The Raging Storm

Finleap’s face fell in dismay as he saw his former Clanmates trapped, but Tree padded to the edge of the water and called across. “Don’t worry!” he called. “We’ll find a way to rescue you.”

Violetshine pushed past her father, desperate to speak to Tree. “You came!” Joy pulsed beneath her pelt. She thought she’d never see him again.

His eyes widened as he saw her. “You’re safe!”

“Not yet.” Violetshine lifted her muzzle. “We need you to bend the branches of that maple so we can climb across.”

He nodded at once and turned to his patrol. In a moment, Tree, Twigbranch, Hootwhisker, and Lionblaze were climbing the maple. They moved among the branches to one that was already dipping toward the water. Clustering around it, they stretched up and pushed with their forepaws. As it began to bend deeper, Tree signaled to Lionblaze and Hootwhisker with his tail. They clambered over the others and balanced on the branch. Under their weight, it dipped further. Gingerly, they crept along it until it was bobbing over the surface of the water.

Violetshine blinked. It was going to work. She could see where the tip of Plumwillow’s branch and the maple overlapped.

Plumwillow was the first to cross. Macgyver and Harrybrook followed, the branches trembling beneath them. One by one, the SkyClan cats scrambled to safety.

Hawkwing nudged Violetshine forward. “Go on,” he murmured.

“You go first.” She didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

“I’ll be okay,” he told her. “Trust me.”

She padded along the branch, her heart quickening as she neared the end. Water swirled beneath, but she fixed her gaze on the maple and slithered onto the branch. She felt it quiver as she landed and scurried toward the trunk. Heart pounding, she leaped to the ground and looked back in time to see Hawkwing dart to safety.

Relief washed over her like warm sunshine. She almost didn’t notice the rain.

A moment later, Tree was nuzzling her while Twigbranch wove happily around Hawkwing.

“It’s great to see you.” Purring, Tree rubbed his muzzle over every part of her face. She pressed against him, joy flooding her pelt. “I never want to be a loner again,” he told her. “From now on, I go wherever you go.”

Violetshine pulled away and looked deep into his eyes. Love bubbled inside her. “Never leave me again.”

“I won’t.”

“Even if a whole patrol of dead warriors tells you to.”

“I promise.”

She touched her nose to his cheek and turned to Finleap. “Thank you!”

Finleap’s eyes shone as Violetshine hurried toward him. “It looks like we arrived just in time.”

“You were so brave!” Violetshine blinked at him. “Where did you learn to swim?”

“That wasn’t swimming,” he joked. “It was drowning.”

“You saved Leafstar.”

As she spoke, Twigbranch hurried to her side and thrust her muzzle against her ear, purring. “I was worried I was never going to see you again.”

Violetshine breathed in Twigbranch’s scent. “What are you doing here?”

“I persuaded Bramblestar to let me bring a patrol to beg Leafstar to return to the lake.”

“But RiverClan and WindClan cats are with you.” Violetshine was confused.

“We wanted to show Leafstar that we all want SkyClan beside the lake,” Twigbranch explained. “We thought it was the only way to convince her to come back.”

Violetshine lifted her muzzle to the sky. Rain washed her face. “I think she knows now that we shouldn’t have left.”

“Let’s hope so.” Twigbranch glanced at Leafstar, who was looking dazed beside Willowshine. “We can talk to her when she’s recovered.”

Violetshine blinked at Finleap again. “I still can’t believe you risked your life to save her.”

Finleap shrugged. “Any cat would’ve done the same.”

“But you’re the only one who did.” Violetshine caught Twigbranch’s eye. “I can see why you love him so much. He’s a great warrior.”

Twigbranch looked at Finleap. Was that sadness in her eyes? “He is,” she murmured. “And I do love him. Very much.”

CHAPTER 22

Alderheart stifled a shiver and paced along the scent line. He’d been waiting with Bramblestar at the ShadowClan border since sunhigh. The storm rocked the trees and rain trickled through the canopy. “Can we just cross it?”

“No.” Bramblestar shook drops from his whiskers. “We’ll wait for a patrol to take us to the camp. I don’t want to start the meeting on the wrong paw.”

It had been two days since Alderheart had told Bramblestar that Juniperclaw had stolen deathberry seeds from the medicine den, and Bramblestar was finally willing to travel to ShadowClan and discuss the matter with Tigerstar. “There needs to be peace between the Clans,” he had told Alderheart that morning. “And you were right. How can that happen when a rogue-hearted cat is a deputy? How could he ever be trusted? What if he becomes leader?”

Alderheart had greeted the news with relief. He could see from his father’s face that Bramblestar wasn’t optimistic about their mission but that, with the storm worsening by the day, he clearly felt he couldn’t ignore the problem any longer.