Warriors

by Erin Hunter

  Through a haze of shock, Violetshine could smell their fear-scent mingled with the stone tang of blood. The ShadowClan cats were outnumbered and fighting for their lives.

  “Retreat!” Grassheart’s eyes were wild with fright as Leafstar held the she-cat to the ground.

  Leafstar’s eyes blazed. “Show this to Tigerstar!” She ripped fur from Grassheart’s flank, leaving claw marks in her flesh.

  Grassheart scrabbled free and fled. Blazepaw ducked away from Harrybrook and raced between the trees. Strikestone grabbed Snaketooth, and together they ran for a stand of bracken. Crashing through it, they disappeared.

  “Should we chase them over the border?” Hawkwing glanced at Leafstar.

  “Let them run,” the SkyClan leader growled. “I think they got the message.”

  Still winded, Violetshine pushed herself to her paws. She stared at the bloody trail the ShadowClan warriors had left.

  “Are you okay?” Leafstar glanced at her.

  “Just winded,” she puffed.

  Leafstar looked at the others. “Anyone hurt?”

  “Hardly a scratch.” Harrybrook flicked his tail.

  “I think only ShadowClan cats got injured,” Bellaleaf growled.

  Hawkwing blinked proudly at Violetshine. “You fought well.”

  She dropped her gaze self-consciously. “I should have held on longer.”

  “Strikestone fought hard.” Hawkwing touched his muzzle to her head. “No warrior could have held on longer.”

  Pride warmed Violetshine’s pelt as Leafstar turned toward camp. “I think that’s the last we’ll see of ShadowClan for a while,” the SkyClan leader meowed.

  Shrouded in sleep, Violetshine allowed herself a small purr of relief that she could feel Tree lying beside her—that he was still here in SkyClan and had not grown so frustrated with trying to mediate between the Clans that he had left forever. He was here, sleeping but restless, as he had been every night since the disastrous meeting with Juniperclaw. But his quick movement now was more than just restlessness. It jolted her fully awake. “Is something wrong?” Alarm sparked beneath her pelt. He was sitting up in his nest, his body tense as he stared into the darkness. As she pushed herself to her paws, an angry yowl split the cold night air. The den shook as something tugged at the wall. Outside, paw steps thrummed the clearing.

  “ShadowClan!” Hawkwing yowled an alarm through the darkness. He raced for the den entrance.

  Violetshine’s belly tightened. She’d guessed ShadowClan would retaliate, but she’d never thought they’d attack the camp in the dead of night. Sparrowpelt, Bellaleaf, and Plumwillow darted from their nests. Blossomheart and Nettlesplash were already pushing their way outside. Heart racing, Violetshine followed. “Are you coming?” She looked back at Tree.

  He froze. “How can I mediate between the Clans if I take sides in battles?”

  Violetshine nodded quickly. He was right. If he was their only chance for peace, he couldn’t be seen fighting ShadowClan.

  ShadowClan stench bathed her tongue as she broke into moonlight. The dens were shredded, and SkyClan cats swarmed in the clearing. Two ShadowClan warriors were streaking across the camp. She recognized Snowbird’s brilliant white pelt. Sandynose and Nettlesplash dived at her, but Snowbird dodged them skillfully and pelted for the entrance. Scorchfur barged between Cherrytail and Mintfur as they tried to catch his pelt, ducking under Macgyver’s belly and flicking his tail clear as Hawkwing dived at him.

  They were fleeing, their damage done. The walls of the dens were tattered; stems scattered the earth.

  “Don’t let them get away!” Hawkwing gave the order as Snowbird and Scorchfur pelted from the camp entrance. Macgyver led Bellaleaf, Nettlesplash, and their Clanmates after them. Violetshine scanned the clearing. Were there more ShadowClan warriors in camp? As the others disappeared into the forest, movement beside the fresh-kill pile caught Violetshine’s eye.

  Juniperclaw! The ShadowClan deputy was dragging a vole from the pile. He was stealing SkyClan prey! With a yowl, Violetshine raced across the clearing. “Leave that alone!” She slewed to a halt in front of him, outrage sparking in her pelt. Juniperclaw froze and eyed her spitefully through slitted eyes. She lunged at him, catching his flank in her claws. With a growl, he tore free and fled through the shadows at the edge of the clearing. She pelted after him, but he was fast. Skimming the ground like a bird, he shot from the camp and disappeared into the brambles a fox-length from the entrance.

  Violetshine pulled up, panting. There were enough SkyClan warriors in the forest. She should stay in camp and make sure there were no more ShadowClan warriors lurking around the dens. She ducked back inside.

  Leafstar was standing in the clearing, Hawkwing and Sandynose at her side. The SkyClan leader looked about her, her amber eyes wide. Leaves littered the ground; stems hung from the walls where the ShadowClan cats had torn them. “Is that why they came?” She blinked at the damage, her eyes clouded with confusion. “To destroy our dens?”

  Hawkwing frowned. “What’s the point? Dens can be rebuilt.”

  Sandynose lashed his tail. “Perhaps they thought they were giving us a warning.”

  Violetshine forced her ruffled pelt to smooth as she padded to Hawkwing’s side. The thought that ShadowClan could invade the camp while they slept made her nervous. “Perhaps we should post guards at night,” she ventured, looking at Leafstar.

  The SkyClan leader didn’t seem to hear her. She was watching the entrance.

  Nettlesplash ducked into camp, his pelt ruffled from his race through the forest. Blossomheart and Sparrowpelt hurried at his heels. “We lost them,” Nettlesplash puffed. “They were heading for the border. Macgyver’s leading a patrol to track their scent to make sure they don’t come back.”

  Blossomheart stared at the ragged camp. “What a mess!”

  Leafstar’s pelt twitched. “Let’s worry about it in the morning.” She nodded to Sparrowpelt. “Help me guard the entrance. The rest of you, get some sleep.”

  Hawkwing flicked his tail. “I’ll stand guard too.” He nudged Violetshine toward the warriors’ den and padded away.

  Tree was standing at the entrance. His eyes were round with dismay. Violetshine stopped beside the yellow tom and shivered. “I can’t believe they invaded our camp,” she murmured. “They’re no better than rogues.”

  Tree blinked at her through the darkness. “I really thought I could help keep peace between the Clans.” He sounded defeated. “But they seem determined to fight, and there’s nothing I can do. I can’t stand by and watch ShadowClan destroy you. But I’m not sure I have the power to stop them.”

  I can’t stand by and watch ShadowClan destroy you. Violetshine’s heart sank. He’d said you and not us. He was talking as though he didn’t belong in SkyClan. She pressed against him. “You still might get them to see sense.” Her words sounded hollow. ShadowClan had crossed the border too many times. And now they’d come right into SkyClan’s camp. She didn’t see how there could be peace between SkyClan and ShadowClan now. But she had to make Tree believe there was still a place for him in SkyClan.

  Tree didn’t respond. Instead he tucked his muzzle into her neck fur. The warmth of his breath soothed her, but she knew he felt beaten. She could feel it in the heaviness of his body as he leaned against her. Had the Clans broken his spirit? Her heart ached with grief. If he couldn’t bring peace, would he leave? He’d joined SkyClan as a mediator. If he couldn’t mediate, why should he stay?

  As she woke, Violetshine felt the warmth of newleaf sunshine seeping into the den. She opened her eyes. The den was bright where torn walls let the light in. Her heart quickened as she saw Tree’s empty nest. Where was he?

  She hopped out of her nest and hurried from the den. Outside, she scanned the ravaged camp, relieved to see Tree. He was helping Harrybrook gather brambles beside the apprentices’ den. If he were planning to leave, he wouldn’t bother helping the Clan now, surely? Palepaw and Pigeonpaw darted around them
, racing each other to snatch up broken stems, while Sunnypaw and Nectarpaw threaded loose tendrils back into the den wall.

  Warriors milled in the clearing, pacing restlessly as Hawkwing murmured in Sandynose’s ear. Sparrowpelt was hungrily eating a vole beside the fresh-kill pile. Leafstar stalked around the edge of the camp. Her gaze was dark as she sniffed at the torn dens. Was she going to announce a fresh attack on ShadowClan? They certainly deserved it after their raid on the SkyClan camp. The SkyClan leader stopped beside the medicine den, where Frecklewish and Fidgetflake were frowning at a hole ripped in the side. “Was your herb store damaged?”

  “No, thank StarClan,” Frecklewish told her.

  Hawkwing lifted his muzzle and surveyed his warriors. They turned to him expectantly.

  “Bellaleaf.” He nodded to the orange she-cat. “Choose three warriors to help you mend the elders’ den.” He flicked his tail toward the clump of bracken where Fallowfern slept. The deaf elder was sitting among the bent stems, her nest open to the sky. Hawkwing went on. “Nettlesplash, take a patrol of apprentices into the forest. Collect as many stems as you can find. Bracken will do. Brambles would be better if you can get them back to camp without pricking your paws.”

  As Nettlesplash signaled to Sunnypaw and Nectarpaw, Leafstar looked up from the shredded medicine den. “You’re wasting your time, Hawkwing,” she growled.

  Hawkwing looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  “Why bother rebuilding?” Leafstar sat down heavily. “Whatever we build, ShadowClan will destroy. And the other Clans won’t lift a paw to defend us.”

  Violetshine stiffened. What was Leafstar saying? They couldn’t let ShadowClan defeat them!

  Bellaleaf stared at the SkyClan leader. “We can’t give in!”

  “We must fight them.” Harrybrook flexed his claws.

  Hawkwing gazed evenly at Leafstar. “We must keep rebuilding until they realize we’re here to stay.”

  “What’s the point?” Leafstar stared at him bleakly. “Why did we even come here? The Clans clearly don’t want us. We had a good home in the gorge, and with Darktail gone, we can go back there and make it better. Why fight to stay beside the lake when no cat will fight at our side? It we are to be alone, let’s be alone where there are no borders to defend and no other Clans jealous of our land.”

  Nettlesplash blinked at her, his brown pelt twitching. Sagenose and Mintfur exchanged anxious looks.

  “Is the gorge far away?” Palepaw whispered to Pigeonpaw.

  Frecklewish swished her tail. “You’re just downhearted,” she told the SkyClan leader. “You’re probably tired. Why not sleep and think about it when you’re rested?”

  As she spoke, Sparrowpelt began to retch. Violetshine jerked her muzzle toward the warrior, who was hunched a tail-length from the fresh-kill pile. His flanks heaved as he convulsed. Eyes round with pain, he vomited a slippery lump of half-chewed vole onto the ground. Frecklewish hurried toward him. She sniffed the vole as Sparrowpelt convulsed again. Her pelt spiked with worry as he vomited again and collapsed, groaning.

  Leafstar hurried toward him.

  “Stay away.” Frecklewish signaled her backward with a flick of her nose. “I don’t know what’s causing this yet.”

  “Was the vole rotten?” Hawkwing called across the clearing.

  Frecklewish shook her head.

  Sparrowpelt let out a low, trembling wail. Violetshine’s pelt prickled as she heard it. He must be in a lot of pain. What was hurting him so badly? She caught her breath as a thought struck her. Sparrowpelt had eaten the vole she’d seen Juniperclaw touching last night. That seemed strange. Perhaps the ShadowClan tom hadn’t been trying to steal SkyClan’s prey after all. Did he have a darker plan? Had Juniperclaw done something to the vole to make it harm Sparrowpelt? Her chest tightened. Destroying the dens could have been a distraction. Had the real plan been for Snowbird and Scorchfur to keep SkyClan busy while Juniperclaw poisoned their prey? Would ShadowClan really do something so fox-hearted?

  CHAPTER 13

  Alderheart buried the deathberry seeds under the wall of the medicine den with the others. He glanced at the entrance hopefully. The half-moon gathering was tonight. Would Tigerstar let him go? He wanted to be there. He had important news.

  Puddleshine was recovering, asleep in his nest now. The ShadowClan medicine cat’s fever had broken in the night. Alderheart still felt light-pawed with relief. His remedy had finally worked! The deathberry flesh he’d given Puddleshine this morning would be the last.

  He cleaned his paws in the loose earth at the side of the medicine den. Then he carefully covered the crumbled patch with leaves and glanced over his shoulder at Shadowkit. “You have to stay away from this part of the den, remember?”

  The gray kit nodded solemnly. Since his fit, Shadowkit had been helping Alderheart with his medicine-cat duties. Alderheart could hardly turn around without tripping over him. Was this how he’d been when he used to help Jayfeather? The thought amused him. He’d found work for the kit, and now Shadowkit was neatening nests, fetching herbs, and chasing spiders out of the den—often without Alderheart instructing him to do it. He just seems to know what to do.

  Alderheart was secretly pleased that Tigerstar had let the kit spend so much time here. The ShadowClan leader had also stopped posting guards. Clearly Tigerstar was starting to trust him.

  Paw steps sounded at the den entrance. Lightkit and Pouncekit crowded the doorway, their eyes bright with excitement.

  “Shadowkit!” Pouncekit could hardly keep still. “Strikestone and Blazepaw have promised to give us badger rides around the clearing.”

  “They’re going to race while we ride them!” Lightkit squeaked. “It’s going to be great.”

  “You have to come!” Pouncekit looked pleadingly at Shadowkit. “You’ve missed all the fun since you’ve been helping Alderheart.”

  “I’m having fun here,” Shadowkit told her.

  Lightkit looked unconvinced. “How can looking after sick cats be as much fun as badger rides?”

  “I’ve got a lot to learn,” Shadowkit told him. “I’m going to be a medicine cat one day.”

  Alderheart’s chest tightened. He might not live long enough. The kit’s vision flashed in his mind. I could feel water pressing against my fur, in my ears, in my nose . . . in my mouth. . . . And yet Shadowkit was planning his future. His own vision did not fill him with any dread. If Shadowkit was destined to be a medicine cat, perhaps he had received not a prediction, but a warning.

  Alderheart shook out his fur and told himself there would be time to figure that out. He hoped he was right. “One day you’ll be too old for badger rides,” he told Shadowkit.

  “I don’t care.” The gray tom puffed out his chest. “I want to stay here and help you.”

  Pouncekit rolled her eyes and nudged Lightkit out of the den. “We’re wasting our time. Let’s go and have some fun.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go and play?” Alderheart pressed. “You can come and help again afterward.”

  “I want to stay here,” Shadowkit mewed firmly.

  There was clearly no arguing with the kit. “In that case, fetch the marigold Cloverfoot gathered yesterday,” he told him. “It’s nearly time to re-dress Grassheart’s wound.”

  “That’s the bright green one that smells like sour nettles, right?”

  “Yes.”

  As Shadowkit trotted to the herb store, Alderheart looked at Grassheart. She was asleep in a nest near the medicine den, where early morning sunshine streamed through the entrance. Alderheart had been treating her since she’d returned the day before with a claw wound on her flank. He’d treated Blazepaw, Strikestone, and Snaketooth at the same time. They had scratches, but Grassheart’s wound was so deep he’d kept her in the medicine den. The patrol said SkyClan had ambushed them. Alderheart thought it strange and wondered why SkyClan had provoked ShadowClan with such a bold attack. How would that help the tension between the two Clans?
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br />   “Is this it?” Shadowkit nosed a fresh bundle of green stems in front of the herb store.

  “Yes.” Alderheart blinked approvingly. “Take two stems to Grassheart’s nest while I check on Puddleshine.” As he spoke, Puddleshine woke up and blinked at him drowsily over the edge of his nest. The medicine cat’s gaze was still clouded, and his pelt needed a good wash, but it was good to see him awake again. “Can you manage a mouthful?” Alderheart crossed the den and nosed a morsel of mouse closer to his muzzle.

  Puddleshine lapped it doubtfully with his tongue. “It might take a while for my appetite to come back.”

  “You need to get strong,” Alderheart told him.

  “It’s enough to be awake,” Puddleshine murmured.

  Alderheart checked his scratches once more. The sour smell had lifted, and the wounds were finally starting to heal. For the first time in days, Alderheart felt a rush of joy. As he sat back on his haunches and purred, Shadowkit trotted past him, a bunch of marigold stems flopping from his jaws, and headed toward Grassheart’s nest.

  Puddleshine blinked at the fresh herbs, his nose twitching. “Those are too fresh to come from my store. Did you bring them with you?”

  “Cloverfoot gathered them,” Alderheart told him.

  Puddleshine’s eyes widened. “It’s not like Cloverfoot to help with medicine-cat duties. Did Tigerstar order her to do it?”

  “She volunteered.”

  Puddleshine gave a husky purr. “You’ve made yourself popular here,” he teased.

  “I’ll be even more popular once I tell Tigerstar that you’re recovering.” Alderheart hadn’t had a chance to share the news with the ShadowClan leader.