“Oh, please… please, no!” Violetpaw begged again. Every hair on her pelt, every muscle in her body, felt as if it was shrieking in agony.
“I can’t believe I once thought you and Needletail would be my loyal Kin,” Darktail mewed bitterly. “Needletail was the first Clan cat who gave me any notice. I thought she would help me build something here. But then she got involved with that traitor, Rain—and it’s clear to me now that you, Violetpaw, are just as disloyal.”
By now Needletail had stopped struggling; the lake was still around Darktail and Sleekwhisker, who stood holding her down in water up to their bellies. Violetpaw felt something break inside her, like a tree branch giving way under the weight of snow in leaf-bare.
Needletail is the closest thing I have to true kin now, she thought, horror gripping her like a badger’s claws. I don’t even know whether Twigpaw is alive! What will I do without Needletail? Memories of her friend crowded in on her. She sneaked me out of camp to go and visit Twigpaw. She always defended me from Darktail!
Then Darktail’s menacing gaze suddenly softened. “Maybe you’re right, Violetpaw,” he meowed. “Maybe I should give Needletail another chance. What do you think?”
“Oh, yes!” Violetpaw gave a huge gasp of relief. Maybe this has just been another one of Darktail’s cruel tests! “Please give her another chance! I’ll do anything you want!”
Darktail took a pace back, and nodded to Sleekwhisker to do the same. For a moment there was no movement below the surface. Violetpaw stared helplessly at the spot where her friend had disappeared. Oh, StarClan, don’t let it be too late!
Then Needletail’s head broke the surface, her silver-gray fur darkened by the water and plastered to her skull. Her jaws parted and she coughed up a stream of lake water, then took a wheezing breath. Her terrified gaze sought out Violetpaw, but she didn’t speak.
“We’ve been discussing the situation,” Darktail told her, his voice as calm as if they were back in camp, talking over strategy around the fresh-kill pile. “And we have all agreed that we should give you another chance. After all, it’s not really fair to punish you for Violetpaw’s mistake—isn’t that right, Needletail?”
Needletail didn’t respond. Far from looking relieved, her eyes had widened with a look of deep apprehension, as if she was expecting Darktail to say something horrible.
Darktail waited for a moment, then continued, “I’ll be happy to spare your life, Needletail, if you’ll do something for me.”
“What?” Needletail rasped.
“If you kill Violetpaw yourself.”
Violetpaw couldn’t believe what was happening. Deep shudders ran through her body, and her belly cramped as if she was going to vomit as she watched Darktail and Sleek-whisker back farther off, to let Needletail crawl, dripping, out of the lake.
Needletail looked once more at Violetpaw, but Violetpaw couldn’t read any clue to what she meant to do. It was as if there was no cat at all inside her eyes, just terrible emptiness.
“Bring her to me.” Needletail’s voice was ragged, but she was standing erect now, as if she was summoning every scrap of strength she had left.
At her words, Darktail exchanged a surprised glance with his Kin, and Roach let out a snort of laughter. Disgusted, Violetpaw realized they had never expected Needletail to obey. It had just been a cruel joke—another way to torture them both.
Roach and Raven propelled Violetpaw forward until she stood in front of Needletail.
She’s going to do it, Violetpaw thought, still trying to read her friend’s heart in her eyes. She’s going to kill me. And I can’t blame her. I sort of deserve it. Needletail should do what she must to save herself. Didn’t she give me the same advice?
Roach and Raven gave her a final shove; Violetpaw stumbled and fell onto her side. Needletail stared at her as she dropped into a crouch. I wish it could all be over faster, Violetpaw thought despairingly.
Needletail pounced. She landed on top of Violetpaw, who realized with a shock of understanding that her friend’s claws were sheathed. “Run!” she snarled into Violetpaw’s ear.
Then, faster than Violetpaw could have believed possible, Needletail swiveled around and leaped at Roach and Raven, all outstretched claws and bared teeth. Taken completely by surprise, the two rogues staggered back, not even trying to defend themselves.
For a moment, Violetpaw stared at them, too stunned to react.
“Run! Now!” Needletail screeched at her. “Make this count, Violetpaw!”
As Roach and Raven sprang forward again, Darktail and Sleekwhisker began to splash their way out of the lake. Needletail whirled to attack them, too. Violetpaw’s last glimpse of her was of a taut knot of fury, vanishing beneath all four cats at once, her claws still striking out.
She’s sacrificing her life for mine, Violetpaw realized. Of course she is. I should never have doubted her. She’s truly the best friend I’ve ever had, and I can never repay her.
These thoughts took barely a moment to pass through Violetpaw’s mind. Then, feeling as though her heart would break, she turned to run.
Violetpaw dashed along the lakeshore and through the stream that flowed from what had been RiverClan’s camp. Once across, she headed farther inland, dodging around trees and through thorn thickets, looking for narrow places she could slip through that might slow down a bigger cat. She was too scared to work out exactly where she was going, but she knew that, somehow, she had to make it to ThunderClan.
Soon Violetpaw realized that some cat was on her trail. The breeze carried Raven’s scent to her. Needletail’s yowls still split the air behind her, a mixture of rage and pain.
They’re killing her! Violetpaw thought. But she had to push away all her pity and grief, or she knew that she would break under the despair.
I have to lose Raven and get to safety… I have to make sure Needletail’s sacrifice wasn’t for nothing!
Chapter 17
Alderheart’s pads prickled with nervousness, his heart thumping in his chest as he padded along the edge of the lake, a leaf wrap of herbs in his jaws. He was bringing up the rear of the group of cats who had been chosen to attack the rogues in RiverClan territory. Bramblestar was in the lead, with Rowanstar and Mistystar, followed by many of Alderheart’s Clanmates and warriors from ShadowClan and RiverClan.
I hope Violetpaw managed to sneak those poppy seeds into the prey for Darktail and his Kin.
Before they’d left camp, Bramblestar had called out to Alderheart and beckoned him over. “I want you to come with us,” he meowed. “We don’t know what shape the prisoners will be in, and we’ll need to get them to safety quickly. And if the rogues fight back, things become much more complicated. We’ll need to hold them off long enough to get the prisoners away.” He sighed. “I’ll feel better if we have a medicine cat close by.”
Alderheart had nodded. “I’m happy to come with you,” he’d agreed. “I’ll get some herbs ready.”
“Good.” Bramblestar had blinked in satisfaction. “We leave at sunset.”
The last streaks of scarlet had faded from the sky by the time the cats reached the halfbridge and the small Thunderpath that separated ShadowClan territory from RiverClan. They slipped across the hard surface, silent as moving shadows, and crept into hiding in the bushes on the far side, well out of scent-range of the rogues’ camp.