Dark River

ThunderClan leader, signaling he had nothing to say.

Firestar nodded. “All has been well with ThunderClan, too.” He turned to the RiverClan leader. “Leopardstar? You’ve shared no news.”

“There’s no news to share,” she meowed curtly. “The fish are returning to the edge of the lake. Hunting is good. My Clan is well.”

“I’m pleased to hear it,” Firestar replied.

“Then the Gathering is over,” Leopardstar declared.

The Clans began to pad away from the Great Oak as their

leaders bounded down from the low branch. Lionpaw stretched, feeling cold from sitting still.

Hazelpaw nudged him with her muzzle. “Three new ShadowClan cats!” she mewed. “We’re going to have to train harder than ever!” She began to follow her Clanmates across the clearing.

Lionpaw hurried after her. “But they’re only kits.”

“Kits become warriors!” Hazelpaw reminded him.

Lionpaw felt Hollypaw pressing beside him. Her pelt was bristling. “Do you think we’ll ever have to fight them?” she whispered anxiously.

“Let’s not talk about fighting now.” Squirrelflight had joined them and overheard. “Three kits are a blessing to any Clan.” She was clearly pleased at Tawnypelt’s news.

Leafpool caught up, Jaypaw at her side. “I noticed Tawnypelt was expecting last time I saw her.”

Squirrelflight looked surprised. “You never mentioned it.”

“It was not for me to say when it still lay in the paws of StarClan,” Leafpool answered.

“Besides, it was none of your business!” A gruff mew startled the cats.

Lionpaw turned to see Rowanclaw, a ginger ShadowClan warrior, staring at them with narrowed eyes. He must be the father.

Squirrelflight returned his gaze. “Congratulations, Rowanclaw. You are blessed to have three healthy kits.”

Rowanclaw curled his lip. “Three healthy Clanborn kits,” he growled.

“That is only a blessing if they remain loyal to the Clan they were born to,” Squirrelflight pointed out sharply, letting her temper flare.

Rowanclaw let out a low growl.

Leafpool stepped between the two warriors. “There’s no need to argue.”

“He was only speaking the truth.”

Who said that? Lionpaw snapped his head around. Breezepaw!

The WindClan apprentice was standing beside his father.

Crowfeather was staring at Leafpool, his eyes glittering.

“Don’t forget, Breezepaw, ThunderClan actually celebrates mixed blood.”

Leafpool jerked her head backward as though Crowfeather had raked his claws across her muzzle. She turned quickly and hurried away.

“He’s acting like there’s something wrong with ThunderClan!” Lionpaw unsheathed his claws, then felt his mother’s tail run along his flank.

“Come along, Lionpaw. Don’t forget the truce.” She pressed against Lionpaw and padded toward the edge of the clearing, steering him away from Crowfeather, Breezepaw, and Rowanclaw.

Lionpaw glared over his shoulder at the three cats, wishing he could ignore the stupid truce and rip a piece of fur from each of them.

“Lionpaw!” Heatherpaw was bounding toward him.

“What?” Lionpaw stopped and faced Heatherpaw.

Squirrelflight paused beside him.

Heatherpaw gazed up at her. “Can I speak to Lionpaw, please?”

Squirrelflight’s ears twitched, but she nodded. “Don’t be long.” She padded into the bracken after Leafpool, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw.

“Please don’t be angry,” Heatherpaw begged. “Crowfeather’s always bad-tempered. It’s just his way. And Breezepaw thinks he’s a warrior already.”

“But you heard what they said about mixed blood in ThunderClan! They just can’t let it go, can they?”

“Maybe they can’t, but can we forget it?” Heatherpaw’s eyes were shining. “I’ve got a plan.”

“To get back at them?”

Heatherpaw’s eyes widened. “Of course not! They’re my Clanmates!” She flicked her tail. “My plan is something else entirely.”

Lionpaw tipped his head to one side. “What, then?”

“Instead of waiting till the next Gathering, why don’t we meet up before?”

“Before?” Lionpaw echoed in surprise. Wasn’t it against the warrior code to meet with cats from another Clan without permission?

“Tomorrow night,” she whispered.

“But how? Where?”

“At the boundary in the woods. Near the yew tree. We can slip away while our Clanmates are sleeping.”

“But—”

Heatherpaw’s whiskers twitched. “Come on! It’ll be excit

ing. And it’s not like we’d be hurting anyone.”

Lionpaw felt guilt and worry tug at his belly, but Heatherpaw’s blue eyes were sparkling at him hopefully. It did sound like fun. He could always say he’d been practicing his night hunting. And Heatherpaw was right. They wouldn’t be doing any harm, like stealing prey or spying. No cat would even know if they were careful about it. I’ll still be loyal to my Clan and I won’t fall behind in my duties.

He blinked at Heatherpaw. “Okay.”

,

Chapter 2

Hollypaw was dreaming. She was charging through the forest as rain pounded the leaf-strewn earth. She could glimpse Willowpaw’s striped pelt through the trees. The RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was running fast, always a few steps ahead.

“Wait for me!” Hollypaw called. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“I’ll tell you if you catch up!” Willowpaw called back.

Hollypaw pushed harder, her paws skidding on the mud, but Willowpaw stayed a tail-length out of reach.

“There’s something wrong with RiverClan, isn’t there?”

Hollypaw yowled.

“I can’t hear you. The rain’s too loud.”

“Tell me what’s wrong!”

The rain pelted down more fiercely, rattling against the leaves and bouncing off the ground.

“Willowpaw!”

“I can’t tell you unless you catch me!”

“Slow down!” Hollypaw narrowed her eyes against the downpour. “Willowpaw?”

Willowpaw had disappeared.

Hollypaw was alone in the drenched forest.

She blinked open her eyes. Rain was battering the den roof, finding its way through the thick foliage of the yew branches and dripping into the nests. Hollypaw shivered and snuggled deeper into the moss but something wet was pressing against her.

Lionpaw’s pelt.