Bramblestar’s Storm

“There’s a huge bush upstream,” Poppyfrost reported as the other cats came racing to join them. “It must have been uprooted and washed up on the bank.”

“If we could drag it down here, it could be enough for all of us to stand on,” Cloudtail added.

“Let’s take a look,” Bramblestar meowed. He led the way upstream until they came to a hawthorn bush with dense, prickly branches, caught between two rocks at the edge of the stream.

“Oh, great!” Thornclaw sighed. “I’m really looking forward to putting my paws on that!”

Working together, the ThunderClan cats managed to haul the bush out of the water and began dragging it down the slope toward the log. Before they had gone many paw steps, Jessy leaped back with a yelp.

“What’s the matter?” Bramblestar puffed.

“A branch poked me in the eye,” Jessy explained, blinking rapidly. “But I’m fine. Let’s just get on with it.”

As the slope grew steeper, the bush began to slither down under its own weight. Bumblestripe had to dart quickly out of the way to avoid being crushed by it.

“Stop it!” Cloudtail yowled. “If it slides past the tree, we’ll never drag it up again!”

Bramblestar leaped at the bush from the side, letting all his weight fall onto the outermost branches and wincing as the prickles drove into his pads. Ivypool thrust herself in next to him, trying to help, while Squirrelflight and Thornclaw did the same at the other side. Their efforts slowed the bush down, but it still didn’t stop. Poppyfrost, Bumblestripe, and Jessy vainly tugged at it from the back, and even Snowpaw dug in his small claws. Bramblestar looked up to see that the tree trunk was very close.

We’ll slip past it for sure. Fox dung!

With heartbeats to spare, Cloudtail raced around to the front of the bush and stood bracing himself on the bank beside the fallen tree. The full weight of the bush settled over him as it finally slid to a halt. Bramblestar heard a massive oof! from the middle of the branches. A moment later Cloudtail crawled out, his long white fur snagging on the twigs.

“Good job,” Bramblestar mewed, padding up to him. “Are you okay?”

Cloudtail let out a disgusted snort. “I’ve got every thorn in the bush stuck in my pelt,” he hissed. “But apart from that I’m fine.”

With Thornclaw and Squirrelflight helping, Bramblestar managed to push the hawthorn bush into the stream above the log so that the current shoved it firmly against the tree trunk.

“It worked!” Poppyfrost exclaimed.

“Let’s hope so,” Bramblestar muttered. “There’s still a long way to go.”

Balancing carefully, Squirrelflight ventured out onto the bush. The branches sagged under her weight, but she stayed on her paws. “I think it’ll be okay,” she reported. “But we’d better have the lightest cats out here, and the rest should stay on the bank.”

Poppyfrost leaped forward, but she was a bit too eager. The bush shifted under her weight and she almost slid backward into the stream until she dug in her claws and hauled herself into position beside Squirrelflight.

“Not you,” Bramblestar meowed to Snowpaw as the apprentice got ready to follow the two she-cats. I’m not going to risk losing another apprentice. The young cat looked disappointed, so Bramblestar added, “I need a cat to keep watch. Let us know if you see any warriors coming up from WindClan.”

Snowpaw brightened up immediately. “Right, Bramblestar!” He puffed out his chest and stood on the bank just downstream of the tree trunk, his ears pricked and his gaze fixed on the WindClan side of the torrent.

Meanwhile Bumblestripe, Ivypool, and Jessy scrambled out onto the hawthorn bush, the branches dipping dangerously under the weight of so many cats. Ivypool’s hind paws slipped and water slopped over her hindquarters. She let out a hiss of annoyance as Bumblestripe steadied her.

“I can’t even shake my pelt when I’m perched out here!” she grumbled.

Bramblestar, Thornclaw, and Cloudtail remained on the bank. “Okay, is every cat ready?” Bramblestar called.

“Just get on with it, before this bush gives way,” Squirrelflight grunted.

Bramblestar braced himself. “When I say push… push!”

Digging in with his hind paws to hold himself steady, Bramblestar heaved at the end of the tree trunk. Cloudtail and Thornclaw strained beside him. At first he thought nothing was happening, but then he felt the log shift slightly under his paws.

“It’s moving!” he gasped.

The cats on the bush threw all their weight against the tree. It shifted again, then with a grating sound slipped free of the rocks that held it and crashed into the stream with a massive splash that soaked the cats’ pelts.

“Back to the bank!” Bramblestar yowled.