Tallstar’s Revenge

Heatherstar didn’t let Shrewpaw speak. “This wasn’t Tallpaw’s fault, Sandgorse. Shrewpaw speaks from grief, that’s all.”

Tallpaw swallowed. Was that true? No one had been near him all day except Hawkheart. Was the whole Clan grieving as much as Shrewpaw?

“Meadowslip!” Hickorynose bounded to the nursery.

Meadowslip squeezed out, dropping onto the grass and pressing her cheek to her mate’s.

Hickorynose fussed over her. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Meadowslip promised. “Bess and Algie defended the den with Reena.” She blinked gratefully across the camp at the rogues as they cleared scraps of heather and gorse from the bloodstained tussocks.

“I wish I’d been here to protect you,” Hickorynose fretted.

Hareflight padded toward Brackenwing’s body. “So do we.” Hickorynose stared in surprise at the brown warrior. “The tunnelers are never here when we need them,” Hareflight hissed.

Reedfeather stepped forward. “We can’t keep blaming each other for this.”

Woollytail’s hackles rose. “This wasn’t our fault.”

Cloudrunner lifted his muzzle. “Where were you when we were fighting to defend the Clan?”

“We were digging tunnels so you could eat come leaf-bare!” Plumclaw snapped.

Aspenfall’s tail twitched. “What good will your precious tunnels be if ShadowClan drives us from our home?”

Sandgorse narrowed his eyes. “If you’d let us dig the tunnels we need, we could defend our home more effectively!”

“You mean the gorge tunnel?” Aspenfall curled his lip. “How would that have helped today?”

“It would have given us an escape route!” Sandgorse snarled.

“To where?” Aspenfall challenged. “RiverClan territory?”

Sandgorse narrowed his eyes. “We could have sheltered in the tunnel. It’s big enough for the whole Clan.”

“You want us to leave our camp and hide?” Cloudrunner squared up to Sandgorse, pelt bristling. “Are you a warrior, or a rabbit?”

Tallpaw braced himself. The Clan was tearing itself apart!

Chapter 17

Paw steps sounded in the shadows behind Tallpaw. He scented Sparrow and looked up. The rogue had slid among the heather fronds and stood at Tallpaw’s shoulder. “These are tough times, Tallpaw,” he murmured. Tallpaw moved closer to the brown tom, relieved to have someone beside him.

Heatherstar pushed between Cloudrunner and Sandgorse. “We can’t let this tragedy divide us,” she meowed. “We are WindClan and we are strong.” She dipped her head to Bess and Algernon. “And thanks to our visitors’ battle skills today, we are safe. If they hadn’t been here, we may have lost our home.”

“What are you saying?” Hickorynose curled his lip. “That without them, ShadowClan would have won?”

Heatherstar met his gaze steadily. “Half our warriors were away tunneling. It made us vulnerable.”

Tallpaw gulped. This felt like a direct challenge to the tunnelers! Beside him, Sparrow pricked his ears.

“We were lucky our visitors were with us today,” Heatherstar went on. “But they won’t be with us forever. What will happen if ShadowClan attacks once they’ve left?”

Plumclaw’s eyes stretched into twin moons. “Are you saying we have to stop tunneling?”

Tallpaw’s pads pricked as he watched his father’s tail sweep the grass behind him.

“No,” Heatherstar meowed. “But we should send out smaller tunneling patrols, and give you more training in aboveground battle skills.”

Sandgorse lifted his chin. “So our skills aren’t enough to protect the Clan?”

“I’m saying that the more skills we share, the better.” Heatherstar gazed down at Brackenwing. “But first we shall join as one Clan to sit vigil for our fallen Clanmate.” She crouched down and touched her nose to Brackenwing’s ginger pelt.

Reedfeather joined her. As the Clan gathered around the dead warrior, Tallpaw ducked out from the heather and crossed the camp. Squeezing in beside Palebird, he pressed his muzzle to Brackenwing’s pelt. Beneath her blood-soaked pelt, she felt like stone. Tallpaw leaned against his mother, breathing in the warm scent of her fur.

“Palebird?” he whispered. Please tell me it’s going to be okay.

Palebird nuzzled closer to Brackenwing. Heart aching, Tallpaw screwed his eyes shut.

“What’s this about a gorge tunnel?” he heard Sparrow whisper from the shadows behind.

Sandgorse answered him. “We spent half of leaf-bare and all newleaf digging it,” he growled under his breath. “But we’ve had to abandon it.”

“Why?” Sparrow sounded curious.

“A dumb flood scared one of the apprentices.”

Tallpaw flinched. One of the apprentices? Is that all I am to you now?

“Why did you build a tunnel there?” Sparrow pressed.

“To give us a secret route to the river.”

“Hush!” Larksplash snapped. “We’re sitting vigil!”

The grass behind Tallpaw swished as Sandgorse joined his Clanmates. Tallpaw let his head drop against his mother’s shoulder. Even if she didn’t seem to know he was there, he could take warmth from her pelt. Tiredness crept over him as he leaned deeper into her fur. Letting go of his misery, he drifted into sleep.