Jessy halted, staring in shock at the golden-brown tom. “Really? But I’m not their enemy!”
“The warrior code says that we have to challenge all trespassing cats,” Poppyfrost told her as she turned from setting a scent marker.
Jessy looked puzzled. “What’s the warrior code?”
“It’s the rules we live by,” Bramblestar mewed. “Without it, we’d be no better than rogues.”
“So you broke the code to give me shelter—and Frankie and Minty too?” Jessy sounded even more astonished.
Bramblestar shifted his paws uncomfortably. “The code doesn’t allow me to watch cats die for no reason,” he responded after a moment’s pause. “I have to keep you safe until you can go back home.”
Jessy nodded and padded on thoughtfully, her stream of questions silenced.
Squirrelflight moved closer to Bramblestar and spoke softly into his ear. “I’m not sure that the code can be stretched to include kittypets,” she murmured. “You know that Firestar would always put his Clanmates first.”
Bramblestar shrugged. “I know. There are really good reasons why I shouldn’t have brought those three into the Clan. But I didn’t feel I had any choice. I think Firestar would have done the same,” he finished.
“Maybe you’re right,” Squirrelflight meowed.
Back at the temporary camp, Bramblestar discovered that Brackenfur and Cinderheart had each led a hunting patrol into the woods beyond the border, and brought back a good catch. The Clan had begun to eat well since they extended their territory.
Bramblestar could sense relief spreading throughout the Clan as he reported on the successful expedition to the WindClan border and the destruction of the tree-bridge. There was a mood of celebration as he and his Clanmates settled down to tuck in to the fresh-kill. Even Frankie and Minty looked more relaxed, Bramblestar noticed, as they settled down to share a blackbird with Millie and Graystripe. The positive mood survived when every cat had finished eating.
“Let’s see if we can’t get the nests sorted out,” Bramblestar suggested. “We should be able to organize the sleeping places so every cat gets better rest.”
There was a murmur of agreement from the cats around him. Cinderheart led the three youngest apprentices into the undergrowth to look for anything that could be used for extra bedding. Daisy supervised while Molewhisker and Rosepetal clawed and chewed at the Twoleg pelt to divide it into smaller pieces. Dustpelt and Brackenfur dragged a branch into the tunnel and began using the end to mark out the limits of dens on the floor.
“This will help a lot,” Bramblestar mewed as he padded into the tunnel to watch. “Better put Purdy and the sick cats farthest from the entrance to keep them out of the wind.”
“Good idea,” Brackenfur responded. With Dustpelt’s help he maneuvered the branch to trace a half circle next to the tunnel wall. “Leafpool and Jayfeather should sleep down here, too,” he added. “Then they’ll be close to the cats who need their help.”
Dustpelt angled his ears toward a niche in the tunnel wall where the earth and stone had crumbled away. “That could be useful,” he meowed. “The medicine cats can store their herbs in those cracks.”
“Look!” An excited squeal came from the entrance to the tunnel.
Bramblestar turned to see Dewpaw and Snowpaw dragging a huge bundle of bracken inside. It was Snowpaw who had called out.
“We found this really dense patch of fern,” Dewpaw added. “There’s lots of dry bracken inside. Cinderheart and Amberpaw are bringing some more.”
“That’s great news,” Bramblestar purred.
The bracken wasn’t entirely dry, and even with the second bundle there wasn’t enough to make a dry nest for every cat, but it was a big improvement on what they’d had until now.
“Bring one bundle down here for the sick cats,” Bramblestar directed, “and then divide the rest among all the nests.”
“Where do you want to put your… uh… visitors?” Dustpelt asked Bramblestar, while the apprentices scrambled around them making nests from the bracken.
“The kittypets? They’d better go with the apprentices,” Bramblestar replied after a moment’s thought. “After all, they’ll be learning how we do things, too.”
“We won’t have to do yucky stuff, will we?” Minty had poked her head inside the tunnel to watch what was going on. Her pink nose was creased in disgust. “I mean, I saw Amberpaw searching Purdy’s pelt for fleas. I haven’t got fleas,” she insisted, giving her shoulder a lick.
“I could find you a few,” Dustpelt muttered.
“Every cat has to pull their weight,” Bramblestar told her, with a flick of his tail at Dustpelt.
Minty blinked at him, wide-eyed and unhappy.
“I don’t mind helping out where I can,” Frankie meowed, looking over Minty’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Frankie.” Bramblestar flicked his tail at him. “And as for you, Minty, don’t worry. You’ll soon get used to living in a Clan.”
Minty’s only response was a long sigh.
Bramblestar watched as the remaining dens were marked out and the bedding organized. The pieces of the Twoleg pelt had almost dried out on the bush where Daisy had spread them, and the nests suddenly began to look comfortable.
Squirrelflight padded up to his side and the two watched their Clanmates working for a few heartbeats. “You know,” she mewed, “I’m starting to believe that we will get through this.”
Bramblestar nodded. “I’m sure we will. It takes more than a storm to destroy ThunderClan.”
Chapter 18
Bramblestar padded through his territory, weaving a path among the trees. The line of floodwater glinted silver a couple of tail-lengths away. Above his head the full moon shone down, so bright that the night was almost as clear as day. Walking to the water’s edge, Bramblestar looked out across the lake. At first the surface rippled with a pure, pale light. Then a scarlet stain began to spread, stretching its tendrils toward the shore. Bramblestar’s belly cramped with horror as he caught the tang of blood and saw thick red coils floating to the surface and swirling through the depths.
No! A cat must be injured… I have to get them out of the water before they drown!
Bramblestar jumped into the lake. Silver droplets splashed around him, but before he could dive below the surface, he felt the teeth of another cat sink into his scruff. He let out a yowl and flailed his paws, but he couldn’t break the grip. The unseen cat dragged him back to the shore before it let go.
Bramblestar whirled around and froze, his mouth falling open as he recognized the tom with the flame-colored pelt who stood in front of him.
“Firestar!” he gasped. “There’s a cat in trouble,” he blurted out. “Look, it’s bleeding into the water! I have to find it!”
Firestar’s green eyes glowed in the moonlight. “It’s okay,” he reassured Bramblestar. “Your Clanmates are safe. There are no cats in the lake.”
Bramblestar took a long breath. “Then am I… am I dreaming? Oh, Firestar, it’s so great to see you!”
Firestar dipped his head. “It’s good to be back in my old territory.”
“I’ve tried to look after your Clan,” Bramblestar meowed, struggling with a mixture of joy and guilt that made his voice shake. “But I—I lost Seedpaw. I’m so sorry! If only I’d kept a closer watch on the apprentices.”
“Seedpaw is safe in StarClan,” Firestar told him. “And you need to learn that you cannot guard every one of your Clanmates all the time. As their leader, they’ll look to you to make the big decisions, and to keep them safe from outside enemies, but they have to make their own choices as well. I promise you, you’re doing a good job.”