River Of Fire

CHAPTER 13

Twigpaw stuck her head out of the nursery and gazed out into the storm. She could make out Alderheart at the opposite side of the camp, yowling louder than the thunder that echoed and echoed around the stone hollow.

“Bramblestar! Bramblestar!”

The Clan leader was already racing down the tumbled rocks.

“Fire!” Alderheart yowled again, dashing to meet his Clan leader in the center of the camp. “It’s not the one I saw at first, in Velvet’s Twolegplace. This is on the other side of the lake. WindClan or RiverClan might need our help.”

Twigpaw shuddered, sure that this was the storm StarClan had warned them about. Memories of her vision at the Moonpool haunted her. Has lightning struck another Clan’s camp?

Velvet, the long-haired kittypet, appeared from the medicine-cat den and joined Alderheart and Bramblestar, mewing in shock. As the thunder died away, Twigpaw could hear what they were saying.

“If Alderheart’s treated your wounds, perhaps you should head back toward the Twolegplace,” Bramblestar mewed curtly. “If Clan cats are hurt, we may need the space in the medicine cats’ den.”

“No, they can’t,” Alderheart objected. “Velvet knows about healing, and if the fire’s as out of control as it looks, then some of the RiverClan cats might be injured. Leafpool and Jayfeather are still sick, so we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Bramblestar agreed reluctantly. “And there’s no time to stand around arguing. We have to go now!”

Twigpaw raced out into the storm, ignoring the mud that splashed up around her, and skidded to a halt beside her Clan leader. “I want to go!” she gasped.

“And me!” another voice piped up behind her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Twigpaw saw that Finpaw had followed her. She gave him an approving flick with her tail, admiring the young tom’s courage.

Bramblestar dived into the warriors’ den and emerged a moment later with Sparkpelt and Larksong. Ambermoon and Rosepetal appeared hard on their paws.

“We’ll come too,” Rosepetal announced.

Bramblestar took the lead as the cats left the camp and plunged into the forest, heading for the lake. The darkness under the trees was so thick that Twigpaw could hardly make out the tail of Ambermoon, who was just in front of her. The heavy rain had made the ground spongy; Twigpaw struggled to run, but her paws were clogged with mud. As she forced her aching legs to carry her, she pictured the terrible vision she had seen at the Moonpool, smoldering trees and undergrowth as fire roared through a camp, devouring everything in its path.

I thought I was seeing the ThunderClan camp at the Moonpool . . . but maybe I was wrong. Twigpaw’s relief that the destruction was happening to a different camp was mixed with guilt and anxiety for whichever Clan was facing the fire.

Is my vision really happening now? Will we be too late?

Once the patrol broke out of the trees to reach the lakeshore, the going became easier. The rain had lessened, too; now it was no more than a fine drizzle, with gaps in the clouds where fitful moonlight showed through. For a heartbeat Twigpaw felt relieved, then realized that the heavy rain might have helped to put the fire out. There was nothing to stop it now.

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.

Twigpaw looked at the shivering cluster of cats and wondered what they would do now. It was no use escaping from the fire, only to die later from cold and exposure. More RiverClan cats came to join them, dragging themselves out of the lake, but Twigpaw noticed that there were still cats missing.

Where are the others? she wondered. Oh, StarClan, don’t let them be dead!

Mistystar and Bramblestar were talking together, with Nightcloud from WindClan; Mistystar was clearly agitated, flexing her claws in and out. Twigpaw drew closer to hear what they were saying.

“I won’t leave any cats behind,” Mistystar was meowing. “Some of them are still missing.”

“But no more are coming,” Bramblestar pointed out patiently.

“I saw some cats escaping the other way,” Podlight put in.

“And the cats here need your care,” Bramblestar continued. “Some of them will die if they don’t find shelter. You can bring them back with us to our camp for now.”

“I’m sure Harestar would take in some cats, too,” Nightcloud added.

Mistystar hesitated, then let out a long sigh. “You’re right. We can’t stay here.”

“Then let’s get going,” Bramblestar meowed. “We can work out the details later.”

The RiverClan leader began to gather her cats together, but before they could move off, Twigpaw heard a desperate yowl coming from the other side of the stream. Whipping around, she spotted a RiverClan apprentice tottering toward the bank. Twigpaw gasped at the sight of her pelt; it seemed to be burned away down one side, exposing the flesh underneath.

She was trying to reach the log and cross the stream, but by now the fire had reached the far end of it, and flames were leaping up in her face.

“Help me!” the young cat yowled. “I can’t get on!”

“Softpaw!” The shriek of horror came from a RiverClan cat behind Twigpaw; she didn’t stop to see who it was. “Softpaw, no!”

Twigpaw was closest to the log. Before any other cat could respond, she darted across it and leaped over the licking flames at the far end. Her paws landed on hot ash, and she drew in a painful, hissing breath.

The young apprentice Softpaw was crouching on the ground in front of her, with ears flattened and her eyes screwed shut.

“It’s okay,” Twigpaw reassured her. “I’ll get you out.”

Gently she grabbed the young cat by the scruff and carried her up to the blazing end of the log. Swinging her backward to build up momentum, she tossed her high above the flames.

Softpaw let out a squeal of alarm. She landed on the log, and for a moment her paws skidded on the slick surface. Twigpaw cringed, expecting with every heartbeat that she would fall into the stream.

But at last Softpaw managed to dig her claws in and regain her balance. She scurried across the log; Shimmerpelt and Mistystar met her on the other side and covered her ears with licks.

Twigpaw spotted Alderheart standing at the far end of the log. “Twigpaw, get back over here now!” he yowled.

“I’m coming!” Twigpaw called back.

Bracing herself, she took a few paces back from the bank, then raced up to the log and hurled herself into the air with a powerful thrust of her hind paws. She felt the heat of the flames as she leaped over them. For a heartbeat she thought she had beaten the fire, but as she came down to land she felt an explosion of heat scorching along one of her back legs.

Twigpaw let out a screech of agony. She thumped down onto the log, flailed briefly with her paws, and felt herself slipping sideways. A moment later the icy water of the stream surged around her and her head went under. As she sank, she heard Alderheart yowling, “No!”

Twigpaw struggled blindly underwater, losing all sense of direction. Then her head broke the surface. Gasping for air, she thrashed with her paws and tried to propel herself to the bank. The current was much stronger here than at the border stream with WindClan, and the water deeper. The bank seemed to be racing past her at a tremendous rate.

I’ll be swept into the lake, and then I’ll never get back!

She caught a glimpse of Alderheart pelting along the bank to keep pace with her, and heard Mistystar’s voice. “Alderheart, you can’t swim! If you jump in, we’ll have to rescue both of you.”

Twigpaw was growing tired, and her waterlogged pelt was weighing her down. It was harder and harder to keep on struggling. Then, as she was sinking again, she saw Shimmerpelt and Mallownose diving into the water, with a smaller cat following them.

Finpaw? Oh, no!

Shimmerpelt and Mallownose grabbed Twigpaw, one on each side, and held her up as they pulled her toward the bank. Finpaw swam in front of her, encouraging her; Twigpaw couldn’t believe how confident he was in the water. “You’ll be fine, Twigpaw. We won’t let you drown.”

Alderheart was waiting as they reached the far side of the stream, and reached down to sink his teeth into Twigpaw’s scruff and help haul her to safety.

“Are you okay?” he demanded.

Twigpaw nodded feebly, tried to speak, and coughed up a mouthful of water. “Thank you,” she gasped when she could breathe again. “Finpaw, I never knew you could swim like that.”

Finpaw shrugged. “I was born by a lake,” he responded. “Don’t all cats swim?”

Mistystar let out a faint mrrow of amusement. “Maybe you should be a RiverClan cat,” she told Finpaw.

“Paws off!” Alderheart retorted. “He’s ours!”

Bramblestar padded up, looking down at Finpaw and Twigpaw with an approving glow in his amber eyes. “Finpaw is full of surprises,” he murmured. “And as for you, Twigpaw, that was very brave.”

“It was,” Mistystar agreed, bending down to touch Twigpaw’s head with her nose. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

Twigpaw struggled to her paws, pride warming her from ears to tail-tip. But then, gazing past Mistystar, she saw the fire still burning in the RiverClan camp.

What does StarClan have in store for us next? she wondered anxiously. Our troubles aren’t over, not by a long shot. But how much worse can everything get?