Night Whispers

by Erin Hunter

  Leave Dovepaw out of it! Without Dovepaw, the Clans would be lost. Ivypaw lifted her chin. She was ready to die.

  And yet . . .

  If she died here, who would warn the Clans? She’d heard Tigerstar say that the battle was near. She had to go back. Which meant she had to persuade Brokenstar to let her live. There was only one thing to do.

  “I’m loyal to the Dark Forest.” She rounded on Flametail and crouched down, lashing her tail. I’m sorry, Flametail, but I have to do this for the sake of our Clans! She unsheathed her claws. Forgive me, StarClan!

  As she sprang, there was a blur of dark brown fur, and something hard slammed into her. The force knocked her sprawling across the clearing. Blinking, she staggered to her paws.

  Tigerheart!

  “What are you doing?” he screeched, standing in front of Flametail. Horror and bewilderment flared in his eyes. “I won’t let you destroy what’s left of my brother!”

  Tigerstar stalked from the shadows. “Oh, very brave. I see my blood flowing in yours.”

  I’m sorry! Ivypaw tried to catch Tigerheart’s eye. But the young warrior’s gaze was darting between Tigerstar and Brokenstar. Spitting, he pressed against Flametail. “Leave him alone.”

  “Brokenstar.” Tigerstar’s mew was soothing. “There’s no need to kill Flametail. He’s no threat. He can only mix herbs.”

  Brokenstar swung his head around. “He means nothing to me, alive or dead. But what about her?” He flicked his tail toward Ivypaw.

  Ivypaw hung her head, trying to catch her breath. Had she done enough to convince the Dark Forest cats that she was loyal to them, and not the Clans by the lake? She didn’t dare think about what Tigerheart would do to her when they got back to the lake.

  “We need all the warriors we can get,” Tigerstar answered smoothly. Ivypaw jerked her head up.

  “I believe that Ivypaw is loyal to the Place of No Stars. When the final battle comes, she will stand with us.”

  KEEP WATCH FOR

  The dark forces that have driven a rift between the four warrior Clans are growing stronger. While Lionblaze remains focused on protecting ThunderClan from another deadly battle, Jayfeather receives a desperate plea for help from the Tribe of Rushing Water and must travel to the mountains in search of answers. But with the summons comes an ominous warning that suggests the power of the stars may not be enough to save the Clans. . . .

  Uninvited Guests

  Whichever previous adventure you played, consider that two moons have passed since then. Determine what age that makes all the cat characters (including the cat belonging to the person who will take the first turn as Narrator) and use the information found in the “Improving Your Cat” section of Chapter Four in the game rules to make the necessary changes.

  Unless you are the first Narrator in this adventure, stop reading here. The information beginning in the next paragraph is for the Narrator only.

  The Adventure Begins

  Hello, Narrator! It’s time to begin playing “Uninvited Guests.” Make sure all the players have their character sheets, the correct number of chips, a piece of paper, and a pencil. Remember that the point of the game is to have fun. Don’t be afraid to go slow, and refer to the rules if you aren’t sure exactly what should happen next.

  When you’re ready, begin with 1 below.

  1. Fox Hunt

  Special Note: “Uninvited Guests” begins with the cats already in the middle of the action, hunting for a fox, but the players will not immediately know how their cats got there or why they’re chasing the fox. The scene is set up so that you can have a flashback that gives the players that information. This can be a little tricky at first, and your players may be anxious about it, but by the time the scene is finished everything should be fine. If you are particularly nervous about this style of storytelling, simply use the material below to improvise an opening scene that begins in the Clan camp.

  Read Aloud: “Your target is fast and clever, running through the woods at top speed, making sudden turns, and diving into deep brush. Following the trail is difficult, but that’s your mission. The question is: Are you up to the job?”

  Narrator Tips: Have all the players make Smell Checks (the Track Knack will be useful here, if any of the cats have it). The players may want to know what’s happening, but tell them that everything will be explained after they make the Smell Check. If a cat’s result on the Check is 5 or lower, that cat smells nothing. If the Check is between 6 and 10, the cat can smell the distinct scent of a fox, but it seems to be coming from several different places at once. Any cats who have totals of 11 or higher on the Check can pick up a clear scent leading away from the Lake.

  Now explain to the players that their cats are on an important mission to track down a fox that has been stalking the Clan territories for a couple of days. Once they find the fox, they are supposed to chase it out of the area permanently. The Clans are all working together on this mission and every able-bodied warrior who isn’t needed to protect the queens and kits is out doing the same thing the players’ cats are.

  Let the players act out the scene where they received their orders from a Clan leader (their leader, if they are all from the same Clan, or whatever leader you, as the Narrator, prefer if the cats in the group come from different Clans). This is a flashback scene, but it is also a chance for the players to ask questions and gather background information.

  There isn’t a lot that the leader can tell them. The fox’s scent was first discovered a couple of days ago, but it seemed to be staying on the edges of the Clans’ territories, avoiding the places that warriors and other Clan members went most frequently. Then, about a day or so ago the fox was scented and even seen near all the Clan camps—particularly close to each Clan’s nursery. The Clan leaders thought the fox might be trying to steal kits, so they called for this massive hunt.

  When the players are finished asking questions, the flashback is over and it’s time to go back to the fox hunt. Tell the players that their cats started searching at dawn, finding nothing but stale scents of cats, mice, voles, and other creatures. But then they came across a reasonably fresh trail, and that’s what they’re following now. The scent is getting fresher, and the fox seems to be trying lots of tricks to throw off anyone that tries to follow her. That means there’s a good chance she knows the cats are after her—she might even be nearby.

  What Happens Next: The next phase of the adventure depends on the Smell Checks the players made at the very beginning of the scene.

  If none of the cats’ Check totals was higher than 5, continue with 17.

  If the best of the cats’ Check totals was between 6 and 10, continue with 6.

  If some, but not all, of the cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 4.

  If all of the cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 5.

  2. Wrong Scent

  Read Aloud: “The scent grows stronger as you come to a small meadow—where the trail ends. This is the spot.”

  Narrator Tips: Let the cats look around briefly, perhaps making See Checks to try to spot the fox. After a few moments it will become clear to them that there is nowhere in this meadow for a fox to hide. However, there are a few rabbits here, munching contentedly on the grass. As yet, they have not noticed the cats’ presence.

  What’s happened is that the clever fox ran along a path used regularly by the rabbits, hoping that the appetizing smell of a potential meal would distract the cats from noticing that the fox scent is not particularly fresh. Unfortunately, the cats seem to have taken the bait and fallen off the fox’s current trail. Now they are in a meadow full of rabbits, and they’re starting to feel a little hungry.

  Although the cats know that their duty is to rush back onto the fox’s trail, their stomachs are beginning to grumble. Would anyone notice if they took a very brief break to catch a quick meal?

  As the Narrator, your job here is a little complicated. You should make the players aware that thei
r cats are tempted to take a break and hunt the rabbits, but also that they all know the proper thing to do is to get back to the fox hunt. It is up to the players to decide what the cats actually do.

  What Happens Next: If the cats want to stay here and try to catch a quick meal, continue with 7.

  If the cats want to get back on the fox’s trail, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 3.

  3. An Important Message

  Read Aloud: “Suddenly, you realize why the trail has been so difficult to follow. Not only did the same fox run over these paths multiple times, there is also the scent of a second fox along the trail! Between the pair of fox scents and the scent you cats are leaving on the trail, it’s a big mess. But now you’ve got the scents straight!”

  Narrator Tips: The insight the cats have made is going to make tracking down the fox much easier. However, things are about to get more complicated for the cats. After the players have finished processing this new information, tell them that their cats hear another warrior calling out their names.

  A moment later, Ashfoot, the WindClan deputy, comes bounding up to the group. She has important news—two kits are missing.

  A pair of WindClan kits—a brother and sister—have gone missing. They were last seen in the WindClan camp very early this morning. They’re a rambunctious pair who often find trouble in unlikely places. This time, though, it seems like trouble found them. When the queens went to the far corner of the WindClan camp, where the two usually go to hide, there was a hole in the camp’s thorny wall and the kits were gone. What’s worse, on the outside of the wall, they found fox scent everywhere. The Clans are now worried that there may be a pack of foxes moving into the territory.

  Depending on how well the players’ cats did on the earlier Smell Checks, the cats may already have some information about this. They may know that the fox has three cubs, and they may know that there is a WindClan kit out there somewhere. Let them share their knowledge with Ashfoot and talk about the best way to proceed.

  When the discussions have ended, Ashfoot will tell the players’ cats that they are doing well. She will go off to deliver her message to the groups of cats who are searching elsewhere. If the players’ cats have given her any information, she will bring it back to the Clan leaders.

  The cats now have a clear choice, based on the scents they’ve identified: They can either follow the adult fox or follow the new fox. (If they know about the fox cubs, or previously identified the scent of the WindClan kit, that will also help inform their decision.)

  What Happens Next: If the cats follow the scent of the original fox they’ve been stalking, continue with 12.

  If the cats follow the new scent (of the fox cub), continue with 14.

  4. Mixed Scents

  Read Aloud: “This is definitely the right scent trail! You’re clearly getting closer to the fox. But wait . . . there’s more than one scent in this trail!”

  Narrator Tips: It becomes clear to the cats that there’s more going on here than just a single fox running around in the Clan territories. The scent trail indicates that there are several foxes, but one scent is clearly dominant over the others. And there’s another scent mixed in there but the cats can’t immediately tell what it is.

  Have each cat make either a Ponder or Smell Check (player’s choice). These Checks may be boosted by the Animal Lore or Track Knacks, if the players like. Rather than working alone, a cat may decide to help one of the other cats with his or her Skill Check. To do this, the helping cat makes a Focus Check. The cat being helped then gets a bonus to his or her Check equal to half the total of the Focus Check. In this way, the cats can work together to get the best possible result.

  If the highest Check total (including help) is 10 or higher, the cats figure out that there are five scents mixed into the scent trail. If the total is 14 or higher, they realize that four of the scents are fox cubs and the strongest scent is the mother fox. If the total is 17 or higher, they realize that there really are only three fox cubs—the fourth scent is a kit from WindClan.

  What Happens Next: If the best of the cats’ Check totals was 9 or lower, continue with 6.

  If the best of the cats’ Check totals was 13 or lower, continue with 2.

  If the best of the cats’ Check totals was 14 or higher, continue with 5.

  5. There She Is!

  Read Aloud: “The scent trail is absolutely plain now—the overlapping tracks are easy to sniff through to find the freshest, most recent path. It is clear that the fox came this way only a short while ago. You’ve nearly got her!”

  Narrator Tips: Improvise a final dash through the underbrush or over an obstacle, something that gives the players a sense of completion for their chase. At the end of that action, they find themselves on one side of a glade while the fox sits at the other side. It feels almost as if she has been waiting for the cats to arrive—and that in itself is more than a little suspicious.

  Allow the cats to make Ponder Checks (or other Skill Checks that may seem appropriate) to figure out what’s going on. Any cat that has the Animal Lore may use it without having to spend the Intelligence chip that is usually required to access a Knack. If the Check total is 8 or lower, the cat is sure that the fox is just toying with the group—making it seem as if she’s running away, then doubling back to a section of the woods they’ve already searched. If a cat’s Check total is 11 or lower, he or she notices that despite the fox’s apparent relaxed posture, she seems poised to flee—and she’s already leaning in the direction she will run. If the Check total is 12 or higher, the cat notices that while the fox is leaning and getting ready to run in one direction, she is glancing back in the opposite direction—almost as if she wants to go that way but is afraid to lead the cats there. If the Check total is 17 or higher, the cat realizes that the fox’s backward glance is just another attempt to confuse the cats—perhaps it’s a ploy to help her escape, or perhaps there really is something over there that she wants the cats to see. The fox is being so sly that it’s almost impossible to tell what her real intentions are.

  The big question is: What will the cats do with all this information? Because no sooner do they get it than the fox dashes away in the direction she was leaning.

  Of course, the cats may not want to even think about such things. If they just want to charge ahead and chase after the fox, by all means allow them to do so.

  What Happens Next: If the cats think the fox is going to double back to a place they’ve already searched and want to beat her to the location, continue with 6.

  If the cats want to follow the fox in the direction she is running or investigate the section of woods she was staring at, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 3. Tell the new Narrator to make note of which direction the cats were heading.

  6. Running In Circles

  Read Aloud: “Over the rotten log, through a bush, around that tree, back through the bush, back over the log . . . wait a minute! You’ve lost the trail.”

  Narrator Tips: The fox is very sly. She knows that there are many cats in the area, so wherever she went she carefully used as few paths through the woods as possible. The result is that her new scent trails are difficult to separate from her older ones, and that makes it hard to follow her. The cats have gotten caught in a loop, following the scent around in a circle that leads them back where they started, but at least they figured out the problem quickly. They still have time to get back on the right track.

  Have each of the cats make another Smell Check, making sure they understand that they must find a way to do better than before—spending chips or using Knacks—otherwise they will not be able to find the fox.

  What Happens Next: If none of the cats’ Check totals was higher than 5, continue with 17.

  If the best of the cats’ Check totals was between 6 and 10, continue with 2.

  If some, but not all, of t
he cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 4.

  If all of the cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 5.

  7. Stalking

  Read Aloud: “So far, the wind is in your favor, and none of the rabbits are aware of your presence. There are three or four small and lean rabbits near you, and a much meatier one on the far side of the meadow.”

  Narrator Tips: The players need to decide which rabbit (or rabbits) they want to try to catch. They can easily leap onto one of the small ones nearby, but it won’t make much of a meal. The larger rabbit is farther away and would have to be stalked, which would be difficult. In either case, going after one rabbit will certainly scare away all the others.

  If the cats want to catch one of the small rabbits, they have to Pounce on it. The rabbit’s Jump score is 5, and it can be taken down by just 1 chip’s worth of damage. There are three small rabbits nearby, but the cats must time their Pounces so they happen at the same time. Otherwise, when the first cat Pounces, the remaining rabbits will flee.

  If the cats want to catch the larger rabbit, they must first stalk it. What’s more, they must do so without any of the rabbits in the field becoming aware of their presence. To do this, all the cats who are participating in the hunt must make Sneak Checks. The only result you, as Narrator, are concerned with, though, is the lowest total in the bunch—if one cat is clumsy, it will ruin the hunt for everyone.

  If the lowest Sneak Check total is 7 or lower, the large rabbit senses the cats’ approach and flees before they can Pounce.

  If the lowest total is between 8 and 12, the large rabbit is unaware of the cats, but the smaller rabbits catch wind of them and flee. This warns the larger rabbit, who starts to flee before most of the cats are in position, but the group may select one of the cats to try to Pounce on it before it escapes.