ fur flatten as they eased out of their battle stances. He tore his gaze from Rowanstar and nodded at Leafstar. “That sounds like a fair settlement.” He hoped she could read the gratitude in his gaze.
“We’ll leave one at the border as soon as we catch it.” She paused, her gaze flicking meaningfully around the ShadowClan cats. “As a gesture of goodwill.” With a flick of her tail, Leafstar turned toward SkyClan’s camp and led her warriors through the bracken.
As they disappeared, Tigerheart looked nervously at his Clanmates.
“I suppose we do get a rabbit.” Strikestone began to head toward the border. “And no blood shed.”
“I still wish we could have left them with a scratch or two,” Juniperclaw grunted as he followed. Snowbird and Grassheart glanced accusingly at Rowanstar, and then headed away. Flowerpaw and Snakepaw hurried after them.