The Silent Thaw полностью

She pricked her ears as two shapes shifted behind the nursery. Their pelts gleamed in the moonlight as they sat a mouse-length away from each other. She recognized them at once. Stemleaf and Spotfur. Bristlefrost stiffened and sat up slowly, keeping her head low. She didn’t want to be noticed. Stemleaf and Spotfur were clearly hiding from their Clanmates. Their mouths were moving. Were they talking to each other? Had Stemleaf forgotten that no cat was supposed to speak to Spotfur for a quarter moon? Her heart quickened. What if Bramblestar found out? Would he banish Spotfur as he’d banished Lionblaze? She pricked her ears, her heart sinking when she heard their hushed whispers. After getting to her paws, she moved softly through the shadows, skirting the edge of the camp.

“You can’t do this!” she breathed.

Stemleaf swing his muzzle toward her. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

“Are you going to report us to Bramblestar?” Spotfur’s eyes flashed angrily.

“No!” Did they really think she wanted to see them in trouble? “But what if some other cat sees you or hears you?” Bristlefrost’s belly churned with anxiety. Did they think rules didn’t apply to them? No wonder StarClan had turned their tails on the living cats. “You’re not supposed to be talking.”

“Do you think that’s fair?” Stemleaf stared at her defiantly.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s fair or not,” Bristlefrost whispered urgently. “Bramblestar gave an order. You’re breaking the warrior code if you ignore it.”

Spotfur’s ears flattened. “But his orders are dumb!”

“Don’t say that!” Bristlefrost’s pelt spiked. “He’s our leader.”

“He hasn’t been much of a leader since he lost a life,” Stemleaf growled under his breath.

“It was his first life,” Bristlefrost reminded him. “He’s just getting used to it, and while he does, we just need to follow orders.”

“Even if they’re wrong?” Stemleaf flexed his claws in frustration.

“How will StarClan come back if we keep breaking the code?” Bristlefrost stared at him. Why didn’t he understand?

Spotfur snorted. “Do you really think they’ll come back if no cat talks to me for a quarter moon?”

“Not just that,” Bristlefrost argued. “It’s lots of things. I never realized how much we break the code without thinking. Every cat has to obey orders.”

Stemleaf narrowed his eyes. “And you’re going to make sure that we do?” he mewed bitterly.

“I’m just trying to stop you from getting into trouble like Spotfur,” Bristlefrost breathed. “You don’t want Bramblestar to stop your Clanmates from talking to you too.”

Stemleaf stared at her, his eyes glittering with starlight. “You don’t get it, do you? There’s more at stake here than whether we’re allowed to talk to each other. Something is very wrong.” He stretched his muzzle closer. “I always thought you were a good cat. Soon we’re going to have to make choices. I just hope you’ll be ready to make the right ones.” He stalked away.

Spotfur blinked at her, her eyes glistening with anger, then slid past her and headed toward the clearing.

Alone in the dark, Bristlefrost glanced around the camp. No cat paid any attention to Spotfur as she settled outside the warriors’ den and Stemleaf sat down between Dewnose and Bumblestripe. A dark sense of foreboding seemed to enfold her as Stemleaf’s words rang in her head. Soon we’re going to have to make choices.

She shivered. What in StarClan did he mean?

Chapter 9

Early morning light seeped through the medicine-den entrance as Shadowsight crept from his nest and crossed to Antfur’s. He hoped that Antfur would be his old self today. For three days, Shadowsight had padded to the injured cat’s nest in the medicine den and checked his eyes for cloudiness and asked him questions, hoping that he’d recovered enough to answer them sensibly. But each time Antfur had been confused, unsure where he was and answering questions as though he were still a guardian cat in the city.

Shadowsight’s heart seemed to beat too loudly in the quiet dawn. Snowbird was curled in her nest, eyes closed. At least the pain in her broken paw had eased enough for her to sleep through the night, and the swelling in Stonewing’s tail had gone down enough to reassure Shadowsight that he wouldn’t lose the tip. Their Clanmates were healing quickly. Shadowsight couldn’t help feeling that he and Puddleshine had done well. Scorchfur’s bruising was still tender, but Puddleshine had sent him back to his nest in the warriors’ den when he’d complained that the smell of herbs was making him queasy. “If he’s well enough to complain,” Puddleshine had said, “he’s well enough to sleep in his own nest.” Perhaps ShadowClan hadn’t been cursed with bad luck after all.