Dawn

Chapter 8

Leafpaw watched the monster pull away and opened her mouth to howl, but no sound came out. The forest spun around her and she blinked, fighting the urge to lie down and never get up again.

Twolegs began to run toward the trees, shouting and waving their paws.

They were not safe yet.

Brambleclaw exploded from the undergrowth behind them. “Quick! Run!” He raced to Squirrelpaw’s side and gave her a shove.

Squirrelpaw dragged her horrified gaze from the clearing and stared at Brambleclaw. “What about Graystripe?”

“There’s nothing we can do for him right now,” he hissed.

“Hurry! We have to get out of here!”

“Which way?” Cody yowled, staring into the trees.

“Follow me,” Brambleclaw ordered.

Leafpaw hadn’t seen Brambleclaw since he left the forest with Squirrelpaw. This was a very different cat that had returned—an experienced, confident warrior, calmly issuing commands in spite of the huge danger they were all in. This wasn’t the time to find out exactly where they had been for the last moon. Pulling her paws free from the mud, she scrabbled through the undergrowth behind Squirrelpaw and Cody. Cloudtail passed her, with Brightheart so close to him that their fur touched.

Relief flooded through Leafpaw when she saw the familiar pelts of Sorreltail and Rainwhisker flash through the trees up ahead. Mistyfoot was with them. All the trapped cats had been freed—but they had lost Graystripe.

She heard the Twolegs crashing through the forest behind them. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched them blunder through the bushes, swerving clumsily around the trees and stumbling over trailing brambles. Leafpaw knew they would not catch her now. This was her domain; she could race through it as fast as any creature, her lithe body perfectly suited to slipping through the undergrowth like the wind.

The cats scrambled down Snakerocks. The Twolegs were far behind now, and Leafpaw slowed her pace. Cody fell in beside her as they padded breathlessly into the leaf-strewn glade beside the Great Sycamore. The other cats were sprawled on the ground, exhausted. Cloudtail was licking Brightheart’s ears as if he would never get them clean. Mistyfoot watched them, her pale gray flanks heaving.

Cody looked nervously around the clearing. “Is it safe here?”

“The Twolegs won’t catch us now,” Leafpaw assured her.

“But what about foxes and badgers?” Cody’s eyes were huge. “Aren’t the woods full of all kinds of dreadful things?”

“Like wildcats?” Leafpaw joked weakly. She collapsed onto the soft leaves next to the other ThunderClan cats.

Rainwhisker struggled to sit up. His dark gray fur stood on end, and there was blood oozing between the claws on one of his front paws. “Are you sure they got Graystripe?”

Squirrelpaw flattened her ears. “The monster carried him away. I saw him!”

“But he was fighting like a TigerClan cat!” Thornclaw protested. “They couldn’t have caught him!”

“There were too many Twolegs,” Squirrelpaw explained.

Mistyfoot dipped her head toward Squirrelpaw. “I owe him my life,” she murmured. “I thought we would never escape.” She stared intently at her. “You saved us.”

Squirrelpaw sat up. “It wasn’t just me,” she insisted. “We all risked our lives. Graystripe led the way.”

Leafpaw narrowed her eyes and studied her sister. That was the reply of a warrior, not an apprentice. She noticed how much leaner and stronger Squirrelpaw had become—much fitter than the scrawny ThunderClan warriors. Leafpaw bent her head to lick her own patchy, unkempt fur. For the first time, she felt awkward around her sister, unsure what to say when so much had happened since they had last seen each other.

“What will the Twolegs do to him?” Sorreltail wailed, grief-stricken.

Leafpaw wished she could offer comfort, but she didn’t know what to say. If it hadn’t been for her brave Clanmates, she would be making that journey instead of Graystripe.

“May StarClan help him,” murmured Thornclaw.

“StarClan is helpless against the Twolegs,” Squirrelpaw spat.

“StarClan was with us today,” Leafpaw reminded her. “They gave you the strength to face the Twolegs. They will look after Graystripe.”

Sorreltail hauled herself to her paws and touched Leafpaw’s muzzle with hers. “Thank StarClan the Twolegs didn’t take you as well,” she murmured. “Squirrelpaw saw you in a dream, trapped in that place. She insisted we rescue you.”

“It wasn’t just me you saved,” Leafpaw meowed, looking gratefully at her Clanmates.

“You saved all of us,” Cody agreed, padding over to Leafpaw’s side.

Sorreltail pulled away from Leafpaw and looked sharply at the kittypet. “Who are you?” she demanded. “You’re not a forest cat, but you don’t look like a rogue, either.”

“This is Cody,” Leafpaw meowed. “She stopped me from feeling sorry for myself, and made me believe we might be able to escape.”

Sorreltail sniffed. “You’re a kittypet?”

Rainwhisker sat up and stared at the tabby she-cat.

Thornclaw flattened his ears.

“Yes, I’m a kittypet,” Cody confirmed.

Brambleclaw got to his paws and padded over to Cody.

Leafpaw saw her friend try not to flinch away from the broad-shouldered warrior, whose coat was streaked with mud and blood. “Do you want us to show you the way back to Twolegplace?” he offered.

“It’s not safe enough to go that way yet,” Leafpaw warned.

“The Twolegs might be searching the woods.”

Brightheart sat up and stared nervously around the glade.

“It’s okay,” Cloudtail reassured her. “We can outrun them from here.”

“We’ll be even safer back at the camp,” mewed Squirrelpaw.

“Why doesn’t Cody come with us for now?”

The kittypet stared uncertainly at the cats. For all her courage when they were trapped, she was obviously feeling daunted by being around so many of the wildcats she had heard about in bloodthirsty stories.

“You’ll be made welcome,” Leafpaw meowed. She looked at Brambleclaw and Rainwhisker, hoping she was right.

“Firestar won’t turn away a cat who’s in trouble,” Brambleclaw agreed.

“Won’t your Twolegs be missing you?” Sorreltail asked pointedly, and Leafpaw glanced at her in surprise.

“Yes, of course.” Cody kneaded the ground with her paws.

Some of the fire returned to her blue eyes. “But it sounds as if it wouldn’t be safe for me to travel through that part of the forest alone, and I don’t want to put any more of you in danger.”

“We’ll get you home as soon as it’s safe,” Leafpaw promised.

“I suppose we should be going then.” Sorreltail sighed. She looked at Brambleclaw. “What are we going to tell Firestar about Graystripe?”

Leafpaw swallowed. Graystripe was the ThunderClan deputy, one of the bravest and most experienced warriors, and Firestar’s best friend. How would the Clan cope without him?

The cats fell into a miserable silence as they trekked though the forest. Leafpaw noticed that Thornclaw seemed to be leading them toward Sunningrocks rather than the ravine. Why weren’t they going to the camp? She glanced at Squirrelpaw, puzzled.

“The Clan had to abandon the old camp,” her sister explained. “The Twolegs were getting too close.”

Leafpaw gulped. “Has it gotten that bad?”

“I’m afraid so,” Thornclaw answered grimly.

“Surely there’s not enough shelter for all of us at Sunningrocks?” Cloudtail meowed.

“How are the kits?” Brightheart asked anxiously.

“Not as well fed as they should be,” Squirrelpaw admitted.

“We should leave before they get any weaker,” Brambleclaw muttered.

Leafpaw wondered what he meant, and felt even more confused when Thornclaw flashed him a sharp glance.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw had only just returned to the forest—why were they talking about leaving already?

“Are we nearly there?” Cody called from behind.

Leafpaw could hear the murmuring of the river through the leafless trees. They were nearing the RiverClan border, and Sunningrocks was not far ahead. “Yes, it’s not far now,” she called back.

Thornclaw padded onward, and Leafpaw followed with the others through a swath of bracken. They emerged at the top of the slope that led down to the RiverClan border.

Leafpaw could see water rippling at the bottom. It was unexpectedly comforting to find that the river was still there in spite of everything the Twolegs had done to the rest of the forest.

Mistyfoot padded down to the river. At the water’s edge she stopped and called back to the ThunderClan cats, “I honor the warriors of ThunderClan for rescuing me. And I mourn the loss of Graystripe with you.” Her blue eyes clouded for a moment; then she turned and pushed through the swirling water with powerfully churning paws till she reached the other side.

The ThunderClan cats headed for Sunningrocks. Leafpaw quickened her pace, impatient to be back with her Clan and anxious to know what had happened to their old home in the ravine. Cody matched her step for step, sticking close to her side; Leafpaw could tell by the flicking of her ears that the kittypet was both excited and nervous about meeting the Clan.

“Are you sure they won’t mind my coming back with you?” she whispered.

Leafpaw hardly heard her. She had just spotted Firestar sitting near the top of the broad gray slope. The sun lit up his fiery pelt, picking out his bony frame. He looked thin and tired, and his eyes were half-closed. How could she tell him that Graystripe had been lost in rescuing her? The thought pieced Leafpaw’s heart like a thorn.

The breeze must have carried her scent, for Firestar suddenly turned and stared down the rock. He jumped to his paws and raced down to them with his tail held high. “Leafpaw,” he panted, sliding to a halt. “You’re safe!” He licked her ears, and a purr throbbed in his throat.

“I missed you so much,” Leafpaw mewed, pushing her face into the familiar warmth of his pelt.

“Thank StarClan I have both of you back.” Firestar’s mew was thick with emotion.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw waited at the bottom of the slope with the other ThunderClan warriors, while Cody hung back among the trees.

Cloudtail and Brightheart shot past them onto Sunningrocks, calling for their kit. “Whitepaw!” Cloudtail called. “We’re back!”

The snowy-pelted apprentice was dozing in a sheltered dip in the rock. At the sound of voices, she raised her head and leaped to her paws. “You escaped!” she cried, hurtling down the slope to greet her mother and father. She skidded into them, purring with delight. Cloudtail wrapped his tail around her, while Brightheart licked her so fiercely that Whitepaw ducked out of the way with a muffled squeak.

Sandstorm came racing out from an overhang at the side of Sunningrocks. She bounded down the slope and nudged Firestar out of the way. “Leafpaw! Did they hurt you?”

“No,” Leafpaw answered as Sandstorm enthusiastically began to lick away the stench of the Twoleg nest from her daughter’s pelt. “I’m fine, honestly.”

“How did you escape?” Firestar demanded.

“Squirrelpaw rescued us.” Leafpaw delightedly fought to keep her balance against her mother’s eager grooming.

“I had a dream last night.” Squirrelpaw stepped forward.

“Spottedleaf told me where Leafpaw was trapped.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Firestar stared in amazement at his daughter.

“You were away on patrol,” Squirrelpaw explained. “It couldn’t wait. So Sorreltail and I found Leafpaw by ourselves—”

“And there wasn’t time to come all the way back to camp for help,” Sorreltail broke in. “The Twolegs were already starting to take all the cats they’d caught away from the forest.”

“We couldn’t rescue them by ourselves,” Squirrelpaw chipped in. “But we found Graystripe and Brambleclaw near Snakerocks.”

“And Thornclaw and Rainwhisker,” added Brambleclaw.

“But it was Graystripe who led the rescue. He assessed the danger and decided it was worth trying to save all the cats the Twolegs had trapped.”

“Graystripe,” Firestar murmured. “I might have known he’d try something foolish.” He looked around for his old friend. “Where is he?”

Leafpaw felt the rock sway under her paws. Sandstorm stopped washing her, as though she sensed something was wrong.

Firestar looked at her with his head to one side. “Why didn’t he come back with you?”

Leafpaw saw him read her expression. His face suddenly seemed to be cast in shadow. “The Twolegs caught him,” she forced herself to say, the words dropping like stones in the cold air.

“They trapped him inside a monster and took him away,” Squirrelpaw explained hoarsely.

“Graystripe’s gone?” Firestar whispered. He sat down, drawing his tail around him. Leafpaw’s legs trembled. Her father had never seemed so far away, so far beyond her reach to comfort him.

“W-we should have gotten a bigger patrol together before we attacked,” Brambleclaw stammered, staring grief-stricken at his leader. “I should have stopped him. I’m sorry.”

Firestar stared at the dark brown tom in front of him. A fire seemed to burn in his eyes, and, for a moment, Leafpaw was afraid that her father was going to take out his pain on the young warrior. Beside her, Squirrelpaw unsheathed her claws— would she really defend Brambleclaw against their father?

Leafpaw wondered—but Brambleclaw met his leader’s gaze without flinching.

“You have brought back my daughter, and Cloudtail and Brightheart.” Firestar almost seemed to be persuading himself that he could not blame Brambleclaw for what had happened.

“Graystripe will find his way back to us.”

“But they trapped him in a monster,” Rainwhisker murmured.

Firestar stared at the gray warrior, hollow-eyed. “He will return,” he repeated. “I have to believe that or everything will be lost.”

Sandstorm moved closer to Firestar and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. But Firestar just turned away and walked slowly toward the shadowy overhang. Suddenly he looked old beyond his years.

Sandstorm padded after him. “We have both our daughters back.” Her voice drifted over the rock. “That is a miracle we never thought would happen.”

Firestar gazed at her. “Graystripe would have sacrificed himself for them in an instant,” he admitted.

“That is why he will always be a good friend,” Sandstorm murmured. She sat beside Firestar and curled her tail around him.

“Leafpaw!” Cody hissed from the shadow of the trees. “Is everything okay?”

Leafpaw could not answer. She was still staring at her father with a pang of sorrow so great she could hardly breathe. She felt her sister’s tail sweep gently down her flank.

“Don’t worry,” Squirrelpaw murmured. “Firestar will be all right, so long as he believes Graystripe will return.”

“But they trapped him in a monster,” Rainwhisker repeated, as if he would never get the image out of his head.

Mousefur looked grim. “Firestar will have to choose another deputy before moonhigh,” she meowed.

Squirrelpaw’s eyes flashed with rage, and she rounded on Mousefur, making Leafpaw jump. “You’re acting like Graystripe is dead!” she cried. “He’s not dead! You heard what Firestar said. He will come back. We must not give up hope.”