Thunder Аnd Shadow

Chapter 15

“And then”—Sparkpelt followed Alderpaw onto the bridge—“Spikefur told Yarrowleaf it was nothing to do with ThunderClan and dragged her away from the border before she could tell m e any thing else. But it is totally to do with us. If WindClan and ShadowClan start fighting, it will affect all the Clans, surely?”

“I guess.” Alderpaw padded over the dam p bark, try ing not to look into the dark water swirling below. “But Yarrowleaf might just have been spreading gossip. You can’t be sure it was true.”

Sparkpelt had been chattering about the spat between ShadowClan and WindClan since they’d crossed the RiverClan border.

The full moon lit the lake. The trees on the island glowed, their buds pale in its light. He wondered if WindClan and ShadowClan were already waiting at the Gathering and glanced up to check for stray clouds. Would the two Clans be able to keep the truce? Or would StarClan cover the moon with clouds to keep the battling Clans apart? What if they fought any way? Alderpaw’s m outh grew dry.

He j um ped onto the beach, pebbles crunching beneath his paws. “I can’t believe Onestar would drive away a medicine cat asking for herbs.” He waited as Sparkpelt j um ped down beside him.

“Of course he would,” Sparkpelt mewed. “Every one knows he’s been as crazy as a cuckoo since he lost that life.”

Alderpaw frowned. Losing a life did seem to have m ade the WindClan leader burn with a strange fury. But enough for him to deny help to sick cats?

Sparkpelt brushed past him. “Hurry up. I can’t wait to see what will happen.” She headed into the long grass.

Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were ahead, leading Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Berry nose toward the clearing with Leafpool. Alderpaw glanced over his shoulder. Molewhisker was coaxing Honey paw onto the tree-bridge. “I’ll be right behind y ou,” he prom ised his apprentice. “If y ou slip, I’ll grab y our scruff.”

Larkpaw and Leafpaw j ostled on the far shore, staring eagerly at the tree-bridge.

Rosepetal nudged them away. “Let y our sister cross first.”

“Honey paw’s scared of water!” Larkpaw teased.

Rosepetal glared at her apprentice sternly. “Sometimes being afraid is sm art.”

Leafpaw snorted. “Warriors aren’t meant to be afraid of any thing.”

Bum blestripe nudged her play fully. “I’ll rem ind you of that next time we sm ell a fox while we’re out training.”

Leafpaw puffed out her chest. “I wasn’t being afraid,” she sniffed. “I was being sm art.”

Bum blestripe and Rosepetal swapped bem used glances. Behind them Poppy frost, Graystripe, and Millie waited patiently, while Twigpaw hung back with Ivy pool and Dovewing.

“Alderpaw!” Sparkpelt called from the long grass. “Come on! WindClan is already here. I can sm ell them.”

Alderpaw nosed his way into the dew-soaked grass, following her trail. He opened his m outh, tasting for scents. There was no sign of ShadowClan. He padded into the clearing. Brightheart and Cloudtail were already sharing tongues with Minnowtail and Mallownose. The RiverClan cats were looking sleek again after the long leaf-bare. The fish must be teem ing in the river once more.

WindClan cats skirted the clearing, keeping their distance. They glanced anxiously at one another and then at the other Clan cats. Alderpaw’s pelt prickled with foreboding. He scanned the clearing for Onestar.

The WindClan leader was pacing beneath the great oak, his pelt rippling along his spine. As

ThunderClan arrived, his gaze flashed toward the long grass, sharp with suspicion as though he was waiting for an am bush. He flinched as Leafpaw, Honey paw, and Larkpaw raced into the clearing.

“Nightpaw! Breezepaw!” Leafpaw greeted the RiverClan apprentices with a purr and hurried to j oin them. Larkpaw and Honey paw followed.

Fernpaw and Brindlepaw, the WindClan apprentices, ey ed them eagerly but didn’t m ove from their m entors’ side.

As Sparkpelt headed toward a group of RiverClan warriors, Alderpaw followed Leafpool toward the great oak. Jayfeather had stay ed in camp, complaining that if he wanted to spend the night listening to cats bicker, he could sit in the elders’ den. “It’s going to be a weird Gathering,” Alderpaw m urm ured softly as he stopped beside her.

She followed his gaze toward Onestar. “Tensions are high.”

“Has this happened before?” Alderpaw asked.

Leafpool sat down. “Clans have always fought.”

“But has a Clan ever refused to help others treat their sick?” Alderpaw blinked at her earnestly.

“It’s been known to happen,” she adm itted.

“Did they ever let cats die?” Alderpaw shifted his paws uneasily.

“Warriors and medicine cats think differently,” Leafpool sighed.

“Why?” Alderpaw was puzzled. It didn’t make sense. If the Clans helped one another, then no one needed to suffer.

“Only StarClan knows.” Leafpool gazed across the clearing and changed the subj ect. “Is

Twigpaw okay?” She was watching the young she-cat, who was sitting alone beside a clum p of ferns.

“I don’t know.” Alderpaw followed her gaze, his belly pricking with guilt. Twigpaw had hardly spoken to him since he’d told her that Bramblestar had never sent a search patrol to look for her mother. Even though he shared the apprentices’ den with her, she would leave her nest by the time he woke and would be curled asleep—or pretending to be asleep—when he settled down for the night. During the day they were both busy with training, but he noticed how she always took her prey to the far side of the clearing and avoided his gaze when they passed in camp.

“Is she upset about som ething?” Leafpool pressed.

Alderpaw couldn’t explain. Leafpool, like the rest of the Clan, believed that the search party had been looking for Twigpaw’s mother. She didn’t know about Sky Clan. He shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“Ivy pool say s she works hard.” Leafpool frowned. “She must be com m itted to the Clan.

Perhaps she still misses her sister.”

“Perhaps.”

Leafpool wrapped her tail over her paws. “She must be happy to know that Violetpaw is back with ShadowClan. She’ll be safer away from those rogues.”

“I guess.” Alderpaw wished he knew what she felt. When Dovewing had returned to camp with the news, he’d hurried to congratulate Twigpaw. But Twigpaw had only shrugged and turned away.

The Clan cats were beginning to glance toward the long grass, shifting impatiently. There was still no sign of ShadowClan. The round white moon was crossing behind the great oak. Had

ShadowClan decided not to come?

Bramblestar crossed the clearing, nodding to Misty star as he passed her. The RiverClan leader followed him to the oak and clim bed the trunk after him. As they settled on the lowest branch, Onestar leaped up beside them and took his place, glowering at the cats as they clustered below.

Squirrelflight followed Harespring and Reedwhisker to the deputies’ spot am ong the roots.

Kestrelflight, Mothwing, and Willowshine sat down beside Leafpool.

“Let’s begin,” Bramblestar called.

Misty star shifted beside him. “Should we wait a little longer for ShadowClan?”

“They can j oin in when they arrive.” There was impatience in Bramblestar’s mew. He lifted his gaze to the gathered cats. “I have im portant news, and if ShadowClan isn’t here to share it, then I must. Violetpaw, one of StarClan’s chosen kits, has returned to ShadowClan.”

The RiverClan cats lifted their gaze happily, ears pricking.

Misty star blinked at Bramblestar. “Did ShadowClan rescue her?”

“She returned because she wanted to,” Bramblestar told her.

Onestar’s eyes flashed with anger. “So she claim s, and ShadowClan is fool enough to believe her. What about the other ShadowClan traitors?”

“As far as I know, they are still with the rogues,” Bramblestar meowed.

Uneasy m urm urs rippled through the cats below him.

The ThunderClan leader ignored them. “But Violetpaw is back. StarClan’s prophecy is safe once more.”

Crowfeather called from the crowd. “Are we sure the prophecy is safe? StarClan hasn’t confirm ed that Violetpaw and Twigpaw are part of it.”

Misty star flicked her tail. “They haven’t told us they’re not.”

Minnowtail called from am ong the other RiverClan warriors. “What else could the prophecy mean? The kits are the only things we’ve found in the shadows.”

It could mean SkyClan. Alderpaw swallowed back frustration. Embrace what you find in the shadows, for only they can clear the sky. The sky had to refer to Sky Clan. Even though StarClan hadn’t shared with him for moons, he felt sure that Sky Clan was crucial to the prophecy. He glanced toward Twigpaw, who was sitting beside Ivy pool, her round eyes fixed on the leaders. Of course Twigpaw and Violetpaw might be part of it too, but surely StarClan would not let Sky Clan sim ply disappear. And y et how could the four Clans have a serious conversation about the prophecy when hardly any cat knew about the missing Clan?

Onestar stepped to the edge of the branch, his ears twitching angrily. “Why are we wasting time when there are im portant m atters to discuss?” He glared at the Clans. “A few day s ago, a

ShadowClan patrol invaded our land—with one of the form er rogues!”

Dovewing j erked her head up. “It wasn’t an invasion! I saw the patrol. It was Puddleshine and Violetpaw, who is a ShadowClan apprentice now. They wanted herbs, not a battle!”

“Then why send two warriors with them?” Onestar scowled at her. “Why send a cat who has aligned herself with those who killed my warrior?”

Bramblestar snorted. “Two warriors and an apprentice don’t make an invasion.”

Onestar lashed his tail. “They were ShadowClan!” he hissed. “For all we know, that apprentice was scouting for her rogue friends.”

“Traitors!” Emberfoot y owled.

“Rogue lovers!” Crowfeather hissed.

Oatclaw flattened his ears. “ShadowClan has forgotten what it is to be a Clan.”

Harespring leaped onto an oak root, his pelt bushed. “Half their apprentices live with the rogues.”

Onestar nodded approvingly at his deputy. “They don’t even come to Gatherings any more.”

Leafpool padded to the front of the crowd and glared up at the WindClan leader. “Stop y owling about ShadowClan’s m istakes and think about y our own!”

Onestar’s eyes narrowed to slits. He leaned down toward the ThunderClan medicine cat, hissing, “I have m ade no m istakes.”

“You denied a valuable herb to a Clan in need!” Leafpool hissed back.

As she spoke, the grass at the edge of the clearing rustled. Crowfrost was leading his Clan into the clearing. They stream ed around the other cats, eyes flashing watchfully in the moonlight.

Crowfrost pushed through the crowd and clim bed into the great oak. He sat in Rowanstar’s place.

“Rowanstar has the sickness that has stricken our Clan. I will take his place tonight.”

Bramblestar and Misty star dipped their heads to the ShadowClan deputy as, below them, cats shifted to make room for his Clanmates. Puddleshine sat down beside Willowshine and Mothwing.

A low growl rum bled in Onestar’s throat.

Crowfrost ignored it. “Rowanstar would be well by now if Onestar had allowed us to gather herbs on his land.”

Onestar showed his teeth. “Gather y our precious herb som ewhere else. No ShadowClan cat will ever set paw on WindClan land again.”

Mothwing blinked up at Crowfrost. “What is this herb?”

“Lungwort,” Crowfrost told her. “StarClan shared dream s with Puddleshine. Runningnose told him that the sickness is called y ellowcough and that lungwort is the only cure.”

“Puddleshine had a dream from StarClan!” Willowshine’s eyes lit up. “Then he is truly a medicine cat.”

Mothwing shifted stiffly beside her.

Willowshine j erked her nose toward her form er m entor, guilt flashing in her gaze. “Of course that’s not the m ost im portant part of being a medicine cat,” she mewed quickly.

Alderpaw felt a stab of sy m pathy for Mothwing. “But he is ShadowClan’s only medicine cat,” he m urm ured. “It will be better for them that he can speak with StarClan.”

Mothwing looked at Puddleshine. “What does the herb look like?”

“It has dark green leaves specked with gray,” he told her. “I would show you if I could find som e. But Runningnose told m e it only grows on the m oor.”

Mothwing turned to Onestar. “May I pick the herb on y our land? I’m not a ShadowClan cat.”

Alderpaw leaned forward. Mothwing’s idea was a good one.

Onestar curled his claws into the oak bark. “Not if the herb is for ShadowClan,” he snarled.

Crowfrost’s pelt bushed. “Two of our elders are sick. They can’t last much longer without the herb,” he snapped at Onestar. “Are you determ ined to see innocent cats die?”

“No ShadowClan cat is innocent,” Onestar spat. “You are all sheltering the rogues.”

Crowfrost flattened his ears. “They live outside our territory!”

“How can we be sure?” Onestar thrust his m uzzle close to Crowfrost’s. “You took Violetpaw back. Can you be sure of her loy alty? And now y ou’re the Clan with a sickness y ou’ve never seen before. Perhaps the rogues brought it into y our Clan.”

Crowfrost held his gaze, hackles rising. “Violetpaw is one of us. The rogues are not living with our Clan.”

“But y our Clanmates are living with the rogues!” As Onestar spat back, y owls of agreem ent rose am ong the WindClan cats. RiverClan shifted uneasily, while ThunderClan exchanged anxious glances.

Fear spiked through Alderpaw’s pelt. The leaders mustn’t fight over this. Fighting wouldn’t cure any cat. “Kestrelflight?” He stared at the WindClan medicine cat. “Surely you won’t let Clan cats die?”

Panic sharpened the m ottled gray tom’s gaze. He glanced at Onestar, who was glowering at him, ears flat. “I can’t betray m y Clan,” he mewed hoarsely.

Mothwing touched Alderpaw’s shoulder with her tail softly. “It’s not fair to ask that of him.”

“Of course it’s fair. He’s a medicine cat, not a warrior!” Leafpool bristled beside them.

“What’s not fair is asking innocent cats to die because of one cat’s stubbornness!” She turned her furious gaze on Onestar.

Onestar stared at her coldly. “If ShadowClan drives the rogues away, they can have the herb.” Without waiting for a response, he leaped from the oak and pushed his way through the gathered cats. His Clanmates j oined him, and they stalked away through the grass, pelts spiking.

“I’m sorry.”

Kestrelflight’s whisper m ade Alderpaw j um p. The WindClan medicine cat was murmuring in Puddleshine’s ear. Before Puddleshine could respond, the WindClan medicine cat hurried away to j oin his Clanmates.

Bramblestar’s tail drooped over the edge of the branch as he watched WindClan leave.

Misty star glanced at the sky. Clouds were trailing across the moon. She turned to Crowfrost. “I will send patrols to search RiverClan territory for this herb,” she offered. “But if StarClan has said it is only on the m oor, I don’t have much hope of finding it.”

Crowfrost dipped his head gratefully as the RiverClan leader j um ped down from the branch.

Alderpaw blinked at Puddleshine as ThunderClan headed for the tree-bridge. “Congratulations on y our dream.”

“Thank y ou.” Puddleshine dipped his head. “I just wish Runningnose had told m e som ething that had helped us instead of m aking things worse.” He hurried away, following Crowfrost and Tawny pelt into the shadows. Misty star had already led her Clanmates into the long grass. The clearing was nearly em pty.

Alderpaw padded to the foot of the great oak and waited for his father to j um p down. “Could y ou send a secret patrol to gather lungwort in WindClan’s territory?” he mewed as Bramblestar landed behind him.

Bramblestar padded wearily past him. “And what would happen when Onestar found out?”

Alderpaw hurried after him. “Who cares about Onestar?” Frustration rippled through his pelt.

“Sick cats will die unless we help them.”

“Then ShadowClan must deal with the rogues,” Bramblestar meowed sim ply.

Alderpaw blinked eagerly. “We could help them!”

“It’s not our battle.”

“It’s every one’s battle! These are the rogues who drove Sky Clan away.”

“So?” Bramblestar’s shoulders sagged.

“Don’t you care about Sky Clan?” Why was his father giving up so easily? “They m ay be part of the prophecy!”

Bramblestar faced him in the deserted clearing. “Sky Clan is gone,” he meowed. “The sooner y ou accept that, the better.”

Alderpaw watched his father walk away, shock pulsing in his paws. Did Bramblestar really believe that? He glanced at the sky. StarClan! Would you really let SkyClan disappear without giving us a chance to save them?