Warriors

by Erin Hunter

  She tried again to haul herself along the root. If only the current would let up for a moment, she’d have the strength to pull herself to safety. She tried to ignore Tree’s terrified face. Leafstar and Hawkwing had caught up to him now, Twigbranch and Flypaw at their heels. Violetshine steadied her breathing and hung on. The flood will ease in a moment, she told herself. I can get to safety then.

  Something small and dark bobbed in the water upstream. It slid past the rock where Hootwhisker and Lizardtail shivered. Violetshine knew at once that it wasn’t debris. As it swirled closer, she made out the shape of a head. Ears twitched as it spun. A kit! She stared at it. There was no kit that young in SkyClan. Had a kit been left behind when RiverClan fled their camp? It spun closer and she recognized the gray pelt. Shadowkit! Why was he in RiverClan territory? His eyes were wild with fear and his paws flailed uselessly in the torrent. Tree followed her gaze, his eyes sparking with horror as he saw the kit. On the far bank, Willowshine and Dewspring were staring at Shadowkit, their fur spiked.

  “StarClan, help him!” Willowshine raced to the edge, wailing frantically. Shadowkit glanced at her desperately as he spun past, out of reach.

  I have to save him! Violetshine let go with one paw and prepared to lunge toward him.

  “Don’t let go!” Tree shrieked in panic. His gaze flicked toward Shadowkit once more. He’d guessed what she was planning.

  Shadowkit hurtled closer. He would be within reach any moment. She would have to let go. She’d grab him and try to swim. If she could just keep their heads above the surface for long enough, she’d get them to shore. She had to. As she bunched her muscles, timing her dive, shadow flashed at the edge of her vision. A black tom leaped from the other bank. Diving into the rapid water, he grabbed Shadowkit and swirled past.

  Juniperclaw! Violetshine’s heart seemed to stop as she recognized him. What was the ShadowClan tom doing here? Water washed her muzzle. Spluttering, she flung both paws around the root once more and looked behind her.

  Juniperclaw was swirling in an eddy of calmer water behind her. Shadowkit dangled by his scruff from the tom’s teeth, water streaming around him. He churned at the water and whimpered with terror. Juniperclaw’s face was twisted with determination as he swam. The backwash from the eddy carried him a little way upstream. Violetshine stuck out her hind legs, felt him grasp them, and braced herself as he hauled himself closer. With a desperate growl, he dragged himself along the length of her flank and reached out for the root. He grabbed it and clung on; then, grunting with the effort, he pushed Shadowkit onto the root with his muzzle.

  Gasping, the kit scrabbled onto the gnarled bark. He was trembling, his eyes screwed shut. Tree leaned out. “I can reach him!” Leafstar and Finleap gripped his pelt as, gingerly, he grasped Shadowkit’s tail in his teeth and, with a jerk, snatched him onto the bank.

  Violetshine turned her head. Juniperclaw clung on between her and the bank. “You saved him,” she gasped.

  He stared at her, his eyes glazed with shock.

  “Juniperclaw!” Tree yowled to him from the bank. “Can you help Violetshine get to the bank?”

  “Climb over me,” Juniperclaw grunted. Water streamed into his mouth and he spluttered.

  “No!” Violetshine stared at him, horrified. She couldn’t risk knocking him away. “What if you lose your grip?”

  “I can hold on,” he promised.

  “Do what he says!” Tree strained at the edge of the water. “He’s stronger than you! And he’s not carrying kits!”

  Juniperclaw’s eyes widened. “Kits?” His gaze grew more urgent. “Climb over me! You mustn’t die.” More water filled his mouth. She saw him stiffen as he tightened his grip on the root. His eyes pleaded with her frantically.

  Her heart in her mouth, Violetshine let go one of her paws and gripped onto Juniperclaw’s shoulder. He grimaced as she dug her claws in. She reached her hind legs around him and clung on like a tick as she let go her other paw and eased herself over his back. The water dragged at her. She heard him growling as he fought to cling on. Reaching up on his other side, Violetshine caught hold of the root again. She was closer to the bank now. The current softened here. Released from its grip, she managed to work her paws along the root until she was only a muzzle-length from land. As she reached for the bank, she felt teeth in her scruff. Tree had lunged down and grabbed her. He hauled her from the water and pulled her, dripping, onto the shore.

  She collapsed. “Save Juniperclaw.” She lifted her head, straining to see the black tom.

  He was hanging on to the root by his claw tips. “Tell Tigerstar I’m sorry.” He glanced up at her, relief in his eyes, and then he slid away. The water carried him down into the churning straits below, and he disappeared from view.

  “No!” Rage surged through Violetshine. StarClan couldn’t let him die! He saved Shadowkit. Tree was nuzzling her, but she could barely feel it. She was numb with shock and grief.

  “Look! Look!” Shadowkit yowled beside them. He was staring upstream.

  On the far shore, Willowshine had plunged into the water. Lionblaze held on to her, grasping her flanks with his claws. Gorsetail and Nightcloud gripped Lionblaze from behind. SkyClan clustered at their backs, each cat gripping the one in front until they formed a long chain that stretched out into the flood. At the tip, Willowshine swam toward the rock, where Hootwhisker and Lizardtail stared with wide, frightened eyes. With a final push, she reached them and pulled herself onto the stone.

  Violetshine’s breath slowly eased. Calm seeped into her. She felt suddenly exhausted. She had to sleep.

  “Keep her warm.” Frecklewish’s mew sounded far away. “She’s in shock.”

  She was vaguely aware of Tree and Twigbranch pressing against her. They were warm. She could feel their hearts beating beside hers.

  “Violetshine.” Hawkwing’s mew reached through the haze that enfolded her. “Wake up. You need to wake up. For your kits.”

  Alarm flashed beneath her pelt. Her kits! She couldn’t sleep now. She shook herself awake. “Hootwhisker! Lizardtail!” She remembered Willowshine’s desperate swim.

  Tree blinked at her. “It’s okay. They’re safe now.”

  She looked upstream. Lizardtail and Hootwhisker were shivering on the far bank as Gorsetail and Leafstar hauled Lionblaze and Willowshine from the water.

  She gazed into Tree’s eyes. “You saved me.” Love flooded her heart, and she reached her muzzle to his.

  As his warm breath touched hers, Shadowkit fluffed out his pelt beside them. “I did it!” he yowled, triumphantly. “I did what my vision told me and I brought the Clans together!”

  She pulled away and stared at him. “What exactly did your vision tell you to do?”

  “I had to drown to make the Clans help one another.” The kit’s eyes shone excitedly.

  “You threw yourself in on purpose?” Violetshine pricked her ears. “Do you have bees in your brain?”

  “It worked, didn’t it?” Shadowkit looked proudly around at the cats. Violetshine followed his gaze and realized that cats from every Clan had come to help them. Could the kit be right?

  He must have been touched by StarClan. She drew him close and looked up. The clouds were beginning to lighten. Excitement fluttered in her belly as the wind dropped. The landscape around them seemed to quiet, and she pricked her ears, her heart quickening as suddenly the rain stopped.

  CHAPTER 25

  Alderheart looked up at the clear, black sky. He narrowed his eyes against the brightness of the moon. Countless stars glittered above the island. For the first time in days, his fur was dry, and a warm wind promised newleaf once more.

  The island clearing was crowded. Across the sea of pelts, Alderheart could see Twigbranch and Violetshine sitting with Hawkwing, Tree, and Finleap. Their eyes were round and their fur fluffed. They were clearly happy to be reunited. He whispered in Jayfeather’s ear, “It looks like every cat has come.”

  Jayfeather grunted. “After what we
’ve been through, who would be mouse-brained enough to miss this Gathering?”

  Alderheart purred softly. Tigerstar had called the emergency Gathering when SkyClan arrived in his camp. Now the Clans looked up at the Great Oak, where Bramblestar, Harestar, Tigerstar, Mistystar, and Leafstar sat side by side on the lowest branch. Their deputies sat below them on the roots. Only Juniperclaw was missing. Alderheart felt a pang. He knew he’d been right to speak out, but he wished his investigation hadn’t ended in Juniperclaw’s death.

  As Puddleshine shifted beside him, Alderheart blinked at him warmly. The tom’s fur was sleek once more. His scars were hidden beneath his thick pelt. His eyes were bright, and he was staring eagerly at the Great Oak.

  Tigerstar got to his paws and looked around at the gathered cats. “We come to speak of change,” he meowed. “Change that must come if the Clans are to survive. But first I have news of Juniperclaw. Many of you will know that he is dead. But you may not know the whole story. Juniperclaw admitted to poisoning the SkyClan fresh-kill pile. He saw an easy way to drive SkyClan from the lake and he chose to go through with it, even though he knew he was breaking the warrior code. He believed he could protect his Clan best by saving us from fighting for our land. But a Clan that won’t fight for their land when they have to is no Clan at all. And Juniperclaw paid dearly for his crime. He lost his deputyship and his life.”

  The Clans watched him in silence as he went on.

  “But he died a courageous death. He died saving lives. Shadowkit was caught in the flood on RiverClan land. Juniperclaw pushed him from the water before being swept into the lake. He could have saved himself, but he chose to help Violetshine get out of the flood. He saved the SkyClan warrior, at the cost of his own life. I hope that he finds peace in StarClan.” The ShadowClan leader looked down at Cloverfoot. She shifted on the oak root as she sat beside the other deputies. “Cloverfoot will be ShadowClan’s deputy now. Like Juniperclaw, she once turned her back on the Clans . . . But I believe that, like Juniperclaw, she is ready to serve her Clan honestly and in good faith.”

  “Cloverfoot!” Scorchfur was the first ShadowClan cat to call her name.

  Snowbird chimed in. “Cloverfoot.”

  “Cloverfoot.” Her name rang through the clearing as her Clanmates yowled their approval and their yowling spread among the other Clans.

  Alderheart dipped his head to her, pleased that she’d been chosen. She puffed out her chest proudly, and her eyes reflected moonlight as she looked back at him.

  Bramblestar lifted his muzzle. “Twigbranch led a patrol of cats from ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan to find SkyClan and persuade them to return to the lake.” Twigbranch glanced at her paws as the Clans turned to look at her. Finleap moved closer to her as Bramblestar went on. “Despite the storm, the patrol managed to bring SkyClan back—”

  He broke off as cheers erupted from the watching cats. Surprise showed in his eyes. He pricked his ears, clearly delighted, and waited for the yowling to die away. “We still must settle on where they will live, but we know that their place is beside the lake with the other Clans.”

  Strikestone called from among the ShadowClan cats, “Land must be given equally.”

  “Every Clan must help!” Lizardtail called from among the RiverClan cats.

  Bramblestar dipped his head. “Yes. This time, each Clan will give up some of its territory to make them a home.”

  Harestar glanced apologetically at Leafstar. “We should have agreed to this sooner.”

  Leafstar eyed him. “You should have.” Her gaze flitted reproachfully to him and Mistystar. “If the other leaders had taken responsibility in the first place, a lot of suffering could have been avoided.”

  Mistystar dipped her head. “RiverClan will not turn our tails on you again.”

  “Next time, WindClan won’t wait for others to decide before doing what is right,” Harestar promised.

  Leafstar looked satisfied and turned to Tigerstar. “And what about ShadowClan?”

  Tigerstar met her gaze evenly. “ShadowClan only ever wanted fairness. If I hadn’t stood up for what belonged to ShadowClan, nothing would have changed. You would have kept half our land, and my Clanmates would have faced countless moons of hunger.”

  Leafstar’s ears twitched. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  Anxiety pricked Alderheart’s paws. Was the gathering going to descend into an argument? He quickly searched the SkyClan leader’s gaze. Had Tigerstar’s refusal to admit the part he’d played in her Clan’s suffering insulted her? He tipped his head, surprised. Was that amusement in her eyes? It only lasted a moment. Leafstar blinked it away and turned back to Bramblestar. Alderheart relaxed. Clearly, she was willing to indulge Tigerstar’s arrogance for now.

  “The past is the past,” Bramblestar meowed. “We must work together and decide a future where we can all thrive.”

  “How will the land be divided?” Mistystar asked.

  “SkyClan knows the forest well,” Bramblestar began. “They could take a stretch of land between ThunderClan and ShadowClan, from the mountain border to the lake.”

  Leafstar narrowed her eyes. “What will RiverClan and WindClan give?”

  “We can shift our border,” Harestar suggested, “so that ThunderClan can take from us part of what they give to SkyClan.” He looked expectantly at RiverClan. “You could do the same for ShadowClan.”

  Mistystar tipped her head. “Five territories beside one another with the lake at their heart,” she murmured thoughtfully.

  Below, the Clan cats exchanged anxious glances. Alderheart tensed. Would the leaders agree to Bramblestar’s plan?

  Mistystar nodded. “I think it could work.”

  Bramblestar looked hopefully at Tigerstar. “What do you think?”

  Tigerstar glanced at his Clanmates. Moonlight shone in his dark gaze.

  Alderheart nudged Puddleshine anxiously. “Why’s he hesitating?”

  “Hush.” Puddleshine quieted him with a wave of his tail.

  Tigerstar blinked slowly at Bramblestar. “Are you suggesting that SkyClan become our neighbors again?”

  Leafstar bristled. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Tigerstar’s whiskers twitched. “I can’t think of anything better. We’ve put up with ThunderClan long enough. It’ll be good to have a new Clan on our border.” He eyed Bramblestar mischievously.

  Bramblestar huffed. “ThunderClan will enjoy a break from ShadowClan as well.”

  “You’ll miss our scent markers!” Strikestone called from the gathered cats.

  Amused purrs rippled through the Clans.

  Hootwhisker yowled from the back of the crowd. “What will Gatherings be like without ThunderClan and ShadowClan bickering like starlings?”

  Mistystar purred. “I’m sure they’ll still find things to bicker about.”

  Bramblestar flicked his tail impatiently. “Are the territories settled?”

  “Yes.” Tigerstar dipped his head.

  “From now on, each Clan will have equal land and an equal voice,” Harestar meowed.

  “And SkyClan can start building yet another camp.” Leafstar rolled her eyes dramatically.

  “We’ll send warriors to help,” Bramblestar offered.

  “And ShadowClan will send warriors to help RiverClan rebuild their camp,” Tigerstar chimed in.

  Happiness washed Alderheart’s pelt. He’d never seen the Clans cooperating like this before. Was this the beginning of a new era of peace? He glanced at Tree. They might even learn to listen to a mediator when they had disputes from now on.

  Tree touched his muzzle to Violetshine’s ear. She buried her nose in his neck fur. Her pelt looked lustrous in the moonlight. Carrying kits clearly agreed with her.

  Beside her, Twigbranch’s eyes brimmed with joy as she watched the leaders. She seemed bigger than usual, and Alderheart wondered if she’d grown. She looked every bit as much as a warrior as Squirrelflight now. Flypaw nosed in between her and F
inleap. Twigbranch glanced at her apprentice warmly and shifted to make room.

  A rush of pride warmed Alderheart’s belly. It seemed only a few moons since he and Needletail had found the tiny kits and brought them back to the Clans. If only he’d been able to see the future. He could never have imagined what a difference they’d make. He glanced again at the stars. Was Needletail there now, watching? Was she proud of what the kits had become? Thank you for helping me find them, Needletail. His heart ached with fondness. I hope you’re happy in StarClan.

  Breathing the soft night air, he prayed that this peace between the Clans would last. From now on, let us face new threats as StarClan intended—five Clans united.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ERIN HUNTER is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the Seekers, Survivors, and Bravelands series.

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  BOOKS BY ERIN HUNTER

  THE PROPHECIES BEGIN

  Book One: Into the Wild

  Book Two: Fire and Ice

  Book Three: Forest of Secrets

  Book Four: Rising Storm

  Book Five: A Dangerous Path

  Book Six: The Darkest Hour

  THE NEW PROPHECY

  Book One: Midnight

  Book Two: Moonrise

  Book Three: Dawn

  Book Four: Starlight

  Book Five: Twilight

  Book Six: Sunset

  POWER OF THREE

  Book One: The Sight

  Book Two: Dark River

  Book Three: Outcast

  Book Four: Eclipse

  Book Five: Long Shadows

  Book Six: Sunrise

  OMEN OF THE STARS

  Book One: The Fourth Apprentice

  Book Two: Fading Echoes

  Book Three: Night Whispers