Fading Echoes

As Squirrelflight left Leafpool’s side and tagged on to the patrol, Firestar signaled with his tail before ducking out of the camp. His Clanmates streamed out after him. Dovepaw sensed restlessness in the patrol as they headed for the lake in silence. Graystripe had been right: The wind had blown the sky clear and Silverpelt glittered around a full, bright moon. But the forest still dripped from the heavy rains, and Dovepaw’s fur was soon soaked as she followed her Clanmates through the wet undergrowth.

The chilly dampness seemed to have set everyone’s fur pricking with irritation.

“We’d better not find any ShadowClan stench on our land!” Foxleap growled.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brambleclaw snapped. “We’re heading around WindClan’s side of the lake. Even ShadowClan wouldn’t be dumb enough to stray that far!”

Thornclaw paused and tasted the air. “I wouldn’t put anything past ShadowClan,” he muttered.

Foxleap lashed his tail. “We should cross into ShadowClan territory and leave our scent. See how they like it!”

“Yeah!” Rosepetal agreed. “I bet they wouldn’t be too pleased.” These days the dark cream she-cat seemed to agree with every word her denmate uttered.

Mouse-brain. Dovepaw instantly felt guilty. Rosepetal was a good warrior. Still, Dovepaw hoped that she would never be too moony about a tomcat to stop thinking for herself.

“We should do it,” Lionblaze growled. “Just to show them. Though their noses are probably too filled with pine scent to notice.”

Squirrelflight bounded up the slope past the golden warrior. “Stop stirring up trouble,” she warned.

Brambleclaw reached the top of the slope and stared down at Squirrelflight. “Sometimes aggression is necessary. StarClan gave us claws for a reason.”

The orange she-cat’s eyes flashed with shock, as though his words had raked her muzzle. Lionblaze winced visibly. The patrol regrouped at the shoreline and followed the lake’s edge, keeping three tail-lengths from the water.

Dovepaw scanned the hillsides. No sign of the other Clans, and no fresh scent tainted the fallen tree spanning the watery gap between the shore and the island. As Dovepaw crossed, her claws unsheathed to grip the slippery bark, she listened past the water rippling below the trunk, beyond the wind stirring the island trees.

The clearing was empty. She hopped down from the tree-bridge. The shingle crunched beneath her paws and water soaked up through her paw fur.

“Come on,” she whispered to Blossompaw. “Let’s explore.”

“But—”

She left Blossompaw trailing as she raced through the trees. “It’s okay,” she called over her shoulder. “We’re the first here.”

Blossompaw burst from the ferns a moment after Dovepaw had skidded into the clearing at the center of the island. The air was foul with the stench of weeds rotting on the waterlogged shoreline. Dovepaw wrinkled her nose. How did RiverClan bear it?

“Wait for me!” Briarpaw hurtled from the undergrowth after them. She halted and stared around the deserted clearing. Their Clanmates were still traipsing through the bushes, tree-lengths behind them.

“Let’s climb the big tree!” Blossompaw was already racing toward the Great Oak that loomed at the head of the clearing. In a blink Blossompaw had shot up the trunk and was sitting on the lowest branch, laying her tail regally over her front paws and puffing out her chest as though she were about to address the Clans.

“I, Blossomstar, welcome you—”

“Get down!” At Squirrelflight’s stinging yowl, Blossompaw slid off the branch and tumbled to the ground.

Dovepaw spun around, startled. The orange she-cat’s eyes blazed as Blossompaw found her paws and padded, shamefaced, back across the clearing.

“How dare you?” Squirrelflight scolded. “What must StarClan think?”

“Oops,” Briarpaw whispered, pressing close to Dovepaw.

Millie jumped out of the ferns, her eyes darting from Squirrelflight to Blossompaw.

Blossompaw was limping slightly. The gray warrior darted to her daughter’s side. “Are you okay?” She sniffed at Blossompaw’s leg.

“It’s fine,” Blossompaw assured her. “I just landed awkwardly.”

“What were you doing?”

Blossompaw hung her head. “I wanted to know what it was like to sit in the Great Oak. Squirrelflight made me jump by shouting at me and I fell out.”

Millie shot an angry glance at Squirrelflight. “There was no need to frighten her! She could have hurt herself badly.”

“She shouldn’t have been sitting in the tree in the first place,” Squirrelflight pointed out.

“She’s just a ’paw,” Millie reminded Squirrelflight.

“She’s old enough to know better!” Squirrelflight turned as Jayfeather emerged from the ferns. “Will you check Blossompaw?” she asked. “She’s had a fall.”

Firestar slid from the bushes. “Who’s had a fall?”

“It was nothing,” Blossompaw mewed, as Jayfeather checked her leg. “I’m fine.”

Firestar’s gaze swept from Squirrelflight to Millie, their pelts ruffled.