The Silent Thaw полностью

“Yes.” Squirrelflight nodded. “Crazy. Perhaps Rootpaw really does believe it. Maybe he dreamed it and thinks it’s a message from StarClan. Most likely, he was trying to cover his real reason for coming here.” She looked pointedly at Bristlefrost. Bristlefrost’s pelt pricked self-consciously as she went on. “Every cat knows he has a crush on you. But it’s best we don’t even think about it. It’s got nothing to do with ThunderClan.” She nodded Bristlefrost away. “Go and finish your mouse.”

Bristlefrost nodded gratefully to Squirrelflight. She felt relieved. She’d done the right thing in telling her. She didn’t think Rootpaw would lie, but he might believe he’d had a message from StarClan if it gave him an excuse to visit her. Nothing else made sense. She padded back to her mouse, suddenly hungry. She wasn’t going to think about Rootpaw or ghosts anymore. She’d forget him and focus on her duties. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were relying on her to be the best warrior she could be.

Chapter 12

Shadowsight shivered as a cold breeze whisked around him. In the distance, the Moonpool’s hollow was lit from above. It glowed against the dark moor. He couldn’t help feeling that it was waiting for him, that it knew he was coming to share his vision of the codebreakers at last. He tried to ignore the doubt that had been shadowing the edges of his thoughts for the last three days. What would StarClan demand from the cats it had shown him—from Dovewing—to make amends?

He followed Puddleshine along the stream and up the rocks as they steepened. Scrambling from paw hold to paw hold, he was breathless by the time he reached the top and hauled himself into the silver moonlight of the hollow. The other medicine cats sat like stones at the bottom, the Moonpool shining beside them.

Puddleshine paused at his side. He glanced at Shadowsight. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”

“I’m worried about leaving Snowbird,” he told him. It was a half-truth, but what else could he say? He hadn’t told Puddleshine what he was planning to reveal at the meeting. “Her paw isn’t healing as well as I’d hoped.” He thought of the injured she-cat, and of Scorchfur, whose pelt was still slicked with ointment to soothe his injuries, and of Dovewing’s torn ear and the kink in Stonewing’s tail. Antfur had been buried three days ago, and the Clan was still in mourning. He had to share his vision about the codebreakers. It was the only way to protect his Clan from StarClan’s anger.

As he padded down the dimpled rock, he realized the Moonpool was unfrozen. Its water was as black as the night sky, but no stars reflected in its glossy surface. StarClan still seemed very far away.

Frecklewish got to her paws as the ShadowClan cats neared, padding to greet them with a nod. “Do you think StarClan will share with us tonight?”

Puddleshine’s gaze was dark. “I hope so.”

Beside the pool, Jayfeather stared blindly ahead. “If StarClan wishes to share, they will.”

Alderheart glanced at the blank water. “Is it me, or does the Moonpool seem different tonight?”

“It looks darker than usual.” Kestrelflight’s ears twitched uneasily.

“It’s only water,” Mothwing mewed briskly. “Why don’t we see what happens.” She crouched at the edge, beckoning Willowshine closer with a flick of her tail.

Shadowsight fought to stop his paws trembling. He had to speak before they touched their noses to the water. They had to know what was wrong before they faced another silence. He took a breath. What would they say when he told them? “I think I know why StarClan has stopped sharing with us,” he blurted out.

Kestrelflight jerked his muzzle toward him. “Why should you know what we don’t?”

“StarClan sent me a vision that I haven’t told you about.” Shadowsight pressed on as the others blinked at him in surprise. “When we were here a few moons ago, a voice spoke to me. It said the Clans had forgotten the code.” He closed his eyes, quoting the words. “‘The code has been broken time and time again, and because of the codebreakers, every Clan must pay a price. They must suffer.’”

“‘Suffer’?” Frecklewish stared at him. “StarClan has never wanted us to suffer before. They want to help us.”

Shadowsight pressed on. “This is what they told me,” he insisted. “They showed me a vision of the cats who have broken the code.”

Kestrelflight’s ears flattened. “Which cats?” he demanded.

“Crowfeather, Squirrelflight, Jayfeather—”

Jayfeather stiffened as Shadowsight said his name. “Me? Why?”

Shadowsight looked at him. “I don’t know.”

“Who else?” Alderheart asked nervously.

“Dovewing.” The name caught in Shadowsight’s throat. He was naming his mother as a codebreaker. He felt dizzy as he forced himself to go on. “Lionblaze, Twigbranch, and Mothwing.” He avoided the RiverClan medicine cat’s gaze, guilt washing his pelt.

Puddleshine was staring at him. Anger flashed in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”