Long Shadows

Panic-stricken caterwauling rose around Hollyleaf. She spotted Brambleclaw racing across to the nursery, and Sandstorm splashing water with her paws over a burning branch, trying to stop the flames from reaching the warriors’ den.

Graystripe yowled, “Millie!” and shot into the tunnel on his way to the Twoleg nest.

The moment his thick gray tail vanished, Firestar appeared at the mouth of the tunnel and raced into the center of the clearing. His f lame-colored pelt was darkened by the rain and streaked with mud, but he held his head high and let out a commanding yowl.

“Get out! All of you get out! You’ll be trapped if you stay in here!”

Cats began to emerge from their dens. They splashed across the clearing, weaving or jumping aside to avoid the fiery debris that still rained down around them.

“Head for the Twoleg nest,” Firestar ordered. “We can shelter there.”

Brambleclaw emerged from the nursery, carrying Bumblekit; Daisy followed him with Blossomkit. Rosekit and Toadkit stumbled along beside their mother. Mousefur padded out of the elders’ den with her tail over Longtail’s shoulder to guide him. Icepaw and Foxpaw, their eyes wild with terror, were shoved toward the barrier of thorns by their mentors.

Hollyleaf looked around for Lionblaze and Jayfeather, but she couldn’t see either of them among the fleeing cats. Jayfeather would need help to get out, she thought, trying to control her fear. And what about Squirrelflight? Her wound was still hurting, and she hadn’t regained her full strength yet.

Struggling through the pelting rain, the glare of flame all around her, Hollyleaf splashed across to the medicine cats’ den. She met Leafpool by the bramble screen, her jaws full of herbs; Jayfeather was just behind her.

“Go and help the others!” Hollyleaf gasped to the medicine cat. “I’ll bring Jayfeather.”

Leafpool gave her a nod of acknowledgement and raced for the tunnel.

“I can bring myself, thanks,” Jayfeather muttered furiously.

“Don’t be a mouse-brain!” Hollyleaf spat back at him.

“There’s fire out there. Now stop complaining and grab my tail.”

Wincing as her brother’s jaws closed around her tail-tip, Hollyleaf turned toward the tunnel. Suddenly Lionblaze loomed up out of the rain.

“You’re here,” he panted with relief. “Let’s go.”

Together the three cats headed for the tunnel. By now the clearing was empty; it looked as if the rest of the Clan, even Firestar, had already left. Will they make it to the Twoleg nest?

Hollyleaf wondered. Or will they scatter into the forest? Is ThunderClan going to break up after all?

She and her brothers were halfway across the clearing when lightning clawed across the sky from top to bottom. The barrier across the entrance to the camp crackled and burst into flame. The tunnel vanished in a throat of fire.

Hollyleaf stopped, frozen in horror. “We’re trapped!”

Staring around wildly, she tried to think what to do. The camp was littered with blazing branches, and more were cascading down from the lightning-struck trees around the hollow. The warriors’ den was already smoldering; there was no shelter there.

“The apprentices’ cave…” she gasped, even though she knew it was too shallow to give any real protection if the fire spread.

“No. Over here.” Squirrelflight’s voice spoke behind her; Hollyleaf whirled around to see her mother waving her tail urgently toward the rock wall. “There’s another way out.”

Hollyleaf was ashamed of the relief that swept over her, as if she was still a kit who needed her mother to look after her. Leading Jayfeather, she followed Squirrelflight around a clump of brambles that grew against the wall of the hollow.

Lionblaze brought up the rear.

To Hollyleaf’s surprise, the rock behind the brambles had crumbled away. Peering up through the rain, she saw straggling bushes and grass growing in cracks, all the way to the top.

“It’s a secret way out of the camp!” she exclaimed. “And we never knew about it!”

“Thank StarClan,” Squirrelflight retorted drily. “You were enough trouble as kits and apprentices, without this.” Then her voice changed, growing tense again. “Jayfeather, you come first. Follow my voice. It’s not a difficult climb.”

“We’ll come behind and catch you if you fall,” Lionblaze assured his brother.

“I’m not a kit!” Jayfeather snapped, though Hollyleaf could see he was shaking with fear.

Squirrelflight scrambled up through the bramble thicket and clung there, calling out to Jayfeather so he could follow.

Jayfeather struggled up behind her, swinging out on a tendril of ivy when his hind paws lost their grip.

“Mouse dung!” he spat, scrabbling to get his balance again.

Squirrelflight went on guiding him upward, her voice calm now, even though she must have been terrified that one of them would fall as they climbed higher.