She looked at Ivypool, who was salvaging clean moss from a bundle that had been dragged out of the nursery. Her sister had more than enough to worry about without Dovewing adding her concerns about her senses. Jayfeather was too busy with Foxleap and the other wounded cats, and Lionblaze was constantly out on patrol. Dovewing recalled his broken claw during the burial, and winced. She could no longer hear, and Lionblaze was able to suffer injuries.
Has something happened to all our powers?
Chapter 4
A faint three-quarter moon showed over the tops of the pine trees as the cats filed across the tree-bridge to the island. Dovewing stayed close to Ivypool, trying to comfort her sister without saying anything. Ivypool walked with her head high and her tail kinked confidently over her back, but Dovewing knew she was scared of what might be said at this meeting. Bramblestar and Jayfeather led the ThunderClan patrol, and Birchfall, Thornclaw, Mousewhisker, and Blossomfall brought up the rear. The four cats radiated tension and the fur bristled along their spines; Dovewing wished they would relax and not look as if they had something to be ashamed of.
Blackstar was already seated at the foot of the oak tree, flanked by his medicine cat, Littlecloud. Both cats looked frail and thin against the sturdy trunk. Their Clanmates Tigerheart and Ratscar sat a tail-length off, ears twitching. Bramblestar stopped halfway across the clearing and gestured with his tail to his Clanmates, inviting them to sit down. “We’ll stay here,” he mewed quietly. Dovewing felt a stab of relief that he was staying with them rather than leaving to sit with Blackstar.
Onestar arrived before the ThunderClan cats had finished settling. He was accompanied by his medicine cat, Kestrelflight, and Breezepelt. The black warrior’s eyes flashed defiantly. He clearly doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong, Dovewing thought.
The three Clans waited in silence, listening to the rustle of ferns as the last cats approached. Mistystar emerged first from the bracken followed closely by Mothwing and Icewing. Dovewing blinked. ThunderClan had brought by far the most cats! What did that say about their loyalty to the warrior code?
Bramblestar seemed to guess what his Clanmates were thinking. “The other Clans lost cats who fought with the Dark Forest,” he murmured. “All of you survived, which is why there are more of us here.”
It didn’t make Dovewing feel much better. She felt warmth on her pelt, and turned to see Tigerheart gazing at her. She looked away quickly. That was one complication she didn’t need.
Onestar spoke first. “Why are Lionblaze and Dovewing here?” he asked. “They weren’t part of the Dark Forest, were they?”
“No,” Bramblestar replied. “But they know as much about the involvement of our Clanmates in the Dark Forest as I do.” He stepped into the space between the four Clans and looked around at the other leaders. “We must pay attention to the truth of what happened and why these cats behaved as they did. The battle is over; they are no longer our enemies.”
His fur was ruffled and Dovewing knew that in spite of what he’d said, he was troubled by the presence of so many ThunderClan cats. Whatever penalty was chosen, ThunderClan would be the most affected. The atmosphere in the clearing crackled with tension. It felt strange to have the leaders standing among the other cats, and the warriors who had been associated with the Dark Forest bristled as if they were ready to defend themselves with tooth and claw.
Mistystar raised her head. “As you know, Beetlewhisker and Hollowflight were killed in the battle, so they cannot answer for anything they have done. Icewing knows her loyalty was tested by the Dark Forest, and that she failed. But she has learned from this and I do not doubt her now. She has always been a good warrior. I would like to give her the chance to be one again.”
“The same goes for Breezepelt,” Onestar declared. “We suffered great losses during the battle. Why should I want to punish one of my few remaining warriors? We need Breezepelt on patrol, not wasted because of something that has finished.”
“But they broke the warrior code!” Blackstar protested. He looked at Tigerheart and Ratscar, and his eyes were full of sorrow. “They betrayed the Clan, their leader, and themselves. How can this go unpunished?”
Onestar let his gaze rest on the ThunderClan cats. “I suppose we have to face the fact that some of our Clanmates were recruited by the Dark Forest, for whatever reason. Some Clans more than others,” he added meaningfully.
Dovewing felt her pelt burn with indignation. Bramblestar opened his mouth to speak but Mistystar interrupted him. “There must be a way to move forward without further weakening our Clans,” she meowed. “None of us can spare more warriors, so exile is not an option.”
Dovewing blinked. Exile! She hadn’t even thought that would be a possibility. She shifted closer to Ivypool. “You have to tell them what happened,” she whispered in her sister’s ear. “How Hawkfrost recruited you. You weren’t being disloyal to your Clan! They have to understand that!”
Bramblestar overheard and nodded. “Go on, Ivypool. Please.”
The gray-and-white warrior looked daunted as she moved into the center of the clearing, but when she spoke her voice was steady. “I think it would help to understand why some of us joined the Dark Forest,” she began. Onestar and Blackstar bristled but Ivypool kept talking. “It wasn’t because we hated our Clanmates, or didn’t believe in the warrior code. We thought we were learning more skills that would help the Clans. Cats from the Dark Forest sought us out in our dreams and… and used our most personal reasons for offering a different way to train.” She glanced at Dovewing, who blinked. Was I one of those reasons? she wondered in alarm. Around her, Birchfall and the others were nodding.
“Hawkfrost approached me,” Ivypool went on. “He made me believe that the best thing I could do for ThunderClan would be to train with Dark Forest warriors. I would be braver, better at fighting, more loyal to my Clanmates. He made me feel… important.” She paused for a moment, then continued. “I overheard Hawkfrost and Tigerstar planning to attack the Clans. I told my Clanmates, and became a spy, reporting everything I learned about the Dark Forest. I knew other cats from the Clans were being trained, but to avoid suspicion I didn’t say anything to them.” She looked over her shoulder at her father. “Only when the battle began did I tell them the truth, and they instantly followed me back to our Clanmates to fight alongside them. They never intended to be disloyal. Like me, they thought they were being given a chance to be better warriors.”
Breezepelt was looking smug and Dovewing felt an urge to rake his ears. She was sure he hadn’t wanted to be a better WindClan warrior. He had wanted power and strength, that was all. Birchfall leaned toward Dovewing as if he could read her thoughts. “If one of us is to be forgiven, all must be forgiven,” he mewed.
Blackstar heaved himself to his paws. “You have spoken well,” he rasped. “It’s Ivypool, isn’t it?” He peered at her, his eyes cloudy. “But I saw my own Clanmates attack each other. How was that being loyal, or a better warrior?”
“We were promised a different way to serve our Clan,” Ivypool insisted.
“I believe you,” Mistystar meowed. “Thank you, Ivypool.”
Onestar traced his forepaw in the dust. “I don’t need to know why Breezepelt made his choices. I only need to trust him from now on. Which I do.”