Thunder And Shadow

ThunderClan cats bunched near the entrance, pelts bristling. Violetpaw recognized Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Blossom fall am ong them. Their eyes flashed in the moonlight, glancing at her briefly before their gaze flicked toward the other ShadowClan cats. Did they remember her? She’d been part of their Clan once.

“Twigpaw!” Violetpaw’s heart twisted in her chest as she saw her sister race toward them.

Rippletail lunged at her, but Twigpaw escaped his grasp and zigzagged between Sparrowtail and Mistcloud. She ducked past Scorchfur and Spikefur, who were facing the ThunderClan invaders, their backs arched.

Violetpaw stared in dism ay as Twigpaw flung herself against Squirrelflight and nestled beside her. “You can’t leave!” she wailed.

Twigpaw stared at her from am ong her Clanmates. “I can’t stay.”

Why not? Fury surged through Violetpaw. Why had Twigpaw begged to stay close if she was just going to leave? She padded forward, her pelt bristling as Scorchfur lined up beside Mistcloud, Sparrowtail, and Rippletail. Lionpaw and Birchpaw charged to j oin them.

Tigerheart strode from the shadows and faced the ThunderClan cats. “Do you really think we’re going to let you take her without a fight?”

Bramblestar’s eyes flashed with scorn. “The fight wouldn’t last long.”

Violetpaw shuddered. He was right. With so many ShadowClan cats sick, and so many of the Clan’s young cats with the rogues, ShadowClan’s warriors were outnumbered in their own camp.

“Let them go.” Crowfrost’s mew was hoarse as he padded heavily from his den. He pushed between his Clanmates and faced Bramblestar. “You can take her.”

Scorchfur stared at the ShadowClan deputy, his pelt spiking. “What are you doing?”

“We’ve held ThunderClan’s apprentice long enough,” Crowfrost growled. “It seem ed like a good plan at the start, but now it feels wrong. There is sickness here. We should return her before she gets ill, too. Why should Twigpaw suffer for us?”

“She wasn’t suffering!” Violetpaw cried out desperately.

Scorchfur ignored her. He snarled at Crowfrost. “How else are we going to get the lungwort?”

Spikefur stood beside his denmate. “Our Clanmates are dy ing!”

“ThunderClan knows that,” Crowfrost told the dark brown tom. “WindClan knows that too. If they want to let innocent cats die, then it is for StarClan to j udge them, not us. ShadowClan cats are true warriors.” He turned his accusing gaze on Bramblestar.

Bramblestar’s eyes rounded guiltily. “We tried,” he meowed. “We sent Leafpool and Alderpaw to plead with Onestar. But Onestar is determ ined to make you suffer.”

Crowfrost curled his lip. “And y ou’re going to let him.”

Uncertainty darkened Bramblestar’s gaze. He glanced at Squirrelflight. His warriors shifted around him uneasily. “Let’s go,” he meowed at last.

Violetpaw stared helplessly at Twigpaw. We treated you kindly! You helped Puddleshine!

Surely her sister must feel som e connection with ShadowClan now? “Why can’t you stay?” she mewed plaintively.

Twigpaw looked confused. “ThunderClan is m y Clan.”

But I’m your kin. Violetpaw’s heart dropped like a stone as the ThunderClan cats began to back through the tunnel. She watched Twigpaw as shadow swallowed her. She’s gone.

Tigerheart turned on Crowfrost, his eyes blazing. “How could y ou?”

Spikefur lashed his tail. “You’ve let our only hope disappear.”

Crowfrost stared at them, his gaze clouded. “I couldn’t risk a young cat’s life any longer. What if she got sick here and died?”

“It would have m ade ThunderClan understand our suffering,” Spikefur snapped.

“We should have fought to keep her!” Scorchfur faced him, ears flat.

“A battle wouldn’t have stopped them.” Crowfrost sounded weary. “And even if we’d m anaged to keep Twigpaw, do you really think ThunderClan could make Onestar change his m ind?”

Spikefur curled his lip. “You’re a coward!” he snarled.

Scorchfur puffed out his chest. “Rowanstar would never have let her go.”

“Rowanstar m ay not live through the sickness,” Crowfrost rem inded him gravely.

“He has nine lives,” Scorchfur retorted.

“And he’s losing them one by one.”

Violetpaw’s gasped at Crowfrost’s words. Was it true? Were their leader’s lives really slipping away?

Spikefur thrust his m uzzle close to Crowfrost. “Let’s hope he doesn’t die,” he hissed. “Because y ou’re no leader.”

Dawnpelt hurried to Crowfrost’s side. “That’s not true.”

Tawny pelt j oined her. “Crowfrost m ade the right decision. Twigpaw was spending too much time with the sick cats. She might have become ill too. What would StarClan think if she died because of us? And Onestar is determ ined to make us suffer. You know that. Holding Twigpaw here wasn’t going to change any thing.”