Эрин Хантер - Fading Echoes

“That’s dumb,” Briarlight rasped. “Why would any cat want to be like this?”

“It’s just how mothers think.” His thoughts flashed to Leafpool. Would she have taken his blindness to spare him?

“Careful!” Briarlight’s mew brought him back. “I smoothed that fur down earlier and now you’re rubbing it the wrong way.”

“Sorry.” Jayfeather felt a glimmer of relief at hearing her old spark.

“Washing myself is about all I can do these days,” she went on. “You don’t have to mess it up.”

Jayfeather purred and smoothed her fur back down with his tongue.

The brambles rustled.

“Jayfeather?”

Dustpelt was standing in the entrance. “Firestar’s called a meeting of the senior warriors,” he meowed. “He wants you there too.”

Jayfeather hesitated. Who was going to watch Briarlight?

“I’ll be okay.” The young warrior guessed what he was thinking. “In fact, I’ll enjoy the peace.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay.”

He pushed his way out of the den and sniffed carefully. Firestar was sitting in the crook of a beech bough, out of hearing of the rest of the Clan. Graystripe, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Dustpelt, Thornclaw, Sandstorm, Brightheart, and Cloudtail sat below him, flavoring the air with their anticipation. Jayfeather took his place beside them.

“Thank you for joining us.” Firestar’s tail brushed the beech bark. The leader was agitated. “Ivypaw has had a dream.”

“What’s that got to do with us?” Dustpelt called.

Firestar’s claws scraped the bark. “I think it’s a sign from StarClan.”

“Ivypaw?” Thornclaw’s mew was scornful.

“Why not?” Brightheart prickled in defense of her kin.

“Our daughter’s kit wouldn’t lie,” Cloudtail growled.

Thornclaw’s pelt bristled. “I’m not saying she’d lie,” he retorted. “I just want to know the reason Firestar’s taken it so seriously.”

Graystripe’s paws shifted. “She seemed to know more than she should.”

Thornclaw huffed. “Apprentices always know more than they should!”

“This was different.” Brambleclaw’s tail swept the earth.

Jayfeather listened in silence. Ivypaw? Dreaming? What was StarClan doing sending her messages? He pricked his ears.

“Okay, okay.” Dustpelt snorted impatiently. “Let’s say this dream was a message from StarClan. What was it?”

“She dreamed that ShadowClan had invaded,” Firestar told them. “That the stream along the clearing where Twolegs come in greenleaf was running with ThunderClan blood.”

Jayfeather felt anxiety sweep through the warriors.

“Do we know what it means?” Thornclaw demanded.

“It’s pretty easy to guess,” Dustpelt scoffed. “ShadowClan wants to push the advantage they got from being given the clearing in the first place. They want more of our territory.”

Anger flashed from Firestar, but he kept his voice level as he answered the dusky warrior. “The decisions I make may not always be right, but they are based on reason and experience.”

“No cat doubts your reason,” Dustpelt conceded. “But any cat with any experience must know that ShadowClan will always take advantage wherever they can.”

A growl rumbled in Graystripe’s throat. “There’s always the hope that if we treat them like true warriors they’ll start acting with honor instead of preying on weakness wherever they find it.”

“Enough!” Firestar lost patience. “We’re here to discuss the safety of ThunderClan, not ShadowClan’s honor. If Ivypaw’s dream is right, we must act.”

“Good!” Dustpelt’s claws scraped the ground.

“Jayfeather?”

He looked up.

“Have you had any warning from StarClan about ShadowClan?”

“No.” Not about ShadowClan.

“We don’t need warnings from StarClan!” rumbled Dustpelt. “We’ve had enough warnings from ShadowClan!”

“They have been crossing the border lately,” Squirrelflight agreed.

“It might be best to nip any trouble in the bud,” Sandstorm ventured.

“But how?” wondered Brightheart.

Dustpelt stood up. “Well, we gave the clearing to them. We should take it back!”

“It was ours to begin with,” Cloudtail agreed.

“And with leaf-bare coming,” Graystripe chipped in, “the extra hunting would be useful.”

Jayfeather could feel unease pulsing from Firestar’s pelt. “I don’t like to go back on my word,” he growled.

“This is ShadowClan we’re dealing with!” Thornclaw reminded him. “A warrior’s word means nothing to them.”

“And if Ivypaw’s right,” Firestar murmured, “then we risk our lives by delaying.”

Jayfeather sighed. He knew what this meant. In his head, he began to tally the herbs in his store. Was there enough marigold? It was the best medicine for gashes and bites.

“We must attack before they do,” Firestar decided.

“Now?” Dustpelt was pacing.

“Not yet,” Firestar cautioned. “I must warn them first.”

“Warn them?” Brambleclaw sounded shocked. “You’ll have lost the battle before you’ve begun it!”

“We can win any battle,” Firestar told him. “I’m going to give Blackstar a chance to surrender the clearing peacefully.”

Cloudtail spluttered with disbelief. “As if!”

“I must give him the chance,” Firestar insisted. “No blood will be spilled needlessly.” He leaped down from the bough.

Where’s Lionblaze? Jayfeather suddenly realized that his brother wasn’t in the hollow. He needed to know what was happening here. Jayfeather hurried after Firestar. “Can I go and find Lionblaze?”

“No time,” Firestar replied. “I want you to come with me.” He called to his deputy. “Brambleclaw! Let Graystripe finish organizing the patrols. I want you with us.”

Jayfeather flattened his ears. It was a huge show of trust for Firestar to visit the ShadowClan camp with his deputy and medicine cat. Especially with a proposal like this one. Foreboding swelled in his belly.

What if this was exactly what Tigerstar wanted? After all, he’d won Tigerheart over to his side. How many other ShadowClan cats had he recruited?

Brambleclaw seemed less concerned about where they were going than what they were leaving behind. “Is it wise to leave the camp so vulnerable?”

“Vulnerable?” Graystripe echoed. “Are you calling us mouse-hearts?”

There was warmth in the gray warrior’s mew. But he had a point. Even with Firestar and Brambleclaw gone, the camp would be well guarded.

But, Jayfeather wondered with a chill, what if they never came back?

Frost-hardened leaves crunched underpaw as they padded through the forest. When they approached the ShadowClan border, Firestar and Brambleclaw tasted the air. Hope prickled from their pelts. Jayfeather guessed they were looking for traces of ShadowClan this side of the scent line. Was Ivypaw’s dream enough of a reason to attack? Had it really come from StarClan?

Firestar paused at the border, then crossed it. The air was fragrant with pine, the ground soft underpaw, thick with fallen needles. Jayfeather felt his leader push away his last tremor of doubt. Brambleclaw padded at his side, determined and calm, while Jayfeather trailed behind.

“Keep up,” Brambleclaw ordered. “We’re on enemy territory.”

As he spoke Jayfeather felt alarm flare from among the trees ahead. “Patrol!” he warned.

Firestar halted. “We’ve come to speak with Blackstar!” His voice echoed through the pines.

Jayfeather recognized the scent of Toadfoot and Ratscar. Their paws scuffed the needles, wariness fizzing in their pelts.

“What do you want with him?” Ratscar growled.