Fading Echoes

Tigerheart had nodded at Ivypaw. A tiny nod. So tiny that Dovepaw wondered if she had imagined it. Then the ShadowClan warrior turned and vanished into the battle, his pelt blurring alongside Owlfur’s as he fought Thornclaw and Foxleap.

Dovepaw waited for relief to come. Her sister was safe. Tigerheart had not hurt her. But there was no relief inside her. Some other emotion jabbed her belly. A feeling that said she didn’t want Tigerheart to look at Ivypaw that way. The same way he had looked at Dovepaw when he told her he wanted to stay friends.

Am I jealous?

Dovepaw tried to shake the nagging pang away.

Why had Tigerheart looked at Ivypaw like that? Had he recognized the silver-and-white she-cat as Dovepaw’s sister?

No. That wasn’t the look. Something else had lit his gaze, something far more knowing. It almost looked as if they’d met before. But I would know! Dovepaw bristled. Had Ivypaw been sneaking out of camp to meet the ShadowClan warrior? Was that why there was so much distance between the sisters now? Was that why Tigerheart had sought Dovepaw’s friendship?

There is no time for this! A voice inside her told her that she was putting herself and her Clan in danger. Her Clanmates needed her. She would have to wait to sort out what was going on with Ivypaw later. Right now, she needed to fight.

She turned and swiped at the hind legs of Owlclaw, then sank her teeth into Crowfrost’s tail. His yowl of agony sent energy surging through her, and as he turned she reared up, ready to take him on.

A yowl of rage rent the air. Dovepaw ducked out of Toadfoot’s way and spun around. At the edge of the trees, Russetfur was attacking Firestar. She held his throat in her jaws, a stream of drool swinging from her straining cheek. Firestar thrashed desperately but she didn’t let go.

A golden pelt streaked through the trees.

Lionblaze!

Dovepaw blinked as her mentor hurled himself at Russetfur. At first the she-cat didn’t move. Then, claws stretched, eyes wild, Lionblaze caught hold of the ShadowClan deputy and dragged her backward, off her hind paws. As he did, Firestar stumbled and collapsed to the ground, blood pumping from his neck.

Chapter 24

Lionblaze nosed Dovepaw up the tree trunk and turned to face the ShadowClan attack. Brambleclaw’s idea had to work. The battle in the clearing was going badly, because none of them had figured they wouldn’t be able to hold their footing on the smooth, short grass. They needed to take the fighting to somewhere ThunderClan held the advantage. Maybe Firestar was right to start training the apprentices up in the trees. Hopefully they’d fight better among the pines.

Blackstar burst out of the brambles. “Can’t you even respect the border you just made?”

Lionblaze unsheathed his claws.

“Where are the rest of you?”

He felt a glimmer of satisfaction at Blackstar’s confusion. Power pulsed through his paws and he braced himself for the attack. ShadowClan warriors streamed through the trees. They were furious, their faces twisted with outrage, their yowls edged with fury as they spun in surprise.

“Now!”

On Thornclaw’s signal, ThunderClan warriors swooped like hawks from the branches. Lionblaze relished ShadowClan’s yowls of bewilderment. The battle exploded around him, shrieks echoing through the pines.

Scorchfur.

Lionblaze glimpsed the streak of gray pelt a moment before the ShadowClan warrior rammed him. He fell skidding across the needles, slowing himself by digging his claws deep into the earth. Scorchfur has no idea who he’s dealing with. Drawing himself to his paws, Lionblaze faced his attacker.

Scorchfur’s face was a mask of anger. The gray tom’s eyes were lit with a self-righteous rage, as though he’d been wronged by this battle.

Maybe he had.

Lionblaze felt his paws freeze.

All this because of the dream of one apprentice. An apprentice who’d never before shown any sign of a connection with StarClan.

He shook the doubt away.

Ivypaw was Dovepaw’s sister. That was proof enough that they could trust her.

Scorchfur reared and clawed at his ear. Lionblaze felt only a distant prick of pain. Power was stirring beneath his pelt. Strength rose from his belly, flooding every muscle.

Around him the battle seemed to slow down.

The cats fought as if in water, each blow an arcing sweep of paw, each lunge a dragging leap that Lionblaze could watch unfold moment upon moment. Around him, the shrieking seemed to fade, and yet he saw curses billow from snarling jaws.

He saw Snowbird face Rosepetal, her green eyes betraying every thought as they flitted like butterflies, assessing Rosepetal’s position, moving to fix on her strike point, half closing as she bunched her muscles and prepared to jump.