Darkest Night

CHAPTER 21

Wind blustered across the lake, whipping small waves into whitecaps. The sun lifted into a vivid blue sky. Violetpaw breathed in the musty scents of the leaf-fall forest. She smelled the peaty tang of moorland and looked toward the heather-covered hill, wondering if WindClan cats were watching her patrol’s progress around the shore.

Her paws ached. She glanced back at Cloudmist and Cherrytail. Their paws must be raw from the journey. They weren’t used to such traveling and looked weary and anxious.

Cloudmist looked nervously from water to forest. “Where does SkyClan live?”

Hawkwing, padding beside her, nodded to the halfbridge and the pine trees beyond. “Our land is there.”

Tree narrowed his eyes. “Last time I was here, warriors chased me off.”

“They won’t chase you off this time,” Hawkwing promised.

Cherrytail tasted the air as they neared the trees, her pelt suddenly rippling excitedly. “I can smell SkyClan scent!”

Fidgetpaw and Frecklewish lifted their noses, their eyes brightening as they smelled it too.

Gravelpaw glanced at his littermates. “It doesn’t smell like our scent,” he grunted.

“Yes it does,” Fringepaw argued. “It’s just a bit muskier, that’s all.”

Violetpaw flicked her tail happily. “Your scent will smell the same once you’ve eaten forest prey for a moon.”

Gravelpaw huffed. “I don’t want to smell different.”

Mintfur padded closer to her kit, brushing beside him. “Change can be hard,” she mewed sympathetically. “But you’ll be among Clanmates.”

“I was already among Clanmates at the gorge,” Gravelpaw grumbled.

Violetpaw fell in beside him. “Wait till you meet Twigpaw. She’s great. So is Finpaw. And Reedpaw and Dewpaw. They’re really nice.”

Behind them, Molewhisker halted. “I should leave you here.” He glanced toward the oak forest at the top of the shore. They were crossing ThunderClan territory.

Hawkwing faced the brown-and-cream tom. “Thank you for your help.” He dipped his head formally, then touched his muzzle to Molewhisker’s shoulder. “If you ever need help, SkyClan is in your debt.”

Molewhisker blinked at him warmly. “It’s been fun.” He glanced at Frecklewish. “And I’m always happy to help rescue a Clan cat from Twolegs.”

Frecklewish purred. She’d relished the journey more than anyone, running ahead to see what lay over the next rise and scrambling up hills to feel fresh wind in her fur. Clearly she was delighted to be free of her Twoleg prison.

Violetpaw blinked gratefully at Molewhisker as the ThunderClan tom headed toward the oaks. “Good-bye!” she called. “Thanks!”

He flicked his tail in reply before disappearing among the undergrowth.

Hawkwing picked up the pace as they neared the halfbridge, turning inland and heading toward the pines. Violetpaw’s heart quickened. How was Twigpaw? Had she missed them? She couldn’t wait to share her adventures with her sister.

As Hawkwing led the way up the short steep bank, Rabbitleap’s pelt began to prickle uneasily.

Violetpaw glanced at him. “Are you okay?”

Blossomheart wrinkled her nose. “Can you smell that?”

The patrol slowed behind Hawkwing as they padded into the pine forest.

Violetpaw tasted the air. What had spooked her Clanmates? A sour tang touched her tongue. “Is that ShadowClan scent?”

“Yes.” Hawkwing stopped and scanned the trees. His hackles lifted.

Rabbitleap stretched his muzzle to sniff a bramble.

Blossomheart padded forward and sniffed the ground. “It’s everywhere. And it’s fresh.”

Cloudmist’s eyes widened in alarm. “Are you sure we’re on SkyClan territory?”

“Of course.” Hawkwing’s fur was bristling. He padded forward.

Violetpaw unsheathed her claws. Had ShadowClan taken back their land while the patrol had been gone?

“Let’s check the camp,” Rabbitleap suggested.

With a nod, Hawkwing hurried past the brambles, onto the track that led to the cedar grove.

Violetpaw followed, her Clanmates bunched close around her. The ShadowClan smell strengthened as they neared the camp. Violetpaw’s mouth grew dry. Had ShadowClan driven SkyClan out? She tasted the air again, confused as she smelled recent SkyClan scents. The familiar smell rolled from the fern walls of the camp, visible now between the trees.

Hawkwing was frowning, clearly puzzled. Violetpaw pricked her ears for the sound of conflict, but as they neared the entrance, she heard the cheerful mew of Finpaw.

“We’re going to need lots more moss!”

“And ferns.” Twigpaw answered him.

“I’ll take Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw into the forest to collect some.” Finpaw sounded excited. “You stay here with Dewpaw and Snakepaw and finish the nests we’ve already started.”

Whorlpaw, Flowerpaw, and Snakepaw? Weren’t they ShadowClan apprentices? Why were they helping Twigpaw build nests?

She caught Rabbitleap’s eye. Her mentor looked bewildered. The stench of ShadowClan was so strong as they neared the camp entrance that Violetpaw closed her mouth. “What’s going on?”

As she spoke, Finpaw hurtled from the camp entrance, Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw at his tail. He skidded to a halt as he saw the patrol. His eyes widened in surprise, and then happiness. “You’re back!” His gaze flitted to the cats following Hawkwing and Blossomheart. “And you found our Clanmates!”

Hawkwing stared at Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw. “What’s going on here?”

Finpaw glanced at the ShadowClan apprentices. “Leafstar will explain.” He mewed quickly. “We need to fetch ferns and moss.” His gaze flickered over Gravelpaw, Fringepaw, Palepaw, and Nectarpaw. “It looks like the apprentices’ den is going to be very full!”

Without explaining, he hared away into the forest, Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw racing after him.

Violetpaw was pleased to see that his tail had healed and he seemed happy. But she didn’t understand why he was so excited to be collecting supplies with ShadowClan apprentices.

Hawkwing fluffed out his pelt. “Come on,” he growled. “Let’s find out what’s happened.” He marched into camp.

As Violetpaw followed him through the fern tunnel, she blinked in surprise. The half-built camp they had left had been transformed. The walls of the dens were neatly woven. Lichen and brambles padded the medicine den. Ferns had been cleared to leave a wide, open space around the stream.

And cats were everywhere. She stared at Sandynose and Plumwillow lazing in a patch of grass while Tinycloud rolled on her back beside them, letting Quailkit, Pigeonkit, and Sunnykit scramble over her belly. On the other side of camp, ShadowClan warriors were pushing pawfuls of moss through the entrance of the warriors’ den. Inside, Sparrowpelt was giving orders. “There’s enough space for five more nests, but I think we’ll have to build a second den if every cat’s going to stay warm through leaf-bare.”

Stonewing surveyed the bramble walls from outside. “There’s room here to extend the walls.” He glanced at the low branches of the cedar, hanging overhead. “This tree will make a natural roof.”

“We can fetch supplies from our old camp,” Grassheart meowed.

Hawkwing stared, his mouth open. “What in StarClan is going on here?”

At his mew, Leafstar nosed her way through the lichen that covered the entrance to her den in the hollow of the old cedar. Her eyes lit up as she saw the patrol. “You’re back!” Tail high, she scrambled down the twisted roots and hurried to meet her Clanmates. She wove between Cherrytail and Cloudmist, touching noses with Nettlesplash and Mintfur before stopping in front of Frecklewish. “You’re safe.” Eyes glistening, she pressed her cheek to the medicine cat’s.

Leafpool and Puddleshine padded from the medicine den and watched the returning cats curiously.

Tree backed away as Plumwillow and Sandynose leaped to their paws and bustled around their old Clanmates.

“How was the journey?”

“Are you well?”

They peppered them with questions while Fallowfern, Bellaleaf, and Sagenose hurried to join them.

Violetpaw looked past them to Twigpaw.

Twigpaw gazed at her, eyes shining, for a moment, before racing from the apprentices’ den to greet her. Purring loudly, she rubbed her muzzle along Violetpaw’s jaw, then turned to press her cheek to Hawkwing’s nose. “You’re safe.” Her words came as a happy sigh. She blinked at the rest of the patrol. “And you found so many.”

“We’re glad to be home,” Hawkwing told her. “How have you been?”

“Great!”

Violetpaw thought she saw hesitation flash in Twigpaw’s gaze. Had she really been fine?

Twigpaw didn’t give her a chance to wonder. “How was the journey? Was it hard finding our Clanmates? Were there dogs? Foxes?” She was breathless with excitement.

“We’ll tell you about it later.” Hawkwing sounded distracted. His gaze kept flitting to Rowanstar, who was crouched stiffly beside Tawnypelt while his Clanmates watched SkyClan’s reunion. “First we need to know what’s going on here.” He padded to Leafstar, interrupting her conversation with Frecklewish and Fidgetpaw. “Why are there ShadowClan warriors in our camp?” he asked bluntly.

Silence spread among the SkyClan cats. ShadowClan moved closer together. Rowanstar narrowed his eyes.

Only Snakepaw carried on chattering. “I hope Finpaw brings back plenty of ferns. We’re going to need even more nests than we thought. I’ve never seen so many—” She stopped as she looked around, as though suddenly aware that she was the only cat talking.

Leafstar met Hawkwing’s gaze. “Rowanstar disbanded ShadowClan at the Gathering last night. He asked for sanctuary here for himself and his Clan.”

“Sanctuary?” Hawkwing looked around. “From what? Are the rogues back?”

“No.” Leafstar glanced at the ShadowClan leader and lowered her voice. “I think he wanted sanctuary from his own Clanmates,” she whispered.

Hawkwing’s eyes narrowed. “But they’re here, with him.”

“They are SkyClan now,” Leafstar told him. “And, unlike Rowanstar, I will not tolerate disloyalty or arguments between Clanmates.”

Violetpaw shifted her paws uneasily. She looked at the ShadowClan leader, hunched at the edge of the camp; she could understand why his Clanmates had lost respect for him. He seemed defeated in a way Leafstar could never be.

Blossomheart frowned. “So ShadowClan is part of SkyClan now?”

“Yes,” Leafstar meowed. “Rowanstar gave us their land. And without land, a Clan can’t survive.”

“We did,” Hawkwing reminded her.

“Only just.” Leafstar looked around at her returned Clanmates. “But now we are together once more, and we have our own territory.” She began purring. “You must be hungry. I will organize hunting patrols.”

Violetpaw realized that her belly was hollow. The stale mouse she’d eaten that morning had done little to satisfy the hunger of traveling for so long.

“Bellaleaf.” Leafstar nodded to the pale orange she-cat. “Take Sandynose and two ShadowClan warriors and hunt near ShadowClan’s old camp. Plumwillow, take Sagenose—”

Sandynose cut in. He was staring at Tree. “Who’s he?”

The loner shifted nervously a tail-length outside the group. “I’m Tree,” he murmured.

Leafstar blinked at Nettlesplash. “Did you recruit him at the gorge?”

Nettlesplash shook his head.

Violetpaw stepped forward. “I found him,” she mewed. “He was on his own. I thought he should come with us.”

“Needletail led Violetpaw to him,” Hawkwing explained.

Leafstar looked puzzled. “I thought Needletail was dead.”

“She is,” Hawkwing told her. “She visited Violetpaw and told her that Tree was important to the Clans.”

Tawnypelt padded forward, staring at Tree through narrowed eyes. “He looks familiar,” she mewed. “I think I saw him with Needletail many moons ago.” She paced around the loner, inspecting him. “But having Needletail as a friend is no recommendation.” Her gaze flicked sharply to Violetpaw.

“That’s not fair!” Violetpaw bristled. “Needletail gave her life to save the Clans!”

“After she betrayed them,” Tawnypelt growled.

Hawkwing moved closer to Violetpaw. “Violetpaw trusts Needletail, and I trust Violetpaw.”

“Violetpaw is young. The young make mistakes.” Leafstar’s hard gaze flitted from Violetpaw to Rowanstar. “We have seen for ourselves what happens to a Clan that lets strangers in.”

Violetpaw’s heart sank. She’s going to send him away! “But he might be important!” She had to stop Leafstar from making the wrong choice.

Leafstar looked unconvinced. “If he were important, StarClan would have led you to him, not Needletail. She can’t be truste—”

“Wait!” Puddleshine cut her off. The medicine cat was staring at Tree’s paws. He pushed his way through the crowd of SkyClan cats and nudged Tawnypelt out of the way. “Look at his hind paw!” His pelt was prickling excitedly.

Leafpool hurried after him, following his gaze. “Six toes,” she breathed. She stared at Leafstar. “There really is a six-toed cat. This is the cat StarClan told us about!”

Hawkwing frowned, puzzled. “StarClan told you about Tree?”

“They sent a vision to Willowshine,” Puddleshine told him. “They showed her a cat with six toes on its hind paw and said, ‘To fend off a storm, you will need an extra claw.’” The medicine cat’s eyes shone with relief. “And now we’ve found him.”

Leafpool’s gaze trailed thoughtfully over Tree. “We need to figure out what’s special about him.”

“And how he can help us.” Puddleshine paced excitedly around the loner.

Leafstar’s tail twitched. “I suppose that if StarClan has prophesied it, then we must accept you.” She padded closer to Tree, wariness in her gaze. “For now.”

Relief flooded through Violetpaw. She wondered if Needletail could see this. Was she on her way to StarClan?

“Bellaleaf! Plumwillow!” Leafstar beckoned to the two warriors. “Take those hunting patrols out. We have mouths to feed.”

The Clans broke from the stillness that had held them. Violetpaw blinked as warriors moved around her. It felt strange to be home and surrounded by so many cats. She glanced toward the apprentices’ den.

Twigpaw’s pelt brushed her side. “Finpaw and I have been building nests since you went. But we didn’t realize we’d need so many.” She glanced toward Fringepaw and her littermates. “I’m not sure the apprentices’ den will be big enough.”

Leafstar padded toward them, her muzzle high. “You two won’t need nests.” She caught Violetpaw’s eye. “It’s time you and your sister moved to the warriors’ den.”

Excitement welled in Violetpaw’s chest. “Really?” She could hardly believe her ears.

Leafstar dipped her head. “Twigpaw has learned enough about SkyClan’s ways, and you have traveled beyond the horizon to bring your Clanmates home. You have both earned warrior names.”

Violetpaw turned to Twigpaw, her heart almost bursting with joy. At last they would be warriors together, fighting and hunting for the same Clan. With a purr, she touched Twigpaw’s cheek. Everything was finally as it should be.