River Of Fire

CHAPTER 15

Thin clouds dotted the sky, too few to cover the full moon that shone out above the lake. The night air was cool and fresh as Twigpaw padded along the lakeshore with her Clan. Almost a half-moon had passed since the fire that had devastated the RiverClan camp, and the injury to her hind paw was completely healed.

Bramblestar was leading his Clan, with Squirrelflight by his side. Leafpool and Alderheart were with them too, though Jayfeather was still lying sick in the medicine cats’ den. But he was the only cat still suffering from the bellyache, and Twigpaw hoped that better times were ahead.

Her paws tingled with anticipation as she and her Clanmates crossed the border stream and headed along the water’s edge through WindClan territory.

Maybe RiverClan will be there! If they are, it will be the first time for moons that they’ve been to a Gathering.

It gave her a good feeling to think that RiverClan had opened its borders again, though Twigpaw still wondered what StarClan thought of what was happening around the lake. ShadowClan’s fate wasn’t resolved yet; Twigpaw had managed a quick chat with Violetshine when they were patrolling their shared border, and her sister had told her that there were still tensions between the SkyClan warriors and those who had belonged to ShadowClan.

We survived the storm, Twigpaw thought. But what’s next?

When Bramblestar led his Clan through the bushes into the clearing at the center of the island, the other Clans were already there. Twigpaw looked up into the Great Oak to see Mistystar perched on a branch as well as Harestar and Leafstar. Reedwhisker was sitting on the oak roots with the other deputies.

Twigpaw was happy to see the RiverClan cats back in their proper place, but she spotted several cats from the other Clans muttering together and casting hostile looks at the RiverClan cats, who were clustered together at the far side of the clearing. She could tell that not every cat shared her feelings.

“I thought every cat would be glad to see RiverClan back,” she whispered to Finpaw, who was sitting beside her in the shelter of an elder bush.

Finpaw shrugged. He was about to reply, but Sparkpelt cut off whatever he meant to say.

“RiverClan should never have left in the first place,” she snapped, her green eyes wide. “Now they think they can just stroll back and have everything like it was? That’s not happening!”

Twigpaw blinked in alarm at her mentor. She didn’t want to get into an argument, so she was relieved when Bramblestar, who had leaped up into the Great Oak, stepped forward to start the meeting.

“Greetings, cats of all Clans,” he began. “I’d like to welcome Mistystar and RiverClan among us again. They’ve been missed.”

There was some muttering at the ThunderClan leader’s words, as if not every cat agreed, but Bramblestar didn’t let it bother him.

“ThunderClan is thriving,” he went on. “Prey is running well in our territory, and we have four new apprentices. Stempaw has been apprenticed to Rosepetal, Plumpaw to Mousewhisker, Shellpaw to Bumblestripe, and Eaglepaw to Ambermoon.”

Yowls of congratulations erupted in the clearing as the cats called out the new apprentices’ names. The four young cats sat with eyes shining, embarrassed and happy at the same time.

Twigpaw felt a sudden stab of envy, remembering their apprentice ceremony a few days before. She wished she could feel the same eager energy, but her own apprenticeship had dragged out so long that it was hard to be enthusiastic about training anymore. Still, she was happy for her young Clanmates, and yowled out their names along with the rest.

As the sound died down, Bramblestar dipped his head and sat on his branch once again, waving his tail for Harestar to step forward.

“Prey is plentiful on the moor,” the WindClan leader reported, “and we have made two new warriors. Brindlepaw and Smokepaw are now Brindlewing and Smokehaze.”

“Brindlewing! Smokehaze!”

As the two new warriors were acclaimed, Harestar gave up his place to Leafstar, who waited for quiet before she began to speak. “SkyClan also has two new warriors,” she announced. “Dewpaw and Reedpaw are now Dewspring and Reedclaw.”

Twigpaw felt an even sharper pang at the SkyClan leader’s news. They’ve been apprentices as long as I have! Then she felt Finpaw pressing affectionately against her side.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’ll be our turn soon.”

Instantly Twigpaw’s pelt grew hot with shame. Even though she hadn’t put her ungenerous thoughts into words, her face must have given her away. If Finpaw wasn’t upset, when the new warriors were his littermates, then she had no business griping either.

I chose this, she reminded herself. I will be a ThunderClan warrior, one day.

“It’s fine,” she murmured, giving Finpaw a grateful lick around the ear.

Meanwhile Mistystar had come forward, balancing gracefully on the end of a branch, to give news of RiverClan.

“We thank you all for the help you gave us in escaping the fire,” she meowed, “and for the shelter you offered when our camp was destroyed. We are now ready to return and take part in the full life of the Clans, and we’ll be grateful for any help you can give us in rebuilding our camp.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Twigpaw exclaimed. “They really are coming back for good.”

Sparkpelt let out a skeptical snort; Twigpaw could tell that her mentor didn’t share her excitement. Then Crowfeather, the WindClan deputy, rose to his paws from where he sat on the oak roots with the other deputies.

“That’s all very well, Mistystar,” he began, his voice harsh, and an irritated look in his eyes. “But it’s beginning to feel like you’re using the other Clans. You wanted nothing to do with us until we came and saved your tails, and now that you need help, you want to be a Clan again.”

“Yeah, what a coincidence!” Scorchfur called out from SkyClan.

Mistystar didn’t seem angry at Crowfeather’s challenge. Instead she gave him a respectful dip of her head. “There’s some truth in what you say, Crowfeather,” she meowed. “The timing is awkward, I admit. But before the fire we had already made the decision to rejoin the rest of you.”

“Yeah, right!” Sparkpelt muttered.

Twigpaw cast an impatient glance at her mentor. There’s too much arguing at this Gathering already, she thought. You don’t have to make it worse!

“After the damage inflicted on us by Darktail and his Kin, we needed time to turn inward and strengthen ourselves,” Mistystar continued, apparently having not heard Sparkpelt’s comment, or having decided to ignore it. “But now we’re ready to contribute again. And the time alone has reminded us of how important it is to be part of something bigger than one Clan.”

The RiverClan leader’s measured words evidently impressed Crowfeather, who gave her a nod and sat down again. But the hostile muttering still went on.

“What if we don’t want you back?” a former ShadowClan cat called out, his words followed by a scattered chorus of agreement.

Twigpaw could understand why some cats were annoyed by RiverClan’s withdrawal and sudden return, but she thought it was mouse-brained even to consider not letting them back in.

StarClan wants there to be five Clans—every cat knows that, she thought. So why can’t the other Clans let it go?

Bramblestar stepped forward again and raised his tail for silence, but the unrest in the clearing didn’t die down. Twigpaw glanced up at the moon, half expecting StarClan to show their anger by covering it with cloud, but it still sailed serenely above the trees.

Then the angry murmuring turned to surprise; Twigpaw turned her head to see Tree rising to his paws. “The timing is awkward,” he began, completely confident in addressing the whole Gathering of cats, some of whom hardly knew him. “But would the rest of you rather not have RiverClan back at all? Doesn’t StarClan want all the Clans to work together? And someday, when the other Clans need them, RiverClan will return the favor.”

“We will indeed,” Mistystar agreed.

Many of the cats had fallen silent; Twigpaw couldn’t tell whether they saw sense in what Tree said, or whether they were too shocked by his sudden intervention to respond.

But there were still others who weren’t impressed at all.

“Who is this cat?” Breezepelt of WindClan demanded. “Wasn’t he a rogue?”

“He was. And he isn’t even a real Clan cat now!” Thornclaw added. “Who is he to tell us what to do?”

Twigpaw saw Violetshine leap to her paws as if she was about to plunge into the argument, but before she could speak, Leafstar raised her voice from her place in the Great Oak.

“Tree is not exactly a rogue,” she explained, “or even a loner. He has been living with SkyClan for more than a moon now. Remember how he helped ShadowClan’s cats speak with their dead Clanmates?” She took a deep breath, her gaze raking around the clearing, and the remaining cats grew quiet under her authority.

“Now I have more news. Tree and I have discussed his staying with us in SkyClan, and creating a new Clan role,” she continued. “He will be a mediator—just as the medicine cats cure wounds and illnesses, Tree’s job will be to cure disagreements.”

The brief silence in the clearing broke up again into confused questioning.

“But he’s not a Clan cat!”

“Yeah, he doesn’t know how Clans work. What’s his advice worth?”

“True, he’s not a Clan cat,” Leafstar agreed calmly. “But I believe that might actually help him work out differences. He sees to the heart of an issue, without the fixed ideas we Clan cats have about one another.”

“I’ve seen him in action,” Hawkwing added from his place among the deputies. “He’s good at working out problems. He sees solutions Clan cats might not.”

“That’s true!” Tawnypelt called out, surprising Twigpaw by her defense of Tree.

“I have an idea,” Bramblestar announced, coming to stand beside Leafstar. “Suppose we give Tree a trial period, a bit like an apprenticeship? Tree can try to resolve disputes as they come up, and when we see how he copes, the Clan leaders can decide if we want him to continue.”

Tree looked up at the ThunderClan leader, flexing his muscular shoulders. “No pressure, then,” he commented.

Silence fell over the Gathering. Every cat’s gaze was trained on Tree, and Twigpaw wondered whether or not he had said the right thing.

Then Cloudtail let out a mrrow of laughter, and the tension in the clearing suddenly faded. Cats curled their tails up in amusement. Twigpaw breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that there was a chance Tree could become very popular. I suppose we could use a cat like Tree around.

“That makes sense to me,” Leafstar meowed in response to Bramblestar’s suggestion. “I’m happy for Tree to become a SkyClan cat under those conditions. Tree, I can’t make you a warrior, but I welcome you to our Clan. Would you like a warrior name?”

“No, I’ll stick with Tree, thanks,” the yellow tom replied. “It’s nice and simple, like me.”

“Tree! Tree!”

Not every cat in the clearing was acclaiming Tree and his new position, but enough of them joined in to make it clear he would be accepted among the Clans. Twigpaw spotted Violetshine jumping up and down, waving her tail as she yowled, her eyes alight with enthusiasm.

Alderheart rose to his paws and padded over to stand beside Tree as the noise died down. “I agree with what Tree said,” he began. “Remember, the prophecy says there should be five Clans. Letting RiverClan back in would at least make us four again.”

Twigpaw noticed some cats shooting annoyed glances at Rowanclaw as Alderheart spoke, as if they were blaming him for the loss of the fifth Clan. But Rowanclaw and the rest of the former ShadowClan cats ignored them.

“So, RiverClan comes back,” Tree declared briskly. “Now, Mistystar, what do you need from the other Clans?”

“We need help in clearing the burned debris out of our camp,” Mistystar replied. “We’ve made a start, but it’s hard with so many of us injured.”

“I’ll send a patrol tomorrow,” Bramblestar promised. “Harestar, can you send cats the day after, and Leafstar the day after that?”

Mistystar blinked gratefully as both leaders agreed. “Mothwing is still badly hurt from trying to save our herb stores,” she continued, “and Willowshine is overwhelmed, trying to care for all the injured cats. Could one of your medicine cats—”

“I’ll come,” Leafpool offered immediately. “And I’ll bring some herbs with me.” She paused, gazing around the clearing, her eyes shimmering in thought. “And may StarClan light our path,” she added. “Now and always.”

As the cats settled down and the last of the hostility faded, Twigpaw spotted her sister sitting close beside Tree. Violetshine’s eyes were wide with admiration as she gazed at the yellow tom.

Oh, Twigpaw thought. So it’s like that, is it?