Chapter Twenty-Four
The clearing was alive with rogues, and in the center of the cats was Dusk.
Echoshine stifled a gasp. "No," she breathed.
She padded carefully around the clearing to make sure she was downwind of the rogues. The last thing she needed was for the rogues to find her.
Ducking behind a large spicebush plant, she hunkered low to the ground, trying to hear what was going on.
"…keep him prisoner," the ginger she-cat stood in front of Dusk, her tail twitching contemptuously. "Those mange-pelted flea-bags will come looking for him." She sneered at Dusk, flicking a paw out and slashing his nose.
Dusk flinched away.
"And when they do, we'll be ready." Flattening her ears, the tribe leader hissed, "They won't stand a chance!"
The surrounding cats yowled their agreement. A black she-cat broke through the crowd to stand at Talon's side.
"Nightshade here," Talon flicked her tail toward the she-cat, "shall tell you all the battle strategy."
The black she-cat raised her head and addressed the cats around. "As Talon has already said, we will use this useless traitor," she snapped long fangs in Dusk's direction, "to lure ThunderClan in. Stone, you are to spy on the ThunderClan cats. They shall soon discover that their beloved Dusk is gone. And when that happens, you shall watch, to find when they shall send a search party." Nightshade flattened her ears in triumph. "Snakeroot, you have a job, too."
A small head poked through the other cats, coming to stand next to Nightshade and Talon. "Me?"
"Yes, you. You are to sit in the forest alone and wail, drawing the Clan cats toward you when they come looking for Dusk. When they are near, you must run closer to our camp. They will follow, and discover Dusk. But," the she-cat waved her tail for silence as the rogues hissed with pleasure. "The ThunderClan cats shall not see us. You will all be hidden from sight; the Clan cats will be coming into a seemingly empty camp. Then we will attack them. They won't stand a chance."
Echoshine's eyes grew wide, then took on a steely glint. No. You rogues will never take over ThunderClan. She cast a longing look toward Dusk. I can't just leave him here! She sighed, her heart heavy. She knew that there was nothing she could to for Dusk if she just sat around watching. She peered through the bush for a moment more. Dusk's beautiful blue eyes locked with hers. He nodded at her. She tore her gaze away from him and leapt back toward ThunderClan's camp.
Echoshine crashed into the camp, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She had to help Dusk.
"Beetlewhisker?" She ran straight to his den.
But he didn't reply.
Just my luck, she thought, he's not even back yet.
She had to do this without her father, and she had to hurry. If the rogue called Stone came to spy before the Clan knew about him, things could turn really bad for Dusk.
Echoshine ran to Willowleaf's den. "Willowleaf!"
"Yes?"
Echoshine was relieved that at least one cat was in camp. "Willowleaf, Dusk's been abducted by the rogues and they're holding him prisoner until we come to find him and then they're going to attack the search patrol and take over ThunderClan!"
Willowleaf poked her head out of the den. "Woah, there. What's going on? Say it slowly."
Echoshine did as she was told, telling the medicine cat about how she had gotten back from the hunt and Dusk was nowhere to be found, all the way to the part where the rogues had stated their battle plan. "…And here I am now," she finished.
Willowleaf did not respond. Instead, she stepped fully out of her den and padded calmly over to the Greatstone, where she stood at the base of the rock and called, "let all cats gather here beneath the Greatstone to hear my words!"
The few cats that were not on patrol pricked their ears and trotted respectfully over to their medicine cat.
Willowleaf raised her head. "Warriors of ThunderClan, I have grave news. The rogues are planning on attack. Echoshine here has seen them, and listened to their plans. Right now, we have no deputy, and are leaderless. The rogues may attack soon. Echoshine here shall tell you what she has heard."