She wanted to help her Clan.
She wanted to help Dovepaw.
As she settled into her pile of moss, Ivypaw felt her sister bend over her.
“I’ll sleep next to you in your nest if you want,” Dovepaw offered. “Then I can wake you up if you seem to be in trouble.”
Ivypaw shook her head. “I’ve been there loads of times before, remember?” she mewed under her breath. “I’ll be okay.” I hope. She closed her eyes.
It was a long time before sleep overtook her. Dovepaw’s breathing had slowed by the time Ivypaw’s weary limbs relaxed and she slid into darkness. She opened her eyes and tasted the air. For the first time, her paws trembled.
“Hello, Ivypaw.”
She turned, flustered. Tigerstar was standing beside a straight, dark pine as if he’d been waiting for her. Fighting back panic, Ivypaw swallowed hard. She forced her muscles to loosen and met the dark warrior’s curious gaze. “Hi.”
Tigerstar watched her a moment. “Have you seen Tigerheart?”
“He’s sitting vigil for Flametail,” she mewed. “He may not come tonight.”
“Flametail, eh?” Tigerstar shrugged. He clearly knew all about the medicine cat’s death. “That’s one less, I guess.”
You fox-heart!
Tigerstar padded around her, letting his tail sweep her flank. “I’m glad you came.”
“What are we practicing tonight?” Ivypaw prayed the brightness in her mew was convincing.
“We may train later, but first I thought we should all get to know each other a little better.” He padded away between the soaring trunks. Mist puddled around his paws, swirling as he walked. “Are you coming?”
Ivypaw trotted after him. She felt sure her heart was pounding hard enough for anyone to hear. I must keep calm. I’m doing this for Dovepaw and my Clan.
She saw shapes in shadows around her. The dark outlines of warriors. As she followed Tigerstar deeper into the forest, she became aware that cats were everywhere, waiting in the mist, their paws scuffing the earth as they paced.
Were these Clan cats or Dark Forest warriors? She peered through the shadows, trying to recognize pelts. There was Mapleshade, scowling from the darkness. Scarred and ragged warriors circled her, growling and muttering to each other.
“I—I didn’t know there were so many cats here,” she mewed to Tigerstar.
“There are enough to match StarClan,” he answered calmly.
The trees opened into a gloomy clearing. She recognized the boulder they’d trained on almost a moon before. Thistleclaw was sharpening his claws on the smooth rock, admiring their clean tips between each scratch. Hawkfrost nodded a greeting to Ivypaw, while Darkstripe paced behind him. Shredtail and Snowtuft were there too. And, in the boulder’s shadow, unmoving and watchful, sat Brokenstar.
Ivypaw was relieved to see Hollowpaw, Antpelt, and Breezepelt. She’d begun to fear she was the only Clan cat here. Tigerstar glanced back at her. “You may as well sit with your friends,” he murmured. “I’ve an announcement to make.”
They’re not my friends! Yet she hurried toward the familiar faces and felt less nervous as she settled among them.
Tigerstar jumped onto the boulder. “Gather all cats old enough to catch their own prey.” There was a sneer in his voice, and the cats circling the rock purred in mocking amusement.
“The time is close!” Tigerstar growled.
Shapes moved from among the trees. More warriors began to stream from the shadows. Ivypaw’s heart pounded harder, and she huddled closer to Antpelt.
“The day is nearing!” Tigerstar’s growl became a hiss. “We are going to invade the world of the Clans and destroy them and their warrior code, once and for all.”
Ivypaw felt Antpelt tense beside her. Was he shocked? She searched his face, then Hollowpaw’s and Breezepelt’s. Their eyes were shining! It was as if they were truly Dark Forest warriors. Struggling to hide her horror, Ivypaw scanned the clearing. Cats filled every tail-length, yowling in fury.
“We’ll kill them all!”
“The days of the Clans are over.”
Mapleshade reared and slashed at the air. “They’ll be sorry we ever kitted them!”
Ivypaw pricked her ears. When were they going to attack? But Tigerstar only bared his teeth and slid, hissing, from the boulder. He slipped into the throng of cats, and Ivypaw lost sight of him. The air crackled with excitement as the cats paced and wove around each other, bristling.
A pair of eyes glinted at Ivypaw, and she found herself unsheathing her claws as Darkstripe padded toward her.
“Are you ready for the battle of your life?” There was a taunt in his mew.
Ivypaw glanced at the forest, wishing she could disappear into its shadows.
“Or do you want to leave?” Darkstripe seemed to guess what she was thinking.
“N-no, of course not.”
“Good.” He circled her, letting his tail slither over her spine. It felt like a snake, cold and heavy. Ivypaw wished Tigerheart were with her.
“Ivypaw!”
She looked up hopefully, disappointed when she saw Brokenstar heading toward them. The massive, scarred tom dipped his head to her. “Greetings, Ivypaw. I’ve been watching you train.” He shouldered Darkstripe out of the way. “Very impressive.”
Ivypaw met his gaze, keeping Darkstripe at the edge of her vision. Why was Brokenstar singling her out? Was he trying to make Darkstripe jealous?
“I have a special mission for you,” Brokenstar went on.
Ivypaw blinked. “Really?” Maybe it was a kind of assessment.
“Follow me.” Brokenstar headed into the trees.
Ivypaw trotted after him, her breath quickening as the dark tom climbed over a low rise and jumped down into an empty streambed. The gully meandered between twisted trunks and led them under low-slung branches that dripped with dusty gray moss. Ivypaw ducked beneath them, shuddering as the moss left cobwebby smears on her pelt.
She paused. Something was flitting through the brittle ferns on the bank. She peered through the mist, stiffening when she recognized Darkstripe’s pelt.
“Go away, Darkstripe!” Brokenstar’s yowl made Ivypaw jump. She wasn’t the only one to have spotted the shadow.
The scrawny outline froze, then slid from sight.
“He’s no better than a whining kit,” Brokenstar muttered. He flicked his tail toward the nearest tree. “Show me your climbing skills.”
“Okay.” Ivypaw leaped onto the lowest branch and clawed her way up the thick, knotted trunk. When her paws started to ache, she stopped to catch her breath and looked up. There was still no sign of sky. How tall is this tree? Far below, she could see Brokenstar watching from the streambed.
“Not bad!” Brokenstar called. “See if you can get down faster, though.”
Concentrating hard, Ivypaw let herself drop a tail-length at a time, clutching at the bark to control her fall. As the ground grew near, she pushed away from the tree and landed nimbly on a patch of slimy grass at the edge of the gully.
Brokenstar bounded up the bank and joined her. “Now show me an attack lunge.”
Ivypaw crouched down, unsheathed her claws, and focused on a clump of moss a few tail-lengths ahead. She sprang and hit the moss squarely, then flipped over, lashing out with her hind legs before jumping back onto all fours.
“You’re fast.” Brokenstar faced her. “How are your defensive moves?” The words still hung in the air as he pounced.
Just in time, Ivypaw saw his claws flash and ducked. With a jerk of her spine, she rolled out of his way. She guessed he’d anticipate her and shot forward as soon as her paws hit the ground.