The Raging Storm

Violetshine could feel her heart beating. She was proud Leafstar had chosen her for the attack, but she was scared she’d let her Clanmates down. Nervously she scanned the trail. A bird was hopping over leaves there. It froze for a moment, then fluttered into the air and flitted high into the treetops. Hawkwing stiffened as ShadowClan scents drifted through the pine. Violetshine pricked her ears and heard the rustle of leaves, and then paw steps. They were coming.

She stared along the trail, hardly daring to breathe as Snaketooth padded into view. Strikestone was with her, Blazepaw trotting at his side. Grassheart followed, her pale tabby tail flicking like a snake behind her.

Guilt pricked in Violetshine’s belly. Grassheart had been one of the queens in the nursery when Violetshine had been a kit in ShadowClan. She’d been kind enough—not exactly motherly, but more caring than Violetshine’s foster mother, Pinenose. It seemed strange that they were enemies now, but as long as ShadowClan was trying to steal SkyClan’s land, what else could they be? She had to defend her Clan. The ShadowClan cats looked at ease, as though they were patrolling their own territory. How dare they? She glanced toward Leafstar, waiting for the signal to attack.

Leafstar watched the ShadowClan cats, her hackles lifting as they neared. Stiff as an adder waiting to strike, she tracked them until they were padding beneath her. Then she signaled with a hiss: “Attack!”

Violetshine’s heart lurched as Hawkwing dived onto the ShadowClan patrol. Yowls of surprise exploded into the air as Harrybrook, Macgyver, Bellaleaf, and Leafstar dropped onto their victims. With a hiss, Violetshine unsheathed her claws and leaped from the tree. She landed squarely on Strikestone’s back. The tom collapsed beneath her. Violetshine dug in her claws and clung on fiercely as Strikestone dropped and rolled in a practiced movement.

She grunted as Strikestone rolled over her, but she didn’t let go. She remembered her training. Never expose your belly. Gripping hard, she clung on while Strikestone staggered clumsily to his paws. Then she sank her teeth into his scruff and began pummeling his spine with her hind legs. He shrieked and bucked beneath her.

Beside them, Blazepaw wailed in pain as Harrybrook battered the young tom’s nose with a flurry of swipes. Bellaleaf hooked her claws into Snaketooth’s shoulders and flung the ShadowClan she-cat to the ground. Leafstar hissed at Snaketooth, “Did you think you could invade our land whenever you liked?” As the SkyClan leader slashed at Grassheart’s nose, Strikestone reared beneath Violetshine. She dug her claws in harder as he staggered backward. I’ve got you! Triumph surged in her chest.

Suddenly her spine slammed against hard wood. Stars flashed in her vision and merged into jagged lightning. Strikestone had shoved her against a tree. With a groan, she let him go and slithered to the ground. Strikestone turned on her, his eyes flashing. Panic flowed through her as the ShadowClan tom lifted his forepaw. He curled his lip and swung a blow at her muzzle. Then dark gray fur blurred at the edge of her vision. Hawkwing lunged at the ShadowClan tom and sent him reeling before his claws could reach Violetshine’s nose. Strikestone’s blood spattered the forest floor.

Through a haze of shock, Violetshine could smell their fear-scent mingled with the stone tang of blood. The ShadowClan cats were outnumbered and fighting for their lives.

“Retreat!” Grassheart’s eyes were wild with fright as Leafstar held the she-cat to the ground.

Leafstar’s eyes blazed. “Show this to Tigerstar!” She ripped fur from Grassheart’s flank, leaving claw marks in her flesh.

Grassheart scrabbled free and fled. Blazepaw ducked away from Harrybrook and raced between the trees. Strikestone grabbed Snaketooth, and together they ran for a stand of bracken. Crashing through it, they disappeared.

“Should we chase them over the border?” Hawkwing glanced at Leafstar.

“Let them run,” the SkyClan leader growled. “I think they got the message.”

Still winded, Violetshine pushed herself to her paws. She stared at the bloody trail the ShadowClan warriors had left.

“Are you okay?” Leafstar glanced at her.

“Just winded,” she puffed.

Leafstar looked at the others. “Anyone hurt?”

“Hardly a scratch.” Harrybrook flicked his tail.

“I think only ShadowClan cats got injured,” Bellaleaf growled.

Hawkwing blinked proudly at Violetshine. “You fought well.”

She dropped her gaze self-consciously. “I should have held on longer.”

“Strikestone fought hard.” Hawkwing touched his muzzle to her head. “No warrior could have held on longer.”

Pride warmed Violetshine’s pelt as Leafstar turned toward camp. “I think that’s the last we’ll see of ShadowClan for a while,” the SkyClan leader meowed.