Bramblestar’s Storm

“So what are we going to drink?” Cloudtail lashed his tail. “There are no streams up here. The closest is on the WindClan border.”

Bramblestar lapped up a few mouthfuls of rainwater from a puddle in the grass, to get the acrid tang off his tongue. Going thirsty won’t be a problem for us while it’s still raining, he thought. But how long will we have to rely on that? It could take a while for the lake to shrink again.

Returning to the tunnel, he called to Berrynose and Poppyfrost, who were sharing part of a rabbit at the entrance. “I want to take a patrol to the WindClan border,” he meowed. “We need to find out how easy it is to get to the stream there, and whether the flood has affected it.”

The two cats hurriedly swallowed their last mouthfuls and came to join him. Glancing at Sandstorm, Bramblestar added, “Is it okay for me to leave? Again?”

Amusement glimmered in Sandstorm’s green eyes. “Oh, yes,” she assured him. “No cat wants an idle leader!”

Bramblestar took the lead as the three cats trekked through the soaked forest. The rain had stopped and the wind died down, but the trees were still dripping, and the banks of fern and long grasses spilled their loads of water on the cats as they brushed past.

As they crossed the territory, Bramblestar felt his tension rising. All the sights and scents of the forest had changed. His pads prickled with the knowledge that the edge of the lake was only a few fox-lengths below them. Apart from the sound of water lapping and drops falling from trees, the woods were silent. There were no faint scufflings to betray the presence of prey, no birdsong in the branches. Where have they all gone? Bramblestar wondered. How long will it be before they come back?

It took a long time to make their way around the flooded parts of the territory. At last they emerged into the stretch of sparse young trees that led up to the WindClan border. The sound of the stream, rushing and gurgling, reached their ears as they bounded through the thin woodland to the border. Just here the water usually flowed deep beneath overhanging banks. Now it was level with the top of the gully, a brown flood sweeping twigs and leaves in the fast current.

“Keep back, both of you,” Bramblestar warned.

He crouched down at the edge of the water, stretching out his neck so that he could lap. He dug his claws hard into the ground, fighting the fear of being swept away like a loose twig. But the water he drank had a cold, clear taste that reminded him of the mountains.

“Thank StarClan, it’s fine!” he meowed, rising and backing away.

As he spoke the patter of rapid paw steps came from farther upstream, along with angry yowls and hisses. To Bramblestar’s astonishment a WindClan patrol raced into sight on the ThunderClan side of the stream.

Weaselfur, who was in the lead, let out a furious screech. “Get away from there!”

Bramblestar faced him, his fur bristling. “What do you mean?” he demanded. “You’re on our territory!”

Behind him, he was aware of Berrynose and Poppyfrost sliding out their claws. The two other WindClan cats, Leaftail and Furzepelt, hurtled toward them as if they were about to leap into battle.

But Weaselfur halted when he reached the ThunderClan cats, signaling to his patrol to do the same. “This is the only clean water we have,” he mewed, glaring at Bramblestar. “We have reset the border markers to this side of the stream. It belongs to WindClan now.”

“Don’t be mouse-brained!” Bramblestar snapped. “Look at all that water! There’s enough for every cat.”

But the WindClan warriors were too wound up to listen. “Stay away from that water!” Furzepelt snarled.

Poppyfrost took a step forward. “Do you really want to fight for it?” she growled.

At once Leaftail hurled himself at her, knocking her over and clawing at her ears. Berrynose started forward to help her, but Bramblestar flung himself between them, pushing the cream-colored warrior back with a paw on his shoulder.

“Stop!” he growled. “Poppyfrost can cope. I don’t want an all-out battle.”

As the two cats rolled screeching on the ground, Bramblestar turned to Weaselfur. “This is madness,” he meowed. “You can’t shift an entire border because the lake has risen.”

“Yes, we can,” Weaselfur retorted, “and we have. If you have a problem, you’ll have to speak to Onestar. But know that ThunderClan cats will not be welcome in our territory.”

For a moment all Bramblestar’s instincts were to leap on the WindClan warrior and claw the stubborn look off his face. We can beat these scrawny rabbit-chasers easily! But fighting here wouldn’t solve anything. Instead he stalked across to the two battling cats and hauled Poppyfrost away from Leaftail.

“That’s enough,” he ordered. “We’re leaving.”