Darkest Night

“We’ll look under this bush.” Finpaw headed toward a spreading juniper. “There might be some snagged in the branches.”

Twigpaw hurried past him. She wanted to make up for gathering so few. She dived under the bush and wriggled on her belly. A few sticks were caught around the central stem. She dug her claws into them and dragged them out. As she emerged, something slithered beside her. “Snake!” With a squeal, she leaped backward, her fur on end.

Finpaw purred loudly. “That’s not a snake.” He lifted a twisted root with his paw and blinked at Twigpaw. “You’re so jumpy!”

Twigpaw shook out her fur, trying not to let him see her paws shaking. “All this wind is making me nervous,” she mewed hotly.

It was still tearing at the trees, roaring louder now. The forest floor echoed with the creaking of trunks.

“Let’s take these twigs back to camp,” Finpaw suggested. He called to Dewpaw. “We’re heading back now.”

“Coming!” Dewpaw grabbed his pile between his jaws and headed toward them.

As he neared, a gust of wind slammed the trees around them. A crack rang though the air. Heart lurching, Twigpaw looked up. A massive branch hurtled at them. It was falling directly toward Finpaw.

“Look out!” She grabbed Finpaw’s scruff in her claws and dragged him toward her. Pine needles sprayed her face as the branch hit the ground with a sickening thud. Dust and bark showered around them.

“Finpaw!”

The apprentice lay beside her, his eyes wide with shock.

“Finpaw!” Twigpaw shook the needles from her fur and leaned over him.

“His tail!” Dewpaw reached them, pelt bristling.

Twigpaw followed the gray cat’s gaze. He was staring at Finpaw’s tail. It was trapped beneath the branch.

“We have to move it!” Twigpaw leaped for the branch and tried to roll it away. The weight of it shocked her.

“It’s too big.” Dewpaw stared along the length of the branch. It was wider than a cat’s belly and as long as an entire tree trunk.

“Finpaw!” Twigpaw darted back to his head and stared into his eyes. They were bright with pain. “Can you speak?”

“Yes,” Finpaw gasped.

“We’re going to get help.” Twigpaw’s thoughts were racing. SkyClan had no medicine cat. She needed Alderheart. But ThunderClan’s camp was too far. Finpaw needed help now. She looked at Dewpaw. “Run back to camp and fetch help. With more paws, we might be able to move the branch. I’ll head for ShadowClan’s camp to get Puddleshine.”

Dewpaw stared at her, ears flat with terror. “We can’t leave Finpaw here alone. What if he—”

Twigpaw cut him off. “It’s not far to camp. You’ll be back in the blink of an eye. Finpaw will be okay.” She glanced at Finpaw. “You’ll be okay,” she promised. “We’ll be back before you know it. Just hang on.” She searched Finpaw’s stricken gaze.

“Hurry,” he croaked.

Twigpaw turned back to Dewpaw. “Run as fast as you can!” But the gray apprentice was already pelting between the trees.

She ran for the ShadowClan border. The forest floor flashed beneath her paws. The springy mat of pine needles seemed to push her on, faster and faster. She hit the scent line, breathing fast, and kept running. Please let me be running the right way. She’d been to ShadowClan’s camp before, to visit Violetpaw. But that had been at night. Still, she knew she was heading away from the lake. The sun was above her, the wind behind. Her heart leaped as she recognized a rotting tree stump, and the ShadowClan scents began to grow stronger. She kept running, her paws burning, and scanned the forest ahead. Were those brambles looming between the trunks? She raced toward them, relief washing her pelt as she recognized the high wall of the ShadowClan camp. She rounded it and skidded through the entrance.

Skidding to a halt in the clearing, she faced the shocked ShadowClan cats.

“What are you doing?” Scorchfur glared at her.

Juniperclaw blinked in surprise. “How dare you—”

“Twigpaw?” Puddleshine poked his head out of his den. “What’s wrong? Are Tinycloud’s kits coming?”

Twigpaw shook her head, fighting for breath. She gasped in a lungful of air and blurted, “Finpaw!”

Puddleshine hurried from his den.

“A branch fell,” Twigpaw puffed. “His tail’s trapped.”

Puddleshine blinked at her, then turned back to his den. “Wait there.” He slid inside.

Juniperclaw and Scorchfur stared at her in silence.

A moment later, Puddleshine emerged, a leaf wrap between his jaws. Herbs were rolled inside it and dangled out either end.

Twigpaw nodded quickly to Rowanstar, who was watching round-eyed from the end of the clearing, then rushed out of the camp.

Running, she led Puddleshine back to Finpaw. As she approached, she saw pelts moving around the branch. “They’re trying to move it.” She ran faster, relieved when she spotted Hawkwing among the other SkyClan warriors.

Plumwillow was crouched beside Finpaw’s head. “Don’t worry, Finpaw. We’ll have this branch moved in no time.”