Tigerheart’s Shadow

It’ll be easier for me to slip away from a bigger patrol. Tigerheart looked at the pale brown she-cat and saw her pelt prickling self-consciously. “Do you know where they are?”

“Who? Me?” Grassheart glanced at Snowbird as the white she-cat reached them. Guilt flashed between them. “They were helping with the dens last time I saw.”

Tigerheart pricked his ears. Grassheart and Snowbird were hiding something. “What’s going on?”

Snowbird shot Grassheart a warning look.

Grassheart flicked her tail. “We promised we wouldn’t tell,” she mewed apologetically.

“Promised who?”

“Scorchfur and Juniperclaw.” Grassheart dropped her gaze.

“What are they doing?” Tigerheart thrust his muzzle closer, his pelt rippling with foreboding.

“They’re… on their way to join SkyClan.”

Join SkyClan? Tigerheart could hardly believe his ears. The shock that his Clanmates could be so disloyal was undercut by guilt, and a thought so selfish it made him feel sick. ShadowClan’s supposed to be losing one warrior today, not three. “When?”

“Now.” Grassheart didn’t look at him.

“But they hate SkyClan.” Scorchfur and Juniperclaw had always made it clear that they disliked having SkyClan anywhere near ShadowClan’s territory.

“They said they wanted to be part of a real Clan.” Grassheart shifted her paws.

Snowbird stepped forward. “It’s not just that they’re unhappy here,” she mewed. “Scorchfur was really upset that he nearly blinded Tawnypelt. He’s scared what will happen if he stays in ShadowClan.”

Tigerheart blinked at her. “Scared of his own Clanmates?”

Grassheart shifted her paws. “Scared he might lose his temper again, or that Tawnypelt and Rowanstar might want revenge.”

“But we’re Clanmates!” Tigerheart blinked in disbelief. “We take care of one another!”

“Juniperclaw says that ShadowClan cats have forgotten what loyalty means,” Snowbird mewed.

Tigerheart’s hackles lifted. “But Juniperclaw left his Clan to join the rogues!” How dare he accuse his Clanmates of disloyalty when he’d been one of the first to betray them? Anger pulsed beneath Tigerheart’s pelt. He pushed it away. This was no time for recriminations. ShadowClan was already dwindling. How could he leave if they lost two strong warriors like Scorchfur and Juniperclaw? Puddleshine’s warning would come true; ShadowClan would disappear completely. “I have to stop them.” He bounded toward the SkyClan border.

Pine needles swished behind him as Snowbird and Grassheart gave chase.

“Go and hunt!” He waved them away with a lashing tail. “I’ll take care of this.” He wanted to sort this out as quickly as possible. Nightfall was closing in. He had to persuade Scorchfur and Juniperclaw to return to ShadowClan, and then slip away and meet Dovewing before she left without him.

I’m a snake-heart. He ignored the voice ringing in his head. I’m only going to persuade them to stay so that I can leave.

No. He was doing the best he could, for Dovewing and his Clan. With him gone, ShadowClan would need Scorchfur and Juniperclaw more than ever.

Heart pounding, he raced between the trees. He could smell Scorchfur’s scent trail now. Juniperclaw’s was beside it. He followed it easily over the ditches and to the rise that lifted to the SkyClan border. As he neared the bottom, he glimpsed their pelts slipping around a stretch of brambles. “Stop!” His yowl rang through the damp forest. He saw them stop and pulled up as their faces turned toward him. “Let me talk to you!”

He climbed the slope, fixing them with an urgent glare. “Grassheart told me you’re planning to join SkyClan.”

They looked at each other, then padded toward him. Their gazes were distrustful.

“Please don’t go.” He stopped in front of them, panting.

Scorchfur narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”

“You’re ShadowClan!” Tigerheart stared at him imploringly. “You can’t just forget that. It’s where you were born and raised. You think like ShadowClan cats; you hunt like ShadowClan cats; you fight like ShadowClan cats. You don’t even know what SkyClan is like! You’ll never feel you really belong there.”

Juniperclaw glanced nervously at Scorchfur. “Maybe he’s right.”

Scorchfur frowned. “ShadowClan isn’t the Clan it used to be. SkyClan might be better. We can teach them some useful skills.”

“‘Teach them some useful skills’?” Tigerheart fought to keep his claws sheathed. “If SkyClan learns how we fight and hunt, think how easy it would be for them to defeat us.” He turned his gaze on Juniperclaw desperately. “They might take over the whole forest. You don’t want that, do you?”

Juniperclaw’s eyes widened with alarm. “I hadn’t thought of that.” He looked anxiously at Scorchfur.

Scorchfur snorted. “I thought you said SkyClan cats were our friends.”