Warriors

by Erin Hunter

  Alderheart had greeted the news with relief. He could see from his father’s face that Bramblestar wasn’t optimistic about their mission but that, with the storm worsening by the day, he clearly felt he couldn’t ignore the problem any longer.

  Now Alderheart peered into ShadowClan territory, hoping to glimpse a patrol. “Tigerstar will have to listen,” he mewed.

  “Tigerstar is young,” Bramblestar cautioned. “And he has a lot to prove after running away and then returning with a ThunderClan mate and half-Clan kits. It will be hard for him to admit that he chose badly when he made Juniperclaw deputy.”

  “But he has to face it,” Alderheart pressed. “Juniperclaw tried to murder another cat. Tigerstar can’t let him get away with that.”

  “Tigerstar can do what he likes.” Bramblestar’s eyes were dark. “I don’t know whether he will admit his mistake or cover it up.”

  “He can’t cover it up!”

  “Why not?” Bramblestar scanned the ShadowClan forest. “He’s ambitious, and he has the unquestioning loyalty of his Clan.”

  Paw steps thrummed beyond the brambles. Bramblestar pricked his ears.

  “Here they come.” Alderheart fluffed out his fur and watched as Strikestone, Blazepaw, and Snaketooth burst from the bushes.

  They pulled up at the border. Snaketooth’s pelt bristled as she saw Bramblestar. “What are you doing here?”

  “I want to speak with Tigerstar.” Bramblestar gazed at her calmly.

  Strikestone narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  “Isn’t the storm keeping you busy?” Snaketooth growled. “We thought you’d be preparing for a flood.”

  Blazepaw tipped his head. “Perhaps the sun is shining in ThunderClan territory.”

  Strikestone curled his lip. “The sun always shines on ThunderClan,” he mewed sarcastically.

  Bramblestar flicked his tail impatiently. “I don’t have time for this,” he told them. “Take me to Tigerstar.”

  Strikestone and Snaketooth exchanged glances.

  “Okay.” Strikestone lifted his muzzle. “But hurry up. We have so much territory to patrol now that SkyClan is gone.”

  “And plenty of prey to hunt.” Snaketooth beckoned Bramblestar across the border with her tail.

  Alderheart’s pelt prickled nervously as he followed. Had ShadowClan forgotten the vision? “Aren’t you worried now that SkyClan has left?”

  “Why?” Snaketooth began to head toward the ShadowClan camp. “It’s what we wanted.”

  Alderheart was surprised by her indifference. “What about the storm?” Surely they could see that the vision was coming true?

  “Storms pass,” Strikestone grunted. “We’ve survived worse.”

  Alderheart glanced at Bramblestar. His father was staring ahead, his gaze unreadable. Only the faintest prickle along his spine betrayed his unease. Alderheart padded beside him as Strikestone, Snaketooth, and Blazepaw flanked them. His optimism was fading. ShadowClan clearly didn’t regret driving SkyClan away. Perhaps they wouldn’t care what Juniperclaw had done.

  They ducked into the camp after Strikestone. Blazepaw and Snaketooth followed them in. Cloverfoot and Scorchfur were sharing a mouse beside the fresh-kill pile. Rain pounded their pelts. The overhanging alder and pine gave little shelter, and the wide clearing was slick with mud. Tawnypelt sat at the edge. Her fur was wet, but she made no effort to move, even when she saw Bramblestar.

  Scorchfur looked up, chewing. He blinked at the patrol and jumped to his paws. “Bramblestar’s here with Alderheart,” he called as he hurried to Tigerstar’s den.

  Tigerstar padded out, with Dovewing just behind him. The leader’s gaze was wary. He’s clearly wondering why we’ve come, Alderheart thought.

  The dark brown tom stopped at the edge of the clearing and stared at Bramblestar. “Welcome.”

  Bramblestar stopped a tail-length from the ShadowClan leader. He shifted his paws uneasily. “Have you heard about RiverClan’s flood?” he began.

  “We’ve seen it for ourselves,” Tigerstar told him.

  “RiverClan is sheltering with WindClan,” Alderheart told him.

  “They could have come to us,” Tigerstar meowed evenly. “We have enough prey now to spare for a Clan driven from its home.”

  But not SkyClan. Alderheart swallowed back the words. Instead he glanced toward the medicine den. “How is Shadowkit?”

  “Still having the same vision.” Tigerstar stood unflinching in the rain. “But the fits have eased. It comes as bad dreams now.”

  “You must be worried.” Alderheart blinked at him sympathetically.

  “Nothing will happen to him.” Tigerstar swished his tail. “I don’t intend to let him out of my sight.”

  How could he be so sure that the kit’s vision wouldn’t come true? “But with the flooding, aren’t you—”

  Bramblestar cut him off. “I’m sure Tigerstar knows how to take care of his own kit.”

  As he spoke, Pouncekit and Lightkit came bounding out of the nursery. Dovewing raised her tail at them, to tell them to settle down. Then she looked to Bramblestar. “Is that all you came to speak to us about?”

  Bramblestar shook his head. “No . . . There’s something else we need to discuss.”

  “Alderheart!” Puddleshine appeared at the medicine-den entrance. He blinked happily across the clearing. Alderheart dipped his head to his friend but didn’t move. The damp air seemed to crackle with tension. Puddleshine’s eyes darkened as though he sensed it.

  Tigerstar’s gaze was fixed on Bramblestar. “What?”

  He knows. Alderheart shifted his paws uneasily. He’d accused Juniperclaw when he’d visited last, and the ShadowClan leader must have guessed what they had come to discuss. But he’s going to make Bramblestar say it out loud.

  “Alderheart has told me that Juniperclaw was seen taking deathberry seeds from the medicine den, and that Violetshine saw him afterward beside the SkyClan fresh-kill pile.” Bramblestar spoke slowly.

  Dovewing pricked her ears, clearly surprised. Tawnypelt padded closer, while Cloverfoot stopped chewing the mouse she’d been eating.

  Strikestone showed his teeth. “Are you accusing my littermate of poisoning Sparrowpelt?”

  Tigerstar signaled silence with a sharp flick of his tail. He didn’t take his eyes from Bramblestar. “I thought I’d made my position clear,” he growled softly. “SkyClan has left. The matter is closed.”

  “Tigerstar?” Dovewing hurried to his side. “Is this true? Did Juniperclaw use poison?” Her pelt bristled anxiously. Alderheart felt a pang for his former Clanmate. It must be a shock to find that her new Clan was capable of such ruthlessness.

  Tigerstar looked at her. “Alderheart has convinced himself that it’s true.”

  “Is it?” Dovewing’s mew trembled.

  Tigerstar hesitated.

  “SkyClan may be gone, but Juniperclaw is still your deputy.” Bramblestar spoke evenly. “Aren’t you worried that a cat capable of such a rogue trick might one day take your place? Is that the future you see for ShadowClan?”

  Doubt glistened in Tigerstar’s eyes.

  “You can’t ignore this,” Dovewing pressed. “You can’t let ShadowClan become rogues again. Don’t you remember what happened last time?”

  Tigerstar blinked at her. “Do you expect me to turn on my Clanmate because of ThunderClan gossip?”

  “It’s more than gossip!” Alderheart’s paws pricked with indignation. “We have evidence.”

  “Juniperclaw’s not far away.” Dovewing glanced toward the camp entrance. “He’s hunting beside the ditches. Send someone to fetch him; have him explain.”

  Tigerstar held her gaze for a moment, then nodded to Scorchfur. “Fetch Juniperclaw.”

  Alderheart watched the tom race from the camp. Rain dripped from his whiskers as he waited beside Bramblestar. No cat spoke until, at last, paw steps sounded outside.

  Juniperclaw’s eyes were dark as he padded into camp.

  Strikes
tone hurried to his littermate’s side. “Tell these ThunderClan cats that it’s not true!”

  Juniperclaw didn’t look at his Clanmate. Instead he glared at Alderheart.

  “You knew where I’d buried the seeds!” Alderheart growled. “Shadowkit saw you digging them up. And Violetshine saw you beside the fresh-kill pile. You poisoned SkyClan’s prey!”

  Strikestone pressed against Juniperclaw, but the other ShadowClan cats didn’t move.

  “Well?” Tigerstar growled. “Is it true?”

  Juniperclaw flattened his ears. “I saved ShadowClan from countless battles. We got our land back, and Grassheart was the only cat seriously injured.”

  “Not the only one.” Bramblestar’s tail twitched angrily. “Sparrowpelt nearly died.”

  Juniperclaw’s gaze flashed toward Tigerstar, doubt showing for the first time. “I did it to protect my Clan!”

  “It’s true, then?” Strikestone shrank from his brother.

  Relief washed Alderheart’s pelt. Juniperclaw acted alone. ShadowClan’s warriors still had honor. He watched as Strikestone curled his lip.

  “Only a rogue would use poison!” the brown tabby snarled. “Did you learn nothing from Darktail?”

  Dovewing lashed her tail angrily. “It looks like he learned too much!”

  “I’m loyal!” Juniperclaw glanced frantically around his Clanmates. “I saved you from fighting.”

  “We are warriors.” Tigerstar stared at his deputy. “We fight. We don’t murder. Did you never learn the warrior code?”

  “I protected my Clan!” Juniperclaw backed away.

  Pity pierced Alderheart’s chest. How could any warrior be so misguided?

  “You are no longer ShadowClan’s deputy.” Tigerstar’s dark gaze fixed on Juniperclaw. “I’m not even sure if you are worthy of being a ShadowClan warrior.” He jerked his muzzle toward Tawnypelt and Scorchfur. “Take him to the warriors’ den and guard it. I will decide his punishment later.”

  Juniperclaw’s shoulders sagged as the two warriors escorted him to the den. Silently, he slunk inside.

  “I was mistaken.” Tigerstar looked bleakly at Bramblestar. “I shouldn’t have chosen him for deputy. I thought his experience with Darktail would have strengthened his faith in the warrior code, not weakened it.”

  “I understand why you did it,” Bramblestar told him. “You wanted to unite your Clan by including those who once betrayed you. It was a noble gesture.”

  “But wrong.” Tigerstar dipped his head.

  Dovewing pressed against him. “You couldn’t have known that.”

  “I wasn’t just wrong about Juniperclaw.” Tigerstar lifted his muzzle to the driving rain. “The storm StarClan warned us about is here, and I drove SkyClan away. I was so focused on rebuilding ShadowClan that I ignored the warning of my ancestors.”

  He regrets SkyClan’s leaving! Hope sparked in Alderheart’s belly. But before he could ask whether Tigerstar would let them return, Pouncekit peered from the nursery. “Dovewing, we’re hungry! Can we have fresh-kill?”

  “I’ll bring you some,” Dovewing told the gray tabby she-kit. As she turned toward the fresh-kill pile, she called to Pouncekit. “Will the two of you share a shrew with Shadowkit?”

  “Shadowkit’s not here.” Pouncekit blinked at her mother.

  Dovewing’s eyes darkened. She hurried toward the nursery. “What do you mean?”

  Tigerstar was at her heels. He pushed past her and raced inside. “Where is he?” Pouncekit and Lightkit crowded around him as he ducked out again.

  “He was playing a game,” Lightkit told him. “He was pretending he had an important mission to save his Clan. Pouncekit wanted to go with him, but he said it was something he had to do by himself.”

  “Search the camp!” Tigerstar’s desperate gaze flashed toward his Clanmates.

  Dovewing wove frantically around Lightkit and Pouncekit. “Did he say where he was going?”

  Pouncekit looked frightened. “No.”

  “He just said he had to save us and then he sneaked out of the den,” Lightkit told her.

  Bramblestar was already searching the dripping grass at the edge of the camp. Scorchfur had hurried into the elders’ den while Blazepaw hunted behind it. Tawnypelt and Strikestone left their post outside the warriors’ den and began sniffing the ground.

  Alderheart stared toward the entrance tunnel. Could the kit have left the camp without anyone noticing? He remembered with a jolt the dirtplace tunnel and hurried to check it. Dodging around the back of the warriors’ den, he saw black fur disappear into shadow. His eyes widened with surprise. The fur was too dark to be Shadowkit’s. Who was sneaking out? He hurried to the narrow tunnel entrance and smelled Juniperclaw’s scent. The former ShadowClan deputy smelled frightened. “Juniperclaw’s escaped!” Alderheart raced back to the clearing.

  Tigerstar glanced at him distractedly. “Let him go,” he snapped. “We don’t need rogues like him in the Clan.” He pushed his way past Strikestone and sniffed the muddy path to the entrance. His pelt spiked. “Shadowkit went this way.” He followed the trail through the tunnel before darting back. “He’s left the camp!”

  “I didn’t see him leave!” Dovewing’s eyes were round with guilt.

  “Perhaps we should send a cat to WindClan,” Bramblestar suggested.

  Tawnypelt bounded over to her son. “I’ll go!”

  Tigerstar nodded at the tortoiseshell. “Yes . . . Go to WindClan and tell them that Shadowkit is missing. Tell Harestar and Mistystar that he must be found. He’s in . . .” His voice was now barely a whisper. “. . . he’s in great danger.”

  As Tawnypelt raced from the camp, Alderheart watched his father. Bramblestar was gazing at Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader’s eyes were bright with fear. “We will find him,” Bramblestar promised. Tigerstar stared wordlessly back, and Alderheart’s throat tightened with pity. “Have faith, Tigerstar,” Bramblestar went on. “If the Clans work together, we will save him.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Twigbranch stared through the rain. The sky darkened as night drew in. SkyClan scents filled her nose. Behind her they crowded into Tree’s shallow cave, thankful to be out of the rain and to be heading back to the lake. She shifted her paws uneasily. She and Finleap hadn’t spoken on the journey back from the flooded moor. His former Clanmates had clustered around him as they’d traveled, praising him for saving Leafstar and sharing stories of their adventure.

  When they’d reached the cave, the nests they’d made were still there, and dry, thanks to the shelter of the overhanging rock. They’d needed to make more. But there was enough space, and even though the fresh bedding they dragged from the woods was wet, there would be a chance to get dry and warm while they rested overnight.

  “Hey.”

  Fur brushed her flank, and she turned her head to see Finleap beside her. Her heart ached. Would she ever be able to stand this close to him again? “Hey.”

  He gazed at her, his yellow eyes glittering with uncertainty. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?” She blinked at him. “What for?”

  “For saying you were getting too close to Tree.” He glanced back to where Violetshine was making nests for the SkyClan apprentices. Flypaw was helping, excitedly showing Nectarpaw how to shape the ferns with her paws. “I was just angry. I never really thought—”

  “It’s okay.” She cut him off. “It doesn’t matter now.”

  He tipped his head questioningly. “Now that Violetshine’s back?”

  “Now that we’ve found SkyClan.” She turned her face to the woods. “You’ll be going back to them, I guess.”

  “Back to SkyClan?”

  “If I’m not going to have your kits, you might as well return to your kin.” Sadness pricked Twigbranch’s eyes. Should she change her mind? Having kits now might not be so bad.

  “But I thought you loved me.” He sounded surprised. “You told Violetshine you loved me very much.”

  “I do,” she mewed so
ftly. “But not enough to have your kits. Not now. Maybe not ever.”

  Finleap glanced at his paws. “Let’s forget about kits, huh?”

  She blinked in surprise. “Forget?”

  “I was wrong, Twigbranch. Seeing SkyClan again made me realize . . . however much I love my kin, I love you more. I don’t want you to have kits if you don’t want to. I can live without them. But I can’t live without you.”

  Twigbranch stared at him. “Do you mean that?”

  “Yes.” Finleap’s eyes shimmered with love. “I’ve been so wrapped up in feeling hurt, I didn’t realize how much I was hurting you—or how much I was hurting our relationship.”

  “And what happens next time you’re upset?” Twigbranch’s mouth was dry. “Will you stop talking to me again?”

  “No. Next time we’ll discuss things properly. No more arguments.” Finleap met her gaze solemnly. “Watching you over the past few days has reminded me how amazing you are, Twigbranch. You persuaded Bramblestar to let you bring a patrol here. You found a way of getting SkyClan back to the lake. I’m lucky to have you. I promise I’ll never hurt you again.”

  She stared at him, hope surging in her chest. “So you’re really okay with me not having your kits yet?”

  “Yes.” He leaned closer. “I’m so sorry I put you through that. I guess it was harder leaving SkyClan than I expected. It took me a while to realize I had no kin in ThunderClan, and then I couldn’t stop thinking of everything I’d left behind. I forgot to value what I had. Look.” He jerked his nose toward SkyClan once more. Tree was holding the side of a nest firmly while Nectarpaw wove an extra bracken stem between the fronds. Violetshine was leaning over the edge to press moss inside. “I know now that having kin isn’t the only way to fit in. I’ll find another way to feel part of ThunderClan.”

  “Does that mean you’re not going back to SkyClan?” Her paws trembled.

  “Why would I, when you’re in ThunderClan?” He blinked at her. “Let’s enjoy being warriors and mentors for now.”

  “If I have kits with any cat, it will be you,” she murmured. Would she ever be ready?