Violetkit’s heart lurched. Was that truly what Needlepaw believed? I thought you were my friend!
Tigerheart looked at the silver apprentice. “You’re the one who brought her back from Alderpaw’s quest,” he pointed out. “You m ade such a big deal about her being part of the prophecy that Rowanstar had to take her.”
Dawnpelt flicked her tail. “She is part of the prophecy. One day Violetkit m ay clear the skies.”
“You don’t even know what that means!” Needlepaw’s pelt bristled along her spine. “You turned away three strong hunters. Why?”
Tawny pelt padded forward, her stern gaze raking Needlepaw. “That’s enough!” she snapped.
“It’s not enough!” Strikepaw m arched forward and stopped beside Needlepaw. “We have a chance to make ShadowClan powerful again.”
Yarrowpaw whisked her tail. “Aren’t you tired of agreeing with every thing ThunderClan suggests? Don’t you wish we could hunt where we please instead of where the other Clans tell us we can hunt?”
Rowanstar flexed his claws. “Do you want war with the other Clans?”
Strikepaw flattened his ears. “We want to choose our own path, not follow the path of other Clans.”
“What you want doesn’t m atter!” Rowanstar hissed. “I am ShadowClan’s leader. I decide what’s best. Taking in strange cats who have proved they are dangerous is not good for any Clan.”
“Not for weak Clans like WindClan or RiverClan,” Strikepaw snarled. “But we are
ShadowClan. With cats like those, we could rule the whole lake!”
“You are young and foolish.” Rowanstar struggled to calm his mew. “You don’t understand the pain and loss that battle brings. I have been too soft with y ou.” His gaze flicked around the other apprentices. “With all of y ou. I’ve let sm all rules be broken.” He caught Juniperpaw’s ey e. “Don’t think I don’t sm ell the prey blood on y our breath when you return from hunting. What you catch is for the fresh-kill pile, not y our own belly.” He lifted his chin, y owling across the camp. “From now on, the warrior code will be followed. StarClan is watching us. Respect for our ancestors will guide our paws.”
Violetkit watched Needlepaw, wishing she’d drop her gaze and back away.
Instead the silver she-cat glared at the ShadowClan leader. “You want us to obey a bunch of dead cats!” She nodded toward the pines looming over the camp. “Look at the living world. It has every thing we need. We can push our territory as far as we like and take whatever we want. Who cares what StarClan thinks? Their lives are over. It’s our turn to live.”
Behind her, Beepaw, Juniperpaw, and Sleekpaw y owled in agreem ent.
Dawnpelt and Crowfrost stared at them in horror, as though they couldn’t believe that their own kits would turn on their Clan.
Rowanstar m et Needlepaw’s gaze coolly. “You can live according to our rules.”
“Never.” Needlepaw lashed her tail. “I’m sick of living in a Clan that only cares about peace.
The rogues would have m ade us strong. But, if you don’t want them to j oin us, I’m going to join them!”
Violetkit flinched. What?
Around her, pelts spiked.
“Traitor!” Crowfrost glared at Needlepaw.
Tawny pelt seem ed frozen with shock. “Have you gone crazy?” Her mew faltered as she spoke.
Stonewing and Ratscar flattened their ears. Snowbird and Dawnpelt exchanged looks, their eyes wide.
Violetkit swallowed back alarm. Surely Needlepaw didn’t mean it? She watched in disbelief as Needlepaw m arched toward the entrance.
“I’m going with her,” Juniperpaw growled. “Nobody’s going to tell m e what prey I can eat ever again.”
“I’m going too!” Sleekpaw turned and padded after Needlepaw.
As m urm urs of disbelief rippled around the Clan, Rowanstar stared after the apprentices, astonishm ent flashing in his wide amber gaze. “If you leave the Clan, you become our enemy!” he yowled.
Violetkit stared as Needlepaw padded past her. “Don’t go!” Her heart twisted with grief.
Needlepaw was her only friend in the Clan. And y et she’d said that Violetkit was just another m outh to feed. Was I wrong to trust her?
Needlepaw paused and m et Violetkit’s gaze. “You’re coming with m e.”
“I am?” Shock flashed through Violetkit. She felt lim p with relief. She is my friend!
“You’re not stay ing here with these kitty pets.” Needlepaw whisked Violetkit forward with her tail. She glanced back at Rowanstar. “I’m taking the kit because I found her.”
“You can’t!” Leafpool hurried forward. “She belongs to the Clans. StarClan needs her to be here.”
“I found her,” Needlepaw repeated. “If she’s special, she can be special any where.”
Rowanstar flicked his tail angrily. “Take her!” he called to Needlepaw. “You did ShadowClan no favors by finding her. There’s been nothing but trouble since she arrived. We’re better off without her. And without y ou!”
Violetkit felt num b. She stum bled after Needlepaw, Sleekpaw and Juniperpaw flanking her. Her thoughts whirled. Was it true? Had she brought only trouble to ShadowClan? Overwhelm ed, she followed Needlepaw through the entrance tunnel. As it closed around her, she glanced back and saw the fam iliar dens. She was leaving another home. Was she m aking the right choice?
Her eye caught Rowanstar’s. His gaze was as hard as ice.
It’s not a choice. Despair washed through her pelt. I’m not wanted here. I never truly was.
Chapter 11
Overhead, the full moon lit a crow-black sky. In the chilly island clearing, Alderpaw fidgeted beside Jayfeather.
“Can’t you sit still?” Jayfeather grunted.
It was the Gathering. Cats m illed in the clearing in front of them, their pelts shining in the moonlight. Bramblestar padded between them, greeting old allies. Onestar was already sitting in the great oak, staring at the Clan cats through narrowed eyes.
Misty star chatted with the deputies lined up at the foot of the tree. She purred as Squirrelflight nodded toward a group of apprentices, happily showing off battle m oves to one another at the edge of the clearing. Alderpaw wished he were with them, sharing Clan gossip. Did he have to sit here, being solem n and serious with Kestrelflight, Mothwing, and Willowshine, just because he was a medicine-cat apprentice? If he was going to be an apprentice longer than any other cat, couldn’t he at least have fun?
He glanced at Sparkpelt. It was her first Gathering as a warrior, and she sat beside Cherry fall, her chest puffed out proudly. Her green eyes sparkled as she gazed at the other cats. Bramblestar padded to her side and touched his m uzzle fondly to her head. Alderpaw ignored the prickle of envy in his pelt. He was proud of Sparkpelt too.
He glanced at the long grass at the edge of the clearing, tasting the air for ShadowClan scent.
They were late. He leaned forward eagerly. Would Needlepaw come? If she was still being punished for letting Violetkit leave the camp, she might not be allowed to attend the Gathering this tim e. His tail flicked anxiously. He’d prom ised to take news home to Twigkit about Violetkit. If he couldn’t ask Needlepaw, perhaps Sleekpaw would tell him.
Alderpaw stiffened as Mintfur j erked his gaze toward the edge of the clearing. Alderpaw pricked his ears as the RiverClan tom’s nose twitched. Paws scrabbled over the tree-bridge, bey ond the stretch of grass. Pebbles cracked. The ShadowClan cats were coming.