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Chapter Text

THUNDERCLAN

Leader: Bramblestar- Man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark brown striped cloak.

Deputy: Squirrelflight- Woman with red hair and green eyes. She wears a red cloak.

Healers: Jayfeather- Man with black hair and blind blue eyes. He wears a gray striped cloak.

Leafpool- Woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown striped cloak.

Alderheart- Young man with red hair and brown eyes. He wears a red cloak with a white patch in
the middle.

Warriors: Cloudtail- Man with long, platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears a white cloak.

Brightheart- Woman with orange hair and blue eyes. She wears a white and orange cloak.

Thornclaw- Man with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a golden brown striped cloak.

Whitewing- Woman with platinum blonde hair and green eyes. She wears a white cloak.

Birchfall- Man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a light brown striped cloak.

Berrynose- Man with blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a yellow cloak.

Mousewhisker- Man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Cinderheart- Young woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Lionblaze- Young man with blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a golden striped cloak.

Bumblestripe- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray cloak with black stripes.
Apprentice- Leaf

Rosepetal- Young woman with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a pink cloak.

Poppyfrost- Young woman with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a dappled cloak.

Molewhisker- Boy with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown and cream cloak.
Apprentice- Honey

Stormcloud- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark gray striped cloak.

Snowbush- Young man with long, platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a white cloak.

Ambershine- Small young woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a yellow cloak.

Sorrelstripe- Young woman with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a dark brown striped cloak.

Dewnose- Boy with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Sparkfire- Girl with orange hair and green eyes. She wears an orange cloak.

Mousetooth- Boy with blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a yellow striped cloak.

Fernfur- Girl with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a gray cloak with black spots.

Foxwhisker- Girl with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Lilyheart- Woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a dark gray and white striped cloak.

Finleap- Young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He walks with a limp and wears a gray cloak.

Twigbranch- Young woman with black hair and green eyes.

Larksong- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a black cloak.

Camp Aides: Daisy- Woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

Briarlight- Girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown cloak, and her legs are paralyzed.

Firesong- Young man with blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a yellow striped cloak.

Apprentices: Leaf- Girl with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a dappled cloak.

Honey- Girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a white cloak with yellow splotches.

Nursery Mothers: Blossomfall- Young woman with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears a dark dappled cloak. (Mother to Plum; girl with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, and Eagle; newborn girl with orange hair and brown eyes)

Ivypool- Woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a striped gray cloak. (Mother to Bristle; newborn girl with black hair and blue eyes)

Cherryfall- Woman with orange hair and brown eyes. She wears an orange cloak. (Mother to Bay; Newborn boy with blonde hair and brown eyes.)

Elders: Brackenfur- Man with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a golden brown striped cloak.

Graystripe- Man with long black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray cloak.

Bellsong- Woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Pets: Sunny- White she-wolf.

Weaver- Dark brown she-wolf.

WINDCLAN

Leader: Harestar- Young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a light brown and white cloak.

Deputy: Crowfeather- Man with black hair and blue eyes. He wears a dark gray cloak.

Healer: Kestrelflight- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark gray cloak.

Warriors: Nightcloud- Woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a black cloak.

Weaselfur- Man with orange hair and brown eyes. He wears an orange and white cloak.

Emberfoot- Man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and black cloak.

Gorsetail- Woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a gray and white cloak.

Heathertail: Woman with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wears a brown striped cloak.

Breezepelt- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a black cloak.

Sedgewhisker- Young woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a light brown striped cloak.

Crouchfoot- Young man with orange hair and brown eyes. He wears an orange cloak.

Larkwing- Young woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown striped cloak.

Featherpelt- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray cloak.

Slightfoot- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a black cloak with a white spot in the middle.

Hootwhisker- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark gray cloak.

Fernstripe- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Smokehaze- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray cloak.

Brindlewing- Young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown cloak.

Appleshine- Young woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a yellow striped cloak.

Camp Aides: Leaftail- Man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown striped cloak.

Whiskernose- Young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown striped cloak.

Oatclaw- Young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown striped cloak.

Woodsong- Young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown cloak.

Elders: Whitetail- Small woman with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a white cloak.

RIVERCLAN

Leader: Mistystar- Woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a blue cloak.

Deputy: Reedwhisker- Man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a black cloak.

Healers: Mothwing- Woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a golden cloak.

Willowshine- Woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a gray cloak.

Warriors: Minnowtail- Woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray cloak.

Pouncetail- Man with orange hair and brown eyes. He wears an orange and white cloak. Apprentice- Soft

Sneezecloud- Man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Mallownose- Young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a light brown striped cloak.
Apprentice- Hare

Icewing- Woman with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears a white cloak.

Rushtail- Young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a light brown striped cloak.

Shimmerpelt- Young woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wears a gray cloak.

Breezeheart- Young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown and white cloak.

Duskfur- Woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a brown striped cloak.
Apprentice- Dapple

Havenpelt- Girl with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a black and white cloak.

Perchwing- Girl with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray and white cloak.

Lakeheart- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Curlfeather- girl with light brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a light brown cloak.

Podlight- boy with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Brackenpelt- Young woman with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a dappled cloak.
Apprentice- Gorse

Jayclaw- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray cloak.

Owlnose- Young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown striped cloak.

Camp Aides: Mosspelt- Woman with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears a dappled cloak.

Lizardtail- Boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a light brown cloak.

Apprentices: Soft- Girl with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a dark gray cloak.

Hare- Boy with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a white cloak.

Dapple- Boy with black hair and blue eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Gorse- Boy with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. He wears a white cloak with gray spots on the hood.

SKYCLAN

Leader: Leafstar- Woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

Deputy: Hawkwing- Man with black hair and brown eyes.

Healer: Puddleshine- Young man with brown hair and blue eyes. He wears a brown cloak with white splotches.

Frecklewish- Tall young woman with light brown hair and green eyes.
Apprentice- Fidget

Warriors: Sparrowpelt- Man with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

Rowanclaw- Man with auburn hair and brown eyes. He wears a red cloak.

Mulaney- Older man with black hair and brown eyes.
Apprentice- Dew

Plumwillow- Woman with black hair and brown eyes.

Sagenose- Woman with black hair and brown eyes.

Mintfur- Man with black hair and blue eyes.

Harrybrook- Man with black hair and brown eyes.
Apprentice- Fringe

Cloudmist- Woman with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes.

Blossomheart- Woman with orange hair and brown eyes.

Sandynose- Stocky man with light brown hair and brown eyes.

Rabbitleap- Man with brown hair and brown eyes.
Apprentice- Pale

Nettlesplash- Man with light brown hair and green eyes.

Bellaleaf- Woman with orange hair and green eyes.

Nectarsong- Young woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

Gravelnose- Young man with blonde hair and brown eyes.

Reedclaw- Small woman with light brown hair and brown eyes.

Violetshine- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a black and white cloak.

Tawnypelt- Woman with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. She wears a dappled cloak.
Apprentice- Snake

Scorchfur- Man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark gray cloak.

Cloverfoot- Young girl with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Stonewing- Young man with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears a white cloak.

Spikefur- Young man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a dark brown cloak.

Beenose- Young woman with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a white cloak with black spots.

Gullswoop- Young woman with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a white cloak.

Sparrowtail- Young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown cloak.

Conefoot- boy with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray and white cloak.

Juniperclaw- Young man with black hair and green eyes. He wears a black cloak.

Strikestone- Young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown and white cloak.

Slatefur- Young man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a gray cloak.

Camp Aides: Fallowfern- Deaf woman with light brown hair and brown eyes.

Garrick- Young man with blonde hair and brown eyes. He has six fingers on one hand.

Snowbird- Woman with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a white cloak.

Frondwhisker- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a gray striped cloak.

Apprentices: Fidget- Boy with black hair and brown eyes.

Dew- Large boy with black hair and brown eyes.

Pale- Girl with black hair and brown eyes.

Fringe- Girl with light brown hair and brown eyes.

Snake- Girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a golden brown striped cloak.

Nursery Mothers: Tinycloud- Small woman with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. (Mother to Sunny; newborn girl with orange hair and brown eyes)

Grassheart- Young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a light brown striped cloak. (Mother to Flower; girl with black hair and brown eyes, and Whorl; newborn boy with black hair and brown eyes)

Berryheart- Woman with black hair and brown eyes. She wears a black and white cloak. (Mother to Spire; Boy with black hair and brown eyes)

Elders: Barley- Man with graying black hair and blue eyes.

Violetsong- Small woman with graying orange hair and blue eyes.

Oakfur- Small man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown cloak.

Ratscar- Man with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown cloak.

ROGUES, LONERS, AND TOWNSFOLK

Tigerheart- Man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a striped cloak.

Dovewing- Young woman with black hair and heterochromia. She wears a gray cloak.

Red- Young boy with spiky red hair and brown eyes. He lives in the town near the lake.

Roslyn- Young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She lives in the town near the lake.

Jessie- Woman with graying brown hair and brown eyes.

Rose- Woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. She lives in the town near the lake.

Chapter Text

A warm breezed flattened the grass. The sun shone down from a blue sky devoid of clouds. A small stream gurgled down a gentle slope, then widened when it reached a ring of stones.

A group of people sat around the pool, while others sat at the lip of the hollow. Stars shimmered on their bodies like frost.

“How could this happen!” A blonde woman cried. “I lost my life trying to return to ShadowClan. Now it doesn’t even exist!”

A plump woman put a hand on her distressed friend’s shoulder. “I know, Dawnpelt,.” Her voice was sorrowful. “Maybe it’s our fault. We didn’t fight hard enough to keep ShadowClan alive.”

A disdainful scoff came from a slim, black haired girl. “Not even close, Berrynose. We couldn’t have saved a Clan that didn’t want to be saved. We should be placing the blame where it belongs- with Rowanstar. Or Rowanclaw. Or whatever that coward is calling himself.”

“Easier said than done, Needletail.” A rasping voice came from a frizzled woman with long black hair and a deformed face. “Rowanstar wasn’t the only person who misunderstood Darktail’s true intentions. All three of you once called yourself the Kin.”

Needletail rolled her eyes.

The older woman’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t disregard me, girl. I’ve seen more than you could imagine.” Her voice was rumbly. “I thought nothing worse than Splitstar could happen to ShadowClan. But I was wrong.”

A soft sigh came from the edge of the hollow. It belonged to a muscular, black haired man. “I trusted Rowanstar,” he murmured. “I thought he’d make a fine leader. But what was he supposed to do when Darktail turned his Clan against him?”

Dawnpelt nodded sadly. “Blackstar’s right.”

“And now all of ShadowClan has joined SkyClan,” the plump woman murmured. “But how will they adjust? We should have tried harder when we had the chance.”

“And do what, Beenose?” Needletail growled. “It was up to Rowanstar to hold his Clan together and he failed. Not us. We were just kids! And now that Darktail’s dead, Rowanstar should be able to rebuild the Clan. But he’s too weak. And now our Clan is gone. That stupid-”

“Enough!”

All eyes turned to a tall, lean woman standing at the top of the slope. She was nearly transparent, but her green eyes still sparkled and her long black hair was recognizable anywhere.

“Shadowstar?” the frizzled woman looked shocked.

All clamor in the hollow stopped. Dawnpelt let out a gasp while murmurs of astonishment passed between Beenose and Needletail.

“Hello, Yellowfang,” the newcomer greeted.

“What brings you here?” Yellowfang asked.

Shadowstar’s gaze swept them. “You shouldn’t be so eager to pass on blame. ShadowClan’s end isn’t just because of Rowanstar’s failure.”

Needletail opened her mouth to argue but Dawnpelt nudged her in the ribs.

Shadowstar nodded. “But blame is not important now. What is important is restoring ShadowClan. There must always be five Clans.”

“We’re trying,” Blackstar pointed out. “We tried to send our descendents a message, but they ignored it.”

Shadowstar huffed. “If ShadowClan is not saved, worse things will come than a storm.”

A shocked silence fell over the StarClan warriors.

Needletail broke the silence by clapping her hands together. “Well, then. Who wants to write a new message?”

Chapter Text

“These trees are huge!” Fin exclaimed, staring up at the canopy. “How many bird nests do you think are up there?”

Twig halted, sighing with exasperation. Fin just had to stop and look at every massive oak tree. Meanwhile, Twig felt like she was going to explode with anxiety and anticipation. She wanted to get to ThunderClan’s camp.

What if they didn’t accept them?

“Probably one on every level,” Twig replied. “But we can worry about than when we come this way on a hunting patrol. We need to reach the camp before it gets dark.”

The sun was starting to set, covering the forest floor in scarlet light. Twig and Fin had spend the afternoon traveling from SkyClan’s camp, slowed down by Fin’s need to explore.

Fin rejoined Twig’s side. “Do you think they’ll be pleased to see us?”

Twig’s stomach was in knots. She’d tried so hard to be a SkyClan warrior, but her heart belonged in ThunderClan. She was glad she’d decided to come back, and even happier Fin had come with her, but what if ThunderClan didn’t welcome them?

“I’m sure they will,” she replied.

Fin believed her, but she didn’t. She couldn’t help wondering how the people she’d grown up around would react to her return? They’d be happy, right? Surely they’d missed her? Surely they’d be grateful and accept two extra warriors?

As they rounded a bramble thicket, Twig stopped. Ahead, she could hear footsteps through the ferns.

Twig felt happiness blossoming in her chest when Sparkfire came into view. This was Alderheart’s younger sister. Twig had once been close with her.

“Sparkfire!” she called, raising one arm and hurrying together. “Hey, Sparkfire!”

Sparkfire whipped around, her green eyes wide.

“Twig!” she explained. “What’s going on? Why are you on our land? Has SkyClan been attacked?”

“No, no, everything’s fine,” Twig said. “SkyClan is fine.”

Sparkfire relaxed, but then looked suspicious. “What are you doing here?”

Twig felt like she’d been slapped by a wave of anxiety. There was no going back. She was either accepted now or Clanless forever.

“Coming home,” she replied. “I want to rejoin ThunderClan.”

“And I’ve come with her,” Fin added. “We’re limp buddies!”

Sparkfire frowned. “You think you can just come back?” she growled. “You can’t just defect to whichever Clan you want. You made your join, Twig, now stick with it. And this SkyClan boy has no connection to ThunderClan.”

Twig felt like her heart had been cut in half. Whatever she had expected, it wasn’t this outright rejection. Especially not from Sparkfire.

She struggled to keep her voice steady. “I know I hurt you when I left for SkyClan. It was a mistake. And I never should have left. But can’t you understand why I did it? The family I thought was gone forever suddenly returned. I had to take a chance and get to know them.”

Sparkfire’s only reply was crossing her arms.

“Living with SkyClan showed me I really do belong with ThunderClan,” Twig went on desperately. “This is where I belong.”

“I don’t know if my father will see it the same,” Sparkfire growled.

“Let me talk to him,” Twig asked. “At least let me tell him how I feel. If Bramblestar doesn’t allow me, then I’ll accept his decision and leave.”

She pushed away wondering where she’d go if he did.

“Bramblestar would be a fool to turn away someone like Twig!” Fin added, leaning against Twig’s arm. “She’s an amazing warrior!”

Sparkfire glared at the young boy. “And who are you again?”

“I’m Fin.” He was undaunted by Sparkfire’s aggressive tone. “I’m going to join ThunderClan with Twig.

Sparkfire didn’t seem convinced. “I’ll take you to camp. But the moment my father denies you, I’ll kick you out myself.”

Twig stared at her with wide eyes, hurt. She and Sparkfire had once been friends. Sparkfire would bring her toys and show her fighting moves.

With Fin at her side, she followed Sparkfire deeper into the forest, heading for the stone hollow. She felt awkward each time Sparkfire glanced back at her, gaze untrusting. Twig was trying to ignore how knotted her stomach felt, but Sparkfire’s hostility had been a nasty shock.

Surely Bramblestar would be more understanding.

The sun had gone down by the time the thorn barrier came into view. The twilight was bringing the chill of autumn.

Sparkfire swung the thorn barrier open, leading the apprentices inside.

When Twig emerged from the stone hollow, all of ThunderClan seemed to be waiting. Her heart warmed from the sight of so many familiar faces. Lilyheart and Poppyfrost were sharing a meal beside the firepit. Cherryfall sat with Ivypool outside the nursery, watching their children play. Graystripe and Bellsong were lounging in front of the elder’s hut. Beyond the vines that guarded the healer’s hut, Twig could hear Leafpool shooting Jayfeather a teasing retort.

Sparkfire signaled with her hand for the apprentices to halt. “Wait here,” she ordered.

Twig watched her hurry across the hollow and climb the tumbled rocks that led to Highledge. Then, she disappeared into Bramblestar’s hut.

“I hope he won’t be mad,” Twig murmured.

“Why would he be?” Fin asked. “You chose ThunderClan.”

Before Twig could reply, Lark slid out from the warrior’s hut, heading for the thorn tunnel. He abruptly stopped when he spotted Twig and Fin, his eyes shine. “Twig!”

His happy shout alerted everyone in the camp. Those already in the clearing jumped to their feet, while more pushed out of the huts. All of them crowded around Twig and Fin.

“Hello, Twig.” Brackenfur nodded in greeting. “It’s good to see you.”

“What are you doing here?” Firesong asked.

“Is SkyClan okay?” Lionblaze growled. “Did you come for help?”

Twig swallowed hard, feeling like her skin was burning with nervousness. Everyone looked at her expectantly. “SkyClan is fine,” she choked out. “But I’m not longer part of them. ThunderClan is where I truly belong.”

Silence greeted her announcement, then was broken later by astonished shouts.

“I thought you truly belonged in SkyClan,” Thornclaw sneered. “That’s your home now.”

“What about your dad?” Lark asked.

“And Violet?” Leaf added.

Rosepetal was eyeing Fin. “Who’s this?”

Berrynose looked down at Twig with disdain. “You chose to leave. You can’t just come back. How can we trust a Clan hopper?”

Murmurs of agreement rose from the others.

Twig wanted to lay on the ground and decay. She had spotted resistant, but not this much so bold faced.

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly collapsed with relief. “Of course we can trust her,” Alderheart insisted. “She was raised in ThunderClan. She’ll always be one of us.”

Twig smiled up at him admiringly. Alderheart had been the one to find her and bring her to ThunderClan. He had once been a small, meek apprentice, but he’d grown- evident in the rippling muscles beneath his shirt and the red beard starting to grow along his chin. He was a healer, and a good one at that. No one would question him.

“Twig!”

A commanding shout rang out across the camp. Twig looked up to see Bramblestar standing on the Highledge with Sparkfire.

“Come here,” he ordered. “We need to talk.”

Twig exchanged an uncertain glance with Fin.

Alderheart nudged her forward. “Go on.”

Twig hurried across camp and climbed the tumbled rocks. Sparkfire passed her on her way down, but didn’t say anything.

“Let’s talk in my hut,” Bramblestar invited. His tone was unreadable.

Twig followed him inside, feeling uncomfortable. She’d never been called into Bramblestar’s hut for a private conversation. But at least Bramblestar didn’t seem angry.

“Sparkfire told me you want to rejoin ThunderClan,” he began. “You must know it’s almost unheard for someone to switch Clans only to switch back. It’s almost unheard of to switch Clans!”

His words sparked defiance within Twig. “It’s unheard of to grow up the way I did,” she growled. “Who else in the Clans was found as a baby? Who else lost their parents and was separated from their sister? Who else thought their whole family was dead, only to find their father? I was a little kid. I was confused. But I know where I belong now. Haven’t I proven my loyalty by coming back?”

Bramblestar’s voice was gentle. “I never said you’re not loyal. But it’s not that easy. The warrior code requires us to be loyal to our Clan. Singular. Your Clanmates will be apprehensive now that you’ve moved back and forth.”

He settled himself onto his bed, then patted the spot beside him. Twig took the invitation, sitting with the Clan leader.

“I’m going to tell you a story,” he announced. “But some of the details might be skewed. I was hardly more than a newborn when it happened.”

Twig’s eyes widened. That meant this was a story from the old forest.

“When he was much younger, Graystripe left ThunderClan,” Bramblestar began. “You see, he was having an affair with a RiverClan woman named Silverstream. Well, she ended up pregnant. But the poor girl died giving birth to Stormfur and his sister Feathertail. When RiverClan claimed the twins as their own, Graystripe decided to go with them.”

“Graystripe lived in RiverClan?” Twig breathed out.

Bramblestar nodded. “How could he not? His children were there. But…then Leopardstar came up with a plan to invade ThunderClan. Graystripe couldn’t fight against the people who raised him. Leopardstar casted him into exile, and Bluestar took him back. But he didn’t have it easy. Many of his Clanmates didn’t trust him anymore.”

“But it all worked out, right?” Twig asked desperately. “No one questions Graystripe’s loyalty anymore. And it’s not like SkyClan is going to attack ThunderClan.”

“I know,” Bramblestar replied. “But all the way up to his retirement, Graystripe still hesitated when he had to raise a hand against RiverClan. Although he wasn’t with them long, he still grew attached. My worry is that, since you have SkyClan blood, you feel the same.”

“I don’t belong in SkyClan,” Twig protested. “I know that now.”

Bramblestar hesitated. “I understand that, Twig. But do you understand what I’m saying? Your Clanmates need to know they can rely on you. How can they if you’d hesitate going into battle with SkyClan?”

“But we’re not going into battle with SkyClan,” Twig insisted. “We’re on good terms with them. Everyone in SkyClan is grateful to ThunderClan because of Firestar and Sandstorm.”

“And what if that changes?” Bramblestar asked.

Twig paused. She already knew the answer- she couldn’t fight Violetshine. She’d had to once and she’d been unable to. And she’d never ask Fin to fight against his family.

“I’ll do anything for ThunderClan,” she finally replied. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. Even if that’s fighting against SkyClan.”

Bramblestar’s gaze was unreadable and Twig used all her strength not to flinch away from him.

“I need to know you will be loyal to ThunderClan,” he replied. “I know you’re a gifted apprentice and ThunderClan will be lucky to call you one of us. But loyalty is valued here. I’ll let you back into the Clan. But…”

Twig’s heart sank. There was a catch?

“You’re on probation,” Bramblestar continued. “I’m going to keep you an apprentice until I know you’ll fit in here.”

Twig felt hot anger shoot through her. She’d already completed a ThunderClan apprenticeship! Plus a SkyClan one. She had assumed Bramblestar would make her a warrior right away.

She kept the thought to herself. Bramblestar was being generous giving her this opportunity. She had to take it. Besides, what was a few more months of being an apprentice? She had been well liked in the Clan before leaving. It wouldn’t take long to regain the trust of her Clanmates.

Right?

“Yes, Bramblestar,” she agreed. “I’ll enjoy working with Ivypool again.” Being an apprentice for a little longer was much better than being exiled.

“Oh, no, Ivypool can’t be your mentor,” Bramblestar said. “She’s in the nursery with Bristle and Flip. I’ll have to find someone else…”

Twig waited, her heart pounding. She hoped Bramblestar would say Cherryfall. Or maybe Whitewing.

After a moment, Bramblestar nodded to himself. “How about Sparkfire?”

Twig’s heart skipped a beat. Sparkfire didn’t even like her. And she’d made it clear she didn’t want Twig here. Then, she realized that was the exact reason Bramblestar had chosen her. She’d offer a challenge.

“Okay,” she said. This was a test. Bramblestar wanted her to prove she could be loyal to the most skeptical of his warriors. Twig was ready for it.

“Good.” Bramblestar stood up and beckoned for Twig to follow him onto the Highledge and down into camp. Most of the Clan was still waiting, murmuring with anticipation. They gathered around Bramblestar in a wide circle.

Fin scampered over to join Twig’s side.

“People of ThunderClan,” Bramblestar began. “Twig has returned to us. I have decided she will be welcomed back into the Clan…after proving her loyalty. She’ll be assigned a mentor and continued her apprenticeship. When she has proved to me and you she is a loyal member of his Clan, I will be happy to give her a warrior name and welcome her as one of us.”

Glancing around, Twig was relieved to see most of ThunderClan looking happy about this decision. Although some of them looked uncertain.

“She’ll still be an apprentice?” Dewnose murmured.

Bramblestar turned to Fin. “I’ve heard Twig’s reasons for coming here. What about you?”

Fin stood tall and bold. “I want to be a ThunderClan warrior,” he declared. “I’ve heard stories of Firestar and his Clan. How brave and honorable you all are. I want to be part of that. And I want to stay with Twig.”

A few warriors murmured in appreciation.

“He seems promising,” Graystripe called out.

“We could always use more warriors,” Squirrelflight added.

“I don’t know about this.” Thornclaw’s arms were crossed. “Not much good has come from welcoming strangers lately.”

“Hate to agree with ThunderClan’s resident jerk,” Cloudtail said, “but Thornclaw might be right. Too many newcomers have been going in and out of the Clans.”

Twig knew Cloudtail’s remark was about Darktail and the Kin, but she couldn’t help wondering if it was also about SkyClan. The Clans still weren’t entirely sure they’d be staying permanently. But Cloudtail didn’t glance at Twig as he said it, his gaze fixed on Bramblestar.

“I don’t think SkyClan understands exactly how we function,” Brightheart added. “You can’t just jump from one Clan to another. It’s a big commitment that comes with a lot of consequences.”

Twig winced. Brightheart had put it in the nicest possible way, but the truth still stung.

“I know,” Fin insisted. “And I’m ready to make the commitment.”

“The others Clans are changing,” Bramblestar said thoughtfully. “For the better or for worse. Perhaps we should consider making changes as well.”

“I say we test him like we’re testing Twig,” Cherryfall spoke up. “See if he truly belongs here.”

“I’ll pass any test you give me!” Fin announced confidently.

Bramblestar nodded. “Very well. Fin, you are officially an apprentice of ThunderClan. Once you show your loyalty to us, you and Twig will be welcomed as warriors.”

Fin nodded eagerly.

“Larksong,” Bramblestar called. “You are loyal and committed. You’ll mentor Fin and teach him our ways.”

Twig felt a strange mixture of happiness and jealously. She didn’t know Larksong had been made a warrior. At this rate, even Honey would receive her warrior name before Twig.

Larksong looked stunned at his leader’s praise. But he paced forward. “I won’t let you down, Bramblestar.”

Fin hurried across the circle to join Larksong’s side.

“Twig, you’ll be mentored by Sparkfire,” Bramblestar announced. “She is brave and loyal. She’ll be the first to realize if you are too.”

“What?” Sparkfire’s eyes widened, glaring at Twig.

Bramblestar fixed his daughter with his stern gaze. “You were the first to raise skepticism when Twig came back. You’ll be tougher on her than anyone. If she can convince you she’s loyal, the rest of the Clan will follow suit.”

He turned to head back up to Highledge. The rest of the Clan dispersed, realizing the meeting was over. Twig found herself alone in the clearing, feeling lost. Had she made the right choice coming back? Did she really belong here? She hadn’t thought she’d needed to pass any sort of test just to come back.

Larksong and Fin were talking excitedly. “I’ll show you were you’ll sleep,” Larksong said. “And tomorrow we’ll take a tour of the land.”

“That sounds awesome!” Fin replied.

Twig wished his enthusiasm would rub off on her. Why did Fin get the easy mentor? She was raised in ThunderClan. She knew these people.

Why did they feel the need to test her?

Chapter Text

Violetshine heaved as she dragged the bundle of sturdy sticks into SkyClan’s camp. It was almost noon and she’d spent the entire morning gathering supplies to make the warrior’s hut bigger.

She’d only been a warrior a day, but she was still disappointed about doing apprentice tasks. But all of the warriors were helping with the renovations. Fitting all of ShadowClan into SkyClan’s camp had proven difficult. Expanding the warrior’s hut was just one of several projects that needed finished as soon as possible. Hawkwing and Leafstar hardly knew what to do. It was hard enough encouraging the two separate Clans to work together while also not tripping over one another.

It felt weird being close to ShadowClan again. She knew any Clan was grateful for extra warriors, but these warriors in particular carried bad memories for Violetshine. SkyClan had been the first people to take her in and actually treat her like one of their own. ShadowClan had kept her alive, but SkyClan had been home.

She felt like a lost little kid again, stumbling through the ranks of judgemental eyes. Especially with her sister in ThunderClan.

She tried not to feel a pang of anger every time she thought of her sister leaving SkyClan. They’d finally been together for the first time in their eyes. Why had Twig wanted to leave?

Why was ThunderClan so much better than her?

Another bout of annoyance rose inside her when she spotted Garrick laying on his stomach on a flat rock and watching the stream bubble by. He’d been in the exact same spot that morning when Violetshine ate breakfast.

“Things would be a lot easier if you’d help,” Violetshine called. “You’re supposed to be a camp aide.”

Garrick turned his dark brown gaze on her, filled with indecision.

Violetshine instantly felt guilty. She knew Garrick was still deciding what he wanted to do. He’d been on his own so long, fitting in with a group must be hard. But while he was staying here, he could at least help.

Before she could apologize, Leafstar’s voice sounded from across camp. “Garrick! Come here. I’d like to have a word.”

Leafstar was standing outside her hut constructed from an old cedar tree. Violetshine continued dragging her bundle closer to the warrior’s hut, but had her head turned to listen.

She also noticed a few others respectfully looking away but still listening in, including Frecklewish, the SkyClan healer.

“Garrick,” Leafstar began, “I originally gave you the title of camp aide while you got used to the Clan. But you requested more time to think over whether you want to stay with SkyClan or not. That time is up.”

Garrick shrugged. “I’m not sure this life is for me,” he replied, his voice strained. “I do like SkyClan, but I’m not used to living with others.”

Disappointment pricked Violetshine. She knew that was his feelings, but had secretly hoped he’d decide to stay anyway.

She looked to Leafstar, who looked calm. “We’re grateful for your help, but we can’t let you stay here without pulling any weight. You need to make a choice. Perhaps you’d like an apprenticeship as a warrior.”

“I’m not sure being a warrior is for me,” Garrick said. “And being an apprentice doesn’t sound fun.”

Violetshine’s disappointment was immediately replaced with irritation. Apprenticeships weren’t supposed to be fun.

Leafstar looked just as irritated. “We like having you here, Garrick, and you’re clearly special, but it’s not fair for you to lounge around without contributing. Being part of a Clan means helping your Clanmates.”

Frecklewish stepped forward. “Garrick is special. He has visions and can see those who have passed on. Perhaps he’s meant to be a healer.”

Violetshine didn’t think that was a good idea, but kept it to herself. There were enough healers around the lake. And now that Puddleshine was also serving as SkyClan’s healer, SkyClan had three.

Sagenose looked uncertain. “But Frecklewish, you’re already training Fidget.”

“Puddlshine can train Garrick,” Frecklewish suggested.

Leafstar looked toward Puddleshine, who was knelt outside the healer’s hut laying out herbs to dry. He just shrugged in response.

“Very well,” Leafstar decided. “Garrick, there’s a possibility StarClan has chosen you as a healer. I’d like you to spend some time with the healers to decide if it’s right for you.”

“I’ll give it a tree,” Garrick replied unenthusiastically.

“Good. While you’re training, I want to offer you an apprentice’s name. Would that be alright?”

Garrick looked a little more interested. “Can I be called Tree?”

“Tree?” Violetshine echoed. Out of all the names he could have picked, why something like that?

Leafstar nodded. “If that is the name you want, it is your. Tree, you are now a healer’s apprentice.”

She glanced around expectantly, but anyone watching had already lost interested. The Clan dispersed to continue their tasks. There was no fanfare as there usually was at a naming ceremony, nor did anyone come forward to congratulate the new apprentice.

Violetshine abandoned her sticks to approach Tree. “Are you sure about this? Do you really want to be a healer?”

“No,” Tree said. “But I’m not cut out for warrior stuff and I hate doing chores. If I want to stay here, I gotta pull my weight, right?”

Violetshine searched his gaze. “Tree, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Tree replied.

“Do you still see Needletail?”

Tree shook his head. “Not in a while. Not since making her appear on the shore. Actually, a lot of those spirits have disappeared. I imagine now that their families have properly grieved, they’ve moved on.”

“Maybe.” Violetshine left it at that, wandering back over to her sticks. She wondered if Needletail really had made it to StarClan. She hoped so. She wanted Needletail to watch over her.

The idea was comforting.

Chapter Text

“You lay them out on boulders to dry,” Frecklewish said.

“No, you hang them on a branch rack,” Puddleshine argued.

Violetshine was lingering near the edge of the healer’s hut. Morning sunshine flowed into the camp and a fresh breeze stirred the trees. Frecklewish was looking exasperated.

“This is the way we do it in SkyClan,” Frecklewish insisted.

“Well this is how I was taught,” Puddleshine said. “It’s the way it’s always been done by the lake.”

Frecklewish narrowed her eyes. “You’re a SkyClan healer and you’ll do it like a SkyClan healer.”

Tree and Fidget were sitting just behind their mentors. Tree had been training for a week now, but he didn’t seem fond of his new duties or his new mentors. Especially since they couldn’t seem to agree on anything.

“Does it matter which way you do it?” Tree called. “It gets the same results, doesn’t it?”

Both healers turned to glare at him, but he didn’t seem fazed. So they returned to their argument. Not wanting to listen anymore, Violetshine hurried into the center of the clearing, hoping to join a hunting patrol. But she was intercepted by Hawkwing.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine,” Violetshine assured him. “Just tired. There’s so much to do.”

Hawkwing glanced toward the healer’s hut. “Integrating another Clan into our’s isn’t easy.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Leafstar slid out from her hut and stood in front of it. “Let all those old enough to hunt join here for a Clan meeting!”

People appeared from the warrior’s hut and sat in a ragged semicircle around her. They were joined moments later by the apprentices. Frecklewish and Puddleshine had abandoned their argument to join the meeting with Tree and Fidget scampering after them. While Fidget stayed with his mentors, Tree joined Violetshine with a friendly smile.

Leafstar’s gaze travelled over the combined Clan. She nodded to Rowanstar. “Do you want to stand with me?”

The ShadowClan leader shook his head. “I don’t want to give anyone reason to question your authority.”

A deep groan of dismay came from the ShadowClan warriors.

Leafstar began assigning the day’s duties. Violetshine wondered why she wasn’t letting Hawkwing handle that. But perhaps with so much confusion, orders from a Clan leader would be helpful.

“Rowanstar, I’d like you to lead a patrol to the old ShadowClan camp,” Leafstar instructed. “Gather materials for huts and beds.”

“What?” Tawnypelt stood up. “That’s an apprentice job! Rowanstar is a leader.”

“And he’s being put in charge of taking apart his own camp,” Leafstar argued. “Like a leader would.”

“It’s fine, Tawnypelt,” Rowanstar said to his wife. “I want to help.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes, as though afraid to find disappointment in her gaze.

“Thank you, Rowanstar,” Leafstar said. “Tawnypelt, you can do with him. Along with Violetshine.”

“Sure, Leafstar,” Violetshine replied.

Hawkwing raised one hand. “I’d like to go as well.”

Violetshine suppressed the urge to look at her father. She was a warrior now! She could go on patrol without him dotting.

Leafstar hesitated before nodding. “Okay, Hawkwing. Survey the land. We’ll need to know the layout of our new territory.”

Rowanstar called for his patrol and all four warriors headed out of camp. As soon as they were in the forest, Hawkwing dropped back to walk beside Violetshine.

“We’ll let Rowanstar and Tawnypelt lead,” he murmured.

He watched without question as Rowanstar and Tawnypelt began to pull ahead. When Violetshine quickened her pace, Hawkwing put out an arm to stop her.

“Don’t you want to stick with them?” Violetshine asked.

“We’ll catch up,” Hawkwing replied. “I have a feeling they want to speak privately.” He hesitated before continuing. “It’s married couple stuff. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Violetshine tensed. The last person she wanted to talk to about relationships was her father.

As they crossed into ShadowClan’s old land, Violetshine drifted ahead, wondering what the couple was talking about. She realized with a sinking feeling she didn’t entirely trust them. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were complaining about Leafstar.

Rowanstar and Tawnypelt leaned close together as they talked. Violetshine stayed back, trying to act non suspicious. The pine trees grew close together here and her footsteps made no sound on the carpet of pine needles.

“Are you sure this is what’s good for us?” Tawnypelt asked Rowanstar. “Ending ShadowClan? There are supposed to be five Clans. I’m sure the rest of our Clan would support you.”

Rowanstar couldn’t meet her gaze. “There’s no use now that Tigerheart’s gone. He was supposed to help make our Clan strong again. How can I go on when my own deputy abandoned me?”

Violetshine felt torn. She wanted to hear more but didn’t want to intrude. Rowanstar’s words reminded her of her ShadowClan upbringing. She wanted nothing more than to be a SkyClan warrior, yet her heart broke for ShadowClan.

But what were they supposed to do when their leader wouldn’t lead them?

Chapter Text

Alderheart stepped through the long grass on his way to the stream. He barely noticed the sounds of the forest around him, his stomach heavy with worry. A sickness was spreading through ThunderClan. Several people had already caught it. Last night, they’d be joined by Brackenfur, Whitewing, and Plum. Alderheart was especially worried for Blossomfall’s oldest. She was healthy and strong, but still young and small. He was also worried about the younger children. Shell, Bristle, and Bay were old enough to start wandering camp. If they got sick, it could kill them in a matter of days.

When he reached the WindClan border and located the watermint patch, he found the entire precious supply gone. He wondered if WindClan was also sick and had already taken it. He tried not to feel resentful fo Kestrelflight for taking so much.

Usually, Kestrelflight would take from the RiverClan border where watermint also grew- and was more plentiful. But perhaps Harestar hadn’t wanted to start trouble with RiverClan. After RiverClan abandoned contact with the other Clans, they’d all been careful not to go near their land.

Alderheart walked along the bank, heading upstream. Finally, he spotted a few stems of watermint. They grew close to the water’s edge and he had to be careful as he bent to pluck them.

He headed back to camp with the few stems in his fist. Overhead, dark clouds were starting to mass. Alderheart felt a twang of unease as the first drops of rain splashed on the top of his head.

It felt like weeks since he’d last seen the sun. The last time it had been this dreary, the Clans had suffered through The Great Storm.

He couldn’t help feeling these clouds meant more than just rain. StarClan had once warned them not to let the dark sky herald a storm. Could this dark sky be a sign? The clouds seemed darker and denser than any rainstorm they’d experienced before.

Something was coming. He could feel it.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing with chervil root?” Jayfeather growled. “We need watermint!”
Alderheart sighed. With so many patients, Jayfeather’s temper had shortened to almost nonexistent. But Alderheart had to keep his head.

“We don’t have watermint,” he said calmly. He’d given what little he’d found to Plum. “If I could wave my hand and have it magically appear, I would.”

“I don’t need magic tricks. I need you out there searching the forest until you find some,” Jayfeather grumbled.

Alderheart glanced toward the healer’s hut entrance. The rain had started, heavy and aggressive. If Alderheart thought there was a change of finding watermint he’d be taking it, but Leafpool was already out looking. If she couldn’t find any, they’d have to wait until after the storm.

“There’s none left at the WindClan border,” Alderheart said. “We’ll have to find another supply.”

“And you have to mash up this chervil root more thoroughly.” Jayfeather had picked up the bowl and wiped a finger through the pulp. “It’s stilly chunky.”

“You interrupted me mashing it,” Alderheart pointed out.

Before Jayfeather could reply, he paused, turning toward the healer’s hut entrance. The bramble vines opened and Briarlight wheeled in on her chair. Her brown hair was stuck to her face and her clothes were completely drenched.

“Briarlight!” Jayfeather squeaked, hurrying over to grab the back of her chair and push her inside. “What were you thinking? You can’t be out in this weather! You’ll get sick.”

“I was checking the elders for you,” Briarlight replied calmly. “You’re so busy with your patients. I wanted to help.”

“I appreciate it, but you can’t risk getting sick,” Jayfeather chided, more gently than he would a sick child. He wheeled Briarlight to the back of the hut, leaning down to grab a blanket to throw over her.

The bramble curtain rustled and Bumblestripe poked his head through. He looked soaked. “Did I just see Briarlight come in here? Why isn’t she in her hut?”

“I was taking Brackenfur his herbs,” Briarlight explained.

“And I told you I’d do that,” Jayfeather reminded her. “I’ve got it handled, Bumblestripe.”

“She can’t be outside in the rain,” Bumblestripe said.

“I know,” Jayfeather growled.

“She’ll get sick!”

“Thank you, Bumblestripe.” Jayfeather walked over to the bramble curtain and grabbed two tendrils, shoving Bumblestripe back before closing them over the gap he’d created.

As Jayfeather passed again, he murmured some unsavory words about Bumblestripe, but not loud enough for Briarlight to hear. Alderheart understood his irritation. Bumblestripe had been wound up tighter than a cornered snake since Dovewing had disappeared.

Just when the healers were returning to their duties, the bramble curtain rustled again. “Jayfeather?” Bellsong called.

“For StarClan’s sake!” Jayfeather turned on the elder. “I am dealing with Briarlight!”

Bellsong blinked at him. “I heard Plum is sick.”

Jayfeather huffed, then turned to help Briarlight dry off with the blanket.

Bellsong stepped into the hut. “How is she?”

“Doing fine,” Alderheart reassured her. Plum was her eldest grandchild. Now, the young girl was resting at the edge of the hut in one of the extra beds. “She’s been sleeping most of the day.”

“Blossomfall is worried,” Bellsong reported. “She wants to stay in here with her.”

Alderheart shook his head. “No. We can’t risk her getting sick, too. Or worse, spreading it to the other kids. Tell her Plum is in good hands. She’s strong.”

Bellsong nodded. “Thank you, Alderheart. I’ll pass on the message.”

“And get out of the rain!” Jayfeather called. “You might have working legs but you won’t have working lungs if you don’t get under shelter.”

“What was that?” Bellsong rasped. “You know my hearing’s going out, Jayfeather. Can you speak up?”

Jayfeather glared at Bellsong like he could see her. “Please get out of the rain.”

“Of course, of course.” Bellsong ducked out of the hut again, most likely to return to the other elders.

Alderheart and Jayfeather waited with baited breath, but no one else disturbed them. Sighing in relief, they returned to their duties.

Alderheart’s mind wandered to watermint as he mashed up the chervil root. This would help keep their patients stable for a little white, but it wasn’t a cure. They needed watermint.

He needed a different supply. The only other patch of watermint he knew was on the border between WindClan and RiverClan. And RiverClan wasn’t exactly being friendly right now.

But what other option was there? If they didn’t find a cure soon, people would start dying. Alderheart already feared Brackenfur was on his way to StarClan, and Whitewing wasn’t far behind.

He had to go to RiverClan. He actually felt a bit excited about the idea. He could check in and see how they were doing. Maybe even convince them to open their borders.

Alderheart glanced at Jayfeather, wondering if he should voice this idea. But his brother was already being hostile and he didn’t think he was in the mood for RiverClan.

“I’ll be right back,” he said. Before Jayfeather could question him, he added, “I’m going to see dad. Maybe someone knows about another watermint patch.”

“Only other patch near the lake is in RiverClan,” Jayfeather reminded him.

“Good thing the world is larger than the lake,” Alderheart murmured, keeping that idea in his back pocket for later. If RiverClan wouldn’t help, there was a whole world out there. At least one more watermint patch had to be growing somewhere, right?

Alderheart spotted his father with Sparkfire at the food storage. They were tying a wooden slab over the top of the bin to keep the food inside safe and dry.

“Dad?” Alderheart approached.

“Hi, Alderheart,” Bramblestar greeted, tying down another stake. “Do you need something?”

“We’re out of watermint for the sick,” Alderheart explained. “And the patches on our land are out. I’d like to go to RiverClan and ask them for some. There’s a huge patch just inside their border with WindClan.”

Bramblestar had paused his task to look up at Alderheart. After a moment, he nodded. “Okay. But you need an escort. I don’t know how hostile Mistystar’s warriors will be.”

“Healers can cross borders freely,” Alderheart pointed out.

“Yes, but RiverClan might not adhere to that,” his father said. “I don’t want to risk it.”

“I’ll go with him,” Sparkfire offered. “We’ll take Twig.”

“That’ll do,” Bramblestar agreed. “Just help me tie down the food storage and you can go.”

Alderheart felt a warm feeling of appreciation for his sister. It would be good to go on an expedition to RiverClan with her, and even better with Twig.

He’d been so worried about her since she returned. She’d been looking sad and anxious. But Alderheart had been too busy with his patients to spend any time with her.

Chapter Text

Sparkfire led the way through WindClan’s land, keeping close to the lakeshore. The rain had stopped and a damp wind gusted across the lake. The sky was still covered by a dark mass of clouds.

“How have you been?” Alderheart asked Twig.

“Fine, thanks,” Twig replied.

The curt answer wasn’t what he’d expected. Alderheart had a feeling she was hiding something.

“How are you getting along with Sparkfire?”

Twig shrugged. “She’s fine.”

“Hush!” Sparkfire growled. “A WindClan patrol is coming.”

Alderheart spotted three WindClan warriors streaming down the swell of the moor. As they drew closer, he recognized Featherpelt, Hootwhisker, and Larkwing. They had veered off their original course to intercept the ThunderClan patrol.

None of the WindClan warriors looked hostile. “Hello,” Featherpelt greeted politely. “Did you come to see Harestar?”

“Actually, we’re just passing through,” Alderheart replied. “We need to ask RiverClan for watermint. The patch on our stream is gone.”

“Oh, no!” Featherpelt looked guilty. “We took all of that. There’s sickness in our camp.”

“We wouldn’t have taken so much if we knew you had sickness, too,” Hootwhisker asked.

“It’s okay,” Alderheart assured them. “But we need watermint.”

“There’s actually a patch on our side of the RiverClan border,” Hootwhisker said. “You should take it.”

Alderheart nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Now we won’t have to bother RiverClan.”

“Let us show you,” Hootwhisker said.

Alderheart glanced at his sister and saw Sparkfire wearing a frown. “We’d appreciate it,” he answered, sending Sparkfire a warning glance. WindClan was being nicer than they had in years. Under Harestar’s lead, WindClan and ThunderClan’s friendship had been restored. Alderheart didn’t want to tarnish that by rejecting an escort and making this patrol suspicious.

Sparkfire seemed to get what his glance meant. “I suppose it’ll be good to have six warriors. In case there’s trouble.”

“But you’re on a healer’s mission,” Larkwing pointed out. “Why would there be trouble?”

“Don’t be daft,” Sparkfire scoffed. “RiverClan is unpredictable right now.”

Hootwhisker and Featherpelt exchanged a doubtful glance that made Alderheart feel a little better. WindClan, unlike ThunderClan, shared a border with RiverClan. They’d know if RiverClan was acting hostile. And their doubt meant the closed off Clan must be docile.

Together, the two patrols headed for the RiverClan border, keeping close to the water’s edge. The wind had dropped and the lake lay still. Alderheart’s heart lifted with hope that the storm was over, but the sky still looked bleak. They passed the ranch at the edge of WindClan’s land. A few horses were out in the pasture, grazing. One young horse was trotted back and forth along the fence. Finally, they reached the steam that marked RiverClan’s border.

“I see watermint!” Twig squealed in excitement. “Lots of it!” She hurried forward to a thick clump of watermint growing at the side of the stream. On the exact other side was another clump, the purple flowers visible at the end of spiky stems.

Twig knelt to begin plucking the stems. The others followed more slowly. Featherpelt began picking herbs for WindClan while Hootwhisker and Larkwing watched the border.

Alderheart was just kneeling to pick some watermint when Twig gave an alarm call. Alderheart spun around just in time to see her tethering at the edge of the stream. Sparkfire dove through the herb patch to grab her by the front of her shirt, throwing her back to safety.

“You idiot!” Sparkfire snapped. “You should have been more careful. You just dropped all that watermint into the stream!” Her voice was raised, echoing through the open hills.

“It’s fine,” Alderheart called. “There’s plenty more. Twig, are you okay?”

Twig nodded, but she looked miserable. “I’m sorry,” she said. “The edge of the bank gave way.”

“In the future, watch where you’re stepping,” Sparkfire growled. “Stay by me and get back to work.”

Alderheart headed back to his task. But before he could continue, he heard footsteps from RiverClan’s land. Looking up, two RiverClan warriors were pushing through the weeds on the far side of the stream.

“What are you doing?” Shimmerpelt stopped at the edge of the water, glaring at Alderheart. “Our borders are closed! Get lost.”

“We know your borders are closed,” Sparkfire growled. “That’s why we didn’t cross them. We already got permission from WindClan to be here. Besides, this is healer business. The warrior code allows us to take this watermint for our sick Clanmates.”

Shimmerpelt exchanged an uncertain glance with Havenpelt. “We don’t want trouble,” she said. “Just go!”

Alderheart realized she couldn’t think of an argument, but it would look bad on RiverClan if they just outright admitted the overreaction.

“If you want, we can explain to Mistystar why we’re here,” Alderheart said. “So there’s no miscommunication.”

“We don’t need her permission to be here,” Sparkfire snapped.

Alderheart ignored her. “Surely you can agree it’s in everyone’s interest for the sickness to be stopped.”

The RiverClan warriors exchanged a glance, then leaned close together. Alderheart strained to hear their voices, but he couldn’t make out a word.

Finally, they turned back to the stream. “Very well,” Havenpelt said. “Only Alderheart will come across. But the rest of you must wait.”

“I’m not letting him go into enemy territory alone!” Sparkfire protected.

Shimmerpelt glared at her. “Do you think we’d hurt a healer? Just because our borders are closed doesn’t mean we’re not warriors anymore.”

“It’s okay, Sparkfire,” Alderheart assured his sister. “I trust RiverClan. Besides, if Mistystar sees warriors of two different Clans walking into her camp, she’ll think we’re attacking.”

Sparkfire glared at him. “Whatever.”

Alderheart walked forward and looked down at the stream. The current ran fast and deep. Here, it was too wide to jump across. He glanced up at the RiverClan warriors and noticed amusement in their eyes.

“Come upstream,” Havenpelt suggested. “There’s a place to cross.”

The RiverClan warriors kept pace with him as he climbed the bank. Just a few lengths away, a large rock jutted out of the water toward the middle of the stream.

“Can you handle that?” Shimmerpelt asked.

“I’ll be fine!” Alderheart replied, praying to StarClan he’d make it.

Gritting his teeth, he braced himself before pushing off from the bank and landing on top of the wall. The second leap was harder- the rock was smooth and slippery. For a horrible moment, Alderheart was sure he’d fall. But he took off from the rock and landed on the bank.

The RiverClan warriors stood in front of him, looking impressed. They turned to lead the way to their camp.

There was another stream that bordered the RiverClan camp, but it was shallow enough for Alderheart to splash through. As he climbed the back beyond, he could see RiverClan warriors gathering, surprised to see an outsider.

“Stay here,” Havenpelt ordered. “I’ll get Mistystar.”

Alderheart stopped at the top of the bank, uncomfortable beneath the many stares of RiverClan. He was relieved to see Mistystar just a few moments later, slipping through her warriors to stand in front of him.

“Hello,” she greeted. “What are you doing here, Alderheart? You know our borders are closed.”

“Hello, Mistystar,” Alderheart replied politely. “I know, but I wouldn’t have come unless it was an emergency. There’s sickness in my camp and WindClan’s. WindClan took all the watermint from our stream to cure it, but they didn’t leave any for us. So we got an escort from them to come to your border and take some. We never set foot across your border, but I wanted to come here and explain it myself so there was no chance of miscommunication.”

Mistystar looked thoughtful. “I don’t appreciate you so close to our borders, but I understand why you did it. Take your watermint, but return home immediately after.”

“Thank you!” Alderheart breathed a sigh of relief. “We-”

“Don’t come near our border again,” Mistystar interrupted.

Alderheart nodded. “I’ll remember that. Thank you, Mistystar. ThunderClan is grateful. May StarClan light your path.”

Mistystar didn’t respond. Alderheart turned to go, but something was compelling him back. He couldn’t leave so soon.

“Mistystar, won’t you return to the other Clans?” he begged. “ShadowClan has collapsed and joined with SkyClan.”

Mistystar’s eyes widened and she drew herself up. The news had affected her, and Alderheart realized in closing her borders she’d also closed herself off from news of the other Clans.

She relaxed again. “Our borders are closed while we rebuild. I’m sorry to hear about ShadowClan, but that is not RiverClan’s responsibility.”

Struggling to hide his disappointment, Alderheart wadded out of the camp. Mistystar had always been a voice of reason to the other leaders, but Darktail had dealt her deep wounds.

Shimmerpelt and Havenpelt escorted him on either side to the border stream. He leaped back across the jutting rock and found his patrol waiting for him.

“What did Mistystar say?” Sparkfire demanded.

Alderheart subtly gestured toward the RiverClan warriors on the opposite bank, silently warning his sister to watch her mouth. “She says we can take the watermint, but we must be quick.”

“I’d hope so,” Hootwhisker commented.

All six warriors returned to collecting watermint. “This might be the only chance we get,” Alderheart told them. “Mistystar told me not to come back.”

Once they had gathered as much as they could carry, they set off back along the lakeshore. Alderheart was aware of Shimmerpelt and Havenpelt watching them.

The WindClan patrol said their farewells beside the ranch, then headed up the moorland toward their camp. Alderheart and his Clanmates made their way back to the stone hollow in silence.

He thought about his interaction with Mistystar. He’d really thought he’d gotten through to her for a moment. Perhaps she’d think it over and realize how important it was for the other Clans to have her support.

But at least the trip had yielded some success. Alderheart had plenty of watermint to treat the sickness.

But as soon as Alderheart entered camp, Jayfeather was in front of him.

“Where have you been?” he demanded. “More people caught the sickness!"

Chapter Text

“No, no, no! Do it again,” Sparkfire said. “You should be bracing yourself, then double striking. No weapon for now.”

Twig suppressed a sigh. She’d been doing battle training since dawn with Fin and Larksong, and she was bored. She’d learned all this five years ago when she first became an apprentice.

“Twig!” Sparkfire called, annoyed. “Focus!”

Trying to work up some enthusiasm, Twig bent her knees and delivered two swift punches to the empty air in front of her.

“Not bad,” Sparkfire grunted.

Twig suspected Sparkfire’s grudging praise was a mask for her anger at being assigned Twig’s mentor. Twig thought they’d get along better if she’d just deal with it like an adult. Or not insist on always running the same drills Larksong was doing with Fin.

Twig didn’t think she’d ever be made a warrior at this rate. Sparkfire was intent on hating her, and maybe she had a reason to. Twig had disrespected ThunderClan by switching to SkyClan, only to come back a year later. But she’d done that as a child. She was nearly full grown now and much more wise.

Twig glanced over at Fin and listened as Larksong instructed him how to balance. Twig had learned a long time ago how best to deal with her lame leg, but Fin’s injury had happened not too long ago and he still needed practice.

She felt so frustrated. She was sure Sparkfire was having her run these drills to test her commitment.

“Twig!” Sparkfire snapped harshly. “Stop staring into space and do the exercise again.”

Twig sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Chapter Text

It was noon when Twig emerged from the apprentice’s hut to find the food storage empty. She glanced around, wondering why the hunting patrols hadn’t returned yet.

She guessed it was the sickness. Whitewing and Squirrelflight were still stuck in the healer’s hut. They’d been joined by Thornclaw, Cloudtail, Mousetooth, and Firesong. Much to the healers’ dismay, Shell had also come down with fever. With the watermint from RiverClan, no one was in danger anymore expect Brackenfur, who wasn’t responding to it. But much of the Clan was still shaky and needed rest.

Twig wondered if she should go hunting. Maybe that could convince Sparkfire she was warrior material.

“Hey. Fin,” Twig called into the apprentice’s hut behind her. “Wanna go hunting?”

Fin popped out from the hut, his eyes wide. “Are we allowed to hunt without a warrior present?”

Twig shrugged. “Sure.” She didn’t see why they couldn’t. She was old enough to be a warrior and Fin wasn’t far behind.

But Thornclaw was the one on guard at the camp entrance. Twig didn’t want to explain herself to him. Apprentices were allowed to leave camp on their own, but Thornclaw was one of the most authority-driven warriors in the Clan. No doubt he’d ask if her mentor had given her permission to leave, and lying about it wouldn’t prove to anyone she was loyal enough for a warrior name.

Instead, Twig veered toward the wasteplace entrance. “This way, Fin. I should show you every corner of the camp.”

“But I’ve already been in here-” He was cut off by a soft yelp as Twig grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

She stepped carefully around the edge of the clearing then slipped into the trees on the other side.

“Oh. Wow,” Fin remarked. “I didn’t know you could get out of camp this way.”

He stayed at Twig’s side as she headed deeper into the forest. The sun was behind a cloud, making the forest feel cool and shady. Twig kept pausing to look out for game…and also other people. She didn’t want to risk getting caught sneaking out of camp.

“Over there!” Fin whispered, pointing to a rabbit gnawing on the root of an oak tree. He dropped into a crouch and crept toward it. But just before he was close enough for a strike, his injured leg wobbled and he quickly adjusted, crushing a dead leaf under one foot. The crackling sound made the rabbit’s ears perk up, then it darted away.

Fin had already stood up, looking crestfallen, but Twig saw an opportunity. Diving forward with her at the ready, the rabbit was dead after a quick stab through the back of the neck.

“Nice catch!” Fin praised, but there was guilt in his eyes. “Sorry I missed it. It’s this stupid leg.”

“You get used to it,” Twig reassured him. “We make a good team. With two working legs between us.”

Fin barked a laugh, then rejoined Twig’s side to carry on hunting. Before the sun had moved, they found another rabbit and a black bird. Twig’s heart was lifting. Sparkfire would be so pleased.

She soon realized they had neared the WindClan border. “Let’s check for ducks beside the stream,” she suggested. “And keep a lookout for watermint. Alderheart says Brackenfur is still weak.”

Fin agreed, already racing in the direction of the border. But before they got far, Twig spotted a pigeon pecking at the bottom of an ash tree and set off after it. The bird was taking its time, rummaging under the leaf litter for seeds.

Twig motioned for Fin to keep back and began stalking the pigeon, creeping forward. She stayed balanced, despite her leg starting to ache from discomfort. Pushing through the pain, she moved closer, soon closing the gap. But just before she could strike, the wind shifted and the pigeon fluttered into the trees.

Realizing it wasn’t heading for the branches, Twig gave chase, hoping to follow it and start over once it landed again. She raced through the trees to keep up, so fast she couldn’t stop when the ground sudden;y disappeared below her. With a scream, she fell into cold water, the current closing over her head.

She trashed helplessly, trying to find the bottom of the stream. Then her head broke the surface. She blinked through the green blur of water, reaching up to grab at anything solid.

Finally, her fingers brushed the gritty soil of the bank. With massive effort, Twig hauled herself out of the water, scrambling out of the current to collapse onto the pebbles. She choked and gasping.

For a moment, she could only lay there, catching her breath. In the distance, she could hear Fin’s panicked voice.

“Twig! Twig!”

“Here!” she rasped.

Another, less familiar voice answered her. “What are you doing here?”

Twig looked up. In front of her, she could see gray boot. Looking up, her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. Fernstripe was standing over her, Emberfoot and Smokehaze flanking her on either side.

“Why are you on our land?” Emberfoot growled.

“I’m sorry,” Twig gasped, sitting up. “I-I didn’t mean to.” She staggered to her feet, shaking and soaked.

“Why are you this far from camp without your mentors?” Smokehaze asked.

Twig glanced across the stream to see Fin on the other side, his eyes wide. She wasn’t sure how to answer the question. Should she admit she’d snuck out of camp? Or should she lie and say their mentors allowed them to come this way? She didn’t want these WindClan warriors to think ThunderClan was careless and let apprentices wander off.

“Uh…We were hunting and chased a pigeon this way. We didn’t realize we were so close to the border.” She blushed, feeling like a foolish apprentice. But the act seemed to curb the anger with the WindClan warriors.

Fernstripe nodded in understanding. “We’ll take you back home.”

Twig’s eyes widened. “There’s no need! We’ll head straight back.”

“No,” Fernstripe said sternly. “Bramblestar needs to know what happened. Emberfoot, you come with me. Smokehaze, head back to camp and tell Harestar where we’re going.”

The younger warrior dashed off. Fernstripe and Emberfoot led Twig further up the stream to the stepping stones so they could cross safely.

Anger and shame burned through her. She never should have suggested hunting near the stream. She couldn’t even be angry at the WindClan warriors for insisting on taking her home- they were being reasonable and she knew it. The Clans had learned they experienced less hostility when warriors explained themselves on both sides immediately.

But that also meant Twig couldn’t lie about what had happened. What was Bramblestar going to think? And Sparkfire? This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.

She felt even more frustrated when she realized Fin wasn’t carrying the game they’d already caught.

Thornclaw was still guarding the entrance to the stone hollow. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the WindClan patrol. “Can I help you?”

Fernstripe nodded politely. “We’d like to speak with Bramblestar.”

Thornclaw grunted, then turned to lead the way into camp. “Wait here,” he ordered, then hurried off to the Highledge.

Around them, the Clan was starting to gather to see what was happening. Berrynose peered out of the warrior’s hut, looking shocked, then relaxed when he realized the WindClan warriors weren’t attacking.

Fin leaned close to Twig. “It’ll be okay.”

Twig sighed heavily.

Bramblestar emerged from his cave and hurried down the tumbled rocks before pushing through the gathering crowd. “What’s going on?”

“We found one of your apprentices in the border stream,” Fernstripe explained. “We’re aware she didn’t mean to trespass, but we wanted to make sure she returned home safe.”

“It was an accident,” Twig said quickly. “I was chasing a pigeon and-”

“And you should have watched where you were going,” Emberfoot growled. “You were lucky you fell in a narrow part of the stream. If it had been wider and you didn’t flounder your way out…or worse, you got washed into the lake…”

“I understand,” Bramblestar said. “And I’ll make sure Twig understands the gravity of her actions.”

Twig kept her gaze on the ground, wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. She could feel the stares of her Clanmates boring into her. She’d made them all look like fools in front of WindClan.

With their message delivered, the WindClan warriors said they farewells and departed. Twig felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s talk,” Bramblestar said.

Twig swallowed back her tears. She’d rather Sparkfire scold her than the Clan leader. Her legs shook as they carried her across camp and up the tumbled rocks to Bramblestar’s cave.

“What happened?” Bramblestar asked, sitting at the edge of his bed. “You should know better than to hunt so close to the border.”

Twig winced. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “It really was an accident.”

“What were you and Fin doing out of camp in the first place?” Bramblestar asked.

Twig sighed. She needed to tell the truth. “I can’t stand training!” she blurted out. “Sparkfire is training me like I’m a new apprentice. She acts like I have to do extra work because I have a messed up leg, but I’ve already done all that extra work. I’ve done two apprenticeships now. This level is too low for me!”

Bramblestar thought for a moment. “I see. I can definitely understand why that’s got you so frustrated. Alright, Twig. I’ll talk to Sparkfire for you.”

“It’s not fa- wait, really?” Twig was shocked. She hadn’t expected Bramblestar to see her side.

Bramblestar nodded. “I assigned Sparkfire as your mentor because I knew she’d be hard on you. I should have considered the fact you’re her first apprentice. I’ll dismiss you now. If you see Sparkfire, send her my way.”

Twig nodded and swiftly exited the hut. As she scrambled down the tumbled rocks, she felt a strange mix of happiness and apprehension. She wasn’t in trouble and Bramblestar had taken her concerns seriously. But would Sparkfire be angry she’d gotten her lectured?

Chapter Text

“Fin! Twig! Let’s go!” Larksong called into the apprentice’s hut.

Twig followed Fin into the clearing. She glanced around. “Where’s Sparkfire?”

“I’m not sure,” Larksong admitted. “She wasn’t in the hut when I woke up. Fin and I can wait if you want to go look for her.”

Twig felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Did Bramblestar have her doing something else?

She checked the most obvious places. Perhaps Bramblestar had her doing apprentice duties. She peeked into the elder’s hut, then the nursery. But there was no sign of her. Maybe she was helping the healers.

When Twig approached the healer’s hut, she heard her mentor’s voice raised in annoyance. “I don’t have time to be sick!”

Worried, Twig pushed into the hut. Jayfeather was standing in front of Sparkfire, who sat in one of the spare beds.

“You shouldn’t have gotten sick then,” Jayfeather snapped.

“I can’t help it, jerk!”

Jayfeather was distracted by the bramble curtain opening, which drew Sparkfire’s attention as well.

“Twig,” she rasped. “I’ve caught this StarClan forsaken sickness. You’ll have to train with Larksong today.”

“And for the next few days,” Jayfeather added. “A week if this stupid shrew doesn’t stay in bed and eat the herbs I give her.”

“Stupid shrew yourself!”

“Sparkfire, just because I am a healer do not think I can’t cause you harm, too,” Jayfeather growled, just as annoyed as she was.

“Oh, no, whatever will I do,” Sparkfire scoffed sarcastically. “Please don’t make me eat more sour leaves!”

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. “Twig, you can go. I’m going to show Sparkfire how a healer breaks bones without leaving any marks.”

“Yes, Jayfeather,” Twig squeaked, then quickly exited the hut. Seeing any of Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s kids interact made Twig actually glad she had no biological ties to ThunderClan. There was something about Firestar’s genes that made people crazy.

Dashing across the camp, she joined Larksong and Fin again. “Sparkfire’s sick,” she explained. “She said I’m supposed to train with you for a few days.”

Larksong glanced wistfully toward the healer’s hut, then he nodded. “Let’s go hunting.”

Chapter Text

Twig was intercepted by Alderheart when she tried to enter the healer’s hut. “Is Sparkfire feeling better?” she asked eagerly.

Alderheart shook his head. “No, unfortunately. But I hope she gets better soon. She and Jayfeather have been at each other’s throats since she started coughing. Those two can’t stand each other.”

“Can I help?” Twig asked.

Alderheart smiled. “Thanks, Twig, but we’ve got it handled. Besides, we can’t risk you getting sick, too.”

Disappointed, Twig returned to the clearing. Larksong had offered to take her hunting again today, but she found it so boring. Fin was still learning basics as he got used to his limitations. She had spent most of yesterday watching while Larksong attempted to teach him a new hunter’s crouch.

Glancing around, she spotted Lilyheart at the edge of the stone hollow, resting in the sunlight.

When Twig approached, Lilyheart smiled at her. “Hi, Twig. Any plans today?”

“No. Sparkfire is sick,” Twig replied.

“Come sit with me,” Lilyheart invited. “We’ve hardly spoken since you returned.”

Twig felt soothed by the warm welcome. Lilyheart and her late husband Snowbush had adopted her as their own when she’d first come to ThunderClan. Twig had always felt close to them.

She had grieved heavily when Snowbush had died while she was in SkyClan. She wondered if he would welcome her back like Lilyheart had.

“How are you feeling?” she asked. Lilyheart had been one of the first to fall ill.

“Better, but not as good as I’d like,” Lilyheart replied. “I can’t wait to get into the forest again. But whenever I get up, I can barely walk across camp without feeling dizzy.”

“Can I help?” Twig asked. “I can get you whatever you need.”

Lilyheart shook her head with a fond smile. “I’m fine, Twig. But you don’t seem to be. What’s bothering you?”

Twig hesitated. “I-I just feel restless here,” she confessed. “I expected a more excited welcome.”

Lilyheart wrap an arm around Twig’s shoulder, pulling her close. “Yeah, I know that must be disappointed. But you were always popular in the Clan. It hurt a lot when you left. It may take some time for everyone to get over that. But I’m very happy to have you back. Even if SkyClan is your family, I’ll always be your mother.”

Twig leaned against Lilyheart’s shoulder. “It’s Violetshine, too,” she continued. “I feel so estranged from her.”

“She’ll always be your sister,” Lilyheart reminded her.

“Yes, but I just wish we didn’t have to be in different Clans,” Twig said. “I tried so hard to like being in SkyClan. Now I’m trying hard to be apart of ThunderClan again, and it feels like no one wants me here.”

“The Clan will soon see you as one of us again,” Lilyheart promised. “Bramblestar wants you to prove you belong here to everyone. Including yourself.”

Twig glanced up at Lilyheart, feeling a little better. “Thanks.”

Chapter Text

“Sandynose, you’ll lead a border patrol,” Leafstar ordered. “Take a look at the old ShadowClan camp on the way. Take Violetshine and Tree.”

Pleased to be chosen, Violetshine took a step forward, then paused when Leafstar turned on Tree with a glare. “Tree, it’s been several weeks since you began training as a healer, and Frecklewish tells me you’re not interested in it. So I want you to start joining patrols. Let’s see how the life of a warrior suits you.”

The young blonde man was sitting at the edge of the group, watching the clouds drift by. He didn’t respond to his leader’s words.

“Tree?” Leafstar repeated.

Tree blinked, focusing his attention on her. “Uh…Sorry, Leafstar. Did you say something?”

“You’re joining Sandynose’s patrol,” Leafstar replied.

Tree looked uncertain. “Isn’t that a warrior task?”

Violetshine glanced at Leafstar anxiously, afraid the Clan leader was losing patience with Tree. He’d been living with SkyClan for a while now, but he still didn’t fit in with the Clan. He didn’t even know if he wanted to stay.

“You have to contribute,” Leafstar said calmly. “Everyone does. I want you to try out being a warrior. You might find you like it.”

Now Violetshine’s gaze turned to Tree. Would he decline? She felt her heart ache at the thought of him leaving the Clan. She enjoyed coming home after completely her duties to sit and eat with him. She seemed closer to him than anyone in the Clan, and it was nice to have that close friendship. She couldn’t bare the thought of him leaving.

“Okay,” Tree replied. “But won’t I slow the patrol down?”

“Everyone starts somewhere,” Leafstar replied briskly.

“I’ll help him,” Violetshien offered eagerly. She might be able to convince him to stay longer.

The sun was barely visible through a layer of clouds when Sandynose led his patrol out of camp. By the time they reached the border, the sun was high in the sky. Tree was slowly them down considerable, and irritating Sandynose to no end. He kept wandering off, or stopping to check his hair. Violetshine heard Sandynose murmuring curses under his breath.

Violetshine had to agree with him. She knew Tree didn’t want to do this but he could at least speed things up so they could go back home. Why couldn’t he at least try so he could stay with the Clan?

Suddenly, Sandynose pulled to a stop, his head up. Violetshine stopped as well and realized what had spooked him. Ahead, she could hear very faint voices traveling through the trees, like someone was nearby.

“You hear that?” Sandynose asked, and Violetshine nodded.

“It’s coming from the old ShadowClan camp,” Violetshine whispered.

Sandynose nodded in agreement. “Follow me.”

He set off, stalking carefully through the forest. Violetshine turned to Tree.

“Stay here,” she instructed. “This could be dangerous.”

Tree’s eyes narrowed. “Then I can’t let you go there without helping.”

Violetshine’s heart lifted, impressed. She headed after Sandynose. The thick covering of pine needles kept her footsteps muffled and the breeze was blowing toward them. Tree kept pace with her.

When they reached the slope that would lead into ShadowClan’s camp, Sandynose stopped and raised his hand. “From now on, absolute silence,” he whispered. “If we find trouble, Violetshine, you’ll run back to camp and get help. You’re the fastest.”

Violetshine nodded.

Together, they crept down the slope until they reached the top and could look over the walls of camp. As they watched, a young woman with blonde hair appeared on the far side of the hollow. She hurried through the camp and disappeared into the hut that used to be the nursery.

“That’s Sleekwhisker!” Violetshine gasped. “She’s part of the Kin. What’s she doing here?” A shudder raked Violetshine’s body as memories of Darktail and his lackeys came back to her. She’d seen no sign of Sleekwhisker since Darktail’s death. Why was she back?

Terrible memories were returning to Violetshine’s mind. The last time she’d seen Sleekwhisker, she was helping to hold Needletail down in the lake.

“We need to chase her off,” Sandynose growled.

He led the way into the hollow and through the bramble arch. Before they emerged into clearing, she heard a shout of alarm coming from the nursery, then shuffling as though someone was trying to remain quiet. But Sandynose plunged in anyway.

As soon as Violetshine entered the old nursery, she halted in amazement. Sleekwhisker stood protectively in front of Yarrowleaf, another former ShadowClan warrior. She was knelt in one of the old beds, her arms wrapped around two small children- a brown haired boy and a small blonde girl.

Sandynose stood over them, suddenly looking uncertain. No warrior wanted to attack a family with children.

“Violet!” Yarrowleaf exclaimed, her brown eyes wide with fright. “What happened? Where’s ShadowClan?”

“Are these ShadowClan warriors?” Sandynose asked Violetshine.

Violetshine wasn’t sure how to answer. “They were, but they joined the Kin.”

She felt uneasy. Sleekwhisker had become Darktail’s second in command after Raine’s death, and Yarrowleaf had always been willing to back him up. What business did they have here?

“They’re trespassing,” Sandynose growled.

“You can’t attack them! They have kids.” Tree’s brown eyes were warm and sympathetic.

Sandynose hesitated a moment, then sighed. “I won’t attack them. But they can’t stay here. Not if they betrayed ShadowClan by joining Darktail.”

Violetshine’s gaze hardened and she nodded in agreement. She had watched Sleekwhisker try to drown her friend. She’d seen Yarrowleaf tattle on her fellow ShadowClan warriors for stepping out of line. They couldn’t be trusted.

“Darktail is dead and we’ve left the Kin,” Sleekwhisker said. “It was a mistake to stay. We came looking for ShadowClan. Where are they?”

“They live with us now,” Sandynose said. “And you aren’t part of their Clan anymore.”

“Please, let us stay,” Yarrowleaf begged. “We want to be part of ShadowClan again.”

“If you cared about ShadowClan, you wouldn’t have sat back and let Darktail kill them,” Violetshine growled. “You wouldn’t have told him which ones to kill. Do you only care about being in a Clan now that you have children?”

Yarrowleaf looked hurt. “It’s not that. We tried to rebuild the Kin after Darktail’s death, but no one cares about each other anymore.”

“Yeah,” Sleekwhisker agreed. “They’re hardly Kin anymore.”

“These are my children,” Yarrowleaf said, gesturing to the small children in her arms. “This if Flax and Hop. Their father is Bruno from the Kin. He’s cruel to them, and me. He has been since I first got pregnant. I couldn’t raise them in the Kin. I kept thinking about growing up here, about how the nursery was safe. About how I had people who cared about me. I want that for my children. They belong in a Clan.”

Flax and Hop peered out from their mother’s arms. Flax, despite only being a small child, had a hardened look in his eyes. Violetshine noticed a bruise on the side of his face and shuddered.

“Violet,” Sleekwhisker said. “Where is ShadowClan? Where’s our Clan?”

“I’m Violetshine now,” she replied. “And ShadowClan is gone. When SkyClan returned to the lake, Rowanstar disbanded ShadowClan and joined with them.”

Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf exchanged a glance, stunned. “B-but how can ShadowClan just not exist anymore?” Yarrowleaf stammered.

Anger and resentment jolted Violetshine’s body. “Because you destroyed it! You let Darktail take us over and he destroyed it! If you wanted ShadowClan, you should have thought about that!”

Unable to look at them any longer, Violetshine turned away, stomping toward the entrance to the nursery. She crossed her arms and sighed heavily.

Behind her, Sandynose was continuing the conversation. “You both need to think long and hard about where to go from here. Leafstar is in charge of SkyClan, and she won’t want you in our Clan.”

“Let us try,” Yarrowleaf asked. “Let us talk to her. We want to join SkyClan.”

“We just want to be in a Clan again,” Sleekwhisker added.

Violetshine closed her eyes, trying to block them out. They had destroyed the first people to give her a proper home. Now they thought they could come crawling back? She couldn’t trust them. They were going to make everything bad.

“Let’s just bring them to Leafstar,” she decided. “Then she can tell them go away.”

Chapter Text

Sandynose led the way into SkyClan camp. Violetshine and Tree brought up the rear, staring down the Kin. Yarrowleaf was carrying Hop, who had grown tired on the trip to camp.

Yarrowleaf was trembling. She looked around, her eyes wide with sorrow. They landed on Rowanstar and Tawnypelt, who sat resting outside the warrior’s hut.

“This is terrible,” Yarrowleaf murmured. “And it’s all my fault.”

Tawnypelt had spotted them. Fury flooded her green eyes. “You!”

She stomped over to join them, standing in front of Yarrowleaf. Her hand went behind her head, about to grab the spear on her back. Then, she caught sight of the children at Yarrowleaf’s hips and paused.

Her gaze was still hard with anger. “What are you doing here?”

The other ShadowClan warriors were gathering around. Snowbird and Scorchfur hurried to Yarrowleaf, standing beside her. Juniperclaw greeted Sleekwhisker. The rest of the Clan was hanging back, shocked and silent.

“Things have been awful with the Kin,” Yarrowleaf began hastily. “I cannot raise my children with them. I want to come home. I want to be part of ShadowClan.”

“ShadowClan is gone.” Leafstar said. “We are SkyClan.”

She was standing at the entrance to her hut. Calm and deliberate, she headed through the crowd to stand in front of the newcomers.

“You can’t accept them!” Tawnypelt said immediately. “They’re traitors. They attacked and killed their own Clanmates.”

Leafstar nodded in acknowledgement.

“Please,” Yarrowleaf begged. “We have no where else to go. We want to be here with our families.”

“You betrayed us,” Tawnypelt growled. “We are not your family.”

Sleekwhisker winced under her grandmother’s harsh gaze.

“Enough, Tawnypelt.” Rowanstar had approached, standing beside his wife. “Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker have made a lot of mistakes in their past, but I can forgive them. ShadowClan was weakened by grudges and hostility towards one another. I can’t allow SkyClan to do the same.”

“Wise words, Rowanstar,” Leafstar praised. “But this is my Clan. You can forgive these two if you wish, but I won’t allow strangers I can’t trust into my Clan.” He glared at the newcomers. “So…why should I trust you?”

A few others murmured in agreement. Snowbird and Scorchfur exchanged an anxious look.

“We’ll be dedicated to SkyClan,” Sleekwhisker said confidently. “We’ll do whatever you want if it means proving ourselves.”

Leafstar wasn’t impressed. “Doubtful. You were once meant to be dedicated to ShadowClan, but you left to join Darktail. Now that he’s dead and the Kin is falling on hard times, you want to abandon them and join SkyClan? That’s not dedication. How can I trust you won’t turn on us at the first snowfall?”

“That’s not-” Sleekwhisker began, but Leafstar interrupted.

“You’ve made a mistake joining us after you chose to follow Darktail,” the Clan leader growled. “The reason SkyClan is even at the lake is because Darktail once drove us from our home in the gorge. He attacked us in the night and killed many of my warriors.”

Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf exchanged a horrified glance.

“We wandered for years, searching for the other Clans,” Leafstar went on. “Our elders and children, too weak for so much travel, died. My warriors grew sick. Their apprentices were injured. My Clan suffered for a decade because of Darktail. And now your Clan is, too. I cannot trust people who once followed him.”

“We were young and stupid!” Yarrowleaf rasped. “We were children. We foolishly blamed Rowanstar when things weren’t going our way. But I have regretted it for years.”

“I thought Rowanstar was weak and Darktail was strong,” Sleekwhisker added.

Shouts of outrage came from the ShadowClan warriors, including Tawnypelt. But Rowanstar didn’t look surprised.

Leafstar’s steady gaze rested on the two newcomers. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But my Clan is still adjusting. I can’t welcome strangers into my Clan, especially ones I can’t trust.”

Shouts of protest came from the crowd. Scorchfur took a step forward while Snowbird pressed against Yarrowleaf. Juniperclaw stepped in front of Sleekwhisker, his eyes narrowed.

“You must leave,” Leafstar decided, ignoring the protests. “If you want to join a Clan, go to ThunderClan or WindClan. We won’t accept you here.”

Yarrowleaf let out a wail of anguished. “Please! These are my people. I must be with them. I’ll never be a ThunderClan or WindClan warrior.”

“You will never be a SkyClan warrior, either,” Leafstar said calmly. “Sandynose, Mulaney, take them to the border.”

Sandynose headed for the camp entrance while Mulaney grabbed Sleekwhisker’s arm and shoved her back. She turned on him with a glare but didn’t resist.

Scorchfur stared after his daughter and her children as they were escorted from camp.

“How could you?” Snowbird turned on Leafstar, her eyes watering. “My daughter has returned to us, and you just throw her and her children into the forest?”

Juniperclaw joined her side. “There are people in SkyClan right now who once followed Darktail. I’m one of them. Will you drive me out? Do you think I’m going to betray you just because I made one foolish decision as a teenager?”

“She probably does,” Scorchfur sneered. “She doesn’t understand ShadowClan.”

Violetshine shrunk back. ShadowClan used to argue like this all the time. Would it evolve into a full scale fight like before? She glanced around, trying to find Hawkwing. Her father had to stop this.

Tawnypelt stepped up to Leafstar’s side. “Enough! All of you! Leafstar is our leader now,” she growled. “She was chosen by StarClan. Going against her word is going against StarClan.”

“She was chosen to lead SkyClan,” Juniperclaw replied. “Not us.”

Tawnypelt glared at her grandson. “Leafstar made the right choice. Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf are traitors. We don’t accept traitors here.”

Gradually, the meeting was breaking up. Frecklewish called for Fidget and led him out of camp. Rowanstar gathered up a hunting patrol and left.

Violetshine felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Tree. His eyes were round with worry. “Are you okay? You seem stressed.”

“I’m just…not sure how to feel,” Violetshine murmured. “I don’t trust Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker. They did terrible things when Darktail led us. Sleekwhisker helped kill Needletail.”

“You were friends with her, right?” Tree nodded.

“She was the most important person to be for a while,” Violetshine admitted. “Sleekwhisker and Darktail tried to drown her in the lake. Sterling and Eleanor held me back so I couldn’t help.” She shivered. “I still have nightmares about it.”

“You never told me,” Tree said. “That must have been terrible.”

Violetshine felt warmed by his presence. “Tree, did you…did you see any ghosts following Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker?”

Tree shook his head. “No. None.”

“Is that good?” Violetshine asked.

Tree shrugged. “It means there’s no spirits angry with them. But it also means there’s no spirits attached and looking out for them.”

Violetshine didn’t find that comforting. She wanted to believe Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker had changed. But she couldn’t look at Sleekwhisker without picturing Darktail beside her.

Chapter Text

Alderheart climbed the slope toward the Moonpool. The half moon flitted through gaps in the clouds and frost tinged the air. The cold season was over, but it would still be chilly leading in to spring.

Leafpool and Jayfeather walked ahead of him with Puddleshine, Frecklewish, and Fidget. There was no sign of Kestrelflight.

Alderheart wasn’t expecting to see Mothwing or Willowshine.

Leafpool dropped back to walk beside him. “How’s Twig? I saw you talking to her this morning. She looked sad.”

“She’s still struggling to adjust,” Alderheart admitted.

Leafpool seemed surprised. “Is she thinking about leaving again?”

“I don’t think so. She knows she belongs with us, but she misses her family. And she’s frustrated about still being an apprentice.”

“Perhaps you could ask for guidance from StarClan on her behave,” Leafpool suggested.

“Not a chance,” Jayfeather called. “We need to discuss the prophecy.”

The night was growing colder as they approached the Moonpool. By the time they reached the last rocky slope, a brisk wind had rose. Turning back the way they came, Alderheart spotted a small figure racing across the moor.

“There’s Kestrelflight!” he exclaimed.

“Thank StarClan,” Leafpool sighed. “I was beginning to think something was wrong.”

“Any sign of the RiverClan healers?” Jayfeather asked when Kestrelflight joined them at the top of the slow.

The WindClan healer shook his head, then corrected with a, “uh, no.”

“They won’t come,” Frecklewish murmured. “They never do.”

“Maybe we should wake a little longer,” Puddleshine suggested. “Just in case.”

Jayfeather scoffed, irritated, but no one else objected. Several minutes passed, but no one else appeared.

“They’re not coming,” Leafpool decided. “We’d better get going.”

Following the other healers, Alderheart pushed through the bushes that surrounded the Moonpool and followed the spiral path to the water’s edge. The sound of the waterfall was a comforting hum. Moonlight danced on the surface of the water.

Once everyone was settled at the edge of the pool, Leafpool stood to address them. “We have a stomach sickness in ThunderClan,” she announced. “Our patients have recovered, but some of them are still sick.”

“We have it in WindClan, too,” Kestrelflight reported. “Six of our warriors are still sick, including Breezepelt and two of his daughters.”

Jayfeather grunted. “Good.”

“Jayfeather!” Leafpool jabbed him in the ribs with one elbow.

Kestrelflight ignored them. “All the watermint from the moor has been harvested.”

“How’s ShadowClan?” Alderheart asked. “Any sickness?”

“No,” Frecklewish replied. “Not yet.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Leafpool said. “I’ll warn our patrols to keep away from yours, just in case. Now, with that out of the way…the prophecy.”

“The prophecy,” Puddleshine echoed.

“Shut up,” Jayfeather growled.

“Has anyone received more information from StarClan?” Leafpool asked.

The other healers shook their heads.

“I don’t think we need StarClan to tell us exactly what to do,” Alderheart said boldly. “We must make five Clans again. ShadowClan and RiverClan must return.”

“I believe RiverClan will return to us one day,” Leafpool said gently. “But the loss of ShadowClan concerns me. Puddleshine, do you believe there’s any hope of your Clan’s revival?”

Puddleshine looked down. “No,” he said. “We only want to unite with Leafstar. ShadowClan is gone.”

A heavy silence fell over the gathering.

Kestrelflight coughed. “Maybe StarClan will grant us wisdom tonight.”

Leafpool nodded. “We can only hope.”

Alderheart, along with the other healers, knelt to cup the water of the Moonpool. Bringing it to his lips, the water sent a deep chill through his body. Darkness surrounded him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in the dappled shade beneath an oak tree.

“Hey there, loser.”

Alderheart whipped around. A young woman with long black hair and playful green eyes stood there, her arms crossed and a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

“Needletail!” Alderheart gasped. Relief and joy flooded through him as he took his old friend into an embrace. “You’re in StarClan!”

Needletail laughed, returning the hug before turning away. “Yeah. I guess once Tree revealed my presence, it helped my soul move on. Lots of the other ShadowClan warriors are here.”

“And you’re all okay?” Alderheart asked.

“Of course! It’s great here,” Needletail replied. “I can even watch Violetshine through Moonpools. They’re everywhere up here.”

Alderheart sighed, relieved his friend was getting along so well. But he had break the happiness. There was a lot to discuss. “Needletail, do you have any messages for me? Do you know how we can bring back ShadowClan?”

Needletail’s smile faded. Her gaze hardened. “The shadows are approaching. They must not be dispelled.”

Before Alderheart could ask anymore questions, Needletail’s starry form began to fade. Darkness swept over him, and he blinked his way into the Moonpool hollow once more. The other healers stirred beside him.

Alderheart felt frustrated. That vision had solved nothing, other than reassuring him that Needletail’s spirit had moved on. Looking around, none of the other healers looked anymore enlightened than they’d been before.

Puddleshine leaped to his feet. “I saw Dawnpelt!”

The others gathered around him.

“What did she say?” Jayfeather demanded.

“She’s in StarClan now!” Puddleshine cheered happily. “And she’s not in pain anymore!”

“What did she say?” Jayfeather growled again.

“She told me the shadows are approaching and must not be dispelled,” Puddleshine replied.

Alderheart’s heart lifted. “I saw Needletail! She said the same thing.”

“And I saw Lioneye,” Kestrelflight added. “She gave me the same message. They came to every Clan.”

“The shadows are approaching…” Frecklewish echoed. “And must not be dispelled.”

Puddleshine glanced towards her. “This could be what we need to convince Leafstar!”

“Convince her of what?” Leafpool asked.

“A few days ago, Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf returned,” Puddleshine explained. “They wanted to rejoin the Clan, but Leafstar sent them away. Maybe this means she needs to accept them.”

“Didn’t they literally kill their Clanmates?” Jayfeather asked. “Why would StarClan ever want them back?”

“I don’t know,” Frecklewish said, sounding unsure. “Maybe they can help convince Rowanstar he must become a leader again.”

“Okay, I’m gonna say something terrible,” Jayfeather started.

“Nothing new,” Alderheart murmured.

“I think…we should give up on ShadowClan,” Jayfeather said. “We’ve always had four Clans at the lake. Maybe in the forest, it was different, but we came here with four Clans. Maybe ShadowClan is gone and SkyClan is here to stay. I mean, this has got to be a lot of strain on Leafstar. She’s just now starting to combine the two Clans, now we want to split them up?”

Alderheart considered his brother’s words. He was harsh, but his worries were understandable.

“We don’t know what StarClan means yet,” Alderheart said. “We don’t know who or what these shadows are.”

“True,” Leafpool agreed. She looked up to the sky. “I feel so uneasy.”

“I think we should sleep on this,” Kestrelflight suggested. “If StarClan wanted us to know the answers yet, we’d already have them.”

“I agree,” Frecklewish sighed. “It’s cold out here.”

Alderheart couldn’t think of anything else to say. The other healers were already heading out, climbing the spiraling path. Alderheart stood up to follow them, then stopped when the bushes behind him rustled. He turned to look, but saw nothing.

“Is something wrong?” Leafpool asked.

Alderheart stood still a moment longer, but nothing else stirred. “Must have been the wind,” he decided. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

Twig ducked back into the bushes, her heart pounding. She had heard the other healers leave, but just when she’d been about to make her presence known, she spotted Alderheart lagging behind. She peered through the bushes again, one hand over her mouth to muffle her breathing.

She knew she shouldn’t be here. But the healers must have asked about the prophecy tonight. She wanted to know what StarClan had to say.

She’d waited all throughout the night for the healers to wake from their dreams. But the crashing of the waterfall muffled many of their words. She’d heard bits and pierces. Leafpool seemed worried while Puddleshine was excited.

Otherwise, the journey had been useless. She knew nothing more than she already had.

Sure that all the healers were gone, Twig slid into the open. She stared down the slope at the glittering Moonpool. She wasn’t a healer and never had been. This wasn’t her place. But maybe StarClan could send her a dream.

She glanced up the slope, checking for movement, but no one had remained.

Taking a deep breath, she slid down the slope and skidded to a halt at the water’s edge.

This close, the sight was transfixing. She drank in the glimmering surface of the water. The moon’s face was reflected in the pool. The stream that flowed down the rock face looked like liquid starlight.

She suddenly didn’t care if she was punished for this. It was all worth it just to see such a beauty.

Twig fell to her knees in front of the pool. She dipped her hands into the cold water, then brought it to her lips to drink.

Everything remained dark and quiet, only broken by the falling water. She blinked her eyes open to see the stars shining brightly overhead.

Twig tried again, sipping from the pool. This was how the healers did it. But for Twig, nothing happened. She sat back with a sighed, feeling foolish.

Twig began to stand up, then paused when a light in the water caught her eye. Scarlet was bubbling up from underneath the surface, turning the water red like blood. She jumped with shock when thunder crashed overhead, echoing through the hollow.

Twig raised her head to see flame licking the sky in the horizon. Fire surrounded the entire hollow, scorching the bushes and trapping her. She fell to the ground, terrified. Were the warriors of StarClan coming to punish her?

When she opened her eyes again, the Moonpool was gone and she was standing in the center of ThunderClan’s camp. At least she thought it was ThunderClan’s camp. Fire roared through the hollow. Trees and debris filled the camp, covering whatever huts had once been there.

“What’s going on?” she cried. She’d just left camp and everything had been peaceful. How had a fire started so quickly?

Nearby, an older woman with dark skin and long, frizzled black hair stood watching the flames. Scarlet fire was reflected in her brown eyes. She turned on Twig, her face twisted with rage. “You don’t belong here!”

Twig blinked, finding herself at the Moonpool once more. The bushes around her were in tact and unburned, while the Moonpool itself was white as the moon once more.

Twig leaped up and raced along the spiraled path. Plunging onto the moor, she half fell, half scrambled down the rocky slope.

She had to stop for breath, looking around. The horizon was glowing where the sun was starting to rise.

She continued on more slowly, trying to stop herself from trembling. She’d had a vision of ThunderClan on fire. Why had that woman told her she didn’t belong? Did she mean at the Moonpool?

Or in ThunderClan?

Horror filled Twig with an icy chill. Could her presence be what brings ThunderClan destruction? Did she belong in SkyClan with her family? Or did she simply not belong in ThunderClan because she’d abandoned them once before?

Twig pushed away the thought. She must belong in ThunderClan.

Picking up her pace, Twig raced back to camp, never pausing to take a breath. She was relieved to find it just as she’d left it. As soon as she entered the clearing, she spotted Bramblestar and Alderheart outside the healer’s hut. Hoping neither would notice her, she crept toward the apprentice’s hut.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Alderheart was saying. “But I’m afraid there’s no good answer for how to revive ShadowClan. I don’t want to see the Clan disappear, but what happens to SkyClan if it returns?”

“I don’t care about the prophecy right now,” Bramblestar growled. “Our people are sick. Focus on your duties while StarClan figures out their plan. I’m sure all will become clear with time.”

Alderheart nodded in agreement. “I think Leafpool might have caught it. She was slow on our way back to the Moonpool.”

Bramblestar sighed. “Take care of her. Your mother can’t take another heartbreak.”

Alderheart nodded, looking worried. Twig winced. She hated seeing him upset.

She wished she could tell him what she’d seen, but the Moonpool was only for healers and leaders. She didn’t want Bramblestar to think she was disloyal by breaking the rules.

But someone had to know.

A thought struck her.

What about Violetshine?

Her sister was a SkyClan warrior raised in ShadowClan. Surely she had some idea about how to bring the Clan back. Then the disaster would be dodged and Twig would bring ThunderClan to ruin.

A fresh chill of fear coursed through her.

What if Violetshine wouldn’t talk to her?

Chapter Text

“You have to contribute.”

Violetshine sighed. Leafstar and Tree were having the argument again. A week had passed since Leafstar had sent Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf away, and Tree still had decided what his place in the Clan should be. Leafstar was losing her patience.

“If you don’t want to be a healer or a camp aide, you must become a warrior,” Leafstar insisted. “We can’t allow you to slack off all day.”

“Why do I have to fit in to a specific position?” Tree asked.

“That’s how a Clan works,” Leafstar retorted. “If you don’t want to be part of a Clan-”

“No,” Tree interrupted. “I want to stay here. I just…don’t know what I want to do.”

“Whether you want to do it or not, you have to decide,” Leafstar snapped. “Or you’ll have to leave.”

A pang of fear shook Violetshine. She didn’t want Tree to leave. He’d become a close friend.

“I can take him hunting,” she called. “Maybe he’ll enjoy that more than border patrols.”

Tree looked unsure, but nodded reluctantly. “Okay.”

“Thank you, Violetshine,” Leafstar sighed, irritated.

Violetshine, if she was being honest with herself, didn’t think Tree would ever find a place he liked in the Clan. But she couldn’t imagine him leaving.

As she led the way out of camp, she spotted a group of former ShadowClan warriors glaring after Leafstar. Scorchfur muttered something to Snowbird.

The Clan had been filled with tension since Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker left. Juniperclaw, Scorchfur, and Snowbird had bee completely ignoring their leader and deputy, or being uncooperative when they could. They were quick to criticize Leafstar, loudly and openly in front of their Clanmates. Only rebukes from Tawnypelt had kept them from outright defying her.

They all looked to Rowanstar during those times, but the former leader refused to raise his voice on either side.

Violetshine felt like a hypocrite. If Twig decided to come back, of course Violetshine would be angry at Leafstar if she were to send her away. But Twig hadn’t been complacent in the deaths of her Clanmates.

“Let me show you how to stalk,” Violetshine said once out in the forest. “You start with a hunter’s crouch. Keep your feet apart so you can balance.”

She knelt down, getting into the proper position.

“Like this?”

Violetshine turned, then let out a bark of laughter. Tree had laid himself down on the ground, kicking his legs into the air and balancing on his shoulder blades.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hunt like that.” she giggled.

Tree hopped back to his feet. “I know how to hunt, you know,” he said. “Just not in the way the Clan does it.”

“You’ll have to learn our way,” Violetshine said. “Leafstar will expect you to.”
Tree crouched down, getting the hunter’s crouch almost perfectly.

“Great!” Violetshine praised. “Now creep forward. Be light with your steps. Animals will be able to feel the vibrations on the ground before they hear you coming.”

Tree started forward, going slow. Despite how often he laid around, he had well defined muscles. He’d be a formidable warrior if he wanted to be.

Tree continued forward until he came to the top of a steep bank. He suddenly threw himself forward, rolling down the slope until he landed in a crunching heap of dead leaves.

“You can’t attack without a weapon,” Violetshine pointed out, confused what he was trying to do.

“I wasn’t attacking,” Tree said, picking a leaf out of his golden hair. “I saw the leaf pile and it looked too fun to pass up.”

Violetshine slid down the bank to join him. “We’re not supposed to be playing!” she exclaimed. “How did you ever feed yourself as a loner when you spend this much time messing around?”

“Easy,” Tree explained. “I became a bush.”

Violetshine blinked. “What?”

“I’ll show you. Come sit with me.” He sat down and crossed his legs, then placed his hands on his lap.

Violetshine did the same beside him.

“Now think like a bush,” Tree instructed.

Violetshine stared at him.

“Close your eyes,” Tree said, and Violetshine obeyed. “Now imagine your legs and arms and branches. Your fingers and toes are twigs. You have leaves sprouting from your body. Keep really still, and animals will come to you.”

Violetshine frowned, but did as she was told. She didn’t see how this would help her hunt, especially if she couldn’t see. This felt like the perfect position for getting attacking by a bear.

Then, something hit her head and she yelped, reaching up to swat at it. She heard wings flapping away in a huff. When she opened her eyes, black feathers were fluttering in her vision.

Tree laughed. “I don’t usually freak out like that. But that was good!”

Violetshine blinked at him, trying to figure out what had just happened. Then, she realized a bird must have actually mistook her for part of the forest and tried to land in her hair.

“That’s how you hunt?” she exclaimed. “But how do you catch it?”

“I just reach up and grab it,” Tree explained. “But more often, what actually happens is I listen around me. We’re not the only hunters in the forest, you know. Sometimes foxes and wolves fill rabbits or deer nearby. Then I go in and scare them off.”

“You scare off wolves?” Violetshine asked, surprised.

“Sure. As long as they don’t see you, they’ll scare easily with a lot of noise.”

Violetshine stared at him, impressed. It was completely unlike anything the Clans had ever done, but if it worked it worked. And it seemed strangely peaceful for a method of hunting. Worse case scenario, they collected no game but had a nice meditation session in the forest.

Tree was staring back at her with a smile. But movement behind her must have caught his attention. Violetshine turned just in time to see a black cloak flashing past.

“Why’s Juniperclaw out here alone?” Tree murmured.

Violetshine knew why Tree was suspicious. They were close to the old ShadowClan camp. “Maybe he’s just getting supplies?”

“We should follow him,” Tree said with a knowing tone.

Violetshine nodded. Together, they slipped through the undergrowth, following Juniperclaw from a distance.

They caught sight of him as he climbed the rocky slope that led to ShadowClan’s camp. Then, he disappeared beyond the archway. Tree and Violetshine crept after him, looking down into the hollow of the camp.

Yarrowleaf was sitting near the edge of the camp. In front of her, Flax and Hop played with some of the dead leaves littering the clearing. Sleekwhisker had stood to greet her brother as he approached.

Violetshine gasped with surprise, alerting everyone in the camp.

Tree paced down the slope to join them. Violetshine forced herself not to flinch under their hostile glares.

Yarrowleaf looked terrified. “How did you find us?”

“Why are you here?” Violetshine retorted. “This is SkyClan’s land. You’re trespassing.”

Sleekwhisker glared at her. “This is our home!”

Violetshine drew herself up. “You didn’t care about it as much when Darktail was alive.”

Tree stepped between them, calming the quarrel. “You’re not supposed to be here. We’ll have to tell Leafstar about this.”

“Please let us stay,” Yarrowleaf rasped. “My children can’t grow up as loners.”

“Look, we’re sorry,” Sleekwhisker said. “For everything. But you can’t give us away.”

“Please, Violetshine,” Juniperclaw pleaded. “We grew up together. We were once close friends.”

Violetshine scoffed. She didn’t remember that at all. Sleekwhisker had always been a bully to the younger kids in the Clan, and Juniperclaw never did anything to stop it. All Violetshine could recall about them from her childhood was sneers and meanness.

“Surely you know we can’t throw them out,” Juniperclaw continued. “They’ve got kids.”

Violetshine wouldn’t let him guilt trip her. “Leafstar must know.”

Yarrowleaf had tears glistening in her eyes.

“Hold on,” Tree said. “Maybe there’s a solution here that will make everyone happy.”

Violetshine turned to glare at him.

“We can’t send little kids into the wilderness,” Tree murmured. “Maybe Leafstar will let them hang around until they find a better home. At least this way they’ll have shelter when they sleep.

“Thank you!” Yarrowleaf cried. “All I want is for my children to be safe.”

“Let’s go talk to Leafstar,” Tree said.

Violetshine sighed. “Alright, Tree. Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

“We foud them in the old ShadowClan camp,” Tree said. “They want to stay.”
SkyClan was gathered in a ragged circle around Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf, glaring at them. Scorchfur and Snowbird looked horrified, while Juniperclaw had slunk back into the ground.

Leafstar’s eyes blazed with fury. “I’ve already told them they can’t!” She whirled around to face the Clan. “How many of you knew about this?”

“I did,” Juniperclaw admitted.

“So did we,” Snowbird added, holding hands with Scorchfur.

“And me.” Gullswoop stepped up beside Juniperclaw.

“I knew about it,” Strikestone confessed reluctantly.

“So all of you went against my orders?” Leafstar growled. “How can I trust you now? How can I unite our Clans when you won’t obey me?”

Juniperclaw’s eyes reflected her anger. “We only disobeyed because you ignored our concerns.”

Violetshine winced, expecting a fight to break out. But Leafstar remained calm.

“That’s not true,” she said. “Rowanstar and Tawnypelt didn’t trust them either. And I don’t need to take your concerns into consideration. I’m your leader and my word is law.”

Tree stepped forward. “There must be a way we can settle this so everyone is happy.”

Leafstar looked ready to deny him, but Violetshine hurried forward. “Wait. Hear him out. He has an idea.”

Leafstar didn’t look convinced, but she nodded curtly/

“It would be sensible to allow Yarrowleaf and her children to stay,” Tree began. “At least until they’re old enough to travel farther. And other people who followed Darktail are living here. But they’ve changed. They’re loyal to you. In the time it’ll take Flax and Hop to grow strong, you can teat Yarrowlead and Sleekwhisker- they can prove their loyalty. Once the children are grown, they can either be invited into the Clan, or sent away knowing exactly why.”

The more Tree spoke, the more Leafstar’s expression softened, like she was actually thinking over his words.

While she hesitated, Frecklewish stepped forward. “Remember what StarClan said.”

Leafstar faced the healer. “I remember.”

“Please, let us stay,” Yarrowleaf begged. “I’ll do whatever you ask if it means proving my loyalty.”

“So will I,” Sleekwhisker added.

Leafstar sighed. “Very well. Tree, I’m placing them under your responsibility. If they step foot out of line, I want to know.”

“Yes, Leafstar,” Tree replied.

“That’s assuming, of course, that you’re staying in the Clan,” Leafstar added.

“I’d love to,” Tree said.

The meeting began to break up. Snowbird raced to embrace her daughter, then led her across camp to the nursery. Frecklewish followed.

“You’ll stay with the apprentices,” Hawkwing told Sleekwhisker. “Until you’re an official SkyClan warrior.”

There was a flicker of anger in Sleekwhisker’s eyes, but she nodded meekly. “Sure, Hawkwing.”

Violetshine stared at her father’s face. He walked Sleekwhisker head for the apprentice’s hut with a look of disdain on himself. As she looked around, she noticed he wasn’t the only one upset about this arrangement. Tawnypelt and Rowanstar were speaking in anxious tones. Berryheart glared at Sleekwhisker until
she disappeared into the apprentice’s hut. On top of that, practically all of the SkyClan warriors seemed unhappy.

Violetshine felt a deep sense of dread. Her Clan was being torn apart. Leafstar was supposed to bring them all together, but she seemed to be losing control of her warriors one by one.

Chapter Text

Alderheart walked along the lakeshore, watching the full moon shimmer on its surface. The clouds had dwindled, leaving the sky completely clear.

“How have you been?” he asked Twig, who walked at his side.

Twig looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. “Much better. Once Sparkfire recovered, she stopped making me train with Fin. I’m learning advanced skills now and it’s really fun!”

“That’s great news!” Alderheart felt warmed by his friend’s enthusiasm. But Twig was looking at him with concern.

“Have you received anymore signs about the prophecy?”

Alderheart shook his head. “No. Everything’s exactly the same as it was.”

“Doesn’t StarClan want there to be five Clans?”

“They do,” Alderheart replied. “But we need more guidance. We just have to wait.”

For a few moments, Twig stared at him, as though about to say something more. But then she just nodded and hurried ahead to join her mentor.

Once Alderheart crossed the tree bridge and pushed into the clearing, he looked around in hopes of seeing RiverClan. But Mistystar was absent, and so was her warriors.

Taking his place with the other healers, Alderheart realized no one seemed surprise, but the mood was somber. Bramblestar, Leafstar, and Harestar climbed into the branches of the Great Oak.

“People of all Clans!” Bramblestar called. “The Gathering will begin.”

“I’d like to speak first,” Leafstar said, sitting on the branch just above Bramblestar. “SkyClan is settling into our new camp and hunting is good. Not long after the previous gathering, Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker returned to us-”

Shouts of both welcome and protest rose from the clearing.

Alderheart gazed around. Puddleshine and Frecklewish had mentioned this at the last half moon meeting. Since then, Alderheart had wondered if these two newcomers could be the approaching shadows.

Leafstar held up her hands, asking for silence. Gradually, the voices died down. “I’ve decided to let Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf stay until Yarrowleaf’s children are old enough to travel a far distance. But until then, they are on probation.”

Another outcry erupted in the clearing. Though Alderheart noticed some people nodding their approval of Leafstar’s decision, most were opposed.

“Traitors!”

“They followed Darktail!”

“Drive them out!”

“They can’t be trusted!” Breezepelt shouted.

Jayfeather scoffed from beside Alderheart. “Who’s he to talk?”

Leafstar’s tone was firm. “I’m aware of what I’m getting in to. But I have eyes on them at all time. Until they prove their loyalty, they are on thin eye.”

Alderheart didn’t pay attention as Harestar rose to give his report. He had spotted Sleekwhisker among the SkyClan warriors, watching the leaders intently.

Leafstar clearly trusted her if she allowed her to come to the Gathering. But Alderheart was afraid she shouldn’t.

He’d had his doubts about Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf being the approaching shadows. What could ex-followers of Darktail bring to ShadowClan that would at all benefit them?

Perhaps the shadows were actually Yarrowleaf’s children. Being born outside the Clans but being raised within was similar to Violetshine and Twig, who had always been part of a prophecy.

Shadows…It was always shadows in the prophecy. He wished he could have a less shadowy answer.

Chapter Text

Twig hurried across camp toward the healer’s hut, wanting to speak to Alderheart. She brushed past the bramble curtain and found her friend at the back storting herbs. She walked toward him, careful not to disturb Leafpool and Whitewing, who were still resting.

“Hi, Alderheart,” Twig said. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Sure,” Alderheart replied, his tone welcoming. “I’m just sorting an herb pouch to take to Brackenfur. You can take it to him.”

“Okay,” Twig replied.

Twig was always happy to help, but there were other reasons she wanted to visit Alderheart. She needed to ask about the prophecy again.

She wondered if she should tell him what she’d seen at the Moonpool. But her heart felt heavy. He knew better than anyone how sacred the Moonpool was. She’d surely be in trouble if he found out.

“I know you’re worried about having five Clans again,” she began hastily. “But I don’t think ShadowClan is coming back.”

“We don’t know that yet.” Alderheart didn’t look up as he tore up a watermint stem. “Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf returned, didn’t they? We just have to keep a lookout for signs.”

Twig wasn’t convinced. “Maybe we should start seeking them out. Or talk to the ShadowClan warriors about rebuilding.”

Alderheart shook his head. “We don’t want to pressure them. Or make them think we’re being bossy by interfering. Besides, ShadowClan doesn’t even have a leader anymore. Rowanstar refuses to reclaim the position and no one has come forward to replace him. Without a strong leader, no Clan could survive.” he sighed. “There’s nothing we can do but wait.”

He handed her the herb wrap and Twig left the hut feeling frustrated. She wanted to go see her sister. Maybe Violetshine could help. She’d tried to talk to her at the Gathering, but the SkyClan warriors had been quick to leave.

It had been quite a while since she’d left SkyClan. Surely Violetshine wasn’t angry with her anymore. Besides, she had once been part of ShadowClan. Surely she wanted to see the Clan revived?

When she entered the elder’s hut, she found it thick with sickness. Brackenfur had a corner all to himself, wheezing as he breathed. Graystripe and Bellsong had retreated to the other side of the hut.

“Are those for me?” Brackenfur rasped, accepting the herbs immediately. “Thank you, Twig.”

“You’re welcome, Brackenfur,” Twig replied. She glanced toward the other elders, who wore grateful but sad expressions. Everyone knew Brackenfur was dying. He was too old and weak to fight off the sickness.

Twig slipped out of the hut, then went straight to the camp entrance. Perhaps Brackenfur would like to see ShadowClan restored in his lifetime. She pushed out of camp and raced through the forest. If anyone found out about this, she’d be on elder duty for a month. But she had to do something.

She stopped at the SkyClan border to wait for a patrol. Finally, one emerged into the open. She recognized Sagenose in the lead, followed by Harrybrook and Juniperclaw.

“Hi!” she called, stepping up the border.

The patrol swerved toward her, looking wary.

“What do you want?” Harrybrook asked.

“I need to talk to Violetshine,” Twig replied. “Will you get her for me? Please, it’s really important.”

The two SkyClan warriors exchanged a glance. “I suppose,” Sagenose said. “But stay on your side of the border. You’re not a part of SkyClan anymore.”

The three hurried away, disappearing into the trees. Twig sat down to wait, listening with apprehension. If a ThunderClan patrol passed, she’d be in a world of trouble with nothing to show for it.

As Twig waited, her nervousness rose. Every rustle might be an approaching patrol. The whistle of the wind sounded too much like voices.

Finally, ferns on the far side of the border parted and Violetshine appeared, looking wary. “What’s this about?”

Twig stood up, her heart sinking. She’d secretly hoped Violetshine would be more excited to see her.

“I’m worried about the prophecy,” Twig explained. “There has to be five Clans, but ShadowClan refuses to reform. We need to do something.”

Her sister’s brown gaze was cold. “The prophecy is none of our business and neither is ShadowClan. I’m a SkyClan warrior now.”

“But you were raised there!”

“Yeah, and it was horrible,” Violetshine retorted. “I was ostracized my entire childhood, my adopted family never wanted anything to do with me, then I had to watch Darktail take over and kill what few people I was fond of. If you ask me, I think ShadowClan will do much better being part of a Clan that actually cares about its people.”

“But-”

“Rowanstar was a terrible leader and he won’t want to reclaim his Clan,” Violetshine went on. “His weakness allowed Darktail to take over. So I think things are better now. It’s taking time to get used to, but-”

“Going well?” Twig interrupted. “Didn’t you see how tense everyone was at the Gathering? The ShadowClan warriors were furious about Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker not being accepted into the Clan. Please, Violetshine, tell me the truth. Is it really as simple as Leafstar made it sound?”

Violetshine sighed. “No, it isn’t. It was awful. Leafstar originally turned them away, but some of the ShadowClan warriors were sneaking out to care for them. When Tree and I discovered, we told Leafstar.”

Twig blinked, surprised. “I don’t imagine she was too pleased.”

“She was furious! She wanted to drive them out. It was Tree who convinced her they should stay while Yarrowleaf’s children grew strong.”

Twig was even more surprised. “Isn’t he an apprentice? He talked to a Clan leader like that?”

“He’s really good with words,” Violetshine admitted fondly. “Like you. But he follows through.”

Twig gasped, stung. “Look, I’m sorry for leaving SkyClan, but I didn’t belong there. As much as I wanted to. Haven’t you ever felt that way?”

“More times than I can count,” Violetshine sighed.

“Then hear me out,” Twig said. “Surely you don’t enjoy living with ShadowClan again? You’d just gotten away from them.”

Violetshine looked up at her.

“StarClan wants there to be five Clans. Now, I’m going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

Violetshine nodded.

“Last half moon meeting, I followed Alderheart to the Moonpool.”

Her sister’s eyes widened. “You went to the Moonpool?”

“I snuck to the Moonpool,” Twig corrected. “None of the healers knew. I hid in the bushes until they left. Then…I had a vision. I saw a fire in ThunderClan’s camp. I’m afraid it has something to do with the prophecy, like a warning that if we don’t have five Clans all of them will be destroyed.”

Before Violetshine could reply, the ferns near the border rustled. A young but muscular blonde boy stepped into the open. Twig recalled that this was Tree.

He walked down the border to stand beside Violetshine. “What’s with Clansfolk and being so afraid of StarC;an? If StarClan wants you to do something, can’t they be a little clearer?”

“Any healer would ask the same question,” Violetshine commented.

Twig turned to Tree. “What are you doing here?”

“I was bored and saw Violetshine leave camp,” Tree said.

Violetshine giggled. “I told you to stop following me! Anyway, since you’re here, what do you think about all this?”

Tree shrugged. “Twig has a point. StarClan does seem to want five Clans. And there’s a lot of tension back home. Sooner or later, it’ll break into a fight. Perhaps it would be better for the ShadowClan warriors to leave.”

“But how can we make that happen?” Violetshine asked.

“We should talk to the ShadowClan warriors,” Tree replied. “Surely one of them wants to be leader.”

Violetshine thought for a moment. “Tawnypelt,” she suggested. “She was Rowanstar’s deputy after Tigerheart left, and she was a well respected senior warrior before that. Maybe she’ll want to revive her Clan.”

Twig nodded. “Let’s talk to her.”

Violetshine shook her head. “We need to talk to Leafstar first.”

“But this is ShadowClan’s business,” Twig pointed out.

“And right now, ShadowClan is part of SkyClan,” Violetshine countered. “Leafstar is their leader. We need to tell her.”

“I guess so.” Twig was hesitant. “But I don’t think Leafstar is too fond of me.”

“I’ll do all the talking,” Violetshine offered, annoyed. “We’ll get dad there, too.”

She turned to lead the way back to SkyClan’s camp. Twig followed with Tree in the rear.

Blossomheart was guarding the entrance. “What’s she doing here?” She glared at Twig.

“She needs to speak to Leafstar,” Violetshine replied.

“I hope she’s not planning on coming back,” Blossomheart growled, stepping out of the way.

Violetshine was irritated, but not surprised. Twig had abandoned them. But couldn’t they look past that?

She was relieved to immediately find Hawkwing talking to Sparrowpelt in the center of camp. She hurried to join him. “I need to talk to you.”

Sparrowpelt gave her a friendly nod, then hurried off to the warrior’s hut.

“Hey, Vi, what’s-” Hawkwing began, then broke off. “Twig!” He wrapped his daughter into a huge. “It’s so good to see you.”

Twig grinned, embracing him. But she pulled away with a nervous look when Leafstar approached from her hut.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Why is Twig here?”

Violetshine stepped in front of her sister. “We need to talk to you and our father. Please, Leafstar, hear us out.”

Leafstar hesitated, then nodded. “Very well.”

“We have concerns about the prophecy,” Violetshine began. “StarClan said there must be five Clans, but now there are only three. We think we might have found a way to help.”

Leafstar looked skeptical, but didn’t interrupt.

Violetshine swallowed nervously. “We think Tawnypelt could step up as ShadowClan’s leader.”

Leafstar’s eyes narrowed with anger. “You want to rebuild ShadowClan?’

Violetshine glanced at her father, but Hawkwing looked annoyed.

“How could you even propose that?’ Leafstar growled. “I’ve done everything I can to satisfy ShadowClan, and it’s been hard. But you want to split us up? Why is Twig even here? She’s a ThunderClan apprentice!”

Before waiting for an answer, she whipped around to go back to her hut. But Tree cut her off.

“Leafstar, please,” Tree said. “You must listen. This is StarClan’s will. When StarClan is happy, all the Clans are happy, right? We’d be saving ourselves a lot of trouble if we just did what StarClan said.”

Leafstar stared at him angrily.

Hawkwing stepped up to his leader’s side. “I know you’re frustrated, Leafstar,” he said. “I’m frustrated, too. It seems we arrived at the lake at a very difficult time. But maybe these three have a point. StarClan wants five Clans, so shouldn’t we at least make an effort? Maybe there is a capable leader for ShadowClan.”

Leafstar stood in silence, facing away from them. Finally, she turned with a sigh. “Fine. Talk to the ShadowClan warriors.” She glared at Violetshine. “If ShadowClan splits off, with you leave us, too?”

“No!” Violetshine blurted out immediately. “I like being in SkyClan. I’d never leave.”

Leafstar nodded. “Very well. But if ShadowClan decides to leave, I will never take outsiders into SkyClan again. It’s done nothing but bring us trouble sense we arrived at the lake.”

“Yes, Leafstar,” Violetshine agreed.

Leafstar retreated to her hut. Violetshine led Twig and Tree around the camp until they found Tawnypelt with Rowanstar, resting beside the stream.

“Tawnypelt, can we talk?” Violetshine began.

Tawnypelt raised her gaze, looking directly at Twig. “I saw you talking to Leafstar. Are you coming back?

Twig shook her head. “No! I’m just visiting.”

“Then what do you want?”

Violetshine sat in front of the ShadowClan couple. Twig and Tree joined her on either side. “We’re all worried about the prophecy,” she began. “StarClan wants five Clans, and it seems things are only going to get worse until ShadowClan returns. So, we wanted to ask if you’d consider leading ShadowClan.”

Tawnypelt and Rowanstar exchanged a shocked glance. “Why me?” she asked. “Rowanstar is a real Clan leader.”

“No,” Rowanstar said immediately. “I don’t want to lead again. Besides…” He hesitated a moment. “I’ve been dreaming about Tigerheart. I haven’t given up hope that he’ll one day return. I believe he is the returning shadows.”

Tawnypelt gazed at him, her green eyes soft. “I hope you’re right.”

Rowanstar gazed back. “I’ll support you if you decide to do it. But we’d need approval from StarClan. Actually, Violetshine, why are you bringing this to us? Wouldn’t this be healer business?”

Violetshine winced, realizing she should have spoken to Puddleshine first. She was about to suggest going to find him when she turned to see Sleekwhisker approaching.

“I overheard,” she admitted. “I’d love to see ShadowClan rise again! Yarrowleaf will be pleased, too.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Tawnypelt, who still looked uncertain. “I’ll ask Leafstar if she’d approve of Puddleshine going to the Moonpool to get StarClan’s advice. Then I’ll think about it.”

Chapter Text

The sun was going down, shining through occasional gaps in the clouds. Alderheart pressed into camp, taking a few deep breaths. The air was warm and clammy. The clouds were so low they nearly touched the tree tops.

Leafpool was starting to recover from the sickness, but she still needed to rest before she could return to her duties. Whitewing had also gotten better, but Jayfeather insisted on watching her closely.

For all their efforts, sickness was still rampaging through the camp. Molewhisker and Fernfur had come down with it. Worst of all, Jayfeather had started throwing up that morning.

And Jayfeather made a much better healer than a patient.

Alderheart stood outside his hut, feeling a chilly breeze start up and rattle the leaves of the trees. In the distance, he spotted the crackle of lightning, followed by a boom of thunder.

Alderheart stiffened. That strike had been close.

The breeze strengthened into a powerful wind that whistled through the camp. Fat drops of rain began to fall Overhead, lightning cracked again and thunder rolled closer.

“Take shelter!” Alderheart shouted. Some of the warriors still stood in the clearing, staring at the sky with wide eyes.

Seeing them dive for their huts, he pushed into the healer’s cave. After the Great Storm, ThunderClan had come up with an evacuation plan in case another flood came. But it was too early to know if this storm was going to cause a flood. However, he was worried they needed to evacuate before then, in case the sick patients couldn’t move fast enough.

Inside, Leafpool was sitting up. Behind her, Jayfeather was still asleep.

“Do you think we’ll have to move into the tunnels?” he asked Leafpool.

She hesitated. “Bramblestar will give the order if he thinks the storm is turning bad. We’ll just have to prepare and wait.” She flinched as thunder rolled overhead again. “Maybe we should move Briarlight, though. She’ll be harder to move if it gets worse.”

“I’ll do that right now,” Alderheart said.

He pushed past the bramble screen to check the sky. Rain swept across the camp and lightning struck overhead. Alderheart dashed out into the storm, heading for the warrior’s hut. Briarlight had been sent to change out bedding that morning. He stuck his head through the entrance to see his Clanmates sheltering toward the back. Briarlight sat in her chair between Bumblestripe and Sorrelstripe.

“We need to move Briarlight out of camp in case it floods,” Alderheart said.

Poppyfrost’s eyes widened with fright. “Is it going to flood?”

“We don’t know yet,” Alderheart said. “But we’re preparing.”

Bumblestripe was already bending to let Briarlight climb onto his back. He grabbed her legs to hold up while she hung on by his shoulders.

Alderheart led him out of camp. “Take her to the tunnel at the top of the hollow,” he instructed. “I’ll be up there soon to check on her.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Briarlight said. “We can watch the storm.”

Bumblestripe headed off through the rain, carrying his sister to safety.

When Alderheart turned around, intent on heading back to the healer’s hut, he nearly bumped into Twig.

She stared up at him with wide eyes. “Did you hear anything about ShadowClan at last night’s half moon meeting?” she asked.

Alderheart glowered down at her. A few days ago, she’d been caught sneaking off to SkyClan’s camp with the idea that Tawnypelt would step up as ShadowClan’s leader. Sparkfire and Bramblestar had both been furious.

Perhaps it was a good idea, but it wasn’t a ThunderClan apprentice’s business what ShadowClan did.

Alderheart was also hurt she hadn’t come to him first. He was a healer. He could have taken the message to SkyClan without any trouble.

“Puddleshine reported that he’s been busy looking after the children now that there’s so many,” Alderheart replied curtly. “But he can’t make Tawnypelt leader unless StarClan gives him a sign. And none of us received a sign.”

Twig was visibly disappointed but Alderheart didn’t have time to comfort her. He stepped toward the healer’s hut again, only to stop when a scream of alarm came from the nursery.

He turned just in time to see the wind lift off a whole section of the nursery’s roof and carry it into the storm. Shouts came from inside, along with shrill shrieks of terror.

Alderheart splashed across camp and dived into the nursery. Rain poured through the gap in the roof. Blossomfall and Ivypool had moved their children to the other side of the nursery, huddling on Cherryfall’s bed. Daisy was dragging whatever bedding she could away from the rain.

“What should we do?” Ivypool asked. “We can’t stay in here.”

“Go to the elder’s hut and send Brackenfur to the healer’s hut,” Alderheart said quickly. He couldn’t risk putting the children in a hut with someone so sick, but the warrior’s hut was all the way across camp.

Eagle bounced up excitedly. “Will grandpa tell us stories?” she asked.

“Yes, please!” Plum, her sister, agreed. “I want to hear about Firestar and the old forest.”

“It’s too late,” Blossomfall scolded. “You need sleep, and so does grandpa.”

The nursery mothers prepared to leave. Plum and Eagle were old enough to make their own way to the elder’s hut. Blossomfall carried Stem while Shell waddled along beside her, while Ivypool carried Flip and Daisy grabbed Bristle. Cherryfall was holding Bay close to her chest, shielding her son’s face from the whipping wind.

Alderheart raced to the healer’s hut. The wind was growing stronger. Rain was blowing into the hut past the brambles. Leafpool and Jayfeather had moved to the back of the hut with Whitewing, cold and wet.

“Where have you been?” Jayfeather rasped. “We need to get out of here before it floods. And I need more watermint.”

Alderheart sighed. Jayfeather was a brilliant healer, but the most impatient patient Alderheart had ever dealt with.

“It won’t flood,” Alderheart assured him. “And the watermint is in the back of the storage where it’ll stay dry.”

“Some healer you are,” Jayfeather grumbled. “You should just have it on you. It’s our most precious herb right now.”

“You can complain when you’re a healer again,” Alderheart said. “While you two are sick, I’m head healer. So watch your tongue, old man.”

Leafpool had a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she watched them go back and forth. Any conversation with Jayfeather was destined to turn into an argument.

But Alderheart didn’t have time for a spat right now. Before Jayfeather would retort, he slipped out of the hut and headed out of camp to climb the slope. Here, he’d find the tunnel entrance where the Clan had sheltered during the Great Storm. Alderheart had been very young and hardly remembered it, but he’d heard stories from Rusty.

A pang of grief shot through Alderheart. He missed Rusty.

He found Bumblestripe kneeling in the mouth of the biggest tunnel. He’d set Briarlight down in a dry patch behind him.

“How’s it going?” Alderheart asked.

“We’re fine,” Bumblestripe replied. “I’ll keep her safe.”

“It’s good to be out of camp,” Briarlight added.

“I’ll be back later,” he said. “If the storm gets worse, don’t go deeper into the tunnel. The rain might cause a mudslide and trap you.”

Bumblestripe nodded in understanding and Alderheart headed back to camp.

It was growing dark. Alderheart had to watch where he was stepping. The grass was slippery from the rain. More than once he lost his balance and had to flail his arms to stay upright.

He jumped when lightning struck again, thunder rolling directly overhead. The hillside was bathed in a brilliant white light.

From where he stood, he could see into the distance, and noticed an orange glow behind SkyClan’s land.

Alderheart hurried back up the slope to get a better look, dread filling him like rain in a hollow. Flames were licking the sky somewhere in the distance.

He couldn’t place exactly where it was, but he feared it was in SkyClan’s forest.

“Dad!” he called, diving down the slope. He slid most of the way, falling into mud at the bottom. But he picked himself back up and raced into camp. “Dad!”

Bramblestar met him at the camp entrance. His clothes were already soaked and his dulling brown hair was stuck to his face. “What? What’s wrong?”

Fire!” Alderheart gasped. “Near SkyClan!”

Bramblestar took a few steps back, looking toward the sky. By now, the fire had risen high enough that the sky glowed with orange light.

“Stormcloud! Cloudtail!” Bramblestar shouted. A moment later, the named warriors appeared from their hut. “Go to SkyClan’s camp and see if the fire is affecting them. Don’t get too close to the flames, but help anyone you find.”

“Yes, Bramblestar.” Stormcloud raced out of camp with Cloudtail on his heels.

With all disasters averted, Alderheart returned to the healer’s hut. He’d have to dig out some watermint to give Jayfeather. Maybe that would shut him up for a while.

Chapter Text

The rain didn’t stop until midnight. Alderheart had been peering out from his hut every so often to check the sky. The fire didn’t seem to be moving any closer, but Stormcloud and Cloudtail had yet to return.

People were coming into the open to clear the debris. Birchfall was already starting on repairing the nursery, sending Twig and Fin back and forth to grab supplies.

Alderheart hoped things would be back to normal within a day or two.

He was about to leave camp to get Briarlight when he saw Stormcloud and Cloudtail stepping into camp. Alderheart felt relieved, glad they had returned unhurt. He took a pace forward to check on them.

Then, he halted in surprise. Two other people have followed. The first was a young boy with curly orange hair, looking around with wonder. Behind him limped a young woman with long, silky black hair and brown eyes.

She was clutching a doll to her chest. It looked like a stuffed model of a cat, with gray fur, black stripes, and a smiley face made of beads.

Bramblestar had appeared from his hut, looking into the clearing. More of the Clan approached, staring curiously at the newcomers.

“What’s this?” Bramblestar asked.

“They come from town,” Cloudtail explained. “We ran into them past SkyClan’s land. The fire was in the town and their homes have burned.”

“I’m Red!” the lively boy announced. “And this is my sister Roslyn. She got burned and we came to get help.”

Alderheart looked up at his father. “If their homes are gone they should stay here for a while. It seems the girl is hurt and both of them looked exhausted.”

“Please help us,” Roslyn begged. “Lightning struck the tree outside our house. It fell onto the roof and our house caught fire, so did everything else around it. We barely managed to escape and in the chaos lost track of our mother.”

Alderheart felt a pang of sympathy. He knew how terrifying it could be to flee your home, the people you know and care about running back and forth and getting lost in the fray.

“It would be cruel to turn them away,” he told his father. “At least let them rest.”

Bramblestar nodded. “Once it’s safe to return home, we’ll take you there.”

Red cried out happily, jumping up and down. “Thank you! Thank you!”

“Thanks,” Roslyn said. “I promise we won’t cause trouble.”

“See that you don’t,” Bramblestar grunted. “We’re busy rebuilding our camp after the storm. Alderheart, keep them in your hut.”

“Come with me,” Alderheart ordered. “I’m Alderheart, ThunderClan’s healer. You can stay with me while-”

“So like, a doctor?” Red interrupted.

“Uh…sure,” Alderheart replied, leading them to his hut. “I can heal Roslyn’s burn, and check you over if-”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Red assured him. “I can help you! What can I do?”

Alderheart was quickly learning this boy was talkative. Maybe he could get some peace and quiet by giving Red a job to do. He spotted Twig carrying a bundle of wet bedding out of the nursery and called her over.

“How’s the nursery?”

“Better,” Twig replied. “Especially now that Cloudtail is here to help.”

“Once you’ve dumped that better, go up to the tunnel and tell Briarlight it’s safe to come back. Tell Bumblestripe to bring her to my hut.”

“Sure, Alderheart!”

He walked on with the townsfolk, who still gazed around in wonder. When he reached his hut, Birchfall was limping out. Cherryfall was just behind him.

Birchfall looked embarrassed. “I dropped a support branch on my foot,” he admitted.

“I slipped in some mud and wrenched my ankle,” Cherryfall added.

“Just a second,” Alderheart replied. “Wait out here and I’ll be back once I’ve seen to these two.”

Leading the way into the healer’s hut, Alderheart found Leafpool asleep in her bed. Jayfeather was sitting up, sifting through the watermint Alderheart had given him. There were still enough extra beds for the townsfolk to sit down.

“This is Leafpool,” he whispered, “and this is Jayfeather. They’re also healers, but they’re sick with a stomach sickness.”

“Hello,” Roslyn greeted.

“Hi!” Red called.

Jayfeather glared toward them. “My bed is lumpy.”

“I’ve got just the solution,” Alderheart replied. “This is Red. He’ll be looking after you until you're well again. If you need anything, just ask him.”

“You little weasel,” Jayfeather growled. “You are not pawning me off on a…what is this, a gnome?”

Before Alderheart could reply, Red jumped into Jayfeather’s bed, smoothing it down.

“Are you blind?” he asked. “What’s it liking being blind? How did it happen? Was it in a fight with a bear? Or a wolf? Did you kill the wolf? Do you know what the color red is? I’m named after it and it’s almost my favorite color!”

“Alderheart, take this thing out back and execute it!” Jayfeather rasped.

Alderheart backed away with an amused grin. He turned to Roslyn. “You can rest over here while I check that burn.”

Roslyn was still clutching her cat doll to her chest. “Later,” she said. “I can’t relax knowing how busy you are. You have a lot of people to take care of. Let me help.”

Alderheart frowned doubtfully.

“I’m going to school for a medical degree,” she explained. “I’m going to do what you do. I’d like to make myself useful.”

Surprised, Alderheart nodded gratefully. “Okay, but let me treat your burn.”

“Fine,” Roslyn agreed.

Alderheart headed to the back of the cave to grab something from the herb store. Meanwhile, Red was telling Jayfeather about the fire.

“The flames were so high- higher than the buildings! Sparks flew through the air…”

Jayfeather was staring straight ahead, his eyes wide. He was past the point of anger now and going into dissociation.

Alderheart returned to Roslyn with a thick, dark root. “This is burdock root,” he explained. “I’m going to mash it up into a poultice and put it on your burn.”

He took his mortar and pestle from his belt, then dropped the root in and began mashing it up. He sat down in front of the bed so Roslyn could watch.

“So you’re studying to become a healer?’ he asked.

“Yes,” Roslyn replied. “I’m studying medicine. I want to be a hematologist.”

Alderheart glanced up at her.

“It’s a doctor that specializes in blood and blood infections,” Roslyn explained.

“Ah,” Alderheart cooed in understanding. “In the Clans, healers specialize in everything.”

With the poultice finished, Roslyn held out her arm to Alderheart. He could see now that she had a nasty burn from the back of her hand all the way to her elbow. He spread the poultice over it.”

“Keep still and I’ll get bandages,” Alderheart said.

“It already feels better,” Roslyn sighed. “You must be a great healer.”

Alderheart smiled, then reached over to grab a roll of bandages. After making sure her arm was fully bound, he excused himself to head outside. Roslyn followed him.

“Birchfall hurt his foot,” he explained. “Can you wrap it in bandages to keep it stable?”

“No problem,” Roslyn replied.

Birchfall had sat down, but looked surprised that a townsfolk was treating him.

After making sure Roslyn knew what she was doing, Alderheart turned to Cherryfall. Just then, he spotted Bumblestripe emerging from the warrior’s hut.

“How’s Briarlight?” Alderheart asked.

“Settled into bed,” Bumblestripe reported. “But I’m worried about her being in the warrior’s hut. Sorrelstripe was complaining about a sore stomach last night and when I got back to camp she was throwing up.”

Alderheart’s heart sank. “She’ll need watermint.”

Suddenly, without warning, rain began falling in torrents. The storm had started up again, fiercer than before. Alderheart was soaked within seconds.

“Get to shelter!” he shouted.

An enormous crash sounded overhead at the same moment lightning flashed. In the direction the the lake, orange light had returned.

Fire had struck again, this time much closer. Alderheart quickly scrambled up the Highledge to get a good look.

RiverClan was on fire.

Chapter Text

Twig stuck her head out of the apprentice’s hut. She could make out Alderheart on the Highledge.

“There’s a fire in RIverClan!” he called to Bramblestar, who was still in the center of camp helping rebuild the nursery. “They might need help.”

Twig froze, terror clutching her heart. Was this the storm StarClan had warned of? Had she been mistaken about a fire striking ThunderClan’s camp? Was it actually RiverClan that was in grave danger?

Roslyn appeared from the healer’s hut to join Alderheart.

“Let me help,” she offered. “I have training in healing.”

Bramblestar nodded in agreement. “With Jayfeather and Leafpool sick, we need all the help we can get.”

Twig splashed across the clearing. “I want to go!”

“Me, too!”

Twig glanced over her shoulder to see Fin racing out of the apprentice’s hut.

Bramblestar ducked into the warrior’s hut and returned a moment later with Sparkpelt and Larksong. Ambermoon and Rosepetal were on their heels.

“This way!” Bramblestar took the lead, leaving the camp and plunging into the forest in the direction of the lake. The darkness beneath the trees was so thick Twig couldn’t tell who was in front of her. The heavy rain had made the ground spongy. Twig struggled forward as mud sucked at her legs.

When the patrol broke out of the trees, they found it easier to walk along the lakeshore. The rain was letting up again, retreating into a fine drizzle. Gaps in the clouds let moonlight show through. Twig’s heart pounded. That rain was the only thing capable of squashing the fire.

She could see the orange glow of the fire on the other side of the lake, close to the water’s edge. The flames obscured the two streams that RiverClan’s camp sat within.

“Crowfeather!” Bramblestar had skidded to a halt at the border. On the moor, a WindClan patrol had been heading for the lake. Crowfeather was in the lead, followed by Gorsetail, Nightcloud, and Brindlewing.

“Are you heading for the fire?” Crowfeather called as the ThunderClan patrol crossed the border to join them. “It looks bad!”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Bramblestar said.

The combined patrols raced across the shore past the ranch. As they reached the border, a noise sounded on the wind. Flames roared and terrified people screamed for help. Twig’s stomach flipped over, terrified.

Ahead was a barrier of fire. A fallen tree was blazing, and quickly catching on undergrowth and dried reeds at the edge of the lake. Beyond, more flames leaped into the sky.

The entirely of RiverClan’s land was on fire.

Twig stood frozen. This was what StarClan had warned them about.

In the midsts of the flames she could see fleeting shadows of people fleeing the flames. Some of them had dived into the lake and were swimming to safely. But Twig could see injured warriors and elders huddled together beside the water, too weak for the swim. Mistystar was among them.

The fire was creeping across the ground.

“We need to get to them,” Alderheart declared.

“Won’t they be angry at us for interfering?” Gorsetail murmured anxiously. “RiverClan’s borders are closed.”

“We have to help,” Bramblestar asserted.

“How?” Ambermoon asked. “None of us are strong swimmers and we can’t get past the fire.”

“We’ll have to make a path,” Alderheart said. He glanced around, then spotted a log laying in the mud. “Push that into the water for them to cross.”

“Good idea,” Bramblestar said with an approving nod.

“We should have brought Lionblaze,” Rosepetal fretted. “I didn’t realize this mission would including lifting.”

“Everyone line up and push,” Bramblestar ordered.

Once everyone was against the log, they thrusted themselves against it, slipping in the mud. Beneath them, the log began to shift.

The log dragged through the mud until it finally fell down the slope and into the stream. Alderheart, Nightcloud, and Larksong had grabbed one end to maneuver it into the right place. Then, with a final shove, it fell into the current. Twig stood back, panting, but was glad to see it was just long enough to reach the opposite bank.

“Over there!” Fin stood at one end of the log, waving his arms in the air. “Here!”

Mosspelt was the first to spot him, calling for her Clanmates. Soon, the stranded warriors were streaming across the open ground to the log. One at a time, they staggered across it, struggling not to lose their balance, before hopping down to safety.

“Thank you!” Mosspelt gasped. “I thought we’d meet StarClan tonight.”

Mistystar was the last to cross. She nodded her thanks to Bramblestar. “RiverClan is grateful.”

Twig looked over the shivering cluster of warriors, wondering what they’d do now. If they stayed here, they’d die of exposure. More RiverClan warriors were coming to join them, dragging themselves from the lake. But Twig noted this wasn’t all of RiverClan.

Twig let her gaze sweep across the disgruntled Clan, willing those missing to appear. She prayed that StarClan was protecting them.

Mistystar, Bramblestar, and Crowfeather had their heads together, talking quietly.

Mistystar seemed agitated. “I won’t leave my Clanmates behind. Some of them are still back there.”

“No one else is making it out on this side,” Bramblestar pointed out.

“Some of them must have fled toward ShadowClan or the back border,” Crowfeather added.

“We can find them later,” Bramblestar said. “The people here need cared for. It’s getting cold and the rain might start again. Mistystar, would you come back to our camp to rest?”

Mistystar sighed. “I don’t have a choice.”

“Then let’s go,” Bramblestar said.

The RiverClan leader called for her people. But before they could move to the moor, Twig heard a desperate cry from the other side of the stream. Whipping around, she spotted a RiverClan apprentice limping toward the bank. It was a young boy with blonde hair. His cloak was missing and he was holding one arm. Even from here, Twig managed to make out a horrible burn that covered his neck and hip.

He was trying to reach the log and cross the stream, but the fire was drawing closer.

“Help!” he screamed. “Someone help!”

“Gorse!” Lakeheart shrieked in horror from behind Twig.

“Someone help him!” Lizardtail cried. The desperation in their voices made Twig think these must be Gorse’s parents.

She was the closest to the log. Before anyone else could move, she darted across it and leaped the flames at the far end. She landed in hot ash and leaped off painfully.

Gorse had fallen to his knees in front of her. She grabbed his uninjured arm and pulled him to his feet. Their window through the flames was closing around the log and they were running out of time. No caring to be cautiously, Twig shoved him forward until he was stumbling over the log with a groan of exhaustion.

Gorse scurried across the log. Lizardtail and Lakeheart were already there to greet him, taking him into their arms and crumpling to their knees with relief.

“Twig!” Alderheart called.

Twig hurled herself across the log. She felt the heat of the flames closing behind her. At first, she thought she’d beaten the flames. Then, she felt an explosion of heat scorching her back.

She screamed in agony, falling forward onto the log. She felt herself slipping off it and a moment later icy water surged around her.

“No!” Alderheart’s cry of terror was muffled as water streamed over her head.

She struggled blindly beneath the water, losing all sense of direction. Then, her head broke the surface. She gasped for air, thrashing and trying to get to the bank. The current here was strong and the water was too deep. The bank raced past her.

Alderheart was pelting along the bank, trying to keep pace with her. He skidded to a halt, then braced himself, about to leap into the water. But Sparkfire had caught up and grabbed his arm.

“Don’t be stupid! You’ll both drown!”

Twig felt exhausted. She began to sink into the water, finding it hard to keep struggling. Then, before her head sank beneath the water, she saw Shimmerpelt and Mallownose diving into the water.

Along with Fin.

Shimmerpelt and Mallownose grabbed Twig’s arms, helping her toward the bank. Fin swam in front of them, murmuring words of encouragement that Twig was too tired to make out. She couldn’t believe how confident he was in the water.

“You’re okay, Twig,” he said. “We won’t let you drown.”

Alderheart was waiting at the far side of the stream. He reached down to take hold of Twig’s arm and haul her to safety.

“Are you okay?” His brown eyes were wide with fright.

Twig nodded. “Thank you,” she gasped. “Fin, I didn’t know you could swim.”

“Can’t you?” Fin asked.

Mistystar had come to greet them, looking amused. “Perhaps SkyClan has RiverClan blood within them.”

“Not as far as I know,” Fin announced.

Bramblestar’s brown eyes glowed with approval. “Fin is always full of surprises. And Twig was very brave.”

“Indeed.” Mistystar stepped back, bowing at the waist toward Twig. “Thank you for saving one of my Clanmates. I’ll remember this.”

Twig struggled to her feet, pride warming her body. But when she gazed past Mistystar, she saw the fire still burning in RiverClan’s camp.

Their troubles were far from over.

Chapter Text

Frosty lightning flashed over the forest. Violetshine blinked as the dim daylight surged back. Then, thunder crashed overhead, rolling through the trees and shaking the earth itself.

“Burn the stars!” Sandynose was leading the hunting patrol. “I would have had that blackbird if the lightning hadn’t scared it off.”

Mulaney winced from the noise. He was holding a small rabbit in his fist. “Maybe we should call it a day.”

Violetshine could feel a chilly wind rising. The branches above her creaked and dead leaves swirled into the air. All three of them exchanged alarmed glances.

“Let’s head back,” Sandynose agreed. “We’re in for quite a storm.”

Violetshine gazed through the trees at the dark clouds massing in the sky. The setting sun was blocked, casting an eerie light over the forest. She shivered when the first icy drops of rain hit her face.

The hunting patrol set off for the SkyClan camp. The rain was growing heavier by the second, ntil the sound grew to a steady patter in the canopy. The trees shielded them from the worst of the rain, but a few lashing drops still made it through.

Following Sandynose, she spotted movement flash between the trees a few lengths away. Violetshine thought she recognized Sleekwhisker’s long blonde hair.

What was she doing out here in a storm?

Warriors often hunted alone, or just went for walks. But during a storm was strange.

Violetshine shrugged to herself. It might not have even been Sleekwhisker.

As they drew closer to camp, her anxiety grew. Not for Sleekwhisker, but for Tree. He’d never experienced a storm like this while staying with the Clan.

She thrusted into camp, feeling soaked but relieved when she spotted the muscular boy in the shelter of an overhang. Sparrowpelt and Blossomheart were with him.

The rest of the Clan was carrying on as usual. Hawkwing was calling another patrol together. The rain eased, but wind still buffeted the camp.

Violetshine went straight to Tree. “Are you okay?”

He yawned. “Fine,” he replied. “Everyone’s fine.”

“So long as this storm doesn’t get any worse,” Sparrowpelt muttered.

A fiercer gust of wind hit the camp. Leaves and twigs were swept into the air. Violetshine dove beneath the overhang and squeezed in beside Tree. Around the camp, pine trees swayed, dipping with the force of the blast. Snake, the youngest of the apprentices, had been knocked over by the huge gust. Stonewing, his father, scooped him up and bundled him toward his hut.

A frightened squeak came from the nursery. Puddleshine emerged from the healer’s hut and dove inside to check on the mothers and their children.

“Take cover!” Leafstar shouted. “No one is to leave camp!”

A howl of wind carried her words. Overhead, something cracked.

Violetshine peered out of the shelter and saw one of the pine trees tear loose.

“No!” she shrieked in terror as it barreled into camp, landing with a thump on top of the apprentice’s hut. The bramble-sewn walls were immediately shattered and a clouds of dust billowed into the air.

Violetshine climbed out of the camp, Sparrowpelt, Blossomheart, and Tree on her heels. Hawkwing was already there.

“Dew! Fringe!” He called.

“Snake!” Stonewing had just been heading back to the warrior’s hut when the tree fell. He raced back to the apprentice’s hut, grabbing pine branches and pulling them away.

Leafstar had bounded into the center of the camp. “Frecklewish! Get out here!”

Frecklewish peered out from the healer’s hut, then ducked back inside. By the time she reappeared with a basket of herbs, Sparrowpelt and Stonewing had cleared the pine branches from the entrance to the camp. Snake was the first to climb out, only to be scooped into her waiting father’s arms. Dew, Pale, and Fringe followed.

“We’re not hurt,” Dew, the oldest of the apprentices, reported. “We dodged to the sides of the hut.”

“You’ll have to shelter in the warrior’s hut tonight,” Leafstar said.

The apprentices were exchanging excited glances, but Frecklewish’s gaze had turned to the sky. “Look! There’s smoke!”

Violetshine turned. Sure enough, black smoke covered the sky. Beyond the trees was a red glow.

“The lightning must have started a fire,” Hawkwing said. “Do you think the other Clans are okay?”

Panic stabbed through Violetshine, remembering the vision her sister had told her about. Was ThunderClan in danger?

“We can’t go out in this storm,” Leafstar said. “We’ll have to wait until its over. And we have to fix the apprentice’s hut.”

Several of the SkyClan warriors had already retreated to their huts. Stonewing was herding the apprentices into the shelter. But a few ShadowClan warriors were hesitating.

“Get inside!” Leafstar shouted.

Tawnypelt stepped forward. “Maybe it’s different for SkyClan, since you’re not use to other Clans. But we don’t let another Clan suffer. They might need help.”

Leafstar glared at her. “SkyClan cares for the other Clans. But my first responsibility is to my own people. Now, as one of my people, get inside!”

For an uncomfortably long moment, the two stared at each other. Overhead, the storm was fading. Wind lifted their hair, yet the rain eased. Icy drops lashed their faces and the sky remained ominously gray.

“I’m sorry, Leafstar, but I won’t,” Tawnypelt said. “We need to find out where the fire is, and see if anyone needs help.”

“I’ll go,” Juniperclaw offered.

Rowanstar joined them. “Me, too.”

Violetshine felt torn. She didn’t want to disobey her Clan leader, but she was also anxious to see where the fire was. And she couldn’t stifle her terrible anxiety about her sister.

Hawkwing seemed to feel the same. “Leafstar, I have a daughter in another Clan,” he said. “I must see that Twig is okay.”

“I want to go, too,” Violetshine added quickly.

Leafstar gazed at them, with both sympathy and irritation. “It’s your choice to take this risk.”

“I know,” Hawkwing replied. “We’ll be careful.”

Leafstar hesitated, then sighed. “Very well. Hawkwing, you’re in charge.”

Violetshine joined her father as he led the small patrol into the forest. Night had fallen, but the moonlight was blocked by waving trees and thick clouds.

Tawnypelt walked beside Hawkwing, looking awkward. “I didn’t mean to undermine Leafstar,” she explained. “But I must know the other Clans are safe. It’s the warrior code.”

Hawkwing looked straight ahead, refusing to meet Tawnypelt’s gaze. “You must decide who is leader. Leafstar or you. We can either be one Clan, or two.”

Tawnypelt looked taken aback. Slowing her pace, she dropped back to walk with Rowanstar.

Up ahead, the flames were in sight over the horizon. They were already high in the sky, and spewing black smoke.

“It’s on RiverClan’s land!” Violetshine exclaimed.

Hawkwing picked up the pace, racing through the forest. The crackling of fire and screams of panicked warriors was clear.

The sounds began to die by the time the patrol made it past the dock. Ahead, Violetshine saw the smoldering glow of the RiverClan camp. Clouds of smoke surrounded it. A small group of warriors huddled together at the edge of the lake.

Violetshine halted, panting. Ahead, Reedwhisker was staggering today them.

“What happened?” Hawkwing demanded. “Where’s Mistystar?”

“Lightning struck a tree,” Reedwhisker replied. His eyes were wide. “It caught fire and fell in our camp. Mistystar fled, but I don’t know where to.”

Willowshine limped forward. “I think I saw her escaping with some others toward WindClan. I hope they made it.”

“What can we do to help?” Hawkwing asked.

Reedwhisker and WIllowshine exchanged a glance, seeming overwhelmed.

“We need shelter,” Reedwhisker replied.

“And I need herbs,” Willowshine added. “The fire destroyed my supplies. Havenpelt and Sneezecloud were badly hurt and I can’t help them without herbs.”

Violetshine gazed across the shoreline. The fire was dying down, leaving black debris around the edge of the lake. Beyond, on the moor, she caught sight of dark figures moving back and forth.

“Look!” she called.

Reedwhisker spun around, letting out a cry of relief. “Our Clan!”

Suddenly energized, he headed along the shore, ignoring the smoldering bark and twigs underfoot. The other RiverClan warriors followed.

Violetshine recognized Mistystar among the group on the side stream. Most were up and walking around, but a few stayed on the ground, injured.

She spotted more than just RiverClan. Bramblestar, Ambermoon, and Larksong were moving around the injured RiverClan warriors. Alderheart was calling them orders and passing out herbs from a pouch on his belt. Sparkfire stood close to the water’s edge, along with Fin, and the unmistakably lean figure of Twig.

“Twig!” Violetshine rushed ahead. When she reached the border stream, she skidded to a hat. “Twig!”

Twig stumbled to the water’s edge. She looked soaked. Her black hair was sticking to her face. And her clothes looked heavy with water. She looked exhausted.

“What happened?” Violetshine asked.

“Your sister is a hero,” Alderheart replied. “She saved Gorse from the really.”

“Really? That’s amazing!” Violetshine exclaimed.

“I’m so proud of you,” Hawkwing added.

Twig was trembling, but she smiled with gratitude, her eyes shining. “I did what anyone would do.”

Bramblestar was approaching to greet them. “We’re discussing what to do next. I’ve offered for RiverClan to stay with us until the storm is gone.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Tawnypelt replied. “Let’s bring them to ShadowClan’s old camp. It’s closer and empty, so they won’t be bothered.”

All eyes turned to Hawkwing. His expression was blank, but he nodded. “Sensible. We’ll let you say there until your own camp is livable again. If Leafstar allows it.”

Mistystar nodded gratefully. “RiverClan won’t forget your generosity.”

Chapter Text

Leafstar wouldn’t be happy about this. Violetshine was sure of it as they entered SkyClan’s camp with all of RiverClan behind them.

The center of the camp was empty, but the sound of the returning patrol brought warriors out of the hut to see what was going on.

“Great StarClan!” Sparrowpelt exclaimed. “How much room do you think we have in here?”

Murmurs of anticipation broke out when Leafstar appeared from her hut.

Mistystar came forward to meet her. “Hello, Leafstar.”

“What’s this about?” Leafstar turned to Hawkwing. She looked startled, and no pleased at all.

“RiverClan’s camp was destroyed by the fire,” Hawkwing exclaimed. “Some of them are injured. We thought they could stay in ShadowClan’s old camp until their home is repaired.”

“Of course.” There was an edge to Leafstar’s voice. “It’s the least we can do.” She beckoned for Cloverfoot, Bellaleaf, and Plumwillow. “Escort Mistystar and her people to the ShadowClan camp. See to it that they have everything they need.”

“RiverClan is grateful, Leafstar,” Mistystar said. “We are in your debt. We will keep our visit short.”

Leafstar nodded. “Take your time,” she said, her voice warm.

The RiverClan warriors filed out of the camp, accompanied by their escort. Once they were gone, Leafstar turned and beckoned Tawnypelt forward.

“Leafstar, I’m sorry,” Tawnypelt began. “I meant no disrespect, but-”

“Enough!” Leafstar interrupted. “You and your Clanmates must decide once and for all if you’re ShadowClan or SkyClan. If you want to be ShadowClan, fine, but you must leave SkyClan’s land. If you want to be SkyClan, good, never question me again.”

Tawnypelt winced. “Yes, Leafstar.”

A murmur rose from the crowd. None of them seemed happy. The former ShadowClan warriors were exchanging uncertain glances.

Violetshine sought out Puddleshine, who was peering out from the healer’s hut. He looked deeply troubled, and ducked back into his hut.

Chapter Text

Thin clouds dotted the sky, but none covered the full moon. The night air was cool as Twig walked along the lakeshore with her Clan. It had been about a week since the fire and the burns on her back was healed.

Bramblestar was flanked by Squirrelflight and Leafpool as he led his Clan to the island. Alderheart was just behind them, but Jayfeather was still at home sick. He and Brackenfur were the only two still suffering with the stomach sickness.

Cinderheart and Lilyheart walked together up ahead. Twig had been trying to be mindful of her adoptive mother. Everyone in the Clan knew Brackenfur probably wouldn’t make it through the winter and his daughters were starting their grieving process.

Twig glanced toward the sky. There had been no signs of anymore storms, but it didn’t feel like their troubles were over yet. RiverClan was without a home, SkyClan was on the verge of a civil war, and the warriors of ThunderClan and WIndClan were still weakened by the sickness.

When Bramblestar led his Clan through the bushes into the clearing, the other Clans were already there. Twig looked up to see Mistystar sitting on a branch, Harestar and Leafstar below her. Reedwhisker was chatting with the other deputies.

Twig’s heart lifted, happy to see the RiverClan warriors at the Gathering again. But she spotted several other people murmuring and casting hostile looks toward the newcomers. The RiverClan warriors hadn’t fully mingled with the other Clans yet, sitting together at the far side of the clearing.

“I thought everyone would be happy to see RiverClan,” she whispered to Fin.

Her friend shrugged.

Behind them, Sparkfire leaned forward. “RiverClan never should have left in the first place,” she growled, her green eyes narrowed. “Now they think they can just stroll back in and act like nothing happened? They abandoned us!”

Twig didn’t reply, not wanting to get into an argument. Besides, Bramblestar had just climbed into the Great Oak to begin the meeting.

“People of all Clans,” he began, “I’d like to welcome Mistystar and her people to the Gathering. They have been missed.”

There was a murmur of disagreement, but Bramblestar ignored it.

“ThunderClan is recovering from the sickness,” he went on. “Game is plentiful in our forest and we have a new apprentice. Plum will be mentored by Ambermoon.”

Shouts of congratulations erupted in the clearing. “Plum! Plum!” the Clans called for the new apprentice. The young girl’s eyes shone, but she ducked her head with embarrassment.

Twig felt a stab of envy, wishing she could be so eager and proud of her apprenticeship. But it had dragged on so long she was finding it hard to remain enthusiastic. Still, she was happy for her younger Clanmate, and shouted her name with everyone else.

Once the cheering died down, Bramblestar sat down and Harestar stepped forward.

“WindClan’s game is running well,” he reported. “And we have completely recovered from the stomach sickness.”

Next was Leafstar. “SkyClan has a new warrior. Dewspring!”

Twig glanced toward Fin. Dewspring was Fin’s younger brother. Would he be jealous his brother was already a warrior?

But Fin’s eyes shone with affection. “It’ll be our turn soon,” he said enthusiastically.

Twig blushed, ashamed. She hadn’t voiced her thoughts aloud, but her face must have shown her sourness. If Fin wasn’t upset about his brother, she had no business being mad either.

“You’re right,” she murmured.

Mistystar had come forward. “RiverClan is grateful to everyone who came to help us escape the fire, she said. “And especially to SkyClan, for offering us shelter while we rebuild our camp. This experience has shown me how important it is for all the Clans to be together. RiverClan is ready to return to you.”

Twig’s heart soared. Behind her, Sparkfire scoffed.

Crowfeather had stood up, his expression blank. Twig thought he looked exactly like Jayfeather when he was about to say something bluntly true.

“We’re all happy to see you again, Mistystar,” he began, “but it’s starting to sound like you’re just using the other Clans. You want nothing to do with us in our time of need, but when it’s your Clan in trouble suddenly you want to be buddies again?”

“Yeah!” Scorchfur agreed. “You can’t just come back because your Clan is in danger.”

Mistystar didn’t seem angry by the challenge. She nodded respectfully. “There’s some truth in what you say. I timing is awkward. But before the fire, we had already made the decision to rejoin you at this month’s Gathering.”

“Yeah, right!” Sparkfire called.

Mistystar ignored her. “This time alone has reminded us how important it is to be in alliance with our neighbors.”

Crowfeather seemed subdued, accepting her explanation with a nod. But hostile murmurs still flitted through the clearing.

“What if we don’t want you back?” Juniperclaw growled. A chorus of agreement rose from the other ShadowClan warriors.

Twig could understand their annoyance with RiverClan’s withdrawal and less than graceful return. But wasn’t it foolish to even consider turning them away? StarClan had made it clear they wanted five Clans.

Bramblestar raised his hands, asking for silence. But the unrest in the clearing wouldn’t die down. Twig glanced anxiously toward the moon. It was untouched by the surrounding clouds.

Tree had risen from the SkyClan warriors. “The timing is awkward,” he began confidently. Even when all eyes turned to him, he didn’t flinch. “But how can you even think about turning RiverClan away? StarClan wants you all to work together, right? I’m sure when you need them, RIverClan will be ready to help you, too.”

“We will be,” MIstystar agreed. “All the Clans came together to help us when fire struck our land. We are in your debt.”

Most of the clearing had fallen silent. But not everyone was impressed by the young man’s wise words.

“Who in StarClan’s name is that?” Breezepelt demanded. “Wasn’t he a rogue?”

“He has no Clan blood,” Thornclaw growled. “He’s not even a warrior. Why is he telling us what to do?”

Violetshine stood up beside Tree, her eyes blazing. “He’s part of SkyClan!”

Leafstar raised her voice from the Great Oak. “He’s not a rogue or loner anymore. He’s been living with SkyClan since his connection to the dead was discovered. Since then, I have discussed with him his role within the Clan. I have decided he will keep the title of camp aide. But his job within the Clan will be a little different. Tree has shown a lot of talent when it comes to speaking. I have decided I want him to be a mediator of sorts. His duty within the Clan is to delegate arguments and disagreements.”

The clearing broke up into confused questions.

“He’s not a warrior!”

“He doesn’t know how we work!”

“How can he give advice?”

“He wasn’t born in a Clan,” Leafstar agreed calmly, “but neither was I. Neither were some of you. Don’t we all know by now that origin means nothing when it comes to a person’s value as a member of a Clan? Every single leader here has at least one warrior who wasn’t born in the nursery of a Clan.”

Murmurs of agreement swept through the crowd.

“Besides, I believe Tree’s otherness helps him work out differences. He better sees the heart of an issue, without relying on the fixed ideas us warriors have.”

“He’s helped SkyClan and ShadowClan come closer together several times,” Hawkwing added. “He works out problems and finds solutions others might not.”

“It’s true!” Tawnypelt called out.

“Tree will remain as an apprentice for now,” Leafstar announced. “I still want him to learn the basics of being in a Clan- hunting, basic fighting, chores…All the usual training for a camp aide. But afterwards, I’d be happy to give him a warrior name.”

Not everyone in the clearing seemed convinced, but most were turning to Tree and murmuring their encouragement and congratulations.

Violetshine had grabbed his arm, her eyes shining with admiration and affection. Twig’s mouth twitched into an amused smile. She had a feeling Violetshine had grown a little more attached to Tree than even the rest of SkyClan.

Chapter Text

Alderheart peeled the bandages off Roslyn’s burn. “You’re healing up well. I think we’ll leave it uncovered. Let it breath.”

“It’s still sore, but it’s not hurting anymore,” Roslyn said cheerfully. “You’re a great healer, Alderheart.”

Alderheart blushed.

Before he could reply, Roslyn went on. “Have you seen Ivypool’s new baby yet? She’s so cute! I heard Firesong say they decided on the name Thrift. Clan names are adorable!” She was beginning to ramble, excited, as the rest of the Clan was, about a new baby. “I can’t believe she was born the night of the Gathering. No one even knew she was due.”

Alderheart nodded in agreement. He and Leafpool had been quite shocked when they’d returned from the Gathering the previous night to find Jayfeather washing up after delivering the baby. The sick healer had not been happy about being pulled out of bed.

The rest of the Clan was indifferent to Jayfeather’s attitude, but Alderheart knew his brother was only irritated out of fear. In such close proximity, he could have passed the sickness on to Ivypool. Or worse, her children.

So far, everyone in the nursery seemed healthy, but Alderheart would still keep a close eye on them.

Roslyn was speaking again. “Clan life is way different than I expected. Red and I had heard stories before, about how you hunt for your own food and fight the other Clans. But it’s so much more than that. You heal each other, you care for one another. It’s less like a band of brutes and more like a tight-knit village.”

“It’s part of our code,” Alderheart replied.

Roslyn had been getting along well with the rest of the Clan. She didn’t seem interested in hunting, but she was willing to help with the elders and children, and she was a great help in the healer’s hut while Jayfeather was sick.

Alderheart wondered if she’d like to stay with the Clan permanently.

Alarm jolted through him. He knew seeing Roslyn was a bad idea. He could feel his heart being pulled toward her. And for healers, that was forbidden.

He already knew Jayfeather was watching over him like a hawk. If anyone in the Clan was against healer relationships, it was the direct product of one. Jayfeather was dozing in his bed behind them, but Alderheart knew he wouldn’t let himself sleep. He was listening to their conversation.

Footsteps sounded outside the healer’s hut. A moment later, Red appeared with a bowl of steaming food.

“Jayfeather!” he called cheerfully, flopping into Jayfeather’s bed. “The hunting patrols are back and I brought you something to eat. Lionblaze told me venison is your favorite. Sit up! While you eat, I’ll change your bed.”

As Red chattered, Jayfeather sat up with a groan. “I’m not sick anymore.”

“Are you sure?” Alderheart asked, amused. “It might be good to get another day of rest.”

“No, I’m completely fine,” Jayfeather insisted. “I have to get back to my duties.”

“Great!” Red exclaimed. “Now I can help with healer stuff.”

“StarClan, give me strength!” Jayfeather grumbled. “Alderheart, go check on Ivypool’s baby while I’ll find some deathberries to snack on.”

“You know where to find them,” Alderheart said as he stood up, suddenly irritated. He’d been checking on Ivypool every other hour all day. Jayfeather only wanted him out of the healer’s hut so he’d get away from Roslyn.

But he couldn’t protest. He headed out of the healer’s hut. Inside, Red was still calling to Jayfeather excitedly.

“Can we go to the garden? Can we go foraging? Will you teach me the herbs?”

When Alderheart reached the nursery, secured tightly after the storm, he found an exhausted Ivypool with a small bundle of blankets in her arms. In the back of the hut, Firesong was gleefully entering their older children, giving their mother a rest. He seemed to be giving all the mothers a break. When Bristle jumped on his back, Eagle, Shell, and Bay were quick to join her, tackling the young father to the ground.

Ivypool smiled when Alderheart entered. “We named her Thrift,” she announced.

“She’s beautiful,” Alderheart said. He pulled the blanket down to check over the baby. It was a healthy baby girl with black hairs on her head. Alderheart predicted she’d look a lot like her mother when she was older. “Has she fed yet?”

“She only stops for naps,” Ivypool replied.

“She’s lovely,” Blossomfall added from her own bed. She had her own newborn. “Her and Stem will be best friends when they’re older.”

Ivypool rolled her eyes. “I didn’t have this kid just to give yours a friend, Blossomfall,” she teased affectionately.

“Oh, no,” Cherryfall gasped. “You two have newborns…does that mean I’m next?”
Blossomfall barked a laugh.

As the two carried on, Ivypool turned back to Alderheart while he checked Thrift over. She was smiling, but there was sorrow in her eyes. “You know, I understand why Dovewing left. I was so angry when it first happened. I missed her so much. I felt betrayed. But now, seeing my own children…Seeing Firesong…I know what she was thinking.”

“I’m sure she had a good reason for leaving,” Alderheart said.

“She did. She had to be with Tigerheart. And I think I can accept that.” Ivypool raised her gaze, watching as Flip leaped onto Firesong’s stomach, making him grunt. He shoved the little boy off, then scooped him out with a gruff laugh.

“You must still miss her,” Alderheart said.

“Of course I do,” Ivypool sighed. “But it’s strange. Since Thrift was born, I’ve been seeing her in my dreams. I’m reliving memories of being children, playing in this same nursery. Maybe it’s just because I have a baby again.”

“Could be,” Alderheart agreed. He didn’t think anymore about it. Ivypool was just remembering her own time as a child. Suddenly, he realized someone was missing. Daisy was usually in here with the nursery mother, tending to their needs and helping to watch the children. “Where’s Daisy?” he asked. When a newborn was in camp, she practically fused with the nursery.

“Briarlight needed help in the elder’s hut,” Ivypool replied. “And Firesong was already in here.”

Alderheart stiffened, but nodded. Against Jayfeather’s wishes, Briarlight had been busying herself with the elder’s hut while Brackenfur was still sick. The healers knew she shouldn’t be in there. If she got sick, it would be harder for her to fight it off. And Brackenfur was going to pass no matter what they did. But no one had the heart to pull her away.

Satisfied, Alderheart exited the nursery and headed straight for the elder’s hut. Inside, Graystripe and Bellsong were absent, most likely getting fresh air while the weather was still nice. Briarlight was sat in her chair, holding several pots of water while Daisy was draping a cool, wet clothe over Brackenfur’s forehead.

The old man was laying on his back. Sickness was thick in the air, made hot by Brackenfur’s breath. Cinderheart sat at the top of his head, her blue eyes round with worry.

Brackenfur’s eyes fluttered open. They were glazed and distant.

“How do you feel, Brackenfur?” Alderheart asked.

“Oh, not so good, I’m afraid,” Brackenfur admitted.

“I’ll get you something for your pain.”

“No, no, that’s okay. I don’t want to bother you.”

Alderheart felt a piercing stab of grief. He was going to miss Brackenfur. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of supplies.”

Brackenfur shook his head slowly. “No…”

Alderheart exchanged a sad glance with Cinderheart.

“Cind…Cinderheart?” Brackenfur rasped. “Will you…get the rest of the girls? I’d like to say goodbye.”

Cinderheart’s jaw was set. “Of course, dad.” Her voice was taunt with grief. She slipped out of the hut.

A moment later, Alderheart heard one of Brackenfur’s daughters cry out in dismay.

“Briarlight,” Alderheart said, “Would you go to the healer’s hut and tell Jayfeather what’s happening? Then get a warrior to take the news to Leafpool.” Once RiverClan had settled into the old ShadowClan camp, Leafpool had offered to stay there and nurse their injured warriors. Mothwing and Willowshine were out of herbs and both injured.

Briarlight already had tears in her eyes as she wheeled her chair toward the hut entrance. Alderheart stood up, intercepting her.

“It’s not your fault,” he said. “You did your best. This was going to happen anyway.”

Briarlight nodded solemnly.

“I’ll…I’ll give you some space,” Daisy said before pushing out after her.

Just a moment later, Lilyheart barged into the elder’s hut. She immediately fell to her knees beside her father’s bed. Cinderheart and Poppyfrost followed a bit slower.

“I can’t believe it’s really happening,” Poppyfrost murmured. “I always knew it would but…”

Alderheart said nothing, unable to find the words to comfort her. Everyone in the Clan had accepted Brackenfur wouldn’t make it much longer. He had grown too weak. He himself seemed ready to join StarClan.

Alderheart slipped out of the elder’s hut to give the grieving family some room. He passed Brightheart and Thornclaw on their way to see their older brother. Neither of them looked overtly upset. Instead, they gave Alderheart a glance of solemn peace.

He stood outside the hut. In the entrance to the warrior’s hut, Lionblaze sat. He made eye contact with his older brother, who immediately caught on to what was happening. He nodded sadly and stood up, but didn’t approach, waiting for Cinderheart to finish so he could be ready to comfort her.

Graystripe and Bellsong soon returned from their walk. As they lumbered across the clearing, their expressions grew more worried.

“Is he…?” Bellsong rasped.

“His family is with him now,” Alderheart reported.

“We’ll wait out here,” Graystripe said. He led Bellsong over the fire pit to get something to eat.

Inside the elder’s hut, Alderheart could hear voices murmuring.

“Goodbye, dad,” Poppyfrost murmured affectionately. “I couldn’t have asked for a better father.”

“We love you,” Cinderheart added.

Brackenfur’s voice was choked and breathless. “I love…you, too. All of you.”

“Please don’t leave us,” Lilyheart begged. “Please don’t leave us.”

“Don’t worry about me, girls,” Brackenfur rasped. “I’m ready to see StarClan. I will run and hunt again. And I’ve been waiting so long to see your mother once more.”

Lilyheart wailed in grief and Alderheart knew Brackenfur had taken his final breath.

Alderheart stumbled away from the hut. The sun was going down. As soon as he was off guard, Lionblaze hurried forward. Berrynose and Cloudtail were quick to follow him.

Inside the healer’s hut, Jayfeather was helping Briarlight with her exercises, manually moving her legs up and down. Briarlight didn’t seem as enthused as she usually was.

“It just makes me think about my own father dying one day,” she murmured sadly. “I can’t bear it.”

“It is hard to think about,” Jayfeather said sympathetically. “But death doesn’t mean a person is gone forever. We will all be reunited in StarClan one day.”

“But the years in between must be agony.”

“Well, that just makes it easier to accept your own death, doesn’t it?” Jayfeather pointed out. “It’ll be scary, and you won’t want to leave the living world behind. But think of all the friends and family you’ll see again when you pass.”

Briarlight raised her gaze. “Is that how you think about Hollyleaf? That you’ll see her again one day?”

“I never saw her to begin with,” Jayfeather said teasingly.

Briarlight brightened. “You know what I mean!”

Footsteps sounded outside the healer’s hut. A moment later, Leafpool appeared.

“When did you get back?” Alderheart asked.

“A few minutes ago,” Leafpool replied. “I went straight to see Brackenfur, but I was too late.” Her voice was raw with grief. “They’re moving his body into the clearing for the vigil.”

Out in the clearing, Lionblaze and Berrynose were carrying Brackenfur into the center of the clearing. One he was laid down on his back, Brightheart came forward, starting to stuff flowers around her brother’s body.

Leafpool led the other healers to stand at the head of the ragged circle forming. Their Clanmates raised their voices, sharing memories of the elder.

“He would tell me stories when I was little,” Twig said. “I always liked being in the elder’s hut. He and Rusty told really funny stories.”

Graystripe rose to his feet. “He was my first apprentice, although I didn’t treat him as I should have back then. I was always proud of him. He was intelligent and brave.”

“He was my first protector,” Brightheart murmured. “He was always supportive.”

“He was a brilliant mentor,” Whitewing added and Sorrelstripe nodded in agreement.

“May StarClan light your path, brother,” Thornclaw grunted. “You deserve your rest.”

Chapter Text

Violetshine slid into SkyClan’s camp, holding a rabbit. Rowanstar and Mulaney followed her, both carrying their own catches. Their hunt had been successful.

The camp was mostly deserted. Today was SkyClan’s turn to bring aid to RiverClan. All the Clans had agreed they’d alternate who helped by the day. The only person out was Yarrowleaf, who was leaned against a sunlit rock for a nap.

Violetshine glanced around, but she couldn’t see Flax or Hop. The camp aides were out doing their chores. Had the children snuck out while Yarrowleaf napped?

Uneasily, she poked her head inside the nursery to check for the children. Grassheart, Tinycloud, and Berryheart were there with their children. The kids were all asleep, taking their afternoon nap. Grassheart and Berryheart were chatting in soft voices while Tinycloud dozed. But there was no sign of Yarrowleaf’s kids.

She withdrew, then tried the elder’s hut next. She knew Barley and Violetsong loved having kids to entertain.

“Barley?” she called, poking her head inside. She quickly dropped her voice when she realized Ratscar was closest to the entrance, sleeping. “Barley?” she called, a bit more softly.

“Howdy, Violetshine,” Barley greeted. “Whatcha need?”

“Have you seen Flax and Hop?” she asked.

Barley exchanged a look with his sister, Violetshine. “Should we have?”

Violetshine ducked out of the hut, worried. She couldn’t think of where else the children could be. Could they have wandered out of camp.

Violetshine hurried across camp and knelt down beside Yarrowleaf. She gave the woman a shake on her shoulder.

“Yarrowleaf, I think-”

She broke off. Lying beside Yarrowleaf was a single clay plate holding a half eaten rabbit leg. Inside the cooked meat were barely visible black spots.

Poppy seeds.

Violetshine’s heart began to pound. She’d once tried to drug Darktail and his followers in the same way. But she hadn’t been aware Sleekwhisker had seen it, and she’d been discovered.

It had been the first mistake leading to Needletail’s death.

Violetshine stared at the seeds. Who could have done this? And why? Sleekwhisker was often at her side, but now she was nowhere to be found. Had she gotten the idea from Violetshine’s failed attempt?

She suddenly remembered seeing Sleekwhisker leave camp the night of the storm. She’d completely forgotten about it.

Cold fear made Violetshine shudder. She prodded Yarrowleaf again, and the woman raised her head and blinked up at her blearily.

“Is something wrong?”

“Where are Flax and Hop?”

Yarrowleaf sat up, looking around. Her brown eyes widened with alarm.

“Flax! Hop!” she called, panicked. “Where are they? Flax! Hop!”

“Yarrowleaf!” Violetshine said. “Was Sleekwhisker here?”

“Yes. We were watching the children while they play.” Yarrowleaf looked confused.

“Was she the one who brought you that food?”

Yarrowleaf nodded.

Violetshine pointed to it. “That rabbit leg was stuffed with poppy seeds. She drugged you.”

Yarrowleaf didn’t look convinced. “Why would she do that? She’s my friend.”

“How can you be sure?” Violetshine asked. “She was loyal to Darktail. What if she’s working with the Kin to take revenge on ShadowClan?”

Violetshine had never trusted Sleekwhisker. She didn’t want to turn Yarrowleaf against her friend, but she couldn’t think of any other reason Sleekwhisker would drug her.

Yarrowleaf stared at her, dismayed. “Oh, StarClan!” she wailed. “Sleekwhisker has my children! But where is she taking them?”

“We have to find out,” Violetshine said grimly. She glanced around and spotted Rowanstar and Mulaney. The two had sat down to begin cooking their catches, but were approaching to check on the commotion.

“Why’s Yarrowleaf so upset?” Rowanstar asked.

“Someone put her to sleep with poppy seeds,” Violetshine explained. “Now Sleekwhisker and her children are missing. We have to find them.”

“They must have left a trail,” Rowanstar said. “We’ll track them down.”

He led the way out of camp, the others following. Violetshine walked beside Yarrowleaf, who still seemed uneasy. But she was determined to find her children.

“I sense Sleekwhisker,” Rowanstar announced. “She came this way, along with the children.”

He veered to one side, taking a path through the bushes.

“This is the direction of the ShadowClan camp,” Violetshine realized.

“Ground looks scuffed,” Mulaney said, kneeling down. There were a few small pads in the dirt, like someone had walked through here. “But no struggle. They went with her willingly.”

“They’ve been eager to get into the forest,” Yarrowleaf realized. “Sleewkwhisker must have offered to take them out. Oh, StarClan, please protect them.”

Violetshine leaned against her, trying to be comforting, but her own heart ached. They never should have let Sleekwhisker back into the Clan. She’d known all along she’d eventually cause trouble.

The trail cheered away from ShadowClan’s land, instead heading to the back of the territory in the direction of the town. Violetshine couldn’t imagine Sleekwhisker taking the children there.

Up ahead, Rowanstar had suddenly spotted. His eyes were wide. “Tawnypelt came this way,” he murmured.

The aura trail joined up with Sleekwhisker’s ahead.

“Did Tawnypelt take my children?” Yarrowleaf growled. “She never wanted us in the Clan. Maybe Tawnypelt took them and Sleekwhisker went after them.”

“No,” Rowanstar said calmly. “Tawnypelt had her grudge with you two, but she’d never hurt children.”

“Maybe she was tracking Sleekwhisker, too,” Violetshine suggested. The senior warrior had been watching Sleekwhisker closely ever since she rejoined the Clan. She’d be the first to notice if something was wrong.

Violetshine wished Tree could be here. She always thought clearer when he was close by. But he’d gone with Leafstar to RiverClan in case any issues arose.

Rowanstar led them around a bramble thicket and down a path that wound through banks of ferns. The trail was taking them to a rocky hollow surrounded by gorse bushes. Water dripped slowly from a gap in the rocks, forming a tiny pool at the bottom.

Tawnypelt sat beside the pool, staring down at it and looking tired. Over her stood a black haired woman that was so familiar it made Violetshine nausea. This was Eleanor, one of Darktail’s followers who had aided in Needletail’s death. Violetshine could still remember her sinister cackle as she watched Darktail hold Needletail underwater.

On the other side of the pool, Sleekwhisker stood beside Bruno, another of Darktail’s followers and the father of Yarrowleaf’s children. Flax and Hop stood between them, their eyes wide and frightened.

“My babies!” Yarrowleaf gasped.

“Mama!” Flax wailed. He darted toward her, but Bruno grabbed his arm harshly and tugged him back.

“No!” Yarrowleaf sprang down the hollow. Bruno and Sleekwhisker stepped out of the way for her to bundle her children into her arms. “Stay away from them!”

“What’s going on?” Rowanstar asked Tawnypelt.

His wife shrugged. “I saw Sleekwhisker leaving with the children and followed her. That’s when these two brutes jumped me.” She gestured to Eleanor and Bruno.

“Why?” Rowanstar asked.

“Just for you, Rowanstar.” Sleekwhisker walked around the pool to join Eleanor. “You were a weak leader. I was miserable growing up. I lost my father because you couldn’t stand up to Onestar, and my mother because you wouldn’t stand up to Darktail.”

Rowanstar’s eyes narrowed. “It’s true, I should have done more to deal with the yellowcough. But you won’t blame me for Darktail’s actions when you fought against your own Clanmates.”

“I fought against you,” Sleekwhisker snapped. “And now you’ll pay. StarClan has already taken your children. Now I’ll take your wife.”

Rowanstar stiffened. “It’s five against three, Sleekwhisker. You can’t win.”

“Yes, I can,” Sleekwhisker growled. “Because if anyone tries to stop me, those kids die instead.”

“No!” Yarrowleaf turned, bundling her children up the slope. But Bruno easily caught up and grabbed her by the hair, throwing her to the ground. He grabbed up the children in one arm, easily holding them both. Then, with his free hand, he fumbled for his belt and pulled a dagger from a sheath, holding it to Hop’s neck.

“Mama!” the little girl cried in terror.

“He’d kill his own children?” Mulaney rasped in horror.

Bruno glanced to Sleekwhisker, who was grinning at Rowanstar. “There is one thing you can do. We’ll accept your life in exchange for Tawnypelt’s.”

Rowanstar drew himself up. Violetshine glanced around. If it came to a battle, they easily outnumbered the Kin. But what if more were lying in wait? And no one wanted to test if Bruno really was willing to hurt the kids.

Rowanstar sighed out. “Very well. Release Tawnypelt and let Yarrowleaf take the children. Then you can do what you want with me.”

“Not a chance,” Bruno growled. “You can hate the old bat, but these brats are mine.”

“Bruno, please,” Rowanstar said, taking a few steps into the hollow. “Torture me before you kill me. Take me prisoner. I don’t care. But you cannot hurt those children.”

Bruno and Sleekwhisker exchanged a glance. The large man lowered the children to the ground as he thought it over.

Rowanstar took a few more steps forward. His eyes were on the ground. He looked weak and defeated.

Then, he raised his head and shrieked, “Grab the kids! Run!”

He threw himself at Bruno, shoving him away from the kids. Bruno cried out in shock, rolling with him across the hollow. Sleekwhisker dove into the fray.

Yarrowleaf snatched up Hop while Tawnypelt leaped over to pull to grab Flax. Together, they raced up the side of the hollow and vanished into the undergrowth.

Eleanor gave chase, but Violetshine sprang after her with Mulaney at her side.

“For Needletail!” Violetshine flung herself forward, tackling Eleanor to the ground. The older woman crashed into the overgrowth, sliding back down the slope.

Eleanor turned on her. “Darktail should have killed you when he had the chance!”

Violetshine kept one hand on the back of Eleanor’s dress, trying to keep her in place. Her other went behind her back to grab her morningstar out of its sheath. She swung it over her shoulder, just barely missing Eleanor’s hip. The rogue cried out in terror. Violetshine finally let her go and she scrambled up the slope, away from Clan territory.

Violetshine stood up, panting. Mulaney had gone to help Rowanstar with Bruno and Sleekwhisker. The young blonde woman was limping out of the hollow.

“This was your last chance!” Violetshine shouted at her. “Come here again and I’ll kill you myself!”

At the bottom of the hollow, Bruno was dead. He lay face down in the pool, his blood turning the water red. On top of him, Rowanstar was sprawled.

“No,” Violetshine gasped.

The former leader heaved himself off Bruno’s body. Blood pulsed from a gash in the side of his throat. His eyes were glazed and his chest heaved as he fell onto his side.

A shrill cry came from the top of the hollow. “Rowanstar! No!” Tawnypelt shrieked. She had returned, although the fight was already over. She half-tripped down the side of the hollow. “Rowanstar! Oh, Rowastar. Stay with me!”

Rowanstar blinked up at her. “This is for the best,” he murmured. “It was my fault ShadowClan fell. But it will rise soon again. Tigerheart is going to return to us. I see him in my dreams…”

Violetshine and Mulaney had come closer, but gave them space.

“Goodbye, Tawnypelt,” Rowanstar wheezed. “I love you.” He let out one last breath, then his eyes closed and his body went limp.

“No…” Tawnypelt cried. “Oh, Rowanstar.”

For a few moments, Violetshine just watched. Was Rowanstar truly on his last life? Could he come back? But the moment dragged on and Rowanstar didn’t move. Violetshine’s hope drained. He was dead.

“Come on.” Violetshine knelt to touch Tawnypelt’s arm. “Let’s carry him back to camp for vigil.”

Mulaney jogged down the slope to help. “Rowanstar is gone,” he stated. “Tawnypelt, you were deputy before ShadowClan was disbanded. Will you lead it now?”

Tawnypelt stared at him, then slowly shook her head. “ShadowClan is dead.”

Chapter Text

Alderheart and Roslyn walked so close their arms brushed. They were talking a walk around camp just to get some fresh air. They stopped in front of the nursery, watching Bay, Bristle, and Eagle tumble out to play. The sun was going down and most of the camp was out to enjoy the last of the sunshine.

It had been two weeks since Brackenfur had died. Alderheart’s eyes followed Bay, Brackenfur’s great grandson. He used to love babysitting Cherryfall’s son while she and Stormcloud hunted. He hoped Brackenfur could see them from StarClan.

“Your arm is completely healed,” Alderheart told Roslyn.

He was glad she wasn’t in pain anymore, but the idea that she didn’t need him made his heart ache. She’d return home soon.

He noticed Sparkfire and Larksong talking to Bramblestar in the middle of the camp. They both seemed happy about something, sending glances toward one another.

Alderheart would question his sister later. For now, he had herbs to sort.

In the healer’s hut, Jayfeather was feeling Rosepetal’s throat. Red was bouncing around them.

“What’s wrong, Jayfeather?” he asked. “Can I get her herbs? I know them real well!”

“Go grab a fistful of poppy seeds and eat them,” Jayfeather said. “That’ll really help.”

“Red, let me help you,” Roslyn said quickly, joining her brother.

Alderheart approached Rosepetal. “Can I help?”

“Actually, yes,” Jayfeather said. “Check that Rosepetal doesn’t have anything white in the back of her throat. If it’s all red, it’s just sore and she can have tansy. If there’s white, it’s an infection of some sort.”

Alderheart didn’t need a lecture on how to check a sore throat, but he didn’t say anything. Looking down Rosepetal’s throat, he only saw a light red.

“It’s just a sore throat,” he reported. “We can give her tansy and send her on her way.”

Jayfeather looked thoughtful. “Actually, I think she should spend the night here.”

“Come on, Jayfeather!” Rosepetal whined. “It’s not that bad.”

“If you’re sick, I don’t want you passing it on to anyone else,” Jayfeather retorted. “We just got over the other sickness. Roslyn, how’s your burn?”

“Much better,” Roslyn replied brutally, confused by the sudden change in subject.

Jayfeather reached out a hand and Roslyn brought up her arm for him to feel. “Blisters went down and it’s smoothing out. Since we’ve got Rosepetal here, you should sleep in the apprentice’s hut with Red. We’ll need the space.”

Alderheart glared at Jayfeather, realizing his true intentions. Having Roslyn so close must have made him feel threatened.

“Oh.” Roslyn seemed disappointed. “Okay. Since you need the space…”

Alderheart wanted to argue, but he couldn’t think of a counter point. Now that Roslyn was healed, she didn’t need to be so close to the healers. The senior warriors would expect her to start contributing to chores like Red was. It was for the best.

Jayfeather squeezed into the herb storage to grab tansy and honey. Just as he disappeared, the bramble curtain swung open and Twig leaped through. “Alderheart! Alderheart! Sparkfire says I’m ready for my warrior assessment!”

“That’s great!” Alderheart exclaimed.

“Larksong is assessing Fin, too,” Twig said, her eyes sparkling. “I’m finally going to be a warrior!”

“I’m glad you finally figured out what Clan you’re in,” Jayfeather called.

“Ignore him,” Rosepetal said. “We’re all very proud of you, Twig.”

“Congratulations,” Roslyn added.

Alderheart’s chest swelled with pride. He could still picture Twig as a tiny baby in a storm drain, abandoned and cold and alone. Now, she was finally going to be a warrior.

“Come on,” he said to Roslyn. “Let’s get you settled in the apprentice’s hut.”

“You’re joining us, Roslyn?” Twig asked. “I can help you make your bed. It’s pretty crowded with me, Fin, Leaf, Honey, Plum, and Red. But you’ll have two less tomorrow!”

Fizzing with excitement, she headed out of the hut.

Alderheart and Roslyn followed. “I’ll miss having you around,” Alderheart murmured. “You’ll still help out in the healer’s hut, right?”

Roslyn began to reply, then stopped when the thorn barrier at the entrance to camp opened. Poppyfrost, Bumblestripe, and Leaf were returning from a border patrol, but they weren’t alone. A tall, lean woman followed them. She looked nervous, glancing around as she entered. More warriors were gathering to see what was going on.

Roslyn gasped. “Mom!”

She raced over to join her mother. Now that Alderheart could clearly see the woman, he realized she looked a lot like red, with curly orange and freckles across her face.

“What’s going on?” Squirrelflight hurried down from the Highledge.

“We found her on our land,” Poppyfrost reported.

“She said she was looking for her children,” Bumblestripe added.

“Mom!” Red had burst from the apprentice’s hut and charged across the clearing, throwing himself into his mother’s arm.

The woman sighed in relief. “Thank god, you’re safe. I was afraid I’d lost you in the fire. The fire is out and I have a place for us to stay until our house is rebuilt.”

“Why don’t we just stay here?” Red asked. “It’s been really fun! I’m learning to hunt and fight and heal.”

A few of the older warriors exchanged amused glances.

“But I have missed you,” Red went on. “And I can’t wait to let everyone know I’m okay.” Happily, he gazed around at the Clan. “Thank you for having us. I’ve enjoyed this a lot.”

Alderheart and Roslyn exchanged a longing look. They were going to miss each other.
Bramblestar had followed Squirrelflight down from his hut. “I’m glad you’ve found your mother,” he stated. “But it’s getting dark. Perhaps you should stay here until morning.”

The woman nodded gratefully. “I’d appreciate that. I barely made it here without getting hopelessly lost. I couldn’t make it home in the dark. My name is Rose, by the way.”

“What a pretty name,” Rosepetal commented. Daisy giggled.

“Let us help you settle,” Roslyn offered. She took her mother’s hand, leading her to the apprentice’s hut. Rose was looking around with a mix of curiosity and disgust.

Alderheart stared after them, feeling his heart sink. This meant Roslyn would be gone in the morning and most likely never return. Part of him had been secretly hoping her home was gone so she could stay with the Clans forever, but another part knew that was selfish. And unlikely.

He suddenly became aware of a presence close beside him.

Jayfeather had joined his side. “You might think it’s easier outside the healer’s hut, but it’s not.”

“What do you mean?” Alderheart asked, confused.

“I may be blind, but I can still tell how much you care about Roslyn.” Jayfeather’s voice was dry. “I know how a story like this will end.”

“But I-” Alderheart began.

“But it’s not wrong to have feelings, but it is wrong to act on them,” Jayfeather interrupted. “Healers aren’t meant to have families of their own. Your responsibility is the Clan. You are a father figure to those younger than you, and a reliable son to those older.”

“I know. I just-”

“You know what happens when healers find themselves in relationships. You know what it did to Leafpool. To Hollyleaf. To every single person involve in that wicked affair.” He turned on Alderheart, his blue eyes narrowed. “We need you in ThunderClan, Alderheart. You’re a good healer. You work hard and you connect with StarClan. And you’re younger than Leafpool and I. You’ll take care of the next generation. ThunderClan can’t lose you.”

Alderheart was stunned.

“It’s true that I like Roslyn,” he admitted. “But I won’t leave ThunderClan, Jayjay. I know I’m meant to be a healer.”

“Really?” Jayfeather sounded relieved. “You’re not going back to town with Roslyn?”

“No,” Alderheart replied.

Jayfeather hesitated a moment. “Good.”

Alderheart chuckled. “Love you, too, brother.”

Chapter Text

Dawn had turned the sky to a soft rose color. Alderheart stood outside the healer’s hut. Across camp, Roslyn and Red were saying goodbye to the warriors and apprentices. Rose waited impatiently beside the thorn barrier.

Part of Alderheart wanted to go back inside and bury his face in his bed until Roslyn was gone. But when she glanced around, looking for him, he went rigid.

Bracing himself, he walked across camp to greet her. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Roslyn replied, her voice quivering. “But I can’t stay here. I have a life to get back to. And I know you have responsibilities here you can’t abandon.”

Alderheart nodded. “I’ll never forget you.”

Roslyn leaned closer, like she wanted to take it further, then pulled away. “Goodbye, Alderheart.”

“Roslyn! Red!” Rose called. “Time to go.”

Roslyn’s beautiful brown eyes shone with sorrow. Without another word, she turned to join her brother.

Alderheart stared after her as she disappeared through the thorn barrier. No doubt was left in his mind that this was the last time he’d ever see her. He immediately tried to pull every detail of her face into his head, holding on to that memory.

He heard footsteps coming from his side and glanced over to see Squirrelflight approaching. He towered over her now, fully grown and muscular for a healer. She wrapped an around around his waist.

“You okay?” Squirrelflight asked.

Alderheart nodded. “I liked her a lot, mom.”

Squirrelflight sighed sadly, rubbing Alderheart’s back. “I know. But some things just aren’t meant to be. And it’s for the best.”

Alderheart glanced at her. He’d never be able to fully grasp just how much forbidden relationships had costed her, but he’d heard the stories. He’d heard the elders whispering about the turmoil his parents went through when Leafpool’s secret broke. He knew how hostile the older warriors were toward Crowfeather, WindClan’s deputy.

He tried to shove away his sorrow. He’d always known he’d never be allowed to have a wife. But actually experiencing it now was difficult.

He tried to lighten the mood with a soft chuckle. “Are you ever disappointed I didn’t become a regular warrior? I bet you’re dying to have grandchildren you don’t have to share with Leafpool.”

Squirrelflight laughed. “I don’t have to worry about that, Alderheart.”

“What do you mean?”

His mother pulled away, confused. “You haven’t heard yet? Sparkfire is pregnant.”

Chapter Text

Twig’s heart pounded as she walked into the forest with Sparkfire at her side.

She knew she was ready to become a warrior. But she couldn’t bear the thought that she might fail today. What if something went wrong? What if she messed up?

Fin was having his own assessment under Larksong’s watchful gaze. Twig wasn’t sure exactly where they were, as they’d left that morning.

Sparkfire took the path that led to the abandoned cabin. Before they reached it, she veered off into the undergrowth and stopped at a bramble thicket.

“I want you to catch as much as you can by noon,” Sparkfire directed. “You won’t see me, but I’ll be watching you.”

Twig struggled to keep her voice steady. “Okay, Sparkfire.”

Her mentor’s stern gaze softened. “Don’t be nervous. You’re an excellent hunter. There’s no way you can fail.” With a respectful nod, she turned and disappeared into the ferns.

Twig stared after her. Since returning to ThunderClan, she’d assumed Sparkfire didn’t like her. And hadn’t wanted to be her mentor. Now, her heart rose with Sparkfire’s praise and confidence flowed back into her.

She couldn’t fail.

She stopped for a moment, trying to detect movement around her. She managed to spot a rabbit beneath a holly bush. She dropped into a crouch, creeping forward until she was close enough to draw her dagger and kill it with a single stab.

The easy catch made her feel even more confident. Gazing around, she felt energy filling her like rain in a hollow.

She was going to enjoy this.

By the time noon was approaching, Twig was loaded with game. She’d caught two more rabbits and taken down several different birds. Despite the huge load, she decided to keep hunting until Sparkfire told her to stop.

She spotted a blackbird on an ivy covered tree stump. Keeping herself slow, she stalked toward it.

At the last monet, the blackbird took off. Twig drew her arm back and tossed her dagger, sending it spinning through the air. The blackbird cawed as it was nailed in the back, falling to the ground with a thud. Twig grinned. Sparkfire had taught her that trick.

Just as Twig picked up the blackbird, she heard rustling in the underground. A rabbit flashed by, diving for the bushes.

But before Twig could start after it, a small figure in a gray cloak chased after it. Twig recognized Fin as he ducked into the undergrowth. A moment later, he stood up with the rabbit in hand.

“Great catch!’ A voice sounded from the trees. Larksong had just emerged with Sparkfire beside him.

“You both did well,” Sparkfire added.

Fin glanced toward Twig, as though just realizing she was there.

“I think that’s enough,” Larksong said, glancing toward the sky. “Let’s head back to camp.”

Twig gathered up her catches and followed her mentor back to camp. As soon as they entered, Lilyheart and Ivypool joined them.

“We were waiting for you,” Lilyheart said. “It looks like you had a good hunt.”

“We knew you would,” Ivypool added.

Twig grinned. It meant a lot being praised by her mother and first mentor. Ivypool had left the nursery just to congratulate her.

“Let me help.” Ivypool took a few pieces of game and carried it off to the fire pit. Lilyheart wrapped an arm around Twig’s shoulder and guided her to the healer’s hut.

Alderheart was waiting there. Twig’s eyes widened in disbelief when she recognized Hawkwing and Violetshine with him.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she gasped.

“Alderheart told us you were having your warrior assessment,” Hawkwing said.

“I didn’t want them to miss your warrior ceremony,” Alderheart added.

“I’m so happy for you!” Violetshine cheered. “It took long enough.”

“Thanks. All of you,” Twig said gratefully. “This means a lot to me.”

“Hawkwing!” Fin had arrived, throwing himself at Hawkwing.

The deputy laughed, shoving him off. “Show some manners, boy.”

“I’m so glad you’re here to see me become a warrior,” Fin said. “How’s my family? How’s dad?”

“Everyone’s fine,” Hawkwing assured.

“I don’t suppose they’ve forgiven me for leaving?”

Hawkwing barked a laugh. “StarClan, no. But they’ll come around eventually. They know why you did it.”

Fin smiled.

Twig suddenly felt guilty. She’d dragged Fin away from his own people. “It’s my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” Fin said. “I’d rather be with you. No matter where that is. Limp buddies?”

Twig’s heart swelled. She’d experienced a lot of challenges lately. But she’d done it all with Fin.

“Limp buddles,” Twig agreed.

“Oh, Twig.” Lilyheart had joined them. “You’re a complete mess. How many leaf piles were you diving in to?” She began picking leaf litter from Twig’s hair.

“Yeah, you can’t be made a warrior looking like that.” Violetshine went to Twig’s other side, doing the same.

Twig ducked away from them. “Hands off!” she protested. “I’m not a kid.”

“No, you’re not,” Hawkwing said. “I think you look great.”

“Let all those old enough to hunt join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

Twig jumped. She hadn’t realized that the Clan had started to gather. Bramblestar had jumped down from the Highledge. Sparkfire and Larksong were beside him.

Twig’s stomach tightened with excitement and apprehension as she joined her Clan leader. She felt like something was lodged in her throat.

“Fin,” Bramblestar began, “do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protext and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” Fin said.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Fin, from this moment onward you will be known as Finleap. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and determination.”

“Finleap! Finleap!” The Clan began to cheer. Bramblestar stood tall, but hadn’t even looked at Twig yet. As the Clan’s clamour died down, he took a step back, as though heading for his hut.

Twig’s heart sank.

“Bramblestar!” Squirrelflight called, a bit panicked. “Twig is being made a warrior, too.”

Bramblestar turned back, blinking. “We didn’t do that, yet?”

“You’re losing it, old man!” Lionblaze shouted, earning a few chuckles from his Clanmates.

Bramblestar quickly straightened up. “Twig! Uh, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Twig stood up taller, relieved. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Twig, from this moment you will be known as Twig…branch. Twigbranch. StarClan honors your energy and dedication.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Twig noticed Squirrelflight face palm. But she didn’t mind the name. She had once been a small, fragile twig. But she’d grown into a strong branch. She was Twigbranch.

Twigbranch the ThunderClan warrior.

“Twigbranch! Twigbranch!” her Clanmates called. All around her, their eyes shone.

But the clamor was suddenly interrupted when a sharp cry rang out over the camp. Brightheart, who had been standing guard, burst into camp.

“Bramblestar!”

Everyone whirled to face the camp entrance. A jolt of alarm ran through Twig as she recognized Gullswoop and Strikstone burst into camp.

“What’s going on?” Bramblestar hurried to the front of the crowd to meet them.

The two ShadowClan warriors skidded to a halt. “We’re sorry, Bramblestar,” Gullswoop panted. “We didn’t mean to intrude, but it’s important. Hawkwing needs to come home immediately. Tigerheart has just arrived!”

Shocked questions rose from the assembly.

“Tigerheart?”

“Where’s he been?”

“Is Dovewing with him?” Whitewing pushed through the crowd, her eyes wide and anxious.

Hawkwing raced to join them. “Take me to him.”

Chapter Text

Violetshine whisked out of the thorn barrier behind her father. She was so excited about seeing Tigerheart again. He’d always been kind to her, even when she was a child. He must be so confused to return to RiverClan in ShadowClan’s camp and ShadowClan gone.

Hawkwing slowed. “Hey!” he called to Gullswoop. “This isn’t the way to camp. This is the moor!”

“We’re going to the Moonpool,” Gullswoop explained. “The people Tigerheart was traveling with took him there.”

“Why?” Violetshine asked.

Strikestone looked worried. “Tigerheart was gravely injured. Puddleshine said he needed to be brought to the Moonpool.”

Violetshine and Hawkwing exchanged a horrified glance. They had just lost Rowanstar. The entire Clan had been holding out hope that Tigerheart might return and take over as leader. But if he died, would that truly mean the end of ShadowClan?

Violetshine’s legs ached by the time she reached the last steep slope that would lead to the Moonpool. The sun was going down, casting a red light over the rocks.

A crowd of people was gathered at the foot of the slope. The first person Violetshine spotted was Dovewing, who stared anxiously up the slope. At her sides was two tiny children. The first was a small, dark haired boy. The second was a not much younger girl.

“Dovewing!” Violetshine exclaimed.

Dovewing turned to them. “This isn’t the homecoming I was expecting,” she admitted.

“Who’s kids are these?” Hawkwing asked. The boy stared at up them with wide eyes. In this dark lighting, his brown eyes looked reddish.

“Mine,” Dovewing said. “With Tigerheart.”

Behind Dovewing gathered three other people. Two young adults and a small boy.

“Who is this?” Violetshine asked.

“While away, Tigerheart and I lived in a small community in a town,” Dovewing explained. “This is Anthony, Kassidy, and Blaise. When we decided to come home, they wanted to come with us.”

Dovewing fell silent and Violetshine was aware of the tension among those waiting. Movement in the shadows of the rocks drew their attention. Violetshine realized every single former ShadowClan warrior was there, along with Leafstar and Frecklewish.

Tawnypelt sat at the bottom of the slope, her head in her hands.

Violetshine’s heart went out to her. She’d lost Dawnpelt and Rowanstar, and now she might lose Tigerheart.

Berryheart looked exasperated. She must have left her child with Tinycloud to come here. “I don’t see why we’re still here. Tigerheart is clearly dead. Those wounds were fatal.”

“He’s not dead!” The shrill assertion made Violetshine turn. Dovewing’s son had stomped forward. “He's not dead!”

A pang of sorrow clawed through Violetshine. This child was too young to understand.

“I dreamt of playing with him in a place not far from here,” the little boy continued. “I know it’ll happen.”

“Shadow, come here,” Dovewing said, grabbing the boy’s arm and pulling him back.

“It’s true!” Shadow squeaked. “We were in a big hollow surrounded by boulders and logs. And pine trees were beyond. There was a bramble thicket at one side of the hollow. Me and Pounce were playing with dad.”

Violetshine exchanged a puzzled glance with Berryheart.

“That sounds like the ShadowClan camp,” Violetshine recalled.

“Impossible!” Berryheart growled. “He’s never been there.”

A shiver passed through Violetshine. “Maybe one of his parents told him about it.”

Still, Shadow’s words woke a tiny spark of hope inside her. Had he received a vision? Was it possible he’d one day be playing with his father in a restored ShadowClan camp?

Time crawled past until the last streaks of sunlight disappeared. Violetshine was finding it harder to keep that spark of hope alive. The first warriors of StarClan were appearing in the sky.

“Please heal him,” Cloverfoot softly begged. “Make him a leader so we can finally go home.”

Violetshine glanced at her. She knew the rest of the ShadowClan warriors held her belief that Tigerheart was destined to become their next leader. But if he died tonight, that hope would be gone.

Footsteps sounded from the top of the slope. Rustling came form the bushes.

Puddleshine emerged into the open, his eyes wide with shock.

Violetshine felt her throat tighten with emotion. He’d lost Tigerheart.

Then, more rustling sounded. Puddleshine stepped aside. A muscular, dark haired man appeared, his brown eyes gleaming.

Tigerheart remained motionless. Then, he leaped down the rocks to land just beside the ShadowClan warriors.

Shouts of amazement broke out as Tigerheart’s Clanmates clustered around him. Dovewing pushed to the front.

Violetshine withdrew to the edge of the group, standing with Hawkwing and Leafstar. She caught a few words being shared among the reunited Clan.

The initial joy of the ShadowClan warriors was dying away. Some of them looked uneasy, as if unsure what to do now.

Tigerheart stood up taller. “I left you during hard times. But I’ve retuned now. I bring with me new warriors to make our Clan strong. Accept them just as I accept you. Give them your loyalty just as you give it to me.” He took a deep breath. “I am Lavenderstar, and I am your leader.”

Silence gripped the slope. The ShadowClan warriors were exchanging shocked glances. Violetshine was just as confused. StarClan had completely changed his name?

Juniperclaw was the first to raise his voice. “Lavenderstar! Lavenderstar!”

Tawnypelt pushed to the front of the crowd. “Lavenderstar? StarClan allowed you to change your name?”

“Don’t be angry with me,” Lavenderstar said with a wince. “I couldn’t bring myself to take the name Tigerstar. That name deserves to be buried and forgotten.”

Violetshine glanced warily at Tawnypelt, wondering how Lavenderstar’s mother would react to that. Clan prefixes changed very rarely.

Then, Tawnypelt nodded in acceptance. “It’s a name your father would be proud of.”

Lavenderstar’s gaze softened. “He already is.”

Leafstar stepped forward with Frecklewish at her side. The SkyClan leader’s eyes were narrowed. “StarClan has given you a leader’s name, which makes you the leader of ShadowClan. If your people are no longer part of SkyClan, they are no longer welcome in my camp.”

Lavenderstar nodded. “Of course, Leafstar. It is time for ShadowClan to go home.”
Beckoning his Clanmates, he headed down the steep moorland. Tawnypelt paused beside Violetshine.

“Are you coming with us?” she asked. “Lavenderstar will welcome you.”

Violetshine shook her head. “I’m a SkyClan warrior. But thanks.”

She watched as the ShadowClan warriors walked away. Lavenderstar had been kind to her when she was a child. And she’d always admired Tawnypelt’s strength and commitment. The people of ShadowClan had once been Violetshine’s Clanmates. But she had never been close to them. She’d never had the relationship that she had with Hawkwing with Pinenose. Juniperclaw and Strikestone had never been her friends like Reedclaw and Dewspring. And she certainly couldn’t leave Tree behind.

Violetshine noticed Dovewing leaving, too, guiding her children after their father. She quickened her pace until she was caught up with Lavenderstar. The two exchanged a few short words.

“Alright, Violetshine.” Leafstar came to stand beside her. “Are you sure you want to come with us? No switching Clans. No coming and going as you please. You’re either a SkyClan warrior or you’re not.”

Violetshine raised her head. “I am, Leafstar. I’m a SkyClan warrior.”

Chapter Text

“It’s so good to be back here.”

Dovewing stood in a small ring of ThunderClan warriors. Her children, Shadow and Pounce, pressed against her legs, peering around anxious.

Alderheart and Leafpool exchanged an amazed glance. Dovewing had suddenly appeared in camp very early that morning with a fantastical tale. She’d just finished telling the Clan how Tigerheart- with the new name Lavenderstar- had been revived at the Moonpool and given the nine blessings of StarClan.

Relief flowed over Alderheart. Once again, there were five Clans.

Dovewing was surrounded by her family. Birchfall and Ivypool had practically tackled her the moment she’d entered camp.

Firesong was starting to herd the children out of the nursery to meet their cousins. Bristle and Flip tumbled out, looking tired. Firesong held Thrift in one arm.

“These are your children?” Dovewing asked. “They’re lovely!”

“Mine and Firesong’s,” Ivypool replied proudly. “This is Bristle and Flip. And this little one if Thrift. She’s only a month old.”

“She’s so little!” Puddle squeaked when Firesong knelt down so she could see the baby.

“She’s your cousin,” Dovewing said, then looked to Ivypool. “This is Pounce. And this is Shadow. He’s a little more shy. Kids, this is your Aunt Ivypool.”

The sisters beamed at each other. They’d been missing each other for so long, and now their children were meeting. But the reunion was broken up when Bumblestripe approached.

“I’m glad you're okay.” His voice was brisk and blank. Alderheart could see hurt in his eyes.

Dovewing nodded. The two had courted each other for a long time before Dovewing left. Alderheart thought she never seemed interested in him.

Ivypool had glanced toward Bumblestripe. “Dovewing, these children…they’re Ti- Lavenderstar’s, aren’t they?”

The ThunderClan warriors fell silence, exchanging distrustful glances.

“Well, a lot has changed between the Clans,” Squirrelflight said. “We’re just glad you’re back, Dovewing.”

“And that Tigerheart has a new name,” Bramblestar added. “The last thing we need is another Tigerstar leading ShadowClan.”

A few amused murmurs of agreement followed his words.

Graystripe huffed. “You don’t need the name Tigerstar to be a bad leader.”

“Lavenderstar will be good at his new job,” Dovewing assured the elder. “He’s reasonable and good hearted. And StarClan healed him. They wouldn’t have done that if they thought he should die.”

Her eyes glowed as she spoke of him. Alderheart could understand how badly she wanted to reassure her Clanmates. But then, her happiness faded.

“Alright, kids,” Dovewing said, “It’s time to go. We need to get back to ShadowClan.”

Frozen silence settled over the people of ThunderClan. Alderheart’s stomach clenched. Dovewing wasn’t staying?

“You’re going to ShadowClan?” Sparkfire exclaimed. “Traitor!”

Ivypool immediately turned away and bundled her children back toward the nursery.

“I’ll come back to visit,” Dovewing said. “I couldn’t tear my children away from their father.”

The outrage of the Clan couldn’t be soothed. Whitewing looked crestfallen and Birchfall wouldn’t raise his gaze.

Bramblestar stepped forward. “I’ll send a patrol to escort you.”

“I’ll go.” Birchfall offered, coming to stand beside his daughter.

Bramblestar nodded. “Take Whitewing and Sorrelstripe. Once you see Dovewing home safely, you can do a dawn patrol along the border.” He turned to Dovewing. “We look forward to seeing you at gatherings, but if you’re not part of this Clan anymore, you can’t just drop into camp whenever you want.”

Dovewing looked taken aback, as if she hadn’t realized what this choice truly meant. Then, she nodded in acceptance. She gathered her children together and headed out of camp, followed by Birchfall, Whitewing, and Sorrelstripe.

Ivypool wouldn’t look at her.

The dawn light was strengthening and Squirrelflight gathered up the warriors to begin assigning patrols. Some moved over to the firepit to eat.

Alderheart felt exhausted. He hadn’t be able to sleep last night, waiting for news about Lavenderstar. He dragged himself over to the healer’s hut and entered to collapse into his bed.

He couldn’t help feeling sad. He’d thought everything would be fine now. Lavenderstar had returned and there were five Clans again. RiverClan had survived the fire. The storm was over.

But things weren’t entirely back to normal. There was still so much tension between the Clans. And within ThunderClan itself.

He closed his eyes, praying StarClan would send him a dream.

But, as sunlight struck the bramble curtain, waking Alderheart, he realized StarClan had nothing to say. It was nearly noon. Leafpool and Jayfeather were out of the hut. Rising from his bed, Alderheart stretched, then slipped out of the bramble curtain and into camp.

The sky above the hollow was a clear blue, but there was a tang of frost in the air.

Alderheart sighed. This was beautiful weather to have right before summer turned to autumn. Perhaps it was a sign of an easy cold season.

He wandered around camp, enjoying the feeling of sunlight. He reached the apprentice’s hut, where Roslyn had briefly stayed. With a sad sigh, he ducked inside. Her and Red’s beds needed to be cleaned and put back against the wall. But when he pulled back the blanket draped over Roslyn’s bed, he found the striped cat doll she had come here with.

He emerged from the apprentice’s hut with the doll in his hands. Outside the nursery, Ivypool had pulled Birchfall aside and was questioning him about Dovewing.

“Did she send a message? Did she say anything?”

Birchfall was frozen, unsure how to deal with his daughter’s persistent questioning.

On the other side of camp Bramblestar and Squirrelflight sat beneath the Highledge, their heads together and their tones hushed with worry.

Suddenly, Alderheart didn’t want to deal with the tensions in camp. He headed out into the forest. ThunderClan could spare him for a moment while he went to clear his head.

It wouldn’t do any harm to return Roslyn’s toy.

He knew the general direction of the nearby town. It was just past the Backlands behind ThunderClan camp. He headed up the slope to the top of the hollow, then to the back border.

It wasn’t a lot walk to reach the edge of town. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, but not too far down.

The town was bigger and louder than he expected. He crept along a narrow pathway between two houses, his heart thumping. Somewhere close by, he could hear the laughter of children as they played outside. Farther away, a dog barked.

Monsters slept in front of some of the houses. Alderheart slunk past, trying to keep away from the Thunderpath. He didn’t know where to find Roslyn.

Perhaps this had been a bad idea. He hesitated on the side of a curb.

Then, he heard a voice. “Living with the Clan was so cool! I’m a great hunter. And I know all about herbs!”

“Red!” Alderheart called.

Alderheart peered over a fence surrounding the yard of a house. On the other side, short, smooth grass stretched across the lawn, edged by bushes covered in bright flowers.

Red sat in the center of the yard, talking to a group of boys around his age. Each of them stared at him, wide eyed, completely enveloped by his story.

“Red!” Alderheart called.

All of them turned toward him. One gasped. “It’s a warrior!”

“Oh, hi, Alderheart!” Red replied, then turned to his friends. “This is Jayfeather’s little brother. Or cousin. I’m not actually sure. What are you doing here?” he called to Alderheart.

“I need to talk to your sister,” Alderheart explained. “Can you get her for me?”

“Oh.” Red winced, realizing Alderheart wasn’t here to see him. “Uh. Yeah, sure! Just a sec.”

Alderheart moved away from the fence to go to the front of the house. He climbed a small set of stairs leading onto a porch.

A moment later, the door of the house burst open and Alderheart stumbled back, and weight slamming into him.

“Alderheart!” Roslyn cried happily. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Roslyn.” Alderheart returned the embrace, taking a deep breath. He’d missed her so much, even if it had only been a few days. “Look. I brought you something.”

“Oh!” Roslyn grinned when she caught sight of the doll. “I completely forgot about it! Thank you, Alderheart.” She took the toy, clutching it close to her chest. “Her name is Dandelion. She’s been with me since I was a little girl. She always made me feel safe and comforted. But I didn’t need her much while I was in the Clan.”

Alderheart startled at the name. His younger sister had been named Dandelion. She had died as a toddler, too weak to continue living. He so rarely thought about her now.

“I’m glad you felt so comfortable there,” he said gently.

Roslyn smiled. “It’s wonderful to see you. Would you like to step inside for some tea?”

Alderheart yearned to go with her. But he was afraid if he stepped inside that house he’d never want to leave.

“I wish I could, but I need to get home,” he said. “Bye, Roslyn.”

“Goodbye.” Roslyn smiled. “I’m glad I got to see you again. I hope you’ll come here again and visit.”

Alderheart knew it would be hard. He couldn’t be leaving camp so often to come see someone he wasn’t supposed to know. But how could he refuse? “I’ll see if I have time.”

“Thanks, Alderheart,” Roslyn said. “Here- You brought me Dandelion, so I want to give you something.”

She led him around the back of the house, into the garden. Here, instead of flowers, there were leafy green plants.

“Over here,” Roslyn said, showing Alderheart a corner where some small bushes were growing.

Alderheart examined the small bushes, and spotted small, round lumps growing from them. “Are these…pumpkins?”

“My mother grows them herself for Halloween,” Roslyn explained. “But you can eat them. Or decorate them. They last a long time.” She knelt down and grabbed one of the ripe pumpkins. It was small, but a bright orange. “Here. You can plant it in Jayfeather’s garden. Even after you harvest them, they keep growing back. Use it to remember me whenever the weather turns cold.”

“Thank you,” Alderheart replied. Pumpkins were a rare sight in the forest. Blueberries grew almost everywhere and wild strawberries came during the summer. But Alderheart had only ever heard stories of pumpkins. “I’ll plant the seeds and take care of it.”

Roslyn leaned toward him. This time she didn’t hesitate, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Goodbye, Alderheart. I’ll never forget you.”

“Goodbye, Roslyn.”

With that, she turned and headed back into the house.

Alderheart stared after her. For a moment, he tried to imagine what life would be like here. Could he live in a place like this? In this huge, bustling, loud town?

No.

He was a healer. He belonged with his Clan.

But he couldn’t deny the pain in his heart as he turned away. With the pumpkin in his hands, he hurried away from the house before he could change his mind.

Chapter Text

The half moon was already high in the sky by the time Alderheart reached the Moonpool. He had raced straight there from the town. As he climbed the rocky slope, nervousness climbed up his spine.

Jayfeather was going to bite his head off.

The water cascading down the rocks into the Moonpool looked like liquid starlight. The surface of the water reflected the silver light of the moon. The beauty calmed Alderheart.

Following the spiral path down to the Moonpool, he could see the other healers already waiting. Happiness warmed him when he saw Mothwing and Willowshine.

“Hey! It’s so good to see you,” he called as he reached the bottom of the path. Before he could approach, Jayfeather stepped into his path.

“Where are you been?”

“We were so worried,” Leafpool added. “You just disappeared.”

“I’m sorry,” Alderheart said. “Roslyn left her doll behind. I had to bring it to her.”

“Great, StarClan,” Jayfeather scoffed angrily.

“Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. And look at this.”

“You did not just say that to me right now,” Jayfeather growled.

Alderheart winced. “Leafpool! Look at what Roslyn gave me.” He held up the small pumpkin for the other healers to see.

“What is it?” Jayfeather asked. “If it’s a baby, I’ll eat it.”

“It’s a gourd,” Leafpool assured him.

“A pumpkin,” Alderheart said. “Roslyn gave it to me.”

“It’s a baby,” Jayfeather groaned.

“It’s a pumpkin,” Alderheart assured her.

“And you’re gonna sink all your time into caring for it. It’s basically a child.”

“Can you guys stop talking about Alderheart’s pumpkin baby?” Kestrelflight called. “Puddleshine is going to tell us what happened with Tigerheart.”

“He’s Lavenderstar now,” Puddleshine explained. “StarClan appeared and gave him nine blessings. But they had to take one away to heal his wounds.”

He kept it vague and no one questioned him further. Leader ceremonies were sacred, and only discussed between a leader and their healer.

Frecklewish scoffed, irritated. “It’s certainly convenient of StarClan to give ShadowClan a chance to rebuild itself. But you’d better not be planning on taking back the land you gave to SkyClan. We’re patrolling our borders very thoroughly.”

Puddleshine looked taken aback by her tone. But Alderheart could understand Frecklewish’s position. ShadowClan had left SkyClan just as quickly as they’d come, seemingly taking advantage of their generosity.

“We won’t,” Puddleshine said. “We value the friendship we have with SkyClan.”

“Shouldn’t we get started?” Willowshine interjected. “The moon will set soon.”

The healers took their places at the water’s edge, leaning over to drink from it. Alderheart felt the familiar rush of darkness and icy cold, then opened his eyes to find himself in a sunlight dappled forest. Birds sang in the trees and wild flowers bloomed along the path.

He looked around. A figure was coming up the path toward him. It was a woman, her blonde hair pulled back into a braid with a white bow. Her pale green eyes shone.

“Hello, Alderheart,” she greeted. “I am Moth Flight.”

Alderheart understood immediately. This was an ancient healer, and the founder of a healer’s most important rule: the forbiddenness of romantic relationships.

“I was the first healer of WindClan,” Moth Flight said. Now that she was closer, Alderheart could see how faded her figure was. “But I fell in love with the healer of SkyClan. While trying to help me, he was killed, and I had to raise our children alone. But they became a distraction, and both them and my Clanmates got hurt. I decided I couldn’t let any other healer go through what I had. For the fortune to remain unclouded, healers must put their duties above anything else.”

“I know,” Alderheart murmured. “But it’s hard.”

“No one said it would be easy,” Moth Flight replied. “But nothing in life is. Especially now. Five Clans have been reunited, but there are more challenges on the horizon. The sky has been cleared and the forest will grow.”

Her voice began to fade and the sunlight became dazzling. The last he saw of Moth Flight was her gentle gaze fading. Then, he woke beside the Moonpool, clutching Roslyn’s pumpkin.

Happiness felt warm within Alderheart as he joined Leafpool and Jayfeather, starting the journey home. But even with Roslyn’s pumpkins in his arms, he didn’t feel completely at peace.

What challenges lay ahead?