The Raging Storm

“Alderheart!” Sparkpelt was the first to see him as he ducked through the ThunderClan camp entrance. She raced across the clearing, her paws sending up spray as she splashed over the slick earth, and rubbed her muzzle along his cheek. “Are you back for good?”

“Yes.” Alderheart blinked at her distractedly, barely seeing his littermate. His thoughts were racing. He had to tell Bramblestar about SkyClan and the seeds.

She stiffened. “What’s happened?”

“SkyClan is gone.”

Sparkpelt shrugged. “Leafstar said they were leaving.”

Had she forgotten the vision? Why wasn’t she upset? “Don’t you know what this means?”

“Peace, of course.” She tipped her head, as though she didn’t understand why this bothered him.

“You’re home!” Jayfeather called from the medicine den before Alderheart could respond to Sparkpelt. He beckoned Alderheart from the rain with his tail.

“I’ll be there soon. I have to speak to Bramblestar first!” Alderheart told him.

“Alderheart!” Molewhisker poked his head out of the warriors’ den. “It’s good to see you!”

Thriftkit, Bristlekit, and Flipkit scrambled from the nursery, raindrops glittering in their fluffy pelts.

Bristlekit raced toward Alderheart. “What was it like in ShadowClan?”

“Was Tigerstar scary?” Flipkit followed.

Alderheart nosed them gently away as they crowded his paws. “I’ll tell you about it later.” He began to head toward the tumble of rocks.

“Come back at once!” Ivypool yowled from the nursery. “You’ll all get greencough out there.”

“It’s not fair.” Thriftkit scowled at her.

“Cats on hunting patrols don’t worry about greencough,” Bristlekit grumbled.

As they headed back to the nursery, Alderheart bounded onto the Highledge and stopped outside Bramblestar’s den. He tasted the air. Bramblestar was inside, and Squirrelflight was with him. He ducked through the trailing vines and shook the rain from his pelt.

“You’re home!” Bramblestar blinked at him.

Squirrelflight thrust her muzzle to his cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

“I have to talk to you.” Alderheart stared at them urgently. “SkyClan is gone.”

Squirrelflight and Bramblestar glanced at each other, as though recalling a previous conversation.

“You don’t seem surprised.” Alderheart searched Bramblestar’s gaze.

Bramblestar shrugged. “Well, Leafstar seemed pretty certain last night.”

Frustration surged in Alderheart’s chest. Why was no one else as upset about this as he was? “But she said she’d think about it!”

Squirrelflight’s eyes rounded with sympathy. “She was just being polite.”

“Of course, we wish it hadn’t come to this,” Bramblestar meowed gravely, “but we were out of options.”

Squirrelflight moved closer to her mate. “Your father did what he could. He offered them territory.”

Bramblestar’s ears twitched. “Without the support of the other Clans, we couldn’t make SkyClan stay.”

Alderheart stared at them. Were they ready to accept SkyClan’s loss? Didn’t they remember the vision? “What will happen to the rest of the Clans?”

“StarClan will guide us,” Bramblestar told him.

“Why would they bother when no cat listens to them?” Anger jabbed at Alderheart’s belly.

Squirrelflight ran her tail along Alderheart’s spine. “We listen,” she murmured. “But we can’t change what has happened.”

“You can tell the other Clans the truth!” Alderheart shook his mother off.

“The truth?” Bramblestar echoed.

“ShadowClan drove SkyClan away.” Alderheart was trembling with rage. “When they invaded SkyClan’s camp, they put deathberry seeds in the prey.”

“I know that’s what Frecklewish told us at the Gathering,” Bramblestar mewed soothingly. “But we have no proof. Sparrowpelt might have picked the seeds up anywhere.”

Alderheart lashed his tail. “I have proof! I found seeds beside the fresh-kill pile at SkyClan’s camp. They had ShadowClan scent on them.” He stared in triumph at his father.

Bramblestar’s eyes widened for a moment. Concern darkened his gaze.

“You have to do something!” Alderheart pressed.

“Do what exactly?” Bramblestar shook out his fur. “Sparrowpelt survived. And SkyClan has already left. Accusing ShadowClan of poisoning their fresh-kill pile won’t bring them back.”

“It would only stir up trouble,” Squirrelflight chimed in.

“We are four saplings now,” Bramblestar added. “But we can still stand together.”

“It’s more important than ever that the remaining Clans unite,” Squirrelflight agreed.

Alderheart stared at them in disbelief. “But the vision said that when one sapling goes, the storm destroys us all.”

“We did what we could!” Bramblestar snapped; then more softly he added, “StarClan won’t desert us.” He looked away, his gaze flitting toward the shadows at the edges of his den. Alderheart could see his father’s pelt prickle. He’s scared.

Fear tugged deep in Alderheart’s belly. The Clans are in danger, and there’s nothing he can do.

CHAPTER 17