The Silent Thaw

Tigerstar’s eyes widened. “Dovewing is out there on her own.”

“We have to find her.” Shadowsight blinked at his father, but Tigerstar was already heading for the camp entrance.

“Where are you going?” Cloverfoot called as he passed.

“I’m going to fetch Dovewing,” Tigerstar told her. “She should be with her Clan.”

“But she has to atone!” Scorchfur called after him.

Shadowsight raced after Tigerstar, his heart pounding as he ducked through the tunnel and followed him into the forest.

Tigerstar halted and sniffed the ground, mouth open as he searched for scents. “This way.” He headed along a trail that led toward the Clan border. Shadowsight fell in beside him, panting as he fought to keep up. Tigerstar leaped over the ditches that cut through the pine forest like claw marks. Shadowsight followed him, scrambling to keep his footing on the slippery forest floor. His lungs burned as they neared the Thunderpath and began to follow it as it snaked toward the sunrise. The sun burned orange through the trees, setting the forest aflame. As they raced silently side by side, the birds began to chatter, their calls growing louder, sounding the alarm as Tigerstar and Shadowsight passed.

The roar of a monster howled beyond the trees, and Shadowsight’s pelt prickled nervously. “Are we going to cross the Thunderpath?” he puffed, glancing sideways at Tigerstar.

“We will if that’s where her trail leads.” Tigerstar pulled up and sniffed the ground.

Shadowsight opened his mouth. He could taste his mother’s scent. It was as clear here as it had been back at camp. Tigerstar hadn’t lost it for a paw step, and this was the first time he’d stopped to check that they were still heading in the right direction.

“How can you follow Dovewing’s scent so easily?” he mewed.

“I once followed it for a moon, when she traveled to the city,” Tigerstar told him, scanning the trees. “It smells like she’s heading for a Twolegplace again.” He padded forward, moving slower this time, and Shadowsight was relieved at the chance to get his breath back. Tigerstar kept his gaze ahead. “Are you sure those messages didn’t come from StarClan?”

“Yes.” Shadowsight shivered as he remembered the presence at the Moonpool. “Some cat has been pretending to be StarClan,” he mewed. “I think they chose me to pass on their messages because I’m not as experienced as the other medicine cats.” Shame burned his pelt. “I shouldn’t have been so eager to listen.”

Tigerstar sniffed. “Experience has nothing to do with it. Any medicine cat would have been eager to hear from StarClan when they’d been silent for so long.” He let his pelt brush Shadowsight’s. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You believed you were doing the right thing.”

This was the first time Tigerstar had spoken to him kindly since Shadowsight had shared his vision with the other medicine cats against his father’s wishes. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and keep the vision to myself,” Shadowsight murmured.

“What’s done is done.” Tigerstar whisked his tail.

“But Dovewing wouldn’t be out here on her own if I hadn’t shared it.” Shadowsight mewed guiltily.

“We wouldn’t be trying to find her if you hadn’t told us you were wrong,” Tigerstar told him. “A true warrior admits their mistakes.”

Shadowsight glanced gratefully at his father, and he remembered his mother’s words too. There’s no harm in admitting mistakes. Gratitude swelled in his chest. He was lucky to have Dovewing and Tigerstar as parents.

Tigerstar broke into a run. “I can see Twoleg nests ahead. Beyond the trees.”

Shadowsight followed his father, struggling to keep up as the trees thinned and large square dens cut into the early morning sunshine. High walls blocked their way, and Tigerstar veered closer to the Thunderpath, ducking past the tattered bushes that lined it. They followed the strip of stone as it curved past the Twoleg dens, stopping as it stretched away across a wide, barren meadow.

Tigerstar lifted his muzzle to taste the air. As his father’s ears pricked uneasily, a new scent touched Shadowsight’s nose. Fear pricked in his belly. He could smell the stale scent of dogs. This place was dangerous. He scanned the meadow. It was brown, the grass dead, pitted with small hollows and dotted with Twoleg clutter and mounds of dirt. High mesh walls enclosed it, rattling each time a monster roared along the Thunderpath. Around the mesh, Twoleg dens stretched out in identical rows.

Why had Dovewing chosen such a filthy place? Shadowsight flattened his ears against a low rumble that seemed to shake the air. He remembered the sound from his kithood. Monsters were patrolling the Thunderpaths between the Twoleg nests. “Why did she come here?”

“Perhaps she thought StarClan would forgive her if she made her atonement as hard as possible.” Tigerstar began to cross the dried-up meadow, picking his way between piles of trash Twolegs must have left behind.