River Of Fire

Most of the SkyClan cats seemed to be in camp when Violetshine led Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker through the fern tunnel. Yowls of outrage came from them as they gathered around to stare at the intruders. Violetshine spotted Scorchfur and Snowbird exchanging glances of shock and fear that their kit had been discovered.

“I’m going to tell Leafstar,” Plumwillow meowed, breaking away from the crowd and bounding toward the cedar tree.

When Leafstar shouldered her way through the cluster of cats, her amber eyes were sparking with fury. Her tail lashed, and her fur was bushed up so that she looked twice her size.

Puddleshine and Frecklewish followed her, and to Violetshine’s surprise they looked almost relieved. That’s odd, she thought. Something is going on with them.

Hawkwing appeared, too, and stood at his leader’s shoulder; his expression was unreadable as he gazed at the two intruders.

“Well?” Leafstar demanded in a voice as icy as the coldest winds of leaf-bare.

“We found these two cats in the old ShadowClan camp,” Tree explained. “They want to stay.”

“And I’ve already told them they can’t,” Leafstar retorted. Whirling around, her glance raked across her Clan. “How many of you are involved in this?”

“I am,” Juniperclaw admitted, stepping forward from where he stood behind Tree.

“So are we,” Snowbird added, with a glance at her mate, Scorchfur.

“And me.” Whorlpaw, Juniperclaw’s apprentice, came to stand beside his mentor. His legs were trembling, and Juniperclaw rested his tail on the young tom’s shoulder.

“I knew about it,” Strikestone confessed reluctantly.

“All of you went against my orders?” Leafstar snarled. “How can I trust you now? How can we be one united Clan when you only obey me when you agree?”

Violetshine could see the Clan leader’s anger reflected in Juniperclaw’s eyes. “With respect, Leafstar,” he began, “we only went against your wishes because you ignored all the ShadowClan cats when you sent Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker away.”

For a heart-stopping moment Violetshine thought that Leafstar would throw herself on the black tom in a whirlwind of screeching fury. Then she saw the Clan leader battling to hold on to calm.

“First, that’s not true,” she meowed. “Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt didn’t trust them either. And second, I don’t need your agreement. I am Clan leader. StarClan chose me to make decisions for this Clan. Or does ShadowClan not believe in StarClan?”

Juniperclaw and Scorchfur exchanged a glance; then each of them opened their jaws as if to yowl defiance at Leafstar.

Tree stepped forward quickly and spoke before they could get a word out. “Listen, surely there’s a way to solve this. Like it or not, you’re all one Clan now. You have to live together.” His glance traveled around the former ShadowClan cats. “Do you want to be in SkyClan?” he asked. “Or would you rather form your own Clan again?”

“It doesn’t actually work like that,” Leafstar muttered.

“We want to be here,” Rowanclaw responded swiftly, thrusting himself farther forward with Tawnypelt by his side. “That was my last decision as leader of ShadowClan—and it holds.”

“That’s right,” Tawnypelt agreed, glaring around as if she dared any of her Clanmates to contradict her.

There was murmuring among the ShadowClan cats, with tail-twitching and doubtful glances at Leafstar, but finally they settled down.

“Yes, we want to be here,” Scorchfur declared, speaking for all of them.

Looking at them, Violetshine couldn’t help wondering, Do you, really? Or do you just not have any other choice?

“Leafstar, I’m sorry,” Rowanclaw began, stepping up to face the Clan leader and dipping his head respectfully. “I say that on behalf of all my Clanmates.”

“Yes, we’re sorry,” the others muttered. Juniperclaw’s fur still bristled angrily, and Scorchfur dropped his eyes rather than meet Leafstar’s gaze, but they joined in with the others’ meows.

Snowbird took a pace forward that brought her to Rowanclaw’s side. “Leafstar, I promise to be loyal to you in future,” she meowed. “Nothing like this will happen again.”

One by one, the others came up and made the same pledge of loyalty. Leafstar didn’t look appeased, but in the end she nodded curtly. “Very well. Make sure you act on the words you’ve spoken today.”

“Leafstar, we still have to decide what to do about Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker,” Tree reminded the Clan leader with a respectful dip of his head. “If you’ll allow me, I’d like to offer you an idea.”

Leafstar regarded him warily. “Go on,” she mewed eventually.

“It does seem sensible to allow Yarrowleaf to stay here,” Tree began. “At least until her kits are born.”

Violetshine cringed inwardly as Tree spoke, but Leafstar did not react at all, but merely waited for Tree to go on.