The Raging Storm

“With many paws working together, we can do it.” Twigbranch didn’t take her eyes from Puddleshine.

Overhead, birds chattered excitedly. The newleaf sun reached warm claws through the canopy and made the budding leaves glow so that the forest seemed swathed in an emerald haze. Twigbranch grew stiff as she held Puddleshine’s gaze. Finleap circled the silverthorn. At last, the thrumming of paw steps sounded through the earth.

“They’re coming!” Finleap lifted his head toward the swish of leaves as Bramblestar burst first from the bracken. Blossomfall, Thornclaw, and Bumblestripe slewed to a halt beside him. Behind them, Alderheart was carrying a thick wad of cobwebs between his jaws. He dropped them on the ground as Molewhisker and Larksong caught up.

Bramblestar padded around the tangled silverthorn, anger sparking in his gaze. “Don’t Twolegs have enough territory where they can dump their rot without leaving it on our land?” Even as he spoke, his gaze was darting over the silverthorn. Twigbranch guessed he was looking for the best way to lift it from the ShadowClan medicine cat.

Alderheart ducked down and blinked at Puddleshine. “Do you know how many wounds you have?”

“I’ve lost count. It hurts too much.” Puddleshine stared back desperately.

“I’ve brought you poppy seed.” Alderheart reached for the wad of cobweb and picked poppy seeds from the sticky strands with his teeth. He flattened himself beside Twigbranch, spat the poppy seeds onto his paw and reached beneath the vines. With a groan, Puddleshine stretched forward and lapped them up.

Bramblestar beckoned to Thornclaw with his tail. “You lift here. Larksong, lift there.” He nodded the black tom toward a vine farther along, then padded around the silverthorn. “Bumblestripe, take this vine. Blossomfall, take that one, and Molewhisker, can you reach through that gap and lift the vine on Puddleshine’s back?”

Molewhisker nodded and poked his paw through the gap Bramblestar had gestured to.

When the patrol was in position, Bramblestar hooked his paw beneath the vine that twisted in front of Puddleshine’s nose. He looked at Finleap. “When I give the word, we’re going to lift the silverthorn. Can you pull Puddleshine out?”

Finleap nodded. Twigbranch saw determination in the young tom’s gaze. Wasn’t he scared? She felt queasy at the thought of tearing the medicine cat free. Bramblestar turned to her. “I want you to unhook any thorns catching in Puddleshine’s fur as Finleap pulls him.”

Twigbranch swallowed. “Okay.” She felt sick.

“Alderheart, get cobwebs ready,” Bramblestar ordered.

Alderheart scrambled to his pile and began tearing it into strips.

“When I say now, lift.” Bramblestar glanced at his warriors. They nodded. “Now!”

Growling with effort, Bramblestar lifted the vine with his paw. Around the silverthorn, the other warriors lifted too. The tangled mass shivered as they moved it. Puddleshine shrieked. “Grab him!” Bramblestar ordered.

Finleap shot into the gap the warriors had created. Twigbranch wriggled after him, her gaze darting over Puddleshine’s pelt as Finleap grabbed the medicine cat’s shoulders between his forepaws and tugged. Twigbranch saw a thorn lift Puddleshine’s pelt. She reached out with her paw and quickly unhooked it. Another thorn snagged him and she knocked it away. Slowly, Finleap hauled Puddleshine out. Twigbranch freed barb after barb as they caught in the medicine cat’s pelt. She could see the strain on the warriors’ faces as they held the silverthorn clear.

“Is he free?” Bramblestar’s mew was taut.

“Yes!” Finleap dragged Puddleshine away from the vines.

Twigbranch wriggled out, her heart racing.

“Let it go!” Bramblestar yowled. The tangle of vines dropped as the warriors released their grip and landed, trembling, on the ground. A vine broke free and unfurled beside Bumblestripe, slapping the earth a whisker away.

“Is everyone okay?” Bramblestar glanced around at the warriors.

Molewhisker nodded. Larksong licked his paw urgently, as though soothing a scratch.

Thornclaw’s ears twitched. “No injuries here.”

Bumblestripe looked at Puddleshine. “He’s the only one hurt.”

Alderheart was already pressing cobweb into a wound on the medicine cat’s flank. He balled up another strip in his paws and pressed it into a cut on Puddleshine’s neck. Twigbranch stiffened as she saw the blood oozing from the tom’s fur. There were too many injuries to count.

Bramblestar gazed anxiously at Puddleshine. “Will he be okay?”

Alderheart swabbed another wound. “None of the cuts are deep, but there are a lot of them and there’s always the chance of infection. We need to get him to a medicine den so I can treat them properly.”

Bramblestar looked across the border. “There’s no point taking him to ShadowClan. He’s the only medicine cat they have. There will be no one to treat him there.”

“We’d better take him to our camp.” Alderheart pressed another wad of cobweb into a wound.

Puddleshine’s eyes were glazed. He lay limply as Alderheart worked on him.