Darkness Within

by Erin Hunter

  Rootspring hesitated, seeing anguish in Squirrelflight’s eyes. “Yes,” he mewed quietly.

  Tigerstar’s tail flicked. “See?” He stared at the other leaders. “If cats who died a quarter moon ago are already fading, Bramblestar must be gone. Why are we keeping Ashfur alive, when he could be blocking our link to StarClan? We should kill him and be done with it, then everything can go back to normal.”

  Harestar frowned. “Are you sure it’s so simple?”

  “Of course I’m not sure,” Tigerstar snapped. “But you heard Ashfur’s threat. He’s promised to cause trouble, for the living and the dead. We have to stop him!”

  Mistystar tipped her head thoughtfully to one side. “Tigerstar has a point. If we’re too late to save Bramblestar, we still might be able to stop our dead Clanmates from disappearing.”

  “But Rootspring wasn’t the last cat to see Bramblestar.” Squirrelflight looked stricken, her forepaws grinding into the earth. “Shadowsight saw him in the Dark Forest. His ghost must still be around somewhere.” She stared desperately at Jayfeather, and when he didn’t speak, her gaze flitted around to the other medicine cats. She stiffened. “Where is Shadowsight?” Had she only just noticed that ShadowClan was missing a medicine cat?

  Tigerstar shifted his paws. “Shadowsight has decided to focus on training and improving his skills for the time being.”

  Mothwing dipped her head. “He felt he was getting a little ahead of himself and needed to get back to basics for a while.”

  Squirrelflight flattened her ears. “Is he being punished for passing on messages from Ashfur?”

  “Of course not,” Tigerstar mewed. Rootspring narrowed his eyes. The ShadowClan leader had answered a little too quickly.

  Squirrelflight seemed unconvinced too. “If any cat should hold a grudge against Shadowsight, it’s me,” she mewed. “But I don’t. He thought he was doing the right thing. He’s young. How could he have known better?”

  “Exactly,” Mothwing mewed. “He’s a little too young to be a full medicine cat. Some extra training won’t do him any harm.”

  Rootspring’s heart ached for Shadowsight. They’d become close over the past few moons. How humiliating to be made an apprentice again. All this trouble wasn’t Shadowsight’s fault; Ashfur had caused it. The dark warrior had deceived everyone.

  Squirrelflight’s tail was flicking ominously. “Whatever you’ve decided about Shadowsight’s training, the fact remains: He saw Bramblestar in the Dark Forest, which means his ghost is still out there. We can’t harm Ashfur until we’ve given Bramblestar a chance to reclaim his body.”

  Tigerstar grunted. “So how long do you want us to wait? One moon? Two? How long is enough?”

  “How long?” Squirrelflight stared at the ShadowClan leader.

  Beside Rootspring, Tree shifted uneasily. Harestar stared at the ground as an awkward silence gripped the gathered cats. It was unfair to ask Squirrelflight when she’d be ready to let go of a cat she loved. And yet the other leaders did have a point. Ashfur had threatened the living and the dead. And now it seemed as though their Clanmates were fading into nothing. Surely they had to do something before the fallen warriors vanished forever.

  Squirrelflight turned to Leafstar. “Do you think we should kill Ashfur while there’s a chance Bramblestar will return?”

  Leafstar avoided the Thunderclan warrior’s gaze. “There might not be time to wait if we want to stop our Clanmates from disappearing.”

  Tigerstar gazed imploringly at Squirrelflight. “What else can we do except kill the one cat we are sure has caused all this trouble?”

  Alderheart stepped forward and looked around at the gathered cats. His tail twitched nervously. “We don’t even know if killing Bramblestar’s body will stop Ashfur.”

  “What do you mean?” Mistystar pricked her ears.

  “Can we be sure Ashfur really needs Bramblestar’s body?” Alderheart asked. “Shadowsight said he saw Ashfur’s spirit leave it. What if, by killing Bramblestar, we simply drive Ashfur out of one body and into another?”

  Rootspring stared at the Thunderclan medicine cat. Did that mean Ashfur could never be killed? Dread pricked through his fur as Alderheart went on.

  “If Ashfur can’t die, then we’d be murdering Bramblestar for no good reason.”

  Tigerstar was suddenly very still.

  Harestar blinked. “Perhaps killing Bramblestar’s body will let Bramblestar back in,” he mewed hopefully.

  Mistystar leaned forward. “You found your way back to your body after you died in the battle. Why can’t Bramblestar do the same?”

  Harestar nodded eagerly. “He might be waiting for his body to die so he can return to it.”

  “And if he isn’t?” Squirrelflight snapped. “If he can’t return to his body? What then?”

  Tigerstar’s gaze darkened. “Then we’ll know he’s truly gone.”

  Squirrelflight flinched as though the ShadowClan leader had lashed out with unsheathed claws.

  Rootspring’s thoughts whirled. Would Tigerstar risk killing a Clan leader? What if he destroyed Bramblestar’s body only to find that Ashfur’s spirit went on causing trouble for the Clans? Surely the ShadowClan leader wouldn’t be so reckless. . . .

  Leafstar lifted her chin. “Before we do anything, we have to figure out if Bramblestar is really gone.”

  Squirrelflight seemed hardly to be listening. Her pelt twitched as though she was trying to stop herself from shivering. Jayfeather moved closer and pressed against her as Leafstar looked questioningly around at the other leaders.

  “Are we sure we have waited long enough for him to return?” the SkyClan leader asked.

  “He’s had plenty of time to show himself,” Tigerstar growled. “We have more medicine cats than ever before.” His gaze flicked toward Tree and Rootspring. “And those two.” Rootspring felt only a mild tingle of embarrassment at the ShadowClan leader’s tone. At least no other cats had shown Tigerstar’s disdain for the powers he and his father shared. “Surely one of them would have seen Bramblestar if he were still around.”

  Mistystar looked uneasy. “Maybe he really is gone.”

  Squirrelflight was trembling now without hiding it. Her eyes were hollow with dread. “You all think we should kill Bramblestar?”

  “We have to do something,” Tigerstar mewed softly.

  “And what if you’re wrong?” She glared at him accusingly. “You don’t know! You admitted you weren’t sure. And yet you’d kill a warrior on the chance that it might fix things you don’t even fully understand!”

  Rootspring’s heart seemed to press in his throat. “She’s right.” He was the reason this meeting had been called. He couldn’t risk letting the Clan leaders make a decision that could cost Bramblestar everything. He had to make sure they truly understood what was at stake. He went on, hoping his mew didn’t tremble. “I was the first one to see Bramblestar’s ghost. I didn’t want to see him at first, but he kept following me. He wouldn’t give up until I admitted I could see him. He won’t have given up now. And I can’t give up on him, not after he fought so hard to make me see him. I wish I understood more. I wish I knew what was happening. But I’m not an expert. . . .” As his words ran out, Rootspring stared imploringly at the leaders. “Please, give him more time.”

  Tree padded forward. “Rootspring is right. We need to be sure we know what we’re doing.” Rootspring blinked gratefully at his father. “There are cats who know more about wandering spirits than we do,” Tree went on. “You know who I mean..”

  Rootspring’s heart leaped as he understood. “The Sisters?” The group of strange she-cats—his kin and Tree’s—were born with the ability to see ghosts. They accepted it as part of their everyday lives.

  Tigerstar rolled his eyes. “That bunch of troublemakers.”

  Tree ignored him. “I don’t know for sure that they can help, but they might at least understand what’s happening.” His gaze flitted around at the medicine cats. “You know S
tarClan. But the Sisters know about the dead who stay with us to walk the forests. If any cat can find out if Bramblestar is truly gone, it’ll be them.” He met the ShadowClan leader’s contemptuous gaze. “We need advice,” he mewed. “And they are the best to give it.”

  Leafstar frowned. “But we tried one of their ceremonies before the battle,” she reminded them. “It didn’t work. Why will it work this time?”

  “We’re no longer trying to bring him back,” Tree told him. “We’re trying to find out if he’s still beside the lake at all.”

  Rootspring nodded, trying not to look in the direction of Squirrelflight, whose jaw clenched as though she had been scratched by claws. “Besides, copying a Sisters ceremony isn’t the same as asking them to perform one themselves,” he mewed. “They know how it works.”

  Tree nodded. “And they are more powerful.”

  Kestrelflight snorted. “Rogues aren’t more powerful than StarClan.”

  “The Sisters aren’t rogues!” Squirrelflight meowed hotly.

  Tree’s calm gaze remained fixed on Kestrelflight. “StarClan isn’t with us right now,” he reminded him. “We need all the help we can get.”

  Squirrelflight’s tail was twitching. “Tree’s idea is a good one,” she mewed. “I spent time with the Sisters. I trust them. And I will respect whatever they have to say about Bramblestar”—she glanced scornfully at Tigerstar—“even if they say he’s gone.”

  Harestar looked dubious. “Why should we bring in outsiders to solve our problems?”

  “What if their meddling makes things worse?” Mistystar agreed.

  Leafstar glanced at her. “Can it get worse than a dead warrior taking over a leader’s body to harm the Clans?”

  When no cat answered, Rootspring fluffed out his pelt. The wind was getting colder. Rain had reached the far shore and was speckling the surface of the lake. The leaders didn’t seem to notice. They stood impassively, pelts smooth.

  “Okay.” Leafstar gave a decisive nod. “Let’s ask the Sisters. We are dealing with things we don’t understand. And we would never forgive ourselves if we made the wrong decision. We must take a little more time and get advice from cats accustomed to dealing with ghosts.”

  Tigerstar huffed softly to himself but didn’t object. Harestar and Mistystar exchanged glances. When they didn’t speak, Leafstar went on.

  “Tree.” She blinked at the yellow tom. “Do you know where we could find the Sisters now?”

  “It’s hard to know for sure,” he told her. “But with greenleaf nearly here, they will be in search of land away from Twolegs, which means they’ll probably head across the hills.” He looked past the forest, where trees met the moors and the Moonpool lay beyond.

  Squirrelflight leaned closer. “How far will they have gone?” she mewed.

  “I can’t be sure,” Tree told her. “But the Sisters are hard to miss. Some cat will have seen them pass.”

  Mistystar’s pelt ruffled. “The sooner we find them, the better,” she mewed briskly.

  Tigerstar growled. “More delays.”

  “It’s better to delay than make a mistake we can’t take back,” Harestar told him. “Let’s find these Sisters, see what they have to say, and then deal with Ashfur once and for all.”

  Rootspring hoped it was that simple. He wondered if his father would be able to find the Sisters as easily as he hoped.

  Mothwing looked troubled. “And if the Sisters can’t find Bramblestar either?”

  “Then we’ll have no choice,” Tigerstar mewed. Behind him, the lake was disappearing behind a fine gray mist. “We’ll have to kill Ashfur. It may be our only hope.”

  Squirrelflight curled her claws into the earth, as though steadying herself.

  Harestar dipped his head in agreement. “With any luck, it’ll mean Bramblestar can begin a new life as himself, just as I did during the battle.”

  “Okay.” Leafstar nodded. “We’ll find the Sisters and get their help.”

  “They’re not coming onto ShadowClan land,” Tigerstar growled.

  Harestar puffed out his chest. “Nor WindClan.”

  Leafstar looked weary. “Very well. They may only set paw on SkyClan land.”

  “And talk to SkyClan cats,” Mistystar added.

  Leafstar waited as the other leaders murmured in agreement; then she nodded to Tree. “When can you leave?”

  The yellow tom met her gaze. “I’m not going,” he told her. “I owe the Sisters nothing and they owe me nothing, and that’s the way I like it.”

  Rootspring stared at his father as rain began to pound the earth around the gathered cats. “But you have to go! You’re their kin. You can persuade them to help us better than anyone else.”

  Tree blinked at him. “You’re their kin too. And your relationship with them is far less complicated than mine.”

  “You want me to go?” Rootspring shook raindrops from his eyes. “I haven’t seen them since I was a kit! I’ve never left Clan territory before. Do you think I can do it?”

  “Of course you can.” Tree gazed at him warmly. “There’s no one I’d trust more with this mission.”

  He really believes in me. Rootspring was sharply aware of the earth pressing up against his paws. It felt deep and strong. I think I can do this too. “Okay.” He turned to Leafstar. “I’ll find the Sisters.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Thank you, Rootspring.” Pride swelled in his chest as she went on. “Take Needleclaw with you.” She shook raindrops from her whiskers. “She is the Sisters’ kin too. Hopefully they will welcome you both.” The SkyClan leader turned her muzzle toward the other leaders. “Does any other Clan want to send cats on this mission?”

  Tigerstar and Harestar avoided her gaze. Mistystar didn’t speak, but Squirrelflight straightened.

  “Bristlefrost will go with them,” the Thunderclan leader mewed. “And Spotfur.”

  Rootspring blinked at the Thunderclan leader. She sounded very certain. “Isn’t Spotfur still mourning Stemleaf?”

  “A mission will remind her that that she is a warrior and her Clan needs her,” Squirrelflight told him. “Bristlefrost will take care of her.”

  Butterflies seemed to flutter like leaves in Rootspring’s belly. He would get to spend time with Bristlefrost again. He tried to push away his excitement, hoping the others couldn’t sense it. Would it be hard being so close to her? No. They were both warriors now, and they were being entrusted with an important mission. Neither of them would let their feelings get in the way of that. Besides, it wasn’t like they’d be alone; Spotfur and Needleclaw would be there too.

  We’re friends. He and Bristlefrost had already decided that was all they could ever be. He stood in the rain as the others began to head for the cover of the trees. I just hope I’m strong enough to stick by that decision.

  Chapter 7

  Bristlefrost hurried to the top of the rise, excited by fresh scents carried on a wind untainted by the lake, pine, or heather. Her heart swelled with joy. This was the first time she’d set paw outside Clan territory. The rain, which had drenched the forests and moor for the past two days, had cleared in time for the journey, and now, at last, the patrol had left the forest behind. Ahead, sunlit valleys and grassy hills rolled toward a blue horizon.

  Her fur had been fizzing with excitement ever since Squirrelflight had told her she would be going on the patrol to find the Sisters with Rootspring. She’d thought, after the battle, that they would only see each other at Gatherings, and she’d resigned herself to living in Thunderclan while he stayed in SkyClan, even though they’d admitted they had feelings for each other. But suddenly it didn’t matter so much that they could never be mates. They would be together for the next few days. That was enough. She would just have to keep her feelings in check. She could do that, surely? She wasn’t a fluff-brained apprentice anymore. She was a warrior, and her Clan was relying on her to bring the Sisters back. She would focus on that. She felt almost sure the mission would be a success, because she
and Rootspring worked so well together—almost as though they were Clanmates. Clanmates! The thought sent happiness flowing like warm honey through her veins.

  She looked over her shoulder to where Rootspring, Spotfur, and Needleclaw trailed behind. “It’s beautiful!” she called.

  The wind must have whipped away her mew, because the others didn’t seem to hear her. Rootspring was keeping close to Spotfur, whose gaze barely lifted from the ground, while Needleclaw glanced around warily, as though a fox might be stalking them. Her heart sank. Weren’t they excited too?

  Guilt jabbed Bristlefrost’s belly. Was she the only one who felt pleased to be away from her Clan? In the days since Flipclaw and the others had left, Thunderclan had seemed lost. Every paw-length of the camp reminded Bristlefrost of the long moons when Ashfur had posed as Bramblestar and brought chaos to the Clan turning Clanmates against one another. She knew that every warrior in Thunderclan felt ashamed of some of the things they’d done; they’d been taken in by a fox-heart and had fought with one another because of him. But she couldn’t help feeling relieved to be away from the forest for a while—and to be on a quest that might put everything right.

  Shaking out her fur, she hurried back to the patrol. “It looks like open country ahead,” she reported. “I can’t see any Twolegplaces; just a few dens dotted here and there.”

  Rootspring lifted his muzzle, brightening as she spoke. “The Sisters must have headed this way,” he mewed. “We may find them by sunset.”

  Needleclaw grunted. “That’s not what you said last night,” she mewed. “Before we left, you said we could be looking for them until leaf-fall.”

  Bristlefrost’s pelt twitched crossly. “He was probably trying not to get your hopes up.” She swished her tail. “You know how cautious Rootspring can be.”

  Rootspring stared ahead. “Let’s focus on finding them. Tree told us to look for a kittypet called Pancakes. He knows the Sisters and he can tell us if . . .” His mew trailed off as they reached the top of the rise and he gazed at the valleys and grassy hills. Had the view taken his breath away?