Dawn

The Thunderpath that had divided ThunderClan from ShadowClan for many moons lay eerily silent.

“They stopped the other monsters from coming here just before they started destroying our part of the forest,” Tawnypaw whispered to Squirrelpaw. “At least it makes it easier to cross,” she added dryly.

The hard surface felt icy underpaw as Squirrelpaw raced over it and into the trees. She heard the distant roaring of monsters and smelled their acrid scent. Her paws trembled, but fury urged her on. Crowpaw raced alongside her, his eyes grimly focused on the path. Squirrelpaw was amazed that his bony, ragged body possessed such strength.

She glimpsed a Twoleg monster through the trees. Its great yellow forepaws were lowered, its claws unsheathed as it tore through the undergrowth. Suddenly a violent and unnatural sound filled the forest, and Squirrelpaw scrambled to a standstill. All around, the forest rang with a dreadful creaking and groaning that seemed to split the air.

Flattening her body against the trembling forest floor, she saw a Twoleg monster only tail-lengths away. With massive paws it ripped an oak from the ground, dragging its roots from the earth as if it were a blade of grass. The tree’s branches crashed like hail as the monster tipped it over and began to strip the trunk, showering the cats with chips of bark. Something growled behind them, and Squirrelpaw whirled around to find their escape blocked as another monster rolled steadily toward them.

“They’re nearly at the camp!” Tawnypelt yowled.

With a sickening feeling of dread, Squirrelpaw saw more monsters ahead, churning their way toward the tangle of brambles that hid the ShadowClan camp.

“We’ll have to go that way,” Firestar called, gesturing with his tail toward a gap in the trees the monsters had not yet reached.

“No!” spat Crowpaw. “It’ll be quicker this way!” He darted forward, heading straight for the camp.

“Stop! You’ll be killed!” Squirrelpaw leaped onto Crowpaw’s back and dragged him to the ground, digging in her claws.

He collapsed beneath her, hissing with fury. “Get off me!”

Brambleclaw raced over to them. “Don’t be such a fool, Crowpaw!”

“He’s gone mad!” Squirrelpaw shrieked. “I’m not going to let him kill himself!”

“I’m not frightened of joining StarClan,” Crowpaw spat back. “The forest is dying anyway. At least in StarClan, Feathertail will be waiting for me!”

Chapter 14

Brambleclaw leaned down and snarled into Crowpaw’s face. “You would rather join a dead warrior than fight to save live ones?”

Squirrelpaw felt the fight drain from Crowpaw’s body, but Brambleclaw went on. “Your Clan needs you more now than ever! Use your head and follow Firestar’s orders! Squirrelpaw, you can take your claws off him now.”

Gingerly she let go, half expecting Crowpaw to dart off into the trees again, but the WindClan apprentice only stood up and shook himself.

Behind them, the elm-killing monster attacked its victim.

Thorn-sharp splinters of wood shot through the air, and Squirrelpaw felt searing pain as a tiny sliver of bark stabbed into her flank.

“Now!” yowled Firestar. The cats leaped forward just as the monster tore a branch from the elm, sending it crashing onto the forest floor where the cats had stood a heartbeat before.

Firestar stopped when they reached the bramble thicket.

“Sandstorm, take Leafpaw and the rest of your patrol and get the kits and queens out,” he ordered. “Mousefur, take Tornear and Crowpaw with your patrol and find the elders.”

Squirrelpaw turned to follow her mother, but Firestar called her back. “Squirrelpaw, I need you here!” he commanded.

“Thornclaw, you help the apprentices to get out. RiverClan warriors, go with him, please.” Mistyfoot nodded and darted off with the ThunderClan cat. “Dustpelt, wait at the entrance and make sure everyone escapes. Don’t let any cat block the way.”

“What about me?” Onewhisker demanded as the others charged away.

“I’ll get to you soon,” Firestar promised. He turned to Tawnypelt who was tearing at the ground with her long, hooked claws. “You know this part of the forest better than us.

We can’t go back the way we came. Which way’s the quickest out of here?”

“That way!” Tawnypelt answered at once, nodding to a break in the trees. “If we’re quick, we’ll get to it before the monsters and pick up a trail that will take us to the tunnel under the Thunderpath.”

Firestar turned back to Onewhisker and Tallstar. “You two must defend our escape route,” he meowed. It was the least dangerous of all the tasks, and Squirrelpaw guessed that her father was trying to preserve the WindClan leader’s last life.

Firestar looked at Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw. “You two, let Tawnypelt take you into the camp. She’ll know which den is which. Make sure that no cat remains inside the camp. If you hear me yowl, get out at once. It’ll mean the monsters have reached the brambles.”

Brambleclaw pressed his muzzle to Squirrelpaw’s ear. “Are you okay with this?”