River Of Fire

Clear of the trees, Twigpaw could see the orange glow of fire at the other side of the lake, not far from the water’s edge. It’s not WindClan—it’s RiverClan! And it looks like it’s in their camp!

Pelting along the lakeshore, Twigpaw spotted three WindClan cats sweeping down from the top of the moor. As they drew closer, she recognized Gorsetail and Nightcloud with her apprentice, Brindlepaw.

“You’re heading for the fire?” Gorsetail panted as the WindClan cats joined the ThunderClan patrol. “We’ll come with you. It looks bad!”

The combined patrols raced along the shore past the horseplace. As they reached the end of the tree-bridge they could hear noise ahead of them: the roaring of flames and terrified cats yowling for help or screeching in pain. Twigpaw’s belly tightened with compassion, and she tried to force her legs to run even faster.

At the border stream the cats came to a halt. Ahead of her Twigpaw could see a barrier of fire; a fallen tree was blazing, along with undergrowth and dried reeds that grew along the water’s edge. Beyond the barrier more flames leaped into the sky; the whole of the RiverClan camp was alight.

For a few heartbeats Twigpaw stood frozen, stunned to see her vision taking place for real in front of her. This is what StarClan was warning me about! At first, she felt renewed relief that it wasn’t ThunderClan’s camp being destroyed. But her relief was swamped by the horror of seeing what the fire was doing to RiverClan.

These are Clan cats! We have to help them!

In the midst of the flames she could see the dark shapes of fleeing cats. Some of them had leaped into the lake and were swimming to safety. But Twigpaw could see injured cats and an elder huddled together beside the water, unable to swim to safety. Twigpaw spotted Mistystar with them; clearly the Clan leader was refusing to leave the weakest of her Clan.

The fire was creeping across the ground to the spot where they were standing; soon they would have to swim or be devoured by the flames.

“Somehow we have to get to those cats,” Alderheart declared.

“Will they want us to?” Gorsetail murmured anxiously. “Will they be angry with us for interfering? RiverClan’s borders are closed!”

Oh, sure, flea-brain! Twigpaw thought, anger clawing through her. Maybe they don’t want to be rescued. So what are you here for?

“We must help,” Bramblestar asserted, glaring at the WindClan warrior. “I can’t imagine a Clan leader refusing help to save their Clan.”

“But how?” Ambermoon asked. “None of us are strong swimmers, and without swimming there’s no way to get past that burning tree.”

“Then we’ll have to make a way,” Alderheart meowed. Glancing around, he spotted a log lying in the mud on their side of the stream. “We could push that into the water,” he suggested. “Then the cats will be able to cross.”

“Good thinking.” Bramblestar nodded approvingly.

“It’s pretty big,” Ambermoon mewed doubtfully. “Will we be able to move it?”

“We will if we all put our strength together,” Bramblestar responded, quickly beckoning the cats to take their places on the side of the log farthest from the stream. “Now—push!” he yowled.

Twigpaw thrust at the log with her shoulders but felt her paws slipping out from under her as the log refused to budge.

It’s too heavy! she thought despairingly.

“Push! Harder!” Bramblestar yowled again.

Just when Twigpaw was ready to give up, she felt the log shift slightly. “Yes!” she screeched.

Every cat started pushing even more strongly, encouraged as the log moved faster and faster until it reached the stream. Alderheart, Nightcloud, and Larksong pushed at one end to maneuver it into the right place; then every cat gave one final thrust to drive it across the current. Panting and shaking with the effort, Twigpaw saw that it was just long enough to reach the opposite bank.

Thank StarClan! she thought.

Meanwhile Finpaw had leaped up onto the nearer end of the log and was jumping up and down, waving his stump of a tail. “Here! Over here!” he yowled to the stranded RiverClan cats.

Mosspelt, the RiverClan elder, spotted him, and a heartbeat later all the stranded cats were streaming across the open ground to the log. One by one they staggered across it, struggling not to lose their balance on the muddy surface, and leaped down to the safety of the other side.

“Thank you!” Mosspelt gasped as she stumbled onto the bank. “I thought we’d burn for sure.”

Mistystar, crossing last of all, dipped her head to Bramblestar. “You have the thanks of all RiverClan,” she mewed.