The Raging Storm

“The mud is too deep,” Violetshine reported.

Tinycloud looked at the SkyClan leader. “Hawkwing’s looking for a stick!”

“We found one!” Nectarpaw bounded down the slope. She flicked her tail toward the trees. Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing were hauling a stick over the wet grass.

“Hurry!” Tinycloud didn’t take her eyes from Sunnypaw. The young cat was slipping deeper into the mud. As it reached around her throat, she lifted her muzzle, her paws flailing as she tried to keep her nose above the surface.

Bark brushed Violetshine’s hind paw, and she hopped out of the way as Hawkwing slid the stick past her. As Sparrowpelt guided it over the mud, Violetshine steadied it with her paws.

“Quick!” Tinycloud leaned farther out, straining to get closer to her kit as Sunnypaw’s ears slid beneath the surface. The apprentice whimpered as the mud covered her eyes and her muzzle began to disappear from sight.

“Grab the stick!” Sparrowpelt thrust it closer.

Can she hear? Violetshine’s breath caught in her throat as Sunnypaw’s flailing paw knocked against the stick. Desperately, the apprentice hooked her claws over the end and began to haul herself higher. Her muzzle pushed free of the mud and, with a jerk, she bit onto the stick and wrapped both paws around it.

“Pull!” Hawkwing gave the order. Violetshine dug her claws deep into the bark and tugged as Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing hauled the stick toward firm ground. The mud pulled at Sunnypaw like a hungry fox, but she clung on blindly, her eyes plastered shut. Nectarpaw and Quailpaw grabbed the stick and began pulling. Rain beat mud from Sunnypaw’s fur, her flanks, and then her hind legs, slowly sliding free. Sunnypaw gave a choking sob as, with a squelch, the mud lost its grip. As soon as she was in reach, Tinycloud grabbed her bedraggled scruff and dragged her onto the grass. Sunnypaw collapsed, trembling, as Tinycloud lapped the mud from her eyes.

The Clan murmured anxiously as they stared across the mud slick, their wet pelts bristling.

Leafstar hurried around the edge. “Is she okay?”

Frecklewish darted past her and pressed her ears to Sunnypaw’s chest. She sat back on her haunches, her eyes glistening with relief. “She’ll be fine.”

As Sunnypaw pushed herself to her paws and coughed up muddy water, Plumwillow hurried to her side. Alarm prickled through her dripping pelt. “Why did you go so far out?”

Tinycloud nosed the dark gray she-cat away. “This is strange territory. How was she to know that the mud was so deep?”

Plumwillow met Tinycloud’s gaze, fear brimming in her amber eyes. “What are we doing here? We’re far from the lake and nowhere near the gorge. And no cat should be traveling in weather like this. No wonder StarClan wanted us to stay.” She swung her head toward the Clan as they crept closer.

Hawkwing blinked at her evenly. “We’ll be at the gorge soon. We’ll be safe then.”

“Soon?” Harrybrook snorted. “I remember how long it took us to reach the lake, and how many warriors we lost! Who knows how many dangers we’ll meet on the way this time!”

“And who knows what we’ll find when we get there?” Plumwillow added. “We’ve been gone for moons. Foxes might have moved in.”

“Or badgers!” Macgyver pushed his way to the front.

Sunnypaw looked at him, trembling. “I want to go home.”

Leafstar, who had been listening thoughtfully, lashed her tail. “We are going home!”

“Not our home.” Quailpaw blinked at her.

“We don’t want to live anywhere but the lake,” Nectarpaw mewed.

Sunnypaw shook mud from her ears. “We were born there.”

Leafstar’s hackles lifted. Violetshine heart quickened as she saw rage burn in the SkyClan leader’s eyes. “That doesn’t mean you should die there!” she snapped. “There was nothing for us at the lake. No land! No prey! No respect! We would have had to fight for every morsel. Is that really how you want to live? Treated like rogues? Have you forgotten who you are? You’re SkyClan. The lake was never home. StarClan only wanted us there for some prophecy that was never to do with us. Why should we sacrifice ourselves for Clans who don’t even respect us?”

Plumwillow shifted uneasily as Harrybrook and Macgyver exchanged looks. Behind them, Bellaleaf and Nettlesplash glanced nervously around.