The Raging Storm

“He came into the den one time while you’d gone to make dirt,” Shadowkit explained. “I woke up and he was digging over there.” Shadowkit nodded toward the edge of the den, where Alderheart had buried the deathberry seeds. “When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was getting rid of the seeds so they wouldn’t hurt anyone. He must have gotten rid of them all, because he hasn’t been back since.”

A chill ran along Alderheart’s spine. Had Violetshine been right? Was ShadowClan’s deputy responsible for Sparrowpelt’s poisoning? He glanced at Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader looked uneasy. Alderheart poked the thyme sprigs. “Shadowkit seems much brighter,” he told Puddleshine. “But he should swallow these, just to be sure.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Puddleshine began to strip the leaves from their twigs. Dovewing dabbed them onto her paw and held them close to Shadowkit’s muzzle. As the kit wrinkled his nose, Alderheart padded away from the nest. He beckoned Tigerstar with his tail. “We need to talk,” he whispered.

Tigerstar eyed him distrustfully, but he followed as Alderheart led the way out of the den, fluffing his fur out against the rain.

“This way.” Tigerstar padded past him to a sheltered spot where a rowan stretched low branches over the camp wall.

Alderheart hurried after him. “Remember the Gathering!” he hissed urgently. “Violetshine said she saw Juniperclaw by the SkyClan fresh-kill pile. Now Shadowkit says he saw him digging up deathberry seeds.” He stared at Tigerstar. Surely the ShadowClan leader had to take Sparrowpelt’s poisoning seriously now?

Tigerstar squared his shoulders. “No ShadowClan cat would do something so fox-hearted!” Anger sharpened his mew.

“Not even Juniperclaw?” Alderheart pressed. “He turned rogue once, remember?” Juniperclaw had left ShadowClan to follow Darktail and his rogues when he’d been an apprentice. He’d returned only after Darktail had revealed himself to be a ruthless enemy of the Clans.

“Are you questioning my judgment?” Tigerstar’s hackles lifted.

“No.” Alderheart stood his ground. Even if Tigerstar was covering for his deputy, he wouldn’t be frightened into silence. This was too important. “You’re probably right to believe he’s loyal now. But did you think about how far he might go to prove his loyalty?”

Doubt flickered for a moment in Tigerstar’s eyes. Alderheart felt a glimmer of relief. He felt sure that the ShadowClan leader hadn’t known about Juniperclaw’s plan. Tigerstar blinked. “I don’t care what you think Juniperclaw might or might not have done. It’s a question of trust. ShadowClan cats trust their Clanmates. Besides, this is between SkyClan and ShadowClan, and SkyClan is gone. The matter is closed.”

“But if Juniperclaw is capable of doing something—”

Tigerstar cut him off. “What does it have to do with you?” He thrust his muzzle closer to Alderheart. “Why is a ThunderClan cat sticking his nose into ShadowClan’s affairs?”

Alderheart held his gaze. “Don’t you care that you may have a murderer in your Clan?”

“No cat has been murdered.” Tigerstar pulled back slowly. “Did Bramblestar put you up to this?”

“Bramblestar told me to forget it, just like you,” Alderheart told him.

But Tigerstar wasn’t listening. “Bramblestar has always been an interfering old buzzard. ThunderClan should learn to keep its whiskers out of other cats’ prey.”

“Even if it means letting a cat break the warrior code?” Alderheart stared at him. Tigerstar couldn’t let Juniperclaw get away with this.

“I think you should leave now.” Tigerstar’s mew was cold.

“But I haven’t checked Puddleshine’s wounds.”

“Puddleshine is fine. You saw that for yourself.” Tigerstar signaled to Snaketooth and Grassheart with a flick of his tail. As they hurried across the clearing, he jerked his nose toward Alderheart. “I want you to make sure Alderheart reaches the border,” he told them. “It’s time he went home.”

Alderheart searched Tigerstar’s gaze. Was he really going to ignore this? His heart sank as Tigerstar looked away. Tail drooping, he followed Grassheart and Snaketooth to the entrance.

Grassheart glanced at him. “What did you say? Tigerstar looked pretty angry.”

“I thought he was going to claw your pelt off,” Snaketooth mewed.

“It was nothing,” Alderheart mumbled. Frustration itched beneath his fur. Why wouldn’t any cat take the poisoning seriously? As he reached the entrance, the brambles trembled.

Juniperclaw emerged from the tunnel. He looked at Alderheart. “Are you leaving already?” There was a suspicion in his gaze.

Alderheart glared at him without answering.

“Tigerstar asked us to escort him to the border,” Grassheart told the ShadowClan deputy

“Really?” Juniperclaw narrowed his eyes.

“He wants to make sure I’m safe,” Alderheart grunted.

“Cats are always safe on ShadowClan land.” Juniperclaw looked away. “As long as they’re allowed to be there.”