Warriors

by Erin Hunter

  “Help!” Sunnypaw’s terrified wail echoed around the valley. Violetshine could make out her ginger head straining above the slick brown surface. She reached a muck-covered paw upward, her claws outstretched as she grabbed at air. Violetshine’s heart lurched. The apprentice was sinking deeper as she struggled. Tinycloud had reached Quailpaw and, pushing past him, plunged into the mire.

  “Stay back!” Sparrowpelt grabbed her tail with his teeth. The tom was still emaciated after his illness, but strong enough now to drag Tinycloud away from sucking mud.

  “We have to save her!” Tinycloud turned on him, eyes wild.

  Violetshine scanned the valley. There had to be some way they could reach the drowning apprentice safely.

  Paw steps thrummed behind her. Hawkwing pulled up and shook the rain from his fur. He followed her gaze, his tail twitching. “Find a stick!” he yowled. “A long one that can reach her.”

  Nectarpaw blinked at him for a moment, then hared up the slope to a small grove of trees clinging to the hillside. Quailpaw and Sparrowpelt raced after her, Hawkwing at their tails. Violetshine hurried to where Tinycloud was leaning over the mud. She squeezed in beside the white she-cat, feeling with her paws for firm ground beneath the mud slick. Digging her claws into hard earth, she ventured forward, fixing Sunnypaw with her gaze. “Don’t struggle!” she ordered.

  “But I’m sinking.” Terror sharpened Sunnypaw’s mew.

  Tinycloud pressed beside her. “Stretch your paws out wide,” she called. “Make yourself big as though you’re facing a fox.”

  Sunnypaw stared desperately at her mother. Slowly she reached out a forepaw and rested it on the mud. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to lift another free.

  “Sparrowpelt is fetching a stick,” Tinycloud called. “We’ll have you out of there soon. Try to stay calm.”

  Violetshine could see the young cat struggling against panic. Determination glittered in her frightened gaze. “You’re doing great!”

  Plumwillow and Bellaleaf charged around the jutting rocks. They reached the edge of the mud, their Clanmates at their heels.

  Leafstar pushed past them and stared in panic at Sunnypaw. “Can you reach her?”

  “The mud is too deep,” Violetshine reported.

  Tinycloud looked at the SkyClan leader. “Hawkwing’s looking for a stick!”

  “We found one!” Nectarpaw bounded down the slope. She flicked her tail toward the trees. Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing were hauling a stick over the wet grass.

  “Hurry!” Tinycloud didn’t take her eyes from Sunnypaw. The young cat was slipping deeper into the mud. As it reached around her throat, she lifted her muzzle, her paws flailing as she tried to keep her nose above the surface.

  Bark brushed Violetshine’s hind paw, and she hopped out of the way as Hawkwing slid the stick past her. As Sparrowpelt guided it over the mud, Violetshine steadied it with her paws.

  “Quick!” Tinycloud leaned farther out, straining to get closer to her kit as Sunnypaw’s ears slid beneath the surface. The apprentice whimpered as the mud covered her eyes and her muzzle began to disappear from sight.

  “Grab the stick!” Sparrowpelt thrust it closer.

  Can she hear? Violetshine’s breath caught in her throat as Sunnypaw’s flailing paw knocked against the stick. Desperately, the apprentice hooked her claws over the end and began to haul herself higher. Her muzzle pushed free of the mud and, with a jerk, she bit onto the stick and wrapped both paws around it.

  “Pull!” Hawkwing gave the order. Violetshine dug her claws deep into the bark and tugged as Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing hauled the stick toward firm ground. The mud pulled at Sunnypaw like a hungry fox, but she clung on blindly, her eyes plastered shut. Nectarpaw and Quailpaw grabbed the stick and began pulling. Rain beat mud from Sunnypaw’s fur, her flanks, and then her hind legs, slowly sliding free. Sunnypaw gave a choking sob as, with a squelch, the mud lost its grip. As soon as she was in reach, Tinycloud grabbed her bedraggled scruff and dragged her onto the grass. Sunnypaw collapsed, trembling, as Tinycloud lapped the mud from her eyes.

  The Clan murmured anxiously as they stared across the mud slick, their wet pelts bristling.

  Leafstar hurried around the edge. “Is she okay?”

  Frecklewish darted past her and pressed her ears to Sunnypaw’s chest. She sat back on her haunches, her eyes glistening with relief. “She’ll be fine.”

  As Sunnypaw pushed herself to her paws and coughed up muddy water, Plumwillow hurried to her side. Alarm prickled through her dripping pelt. “Why did you go so far out?”

  Tinycloud nosed the dark gray she-cat away. “This is strange territory. How was she to know that the mud was so deep?”

  Plumwillow met Tinycloud’s gaze, fear brimming in her amber eyes. “What are we doing here? We’re far from the lake and nowhere near the gorge. And no cat should be traveling in weather like this. No wonder StarClan wanted us to stay.” She swung her head toward the Clan as they crept closer.

  Hawkwing blinked at her evenly. “We’ll be at the gorge soon. We’ll be safe then.”

  “Soon?” Harrybrook snorted. “I remember how long it took us to reach the lake, and how many warriors we lost! Who knows how many dangers we’ll meet on the way this time!”

  “And who knows what we’ll find when we get there?” Plumwillow added. “We’ve been gone for moons. Foxes might have moved in.”

  “Or badgers!” Macgyver pushed his way to the front.

  Sunnypaw looked at him, trembling. “I want to go home.”

  Leafstar, who had been listening thoughtfully, lashed her tail. “We are going home!”

  “Not our home.” Quailpaw blinked at her.

  “We don’t want to live anywhere but the lake,” Nectarpaw mewed.

  Sunnypaw shook mud from her ears. “We were born there.”

  Leafstar’s hackles lifted. Violetshine heart quickened as she saw rage burn in the SkyClan leader’s eyes. “That doesn’t mean you should die there!” she snapped. “There was nothing for us at the lake. No land! No prey! No respect! We would have had to fight for every morsel. Is that really how you want to live? Treated like rogues? Have you forgotten who you are? You’re SkyClan. The lake was never home. StarClan only wanted us there for some prophecy that was never to do with us. Why should we sacrifice ourselves for Clans who don’t even respect us?”

  Plumwillow shifted uneasily as Harrybrook and Macgyver exchanged looks. Behind them, Bellaleaf and Nettlesplash glanced nervously around.

  Violetshine’s chest tightened as she watched her Clanmates. Sunnypaw was filthy. Tiredness dulled Frecklewish’s eyes. Fidgetflake was shivering. “Everything’s going to be okay.” She lifted her voice, surprised to find herself speaking out. “Remember, we are SkyClan. It doesn’t matter where we are or what problems we face. We will face them together.” Leafstar blinked at her as Violetshine went on. “You are the first true Clan that I’ve known. I was raised in ShadowClan when it was falling apart. The cats there turned on one another. When they faced problems, they were no better than rogues. But SkyClan is different. You took me in and welcomed me. You taught me how cats can overcome even the worst times. You lost your home, you lost one another, but you found one another again and kept on going. I’m proud to be a SkyClan cat. I would never want to belong anywhere else.” She looked around at the faces of her Clanmates. Warmth rose beneath her pelt as she saw hope spark in their weary gazes.

  “Let’s go.” Leafstar flicked her tail, less with anger now and more with determination. She padded up the grassy slope beyond the mud pool and headed toward the stretch of heather.

  Hawkwing bounded after her as the rest of the Clan followed. Tinycloud rested her flank against Sunnypaw and guided her up the slope. Violetshine glanced back at the wide stretch of mud. The stick that had saved Sunnypaw’s life had been washed clean by the rain already.

  As she padded after her Clanmates, Frecklewish fell in beside her. “Do you think the rain will stop tomorrow?” Viol
etshine murmured, glancing at the heavy gray sky.

  “I’ve never seen the sky this dark.” Beyond the hilltop, the gray clouds stretched into black. “It looks as though the rain will get worse before it gets better.”

  Violetshine stifled a shiver. Rivulets streamed over the grass as she climbed. The storm wasn’t going to lift anytime soon. But she’d meant what she’d said. She could get through anything as long as she had her Clan around her. Tree was far behind them now, and though his loss sat in her heart like a stone, she knew that she had to keep moving forward.

  Even if it meant never seeing Tree again.

  CHAPTER 19

  Alderheart was glad to reach the ShadowClan border. There would be better shelter on the other side, where oak turned to pine and the canopy grew thicker. The rain was harder than ever, streaming along branches and down trunks so that the springy forest floor squelched beneath his paws.

  He paused and glanced along the scent line. When he didn’t see a patrol, he crossed it. If any cat challenged him, he would tell them he was on his way to check on Puddleshine’s wounds. There was no need to admit that he wanted to ask the ShadowClan medicine cat a few questions about his Clanmates.

  Bramblestar had dismissed his worries about how Sparrowpelt had come to be poisoned, but Alderheart couldn’t forget it so easily. Even though the victim had recovered and was gone, there was still a cat living among them who was willing to murder another cat. That was dangerous. Alderheart had brought deathberries into the ShadowClan camp, and the trail seemed to lead from there to SkyClan. Had Puddleshine seen anything suspicious while he was ill? Had he heard gossip since SkyClan had left? Some cat in ShadowClan must know more than they were saying.

  The ditches that cut into the earth here like claw marks were brimming with water. Alderheart had never seen them full before. He shuddered. If parts of ShadowClan territory were underwater, what must RiverClan be like? Yesterday, the evening patrol had brought news of flooding around the river. After another night of heavy rain, the flooding must be worse now. StarClan, protect them, he prayed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that StarClan would have little sympathy for the stricken Clan. They tried to warn us. Alderheart picked his way past the flooded ditches. Five saplings must stand together. Mistystar had chosen to ignore the warning. Did she expect to be unaffected by the storm now that SkyClan had gone?

  Pelts, slicked by rain, moved in the shadows ahead. Alderheart halted and lifted his tail. If it was a patrol, they would pick up his scent and come to question him. He waited as eyes flashed through the gloom.

  “Alderheart?” Cloverfoot hailed him through the rain. “What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”

  She hurried toward him. Berryheart and Juniperclaw were with her.

  “I’ve come to check Puddleshine’s wounds,” he called.

  Berryheart blinked at him warmly as she reached him. Cloverfoot dipped her head in greeting. “Puddleshine is doing great,” she told him.

  “That’s good to hear, but I’d still like to see his wounds,” Alderheart insisted. “He had an infection I’d never seen before. I’d like to see how it’s healing.”

  “That’s kind of you.” Cloverfoot looked at Juniperclaw.

  The ShadowClan deputy narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure Puddleshine can take care of his own wounds.”

  “Some are hard to reach,” Alderheart meowed lightly. “Since I’ve come this far, I might as well take a look.”

  Cloverfoot and Berryheart looked at Juniperclaw expectantly. The black tom nodded curtly. “Okay.”

  “Thanks.” Quickly, Alderheart padded toward the camp. He didn’t want Juniperclaw to change his mind. He glanced back as he neared the bramble wall. Berryheart and Cloverfoot were heading away, but Juniperclaw was still watching him, his eyes slitted.

  Alderheart shook out his pelt and ducked into the camp.

  Rain drenched the clearing where the trees opened to the sky. Snaketooth and Grassheart huddled outside the nursery. Stonewing was hurrying Cinnamonpaw around the edge of the camp, keeping to the shelter of the bramble wall. Strikestone was carrying a robin toward the warriors’ den. The brown tabby eyed him with surprise. He dropped the robin on the wet ground. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to check on Puddleshine,” Alderheart told him quickly. “I saw Juniperclaw outside. He said it was okay.”

  Strikestone nodded. “You’ll probably be welcome there.” He jerked his muzzle toward the medicine den. “Shadowkit’s had another fit.”

  Alarm flashed beneath Alderheart’s pelt. He remembered Shadowkit’s last fit and the prophetic dream that had accompanied it. Shadowkit had seen himself drown. And Dovewing had told Alderheart that her kit’s seizures were only getting worse. Could that mean his vision was about to come to pass? Alderheart tried not to think about the flooded ditches so close to the ShadowClan camp as he raced across the clearing and pushed his way into the den.

  Puddleshine leaned over a nest at the far end. Tigerstar and Dovewing crouched beside him, their eyes dark with worry. They turned as Alderheart entered.

  “Is Shadowkit okay?” Alderheart hurried to the nest and looked in. Shadowkit was limp at the bottom. His pelt was wet where Puddleshine had swabbed him with moss.

  “The seizure’s just passed.” Puddleshine met Alderheart’s gaze. The ShadowClan medicine cat looked relieved to see him.

  “I brought him here as soon as it started,” Dovewing told him.

  “I’m glad I was in camp.” Tigerstar’s pelt was spiked with worry.

  “Shadowkit will need thyme for the shock,” Alderheart meowed, but Puddleshine had already turned toward his herb store. He fetched a few sprigs and laid them on the side of the nest as Dovewing took the moss and ran it gently over Shadowkit’s flank.

  The kit stirred and opened his eyes. He looked up weakly and tried to purr as he saw Dovewing.

  “It’s okay.” She reached her nose to his cheek softly. “You’re safe.”

  Puddleshine beckoned Alderheart away. “What do you think? Will he always have these fits?” he whispered.

  Alderheart glanced at Dovewing and Tigerstar. They were leaning into the nest, comforting Shadowkit. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his head drooping. “Hopefully, he will grow out of them.”

  Puddleshine shifted uneasily. “He told me about his last vision.”

  “About the rain?” Alderheart stifled a shiver.

  Puddleshine’s gaze was dark. He clearly understood the vision’s deadly meaning. “Do you think it will come true?”

  Before Alderheart could answer, Shadowkit called to him weakly from the nest.

  Alderheart hurried to answer. “I’m here.”

  Relief showed in Shadowkit’s gaze. “I’m glad.” As he struggled to sit up, Dovewing hopped into the nest and tucked him against her flank. “It was the same vision,” he breathed. “Just like before.”

  Alderheart swallowed. “Sometimes nightmares come back,” he mewed gently.

  He avoided Dovewing’s gaze, but he could tell by the pricking of her pelt that she didn’t think it was a nightmare any more than he did.

  Tigerstar puffed out his chest. “It’s just a dream, Shadowkit,” he meowed brightly. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”

  “But I’ve had visions before and they’ve come true,” Shadowkit mewed.

  “This one won’t,” Tigerstar promised. “I won’t let it.”

  Alderheart glanced at the ShadowClan leader and glimpsed dread in his eyes. He changed the subject. “Have you been helping Puddleshine since I’ve been gone?” he asked Shadowkit.

  “Yes.” Shadowkit lifted his chin. “Grassheart’s wound is better. She’s back in the warriors’ den now.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Tawnypelt had a bellyache,” Shadowkit told him. “And Scorchfur twisted his paw. And Puddleshine has been collecting fresh herbs and I’ve been helping him sort them.” The kit was brightening quickly. “Puddleshine s
ays I’m more help than a whole patrol of warriors.”

  “I expect you are,” Alderheart purred, relieved to see Dovewing relax a little too.

  Shadowkit’s ears twitched. “Cloverfoot has been collecting herbs for us. She says she likes to be useful. She even made Scorchfur join her. But Juniperclaw hasn’t come back to help.”

  Come back to help? Alderheart stiffened. He didn’t remember Juniperclaw helping in the medicine den while he’d been in the camp. “Did Juniperclaw help before?” he meowed lightly.

  “He came into the den one time while you’d gone to make dirt,” Shadowkit explained. “I woke up and he was digging over there.” Shadowkit nodded toward the edge of the den, where Alderheart had buried the deathberry seeds. “When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was getting rid of the seeds so they wouldn’t hurt anyone. He must have gotten rid of them all, because he hasn’t been back since.”

  A chill ran along Alderheart’s spine. Had Violetshine been right? Was ShadowClan’s deputy responsible for Sparrowpelt’s poisoning? He glanced at Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader looked uneasy. Alderheart poked the thyme sprigs. “Shadowkit seems much brighter,” he told Puddleshine. “But he should swallow these, just to be sure.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Puddleshine began to strip the leaves from their twigs. Dovewing dabbed them onto her paw and held them close to Shadowkit’s muzzle. As the kit wrinkled his nose, Alderheart padded away from the nest. He beckoned Tigerstar with his tail. “We need to talk,” he whispered.

  Tigerstar eyed him distrustfully, but he followed as Alderheart led the way out of the den, fluffing his fur out against the rain.

  “This way.” Tigerstar padded past him to a sheltered spot where a rowan stretched low branches over the camp wall.

  Alderheart hurried after him. “Remember the Gathering!” he hissed urgently. “Violetshine said she saw Juniperclaw by the SkyClan fresh-kill pile. Now Shadowkit says he saw him digging up deathberry seeds.” He stared at Tigerstar. Surely the ShadowClan leader had to take Sparrowpelt’s poisoning seriously now?