CHAPTER NINETEEN

He was in the middle of organizing patrols when he saw the two apprentices come into camp.

"Cedarpelt, Rootpaw, Mintpool, take a patrol to check the RiverClan border," he ordered, turning to face the newcomers with a stony gaze. "They've been too quiet lately."

The cats chosen for the patrol excused themselves, Cedarpelt leading the way. He watched them go out of the corner of his eye, seeing the small brown apprentice tagging along with his mentor, and Mintpool trailing after.

The ginger tom focused his attention on the two apprentices who had just slipped in to camp. Cloudpaw had an arrogant expression etched on his face as he walked in, proudly carrying a rabbit in his jaws. Tansypaw was trailing after, a sheepish expression on her face.

"Thornfur?" He heard a cat call his name and so he turned around to face the other two WindClan cats who were standing before him, awaiting orders. "What about us?"

The deputy sighed and flicked his tail. "Swiftfang, you'll lead an evening hunting patrol. Pick your own cats for that. And I'll lead the evening border patrol. Ashpoppy, you'll be coming with me, and so will one of these apprentices, once I'm through with them."

Tansypaw looked instantly guilty, but Cloudpaw still carried his habitual confidence as he stared at his mentor, his yellow eyes narrowed. Thornfur couldn't help but feel that there was something different about him lately. He was always prideful, but recently, he seemed darker.

"Yes, Thornfur," said Swiftfang, dipping his head respectfully. Ashpoppy repeated the gesture and turned away without even a glance at Tansypaw, who stood with her ginger head bowed. She was quietly watching her mentor leave, not daring to turn her head towards Cloudpaw.

His patrols finally resolved, the large ginger tom turned back towards Cloudpaw. "What have you been up to?" he asked, his neck fur beginning to bristle.

Cloudpaw shrugged and put down his rabbit, guarding it carefully between his paws. "I went for a hunt. Tansypaw wanted to come with me."

"I can see that you went for a hunt," said Thornfur darkly. "Is that all you brought back?"

The white tom shrugged again. "S'all I managed to catch," he said. "There weren't a lot of rabbits out."

"You're a good hunter, Cloudpaw," said Thornfur with a sigh. "You can catch more than that. I know you weren't out there just for a hunt. You're squandering time. Why?"

"Why not?" asked Cloudpaw, meeting his mentor's challenging gaze. "I can do whatever I want. I caught a rabbit, after all, and I was wondering if I could bring it to Frostpool."

"You know very well that we had a training session planned at sunhigh. You were going to show Rootpaw your fighting moves," Thornfur replied, feeling a stab of irritation. "I know you're a better fighter than Rootpaw, but you can't just leave."

"Why not?" Cloudpaw asked again. "Someone else can teach him to fight. You're always on about how you're a warrior and better than me, so why can't you do it."

Thornfur took a step forward and was pleased to see his apprentice shrinking back. "Because I asked you to do it," he said in a deep growl. "Now go bring that rabbit to Frostpool."

Cloudpaw sighed and shook out his pelt in dissatisfaction. "Yes, Thornfur," he grunted.

The deputy sighed. His apprentice had all the makings of a good warrior, and he knew that Cloudpaw had a nicer side to him, displayed in his friendship with Tansypaw, but the white tom just didn't listen. It was always about what he thought and what he wanted. He had no respect for authority or for the Clan.

Tansypaw was another story. Left on her own, the apprentice was quiet and eager to please. But whenever Cloudpaw was around, she took to following him, abandoning common sense to be by his side. While Cloudpaw liked the she-cat well enough, Thornfur wasn't sure how well his apprentice reciprocated her feelings.

Cloudpaw stood up brusquely and brushed by the older tom. As their pelts brushed, Thornfur jerked back as though physically stung. There had been something akin to a shock between them, except it had been much bigger and far more painful. Thornfur stood, breathing heavily, and watched as his apprentice walked away.

"Thornfur, are you alright?" asked Tansypaw nervously. She must have seen his eyes widen in panic, for her expression was worried and unsure.

"I'm fine," he said roughly, his breathing still uneven. Blackness fizzled at the edges of his vision and he blinked it away rapidly. What had just happened? It felt like something had leapt between them, not transferring itself, but sharing. He tried to push it aside. It must have just been his imagination.

"Go find your mentor, Tansypaw," Thornfur gasped. "I'll talk to you later about... about tagging along with Cloudpaw."

Tansypaw nodded shakily and left, padding through camp. Thornfur looked up at the sunhigh sky, blue with hints of a leaf-fall chill, and shivered. He wasn't aware that something had nestled itself into the back of his mind, a grain with dark, pulsing tendrils, arms that were gently stroking him, persuading him, filling him with a warm poison.

He wasn't aware of that at all.

x x x

Sootpaw was in danger.

That was the thought that never left Dawnpaw's mind. It was there in the morning when she woke, it was there when she patrolled with Elmheart, and when she returned from her hunting patrol at sunhigh, it was still there, pulsing and throbbing in the back of her head.

"Good work today, Dawnpaw," said Cherrytail cheerfully, her eyes bright as they walked back into camp. After the peace of the last Gathering, she had put the thought of the battle behind her, and now the ginger-and-white she-cat positively glowed with happiness.

On the patrol, Dawnpaw had overheard Beechclaw asking about her abundant joy. The lean brown tabby was known for his sarcasm and barbed tongue, and it had been a spot of humour in the boredom and chill of the day. But Beechclaw was happy too, though the tom tried not to show it. His kits were doing well; Mothkit was healthy, and Breezekit hadn't experienced an attack since the first night.

"The way you caught that starling was great," mewed Nettleclaw encouragingly. The dark ginger tom had led the patrol silently through the woods, but as they returned to camp with their jaws full of prey, his mood was steadily improving.

Even Mousepaw was radiant when they returned to camp. "Can I take that mouse to the elders?" she had asked Beechclaw eagerly, her eyes glowing and her normal shyness seemingly put on hold. ThunderClan had an air of cheerfulness surrounding it, as if they were all welcoming a return to the pre-battle peace. The satisfaction in the air was practically tangible.

Only Dawnpaw was worried. If Falconswoop even suspected that Sootpaw knew the truth, then Sootpaw was in terrible danger. And judging by their most recent conversation, Falconswoop definitely had his suspicions.

Her conversations with Sootpaw were short and to the point, their minds fraught with fear.

You're in danger, she would say.

His responses were terse. I know.

They didn't say much beyond that. He was withdrawn during the day, the edges of his mind barely brushing against hers. Whenever they touched, Dawnpaw felt a rush of worry and sorrow, and did her best to reply with reassurance and solace.

At night, however, when he relaxed, his mind seeped into hers, and she found herself holding him tenderly, whispering softly to him, giving him a part of herself to draw strength from, giving him love.

Did she love Sootpaw? The ginger she-cat was far too young to think about taking a mate. But Sootpaw was part of her, an essential component, and they needed each other just to get by. She cared for him more than she could ever describe.

They didn't talk about what happened at night, but neither of them could deny it.

"Thanks," she said quietly, nodding to Cherrytail and Nettleclaw in turn. Once, the praise would have excited her, but now it fell emptily upon her ears. Praise couldn't help her. It couldn't bring Hailstripe back.

Dawnpaw found herself missing the white-and-grey tom who had been ShadowClan's deputy, though she had never met him. Sootpaw's memories lived within her, and sometimes an image would suddenly fill her head, an image of Hailstripe purring or encouraging her, and it felt just like she had actually lived it.

At Nettleclaw's urging, she decided to bring her starling the the nursery, where Auburnfur was waiting. As she trotted across the clearing, Dawnpaw saw a glimpse of grey tabby fur darting into the warriors den. Thickfur.

They still weren't speaking, but her desire to tell him the truth was beginning to mount. Thickfur was strong; a warrior. She couldn't do anything to help Sootpaw or stop Falconswoop, but maybe he could.

As the ginger she-cat entered the nursery, Auburnfur looked up. Mothkit and Breezekit were suckling at her belly, and she had her tail swept around them protectively. Dawnpaw deposited the starling by the queen's forepaws, and the older she-cat murmured a word of thanks.

"You're welcome," said Dawnpaw softly before slipping out of the den.

She found her paws carrying her towards the warriors den. One half of her was screaming for her to stop, insisting that she couldn't face her mentor, but the other was pushing her forwards, chanting a quiet but intense mantra: Tell him. Tell him. Tell him.

I have to tell Thickfur.

She felt Sootpaw began to rouse. Are you sure?

Dawnpaw swallowed heavily. Yes.

Gathering her courage, she barged into the den before she could change her mind.

"Dawnpaw?" It was Larchstripe's voice. The she-cat sat close to Thickfur, her long pelt neatly groomed. Her eyes were quizzical as they stared at the ginger apprentice. Beside her, Thickfur avoided meeting Dawnpaw's gaze, though his whole body was sparking with barely concealed hostility.

"I need to talk to Thickfur," Dawnpaw said quickly, before pausing to take a gulp of air. "If that's okay."

Larchstripe looked back and forth between the two cats and merely shrugged. Thickfur groaned and got to his paws, padding towards her. "This better be important, Dawnpaw."

Biting back a sharp retort about how he wasn't even doing anything, Dawnpaw nodded and stepped backwards into the clearing. Thickfur followed her, his amber eyes filled with contempt. "What is it?" he asked.

"Is there somewhere we can talk more privately?" she asked nervously, scuffing her paw along the ground.

Her mentor sighed and then relented. "Follow me," he mewed, and began trotting towards the slope out of camp. Dawnpaw followed, picking her way along the rocks.

They walked through the forest quickly and quietly, neither in a cheerful mood. Dawnpaw skimmed her eyes over the trees around them, seeing but not taking in. There was only one thing on her mind.

Eventually, the pair reached a secluded spot. They were in the centre of a copse of birch trees, the pale leaves fluttering gently in the breeze. It was nice out, warm enough, but it was impossible to feel any warmth at all with the burden she was carrying. Dawnpaw sat down nervously, trying to look anywhere but at Thickfur.

"Before you tell me anything, you need to apologize for what you said to me at our last session," said Thickfur stiffly. His shoulders were hunched and he sat in what was clearly an uncomfortable and rather aggressive posture.

Dawnpaw swallowed. Everything she had said had been true, but she knew she couldn't talk to her mentor like that. "I was out of line, Thickfur," she mewed, his name clunky on her tongue. "I'm sorry."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement of her apology. Staring at him, Dawnpaw could almost guess what he was thinking, The grey tabby knew that what she had said had been justified, but he would never let her get away with saying it. Authority had to be respected.

"Now, what did you want to tell me?" he asked slowly.

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you how I knew about the attack on ShadowClan."

"Alright," said Thickfur, watching her through narrowed eyes. "Tell me."

"You... You have to promise to believe me," said Dawnpaw worriedly. "It's hard to believe, but it's true."

Her mentor shook his head. "I don't have to promise anything, Dawnpaw."

"You do if you want me to tell you," she snapped back without thinking. He swung his gaze up to meet hers and she flinched at the disdain in his amber eyes. "I mean..."

"Watch what you say," Thickfur growled. His claws had slid out and were digging into the ground, churning it beneath him.

"It's just..." she began, trailing off nervously. "I don't understand it myself, but I'm telling you the truth."

"Dawnpaw," he said, and she was surprised to hear a hint of gentleness in his tone. "Just tell me."

"There's a cat in my head," she blurted out. "I mean, I'm in his head too, and we can talk, and stuff. That's how I knew about the attack. He told me."

She was dimly aware that Thickfur was watching her with rising incredulity in his eyes. "Dawnpaw," he said stiffly. "One more time, and try to make a bit more sense."

Dawnpaw nodded hastily and tried to calm herself. "It just happened. I found I could suddenly talk to him in my head. Not just talk, but share memories and feelings. I don't know why we're linked like this. But when ShadowClan was attacked, he asked me to help him."

"Who is this cat?" asked Thickfur silently, his voice quiet but sharp.

"Sootpaw," she mewed. "A ShadowClan apprentice. Falconswoop's son."

"And you say you can talk to him in your head?" Thickfur mewed. His ears were flat against his head and she realized that this was threatening him. There was a power that neither of them could explain, and that scared him.

She nodded. "Our minds are linked. Sometimes they're just touching, but other times... it's like they're together as one mind."

"I want to believe you," said Thickfur in a tone that suggested he did not want to believe anything of the sort, "but how can I?"

Tell him the story of when he and I met.

Dawnpaw started, surprised by the Sootpaw's presence. But it was only natural that he would want to listen in on this conversation. You've met Thickfur?

Yeah, he said, and he told her the story.

"You've met Sootpaw," said Dawnpaw to Thickfur. "You met him first on a border patrol, when he was with his mentor, Hailstripe. He snarled at you and you took a step forward to subdue him."

Thickfur's eyes flickered but he said nothing, so Dawnpaw continued. "The second time you met him was at a Gathering. He was sitting near you, and when it was announced that there was a new ShadowClan apprentice, Flowerpaw, you were the only cat that noticed that he didn't cheer. You shared a glance. He said that... that you identified with him."

Her mentor dipped his head. "That's correct."

She took a deep breath. "Do you believe me?"

"Do I have a choice?" asked Thickfur bitingly. Dawnpaw winced, and though he didn't apologize, she saw him pull away slightly.

"You won't... you won't tell Slatestar, will you?" Dawnpaw said in a small voice. "It's just... I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Thickfur challenged. When she didn't answer, he sighed. "No more secrets, Dawnpaw, come on."

"The fewer cats who know about it, the better," she mewed. "StarClan gave us this power for a reason. Sootpaw think it might be like a test. We're the only cats who can stop him... I mean, stop whatever might be coming."

If he noticed her slip-up, he didn't call her on it. Thickfur mulled over his for a moment before finally replying, "StarClan?"

Dawnpaw nodded. "Sootpaw thinks he saw a StarClan cat."

"And what do you think?" asked Thickfur quietly.

"I don't know," Dawnpaw admitted. "But what I do know is that Sootpaw's in danger. He knows a terrible secret. He knows who killed Hailstripe."

Thickfur almost flinched. "Hailstripe's death was a horrible accident."

"No," said Dawnpaw eagerly. "It wasn't. He was murdered."

Her mentor shook his head. "You're wrong. No cat would murder another Clan's deputy."

"You have to believe me," Dawnpaw begged. "Sootpaw saw who did it, and he's in danger as long as he stays in ShadowClan."

"Even if I did believe you, which I don't, what do you expect me to do about it?" asked Thickfur. He was starting to grow annoyed again, and Dawnpaw shrank away from him.

"I thought maybe you could ask Slatestar if he could come to ThunderClan."

What?

"What?"

Thickfur was staring at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes in slits. "I won't bring an enemy apprentice into our Clan."

"It's to protect him," pleaded Dawnpaw.

We never talked about this, said Sootpaw roughly. Why are you asking him?

It just came out, Dawnpaw admitted. I didn't mean to ask, but it just came out, and I just want you to be safe.

I know, the grey tom said with a sigh. I just...

If Thickfur says yes, will you come? she asked.

Thickfur won't say yes, Sootpaw told her simply.

He was right. Thickfur was standing now, the fur on the back of his neck beginning to bristle. "Why should I listen to you?" he snarled.

"I was right about the attack on ShadowClan!" Dawnpaw insisted. "Please, Thickfur, you need to believe me. Sootpaw can't stay in ShadowClan."

"Hailstripe's death was an accident," repeated Thickfur. "Don't think anything else of it. You may have your mind linked with Sootpaw, which is hard enough to believe in the first place, but StarClan has a reason for that. Until StarClan gives me a reason to listen to you and bring Sootpaw into ThunderClan, I'm not saying anything to Slatestar."

"Hailstripe's death wasn't an accident!" Dawnpaw burst out.

When Thickfur next looked at her, his eyes were chips of amber ice. "Then tell me who killed him?" he said, voice cold as he goaded her. "Tell me the name of his murderer."

But Dawnpaw found that she couldn't. The name was frozen on her tongue. She was scared to say it, scared to make it real, scared that if she vocalized it, the tom would be after her too.

Falconswoop, hissed Sootpaw. Say it. Falconswoop.

Thickfur shook his head sadly. "I believe you about Sootpaw. I really do. But you're seven moons, Dawnpaw. I appreciate that you helped save ShadowClan. Maybe that's what the link was for. Now you need to learn to leave it alone."

Dawnpaw wanted to tell him to wait, that she could name the murderer, that everything was real. But she had lost the ability to speak, and now the words were pooled in her throat, and she felt herself suffocating on them, drowning in the fear and the worry and the name. Falconswoop.

"Catch something before you come back to camp," Thickfur instructed. "And don't bother me unless you have a real problem. We're doing fighting training tomorrow at sunhigh."

With that, he was gone.

X X X X X X X

A/N: All I'm going to say is that Thickfur has his own reasons for not wanting to believe Dawnpaw.

So I received some really great reviews for the last chapter! I feel like I keep thanking you guys over and over again, but I can't help it. I have the next chapter already written, and the one after that is started. I got a lot of writing done over the weekend, and I'm super-excited for this to play out. I also have a very rough sketch of the last chapter of the last book. It's so far away, but hopefully I'll make it!

Silvertail of shoreclan, littlemisslibrarian: Thanks so much! :D

Coqui's Song: You'll probably like him in the next couple of chapters then, some exciting stuff is going to happen.

Redwolf: You are too smart for your own good :P You'll see what you got right.

Queen of the Pens: Not exactly. We'll see a couple in passing, but it will mostly just be in reference to the original's plot.

Scarletstar of SouthernClan: That's such an awesome compliment! Thank you so much!

Eternal-NI6: Well we've already seen Dovewing in the prologue :) As for the others, not in Pawn, but maybe in a sequel...

allygirl56: I'm glad to know you liked that part :)

Quick question: who is your favourite secondary character? So not Dawnpaw, Sootpaw, Branchpaw, or Kitepaw - he's not a POV character but a lot of you say you like him, so excluding him too :)

Thanks for reading and please review!

- PV :)