Bramblestar’s Storm

“Leafpool will be back soon,” Bramblestar told him, hoping that was true. A cough from Sandstorm drew his attention back to her, and he thought how ill she looked, her green eyes bright with fever. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, fine,” Sandstorm replied. “This fern dust gets in my throat, though. I’m going outside for some fresh air.” Rising to her paws, she shook some scraps of bracken out of her pelt and padded off.

“How is she really?” Bramblestar asked Jayfeather, unable to stifle his anxiety about the ginger she-cat.

“She doesn’t have greencough,” Jayfeather answered, “so she should be okay. But living in a cold, damp tunnel doesn’t help.”

I wish we could go back to the hollow, Bramblestar thought. Aloud he mewed, “I think I’ll go check the water levels, and see if they’re starting to go down.”

“I’ll come with you.” Jayfeather pushed a few stems of tansy into a crack and turned to Brightheart. “Stay and finish up here. I won’t be long.”

Outside in the clearing, Bramblestar spotted Lionblaze and Daisy on their way back into the clearing with a load of moss. “We’re going to check the water levels,” Bramblestar called. “Do you want to come with us?”

Lionblaze paused, his bundle of moss tucked under his chin.

Daisy gave him a nudge. “Go on,” she urged him. “I’ll sort out the bedding.”

“Thanks!” Lionblaze dropped the moss and bounded over to join Bramblestar and Jayfeather.

Heading into the trees, Bramblestar caught a whiff of ThunderClan scent, and came upon Squirrelflight’s hunting patrol, already heading back to camp. Squirrelflight was carrying a thrush, while Dovewing and Thornclaw both had mice.

“You’ve done well!” Bramblestar purred.

Squirrelflight nodded. “I think the prey is starting to come back,” she mumbled around her mouthful of feathers.

“Why don’t you come with us to check the water levels?” Bramblestar suggested.

“Sure.” Squirrelflight dropped her catch at Mousewhisker’s paws. “You can take that in. And Thornclaw, you can lead the patrol out again. It seems like the prey’s running well, so we ought to make the most of it.”

As the rest of the patrol headed for the camp, Bramblestar led the way down the slope with Squirrelflight at his side, and Lionblaze and Jayfeather just behind. He suddenly felt at ease, comfortable and happy to be with these cats he knew so well. The others seemed to feel the same, their tension and anxiety relaxing as they trotted through the trees.

Scuffling broke out behind them with a mock growl from Lionblaze. “Die, ShadowClan trespasser!”

“Get off, you great lump!” Jayfeather protested, though there was laughter in his voice.

Squirrelflight whipped around. “Honestly! How old are you both?”

The two brothers broke apart. “Sorry,” Lionblaze muttered, though his eyes glimmered with mischief. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I’ll get you later,” Jayfeather promised as they set out again.

It’s almost like they are kits again… our kits, Bramblestar thought. A pang of sorrow pierced him as he pictured Hollyleaf. She should be with us. I hope she found peace in StarClan.

Reaching the top of the hollow, the four cats peered over, scanning the floodwater that covered their dens.

“It’s just as deep as it was before,” Bramblestar meowed, discouraged.

“I’m not so sure.” Lionblaze pointed with his tail to a tangle of soggy roots that stuck out of the cliff above where the nursery had been. “See those? They look as if they might have been uncovered recently.”

Bramblestar nodded slowly, trying to remember whether the roots had been visible the last time he looked.

“When we went down into the tunnels,” Lionblaze meowed, “you scratched on the floor to mark the water level. Maybe we could do the same here.” He frowned. “Though I don’t see how we could make scratch marks on the side of the cliffs.”

“Maybe we don’t need to,” Squirrelflight put in. “We could go to the edge of the flood among the trees, and mark the water level there with sticks instead.”

“Great idea!” Bramblestar agreed.

Following the top of the hollow, the cats reached the water’s edge and paused for a moment, gazing out across the lake and the drowned forest. Bramblestar felt his paws sinking into mud.

“Mouse dung!” Jayfeather cursed. He had taken an extra pace forward, and now the mud was creeping up his legs, hampering him as he tried to backtrack.

Lionblaze leaned over and grabbed his brother by the scruff, hauling him back. “Use your nose, mouse-brain!” he hissed.

Jayfeather shrugged him off, and raised each paw in turn to shake off sticky clots of mud. Lionblaze jumped back to avoid the shower.

“The scents are all different,” Jayfeather mewed after a moment. “And the air feels weird on my fur.”