Shattered Sky

Chapter 1

Cats of all four Clans were massed as one on the ShadowClan border. All around her, Twigpaw could hear the faint rustling, as their paws shifted in the grass, and taste their mingled scents. “So many warriors!” she whispered. “All four Clans together…”

The cats of ThunderClan were clustered around Twigpaw, their gleaming eyes and bristling fur showing that they were ready for battle. Twigpaw let her gaze travel over them: the Clan leader, Bramblestar, with his deputy, Squirrelflight, beside him; Lionblaze, his muscles rippling under his golden tabby pelt; Cloudtail with his mate, Brightheart, and their daughter Whitewing; Larksong and his littermates, Leafshade and Honeyfur, proudly awaiting their first chance to fight for their Clan as warriors.

Twigpaw pressed close to Ivypool’s side, nervously sheathing and unsheathing her claws. The dawn light was growing stronger, but shadows still lurked under the trees, making the ShadowClan territory ahead look even darker and scarier than usual.

Ivypool dipped her head to speak softly into Twigpaw’s ear. “After the Great Storm, Bramblestar proposed a new addition to the warrior code.” Her eyes shone with pride in her Clan leader. “He said that though the Clans must all remember their separate histories and traditions, in times of dire need all should stand together so that no Clan should ever fall. And if this isn’t a time of dire need,” she added wryly, “I don’t know what is.”

“Do you really think we can drive the rogues out of ShadowClan territory?” Twigpaw asked. She tried to stop her voice from shaking, even though her mouth was dry and her heart pounded so hard that she thought every cat must be able to hear it.

Ivypool brushed her tail reassuringly over Twigpaw’s shoulders. “Your first battle is always tough,” she meowed. Her silver-and-white pelt was as neat as if she had just groomed it, and her voice was full of confidence. “But stick close to me, and I’ll look after you.”

Relief flooded through Twigpaw, and she blinked gratefully at her mentor. I’m so happy to be Ivypool’s apprentice, she thought. She always has my back.

“Cats of all Clans…” Bramblestar’s voice rang out across the assembled cats. “The time has come to take the rogues by surprise and force them out of ShadowClan territory.”

“Yes,” Rowanstar agreed. The ShadowClan leader’s voice was quiet but invited no argument. He stood at the front of the crowd, his ginger fur beginning to glow as the light strengthened. His mate, Tawnypelt, had positioned herself close beside him. “We must get rid of the rogues once and for all. The future of the Clans depends on it!”

Onestar, the leader of WindClan, glared at Rowanstar and gave an irritated lash of his tail. “That’s an interesting order,” he meowed, “coming from the cat who allowed the rogues to live on his territory for moons, until finally most of his Clan decided they would rather follow Darktail! Maybe, Rowanstar,” he added, “you could stop issuing orders to cats who are cleaning up your mess.”

Rowanstar’s neck fur bristled and he drew his lips back in the beginning of a snarl. “And just maybe,” he retorted bitterly, “WindClan cats could mind their own business.”

“You made it our business!” Onestar snapped.

“Enough!” Mistystar of RiverClan thrust her way between the two furious leaders, holding herself with authority. “What hope do we have if we fight among ourselves? Rowanstar is right about one thing: the rogues must be driven out. They killed Furzepelt, they enticed ShadowClan warriors away from their Clan, and now they’ve stolen ShadowClan’s territory. It’s time to get rid of these fiends once and for all.”

“Exactly,” Bramblestar agreed, his voice level. “So please can we stop blaming one another, and work together to drive out these rogues?”

He glanced from Rowanstar to Onestar and back again. Onestar dipped his head in acquiescence, while Rowanstar turned aside, breathing heavily and shaking out his fur.

Seeing the leaders fight like that only made Twigpaw more nervous; she felt as if she had a belly full of mice that were chasing one another’s tails.

“Are you ready?” Ivypool asked.

Twigpaw hesitated. “I’m worried about my sister,” she confessed at last. “Poor Violetpaw is with the rogues now, and she’s bound to be caught up in all of this. What if she gets hurt?”

“Violetpaw is strong and smart.” A new voice chimed in; Twigpaw turned her head to see the ShadowClan deputy, Tigerheart, standing just behind her, with her Clanmate Dovewing by his side. “She’ll be okay,” Tigerheart continued reassuringly. “And none of the cats here would seriously injure an apprentice.”

“Thank you.” Twigpaw gave the dark brown tabby cat a grateful glance, though she noticed her mentor’s tail-tip twitching back and forth in irritation. I wonder why Ivypool doesn’t seem to like Tigerheart.

Bramblestar waved his tail as a signal for the assembled cats to move. His muscles rippled under his dark tabby pelt as he led the way. Padding forward as one cat, the combined forces of the four Clans slid silently after him through the long grass and crossed into ShadowClan territory. Twigpaw shivered as the reek of the border markers wafted over her.

Every cat kept quiet under the shadow of the trees, paw steps soundless on the thick layer of pine needles that covered the ground. They spread out as they headed toward the ShadowClan camp.

But before the bushes that surrounded the camp came into view, Twigpaw spotted movement among the trees ahead. A patrol emerged: four of the ShadowClan cats who had chosen to remain on their own territory with the rogues. Sleekwhisker was in the lead.

The patrol halted as they spotted the crowd of cats stalking purposefully toward them. They stared as if they could not believe what was in front of them.

Sleekwhisker was the first to recover from the shock. “Intruders!” she screeched. “We’re under attack! All cats—back to camp, now!”

She whirled around and vanished into the trees, her patrol hard on her paws.

Harespring, the WindClan deputy, looked at his paws and shook his head. “There goes our chance of surprising them,” he muttered.

“Into your groups!” Bramblestar ordered.

Before they’d left the ThunderClan camp, every cat had been assigned to a group that would fight together in the battle. Now Twigpaw knew exactly where she was supposed to be. Still nervous, and amazed at how fast everything was happening, she raced forward, following Lionblaze. Her paws hardly touched the ground as wind flowed through her fur. Ivypool, Dovewing, and Tigerheart pelted along beside her.

The mingled scents of many cats told Twigpaw that they were now very close to the ShadowClan camp. At the same moment, cats began to stream out of the bushes ahead. Twigpaw’s eyes widened, and for a heartbeat her flying paws faltered, as she realized just how many rogues there were now that former ShadowClan cats had joined them—far more than she had seen or heard of before.

The silence of the forest was split by yowls and caterwauling as the two groups of cats clashed. Twigpaw found herself face to face with Juniperclaw. For a moment she hesitated, unsure what to do, until the ShadowClan tom swiped at her, claws extended and jaws gaping in a snarl. Instinctively Twigpaw ducked underneath his outstretched leg and raked her claws across Juniperclaw’s underbelly, her fighting lessons with Ivypool echoing in her mind.

Juniperclaw let out a hiss of fury and reared back to pounce on top of Twigpaw, who dodged to one side, swiping at his flank. But Juniperclaw jumped back quickly enough that Twigpaw’s blow never landed. Growling fiercely, Twigpaw leaped toward her adversary, throwing up a paw to block the ShadowClan warrior as he slashed at her shoulder.

Excitement flooded through Twigpaw as her body remembered all the fighting moves she’d learned in training. This feels natural… it feels right. I’m fighting for my Clan!

She dashed at Juniperclaw again, bunching her muscles to leap upon his back. But at the last moment Juniperclaw reared onto his hind legs and twisted to one side, pinning Twigpaw to the ground. The ShadowClan warrior’s glaring eyes and sharp teeth were less than a mouse-length from her face.

“You’re good, apprentice,” he hissed. “But not that good.”

Unable to breathe under his weight, Twigpaw tried to bring up her hind paws to bat at the ShadowClan cat’s belly, but Juniperclaw was too heavy; Twigpaw couldn’t push him far enough away to get any strength behind her blows.

What do I do now? she wondered, fighting off panic.

Suddenly a silver-and-white blur flashed across Twigpaw’s vision as Ivypool leaped right over her, knocking Juniperclaw away. The ShadowClan cat fell to the ground, paws flailing, while Ivypool followed up her leap with a couple of hard blows across his shoulders.

“Scram, flea-pelt!” she snarled.

Juniperclaw scrambled to his paws and fled; Twigpaw lost sight of him among the battling cats.

“Thanks, Ivypool,” she gasped, forcing herself upright again.

“My pleasure,” Ivypool mewed swiftly; then she hurled herself toward Lionblaze and Dovewing, who were battling three of the rogues.

Her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath, Twigpaw took a moment to look around. Everywhere cats were locked in combat. Her spirits rose as she realized that the Clan cats seemed to be winning the fight. She saw Bramblestar knock Rain to the ground, while Cherryfall was darting to and fro, slashing at Sleekwhisker, whose efforts to defend herself grew feebler with every heartbeat.

Twigpaw was about to leap back into the fray when she spotted Onestar, who had Darktail pinned to the ground. Onestar’s forepaws pummeled at Darktail’s face, leaving bloody slashes across his cheeks. Darktail barely struggled, gasping for breath.

Onestar must be taking revenge for his lost life, Twigpaw guessed.

But as she watched the two leaders fight, Darktail heaved himself up and tumbled Onestar to the ground. He staggered toward Onestar and murmured something, his mouth close to the WindClan leader’s ear. Onestar’s eyes widened into a horrified stare as he rose to his paws and drew away from the rogue. His message—whatever it was—delivered, Darktail sagged to the ground again. Twigpaw could see that his white fur was smudged with red from injuries on his sides and chest.

She tensed, expecting Onestar to lunge at Darktail and deliver a killing blow. But the WindClan leader backed away. Why doesn’t Onestar finish Darktail off? Twigpaw wondered. That’s the whole point of this battle!

Instead Onestar raised his head to let out a loud yowl. “Cats of WindClan! Retreat! Back to the camp!”

Twigpaw let out a gasp. She couldn’t understand why Onestar would call his cats out of the battle, especially when he had been so adamant that they drive the rogues out at last.

What could Darktail possibly have said to him?

“WindClan! Retreat!” Onestar yowled again.

Twigpaw caught no more than a glimpse of the WindClan cats breaking off their tussles with the rogues before something hard hit her in the back and bowled her over, knocking the breath out of her. Too late she realized that she shouldn’t have been staring at Onestar instead of paying attention to the battle around her.

Summoning every scrap of her strength, Twigpaw twisted around to see Yarrowleaf glaring balefully down at her, the hostile she-cat’s breath riffling Twigpaw’s whiskers while her claws dug into her shoulders. Twigpaw heaved upward and managed to dislodge the ShadowClan cat so that she could rake her hind paws across her belly. But Yarrowleaf still kept a grip on her and bent down, jaws parted to sink her teeth into Twigpaw’s throat.

Twigpaw strained away from her, bracing herself for pain. Then Ivypool appeared once again, fastening her claws into Yarrowleaf’s neck and hauling her bodily away.

After flinging Yarrowleaf to one side, Ivypool crouched to pounce on top of her, but before she could move, Tigerheart appeared, thrusting himself between the two cats and giving Yarrowleaf the chance to scramble away.

Ivypool straightened up, glaring at Tigerheart. “What in StarClan’s name do you think you’re doing?” she snarled. “Yarrowleaf isn’t your Clanmate now. You’re supposed to be on our side!”

Tigerheart cast an anguished glance after the fleeing Yarrowleaf. He opened his jaws to answer, but before he could speak he was interrupted by an angry yowl from Lionblaze. The WindClan cats were streaming away from the ShadowClan camp in the paw steps of their leader, leaving the remaining warriors at a serious disadvantage.

“Stop!” Bramblestar yowled.

“You can’t leave us! We agreed!” Mistystar added.

Rowanstar was tearing up clumps of grass with his claws, his fur bristling with rage. “Traitors!” he screeched after the departing WindClan cats. “Cowards!”

While the leaders were distracted, Twigpaw spotted one of the rogues looming up behind Mistystar. Her belly clenched in anxiety and she let out a screech, but her warning came too late. The hulking tom barreled into Mistystar and knocked her to the ground in a whirl of waving paws. Several RiverClan cats raced up to defend their leader, and more of the rogues piled in, viciously swiping at the RiverClan warriors.

Ivypool and Tigerheart exchanged a swift glance, their argument forgotten for now, and dived back into the battle.

Twigpaw glanced from side to side, anxiously watching her battling Clanmates. Even she, an apprentice fighting in her first battle, could see clearly that the tide had turned. The Clan cats were losing. WindClan had fled, the RiverClan warriors were giving way under the pummeling of the rogues, and like Tigerheart, the ShadowClan cats were hesitant to attack their own former Clanmates.

This is a disaster! she thought despairingly. And we planned it so carefully! How did it all go wrong?

As Twigpaw turned around, wondering what she could do now to help her Clan, she spotted a small black-and-white cat emerging from the shadows underneath a bush. “Violetpaw!” she gasped.

Her sister halted, and the two she-cats stared at each other for a moment. Twigpaw could see that Violetpaw looked thinner and taller than when she had seen her last. Blood trickled from a scratch on one of her ears, but to Twigpaw’s relief she looked mostly unhurt.

“Are you okay?” Twigpaw blurted out after a moment.

Violetpaw’s eyes widened at the question. She didn’t reply, and for a couple of heartbeats neither cat moved. Twigpaw knew that she should spring into attack, but every hair on her pelt shrank from the thought of hurting her sister.

“I miss you,” she whispered.

Violetpaw’s jaws parted as if she was about to speak, but just then a snarl came from behind her.

“What are you waiting for?”

The long-furred gray rogue, Rain, ducked out from beneath the same bush, followed by Needletail, who had grown larger and more formidable since Twigpaw had last seen her. They separated, moving to either side of Twigpaw, their eyes menacing. Twigpaw flinched back, trying to keep all three cats in view.

“She’s the enemy,” Needletail hissed to Violetpaw.

Twigpaw could hardly believe what she was hearing. Is this the same cat who used to bring Violetpaw to play with me when we were kits?

Rain draped his tail over Violetpaw’s shoulders. “We’re your kin now,” he growled.

Violetpaw gave one desperate glance from Needletail to Rain and back again. Then she gathered herself and sprang at Twigpaw, claws outstretched to slash at her shoulder.

For a heartbeat, Twigpaw could do no more than stare at her, stunned; then she recovered enough to stumble backward, out of range. But before she could take more than a couple of paw steps, one of her hind paws caught in a hole behind her. She fell heavily onto her side, wrenching her leg, and she let out a screech as hot pain clawed through her body. Violetpaw stood over her, staring down with her teeth bared.

Twigpaw knew that she couldn’t fight anymore. This is when I go to hunt with StarClan. Oh, Violetpaw, how did we end up like this? Are you really going to strike the blow that kills me?

Then a yowl rang out from behind her and Lionblaze raced past, flinging himself on Rain and the ShadowClan cats. All three of them flinched backward in the face of his ferocious attack.

Twigpaw stared after her sister’s retreating form. Violetpaw doesn’t care about me anymore, she realized miserably. She thinks I’m her enemy! She attacked me!

All around Twigpaw, the battle was still raging. She could see that the Clan cats were being driven back, but she could hardly bring herself to care. Guilt flooded over her; she knew she ought to be panicking at the defeat of the Clans. But all she could think about was her sister.