Bramblestar’s Storm

Bramblestar watched as the remaining dens were marked out and the bedding organized. The pieces of the Twoleg pelt had almost dried out on the bush where Daisy had spread them, and the nests suddenly began to look comfortable.

Squirrelflight padded up to his side and the two watched their Clanmates working for a few heartbeats. “You know,” she mewed, “I’m starting to believe that we will get through this.”

Bramblestar nodded. “I’m sure we will. It takes more than a storm to destroy ThunderClan.”

Chapter 18

Bramblestar padded through his territory, weaving a path among the trees. The line of floodwater glinted silver a couple of tail-lengths away. Above his head the full moon shone down, so bright that the night was almost as clear as day. Walking to the water’s edge, Bramblestar looked out across the lake. At first the surface rippled with a pure, pale light. Then a scarlet stain began to spread, stretching its tendrils toward the shore. Bramblestar’s belly cramped with horror as he caught the tang of blood and saw thick red coils floating to the surface and swirling through the depths.

No! A cat must be injured… I have to get them out of the water before they drown!

Bramblestar jumped into the lake. Silver droplets splashed around him, but before he could dive below the surface, he felt the teeth of another cat sink into his scruff. He let out a yowl and flailed his paws, but he couldn’t break the grip. The unseen cat dragged him back to the shore before it let go.

Bramblestar whirled around and froze, his mouth falling open as he recognized the tom with the flame-colored pelt who stood in front of him.

“Firestar!” he gasped. “There’s a cat in trouble,” he blurted out. “Look, it’s bleeding into the water! I have to find it!”

Firestar’s green eyes glowed in the moonlight. “It’s okay,” he reassured Bramblestar. “Your Clanmates are safe. There are no cats in the lake.”

Bramblestar took a long breath. “Then am I… am I dreaming? Oh, Firestar, it’s so great to see you!”

Firestar dipped his head. “It’s good to be back in my old territory.”

“I’ve tried to look after your Clan,” Bramblestar meowed, struggling with a mixture of joy and guilt that made his voice shake. “But I—I lost Seedpaw. I’m so sorry! If only I’d kept a closer watch on the apprentices.”

“Seedpaw is safe in StarClan,” Firestar told him. “And you need to learn that you cannot guard every one of your Clanmates all the time. As their leader, they’ll look to you to make the big decisions, and to keep them safe from outside enemies, but they have to make their own choices as well. I promise you, you’re doing a good job.”

Bramblestar began to feel soothed by his former leader’s confidence in him. “But what about the visitors? The kittypets?” he asked. “Would you have brought them into the Clan? And would you—?” The words began to spill out of him; he wanted to ask about every single thing he had done since Firestar died.

Firestar raised a paw to silence him. “You know the answers already,” he mewed gently. “They are in your heart.” As Bramblestar blinked at him, he went on, “This is not my Clan anymore. You are ThunderClan’s leader now. Trust the cats who gave you your nine lives. They all knew you would do well—including me,” he added with a glint in his eyes.

“Thank you, Firestar.” Bramblestar bowed his head. When he raised it again, he was startled to realize that the ginger cat was beginning to fade, and Bramblestar could see the stones on the shore through his starlit pelt.

“I have come to tell you something very important,” Firestar meowed. “When water meets blood, blood will rise.”

Bramblestar stared at him. “What does that mean?”

“Look at the floodwater,” Firestar urged. “See how the blood cannot be drowned?”

Bramblestar turned his head to gaze at the lake again. The strange upswelling of blood still shone scarlet among the waves.

Firestar spoke from behind him. “I can’t tell you any more than this. Just remember…”

His voice died away. When Bramblestar turned back, he was gone, and the forest was dark and silent. The moonlight too was blotted out, and Bramblestar was alone in the dark.

Somewhere nearby, a cat sneezed. Bramblestar knew that he was back in the tunnel, surrounded by the warm scents of his sleeping Clanmates. The strangeness of his dream still wreathed around him, and Firestar’s mysterious words echoed in his head.

When water meets blood, blood will rise…

What kind of prophecy was that? It can’t mean that no cats will drown, because Seedpaw has already died. So what does it mean?

After a long time wrestling with different meanings, and discarding them all, Bramblestar gave up and curled deeper into his nest. He slipped back into sleep to the sound of Graystripe’s muffled snores.