Looming Darkness

Chapter 5

"The scent in the air," Echoheart breathed.

Whispersong sniffed, and for a moment she could only smell the damp bark, the soggy leaves, and her sister. Then she smelled it and froze. "Rainstar."

"Recently." Echoheart's voice trembled.

Whispersong sniffed again. The DayClan leader's scent was strong. Whispersong stiffened. Stronger than before. It was recent, too recent.

"This was tonight," Echoheart spoke up again, so quietly that Whispersong barely heard her.

Whispersong looked around. Rainstar's scent was strongest in the same place Whispersong had fainted. Rainstar had been there at the same time Whispersong was passed out. Icy shivers crawled up Whispersong's spine and her throat went dry. Rainstar had found her. She could have killed her. Whispersong trembled. Her stomach squirmed, and this time it wasn't from her kits. A fear stronger than anything she'd ever experienced took a hold of her, almost stronger than the fear of the bear they'd seen in the mountains.

But Rainstar hadn't killed her. She hadn't even touched her. That meant that Rainstar had a very good reason not to, and Rainstar usually didn't have reason. Whispersong's heart began to race faster than a monster on the Thunderpath.

She felt cold claws of fear ripping through her chest. Rainstar knew; she knew that Whispersong, Echoheart, and Bumblefrost were finally back; she already knew that Bumbelforst loved Whispersong, and she knew that Bumblefrost had betrayed DayClan. Whispersong shuddered violently. She probably also knew that Whispersong was having kits, too. Rainstar was going to use this knowledge to her advantage. She was going to have another plan.

Whispersong's legs buckled underneath her, and she stumbled to the ground. Echoheart, blue eyes filled with worry, leaned over Whispersong.

Whispersong looked up at her sister weakly, voice shaking. "Rainstar knows we're back, and knows Bumblefrost betrayed DayClan for me. She knows, Echoheart. She knows. And she's going to have another plan with this knowledge."

Echoheart looked at Whispersong, her blue eyes staring in horror into Whispersong's brown. They both knew of Rainstar's last plan, and it'd involved killing kits. What would come next?

* * *

Whispersong, Echoheart, Star, and Eveningstar walked trance-like through the dark, foggy forest and back to camp. Not one of them spoke, and all of them stared ahead unblinkingly.

Once they'd passed through the brambles, Eveningstar whispered something to Sunfur, who looked concerned. "Senior warrior meeting!" the deputy called into the night, her breath swirling from her jaws like fog. Bronzepelt, Sparktail, and Rustypelt poked their heads out of the warriors' den sleepily, blinking and stretching.

Whispersong avoided her father and walked the long way around the camp to the warriors' den, heart still pounding at the thought of Rainstar finding her lying unconscious in the woods. She shuddered again, passing the apprentice den.

Then she heard something unexpected.

"They were huge. Towering into the sky and piercing the clouds like claws..."

Whispersong didn't believe her ears. Was that Bumblefrost talking to the three apprentices?

"Really? Are those the mountains that you can see from the meadow?" Pinepaw asked.

"Sparrowtail told me about those!" exclaimed Rosepaw. "They're way past DayClan territory."

"And further than the Pointed Mountain and the Moonfall," Bumblefrost added in. Whispersong felt her heart warm at the voices; the apprentices were starting to accept him.