The Silent Thaw

Chapter 6

Shadowsight tucked a loose bracken stalk into the nest he’d woven and sat back to check his work. A rustle above him made him look up. Through the roof of the medicine den, he saw a bird swoop low, settling for a moment on the brambles before fluttering away. He pricked his ears hopefully. Was that the sign he’d been waiting for? He’d been on tenterhooks all morning, jumping at every sound and movement in case it turned out to be a message from StarClan. Above him, the bird had disappeared, leaving no trace. His heart sank. It’s not a sign. I’d have known if it was.

He looked back to the nest. It was neat and, once he’d lined it with moss, would make a comfortable bed for an injured cat. As he gazed at the long, clean strands of bracken lit by the sunshine flooding through the entrance, his thoughts drifted to last night’s Gathering. Bramblestar had asked him directly if he’d heard from StarClan. He’d hated lying, but he’d promised Tigerstar he wouldn’t share his vision about the codebreakers. What he’d told Bramblestar had been partly true. StarClan hadn’t shared with him when he’d visited the Moonpool with the other medicine cats, and hadn’t spoken to him since.

Worry wormed beneath Shadowsight’s pelt. He’d grown used to the idea of being StarClan’s chosen cat. So why wouldn’t they speak to him now? Had he done something wrong?

Puddleshine was on the other side of the den, pulling apart an old nest that had grown damp and moldy over the long leaf-bare. He caught Shadowsight’s eye. “Don’t just look at it,” he told him as Shadowsight stared at the nest. “Put some moss in.”

Shadowsight blinked at him, startled from his thoughts. “Sure.” He reached for the moss piled beside him.

“Is everything okay?” Puddleshine tipped his head, concerned. “You’ve been distracted since we got back from the Gathering.”

“Do you think Bramblestar’s right?” Shadowsight ripped a wad of moss from the pile and began to press it into the nest. “About StarClan being angry at us for breaking the code?”

“I don’t think it helps to try to second-guess StarClan.” Puddleshine tore open a bunch of tangled stems. “They’ll let us know if we’re doing something wrong.”

“What about my vision?” Shadowsight remembered with a shudder how he’d seen fire rise from the lake and reach out along the Clan boundaries, dividing the Clans with flame before spreading to consume all their land.

“It was scary.” Puddleshine frowned thoughtfully. “But there’s no reason to think it was anything to do with breaking the warrior code.”

“I guess not.” Shadowsight kept his gaze on his work, his pelt suddenly hot. Puddleshine doesn’t know what I know. Guilt wormed in his belly as he tucked the moss between the bracken stems. StarClan showed me the codebreakers. What if the fire vision was a warning? Would the Clans burn if they didn’t acknowledge the codebreakers? I have to tell them! But how could he betray his father? And what would happen to Dovewing if he did? She had been one of the cats in his codebreaker vision. His chest tightened. Am I making everything worse by keeping quiet?

He had to speak to Tigerstar. He couldn’t keep ignoring the vision and hoping that everything would work itself out. There was too much at risk.

As he headed for the entrance, Puddleshine looked up. “Aren’t you going to finish the nest?”

“I’ll finish it when I get back.” Shadowsight avoided Puddleshine’s eye. He didn’t want to explain where he was going. He ducked outside, relieved that he was a full medicine cat now and Puddleshine couldn’t tell him what to do.

Outside, Tigerstar was rummaging through the fresh-kill pile. The patrols were gone for the morning, and the clearing was empty apart from the Clan leader. Shadowsight crossed it and stopped beside his father.

Tigerstar blinked at him distractedly, as though his thoughts were elsewhere. “Last night, the other Clans said prey was running well,” he mewed. “But it’s still thin on the ground here.” He sat down, his tail flicking uneasily.

“Tigerstar.” Shadowsight tried to catch his eye, but Tigerstar didn’t seem to be listening.

“I wish I knew why,” he murmured. “It’s been cold, but no colder than in WindClan or RiverClan territory.”

Shadowsight tried to get his attention again, leaning closer. “I have to talk to you.”

“I guess I could ask Cloverfoot to double up the hunting patrols.” Tigerstar frowned, his gaze flitting around the deserted clearing. “But we’re already sending out six patrols every day.”

Frustration welled in Shadowsight’s chest. His father needed to listen. “It’s important,” he pressed.

Tigerstar looked at him hazily. “What is?”

“I have to tell the Clans about the codebreakers.”

Tigerstar’s gaze suddenly focused. He stiffened. “No.”

“But what if keeping quiet is making things worse?” Fear jabbed Shadowsight’s belly.

Tigerstar squared his shoulders. “We’ve just survived the hardest leaf-bare any cat has ever known. Things are going to get better.”

“But what about my vision about the fire? There could be a threat to all the Clans—”

“I know you’re worried.” Tigerstar blinked at him reassuringly. “But this is the best way, I promise.”

“I’m not sure it is.” Shadowsight dug his claws into the earth, wondering how his father would react to what he said next. “I want to protect Dovewing, too, but isn’t that selfish? I can’t keep this a secret from the Clans because I’m worried about my own kin.”

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. “You heard Bramblestar last night. He wants to make an example of any warrior who breaks the code. If you tell him that StarClan is worried about codebreakers, who knows what he’ll do. ThunderClan has always thought it was better than the rest of us. They’ll use this to make the lives of the other Clans miserable.”

“You can’t be sure of that,” Shadowsight argued. “What if this means that Bramblestar’s right? StarClan may not return until we deal with the codebreakers.”

“‘Deal with’?” Tigerstar’s gaze hardened. “What do you mean, ‘deal with’?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “What do you think will happen to Dovewing—to any of the codebreakers—if we tell the Clans about your vision?”

“I’m sure StarClan just wants the codebreakers to acknowledge what they’ve done,” Shadowsight mewed, hoping he was right. “I can’t believe that StarClan would want to hurt any cat.”

“It’s not StarClan I’m worried about,” Tigerstar mewed darkly. “You don’t know what Bramblestar is like. He thinks he can use this to make ThunderClan stronger and the other Clans weaker. He’ll hurt us if he gets the chance.” He leaned closer to Shadowsight, fear flashing in his eyes. “You said it yourself—I don’t want to risk Dovewing’s safety, and I know you don’t either. We both love her too much.”

A chill ran along Shadowsight’s spine. Was Tigerstar right? Even if he is, can I risk the safety of all the Clans just to save one cat I love? He blinked back at his father. “But—”

Tigerstar interrupted. “We have no choice,” he meowed darkly. “This has to remain between you and me.”

Shadowsight watched his father stalk away and disappear into his den. His belly felt suddenly hollow. He understood why Tigerstar wanted to protect Dovewing. He wanted to protect her too. Bramblestar had seemed far too eager to accuse cats he believed were codebreakers. There had been little sympathy in the ThunderClan leader’s call to expose them. What if he did want to exploit StarClan’s silence to impose ThunderClan’s authority over the rest of the Clans? But StarClan sent me the vision. Shadowsight couldn’t ignore the feeling that his ancestors wanted him to share it.

His ears pricked. A panicked yowl rang outside camp. “Shadowsight!” He recognized Lightleap’s mew. Pelt spiking with alarm, Shadowsight raced for the camp entrance.

Lightleap was pushing her way through with Flaxfoot. Snowbird limped between them.

The white she-cat’s cat face was twisted with pain. She held her forepaw off the ground, and Shadowsight could see at once that it was badly twisted.

“She slipped.” Lightleap pushed past him as she helped Snowbird toward the medicine den.

Puddleshine hurried out, his eyes round with concern. “What happened?”

“Snowbird hurt her paw.” Shadowsight padded beside his sister, peering past her to see Snowbird’s paw. It hung limply, pointing the wrong way. It must be broken.

“She slipped as we were jumping over a log,” Flaxfoot told him. “She landed badly.”

Snowbird closed her eyes and let out a long, agonized breath.

“I’ll get some comfrey and poppy seeds.” Puddleshine ducked back into the medicine den, and Shadowsight followed as Flaxfoot and Lightleap helped Snowbird inside behind him.

Shadowsight hurried past them and quickly piled the remaining moss into the nearly finished nest. He pressed it down quickly. It would have to do for now. “Lay her here,” he told Lightleap.

Lightleap and Flaxfoot helped Snowbird to the nest and let her slump gently onto the moss. She grunted as she slid down.

Puddleshine padded to the nest, a wad of comfrey leaves between his jaws. He dropped and unrolled them to reveal a scattering of poppy seeds in the middle. After dabbing the seeds with his pad, he offered them to Snowbird. She licked them from his paw and lay back, her eyes glittering with pain. Puddleshine nudged Lightleap toward the entrance. “Go and finish your hunting,” he told the brown tabby she-cat. “We’ll take care of Snowbird.”

“But I want to see that she’s okay.” Lightleap pricked her ears.

Puddleshine nosed Flaxfoot after her. “If you want to help”—he steered them toward the entrance—“go find four smooth, straight sticks we can use as a splint.”

“Can’t we wait here to see if her paw will be okay?” Lightleap looked pleadingly at Shadowsight.

“I’ll come and find you when we’ve finished treating her,” he promised. “I’ll let you know how she’s doing then.”

“We need those sticks,” Puddleshine told the two young warriors as he ran a gentle paw over Snowbird’s leg.

As Lightleap and Flaxfoot trailed reluctantly from the den, Shadowsight padded to Puddleshine’s side. “Is it broken?” he asked softly.

Puddleshine nodded, avoiding Snowbird’s gaze.

The white she-cat blinked at Shadowsight. “Can you fix it?”

It looked like a nasty break. Shadowsight glanced hopefully at Puddleshine.

Puddleshine began to wrap comfrey around Snowbird’s paw. “The splints will help straighten it, but I don’t want to set the bone until the poppy seeds have started working.” He looked evenly at Snowbird. “I’m afraid it will hurt.”

“I don’t care.” Snowbird lifted her muzzle defiantly. “Just fix it. I don’t want to have a limp.”

Shadowsight caught Puddleshine’s eye. He saw darkness in the medicine cat’s gaze. Would Snowbird’s paw fully heal? Worry settled around his heart. Snowbird was a brave and loyal warrior. How could StarClan have let this happen to her?

Shadowsight hurried through the forest in search of Lightleap and Flaxfoot. They hadn’t returned with the sticks yet. Snowbird was sleeping in the medicine den, her paw wrapped in thick layers of comfrey. He tasted the air, picking up Lightleap’s trail. Flaxfoot’s scent mingled with it. He followed the warriors’ trail through the woods, where melting snow was still piled between roots and heaped on branches, dripping as the thaw set in for good. In a few days, the snow would be gone. Perhaps he’d feel less worried when newleaf was here. There’d be as much prey for ShadowClan as for the other Clans, and, with a full belly again, he’d feel better. His conversation with Tigerstar still nagged at his thoughts. Perhaps his father was right and he should keep the secret of the codebreakers to himself. Everything might work itself out. StarClan would return soon. After all, StarClan had always helped in the past. Why would it stop now?

He paused and scanned the trees. There was no sign of Lightleap and Flaxfoot here. Had the two warriors found the sticks and headed back to camp? He turned and followed the scent trail back the way he’d come, wondering why he hadn’t seen them. The trail veered and he quickened his step. A creak overhead made him look up. Above him, a heap of snow slithered from a branch and plummeted down. It hit him with a thud and engulfed him, knocking him off his paws. He struggled up and burst out of the drift, his eyes and ears filled with snow. Clambering onto the top of the pile, he shook out his fur and rubbed the snow from his face with a paw. Of all the trees in the forest, why did he have to be walking under this one? He glanced up indignantly, questions flashing in his mind. Why me? Why now? Why did ShadowClan have less prey than the other Clans? Why had Snowbird hurt her paw so badly?

His pelt pricked uneasily. Was StarClan trying to tell him something? He’d been hoping all day that they’d send him a sign. Perhaps this was it. If they didn’t want to speak to the Clan through the Moonpool, there were other ways to communicate. Shadowsight felt suddenly cold, and not just because the melting snow was seeping into his pelt. He hurried toward camp. The sticks could wait. He wanted to check on Snowbird. What if StarClan thought he hadn’t understood their message? Could they make her injury worse? I can’t believe that StarClan would want to hurt any cat. As he remembered what he’d told his father, doubt tugged in his belly. Perhaps StarClan would let one cat suffer if it helped all the rest. Was this their way of telling him that they wanted him to share his vision?

His heart quickened as he neared camp. Anxious mews sounded from beyond the bramble wall. Puddleshine was issuing orders. “Take him to the medicine den! Fetch cobwebs!” Shadowsight tasted the air, panic flashing beneath his pelt as its iron tang touched his tongue. Blood! He raced into camp.

As he burst from the entrance, he saw Stonewing, Antfur, and Scorchfur limping toward the medicine den. Dovewing was with them, tufts of fur sticking out of her pelt.

“What happened?” He hurried toward them. Had foxes found the patrol? Had another Clan invaded? His pelt spiked with alarm. “Were you attacked?”

Dovewing turned to meet him, her eyes wide. “A branch fell.” She was breathing rapidly. “It hit Antfur and Scorchfur.”

“Are you hurt?” Shadowsight scanned his mother’s pelt frantically. Despite the tufts of fur, she didn’t look too badly injured, although one ear was torn.

“I’m okay,” she told him. “Antfur got the worst of it.” She glanced toward the small brown-and-black tom. His eyes were glazed as Stonewing and Puddleshine guided him into the medicine den. “He was knocked unconscious. We had to carry him back.”

“And the others?” Shadowsight blinked at Scorchfur. The dark gray tom’s pelt was ragged as he limped after his Clanmates as though every paw step hurt.

“Scorchfur is badly bruised,” Dovewing told him. “I don’t think any bones are broken, though. Stonewing’s tail got trapped. We had to scoop out the earth underneath the branch to get him free.”

As Dovewing’s green eyes clouded with shock, Tigerstar padded from his den. He blinked as he saw Dovewing, his pelt bushing. “What hurt you?” He raced across the clearing, scrambling to a halt beside her and sniffing her pelt anxiously.

“A falling branch.” Dovewing nodded toward the medicine-den entrance. “Antfur’s been hurt, and Scorchfur. You’d better take a look.”

Tigerstar stared at her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded shakily. “I just want to go to our den and rest.”

“Of course.” He guided her away. “I’ll look in on the others once I’ve made sure you’re comfortable.” He looked at Shadowsight. “Will you take care of them while I see to your mother?”

“Of course.” Shadowsight gave his mother an anxious glance.

“I’ll be okay,” Dovewing reassured him. “I just need to rest. Go help Puddleshine.”

Nodding, Shadowsight ducked into the medicine den. Snowbird was still asleep. Scorchfur lay in one of the old nests, his eyes closed, but breathing steadily. Stonewing was gingerly licking his battered tail. Puddleshine leaned into a nest at the far end of the den where Antfur sat up straight, staring blankly ahead.

“What’s wrong with him?” Shadowsight hurried to his nest.

“No broken bones,” Puddleshine told him without taking his eyes off Antfur. “But the branch caught him on the head.”

There was a gash behind his ear, not that Antfur seemed to notice. He glanced strangely at Shadowsight. “Are you one of those forest cats?” He looked confused for a moment, then blinked and looked away. “I need to scavenge,” he mewed to no cat in particular. “There are hungry cats here. I know where the scrapcans are.”

Shadowsight frowned as he recognized the words from when he was a young kit. “He thinks he’s back in the city,” he whispered to Puddleshine.

“He’s dazed.” Puddleshine looked uneasily at the tom. “Rest might help.”

Antfur tried to step out of the nest. “Let’s go scavenging.”

“We can scavenge later.” Puddleshine nudged him back. “You have to rest now.”

“Why is the den spinning so fast?” Antfur wobbled and collapsed into the bracken.

“I’ll fetch some marigold,” Shadowsight mewed. “We can treat the gash, at least.” He turned away, fear opening like a bottomless pit in his belly. Another accident? On the same day? As he rummaged for marigold in the herb store, his thoughts whirled. StarClan must be trying to send him a message. What do they want? he thought desperately.

But he knew. His pelt prickled along his spine. As he took the marigold back to Antfur’s nest, Tigerstar padded into the den.

“How are they?” he asked Shadowsight as he glanced from nest to nest.

“We don’t know yet.” Shadowsight laid the dried marigold petals beside the nest.

Tigerstar padded to Scorchfur’s nest. “How did this happen?”

Scorchfur blinked at him, his pelt ruffled. “We were hunting and a branch just snapped above us.” He looked puzzled. “It wasn’t rotten,” he mewed. “There was no reason why it should have fallen.”

Shadowsight felt sick. It must be StarClan. He couldn’t keep this secret anymore. What if Tigerstar was wrong?

He had to ask another cat for advice. He glanced at Puddleshine. “Can you manage while I check on Dovewing? I want to put some marigold on her torn ear.”

“Okay.” Puddleshine nodded. “But don’t be long.”

Shadowsight grabbed a mouthful of marigold petals and hurried to the entrance. Treating his mother’s ear wasn’t the only reason he wanted to see her. She could advise him. He crossed the clearing and ducked into her den. Dovewing lay in her nest, her eyes half-closed.

Shadowsight padded forward and dropped the marigold beside her. “How are you doing?”

She blinked at him drowsily. “Just tired,” she told him. “How are the others?”

“Antfur’s a bit confused.” He didn’t tell her that the tom didn’t even know where he was. “Scorchfur will be fine with some rest.”

“Good.” Dovewing let her eyes close again.

Shadowsight took a few petals and chewed them into a pulp. He leaned into the nest and began gently to lap the ointment onto the torn edges of Dovewing’s ear. She flinched but said nothing. When he’d finished, he sat back and looked at her. “What would you do if you had a secret that might help a lot of cats, but might hurt a few if you told it?”

Dovewing tipped her head to one side and looked at him thoughtfully. “If it were me,” she mewed softly, “I’d tell the truth.” She held his gaze, and Shadowsight wondered for a moment if she was going to ask him why he wanted to know. But she didn’t. Instead she curled deeper into her nest. “You can never go wrong by telling the truth.”

Shadowsight’s pelt prickled uneasily. She was right. He had to tell the truth. The other medicine cats should know about the codebreakers. But how could he risk his mother’s safety? His heart ached as he watched Dovewing close her eyes once more. She had no idea that telling the truth might mean trouble for her. He just hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as Tigerstar feared.