The Raging Storm

CHAPTER 25

Alderheart looked up at the clear, black sky. He narrowed his eyes against the brightness of the moon. Countless stars glittered above the island. For the first time in days, his fur was dry, and a warm wind promised newleaf once more.

The island clearing was crowded. Across the sea of pelts, Alderheart could see Twigbranch and Violetshine sitting with Hawkwing, Tree, and Finleap. Their eyes were round and their fur fluffed. They were clearly happy to be reunited. He whispered in Jayfeather’s ear, “It looks like every cat has come.”

Jayfeather grunted. “After what we’ve been through, who would be mouse-brained enough to miss this Gathering?”

Alderheart purred softly. Tigerstar had called the emergency Gathering when SkyClan arrived in his camp. Now the Clans looked up at the Great Oak, where Bramblestar, Harestar, Tigerstar, Mistystar, and Leafstar sat side by side on the lowest branch. Their deputies sat below them on the roots. Only Juniperclaw was missing. Alderheart felt a pang. He knew he’d been right to speak out, but he wished his investigation hadn’t ended in Juniperclaw’s death.

As Puddleshine shifted beside him, Alderheart blinked at him warmly. The tom’s fur was sleek once more. His scars were hidden beneath his thick pelt. His eyes were bright, and he was staring eagerly at the Great Oak.

Tigerstar got to his paws and looked around at the gathered cats. “We come to speak of change,” he meowed. “Change that must come if the Clans are to survive. But first I have news of Juniperclaw. Many of you will know that he is dead. But you may not know the whole story. Juniperclaw admitted to poisoning the SkyClan fresh-kill pile. He saw an easy way to drive SkyClan from the lake and he chose to go through with it, even though he knew he was breaking the warrior code. He believed he could protect his Clan best by saving us from fighting for our land. But a Clan that won’t fight for their land when they have to is no Clan at all. And Juniperclaw paid dearly for his crime. He lost his deputyship and his life.”

The Clans watched him in silence as he went on.

“But he died a courageous death. He died saving lives. Shadowkit was caught in the flood on RiverClan land. Juniperclaw pushed him from the water before being swept into the lake. He could have saved himself, but he chose to help Violetshine get out of the flood. He saved the SkyClan warrior, at the cost of his own life. I hope that he finds peace in StarClan.” The ShadowClan leader looked down at Cloverfoot. She shifted on the oak root as she sat beside the other deputies. “Cloverfoot will be ShadowClan’s deputy now. Like Juniperclaw, she once turned her back on the Clans . . . But I believe that, like Juniperclaw, she is ready to serve her Clan honestly and in good faith.”

“Cloverfoot!” Scorchfur was the first ShadowClan cat to call her name.

Snowbird chimed in. “Cloverfoot.”

“Cloverfoot.” Her name rang through the clearing as her Clanmates yowled their approval and their yowling spread among the other Clans.

Alderheart dipped his head to her, pleased that she’d been chosen. She puffed out her chest proudly, and her eyes reflected moonlight as she looked back at him.

Bramblestar lifted his muzzle. “Twigbranch led a patrol of cats from ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan to find SkyClan and persuade them to return to the lake.” Twigbranch glanced at her paws as the Clans turned to look at her. Finleap moved closer to her as Bramblestar went on. “Despite the storm, the patrol managed to bring SkyClan back—”

He broke off as cheers erupted from the watching cats. Surprise showed in his eyes. He pricked his ears, clearly delighted, and waited for the yowling to die away. “We still must settle on where they will live, but we know that their place is beside the lake with the other Clans.”

Strikestone called from among the ShadowClan cats, “Land must be given equally.”

“Every Clan must help!” Lizardtail called from among the RiverClan cats.

Bramblestar dipped his head. “Yes. This time, each Clan will give up some of its territory to make them a home.”

Harestar glanced apologetically at Leafstar. “We should have agreed to this sooner.”

Leafstar eyed him. “You should have.” Her gaze flitted reproachfully to him and Mistystar. “If the other leaders had taken responsibility in the first place, a lot of suffering could have been avoided.”

Mistystar dipped her head. “RiverClan will not turn our tails on you again.”

“Next time, WindClan won’t wait for others to decide before doing what is right,” Harestar promised.

Leafstar looked satisfied and turned to Tigerstar. “And what about ShadowClan?”

Tigerstar met her gaze evenly. “ShadowClan only ever wanted fairness. If I hadn’t stood up for what belonged to ShadowClan, nothing would have changed. You would have kept half our land, and my Clanmates would have faced countless moons of hunger.”

Leafstar’s ears twitched. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

Anxiety pricked Alderheart’s paws. Was the gathering going to descend into an argument? He quickly searched the SkyClan leader’s gaze. Had Tigerstar’s refusal to admit the part he’d played in her Clan’s suffering insulted her? He tipped his head, surprised. Was that amusement in her eyes? It only lasted a moment. Leafstar blinked it away and turned back to Bramblestar. Alderheart relaxed. Clearly, she was willing to indulge Tigerstar’s arrogance for now.

“The past is the past,” Bramblestar meowed. “We must work together and decide a future where we can all thrive.”

“How will the land be divided?” Mistystar asked.

“SkyClan knows the forest well,” Bramblestar began. “They could take a stretch of land between ThunderClan and ShadowClan, from the mountain border to the lake.”

Leafstar narrowed her eyes. “What will RiverClan and WindClan give?”

“We can shift our border,” Harestar suggested, “so that ThunderClan can take from us part of what they give to SkyClan.” He looked expectantly at RiverClan. “You could do the same for ShadowClan.”

Mistystar tipped her head. “Five territories beside one another with the lake at their heart,” she murmured thoughtfully.

Below, the Clan cats exchanged anxious glances. Alderheart tensed. Would the leaders agree to Bramblestar’s plan?

Mistystar nodded. “I think it could work.”

Bramblestar looked hopefully at Tigerstar. “What do you think?”

Tigerstar glanced at his Clanmates. Moonlight shone in his dark gaze.

Alderheart nudged Puddleshine anxiously. “Why’s he hesitating?”

“Hush.” Puddleshine quieted him with a wave of his tail.

Tigerstar blinked slowly at Bramblestar. “Are you suggesting that SkyClan become our neighbors again?”

Leafstar bristled. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Tigerstar’s whiskers twitched. “I can’t think of anything better. We’ve put up with ThunderClan long enough. It’ll be good to have a new Clan on our border.” He eyed Bramblestar mischievously.

Bramblestar huffed. “ThunderClan will enjoy a break from ShadowClan as well.”

“You’ll miss our scent markers!” Strikestone called from the gathered cats.

Amused purrs rippled through the Clans.

Hootwhisker yowled from the back of the crowd. “What will Gatherings be like without ThunderClan and ShadowClan bickering like starlings?”

Mistystar purred. “I’m sure they’ll still find things to bicker about.”

Bramblestar flicked his tail impatiently. “Are the territories settled?”

“Yes.” Tigerstar dipped his head.

“From now on, each Clan will have equal land and an equal voice,” Harestar meowed.

“And SkyClan can start building yet another camp.” Leafstar rolled her eyes dramatically.

“We’ll send warriors to help,” Bramblestar offered.

“And ShadowClan will send warriors to help RiverClan rebuild their camp,” Tigerstar chimed in.

Happiness washed Alderheart’s pelt. He’d never seen the Clans cooperating like this before. Was this the beginning of a new era of peace? He glanced at Tree. They might even learn to listen to a mediator when they had disputes from now on.

Tree touched his muzzle to Violetshine’s ear. She buried her nose in his neck fur. Her pelt looked lustrous in the moonlight. Carrying kits clearly agreed with her.

Beside her, Twigbranch’s eyes brimmed with joy as she watched the leaders. She seemed bigger than usual, and Alderheart wondered if she’d grown. She looked every bit as much as a warrior as Squirrelflight now. Flypaw nosed in between her and Finleap. Twigbranch glanced at her apprentice warmly and shifted to make room.

A rush of pride warmed Alderheart’s belly. It seemed only a few moons since he and Needletail had found the tiny kits and brought them back to the Clans. If only he’d been able to see the future. He could never have imagined what a difference they’d make. He glanced again at the stars. Was Needletail there now, watching? Was she proud of what the kits had become? Thank you for helping me find them, Needletail. His heart ached with fondness. I hope you’re happy in StarClan.

Breathing the soft night air, he prayed that this peace between the Clans would last. From now on, let us face new threats as StarClan intended—five Clans united.