The Silent Thaw

Shadowsight darted inside, his heart lurching as he saw Pouncestep lying in a nest. Her eyes glittered with distress. Tawnypelt stood stiffly beside her, as though unsure what to do, while Puddleshine leaned over the nest, running his paws gently over Pouncestep’s flank.

“What happened?” As Shadowsight crouched beside the nest, his sister groaned again.

Tawnypelt’s eyes were round. “She fell from a tree after she disturbed a wasps’ nest.”

Dovewing hurried to Tawnypelt’s side. Her gaze flicked in alarm from her injured kit to Puddleshine. “What’s wrong with her?”

Puddleshine’s paws traced a line along Pouncestep’s flank. “It feels like she’s broken a rib, but I can’t feel any swelling. There’s no bleeding inside.” He looked at Tawnypelt. “Did she land on her paws?”

Before Tawnypelt could answer, Pouncestep lifted her head weakly. “I panicked. I didn’t manage to turn in time.” She groaned and lay back in her nest.

Shadowsight could see swelling around one eye and on her muzzle where the wasps had stung her. “I’ll get some ointment.” He hurried to the store, relieved that Pouncestep’s injuries, while painful, weren’t life-threatening. The stings would go down with a little dock and honey, and the rib would mend.

And yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was another accident. He’d hoped that by sharing his vision, he’d fix ShadowClan’s run of bad luck. Had he waited so long that StarClan was still angry? He pulled a leaf from the store and unfolded it. The honey he’d managed to gather a few moons earlier was still sticky. He reached in for a pawful of dock and some poppy seeds and carried them back to Pouncestep’s nest.

“You can come back later.” Puddleshine was shooing Tawnypelt and Dovewing away.

Tawnypelt eyed her denmate anxiously. “She’ll be all right, won’t she?”

“She’ll be fine,” Puddleshine told her. “She just needs to rest.”

Dovewing touched her kit’s ear with her nose. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised.

Pouncestep blinked at her gratefully. “I’ll be okay.”

As the two warriors ducked out of the den, Shadowsight tore a piece of dock leaf and chewed it up. He spat the pulp into the honey and mixed it, while Puddleshine gave Pouncestep the poppy seeds.

The gray tabby she-cat closed her eyes. “It hurts to breathe,” she whispered.

“It will for a while,” Puddleshine told her. “But you’ll be okay.”

As Pouncestep closed her eyes, Shadowsight rubbed the ointment gently into her stings. A few moments later, her breath grew deeper as she slipped into sleep.

Shadowsight glanced at Puddleshine anxiously. “Should we wake her?” He didn’t want her slipping into too deep a slumber.

Puddleshine shook his head. “Sleep will do her good.”

Shadowsight blinked at him. “I thought the accidents would stop when I shared my vision.”

“This could have happened at any time,” Puddleshine told him. “It may have nothing to do with StarClan.”

But doubt tugged at Shadowsight’s belly. “Maybe I should have shared my vision earlier,” he mewed. “Or maybe Tigerstar was right, and I shouldn’t have shared it at all.”

“It’s pointless second-guessing StarClan.” Puddleshine’s gaze was clear and round. “You can only do what you think is best.” He tipped his head. “Have you had any more visions?”

“Nothing.” Shadowsight dropped his gaze. “They’ve stopped talking to me.” He felt suddenly lost. Even during the long leaf-bare, when StarClan had been silent for the other medicine cats, they’d spoken to him. “Why are they silent now? I’ve done everything they asked.”

Puddleshine held his gaze solemnly. “Are you sure your visions have been from StarClan?” he asked suddenly.

Shadowsight stared at him. “Of course they are!” Did Puddleshine think he’d dreamed them up?

“It does seem strange that they only spoke to one cat.” Puddleshine looked thoughtful.

“They were visions

, I promise,” Shadowsight mewed fervently. “I didn’t imagine them.”

“I know.” Puddleshine frowned. “But I can’t help thinking that the Clans shouldn’t act on any more visions until StarClan starts sharing with all the medicine cats again.”

Shadowsight felt queasy. “Do you think I’ve done something wrong?”

“No,” Puddleshine mewed quickly. “But every vision seems to have pushed the Clans deeper into conflict. I don’t see why StarClan would want to lead us down that path.”

Shadowsight stared at him. Did Puddleshine also believe that he should have protected ShadowClan by keeping the vision to himself? Feeling hollow, he headed for the entrance.

“Where are you going?” Puddleshine called after him.

“I have to think,” he answered. “I’m going for a walk.”

Night had fallen, and the camp was dark as he crossed the clearing. His Clanmates were sharing tongues beside their dens. He avoided their glances as he headed for the entrance and slipped into the forest.