Fading Echoes

“Who—” Ivypaw didn’t get a chance to finish her question. Hawkfrost slammed into her, flinging her down and pinning her shoulders to the ground. He leaned in close, baring his teeth. “I’ve warned you before about getting distracted,” he growled.

She struggled to her paws, eager to examine the newcomer, but wary of taking her eyes from Hawkfrost.

The blue-eyed tom nodded. “Meet Tigerstar.”

With his permission, Ivypaw turned to stare at the dark warrior. He was bigger than Brambleclaw and his pelt was crisscrossed with scars. “T-Tigerstar?” She’d heard many stories about this warrior, stories that made her paws tremble.

She was surprised when his gaze softened. “Don’t believe everything you hear, little one,” he rumbled.

Could he read her mind? “I—I wasn’t,” she stammered. “I mean, I didn’t…”

Tigerstar weaved around her, his pelt brushing hers. “You’re among friends now, Ivypaw,” he murmured. “I know what the Clan cats say about me. But they can’t see into my heart.” He sat down. “Success is lonely. I was punished for wanting to lead my Clan. They misunderstood my desire to guide them through hardship. And so they forced me to leave.”

“You mean ThunderClan?” Ivypaw struggled to remember the details of the nursery tales she’d heard.

“They were my birth Clan.” Tigerstar sighed. “If I’d led them, they would not have lost so many. Instead they drove me out. But they could not destroy my loyalty to the Clan that raised me.”

Ivypaw narrowed her eyes. “But you led ShadowClan.”

“What else could I do?” Tigerstar shrugged. “Turn rogue? What true warrior would do that?” He leaned toward her, his eyes round and sincere. “We are Clanmates in every way.” He turned to Hawkfrost. “How’s she doing?”

Hawkfrost flicked Ivypaw’s flank with his tail. “Show him.”

“Show him what?” Ivypaw suddenly felt nervous.

Hawkfrost cocked his head. “How fast you can turn. How accurately you can pounce.”

Ivypaw dropped to her belly, then sprang up, pushing with her hind legs as hard as she could. She landed and turned instantly on one hind paw, then leaped again, landing on a twig that she’d fixed in her gaze. She plucked it up with her forepaw and snapped it in midair. Then she came to rest, paws straight, tail down, muscles tensed to leap again if she had to.

“Very neat,” Tigerstar murmured. He padded toward her and without warning stretched out a massive forepaw and tossed one of the broken pieces of twig into the air. It arced over her head.

“Catch it!” he ordered.

Without thinking, Ivypaw jumped, twisted in midair, and stretched to pluck the twig from the air, catching it without effort and landing on three legs. Pleased with herself, she dropped the twig at Tigerstar’s paws.

Tigerstar’s amber gaze glowed. “She’s ready,” he purred to Hawkfrost.

Excitement thrilled through Ivypaw. “Ready for what?”

Tigerstar swung his gaze toward her. His eyes narrowed very slightly. “I hadn’t planned on telling you yet…” He glanced at Hawkfrost as though debating. “But I suppose the sooner we act, the safer your Clanmates will be.”

Ivypaw leaned forward. Was ThunderClan in danger?

“ShadowClan is planning to invade your territory.”

“Invade?” Ivypaw’s heart quickened. She knew there’d been activity near the border, but not enough to suggest an immediate threat. “Why?”

With a sigh, Tigerstar began to explain. “Many moons ago, Firestar gave a large strip of your territory to ShadowClan. He told his Clanmates they had no use for it. That it would be a hassle to defend.”

Ivypaw blinked. “He gave it away?” She knew it was only the piece of land Twolegs used to build greenleaf nests, but anything that pushed the ShadowClan border farther from the prey-rich forest must be important. And she had always assumed ShadowClan had won it by force. “Why?”

Tigerstar shook his head sadly. “Firestar’s been afraid of ShadowClan since he left his kittypet life. The stories of their ferociousness always seemed to get under his fur.”

“But Firestar’s not frightened of anything!” Ivypaw objected.

“Really?” Tigerstar looked surprised. “I suppose he must appear that way to an apprentice. But I knew him before he was a warrior, when he was young enough to believe nursery stories.”

“He wouldn’t still believe such nonsense!” Ivypaw exclaimed.

“Of course not.” Tigerstar tucked his tail over his paws. “What warrior would? But still he decided that it was easier to give up territory than risk lives defending it. And unfortunately ShadowClan saw it as weakness, not wisdom.”

Suspicion pricked in Ivypaw’s pelt. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked. “You were once ShadowClan’s leader. Why do you want to give away their plans?”

Tigerstar’s gaze sharpened. “ThunderClan is my birth Clan. My loyalty lies with them even though they drove me out and forced me to beg for a home with another Clan.” He glanced at his paws. “I’d rather be a humble warrior than live outside the Clans, without the warrior code to guide my paws.” He looked up. “ThunderClan must be warned of the danger.”

“You really think they’ll invade?”