Tallstar’s Revenge

Hawkheart turned and scanned the clearing. “Barkpaw!”

Tallpaw jerked around. Where was Barkpaw? He felt a surge of relief as he saw his friend hurrying out of the elders’ den. “No injuries there!” he called to his mentor.

As he spoke, Reedfeather crashed through the entrance. “We’ve gotten rid of Stonetooth.” The WindClan deputy lashed his tail. “Appledawn and Doespring are chasing him back to his own territory.”

“Hawkheart!” A panicked cry rose from the tunnelers’ nests. Redclaw was leaning over Brackenwing. His mate was sprawled in the long grass, unmoving. “She’s bleeding!”

“Barkpaw,” Hawkheart ordered, “fetch spiderweb and thyme leaves.” He raced across the camp, clearing the Meeting Hollow in a leap. Crouching beside Brackenwing, he sniffed along her flank. “It’s a gut injury.” Gently he rolled the pale ginger she-cat onto her side.

Tallpaw crept closer, wincing as he saw blood flooding from Brackenwing’s belly. Brackenwing groaned, her eyes rolling back until only the whites showed.

Redclaw leaned close to her cheek. “It’s okay. Hawkheart will fix you.”

Hareflight and Cloudrunner crowded at the edge of the bracken. Palebird nosed past Algie and Bess. “Brackenwing?”

“What’s wrong?” Meadowslip was just behind her, her kit-swollen belly swaying.

Lilywhisker and Flailfoot watched, trembling, from the entrance to elders’ den. “It looks bad,” Flailfoot whispered.

Tallpaw stumbled aside as his mother pushed past. “Brackenwing!” Palebird’s voice cracked as she crouched beside her friend.

Barkpaw raced out of his den with a wad of cobweb and leaves clamped between his jaws. He dropped them at Hawkheart’s side and stared at his mother. “Brackenwing?”

The she-cat’s eyes were closing. Redclaw looked at Hawkheart, his eyes as round as an owl’s. “Can you save her?”

Hawkheart touched the small wad of web with his paw. “It’s too late,” he growled softly. “She’s lost too much blood.”

“Brackenwing!” Shrewpaw pushed past Aspenfall. “Get up, Brackenwing! We won the battle!” He stared at his mother, then at Barkpaw. “What’s wrong with her?”

Barkpaw met his gaze with clouded eyes but didn’t answer. Beside him, Brackenwing twitched, then fell still.

“Brackenwing.” With a groan, Redclaw pressed his tawny cheek against his mate’s muzzle.

“Brackenwing?” Panic edged Shrewpaw’s mew.

Hareflight stepped closer to his apprentice. “She’s dead, Shrewpaw,” he murmured.

Tallpaw backed away, shock trembling though every hair. She can’t be dead! His paws trembled beneath him. A thought hit him like a stone. Why didn’t I tell Stagleap about the scents? He backed away from his grieving Clanmates, horror twisting his belly.

“This is my fault!” he wailed. “It’s all my fault!”

Chapter 16

“No.” Dawnstripe turned to face Tallpaw. “This was ShadowClan’s fault. No one else’s.”

Tallpaw hardly heard her. Blood pounded in his ears. What have I done? All around him, his Clanmates stared at him as if he’d gone mad.

Heatherstar narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about, Tallpaw?”

Tallpaw struggled to speak. “I smelled ShadowClan scent on the bramble thicket by Fourtrees. I should have said something but I didn’t.”

“Why not?” Heatherstar demanded.

“I thought it was just a ShadowClan patrol on the way to the Moonstone.” Tallpaw blinked at her, aware of his round-eyed Clanmates watching behind.

“You killed her!” Dark brown fur flashed at the edge of his vision. Screeching, Shrewpaw flew at him. Tallpaw gasped as his denmate crashed into his shoulder. Pain seared his nose. Claws battered his muzzle. Tallpaw lifted his forepaws and tried to push Shrewpaw away as vicious blows battered his ears.

“Control yourself!” Hareflight snatched Shrewpaw by the scruff and hauled him away. Tallpaw stumbled to regain his balance as Shrewpaw clawed the air, hissing.

“I’ll never forgive you! You killed my mother.” Struggling free of Hareflight, the young tom glared at Tallpaw.

Barkpaw padded from the bracken and touched his nose to his brother’s shoulder. Tallpaw desperately tried to catch his friend’s eye. “I’m sorry, Barkpaw.”

Barkpaw didn’t look at him. Instead he crouched beside Shrewpaw like a wounded rabbit. Tallpaw’s heart twisted. Oh, StarClan! Forgive me!

“Tallpaw?” Reena’s mew sounded behind Heatherstar. She crossed the grass and touched his cheek with her nose. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered.

“Reena!” Bess called across the clearing. “Come away, dear. This is Clan business.”

“Oh, Tallpaw.” Reena backed away, eyes soft with sympathy.

Heatherstar dipped her head. “You made a mistake, Tallpaw,” she meowed. “But this is not your fault. ShadowClan killed Brackenwing. Not you.”

“But—” Tallpaw tried to argue, but Heatherstar turned away.

“Let’s move Brackenwing to the clearing,” the WindClan leader told her Clanmates. “So that we can mourn her properly.”