River Of Fire

Once, when they were young, Rowanstar had held Twigpaw at ShadowClan’s camp for a few days, and Violetshine had been so happy to share a den with her sister, to be together at last. She had thought Twigpaw felt the same. But then Twigpaw had chosen to go back to ThunderClan. And just recently, after they had joined SkyClan together, she had decided to return to ThunderClan yet again, instead of taking her warrior name in SkyClan.

Twigpaw made her choice. . . .

Violetshine didn’t want to think about Twigpaw. It made her sad that her littermate had twice chosen ThunderClan over her.

Shaking her head, Violetshine resolved not to give in to these dark thoughts. Instead she concentrated on dragging her burden of ferns across the camp. But annoyance rose inside her again when she spotted Tree, lounging on a flat rock beside the stream. Sunlight shimmered on his yellow fur as he stared drowsily into space.

I don’t think he’s moved all morning!

Too tired to be tactful, Violetshine dropped the fern fronds. “Anytime you want to get off your hindquarters and pitch in,” she hissed at Tree, “you’ll be more than welcome!”

Tree turned his head to look at her. At once Violetshine felt a little guilty for being so harsh; Tree’s amber eyes were fraught with indecision.

He still doesn’t know what he wants to do, she realized. Stay with SkyClan, or go off on his own again.

“Look, Tree—” she began awkwardly, not sure what she wanted to say.

To Violetshine’s relief, Leafstar’s voice interrupted her. “Tree—over here, please. I want a word with you.”

Violetshine turned to see Leafstar standing outside her den in the hollow of the old cedar tree at the far end of the camp. As Tree rose to his paws, Violetshine abandoned her bundle of bedding and followed him across to the Clan leader. She was careful to stay a respectful distance behind the loner, not wanting him to think she was putting pressure on him, or Leafstar to think she was nosy.

Even if I am! she admitted to herself.

As she approached, Violetshine noticed that a few other cats were also hovering, including Frecklewish, the SkyClan medicine cat. She could see her own curiosity reflected in their eyes.

“Well, Tree,” Leafstar began. “You’ve had time to think about whether you want to make SkyClan your home. Plenty of time. Have you made a decision yet?”

Tree shook his head. “I’m really not sure if this life is for me,” he replied; Violetshine could detect an edge of strain in his voice. “Sure, I like you SkyClan cats”—he broke off briefly to flick a glance at Violetshine—“but I’ve been a loner for my whole life. Who can say whether I’d be able to adjust to life as a Clan cat?”

Disappointment pricked Violetshine, as if she had set her paw down on an unexpected thorn.

She watched Leafstar closely, wondering if the Clan leader’s face would betray irritation or, worse, a complete loss of patience with Tree.

But Leafstar remained calm. “We are grateful to you for your help, but we can’t let you stay here as a visitor forever. You need to make a choice. Maybe you should try out as a warrior’s apprentice,” she suggested. “See if you like it. If you do, then maybe you can join SkyClan for real.”

Tree gave his chest fur a couple of quick licks. “I’m not sure I want to do that,” he meowed. “Being an apprentice doesn’t sound like much fun.”

We’re not here to have fun,

Violetshine thought.

From the look of her, the same response was going through Leafstar’s mind. Though there was understanding in her expression, Violetshine could see frustration in her twitching whiskers and the way her claws kept sliding in and out.

“As much as we like you, Tree,” she told him, “it’s not fair to other cats if you live in camp without contributing as a member of the Clan. I hope you understand that.”

Violetshine couldn’t account for the sudden clenching she felt in her chest. Why should I feel so tense and agitated when Leafstar suggests that Tree might have to leave the camp? I hardly know him. But she knew that she did care, even if it might be smarter not to.

Before Tree could respond, Frecklewish stepped forward with a respectful dip of her head to Leafstar. “Remember that Tree has had visions,” she mewed to her Clan leader. “Maybe his destiny is as a medicine cat?”

Though maybe we already have enough medicine cats around the lake, Violetshine thought.