Dovepaw cut Jayfeather off. “There’s greencough in ShadowClan,” she mewed.
Leafpool’s breathing quickened.
“Greencough?” Daisy’s mew was barely a whisper.
Jayfeather thrust his muzzle toward Dovepaw. “How bad is it?”
Dovepaw’s pads brushed the snow as she shifted her paws. “J-just Littlecloud.” Her mew was suddenly awkward.
“No one else?” Jayfeather pressed. She must have been listening in to the ShadowClan camp. He knew how uncomfortable she was about spying on other cats.
“No.”
“Good.” He flicked his tail. He needed to distract the others before they started wondering how Dovepaw knew what was going on in ShadowClan. “Why don’t you and Sorreltail fetch Cherrykit a wet moss ball?” he suggested to Daisy. “And Dovepaw, put that stinky old squirrel on the fresh-kill pile before someone trips over it.” He headed toward the medicine den.
Leafpool followed him. “What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
She was almost treading on his heels. “About Littlecloud?”
“Pray to StarClan.”
“Is that all?”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“Help him!” Leafpool’s mew was sharp.
“Why?”
“You’re a medicine cat!”
Jayfeather halted and faced Leafpool. She didn’t know that StarClan had ordered him to cut ties with the other medicine cats, and he wasn’t about to tell her. When she’d given up being a medicine cat, she’d given up the right to share with StarClan. But he understood her. He’d shared tongues and gossip with Littlecloud at the Moonpool enough times to have formed a bond with the old ShadowClan cat. He lowered his voice. “There’s enough sickness here without worrying about other Clans,” he murmured. “My supplies are low. I need every scrap to treat our Clanmates.”
Leafpool didn’t reply. Her silence made his pelt prick. “There is nothing I can do, even if I wanted to,” he hissed. He turned and headed for his den.
Could you let a cat die because StarClan told you to? Mothwing’s words echoed in his ears.
Leafpool’s gaze burned his pelt. Jayfeather could see her thoughts, clear as dreaming. They were focused on the patch of herbs he’d nursed beside the old Twoleg nest. Would she steal them to help Littlecloud?
No!
Yet he couldn’t risk it. Her connection with Littlecloud was long and deep. He veered away from the medicine den, tasting the air. Brambleclaw was below Highledge, talking with Spiderleg and Berrynose.
“Brambleclaw?” He padded toward the ThunderClan deputy.
“Yes?”
“I need to ask you something,” Jayfeather whispered.
“What?” Brambleclaw lowered his voice.
“There’s sickness in the camp,” Jayfeather began. “Only whitecough, but that’s enough. The herb patches I’ve grown are more precious than ever. I want you to post a guard around them.”
“A guard?” Surprise sharpened Brambleclaw’s mew. “You don’t think anyone would steal them?”
“There’s sickness in ShadowClan, too,” Jayfeather explained. “They know about the herbs. They were planning to take our territory to get their paws on them, remember?”
Brambleclaw’s tail swished through the air. “That was part of Ivypaw’s dream,” he growled.
“Exactly,” Jayfeather meowed. Ivypaw’s dream may not have come from any cat in StarClan, but maybe it had its uses after all. “And the forest is full of starving prey who might be grateful for a few juicy stems.”
“Berrynose! Spiderleg!” Brambleclaw summoned the two warriors. “Do you know where Jayfeather’s herb patches are, beside the Twoleg nest?”
“I do,” Spiderleg answered.
“I want them guarded, day and night.”
Jayfeather stepped forward. “No cat or prey must get near them,” he urged. “They’re too precious to lose.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep them safe!” Berrynose bounded away.
“I’ll send a relief patrol at sundown,” Brambleclaw called as the two warriors pounded across the clearing.
Jayfeather closed his eyes. The Dark Forest was growing in strength. The cats in StarClan were frightened. And now he didn’t trust his Clanmates. The ground seemed to rock beneath his paws.
“I must stay strong,” he murmured to himself. “I must stay strong.”
Chapter 20
Dovepaw crouched behind a tangle of ivy. She flattened her belly against the snow, keeping low in the gully so that no moon shadow spread out behind her.
Paw steps had nearly reached the top of the gully. Opening her mouth, she tasted the familiar scent. Her belly fluttered. Another tail-length. She held her breath. Almost there.
“Got you!” She shot up the short, steep slope and sent Tigerheart rolling across the forest floor.
“I give up!”
She scrambled off him. “One night you’ll get here first.”
“I thought I was early tonight.” He smoothed his ruffled pelt. “It’s as if you know exactly when I leave camp!”
Dovepaw dropped her gaze. “Yeah, right,” she mumbled. “Like I can hear you creeping out of your nest.” She changed the subject. “I wonder how much longer this snow’s going to last.”
Tigerheart shrugged. “It’s better than rain.”
“But it’s impossible to go anywhere without leaving a trail.”
“A good warrior can follow a trail without snow.”
Dovepaw leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his cheek. “I could find your trail on water,” she murmured.
A purr rumbled in his throat. “I’ve missed you.”
Border scents filled the air around them, ThunderClan mingling with ShadowClan. “Should we go to the abandoned Twoleg nest?” Dovepaw suggested.
“There’s no time tonight.” Tigerheart sighed. “Blackstar’s sending out extra patrols at moonhigh and dawn.”
Dovepaw tipped her head. “Why?”
“We’re hunting for herbs as well as prey.”
“Is Littlecloud worse?”
“Yes.” His belly growled. “And the Clan’s getting hungry.”
Dovepaw pressed her cheek against Tigerheart’s. ThunderClan was lucky that whitecough hadn’t turned to greencough. “I wish I could help.” She pictured Jayfeather’s fat clumps of juicy herbs growing by the Twoleg nest, protected from the ice by heaps of bracken. “But Jayfeather’s made sure no one can take leaves from his herb patch.”
Tigerheart pricked his ears. “Herb patch?”
“The plants he’s been nursing since greenleaf.”
“He’s been growing herbs?”
Dovepaw drew away, surprised. “I thought you knew.” She frowned. “Isn’t that why ShadowClan wanted our territory?”
Tigerheart stared at her. “We never wanted ThunderClan territory.”
“But Ivy—” Dovepaw stopped herself. There was no need for Tigerheart to hear about Ivypaw’s dream. “I thought that’s why we had the battle.”
“It was Firestar who wanted territory,” Tigerheart meowed. “He asked for the clearing back.”
Dovepaw shifted her paws. Only because Ivypaw persuaded him to. She shook out her pelt. She didn’t want to argue with Tigerheart. The battle was over. “Never mind.”
“But Jayfeather has herbs.” Tigerheart leaned closer. “Which herbs?”
“Just some tansy.” The words felt sticky on her tongue. She couldn’t lie to Tigerheart, but it felt disloyal to tell him about Jayfeather’s precious supply. “A bit of catmint.”
“Catmint?” Tigerheart’s eyes shone. “Would he let us have some?”
Dovepaw felt hot. “Leafpool’s asked him to give you some already.”