Violetshine pulled up, panting. There were enough SkyClan warriors in the forest. She should stay in camp and make sure there were no more ShadowClan warriors lurking around the dens. She ducked back inside.
Leafstar was standing in the clearing, Hawkwing and Sandynose at her side. The SkyClan leader looked about her, her amber eyes wide. Leaves littered the ground; stems hung from the walls where the ShadowClan cats had torn them. “Is that why they came?” She blinked at the damage, her eyes clouded with confusion. “To destroy our dens?”
Hawkwing frowned. “What’s the point? Dens can be rebuilt.”
Sandynose lashed his tail. “Perhaps they thought they were giving us a warning.”
Violetshine forced her ruffled pelt to smooth as she padded to Hawkwing’s side. The thought that ShadowClan could invade the camp while they slept made her nervous. “Perhaps we should post guards at night,” she ventured, looking at Leafstar.
The SkyClan leader didn’t seem to hear her. She was watching the entrance.
Nettlesplash ducked into camp, his pelt ruffled from his race through the forest. Blossomheart and Sparrowpelt hurried at his heels. “We lost them,” Nettlesplash puffed. “They were heading for the border. Macgyver’s leading a patrol to track their scent to make sure they don’t come back.”
Blossomheart stared at the ragged camp. “What a mess!”
Leafstar’s pelt twitched. “Let’s worry about it in the morning.” She nodded to Sparrowpelt. “Help me guard the entrance. The rest of you, get some sleep.”
Hawkwing flicked his tail. “I’ll stand guard too.” He nudged Violetshine toward the warriors’ den and padded away.
Tree was standing at the entrance. His eyes were round with dismay. Violetshine stopped beside the yellow tom and shivered. “I can’t believe they invaded our camp,” she murmured. “They’re no better than rogues.”
Tree blinked at her through the darkness. “I really thought I could help keep peace between the Clans.” He sounded defeated. “But they seem determined to fight, and there’s nothing I can do. I can’t stand by and watch ShadowClan destroy you. But I’m not sure I have the power to stop them.”
I can’t stand by and watch ShadowClan destroy you. Violetshine’s heart sank. He’d said you and not us. He was talking as though he didn’t belong in SkyClan. She pressed against him. “You still might get them to see sense.” Her words sounded hollow. ShadowClan had crossed the border too many times. And now they’d come right into SkyClan’s camp. She didn’t see how there could be peace between SkyClan and ShadowClan now. But she had to make Tree believe there was still a place for him in SkyClan.
Tree didn’t respond. Instead he tucked his muzzle into her neck fur. The warmth of his breath soothed her, but she knew he felt beaten. She could feel it in the heaviness of his body as he leaned against her. Had the Clans broken his spirit? Her heart ached with grief. If he couldn’t bring peace, would he leave? He’d joined SkyClan as a mediator. If he couldn’t mediate, why should he stay?
As she woke, Violetshine felt the warmth of newleaf sunshine seeping into the den. She opened her eyes. The den was bright where torn walls let the light in. Her heart quickened as she saw Tree’s empty nest. Where was he?
She hopped out of her nest and hurried from the den. Outside, she scanned the ravaged camp, relieved to see Tree. He was helping Harrybrook gather brambles beside the apprentices’ den. If he were planning to leave, he wouldn’t bother helping the Clan now, surely? Palepaw and Pigeonpaw darted around them, racing each other to snatch up broken stems, while Sunnypaw and Nectarpaw threaded loose tendrils back into the den wall.
Warriors milled in the clearing, pacing restlessly as Hawkwing murmured in Sandynose’s ear. Sparrowpelt was hungrily eating a vole beside the fresh-kill pile. Leafstar stalked around the edge of the camp. Her gaze was dark as she sniffed at the torn dens. Was she going to announce a fresh attack on ShadowClan? They certainly deserved it after their raid on the SkyClan camp. The SkyClan leader stopped beside the medicine den, where Frecklewish and Fidgetflake were frowning at a hole ripped in the side. “Was your herb store damaged?”
“No, thank StarClan,” Frecklewish told her.
Hawkwing lifted his muzzle and surveyed his warriors. They turned to him expectantly.
“Bellaleaf.” He nodded to the orange she-cat. “Choose three warriors to help you mend the elders’ den.” He flicked his tail toward the clump of bracken where Fallowfern slept. The deaf elder was sitting among the bent stems, her nest open to the sky. Hawkwing went on. “Nettlesplash, take a patrol of apprentices into the forest. Collect as many stems as you can find. Bracken will do. Brambles would be better if you can get them back to camp without pricking your paws.”
As Nettlesplash signaled to Sunnypaw and Nectarpaw, Leafstar looked up from the shredded medicine den. “You’re wasting your time, Hawkwing,” she growled.
Hawkwing looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Why bother rebuilding?” Leafstar sat down heavily. “Whatever we build, ShadowClan will destroy. And the other Clans won’t lift a paw to defend us.”
Violetshine stiffened. What was Leafstar saying? They couldn’t let ShadowClan defeat them!
Bellaleaf stared at the SkyClan leader. “We can’t give in!”
“We must fight them.” Harrybrook flexed his claws.
Hawkwing gazed evenly at Leafstar. “We must keep rebuilding until they realize we’re here to stay.”
“What’s the point?” Leafstar stared at him bleakly. “Why did we even come here? The Clans clearly don’t want us. We had a good home in the gorge, and with Darktail gone, we can go back there and make it better. Why fight to stay beside the lake when no cat will fight at our side? It we are to be alone, let’s be alone where there are no borders to defend and no other Clans jealous of our land.”
Nettlesplash blinked at her, his brown pelt twitching. Sagenose and Mintfur exchanged anxious looks.
“Is the gorge far away?” Palepaw whispered to Pigeonpaw.
Frecklewish swished her tail. “You’re just downhearted,” she told the SkyClan leader. “You’re probably tired. Why not sleep and think about it when you’re rested?”
As she spoke, Sparrowpelt began to retch. Violetshine jerked her muzzle toward the warrior, who was hunched a tail-length from the fresh-kill pile. His flanks heaved as he convulsed. Eyes round with pain, he vomited a slippery lump of half-chewed vole onto the ground. Frecklewish hurried toward him. She sniffed the vole as Sparrowpelt convulsed again. Her pelt spiked with worry as he vomited again and collapsed, groaning.
Leafstar hurried toward him.
“Stay away.” Frecklewish signaled her backward with a flick of her nose. “I don’t know what’s causing this yet.”
“Was the vole rotten?” Hawkwing called across the clearing.
Frecklewish shook her head.
Sparrowpelt let out a low, trembling wail. Violetshine’s pelt prickled as she heard it. He must be in a lot of pain. What was hurting him so badly? She caught her breath as a thought struck her. Sparrowpelt had eaten the vole she’d seen Juniperclaw touching last night. That seemed strange. Perhaps the ShadowClan tom hadn’t been trying to steal SkyClan’s prey after all. Did he have a darker plan? Had Juniperclaw done something to the vole to make it harm Sparrowpelt? Her chest tightened. Destroying the dens could have been a distraction. Had the real plan been for Snowbird and Scorchfur to keep SkyClan busy while Juniperclaw poisoned their prey? Would ShadowClan really do something so fox-hearted?