The Raging Storm

“I know he did,” Alderheart insisted. “He told me that every cat is safe on ShadowClan territory as long as they’re allowed to be there. As far as ShadowClan is concerned, SkyClan wasn’t allowed to be on ShadowClan land. It’s obvious—he poisoned Sparrowpelt as a warning. He wanted SkyClan gone, and he saw a way to drive them away without a battle.”

Bramblestar’s gaze darkened. “Tigerstar should never have trusted him,” he growled.

“But he did!” Alderheart blinked expectantly at his father. What was Bramblestar going to do about it?

Bramblestar looked away. “This is Tigerstar’s problem. We can’t interfere with another Clan.”

“But you must! I spoke to Tigerstar. He won’t accept that one of his warriors would break the warrior code. He’s not going to do anything.”

“And what would you have me do? Accuse his deputy of murder?” Bramblestar shifted his paws uneasily. “It’s not my place to interfere.”

Alderheart held his father’s gaze. “ShadowClan is in danger. Juniperclaw was a rogue once. We saw what happened last time ShadowClan let a rogue tell them what to do. They could abandon the warrior code again—and once a Clan abandons the warrior code, it stops being a Clan.”

CHAPTER 20

Twigbranch’s paws were numb with cold. She’d been trudging beside Tree across muddy fields since dawn. Nightcloud, Flypaw, and Willowshine trekked after them with the rest of the patrol, and she wondered if they regretted now having agreed so easily to join her on this quest. She stopped and shook out her fur, then glanced at the woods beyond. She couldn’t wait to reach the trees. They would offer a little shelter. “I’m tired of being wet and cold.”

Tree looked at her. “Get used to it. This weather doesn’t look like it’s going to let up.”

Twigbranch eyed the dark sky ahead. “Let’s hope we can persuade SkyClan to come back, or it might never stop.”

They’d left the day before at dusk and trekked half the night before resting in a makeshift camp outside Clan territory. Tree remembered the route he’d followed when SkyClan had led him to the lake. He’d suggested they follow it now, since it was the most likely path SkyClan had taken.

It had been easy to find volunteers from WindClan and RiverClan. Cats had hurried forward, alarmed by the worsening weather and eager to put an end to it by bringing SkyClan back. But Tree had insisted they take only cats who had always wanted SkyClan beside the lake. Twigbranch had agreed and had chosen Nightcloud, Hootwhisker, and Gorsetail from WindClan, and Willowshine, Icewing, and Lizardtail from RiverClan.

She glanced back at them now, their heads down and tails drooping. Flypaw padded between them. Finleap was at the back with Lionblaze and Cherryfall. Twigbranch hoped to catch Finleap’s eye, but he didn’t look up. She’d been pleased when he’d volunteered to come and hoped that the journey would bring them closer. But he was keeping his distance, the same way as he had back at camp, and she was finding it hard to shake the nagging worry that, when they found SkyClan, he’d ask to join them again. Sadness tugged at her belly. Perhaps they weren’t meant to be together. She was sure that, in a different life, their love would have flourished. But here, perhaps love wasn’t enough to overcome the troubles they faced. She blinked at Tree. “You must be looking forward to seeing Violetshine again.”

“I can’t wait.” He flicked rain from his ears. Worry darkened his gaze. “I just hope we can reach them in this weather.”

The wind was picking up, rocking the trees at the edge of the meadow.

Willowshine fell in beside Twigbranch. “How much worse can the storm get?” She raised her voice to make herself heard over the wind.

Twigbranch narrowed her eyes against the rain. “I don’t know, but we have to keep going.”

Willowshine nodded and hunched her shoulders harder.

The wood sheltered them for a while, but they were soon out of the trees and crossing wetlands, picking their way through sedge, their paws sinking into the waterlogged ground. Twigbranch could see a Thunderpath on the far side of a valley. She pointed her muzzle toward it. “Is that where we’re heading?” she asked Tree.

“Yes. We follow it toward moorland. But we have to cross a stream first.”

She heard the stream before she saw it. Water thundered beyond the sedge. Her pelt prickled nervously. “It sounds more like a waterfall than a stream.”

Willowshine hurried ahead and disappeared between the bushes. She returned a moment later. “It’s a torrent.” Her eyes glittered with fear. “I don’t know how we’ll cross it.”

Twigbranch followed as the small gray she-cat beckoned her though the sedge. On the other side, white water roared past. It was too wide to leap. It swirled and frothed and slapped angrily at the muddy banks. “How in StarClan do we cross that?”