Shattered Sky

Needletail pounced. She landed on top of Violetpaw, who realized with a shock of understanding that her friend’s claws were sheathed. “Run!” she snarled into Violetpaw’s ear.

Then, faster than Violetpaw could have believed possible, Needletail swiveled around and leaped at Roach and Raven, all outstretched claws and bared teeth. Taken completely by surprise, the two rogues staggered back, not even trying to defend themselves.

For a moment, Violetpaw stared at them, too stunned to react.

“Run! Now!” Needletail screeched at her. “Make this count, Violetpaw!”

As Roach and Raven sprang forward again, Darktail and Sleekwhisker began to splash their way out of the lake. Needletail whirled to attack them, too. Violetpaw’s last glimpse of her was of a taut knot of fury, vanishing beneath all four cats at once, her claws still striking out.

She’s sacrificing her life for mine, Violetpaw realized. Of course she is. I should never have doubted her. She’s truly the best friend I’ve ever had, and I can never repay her.

These thoughts took barely a moment to pass through Violetpaw’s mind. Then, feeling as though her heart would break, she turned to run.

Violetpaw dashed along the lakeshore and through the stream that flowed from what had been RiverClan’s camp. Once across, she headed farther inland, dodging around trees and through thorn thickets, looking for narrow places she could slip through that might slow down a bigger cat. She was too scared to work out exactly where she was going, but she knew that, somehow, she had to make it to ThunderClan.

Soon Violetpaw realized that some cat was on her trail. The breeze carried Raven’s scent to her. Needletail’s yowls still split the air behind her, a mixture of rage and pain.

They’re killing her! Violetpaw thought. But she had to push away all her pity and grief, or she knew that she would break under the despair.

I have to lose Raven and get to safety… I have to make sure Needletail’s sacrifice wasn’t for nothing!

Chapter 17

Alderheart’s pads prickled with nervousness, his heart thumping in his chest as he padded along the edge of the lake, a leaf wrap of herbs in his jaws. He was bringing up the rear of the group of cats who had been chosen to attack the rogues in RiverClan territory. Bramblestar was in the lead, with Rowanstar and Mistystar, followed by many of Alderheart’s Clanmates and warriors from ShadowClan and RiverClan.

I hope Violetpaw managed to sneak those poppy seeds into the prey for Darktail and his Kin.

Before they’d left camp, Bramblestar had called out to Alderheart and beckoned him over. “I want you to come with us,” he meowed. “We don’t know what shape the prisoners will be in, and we’ll need to get them to safety quickly. And if the rogues fight back, things become much more complicated. We’ll need to hold them off long enough to get the prisoners away.” He sighed. “I’ll feel better if we have a medicine cat close by.”

Alderheart had nodded. “I’m happy to come with you,” he’d agreed. “I’ll get some herbs ready.”

“Good.” Bramblestar had blinked in satisfaction. “We leave at sunset.”

The last streaks of scarlet had faded from the sky by the time the cats reached the halfbridge and the small Thunderpath that separated ShadowClan territory from RiverClan. They slipped across the hard surface, silent as moving shadows, and crept into hiding in the bushes on the far side, well out of scent-range of the rogues’ camp.

“Right,” Bramblestar mewed when every cat was crouched around him; his amber eyes glowed in the near darkness. “Remember, as much as we want Darktail’s group out, our goal tonight is to free the prisoners.”

“And any ShadowClan warriors who are regretting the choice they made to stay with Darktail,” Rowanstar reminded him. The ShadowClan leader’s tone was faintly resentful; Alderheart guessed he was annoyed that Bramblestar had taken the lead.

Bramblestar dipped his head; if he had noticed the edge to the ShadowClan leader’s voice, he gave no sign of it. “Of course,” he responded. “The point is, we have come to bring all those cats to safety in the ThunderClan camp. Don’t get distracted by the fighting; it’s a means to an end. We’ll deal with Darktail later. It’s a long walk back through ShadowClan territory, so every cat will need their full strength.”

“Curse WindClan for closing their borders,” Mallownose of RiverClan grumbled. “If they were still talking to us, we could use their camp—it’s closer than ThunderClan’s.”