by Erin Hunter
“It would only stir up trouble,” Squirrelflight chimed in.
“We are four saplings now,” Bramblestar added. “But we can still stand together.”
“It’s more important than ever that the remaining Clans unite,” Squirrelflight agreed.
Alderheart stared at them in disbelief. “But the vision said that when one sapling goes, the storm destroys us all.”
“We did what we could!” Bramblestar snapped; then more softly he added, “StarClan won’t desert us.” He looked away, his gaze flitting toward the shadows at the edges of his den. Alderheart could see his father’s pelt prickle. He’s scared.
Fear tugged deep in Alderheart’s belly. The Clans are in danger, and there’s nothing he can do.
CHAPTER 17
“Hurry up!” Narrowing her eyes against the rain, Twigbranch stopped at the top of the rise and waited for Flypaw to catch up. She wanted to take her apprentice hunting near the farthest ThunderClan border. Finleap and Snappaw were at the bottom of the rise. They’d decided to stay at the training ground and practice battle moves.
“Is Finleap all right?” Flypaw glanced back at the brown tom as she padded toward Twigbranch.
“I guess he misses his kin.” She knew it was more than that, but she didn’t want to talk about Finleap. Especially not with her apprentice. Twigbranch began to follow the trail deeper into ThunderClan territory.
Flypaw bounded after her. “It’s like he’s nervous when he’s around you. Have you had an argument?”
“No.” Twigbranch ducked beneath a branch. There was fresh mouse dung on the other side. Maybe the scent would distract Flypaw from questions.
In the days since SkyClan had left, Finleap had seemed uneasy. They’d talked after the Gathering and he’d decided to stay in ThunderClan. Twigbranch had been relieved. Of course Finleap was upset at losing his kin, and at first she’d tried to be supportive, but it was like he was clinging to the loss. He’d started to act as though he’d made the wrong choice. He’d begun to eat alone and go to his nest early instead of sharing tongues with the Clan. He was acting like an outsider. Frustration itched beneath Twigbranch’s pelt, growing stronger each day. How could Finleap ever feel like part of ThunderClan if he didn’t try to fit in? At least he’d stopped talking about having kits. Had he really accepted that they wouldn’t have kits until they were both ready? Twigbranch wasn’t sure the matter was settled. Part of her wondered if Finleap wished he’d left with SkyClan after all.
Flypaw stopped to sniff the mouse dung. “Shall we hunt here?” she mewed.
“I want to show you somewhere new.” Twigbranch felt a flicker of satisfaction as Flypaw’s eyes flashed excitedly. She’d learned that her apprentice worked better when they were in an unusual part of the forest. Fresh stimulation seemed to keep her focused, and so, whenever she could, Twigbranch challenged Flypaw with tricky battle moves or prey that was hard to catch.
She veered away from the SkyClan border. The rain had almost washed the scent line clean, and the fading scent renewed her longing for Hawkwing and Violetshine. She pushed them from her mind and broke into a run. “Come on,” she called to Flypaw. “I want you to see the very edge of Clan territory. It’s a long way.” She fluffed her fur and followed the winding trail. Her paws slithered on the wet ground as she zigzagged between trees and ducked through gaps in brambles.
By the time they neared the border, Twigbranch was out of breath.
Flypaw raced past her. “Is this the right way?” She disappeared over a rise.
“Slow down!” The path was slippery where the trail had turned to mud. She followed Flypaw over the rise and blinked through the rain at the forest beyond. A damp haze hid the border. Beyond it, the land belonged to loners and Twolegs. Warriors didn’t often come this far, and there would be plenty of prey here.
Flypaw was already sniffing around the roots of a beech. Her wet pelt was spiked with excitement as she circled the trunk. “I smell mouse.” She backed away, crouching.
Twigbranch was impressed. Flypaw had found the scent even through the rain. And she was keeping her distance from her quarry. Twigbranch crouched beside her and followed the young cat’s gaze to the shadow between the roots.
“It’s a hole,” Flypaw whispered. “Should we wait until a mouse comes out or try to dig down?”
“What do you think?” She was testing Flypaw.
Flypaw frowned thoughtfully. “It’s nearly sunhigh. Mice sleep through sunhigh.” Her ears pricked excitedly. “The mouse will be sleepy. We should dig. Even if it tries to run, it will be slow.”
“Let’s try it.” Twigbranch knew that Flypaw would learn more if she experimented for herself. She let the striped tabby start to scrape at the soil in front of the hole, then hopped onto the root beside her and helped. The rain had made the earth soft, and it was easy to dig. Mud squished between Twigbranch’s claws as she hauled out dirt.
“I can smell it!” Flypaw started scrabbling more eagerly at the hole. Suddenly her paw broke through into a tiny cave hollowed out beneath the root. A mouse darted out, slipping past her paw. Flypaw hesitated, then lifted herself onto her haunches and twisted. In a single fluid movement she threw herself at the mouse, catching it nimbly between her forepaws. She tugged it toward her and killed it with a single bite.
Twigbranch shook the mud from her paws. “Great catch.” Her chest swelled with pride.
Flypaw blinked at her happily. “Can we eat it now?”
Twigbranch shook her head. “Save it for the fresh-kill pile.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“So’s your Cla—” Twigbranch broke off. A familiar scent was drifting from the forest beyond the border.
Flypaw narrowed her eyes. “Your nose is twitching. Can you smell something?”
“Bury your mouse under some leaves and follow me.” She picked her way through a patch of ivy, heading for the border.
Flypaw pushed her catch quickly beneath a root and scraped leaves around it. “Are we allowed outside Clan territory?” She hurried after Twigbranch.
“Of course.” Twigbranch glanced at her, barely listening. It was Tree’s scent, she was certain. But what was he doing here? Hadn’t he left the lake with SkyClan? Hope quivered in her belly. If he’d stayed behind, perhaps Violetshine had stayed with him. She quickened her step, crossing the scent line into the forest beyond.
The brambles grew closer here, and pines sprouted between the oaks. She knew the land here stretched right to the mountains, too far to patrol and too wild to hunt. Lilyheart had told nursery tales about foxes and badgers that prowled here. Twigbranch tasted the air nervously as the forest floor sloped upward. She could smell blood mingled with Tree’s scent. Was he hurt? As she scrambled up the slope, her paws slid on wet leaves. Rocks jutted from the ground. She squeezed between them, climbing higher as the land sloped more steeply.
“What are we looking for?” Flypaw was at her tail.
“I just want to check something.” Tree’s scent was stronger. He must have been here for days. Her heart quickened as she tasted for her sister’s scent. Surely Tree wouldn’t have stayed without Violetshine? She must be with him. She clambered over the last rock as the land evened out. A holly bush sprouted between the trees. Twigbranch padded around it, sniffing the ground. The muddy earth had been smoothed by paw prints. “Tree?” she called out softly. Fur brushed leaves inside. She glimpsed movement between the branches. “It’s me. Twigbranch.”
“Tree?” Flypaw sounded surprised. “Didn’t he leave with SkyClan?” She slid past Twigbranch and began sniffing the bush.
“Careful.” Twigbranch nosed her away. “Can’t you smell blood?”
“It’s just fresh-kill.” Tree pushed his way from the bush and halted in front of her. His thick yellow fur was fluffed out against the rain.
Twigbranch’s heart leaped as she met the tom’s gaze. “Is Violetshine with you?”
His eyes darkened. “She’s with SkyClan.”
Disappointment dropped like a stone in her belly.
“Come out of the rain.” Tree led her through a gap in the branches. She pushed her way in. The prickly leaves scraped rainwater from her pelt. Flypaw squeezed in after her.
A half-eaten rabbit lay beside a nest of bracken at one edge of the makeshift den. Rainwater dripped through the roof, but it was warm.
“What are you doing here?” Twigbranch searched his gaze. Had SkyClan refused to take him to the gorge?
“I wanted to stay beside the lake.” Tree sat down, while Flypaw sniffed the rabbit.
“Why?” Twigbranch frowned.
“I don’t belong in SkyClan. And I figured the lake must be important. A dead warrior made me beg Leafstar to stay.”
Twigbranch blinked at him. “What about Violetshine? I thought you were mates!”
“I asked her to stay with me,” Tree told her. “But she wanted to go with her Clan.”
Twigbranch knew how much her sister loved Tree. But what was the point of love, she wondered, if it wasn’t strong enough to keep cats together? She thought, with a pang, of Finleap. Love had kept them together, but were they happy? Her heart ached, and she pushed the thought away.
Flypaw poked the rabbit. “Can I have a mouthful?” she asked Tree,
Tree shrugged. “Eat as much as you like. There’s more prey in this part of the forest than I can hunt.”
Her fur bristling happily, Flypaw took a bite.
I don’t belong in SkyClan. Twigbranch gazed quizzically at Tree. “So are you a loner again?”
“I guess.” Tree shifted his paws.
“But I thought you were the Clan mediator.” Had he given up on the Clans altogether?
“The Clans never listened to me.” Tree shrugged. “I was wasting my time.”
“Wasting your time?” Twigbranch didn’t understand how time with the Clans could be wasted. But then, she’d never known any other way of living. “Is sleeping under a bush by yourself any better?”
“Not really.” Tree looked at her sadly. “I thought I’d enjoy going back to my old life. But it’s not the same. I miss Violetshine. I miss having other cats around. Hunting for myself isn’t as much fun as it used to be.”
Twigbranch blinked at him sympathetically. He didn’t seem to feel he belonged anywhere. “I guess this weather doesn’t help.”
Tree frowned. “It’s rained ever since SkyClan left. And the wind has been getting stronger. Have you noticed?”
Twigbranch pricked her ears. The soft swish of leaves had risen to a roar.
“It’s like the vision,” Tree went on. “The medicine cats said the saplings were destroyed by a storm.”
Alarm pricked through Twigbranch’s pelt. “Do you think this is the storm they saw?”
“I don’t know. But if it is, SkyClan should be here. They are the fifth sapling, aren’t they?” Worry glittered in Tree’s amber gaze. “If they’re not here, the storm will destroy all the Clans.”
Flypaw sat up and licked her lips. “Perhaps, when SkyClan sees how bad the weather is, they’ll come back.”
Twigbranch glanced at her. Would the storm make Leafstar rethink her decision to leave? Her paws pricked. It might be enough to make the SkyClan leader realize that her Clan belonged beside the lake. “We could go after them.” She looked at Tree. “We could make her change her mind.”
“How?” Tree narrowed his eyes. “SkyClan still doesn’t have a home beside the lake.”
“Look at the storm,” Twigbranch pressed. “Surely now the other leaders will see that SkyClan needs to live here. I bet RiverClan territory is already starting to flood. Mistystar must be wondering if she made the right decision. All the leaders have to change their minds if the rain keeps getting worse. Perhaps they’ll realize they have to share some of their land.”
Tree looked unconvinced. “The weather might not be enough to make them change their minds. They were pretty stubborn at the Gathering, despite the vision.”
“We need other cats to speak out. There must be cats in every Clan who are worried about the vision and want SkyClan to stay.”
“Plumpaw and Eaglepaw think SkyClan should have stayed,” Flypaw told them. “So do Dapplepaw and Harepaw in RiverClan. It’s only the leaders who want them gone.”
Hope surged in Twigbranch’s chest. “If we can persuade cats in every Clan to speak out, we could get the leaders to change their minds.”
Tree tipped his head. “It’s no use convincing the other leaders until we’ve convinced Leafstar.”
“Surely she’ll see sense?” Twigbranch pictured SkyClan trudging though the pouring rain.
Flypaw looked thoughtful. “We could take cats from each Clan to find SkyClan and persuade them that we want them beside the lake.”
Twigbranch nodded eagerly. “And when we’ve brought them back, we can persuade the other Clans to let them stay.”
Tree looked thoughtful. “I guess if enough cats support SkyClan, the leaders will have to change their minds.”
Twigbranch purred. For the first time in days, she felt hopeful. Hawkwing and Violetshine could return to the lake and the Clans would be safe. “This is going to be great,” she mewed. “But there’s one thing I have to do first.”
Tree looked at her. “What?”
“I’m going to do this the right way.” Twigbranch puffed out her chest. “I’m not running off like a newleaf hare this time. I’m going to go to Bramblestar and tell him about our plan. I’m going to ask for his permission.”
CHAPTER 18
Violetshine padded after her Clanmates, her head bowed against the driving rain. Her ears were flat against her head and her eyes narrowed. She’d felt nauseous since she woke this morning. The sodden mouse Hawkwing had brought her had just made her feel worse. She’d lost track of how long they’d been traveling and hardly glanced along the trail anymore. Sparrowpelt had slowed them down at first, but he was recovering, and they’d picked up speed despite the weather.
Her Clanmates didn’t seem much happier. She was aware of them trudging around her, their pelts slick against their frames as they pushed onward.
Harrybrook grumbled behind her. “If it gets any wetter, we’re going to drown.”
“We should find shelter,” Plumwillow called out.
“We’ll find shelter at the gorge,” Leafstar yowled from the head of the group.
Irritation jabbed Violetshine’s belly. Did Leafstar even remember the route to the gorge? They’d been walking for days, the weather worsening with each new dawn, and still Leafstar couldn’t tell them how much longer they’d be traveling. No cat complained. They simply followed Leafstar without question. Because they’re leaving less behind, she thought resentfully. The pain in her chest hardened. She might never see Twigbranch again. And Tree. Her paws grew heavier. If only he’d come. This journey would be an adventure they’d share together. She would hardly feel the rain if he were beside her.
“Can we explore the trail up ahead?” Sunnypaw’s mew cut into her thoughts. The ginger she-cat was looking eagerly at Plumwillow, while the other apprentices were turning to their mentors.
“I suppose that would be okay,” Plumwillow purred.
When all the mentors nodded, the apprentices raced ahead.
“Don’t go far!” Sagenose called as they disappeared around jutting rocks that marked a bend in the trail.
Violetshine shook out her fur as her thoughts returned to Tree. Why had he stayed behind? If he’d truly loved her, he’d have come. The thought clawed at her belly. Pushing it away, she braved the rain and looked up at the hillside. The storm lashed her muzzle as she recognized the gorse-covered slope. Alder trees dotted the hillside, and, halfway up, a dip opened in the heather. This is where I first met him! Her heart ached. She remembered how cocky he’d first been, flirting with her even though she’d been distracted by her search for Needletail. And then he’d reunited her with her dead friend, before she’d gone to StarClan. Nostalgia gripped her he
art. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by loss. Was every cat destined to leave her?
Reedclaw nudged her shoulder with her nose. “Violetshine?”
“What?” Violetshine wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
Reedclaw flinched. “Sorry to disturb you.” Raindrops streamed from her whiskers. “But we’re heading up the slope.”
Surprised, Violetshine saw that her Clanmates had veered from the muddy track at the bottom of the valley and were heading toward the heather.
“Hawkwing persuaded Leafstar that we should rest for a while in that dip.” Reedclaw eyed her nervously. “I just thought you should know.”
“I’m sorry I snapped,” Violetshine mewed guiltily. “I’m just in a bad moood.” Thinking about Tree was making her sad. She glanced toward the jutting rocks. “We should tell Sunnypaw and the others that we’ve changed route.”
“I’ll go.” As the small tabby she-cat hurried away, Violetshine caught up to her Clanmates on the slope. She wondered whether Tree’s scent would still be on the heather here. Don’t be rabbit-brained. His scent would have disappeared moons ago.
“Violetshine! Plumwillow!” Reedclaw’s terrified yowl cut through the wind.
Plumwillow jerked her muzzle around. Violetshine turned, alarm sparking through her pelt.
Reedclaw was racing through the rain, her fur on end. “Sunnypaw is stuck in the mud! She’s sinking!”
Tinycloud and Sparrowpelt broke from the group. They raced downslope, their paws slithering over the wet grass. Violetshine pelted after them. She was hardly aware of the rain now. Sunnypaw was in trouble. “Are the other apprentices safe?” she called as she caught up to Reedclaw. Tinycloud and Sparrowpelt ran on, their paws splashing through puddles as skidded around the rocks.
“I think so.” Reedclaw’s eyes were wide. “They’re trying to reach her, but the mud’s too deep.”
“Come on.” Violetshine hared after Sparrowpelt. Tinycloud had already disappeared. As Violetshine slewed around the corner, the valley opened into a wide stretch of mud. She could see Nectarpaw and Quailpaw teetering at the edge, their pelts bristling. Gravelpaw and Palepaw were standing just behind them, tiny claws digging into the earth.