“Come on.” Leafstar headed downhill. “Let’s go home.”
Violetshine followed Harrybrook and Bellaleaf into camp. The sun had set, and twilight darkened the shadows beneath the camp walls. Their Clanmates were sharing tongues around the clearing. Suddenly she smelled the faint scent of ThunderClan. She pricked her ears, thinking instantly of Twigbranch. Had her sister found an excuse to visit?
Leafstar clearly caught the scent too. As Sagenose and Sandynose headed toward the fresh-kill pile, the SkyClan leader stopped and looked around the camp, her nose twitching.
Hawkwing padded from the fresh-kill pile to meet her. “How did it go?” His voice was low. Leafstar hadn’t told the whole Clan about the meeting.
Leafstar flicked her tail. “Tigerstar didn’t come.”
“He sent Juniperclaw.” Bellaleaf stopped beside the leader.
Harrybrook swished his tail. “He wasn’t interested in talking. He just wanted to repeat what Tigerstar had said at the Gathering.”
Hawkwing frowned. “Tigerstar is determined to make our lives difficult.”
“It’s disrespectful! Especially after the kindness we’ve shown to ShadowClan. We let them live with us, for StarClan’s sake!” Irritation rippled through Leafstar’s pelt. Her nose twitched again and she glanced toward the medicine den. “Is a ThunderClan cat here?”
Violetshine followed her gaze eagerly. The ThunderClan scent was definitely stronger there. Her heart began to quicken hopefully, but as she tasted the air she realized that the scent didn’t smell like Twigbranch.
“Finleap is back,” Hawkwing told her.
Violetshine widened her eyes. “Back?” Had he left ThunderClan for good?
“He’s come to visit Reedclaw,” Hawkwing explained. “He’d heard she was sick.”
As he spoke, the medicine den trembled and Finleap squeezed out. His eyes brightened as he saw Violetshine. “Hi!”
Leafstar glowered at the young tom as he trotted to meet the patrol. “How’s Reedclaw?” she asked curtly.
Finleap seemed taken aback by her sharp tone. He stopped, his ears twitching. “She’s almost well again,” he told her.
“Did Bramblestar say you could come?” Leafstar’s fur bristled.
He dropped his gaze, “He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“You slipped away without telling your leader and crossed the border into another Clan’s territory?” Leafstar sounded angry.
Violetshine moved closer to Finleap. “He’s only come to visit his kin.”
“He left his kin when he left SkyClan,” Leafstar snapped.
As Harrybrook and Bellaleaf exchanged glances, indignation surged in Violetshine’s chest. “He can’t stop caring about them just because he lives somewhere else now!” Did Leafstar think she and Hawkwing had stopped caring about Twigbranch? She blinked at Hawkwing, hoping he’d support her.
Hawkwing retuned her gaze sympathetically. “Of course he stills cares for them. But he lives in a different Clan now. He must respect his new leader and our borders.”
Hurt sharpened Finleap’s gaze. “I do respect Bramblestar.” He blinked at Leafstar. “And I’ll always respect you. But I was worried about Reedclaw. I’ve never been away while she was ill before.”
Leafstar seemed unmoved by his plea. “Being worried is no excuse for breaking the warrior code.”
Finleap’s shoulders sagged. “I’ll go home, then.”
“Not now, you won’t,” Leafstar meowed firmly. “You can wait until morning, when a patrol will escort you back to ThunderClan and explain what happened.”
Violetshine’s belly tightened. Why did Leafstar have to make such a fuss? If a patrol escorted him home and reported him to Bramblestar, Finleap would be in trouble with his new Clanmates. “I can take him across the border now,” she offered quietly. “He can slip back without anyone knowing.”
Leafstar glared at her. “Do you want to deceive ThunderClan too? What if you’re caught by a patrol? Don’t you think we have enough trouble with ShadowClan without antagonizing ThunderClan too?” She whisked her tail decisively. “Finleap will stay here tonight. You can both sleep in the apprentices’ den. I expect you to keep an eye on him, Violetshine. If he sneaks away in the night, you will be held responsible.”
Finleap glanced apologetically at Violetshine. He clearly didn’t want to make trouble for her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
But Violetshine wasn’t ready to give up. “His new Clanmates will be worried about him if he stays out all night.”
“He should have thought of that before he came here!” Leafstar turned away, the fur lifting along her spine. Growling, she stalked toward the fresh-kill pile.
Bellaleaf blinked kindly at Finleap and followed the SkyClan leader.
“I’m pleased to see you,” Harrybrook whispered before he padded away.
Hawkwing shook his head. “I’m afraid you caught Leafstar at a bad time,” he told Finleap. “But she’s right. You can’t just visit anytime you please. Next time, tell Bramblestar your concerns, and, with any luck, he’ll send you with a patrol to ask permission to come to our camp.”
Finleap dipped his head. “Okay,” he mumbled.
As Hawkwing headed away, Violetshine nudged Finleap’s shoulder with her own. “At least we get to share a den,” she mewed. “It’ll be like old times. And you can tell me your gossip.” She blinked at Finleap, hoping she’d cheered him up. But worry darkened his gaze.
“Twigbranch won’t know where I am.”
“She’ll find out tomorrow.” Were Finleap and her sister mates now? Gently, she guided him across the clearing. “Are you hungry? There’s prey left on the fresh-kill pile.”
Finleap shook his head. “No, thanks,” he murmured.
Gravelpaw and Fringepaw were practicing battle moves beside the apprentices’ den. Palepaw and Pigeonpaw were sharing a mouse beside them, while Sunnypaw watched Fringepaw launch a play attack on Gravelpaw.
“Aim for his forepaws, not his hind paws!” Sunnypaw mewed as Gravelpaw easily knocked Fringepaw away.
Blossomheart was sharing a shrew with Mintfur beside the stream. She called out to the apprentices, “You should rest after a meal, not fight! You’ll give yourselves bellyaches.”
“Warriors get bellyaches, not apprentices!” Pigeonpaw called back.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Blossomheart’s whiskers twitched as she returned to the shrew.
Palepaw looked up as Finleap and Violetshine passed. “Are you going back to ThunderClan tonight?” she asked Finleap.
Violetshine answered for him. “He’ll go home in the morning.”
“What’s it like being a ThunderClan warrior?” Gravelpaw paused mid-crouch and blinked at Finleap.
“It’s okay,” Finleap told him. “I guess it’s the same as being a SkyClan warrior.”
Gravelpaw tipped his head thoughtfully. “What if we have a battle with ThunderClan?” he asked. “Will we be allowed to fight you?”
Violetshine flicked her tail sharply. “We won’t have a battle with ThunderClan. Not now that we’ve got Tree to keep the peace.” She caught her breath. Do I still believe that? Even if Tree stayed with the Clans, she was no longer sure he could help keep the peace. She pictured him alone in the forest and wondered if he was on his way back to camp yet. She felt guilty for leaving him. Perhaps she should have stayed. What if he never came back? Would anyone care except her?
Worry clawed at her heart, but she couldn’t leave camp now. She had to watch Finleap. Before the apprentices could ask any more difficult questions, Violetshine nudged Finleap into the bramble den. “We’re sleeping here tonight,” she told the apprentices as she ducked in after him. “Don’t keep us awake by chattering like starlings.”