Thunder Аnd Shadow

Chapter 23

Twigpaw shifted her paws nervously. Countless scents washed over her, and the chatter of voices wasn’t helping to calm her anxiety. Would Violetpaw come to the Gathering? Guilt still pricked her belly each time she remembered leaving the ShadowClan camp, Violetpaw staring desperately after her.

Beside her, Wavepaw looked around. The RiverClan apprentice’s eyes were wide as she, Nightpaw, and Breezepaw took in the scene. “It’s our first Gathering.”

Honey paw sniffed. “I’ve been to plenty.”

Wavepaw’s sister shifted closer as Brindlepaw and Fernpaw padded toward them. “I didn’t realize there’d be so many cats here,” she breathed.

“Don’t worry, Cy presspaw.” Wavepaw nuzzled his sister’s ear. “There’s a truce, remember? We’re safe here.”

“Hello!” Brindlepaw stopped and blinked at Wavepaw. “You’re new, right?”

Wavepaw nodded.

Honey paw barged in front of him.

“I m et them first,” Honey paw boasted.

“So?” Brindlepaw glared at her.

Twigpaw swiveled her ears toward the long grass, hoping to hear paws hurry ing toward the clearing. WindClan, ThunderClan, and RiverClan were here. But where was ShadowClan? Were they going to be late again?

Bramblestar and Misty star were talking at the foot of the great oak. Onestar was already seated on the branch above them. His gaze was cast down, as though he was avoiding the eyes of the other Clans. Twigpaw wondered if he felt guilty for having withheld lungwort from ShadowClan.

Is that why they weren’t here? Were too many cats sick? The worry that had been nagging in Twigpaw’s belly since she’d left the ShadowClan camp suddenly hardened. What if Violetpaw was sick? She tried to push the thought away, but then she pictured her sister looking after her Clanmates in the medicine den. She could have easily caught the illness. Twigpaw remembered grim ly how sick the cats had been. Had Oakfur died? Or Wasptail? Or the others? What about Violetpaw?

Guilt surged through Twigpaw’s pelt as she remembered the hurt in her sister’s eyes when she’d left. I had to go! You are my kin, but ThunderClan is my home! She’d hoped for a chance to explain to Violetpaw that they would always be sisters even if they lived in different Clans, but what if she never got that chance?

She glanced at Alderpaw, who sat between Leafpool and Jayfeather. Would he go check on ShadowClan if they didn’t show up at the Gathering? Perhaps he’d let her go with him.

Honey paw’s mew broke into Twigpaw’s thoughts. “Wavepaw say s that RiverClan kits learn to swim before they become ’paws.”

“No way!” Brindlepaw exclaim ed. “Don’t they drown?”

Wavepaw snorted with am usem ent. “RiverClan cats are born to swim.”

Brindlepaw’s eyes widened. “I hate getting m y fur wet.”

Twigpaw gazed at them distractedly. She was only half listening. Her thoughts were still on her sister.

Honey paw blinked at the RiverClan apprentices. “I’ve never even stood in a river.”

Wavepaw shrugged. “You should try it,” she mewed. “Rivers are fun. And fish taste delicious.”

Cy presspaw looked shy ly at Honey paw. “We can teach you to swim if you like.”

Honey paw shuddered. “No, thanks!”

Wavepaw’s eyes sparkled with m ischief. “Are you scared?” He nodded toward the trees.

Bey ond them, the lake glittered in the moonlight.

Honey paw fluffed out her fur. “Of course not. But it’s too cold.”

“No it’s not!” Wavepaw headed through the crowd toward the trees. “Come on.”

Honey paw followed.

“You can’t!” Alarm j erked Twigpaw from her thoughts. She hurried after them. “The Gathering’s going to start in a m om ent.”

Honey paw stared at her. “But ShadowClan isn’t even here y et.”

As she spoke, Onestar’s mew rang across the clearing. “I’m tired of waiting. Let’s start the m eeting.”

Misty star and Bramblestar exchanged glances and scram bled up the oak, taking their places beside the WindClan leader.

Bramblestar’s gaze flicked toward the long grass, as though he was hoping that ShadowClan might appear. Then he blinked down at the Clans as the cats drew closer. “Newleaf has brought more prey and fine weather. ThunderClan has thrived.” He turned to Misty star, dipping his head.

“Prey is running well in RiverClan. And, as you see, we have two new apprentices, Wavepaw and Cy presspaw.”

The two young cats shifted self-consciously as the Clans turned to look at them.

As Onestar leaned forward, ready to address the gathered cats, the long grass rustled.

Twigpaw j erked her gaze toward it, her heart skipping a best. ShadowClan? Would Violetpaw be with them? She watched Rowanstar pad into the clearing. As Tawny pelt and Tigerheart followed, she strained to see others behind them, but no cat followed the three ShadowClan warriors.

Pelts ruffled anxiously around Twigpaw as Rowanstar stopped at the edge of the crowd and looked up at Bramblestar. “We come alone,” he meowed curtly.

Twigpaw saw tufts of fur sticking from his pelt. Blood had dried on his m uzzle. He’d been fighting! Her gaze flitted to Tawny pelt and Tigerheart. They looked unharm ed. What had happened to the ShadowClan leader?

Bramblestar shifted on the branch, beckoning Rowanstar to his place beside the others. As the ShadowClan leader wove between the Clans, Bramblestar called to him. “You have recovered from the sickness.” Relief glowed in his moonlit gaze.

Rowanstar leaped onto the low branch and stood beside him. “The whole Clan has recovered.”

Misty star looked surprised. “Then why haven’t you brought them?” Her gaze flicked to Tawny pelt and Tigerheart, who had pushed their way to the front.

Rowanstar lifted his chin. “They wouldn’t j oin us.” His gaze flashed angrily around the Clans.

“They believe you betray ed them by allowing Onestar to withhold the herb we needed so desperately.”

Onestar growled. “You recovered, didn’t y ou? You never really needed it!”

Rowanstar snarled at the WindClan leader. “We only recovered because Harespring and Kestrelflight have more com passion than y ou! They gave us the herb!”

Shocked m urm urs rippled through the crowd. Twigpaw stretched to see over the heads of the bigger cats. Kestrelflight seem ed to shrink beneath his pelt. Harespring stared im passively at the gathered cats, betray ing nothing. Twigpaw’s pelt prickled with curiosity. Why had Alderpaw dropped his gaze? Why was Jayfeather puffing out his chest? Had they known about this? Clearly Onestar hadn’t.

The WindClan leader’s eyes sparked with rage. He glared down at Harespring. “Is this true?”

His deputy looked up steadily. “I could not let a Clan die.”

Kestrelflight padded forward. “I consulted StarClan,” he mewed. “They told m e that it was the right thing to do.”

Onestar’s fur lifted along his spine. He dragged his astonished gaze from his medicine cat to Rowanstar, but before he could speak, the ShadowClan leader flicked his tail. “You were right about the rogues, though, Onestar.”

Onestar stared at him.

“We should have driven them from the edge of our territory moons ago.” Rowanstar’s shoulders drooped. His anger over the herb seem ed to drain from him. Suddenly he looked old, his pelt dull in the moonlight, his ribs showing where the sickness had ravaged him. “They have taken over m y Clan.”

“What do you mean?” Bramblestar padded along the branch, thrusting his m uzzle close as shocked mews rang from the crowd.

Rowanstar m et the ThunderClan leader’s gaze. “Before we left for the Gathering, the rogues entered our camp.”

Misty star stiffened. “Was there a battle? Are many hurt?”

“There was no battle.” Sham e glittered in Rowanstar’s gaze. “My Clan chose them over m e.”

“They chose them?” Bramblestar sounded puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“They said that any ShadowClan cat who cam e here tonight would not be allowed to return to the Clan.”

Twigpaw stared at the ShadowClan cats in confusion. But where is Violetpaw? She couldn’t have decided to stay among the rogues—could she? Twigpaw felt cold as she watched Rowanstar’s paws trem ble beneath him. He no longer looked like a leader. He looked like a hungry, frightened loner.

Onestar curled his lip. “I always said that ShadowClan was no better than rogues.”

Rowanstar glared at him, energy sparking though his pelt suddenly. “That’s not true! They have just m ade a m istake!”

Tigerheart called out from below. “The real ShadowClan cats will come to their senses before long and drive the invaders out!”

Tawny pelt stood beside her son, her chin high. “The sickness scared them. They are like frightened kits looking for som eone strong to protect them!”

Onestar’s tail flicked om inously. “And why didn’t they look to Rowanstar? Isn’t he strong?”

Rowanstar paws suddenly steadied on the branch. He lifted his head, his shoulders squaring. “I have been sick. Crowfrost has died. For day s ShadowClan had no leadership, thanks to y ou. If y ou’d given us the herb earlier, this might never have happened.”

Murm urs of agreem ent sounded around Twigpaw. She turned her head, seeing RiverClan and ThunderClan cats nodding. Even som e of the WindClan cats were staring accusingly at their leader.

“What’s done is done.” Bramblestar’s mew was calm. “For now Rowanstar, Tawny pelt, and Tigerheart will be welcome in ThunderClan. They can stay until their Clanmates realize their m istake.”

Tawny pelt hissed m iserably. “If they realize their m istake.”

Bramblestar blinked at her sy m pathetically. “I know you feel betray ed. But it takes more than sickness and rogues to destroy the bonds of Clanship.”

Onestar grunted. “Not in ShadowClan.”

Rowanstar turned on the WindClan leader, teeth bared. Twigpaw’s heart lurched. Was he going to attack Onestar? Her breath caught in her throat, but the ginger tom hesitated, then backed away.

He turned to Bramblestar. “Thank you for y our offer. We will be honored to stay with ThunderClan.”

Honey paw snorted beside Twigpaw. “Oh, great,” she huffed sarcastically. “ShadowClan cats in our camp.”

Twigpaw hardly heard her denmate. But where is Violetpaw? Why had she decided to stay with the rogues? What if they were holding her against her will? Was she in danger? Panic gripped Twigpaw’s heart with stone claws.

“Are you okay?” Honey paw stared at her bristling pelt.

“My sister,” Twigpaw whispered hoarsely. “She’s with the rogues.” Her paws itched to race to the ShadowClan camp. She had to speak with Violetpaw. She had to know she was okay.

Paws pattered behind Twigpaw as Ivy pool caught up to her the next day. They were approaching the border of ShadowClan, and Ivy pool was hesitating. “You’re really worried, aren’t y ou?”

“Im agine if it was Dovewing!” Twigpaw snapped.

Ivy pool didn’t reply, but she stay ed in step with Twigpaw.

“All I want to do is check that she’s okay.” Twigpaw felt hot. She didn’t like being so disrespectful, but this was im portant.

“What if ShadowClan takes you prisoner again?” Ivy pool pointed out. “There’s no Crowfrost around this time to let you go.”

Twigpaw padded on, pressing back the fear churning in her belly. “It’s just a risk I’ll have to take. You can go back to camp. I don’t mind going by m y self.”

Ivy pool’s ears twitched uneasily. “I’m not letting you cross the border alone.”

Twigpaw glanced at Ivy pool. “May be you can just wait there for m e while I slip across.” She didn’t want to get her m entor into trouble.

“I’m not letting you out of m y sight.” Ivy pool fell quiet for a few m om ents as they scram bled down a steep slope and leaped over a stream. On the far side, Twigpaw paused to catch her breath.

Ivy pool stopped beside her. “Having ShadowClan cats in our camp is strange. I’m not sure I like it.”

“I guess.” Twigpaw headed toward the border once more.

Ivy pool fell in beside her. “Two leaders and two deputies in one camp is just way too m any.

Did you see Tigerheart and Squirrelflight getting into it this m orning about which to send out first, the border or the hunting patrols? I thought Squirrelflight was going to attack him. It was like a rabbit had just given her hunting advice. And Rowanstar!” Ivy pool rolled her eyes. “He follows

Bramblestar around like a shadow, giving ‘tips.’”

“They seem all right,” Twigpaw said with a flick of her tail. “Any way, they’ll be gone soon, we hope.”

“I guess.” Ivy pool didn’t sound convinced. “I’d like to see them all go home soon. Especially Tigerheart.”

Twigpaw looked at her m entor, surprised. “Why?”

Ivy pool didn’t return her gaze. “I’m not sure it’s good for Dovewing to have him around the camp.”

“Why not?” Twigpaw frowned, puzzled. “He doesn’t seem so bad.” She remembered the prickliness between the two warriors when they’d m et in the forest.

“If only.” Ivy pool lowered her voice. “You know what it feels like to worry about y our littermate, don’t y ou? I mean, that’s why we’re here.”

Twigpaw looked at her in surprise. “Of course.”

Ivy pool flicked her ear. “Well, this is a secret, so you mustn’t tell, but Tigerheart and Dovewing used to have feelings for each other.”

“Feelings?” Twigpaw took a m om ent to understand. “You mean they liked each other?”

“I think it was a bit more than like.” Ivy pool sounded disapproving. “But they’re in different

Clans, so it couldn’t go any where. It’s not good for things like that to be stirred up.”

Twigpaw kept walking, her mind spinning. Dovewing and Tigerheart were in different Clans… just like her and Violetpaw. Couldn’t Ivy pool see that it was even worse to be separated from y our kin? To not even be able to worry about her littermate properly, because she never knew what was going on?

The thought flitted away as ShadowClan scent touched her nose. They were near the border.

She could see the sprawling bramble that straddled the scent line. Slowing, she led Ivy pool to the edge and crept along it. She peered around the end of the bramble and scanned the forest ahead.

Where the oaks turned to pine, shadows closed in.

She narrowed her eyes, wondering where she’d find the quickest trail to the ShadowClan camp. Last time she’d come, she’d had the cover of darkness. Would her gray pelt cam ouflage her in day light? Doubt tugged at her paws. Perhaps they should head home after all. Ivy pool was right; if they were caught this tim e, Crowfrost and Rowanstar wouldn’t be there to protect them.

Only rogues.

Ferns shivered ahead. Paw steps scuffed the earth.

“Quick, hide!” Ivy pool scuttled under the bramble and dragged Twigpaw after her.

Thorns snagged Twigpaw’s pelt, and she screwed up her eyes as Ivy pool pulled her deeper into the thicket.

She could hear two ShadowClan cats talking as they approached.

A she-cat was purring. “Darktail’s not used to having to organize so many patrols. Did you see him this m orning try ing to decide who to send hunting? He looked like a confused badger.”

Twigpaw stiffened. She recognized that mew. Needletail. She wriggled to the edge of the brambles and peered out.

The silver she-cat was walking beside a one-ey ed tom, looking pleased with herself. “He should appoint a deputy to help him.” She brushed close to the tom. “Som eone like y ou.”

The tom stopped and gazed at Needletail. “You remember what happened the last time I challenged Darktail for leadership.”

“You won’t be challenging him this tim e, Rain,” Needletail m urm ured silkily. “You’ll be offering to help him out.”

Rain’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. “You should offer to be deputy,” he meowed.

“You’d be good at it.”

As he leaned forward to nuzzle Needletail’s cheek, Twigpaw hauled herself from beneath the brambles. Needletail cared about Violetpaw. She’d help, wouldn’t she?

“Twigpaw!” Ivy pool grabbed for her tail.

Twigpaw tugged it free from her m entor’s paw and burst out in front of Needletail. She shook the prickles from her pelt. “Needletail. You have to help m e!”

Needletail’s eyes widened. “Twigpaw? What are you doing here?”

“I have to speak with Violetpaw.”

“Violetpaw’s in camp.”

“But I have to know if she’s okay.” Twigpaw ignored the one-ey ed tom, who was staring at her in surprise.

Ivy pool slid from beneath the bramble and stood beside her. “We’re sorry to intrude,” she mewed apologetically. “But Twigpaw has been frantic about her sister. We just need to know she’s okay and then we’ll go.”

“Of course she’s okay!” Needletail bristled. “Do you think I’d let any thing happen to her?”

“I have to talk to her.” Twigpaw dug her paws into the leaf-strewn earth. Now that she’d come this far, she was determ ined to see Violetpaw for herself. What if Needletail was ly ing?

Needletail frowned. “I can’t just go fetch her for y ou!”

Twigpaw stared at her pleadingly. “But you used to, remember? When we were kits. You and Alderpaw used to sneak us out so we could see each other. It’s no different from that.”

An impatient growl rum bled in Needletail’s throat.

Twigpaw leaned closer. “If y ou’re scared of Darktail, I understand. I’m happy to go to the camp m y self.”

Rain’s gaze sharpened. “That would be brave.”

Twigpaw shrugged. “I want to see m y sister, that’s all.” Please StarClan. Don’t let them smell my fear-scent!

Rain glanced at Needletail. “You’d better fetch her,” he grunted. “This is the sort of cat who gets other cats into trouble.” He scowled at Ivy pool. “Are you her m entor?”

Ivy pool lifted her m uzzle. “Yes.”

“You shouldn’t have let her come here.”

“That’s like telling m e I shouldn’t let the wind blow through the forest. Som e things you just can’t argue with.”

Needletail flicked her tail crossly. “Wait here.” She turned and raced away.

Rain stay ed where he was, staring at Twigpaw and Ivy pool. He tipped his head. “How was the Gathering?” Am usem ent edged his mew. “Did the other Clans miss us?”

Ivy pool’s pelt ruffled. “Why would we miss rogues at a Gathering?”

“Didn’t Rowanstar tell y ou?” Rain asked innocently. “We’re ShadowClan now. We’re just like y ou.”

Ivy pool flexed her claws. “No, y ou’re not! You m ay have taken over ShadowClan’s camp, but y ou’re still rogues!”

Rain’s whiskers twitched.

Twigpaw could see that he was enj oy ing irritating Ivy pool. “Ignore him.” She sat down, her gaze fixed on the forest where Needletail had disappeared.

Ivy pool shifted uneasily beside her.

Rain stared at them, his gaze cold.

High above them, clouds stretched long paws over the pale blue sky. A breeze stirred the budding leaves. An age seem ed to pass as they waited, but at last Twigpaw heard paw steps. She pricked her ears.

Fam iliar black-and-white fur flashed between the trunks. Violetpaw was running toward them, Needletail at her tail.

“Violetpaw!” Twigpaw rushed to m eet her, startling Rain as she flashed past him. But she soon slithered to a halt, surprised at the anger in Violetpaw’s eyes.

“Why in StarClan did you come here?” Violetpaw was glaring at her. “You could have gotten

Needletail into trouble. Darktail asked her what she was doing back at camp. She had to lie.”

Twigpaw blinked at her sister. Did Violetpaw care more about Needletail getting into trouble than about seeing her? “I could get into trouble too, you know,” she snapped. “We’re not supposed to be here. But I had to find out if you were safe.”

“Of course I’m safe.” Violetpaw glanced at Needletail. “I have friends here.”

Irritation sparked beneath Twigpaw’s pelt. She nudged her sister aside and lowered her voice.

“Are you really okay?” she hissed in Violetpaw’s ear when they were out of range of Needletail.

Perhaps Violetpaw was putting on a show for the rogues.

“Yes!” Violetpaw drew away.

Twigpaw kept her voice soft. “You can come back with me and Ivy pool. You don’t have to stay with the rogues. You can j oin ThunderClan, with m e.” She stared desperately into

Violetpaw’s amber eyes. This was their chance to be together again.

Violetpaw frowned. “Why should I? You didn’t want to j oin ShadowClan to be with m e.”

“I didn’t want to leave y ou! But I couldn’t turn m y tail on m y Clanmates.”

“Neither can I. Go back to y our Clan and I’ll go back to m ine.”

Twigpaw stared at her. “We’re still sisters, right?”

Violetpaw blinked slowly. “I suppose.” She glanced at Needletail again. “But we’ve each found our own Clan. We’ve each found where we belong.”

Twigpaw stared at her. Was Violetpaw telling her they could never be together again?

A paw knocked Twigpaw aside. “Stop whispering!” Needletail pushed between them and glared at Twigpaw.

“It’s okay,” Violetpaw mewed. “We’re done.”

“Good.” Needletail whisked her tail, still staring at Twigpaw. “Now leave.”

Ivy pool padded forward. “Is every thing okay?”

Twigpaw nodded. “Every thing’s fine—”

Needletail lashed out, slicing Twigpaw’s ear tip with a claw. “I said leave!”

Twigpaw flinched as pain seared through her.

“How dare y ou?” Ivy pool hurled herself at Needletail. Hissing, she dragged Needletail to the ground, pum m eling her belly with her hind paws. Needletail wriggled free, glowering at Ivy pool.

The sm ell of blood tainted the air as fur fluttered around them.

“Stop!” Panic flashed through Twigpaw. Rain was padding closer. “There’s no need to fight.”

Needletail and Rain circled them, eyes slitted and growls rum bling in their throats.

Violetpaw shoved Twigpaw away, her frightened gaze on the one-ey ed tom. “Run! Get away from here before you get hurt!”

Ivy pool nodded to Twigpaw. “Let’s go.”

Twigpaw ran. Her paws sent leaf litter fly ing as she hared around the bramble and crossed the scent line. She felt Ivy pool’s breath at her tail and heard Rain and Needletail chasing them.

Pushing harder, she raced into ThunderClan territory. Ivy pool pounded after her. Behind them, the sound of paw steps faded. She glanced back. Needletail and Rain were standing at the border, backs arched. Violetpaw stood beside them, watching with round, sad eyes.

Good-bye, Violetpaw. Twigpaw slowed, her lungs burning. Was that the last she’d see of her sister? Now that ShadowClan had turned rogue, could they ever m eet again? She stum bled as her paws grew num b beneath her. Grief choked her. She and Violetpaw had chosen different Clans.

May be their bond of kinship wasn’t strong enough to survive their decision.