The Raging Storm

She tried again to haul herself along the root. If only the current would let up for a moment, she’d have the strength to pull herself to safety. She tried to ignore Tree’s terrified face. Leafstar and Hawkwing had caught up to him now, Twigbranch and Flypaw at their heels. Violetshine steadied her breathing and hung on. The flood will ease in a moment, she told herself. I can get to safety then.

Something small and dark bobbed in the water upstream. It slid past the rock where Hootwhisker and Lizardtail shivered. Violetshine knew at once that it wasn’t debris. As it swirled closer, she made out the shape of a head. Ears twitched as it spun. A kit! She stared at it. There was no kit that young in SkyClan. Had a kit been left behind when RiverClan fled their camp? It spun closer and she recognized the gray pelt. Shadowkit! Why was he in RiverClan territory? His eyes were wild with fear and his paws flailed uselessly in the torrent. Tree followed her gaze, his eyes sparking with horror as he saw the kit. On the far bank, Willowshine and Dewspring were staring at Shadowkit, their fur spiked.

“StarClan, help him!” Willowshine raced to the edge, wailing frantically. Shadowkit glanced at her desperately as he spun past, out of reach.

I have to save him! Violetshine let go with one paw and prepared to lunge toward him.

“Don’t let go!” Tree shrieked in panic. His gaze flicked toward Shadowkit once more. He’d guessed what she was planning.

Shadowkit hurtled closer. He would be within reach any moment. She would have to let go. She’d grab him and try to swim. If she could just keep their heads above the surface for long enough, she’d get them to shore. She had to. As she bunched her muscles, timing her dive, shadow flashed at the edge of her vision. A black tom leaped from the other bank. Diving into the rapid water, he grabbed Shadowkit and swirled past.

Juniperclaw! Violetshine’s heart seemed to stop as she recognized him. What was the ShadowClan tom doing here? Water washed her muzzle. Spluttering, she flung both paws around the root once more and looked behind her.

Juniperclaw was swirling in an eddy of calmer water behind her. Shadowkit dangled by his scruff from the tom’s teeth, water streaming around him. He churned at the water and whimpered with terror. Juniperclaw’s face was twisted with determination as he swam. The backwash from the eddy carried him a little way upstream. Violetshine stuck out her hind legs, felt him grasp them, and braced herself as he hauled himself closer. With a desperate growl, he dragged himself along the length of her flank and reached out for the root. He grabbed it and clung on; then, grunting with the effort, he pushed Shadowkit onto the root with his muzzle.

Gasping, the kit scrabbled onto the gnarled bark. He was trembling, his eyes screwed shut. Tree leaned out. “I can reach him!” Leafstar and Finleap gripped his pelt as, gingerly, he grasped Shadowkit’s tail in his teeth and, with a jerk, snatched him onto the bank.

Violetshine turned her head. Juniperclaw clung on between her and the bank. “You saved him,” she gasped.

He stared at her, his eyes glazed with shock.

“Juniperclaw!” Tree yowled to him from the bank. “Can you help Violetshine get to the bank?”

“Climb over me,” Juniperclaw grunted. Water streamed into his mouth and he spluttered.

“No!” Violetshine stared at him, horrified. She couldn’t risk knocking him away. “What if you lose your grip?”

“I can hold on,” he promised.

“Do what he says!” Tree strained at the edge of the water. “He’s stronger than you! And he’s not carrying kits!”

Juniperclaw’s eyes widened. “Kits?” His gaze grew more urgent. “Climb over me! You mustn’t die.” More water filled his mouth. She saw him stiffen as he tightened his grip on the root. His eyes pleaded with her frantically.

Her heart in her mouth, Violetshine let go one of her paws and gripped onto Juniperclaw’s shoulder. He grimaced as she dug her claws in. She reached her hind legs around him and clung on like a tick as she let go her other paw and eased herself over his back. The water dragged at her. She heard him growling as he fought to cling on. Reaching up on his other side, Violetshine caught hold of the root again. She was closer to the bank now. The current softened here. Released from its grip, she managed to work her paws along the root until she was only a muzzle-length from land. As she reached for the bank, she felt teeth in her scruff. Tree had lunged down and grabbed her. He hauled her from the water and pulled her, dripping, onto the shore.

She collapsed. “Save Juniperclaw.” She lifted her head, straining to see the black tom.

He was hanging on to the root by his claw tips. “Tell Tigerstar I’m sorry.” He glanced up at her, relief in his eyes, and then he slid away. The water carried him down into the churning straits below, and he disappeared from view.