Bramblestar’s Storm

Beckoning Spiderleg and Cinderheart with a flourish of his tail, he said good-bye to Rowanstar and led the way toward ThunderClan territory. He was still reeling from Leafpool’s unexpected decision.

“Do you think Leafpool will stay with ShadowClan forever?” Cinderheart mewed. “After all, Littlecloud hasn’t had an apprentice since Flametail died.”

A cold shiver passed through Bramblestar to hear his own fears voiced out loud. “Of course she’ll come back!” he snapped. “She’s a ThunderClan cat.”

But even though he silenced Cinderheart, he couldn’t silence his own misgivings.

Am I losing control of my Clan? I feel as though my cats are slipping through my paws like water.

Chapter 20

The first cat Bramblestar spotted when he reached the makeshift ThunderClan camp was Jayfeather, padding up from the opposite direction with Brightheart. Both cats were carrying bunches of herbs in their jaws. Jayfeather halted in front of the tunnel entrance, turned toward Bramblestar’s patrol as though he could see them. Then he dropped his herbs and bounded over to them.

“Where’s Leafpool?” he demanded.

“She stayed behind to help Littlecloud,” Bramblestar explained. This isn’t going to go well.

Jayfeather’s neck fur stood on end. “And you let her? What about ThunderClan? Don’t you think I’ve got enough on my paws, looking after the cats with whitecough?”

“You have Brightheart to help you,” Bramblestar pointed out.

“It’s not the same,” Jayfeather hissed.

Brightheart, who had followed him over, blinked at him, completely unoffended. “I’ll do whatever I can,” she mewed.

Jayfeather gave a disgusted snort and stalked off. Brightheart shot an apologetic glance at Bramblestar and hurried after him.

Across the clearing, Squirrelflight was organizing Mousewhisker, Dovewing, and Thornclaw into a hunting patrol. On the way out she halted beside Bramblestar.

“How did the meeting go with Rowanstar?”

Bramblestar described his offer to help ShadowClan cope with the fierce kittypets, and how Rowanstar had refused.

Squirrelflight shrugged, though there was compassion in her green eyes. “That’s Rowanstar’s decision to make,” she commented.

As Squirrelflight headed off with her patrol, Bramblestar noticed Jessy standing close by, listening to his account of the visit. He was about to beckon her over when Rosepetal, who was spreading the bits of Twoleg pelt on a holly bush, called out to her.

“Hey, Jessy, come and help me freshen up these pelts!”

Jessy bounded across to her immediately. Bramblestar was pleased and a little surprised to see how well she was settling in.

“You’d almost think she was a Clan cat,” he remarked to Graystripe, who was padding past him with a starling in his jaws.

Graystripe nodded, dropping his prey to reply. “We should have learned by now not to be surprised by kittypets,” he mewed with a wry twist to his mouth.

“Hey, Bramblestar!” Cherryfall popped her head out of the tunnel. “Look what we’ve done with the new dens!”

Bramblestar headed toward her, leaving Graystripe to carry his prey to the fresh-kill pile. Inside the tunnels, he saw that each section had been marked out by low walls of interwoven branches that would give even more protection from drafts. Within each wall were several nests of moss and bracken; stretching out a paw, he felt that they were hardly damp at all.

“How do you like it?” Cherryfall prompted.

“It’s great,” Bramblestar replied. It looks almost comfortable.

“It’ll be even better once Rosepetal gets the Twoleg pelts back in,” Cherryfall mewed. “Dustpelt and Brackenfur worked out the breaks, and Mousewhisker and I helped build them.”

“Good job, all of you,” Bramblestar purred. “I think we’ll all sleep better from now on.”

He padded farther down the tunnel, spotting Purdy curled up asleep in the den he shared with the apprentices, and lastly reaching the section where Jayfeather and Leafpool had their den, next to the sick cats. Jayfeather and Brightheart were arranging their newly gathered herbs in cracks in the rock.

Berrynose and Molewhisker were both sleeping; their breathing sounded almost back to normal. Amberpaw looked much better too, helping Briarlight with her exercises by tossing a ball of moss for her to catch. Bramblestar noticed uneasily that the injured cat couldn’t manage more than a couple of throws without having to stop to catch her breath.

Sandstorm was curled up in her nest, but she raised her head and greeted Bramblestar as he approached. “How did the visit to ShadowClan go?” she asked.

“Not good,” Bramblestar admitted. “Rowanstar wouldn’t let us help him with the kittypets.”

“But he was quick enough to accept our medicine cat,” Jayfeather put in with a snarl.