Warriors AU: Forest of Secrets

Chapter 20

"Where? How many warriors?" Sandstorm demanded.

"Over there." Sorrelpaw flicked his tail toward the deeper forest. "I don't know how many. They're creeping through the undergrowth."

"Okay." Sandstorm thought quickly, trying to ignore the sudden thumping of his heart. "Go back to camp. Warn Oakstar and Goldenflower. We need some warriors out here right now."

"Yes, Sandstorm." Sorrelpaw spun around and raced off down the ravine.

As soon as he had gone, Sandstorm headed into the forest, prowling with new caution beneath the arching ferns. At first all seemed quiet, though it wasn't long before he picked up the rank scent of many intruding cats—the scents of Windclan and Shadowclan.

Somewhere ahead, a bird sounded a stuttering alarm call. Sandstorm took cover behind a tree. He could still see nothing. His fur prickled with anticipation.

He bunched his hindquarters and sprang, clawing his way up the trunk of the tree until he could scramble onto a low branch. Crouching there, he peered down through the leaves.

The forest floor seemed empty, with not even a beetle stirring. Then Sandstorm caught sight of a fern quivering. Something flashed white and was gone. Moments later a dark head poked out of the undergrowth below the tree. Sandstorm recognized Nightstar.

A soft mew came from her. "Follow me!"

The Shadowclan leader emerged from the bracken and raced across a stretched of open ground. A band of cats streamed after her; Sandstorm grew even more tense when he saw how many. Warriors from Windclan and Shadowclan bore down on his camp together; Sandstorm saw Tallstar and Ashheart, Ashfoot and Stumpytail, Wetfoot and Smokefur, running side by side as if they were littermates.

Not long ago, these cats had been fighting each other in the snowbound Windclan camp. Now they were united in their hatred of Brokentail and of Thunderclan for sheltering her.

Sandstorm knew he would have to fight them. Even though he thought of the Windclan warriors as his friends, he would have to stand by his leader and his own Clan.

As Sandstorm braced himself to spring down, he heard a single furious caterwaul from the direction of the camp, and recognized Goldenflower's voice summoning the warriors to battle. For all his distrust of the deputy, Sandstorm couldn't help feeling relieved. Right now, Thunderclan needed all of Goldenflower's fierce courage and fighting skills.

Sandstorm scrambled down the tree, hit the ground with all four paws, and streaked toward the battle, no longer trying to hide from the invaders. When he broke out of the trees, he saw that the open ground at the top of the ravine was covered with a mass of writhing, spitting cats. Goldenflower and Nightstar wrestled together, clawing furiously. Darkstripe had pinned down a Windclan warrior. Mousefur flung himself, screeching in fury, on top of Ashheart. Cloudrunner, a Windclan queen, raked her claws down Longtail's flank and sent her howling back down the slope.

Sandstorm sprang at Cloudrunner, anger pounding through his veins. He couldn't help remembering how he had helped this same queen carry her kit on the way back to Windclan's camp after Brokenstar had driven out her Clan. She leaped around as Sandstorm landed beside her, and pulled back just as she was about to swipe him with her claws. For a few heartbeats both cats stared at each other, Cloudrunner's eyes were filled with sorrow, and Sandstorm could see that she too remembered what they had endured together. He could not bring himself to strike her, and after a moment she backed away from him and disappeared into the heaving mass of cats.

Before he could draw breath, a cat slammed into Sandstorm from behind, knocking him onto the damp ground. He scrambled vainly to get up. Twisting his neck, he gazed up into the fierce eyes of the Shadowclan warrior Stumpytail; a heartbeat later the Shadowclan warrior's teeth sank into his shoulder. Letting out a yowl of pain, Sandstorm battered at Stumpytail's belly with his back legs, clawing out great clumps of her brown tabby fur. Stumpytail's blood spattered him as the Shadowclan warrior reared back in agony and was gone.