The Raging Storm

“Yes.” She heard a catch in Hawkwing’s mew as he turned and hurried to catch up to his Clanmates. She tried not to picture Twigbranch’s expression as they had said good-bye. I’m sorry for leaving you. Twigbranch was the only cat she’d known her whole life, since the moment she was born. This fresh separation rekindled the loss she’d felt as a kit, when ShadowClan had taken her to live in the dark pine forest, while her littermate was in ThunderClan. Her heart ached as Tree fell in beside her. She felt his warmth next to her.

“Twigbranch will be okay,” he murmured softly as they padded along the shore.

“I’ll miss her.”

“I know.” Tree gazed at the SkyClan cats ahead.

An owl hooted in the woods on the far side of the lake, its cry echoing over the water before a gust of wind snatched the sound away. The breeze carried the scent of rain. Violetshine fluffed out her fur.

“If we go to the gorge, do you think I’ll ever see Twigbranch again?” She looked at Tree, but he seemed distracted. His gaze had slipped away. What was he was thinking about?

Ahead, Macgyver walked beside Leafstar. Hawkwing trailed a little behind with the others, matching Plumwillow’s pace. Macgyver flicked his tail crossly. “I hope Bramblestar hasn’t made you change your mind.”

“I promised to think about it overnight.” The SkyClan leader steered the patrol closer to the shelter of the trees.

“We have to leave.” Harrybrook hurried closer to Leafstar.

Behind him, Bellaleaf’s ears twitched. “We don’t have to do anything.”

“We shouldn’t let the Clans push us around.” Sagenose bent his head against the wind. “If we leave, they will always remember us as weak.”

“We should stay and fight for our place beside the lake,” Bellaleaf pressed. “It’s what StarClan would want us to do.”

Leafstar snorted. “StarClan has only ever made life difficult for us.”

Frecklewish pricked her ears. “StarClan can see further than we can. Perhaps we must bear a little hardship before we can find peace.”

“We’ll find peace at the gorge,” Macgyver meowed.

“And we’ll see old friends,” Harrybrook chimed in. “The daylight warriors will be pleased to see us.”

“We don’t need daylight warriors,” Dewspring huffed. “We’re real Clan cats now. I like living in a forest. I don’t want to live somewhere strange.”

“It won’t be strange once you’re used to it,” Macgyver mewed.

Sagenose grunted. “We can’t go back to the gorge. Our life is here now. There’s plenty of prey in the forest, and there won’t be trouble from rogues anymore. Once we’ve shown the Clans that we can’t be pushed around, SkyClan can thrive beside the lake.”

“I don’t want to leave Finleap.” Plumwillow’s tail fluttered nervously over the stones. “How will he cope without his kin close by?”

“He’s got Twigbranch,” Macgyver told her. “He’ll have kin of his own before long.”

Harrybrook scrambled over a rock jutting beneath the trees. “You promised we’d go home to the gorge, Leafstar. You can’t change your mind. You saw the hostility from the other Clans. They only think of themselves. They don’t care about us. Why should we care about them?”

Leafstar kept walking, her gaze fixed ahead while her warriors argued. Violetshine watched her father as he followed them. Was he going to speak? Suddenly, she felt Tree’s fur bristling against hers. She glanced at him and saw his pelt bushing. Could he scent danger? She stiffened and tasted the air. There were only prey-scents from the forest. She realized that Tree’s ears were pricked; he seemed to be listening intently. His gaze was fixed, as though someone were walking beside him, but no cat was there. A chill reached through Violetshine’s pelt as she recognized the glazed look in Tree’s eyes. He was seeing a dead cat! Her heart quickened. Was she surrounded by ghosts?

Tree suddenly quickened his pace. She hurried after him as he caught up to the others. “Leafstar!” His mew was urgent.

The SkyClan leader stopped and faced him. Worry flashed in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“A dead cat is with us.” Tree dipped his head respectfully to the empty space beside him.

Harrybrook and Sagenose backed away, their pelts spiking. Hawkwing narrowed his eyes.

“Who is it?” Leafstar tipped her head.

“I don’t know her name.” Tree spoke quickly, as though he had important news to share. “But I’ve seen her before. She says I must remind you of Echosong’s vision. It led you to the lake. She says you belong here. You must stay.”

Macgyver whisked his tail. “He’s imagining it! He’s just scared of leaving the forest.”

Tree didn’t take his eyes off Leafstar. “She says you must stay.”

Leafstar glared at him. “Echosong’s vision may have led us here, but it will not keep us here. I must do what’s right for SkyClan now, not what was right for us when Echosong was alive.”

Tree glanced anxiously to the empty space beside him. “She says SkyClan must stay,” he told Leafstar. There was urgency in his mew.