The Raging Storm

CHAPTER 18

Violetshine padded after her Clanmates, her head bowed against the driving rain. Her ears were flat against her head and her eyes narrowed. She’d felt nauseous since she woke this morning. The sodden mouse Hawkwing had brought her had just made her feel worse. She’d lost track of how long they’d been traveling and hardly glanced along the trail anymore. Sparrowpelt had slowed them down at first, but he was recovering, and they’d picked up speed despite the weather.

Her Clanmates didn’t seem much happier. She was aware of them trudging around her, their pelts slick against their frames as they pushed onward.

Harrybrook grumbled behind her. “If it gets any wetter, we’re going to drown.”

“We should find shelter,” Plumwillow called out.

“We’ll find shelter at the gorge,” Leafstar yowled from the head of the group.

Irritation jabbed Violetshine’s belly. Did Leafstar even remember the route to the gorge? They’d been walking for days, the weather worsening with each new dawn, and still Leafstar couldn’t tell them how much longer they’d be traveling. No cat complained. They simply followed Leafstar without question. Because they’re leaving less behind, she thought resentfully. The pain in her chest hardened. She might never see Twigbranch again. And Tree. Her paws grew heavier. If only he’d come. This journey would be an adventure they’d share together. She would hardly feel the rain if he were beside her.

“Can we explore the trail up ahead?” Sunnypaw’s mew cut into her thoughts. The ginger she-cat was looking eagerly at Plumwillow, while the other apprentices were turning to their mentors.

“I suppose that would be okay,” Plumwillow purred.

When all the mentors nodded, the apprentices raced ahead.

“Don’t go far!” Sagenose called as they disappeared around jutting rocks that marked a bend in the trail.

Violetshine shook out her fur as her thoughts returned to Tree. Why had he stayed behind? If he’d truly loved her, he’d have come. The thought clawed at her belly. Pushing it away, she braved the rain and looked up at the hillside. The storm lashed her muzzle as she recognized the gorse-covered slope. Alder trees dotted the hillside, and, halfway up, a dip opened in the heather. This is where I first met him! Her heart ached. She remembered how cocky he’d first been, flirting with her even though she’d been distracted by her search for Needletail. And then he’d reunited her with her dead friend, before she’d gone to StarClan. Nostalgia gripped her heart. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by loss. Was every cat destined to leave her?

Reedclaw nudged her shoulder with her nose. “Violetshine?”

“What?” Violetshine wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

Reedclaw flinched. “Sorry to disturb you.” Raindrops streamed from her whiskers. “But we’re heading up the slope.”

Surprised, Violetshine saw that her Clanmates had veered from the muddy track at the bottom of the valley and were heading toward the heather.

“Hawkwing persuaded Leafstar that we should rest for a while in that dip.” Reedclaw eyed her nervously. “I just thought you should know.”

“I’m sorry I snapped,” Violetshine mewed guiltily. “I’m just in a bad moood.” Thinking about Tree was making her sad. She glanced toward the jutting rocks. “We should tell Sunnypaw and the others that we’ve changed route.”

“I’ll go.” As the small tabby she-cat hurried away, Violetshine caught up to her Clanmates on the slope. She wondered whether Tree’s scent would still be on the heather here. Don’t be rabbit-brained. His scent would have disappeared moons ago.

“Violetshine! Plumwillow!” Reedclaw’s terrified yowl cut through the wind.

Plumwillow jerked her muzzle around. Violetshine turned, alarm sparking through her pelt.

Reedclaw was racing through the rain, her fur on end. “Sunnypaw is stuck in the mud! She’s sinking!”

Tinycloud and Sparrowpelt broke from the group. They raced downslope, their paws slithering over the wet grass. Violetshine pelted after them. She was hardly aware of the rain now. Sunnypaw was in trouble. “Are the other apprentices safe?” she called as she caught up to Reedclaw. Tinycloud and Sparrowpelt ran on, their paws splashing through puddles as skidded around the rocks.

“I think so.” Reedclaw’s eyes were wide. “They’re trying to reach her, but the mud’s too deep.”

“Come on.” Violetshine hared after Sparrowpelt. Tinycloud had already disappeared. As Violetshine slewed around the corner, the valley opened into a wide stretch of mud. She could see Nectarpaw and Quailpaw teetering at the edge, their pelts bristling. Gravelpaw and Palepaw were standing just behind them, tiny claws digging into the earth.

“Help!” Sunnypaw’s terrified wail echoed around the valley. Violetshine could make out her ginger head straining above the slick brown surface. She reached a muck-covered paw upward, her claws outstretched as she grabbed at air. Violetshine’s heart lurched. The apprentice was sinking deeper as she struggled. Tinycloud had reached Quailpaw and, pushing past him, plunged into the mire.

“Stay back!” Sparrowpelt grabbed her tail with his teeth. The tom was still emaciated after his illness, but strong enough now to drag Tinycloud away from sucking mud.

“We have to save her!” Tinycloud turned on him, eyes wild.

Violetshine scanned the valley. There had to be some way they could reach the drowning apprentice safely.

Paw steps thrummed behind her. Hawkwing pulled up and shook the rain from his fur. He followed her gaze, his tail twitching. “Find a stick!” he yowled. “A long one that can reach her.”

Nectarpaw blinked at him for a moment, then hared up the slope to a small grove of trees clinging to the hillside. Quailpaw and Sparrowpelt raced after her, Hawkwing at their tails. Violetshine hurried to where Tinycloud was leaning over the mud. She squeezed in beside the white she-cat, feeling with her paws for firm ground beneath the mud slick. Digging her claws into hard earth, she ventured forward, fixing Sunnypaw with her gaze. “Don’t struggle!” she ordered.

“But I’m sinking.” Terror sharpened Sunnypaw’s mew.

Tinycloud pressed beside her. “Stretch your paws out wide,” she called. “Make yourself big as though you’re facing a fox.”

Sunnypaw stared desperately at her mother. Slowly she reached out a forepaw and rested it on the mud. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to lift another free.

“Sparrowpelt is fetching a stick,” Tinycloud called. “We’ll have you out of there soon. Try to stay calm.”

Violetshine could see the young cat struggling against panic. Determination glittered in her frightened gaze. “You’re doing great!”

Plumwillow and Bellaleaf charged around the jutting rocks. They reached the edge of the mud, their Clanmates at their heels.

Leafstar pushed past them and stared in panic at Sunnypaw. “Can you reach her?”

“The mud is too deep,” Violetshine reported.

Tinycloud looked at the SkyClan leader. “Hawkwing’s looking for a stick!”

“We found one!” Nectarpaw bounded down the slope. She flicked her tail toward the trees. Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing were hauling a stick over the wet grass.

“Hurry!” Tinycloud didn’t take her eyes from Sunnypaw. The young cat was slipping deeper into the mud. As it reached around her throat, she lifted her muzzle, her paws flailing as she tried to keep her nose above the surface.

Bark brushed Violetshine’s hind paw, and she hopped out of the way as Hawkwing slid the stick past her. As Sparrowpelt guided it over the mud, Violetshine steadied it with her paws.

“Quick!” Tinycloud leaned farther out, straining to get closer to her kit as Sunnypaw’s ears slid beneath the surface. The apprentice whimpered as the mud covered her eyes and her muzzle began to disappear from sight.

“Grab the stick!” Sparrowpelt thrust it closer.

Can she hear? Violetshine’s breath caught in her throat as Sunnypaw’s flailing paw knocked against the stick. Desperately, the apprentice hooked her claws over the end and began to haul herself higher. Her muzzle pushed free of the mud and, with a jerk, she bit onto the stick and wrapped both paws around it.

“Pull!” Hawkwing gave the order. Violetshine dug her claws deep into the bark and tugged as Sparrowpelt and Hawkwing hauled the stick toward firm ground. The mud pulled at Sunnypaw like a hungry fox, but she clung on blindly, her eyes plastered shut. Nectarpaw and Quailpaw grabbed the stick and began pulling. Rain beat mud from Sunnypaw’s fur, her flanks, and then her hind legs, slowly sliding free. Sunnypaw gave a choking sob as, with a squelch, the mud lost its grip. As soon as she was in reach, Tinycloud grabbed her bedraggled scruff and dragged her onto the grass. Sunnypaw collapsed, trembling, as Tinycloud lapped the mud from her eyes.

The Clan murmured anxiously as they stared across the mud slick, their wet pelts bristling.

Leafstar hurried around the edge. “Is she okay?”

Frecklewish darted past her and pressed her ears to Sunnypaw’s chest. She sat back on her haunches, her eyes glistening with relief. “She’ll be fine.”

As Sunnypaw pushed herself to her paws and coughed up muddy water, Plumwillow hurried to her side. Alarm prickled through her dripping pelt. “Why did you go so far out?”

Tinycloud nosed the dark gray she-cat away. “This is strange territory. How was she to know that the mud was so deep?”

Plumwillow met Tinycloud’s gaze, fear brimming in her amber eyes. “What are we doing here? We’re far from the lake and nowhere near the gorge. And no cat should be traveling in weather like this. No wonder StarClan wanted us to stay.” She swung her head toward the Clan as they crept closer.

Hawkwing blinked at her evenly. “We’ll be at the gorge soon. We’ll be safe then.”

“Soon?” Harrybrook snorted. “I remember how long it took us to reach the lake, and how many warriors we lost! Who knows how many dangers we’ll meet on the way this time!”

“And who knows what we’ll find when we get there?” Plumwillow added. “We’ve been gone for moons. Foxes might have moved in.”

“Or badgers!” Macgyver pushed his way to the front.

Sunnypaw looked at him, trembling. “I want to go home.”

Leafstar, who had been listening thoughtfully, lashed her tail. “We are going home!”

“Not our home.” Quailpaw blinked at her.

“We don’t want to live anywhere but the lake,” Nectarpaw mewed.

Sunnypaw shook mud from her ears. “We were born there.”

Leafstar’s hackles lifted. Violetshine heart quickened as she saw rage burn in the SkyClan leader’s eyes. “That doesn’t mean you should die there!” she snapped. “There was nothing for us at the lake. No land! No prey! No respect! We would have had to fight for every morsel. Is that really how you want to live? Treated like rogues? Have you forgotten who you are? You’re SkyClan. The lake was never home. StarClan only wanted us there for some prophecy that was never to do with us. Why should we sacrifice ourselves for Clans who don’t even respect us?”

Plumwillow shifted uneasily as Harrybrook and Macgyver exchanged looks. Behind them, Bellaleaf and Nettlesplash glanced nervously around.

Violetshine’s chest tightened as she watched her Clanmates. Sunnypaw was filthy. Tiredness dulled Frecklewish’s eyes. Fidgetflake was shivering. “Everything’s going to be okay.” She lifted her voice, surprised to find herself speaking out. “Remember, we are SkyClan. It doesn’t matter where we are or what problems we face. We will face them together.” Leafstar blinked at her as Violetshine went on. “You are the first true Clan that I’ve known. I was raised in ShadowClan when it was falling apart. The cats there turned on one another. When they faced problems, they were no better than rogues. But SkyClan is different. You took me in and welcomed me. You taught me how cats can overcome even the worst times. You lost your home, you lost one another, but you found one another again and kept on going. I’m proud to be a SkyClan cat. I would never want to belong anywhere else.” She looked around at the faces of her Clanmates. Warmth rose beneath her pelt as she saw hope spark in their weary gazes.

“Let’s go.” Leafstar flicked her tail, less with anger now and more with determination. She padded up the grassy slope beyond the mud pool and headed toward the stretch of heather.

Hawkwing bounded after her as the rest of the Clan followed. Tinycloud rested her flank against Sunnypaw and guided her up the slope. Violetshine glanced back at the wide stretch of mud. The stick that had saved Sunnypaw’s life had been washed clean by the rain already.

As she padded after her Clanmates, Frecklewish fell in beside her. “Do you think the rain will stop tomorrow?” Violetshine murmured, glancing at the heavy gray sky.

“I’ve never seen the sky this dark.” Beyond the hilltop, the gray clouds stretched into black. “It looks as though the rain will get worse before it gets better.”

Violetshine stifled a shiver. Rivulets streamed over the grass as she climbed. The storm wasn’t going to lift anytime soon. But she’d meant what she’d said. She could get through anything as long as she had her Clan around her. Tree was far behind them now, and though his loss sat in her heart like a stone, she knew that she had to keep moving forward.

Even if it meant never seeing Tree again.