Darkness Within

by Erin Hunter

  “I’ll go and check that they’re ready.” It couldn’t be long now. Beside the clearing, Cloverfoot’s tail was flicking restlessly. Blazefire’s pelt twitched next to her. Shadowsight padded past them and paused outside Tigerstar’s den. He could hear his father’s mew within.

  “Do you really think the impostor will admit he’s Ashfur?”

  Shadowsight leaned closer to the brambles screening the leader’s den as his mother answered.

  “Squirrelflight will find a way to make him,” Dovewing promised.

  “And what if she can’t?” Tigerstar’s voice was taut with worry.

  Shadowsight felt fear flutter in his belly. If his father was uncertain, perhaps this plan wasn’t such a good one after all.

  Dovewing answered calmly. “She will. Don’t forget, I used to be a Thunderclan cat. I’ve known her my whole life, and I trust her.”

  Tigerstar frowned, considering her words. He gave a slow shake of his head. “It just feels too risky,” he murmured. “What if he escapes? I don’t see what difference it will make, knowing whether he’s Ashfur or not.”

  “Knowing who’s causing this problem might be the key to solving it,” Dovewing soothed. “If it is Ashfur, at least we’ll know who we’re dealing with. And if we can get him talking, he might let slip why StarClan has gone quiet.”

  “Or we might just be sucked in by another pack of lies.”

  “We’ve agreed to go ahead with the plan,” Dovewing mewed firmly. “There’s nothing we can do now except wait for Squirrelflight.”

  Shadowsight shifted his paws nervously.

  “Shadowsight?” His father’s mew made him jump. The brambles rustled as a paw drew them aside. Tigerstar stared at him. “Have you got something to add?”

  “Sorry.” Shadowsight blinked at him. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just coming to see if you were ready.”

  “How long have you been listening?” Tigerstar’s voice was low but steady.

  Shadowsight dropped his gaze. “Not long. You sounded so worried. I just—”

  “Don’t be angry with him.” Dovewing nosed Tigerstar out of the way and beckoned Shadowsight inside with a nod. “We’re all worried.” She ran her tail protectively along Shadowsight’s spine. “But it will be okay,” she told him gently. “I trust Squirrelflight.”

  “Her plan might go wrong.” Shadowsight thought of the stories his mother had told about the dead Thunderclan warrior as they’d trekked home from the Gathering last night. “You said Ashfur was a fox-heart.”

  “That’s just what the older cats used to say,” she mewed.

  “I knew him a little,” Tigerstar grunted. “When I stayed in Thunderclan as a ’paw. There was always something dark about him. Like he had something on his mind.”

  “What I don’t understand”—Dovewing turned to Tigerstar—“is why he was allowed into StarClan in the first place.”

  “Perhaps StarClan thought he could change.” Tigerstar shrugged, looking unconvinced by his own answer. “But if Squirrelflight is right, then apparently he spent his time there just waiting for a chance to get revenge on the Clans.”

  Dovewing moved closer to Shadowsight. “We don’t know for sure that she is right.”

  “I don’t know why we’re bothering to find out,” Tigerstar sniffed. “We should just drive him from the lake for good, like we would any rogue.”

  “But what about Bramblestar?” Shadowsight wondered again what had become of Bramblestar’s ghost. According to the SkyClan warrior Rootspring, he hadn’t been seen for more than a moon. “He needs his body back.”

  “Let’s not worry about that now,” Dovewing mewed. “Squirrelflight will be here soon, and, one way or another, we’ll have an answer. That will help us figure out what to do next.”

  Shadowsight tipped his head to one side. A thought had been nagging him since Squirrelflight had first suggested the impostor was Ashfur. He hadn’t mentioned it before, in case he was wrong. But he was alone with Dovewing and Tigerstar now. “What did Ashfur look like?”

  Tigerstar met his gaze, puzzled. “He was a gray tom,” he mewed.

  “Did he have blue eyes?” Shadowsight pressed.

  “Yes.” Tigerstar’s pelt prickled across his shoulders. He glanced at Dovewing. “Why?”

  “I think I saw him.” Shadowsight’s mouth felt dry as he remembered the blue-eyed tom he’d seen in a dream.

  “When?” Dovewing thrust her muzzle closer, her whiskers trembling.

  “When I ate the deathberries.” Shadowsight had swallowed deathberries in an attempt to put himself into a deep enough sleep that he could search for Bramblestar’s ghost in the realm beyond the living. “While I was sleeping, I saw a ghost cat leave Bramblestar’s body. It was a gray tom I’d never seen before. He had blue eyes.”

  Dovewing and Tigerstar exchanged glances again. A thought seemed to pass between them.

  “Is it him?” Shadowsight asked nervously.

  “We don’t know.” Dovewing touched her muzzle to his head. “It could be, but we’ll have to wait for Squirrelflight before we can be sure.”

  Paw steps sounded outside the den. Cloverfoot’s mew rang through the brambles. “I’m taking the border patrol out.” Her voice was louder and brighter than usual, as though she were announcing the patrol not just to Tigerstar, but to the whole camp.

  “Okay.” Tigerstar raised his voice to match hers.

  Shadowsight’s chest tightened. It was starting. They were going through with Squirrelflight’s plan. He dipped his head to Tigerstar. “Good luck,” he breathed as he hurried out of the den.

  “Good luck,” Dovewing called softly after him, a tremor in her mew.

  Outside, Cloverfoot was already leading Blazefire and Yarrowleaf out of camp. Around the clearing, his Clanmates watched the patrol leave, eyes glittering with trepidation. Shadowsight padded toward the medicine den, his breath shallow. Whoever the impostor was, he’d attacked Shadowsight as he’d traveled to the last half-moon meeting and had thrown him over the edge of a gorge, leaving him for dead. A cat who could do that was capable of anything. Especially if he was a spirit who could come back from the dead and steal a living cat’s body. He must be more powerful than any cat the Clans had ever known. And we’ve lost contact with StarClan. Shadowsight pressed back a shiver and began to straighten up the rosemary stems Mothwing had laid out. This impostor has the power of the stars in his paws, and we have to fight him alone. Was it possible that, this time, the Clans faced an enemy they couldn’t defeat?

  As morning slid into afternoon, the sun burned hot where it penetrated the thick pine branches. Shadowsight shifted away from the heat when sunshine reached the patch where he was sitting. He’d stripped the needlelike leaves from the rosemary stems and spread them out on the earth behind him to catch the sunshine that had made him move. If Mothwing wanted them dried, he might as well do it thoroughly. He needed something to distract him while he waited.

  The exiled RiverClan medicine cat had gone inside, disappearing into the medicine den only a few moments ago to consult with Puddleshine about which herbs still needed to be gathered. Shadowsight sat up and began to wash the rosemary scent from his paws with his tongue. He pricked his ears, listening for paw steps outside the camp. It couldn’t be long now, surely. Flowerstem and Whorlpelt were still working on the elders’ den. Stonewing was nibbling at the shrew he’d taken from the fresh-kill pile. Their gazes flitted toward the camp entrance from time to time, and Shadowsight wondered if they were nervous too.

  His heart seemed to beat in his throat as he washed between his claws. Then he froze. There it was: the sound the whole camp had been waiting for. Paws were thrumming beyond the camp walls. Cloverfoot’s yowl rang through the forest. “We’re under attack!”

  Shadowsight leaped up. Whorlpelt and Flowerstem dropped the vine they’d been threading through the wall of the elders’ den. Stonewing was already on his paws as Tigerstar and Dovewing raced into the clearing.
/>   Tigerstar’s eyes were round as Cloverfoot hurtled into camp. Blazefire and Yarrowleaf skidded to a halt at her tail. “What is it?” he demanded, as though he didn’t already know.

  Shadowsight held his breath. The whole camp was aware that the attack had been planned. His Clanmates listened, fur bristling, ears pricked, anticipating what Cloverfoot would say next.

  “Thunderclan warriors are on the border, with SkyClan and RiverClan.” She feigned wide-eyed terror. “And WindClan warriors are on their way!”

  Movement caught Shadowsight’s eye as a shadow slid from the hollow tree. The impostor was crossing the bramble enclosure outside his prison. His fur was still ragged from the battle, and the wounds he’d suffered had not yet healed. Sparrowtail and Scorchfur turned to face him, their tails twitching a warning as he padded to the opening and stared out across the camp. His eyes flashed with interest as Cloverfoot went on.

  “They say that they’re coming to kill the impostor.” Cloverfoot’s pelt spiked impressively.

  Tigerstar looked outraged. “But we agreed he would be spared for now.”

  “They say they don’t care what their leaders have agreed.” Cloverfoot turned, alarmed, toward the hollow tree, and looked the impostor in the eye. “They say Bramblestar has to die.”

  Shadowsight searched the impostor’s gaze for signs of fear. But the dark tabby stared impassively back. Isn’t he scared? Perhaps death held no fear for a cat who’d died already. Or perhaps he knows something we don’t. Shadowsight’s paws felt heavy with dread.

  Tigerstar lashed his tail. “We must defend our territory!” He nodded to Mothwing, who had hurried from the medicine den with Puddleshine. “Stay with Oakfur,” he told her. “Shadowsight, guard the herb store. Puddleshine, come with me. There might be injuries.” He swung his head toward his warriors, who were already clustering into a patrol. “I want every ShadowClan warrior to fight. We must not let these invaders reach the camp.”

  The ShadowClan leader charged through the entrance tunnel, his warriors at his heels. Mothwing raced to the elders’ den and nosed Oakfur inside, hauling loose brambles from the walls to block the entrance. Shadowsight froze as pelts whisked past him. A moment later, the clearing was empty. Bracken swished beyond the camp walls as ShadowClan crashed away through the forest.

  Shadowsight’s paws seemed to fuse with the earth. Heart pounding, he stared at Sparrowtail and Scorchfur, knowing what they would do next.

  “Should we go with them?” Sparrowtail asked.

  Scorchfur nodded. “They’ll need our help.”

  “What about . . . ?” Sparrowtail flicked his tail toward the prisoner.

  “Where would he go?” Scorchfur shrugged. “Every warrior in the forest wants him dead. This camp is probably the safest place for him.”

  Shadowsight watched, heart sinking, as the two warriors headed for the entrance and raced into the forest. This was the moment he’d been dreading most. The deserted camp stretched around him, seeming emptier than he’d ever known, and he forced his whiskers not to tremble as he turned his head toward the impostor. He was alone with the cat who’d tried to kill him.

  The dark warrior met his gaze. His eyes gleamed mischievously. “Don’t worry,” he meowed. “You’re safe with me.” Shadowsight wanted to back away, but he forced himself to hold his ground as the impostor began to pad toward the fresh-kill pile. “I might as well make myself at home.”

  “Aren’t you scared?” Shadowsight asked. “Warriors are coming to kill you.” He knew his father wouldn’t let that happen, but the impostor didn’t.

  The false Bramblestar shrugged. “It’s your Clanmates who are fighting them, not me.” Was he enjoying this?

  Shadowsight watched him sniff the fresh-kill pile, pushing aside the mice at the top and tugging out a fat pigeon to examine it more closely. Then the impostor straightened, clearly uninterested in the prey after all, and looked toward the entrance. Was he planning to escape? Shadowsight’s belly tightened. Squirrelflight, where are you? Surely she should be here by now! That was what she’d planned. How can I stop him if he tries to run away? I’m a medicine cat! He forced his breath to slow as the dark warrior looked back lazily at the fresh-kill pile.

  “Do you want a mouse?” he meowed silkily.

  Shadowsight swallowed back panic. “N-no, thank you.”

  “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “No.” Shadowsight’s mew was hardly more than a whisper. Why wasn’t the impostor trying to escape? Is he planning to finish what he started? Does he want to kill me properly this time?

  As his thoughts whirled, movement caught his eye. Orange fur rippled in the shadowy entrance. Squirrelflight! She’d come. Relief washed Shadowsight’s pelt. At last! Did that mean the other leaders were here, ready to hear the impostor’s confession? Were they already in place outside the bramble walls?

  The prisoner stiffened, his gaze sharpening. “What are you looking at?” He followed Shadowsight’s gaze, his hackles lifting as he spotted Squirrelflight.

  The Thunderclan she-cat hurried across the clearing, keeping low, her ears flattened against her head. Shadowsight held his breath as the impostor’s attention focused on her, and he prayed that he wouldn’t pick up the other leaders’ scents.

  Squirrelflight flashed him a look, and Shadowsight remembered what he was supposed to do. He leaped in front of the impostor, blocking her way. “Keep back!” he warned her. “He mustn’t be hurt!”

  “I can defend myself!” Claws hooked his scruff. The impostor had grabbed him and was dragging him off his paws. Shadowsight scrabbled at the air as the dark tabby lifted him like a kit and flung him to one side. He landed with a thump, scrambling up as the false Bramblestar faced Squirrelflight. Would he attack her before she had a chance to speak?

  Squirrelflight drew up short. “I’m here to help you!”

  The impostor stared at her. Disbelief lit his amber eyes. “Why?”

  “I know who you are now!” Squirrelflight’s face showed excitement. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  The impostor looked wary. “Tell you?”

  Shadowsight watched, holding his breath, willing the prisoner to believe Squirrelflight’s lie. He could see Mothwing peeping through a gap in the wall of the elders’ den. Please let the plan work! He wondered if StarClan could hear him.

  Squirrelflight’s eyes rounded eagerly. “We need to leave. Now. Together. That’s why you came back, isn’t it? That’s why you stole Bramblestar’s body? To be with me?”

  Hope and suspicion seemed to tussle in the impostor’s gaze. For the first time, Shadowsight saw him look uncertain. Is the plan working?

  Squirrelflight pressed on, slowly moving closer, allowing a purr to hum in her throat. “I’m sure now,” she mewed gently. “I’m sure it’s you. I knew there was something different about Bramblestar from the moment he got his new life. But it wasn’t his life, was it? It was yours.” She stopped suddenly, her gaze swinging toward Shadowsight.

  He stiffened. Don’t look at me! Look at him!

  “I have you to thank for that,” she meowed. “It was your treatment that killed Bramblestar and let this happen.” She turned back to the impostor. “Without Shadowsight’s help, you would never have come back,” she went on as the dark warrior stared at her in wonder. “You’re the tom I always loved, much more than Bramblestar. And now we can be together, forever.” Her eyes shone with such love that Shadowsight felt panic spark beneath his pelt. She was pretending, right? She didn’t really love this fox-heart!

  “You love me?” The impostor spoke weakly, as though he was scared he was dreaming.

  “It is you, right?” Squirrelflight’s gaze bored into his. “Tell me it’s you. Say your name, so I know I’m not making a fool of myself. Tell me it’s you.”

  Shadowsight stared at the impostor, blood roaring in his ears. He no longer saw Squirrelflight. He forgot about Mothwing. He held his breath as Bramblestar’s body seemed to change. Not its color or
its shape, but its posture shifted, its hindquarters hunching down and leaning to one side, the shoulders sharpening so that they seemed to strain at the skin and fur that covered them, the head lowering, the muzzle questing forward like a snake’s. Before Shadowsight’s eyes, Bramblestar seemed, despite the tabby pelt and amber gaze, to become another cat.

  “It is me. It’s Ashfur.” This stranger spoke with a voice harsher than Bramblestar’s. It had an edge that seemed to carry a sneer. And yet he spoke softly, uncertainty gone as hope seemed to triumph. “I knew you’d realize eventually. I knew you’d see the truth.”

  “Ashfur!” Delight shone in Squirrelflight’s eyes.

  Shadowsight felt sick to see it. She’s pretending, he told himself sharply. This is the plan.

  “If only you’d told me sooner,” she mewed breathlessly. “We could have saved a lot of time.”

  Ashfur padded closer, his eyes wide with joy. “I had to make sure you’d be on my side.” He hesitated, frowning suddenly. “You acted like you didn’t want any cat to replace Bramblestar.”

  “I didn’t know it was you,” Squirrelflight mewed breathlessly. “I could have helped you, if you’d told me.”

  “I didn’t need help,” Ashfur sneered. “It’s been so easy, turning the Clans against one another as they scramble to obey me and rid themselves of codebreakers.” He purred loudly, clearly pleased with himself, then looked at Shadowsight. “All I had to do was visit that little mouse-brain and give him visions.” Shadowsight burned with shame as Ashfur went on. “Telling him how to treat Bramblestar’s sickness. He was so eager to believe that he was StarClan’s chosen one. He really believed he could cure Bramblestar by letting him freeze to death on the moor.”

  I killed him. Shadowsight wanted to crawl away and hide. He had wanted to be the medicine cat StarClan most trusted. Ashfur’s right! I am a mouse-brain. And a traitor!

  Squirrelflight was still gazing fondly at Ashfur. “You’re so clever. Of course you didn’t need my help. You found your way back from StarClan. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “I did it for you,” he mewed urgently. “I only ever wanted you, and I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way.”