Lionblaze spun around with a hiss of fury. "Stupid furball!"

"I said I'd get you." Jayfeather licked one paw complacently and drew it over his ear.

"You wait!" Lionblaze bared his teeth and leaped for his brother, who dashed away into the trees.

Bramblestar listened to them crashing about, and suppressed a mrrow of amus.e.m.e.nt.

"It's good to see them having fun for once," Squirrelflight observed, padding up to him. She gave another push to Lionblaze's stick. "There. We're all done." She broke off, and Bramblestar realized that she was staring over his shoulder. Turning, he saw that Jessy was watching them from a few tail-lengths away.

"What does she want?" Squirrelflight meowed.

Bramblestar felt slightly uneasy. "I don't know. I'll go and ask her." He padded up to the kittypet, wondering whether some disaster had overtaken their temporary camp. "Is everything okay?"

Jessy blinked at him, her eyes gleaming. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," she mewed. "Everything's fine. This can wait until later if you're busy."

"No, now's a good time," Bramblestar told her. Glancing back at Squirrelflight, he called, "Round up those two daft furb.a.l.l.s and go back to camp." Then he led Jessy along the top of the flood, heading toward the ShadowClan border. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Instead of replying, Jessy stopped and looked out over the drowned forest. "I wonder what it was like here before the floods came," she murmured.

"It was beautiful," Bramblestar replied at once. "There was long gra.s.s, and patches of fern and bramble where the prey could hide. In greenleaf the sun would shine through the branches and make patterns on the ground. The air would be full of scents-fresh green growth, and the warm scents of prey. And then in leaf-bare, in the frost and snow, the cold would make your pelt tingle, and you'd feel so alive!"

"You love living here, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Bramblestar meowed, walking on. "I can remember our old home, and I still walk there in my dreams, but-but I have always believed that StarClan has led us to the right place here."

"Are you quite sure about that?" Jessy pressed, picking up the note of doubt in his voice.

"I have to have faith that the floods will go down," Bramblestar told her. "But come on, Jessy," he added. "You didn't come looking for me just to chat about the forest."

Jessy narrowed her eyes. "No, I wanted to talk about the kittypets who are giving ShadowClan all that trouble. I think I know who they are."

"You do?" Bramblestar felt suddenly excited. "Who?"

"There's a gang of kittypets and a few strays who like to claim that part of the forest for themselves," Jessy replied. "They hunt there-not that they ever catch anything," she added with a sly sideways glance at Bramblestar.

Will she ever forget that I said that to her? "Go on," he mewed.

"I don't know these kittypets well," Jessy continued. "I think one's called Ziggy, and another one is Riga. But I know where they live and where they like to roam."

Bramblestar felt the fur along his spine start to rise. "Are you suggesting we attack them without ShadowClan's approval?"

Jessy shrugged. "It's a possibility."

For a moment Bramblestar was filled with admiration for Jessy's courage, and for how she was willing to help wild cats who were completely unknown to her.

"I can see how much your sister means to you," Jessy added. Taken aback by her perceptiveness, Bramblestar couldn't think of anything to say before she went on. "Do lots of cats have kin in other Clans?"

"Great StarClan, no!" Bramblestar exclaimed. "Cats are supposed to stay in the Clan where they were born. Clan loyalty is very important to us. A cat who changed Clans would be thought of as a traitor, and it would be hard for their new Clan to trust them. Tawnypelt only went to live in ShadowClan because our father became their leader."

"Wow!" Jessy's eyes stretched wide. "Why didn't you go with her?"

Bramblestar hesitated. I can't tell her about Tigerstar! We'd be here all day! "It's . . . complicated," he meowed at last. "ThunderClan has always been my home. I miss Tawnypelt, but I've never regretted my decision."

He and Jessy padded on in silence for a few moments, until Bramblestar began to pick up the scent of ShadowClan border markers. "We should turn back here," he mewed.

"Okay." Jessy bounced on her paws. "But we're going to attack these kittypets, right? I can show you where to find them. They often go out at night, and that would be a really good time to sneak up on them." She jumped up and swiped one paw at a head of cow parsley, scattering the tiny white flowers on the gra.s.s. "We'll soon teach them to stay away from Clan cats!"

"Hang on," Bramblestar warned. "I haven't said we're doing it yet. I have to speak with my Clanmates first."

For a moment Jessy looked wounded. "But-"

She broke off at the sound of cats brushing through the undergrowth. Bramblestar stiffened, then relaxed as he picked up ThunderClan scent. A patrol came into view with Cloudtail in the lead, followed by Birchfall and Whitewing, with her apprentice, Dewpaw.

"Bramblestar!" Cloudtail ran up to his leader with his ears flattened. "Those mangy crow-food eaters from ShadowClan have been trespa.s.sing again!"

Bramblestar saw that all the cats in the patrol were bristling with anger, their eyes glittering.

"We picked up their scent several tail-lengths inside our border," Birchfall confirmed.

"Those kittypets you heard about must be attacking them on their other border," Whitewing meowed, "so they're trying to hunt on our territory."

"We can't let them get away with it!" Cloudtail growled.

"No, we can't," Bramblestar agreed. Turning to Jessy, he meowed, "It looks like we need your plan."

The evening was clear and calm, with a few gaps in the clouds that let through stray gleams of red sunlight. Long shadows stretched across the clearing outside the tunnel, and a fresh breeze stirred the branches.

This is the best weather we've had since the floods came, Bramblestar thought hopefully. Maybe things are changing.

Jumping to the top of the mudfall, he gave a yowl. "Let all cats who are old enough to catch their own prey come here outside the tunnel for a Clan meeting!"

Surprised mews burst from the cats nearest the tunnel, who were trying to warm their fur in the last of the sunlight. The apprentices broke off their fighting practice at the far side of the clearing and pattered eagerly across to the bottom of the mudfall, followed by their mentors. Daisy, Cherryfall, and Blossomfall popped out of the tunnel. Purdy appeared a moment later, his pelt stuck all over with moss, and plopped himself down beside the apprentices. Jessy bounded over to Frankie and Minty, who were sharing a blackbird under an arching clump of fern, and chivvied them over to join the rest. Jayfeather came to sit at the mouth of the tunnel, with the sick cats cl.u.s.tered around him.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Bramblestar began when all the cats were a.s.sembled, "and our guests." He dipped his head to the three kittypets. "You all know that kittypets have been hara.s.sing ShadowClan in the woods beyond their top border. Tomorrow I'm going to lead a patrol to get rid of them."

"What?" Dustpelt sprang to his paws. "Have you got bees in your brain?"

"You offered ShadowClan our help and they turned you down," Graystripe pointed out. "Rowanstar won't thank you for interfering."

Several other cats echoed their protests. Bramblestar looked down on their bristling fur and twitching tails. It's just as well I haven't told them this was Jessy's idea.

"If the kittypets are allowed to keep attacking ShadowClan," he went on, forcing himself to stay calm, "then ShadowClan will start to hunt in our territory, or in the woods beyond our border. It's in our own interest to deal with the kittypets." He was relieved to see that several of his cats were looking interested, but he knew that he hadn't won them over yet.

"Why can't ShadowClan deal with their own problems?" Mousewhisker protested. "These are kittypets, for StarClan's sake! How dangerous can they be?"

"Well, we've met fierce kittypets in our time," Sandstorm pointed out from her place just inside the tunnel. "And ShadowClan is weakened by the floods."

"So are we," Rosepetal retorted. "Why should we risk injury to help ShadowClan? What have they ever done for us?"

"Yes, we didn't survive the Great Battle to fight on behalf of ShadowClan," Brackenfur agreed.

Bramblestar glanced down and caught Jessy's eye. She looked shocked by the strength of the objections to the plan. He noticed that Squirrelflight was watching Jessy, too; then she fixed her green gaze straight on him. She hadn't spoken yet.

One by one the warriors turned to look at their deputy, waiting for her to give her opinion. Squirrelflight kept her eyes fixed on Bramblestar for a long moment, then rose to her paws. Bramblestar found himself holding his breath as he waited for her to speak.

"I think we should take action," she meowed. "We can't let a bunch of kittypets force ShadowClan onto our territory. If ShadowClan isn't strong enough to deal with them, then we'll have to!"

Bramblestar saw a ripple of enthusiasm pa.s.s through the Clan in response to his deputy's rousing words. Loud caterwauls rose into the air from almost all the cats, Mousewhisker and Rosepetal among them.

"That makes sense," Graystripe declared.

"Yes! Let's drive them off!" Thornclaw yowled.

Blossomfall worked her claws into the ground. "The forest is for warriors, not for kittypets!"

Bramblestar noticed that Frankie and Minty were looking a bit unnerved by the protests against kittypets. Millie leaned over to them and Bramblestar heard her whisper, "Don't worry, they don't mean you. They get like this sometimes."

"Then that's settled," Bramblestar announced. "Warriors who are prepared to fight, join me now." He slithered down from the mudfall, with mud sticking to his fur and clogging his claws. At the foot of the pile he met Cloudtail, Thornclaw, Cinderheart, Lionblaze, Blossomfall, Ivypool, and her apprentice, Snowpaw, all pressing forward to volunteer.

"I can't let apprentices come," Bramblestar meowed with a glance at Snowpaw.

Snowpaw took a pace back, looking hurt.

"Why not?" Ivypool asked Bramblestar. "They have to fight sooner or later, and a battle against kittypets won't be as dangerous as fighting another Clan."

Bramblestar tipped his head on one side. "Good point. Okay, Snowpaw, you can come."

Snowpaw let out a squeal of delight and leaped straight into the air, while his sister, Amberpaw, slid out of the tunnel and ran forward. "Me too!" she begged.

Jayfeather snaked his tail around her neck and hauled her back. "Don't even think about it. You're far too sick." He ignored Amberpaw's protests and herded her back into the tunnel.

"What about you, Dewpaw?" Bramblestar prompted, seeing the third of the litter hovering close by. His eyes were wide and his gray-and-white fur looked ruffled.

"I'm going to stay and help guard the camp," Whitewing announced before her apprentice could reply. "Dewpaw can come with you if he likes," she added, glancing at the little cat beside her.

Dewpaw shook his head. "It's okay, I'll stay and help you, Whitewing. You might need me."

Bramblestar noticed that Lilypaw had crept closer to the front of the crowd of warriors, and he shook his head firmly at her mentor, Poppyfrost. Lilypaw is still too vulnerable to fight, so soon after Seedpaw's death. Poppyfrost nodded agreement and bent her head to speak gently to Lilypaw.

Squirrelflight thrust her way through the crowd of warriors around Bramblestar. "When do we leave?"

"You don't," Bramblestar told her. "I need you to stay and take charge here."

Squirrelflight's green eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you're going yourself? This is just a minor skirmish. It doesn't need the Clan leader!"

"It was my suggestion," Bramblestar reminded her. "I have to take part and share the risks with my Clanmates."

Squirrelflight nodded reluctantly. "All right, I'll stay."

Bramblestar glanced around until he spotted Jessy sitting with Frankie and Minty. "Jessy," he called to her, "will you come with us, please? We need you to show us where to go."

Jessy nodded and rose to her paws to make her way over to Bramblestar.

"A kittypet fighting kittypets?" Squirrelflight hissed into Bramblestar's ear.

"Actually, this was Jessy's idea," Bramblestar whispered back. "She knows these kittypets."

Squirrelflight's eyes narrowed to green slits. "Why does she want to help ShadowClan?" she asked suspiciously. "Are we settling an old score for her against her enemies?"

Bramblestar realized that was a fair question. "No, I trust her," he replied. "And I respect her for having the courage to suggest it."

Squirrelflight let out a snort. "Just be careful, and remember that we don't really know her at all."

Frankie had followed Jessy over to the Clan leader, and now he spoke up. "I'll come too, Bramblestar, if you like."

Bramblestar looked at him, and at Minty, who was peering around his shoulder, her eyes wide with horror at the thought of going into battle. "No," he meowed. "Thanks for offering, but you stay here and go on with your training. You too, Minty." His gaze swept around his a.s.sembled warriors. "The rest of us leave at dawn!"

CHAPTER 21.

Thin, gray light covered the forest. Long before the sun would crest the ridge, Bramblestar led his cats out of camp and brushed through the dew-soaked undergrowth, straight up the slope to the top border. His paws tingled with antic.i.p.ation as he and his Clanmates pa.s.sed their own scent markers and entered the unknown forest.

Crossing the ridge, Bramblestar let Jessy take the lead along the downward slope, well outside ShadowClan territory. None of them had ever set paw in this part of the forest before. They padded warily among huge oak trees, their gnarled roots stretched out as if to trip careless paws. Everything was silent in the dawn chill.

Gradually the oaks thinned out, to be replaced by dark, slender pines. The ground was thick with fallen needles that gave way slightly under every paw step. Blossomfall sprang a tail-length from the ground at the loud alarm call of some hidden bird, then licked her chest fur in embarra.s.sment and tried to look unconcerned.

"Don't worry," Bramblestar told her. "We're all getting nervous. This is new for all of us."

"I don't like the way we can be seen at such a distance," Cloudtail meowed, waving his tail at the ranks of pine trees, the ground between them clear of undergrowth. "I'll stick out like a mushroom."

"So will I," Snowpaw added worriedly.

"You could try rolling in mud and pine needles," Thornclaw suggested. "Then these kittypets might think that you're a couple of bushes."

"That's not a bad idea," Cloudtail responded. He spotted a muddy hollow underneath a tree and led Snowpaw over there. Bramblestar and the others watched as the two cats rolled over in the mud until their fur stood out in sticky spikes.

"That's so weird!" Jessy exclaimed, intrigued and with a glint of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. "The lengths you warriors will go to in order to stalk an enemy!"

Thornclaw gave her a defensive look. "We're not kittypets, you know!"

As the cats set out again, Bramblestar began picking up traces of ShadowClan scent, but they were all stale, and though at one point the scent was mixed with a tang of squirrel blood, he didn't think that ShadowClan had been this way for some days.