Warriors AU: Forest of Secrets

Chapter 27

"Run!" Sandstorm ordered his apprentice. "Run like you've never run before!"

Already he was pelting through the trees, not waiting to see if Brightpaw could keep up. There was just a faint hope that he could outpace Goldenflower and the rogues, and warn the Clan.

He sent out all those patrols this morning, Sandstorm thought, fighting back panic. And he told me to follow Brightpaw. He left the camp with barely a warrior to defend it. He's been planning this all along!

Sandstorm hurtled through the trees, his powerful muscles bunching and stretching as he drove himself on. But when he reached the ravine, he realized that he had not run fast enough. The hindquarters and tails of the last of the rogues were just vanishing into the gorse tunnel.

Launching himself down the steep side of the ravine, with Brightpaw scrabbling down behind him, Sandstorm let out a yowl. "Thunderclan! Enemies! Attack!" He hurled himself into the tunnel and at the same moment he heard another yowl from the camp ahead.

"To me, Thunderclan!"

It was the familiar battle cry, but the voice was Goldenflower's. A thought flickered into Sandstorm's shocked mind: What if he had made a mistake? What if the rogues had been chasing Goldenflower, not following him?

He burst into the clearing just as Goldenflower whirled on the band of rogues, who scattered, yowling, from his attack. The deputy certainly looked as if he were trying to drive enemies from the camp, but Sandstorm was close enough to see that his claws were sheathed. His heart plummeted. Goldenflower's brave defense was all a sham. He had brought these enemy cats here, but he was cunning enough to conceal his own treachery.

There was no time for any more thought. However they had come here, the rogue cats were now attacking the camp. Sandstorm turned swiftly to Brightpaw.

"Go and find the patrols and tell them to come back," he ordered. "Brindleface is somewhere along the Riverclan boundary, and Fireheart went to Snakerocks."

"Yes, Sandstorm," Brightpaw raced back into the tunnel.

Sandstorm sprang at the nearest rogue, a dark mottled tabby, and raked his claws down her side. The rogue snarled and twisted toward him, paws splayed for attack. She tried to pin Sandstorm down; Sandstorm's hindpaws pummeled her belly, and the rogue broke away howling.

Sandstorm scrambled to his paws and crouched with tail lashing and fur bristling as he looked around for another enemy. Outside the entrance to the nursery, Silverstream was wrestling a rogue with a pale coat, the two of them rolling over and over as they tried to get hold with teeth and claws. Whitestorm and Smallear were fighting against a warrior twice their size. Near the warriors' den, Mousefur dug his front claws into the shoulder of a huge tabby, while his back claws shredded her flank.

Then Sandstorm froze with shock. At the other side of the clearing, Brokentail had pounced on her guard, Ferncloud, fastening her teeth in the younger cat's throat. Ferncloud was struggling furiously to free himself. Though Brokentail was blind, she was still a formidable fighter, and she hung on. Sandstorm realized with dread that she was fighting on the side of her old rogue companions, the cats who had left Shadowclan with her—not for Thunderclan, which had risked so much to defend her when she was injured and alone.

A tiny picture flashed into Sandstorm's mind, of Goldenflower and Brokentail lying side by side, sharing tongues. That had not been evidence of the deputy's compassion. Goldenflower had been planning this with the former Shadowclan tyrant!

There was no time to think about that now. Sandstorm plunged across the clearing to help Ferncloud, but before he got halfway he was bowled over by a rogue cat. His flank stung as claws raked down it. Green eyes glared a mouse-length from his own. Sandstorm bared his fangs and tried to bite down into the enemy's shoulder, but the rogue cat batted him away. Claws ripped into his ear. His belly was exposed and he couldn't twist free. Suddenly his attacker let out a wail and released him. Sandstorm caught a glimpse of the young apprentice Blossompaw with his teeth fastened into the rogue's tail; the rogue dragged him through the dust until Blossompaw released him and the enemy fled.

Panting, Sandstorm scrambled to his paws. "Thanks," he gasped. "Well done."

Blossompaw nodded briefly before racing off to where Silverstream still battled in front of the nursery. Sandstorm looked around again. Ferncloud had vanished and Brokentail was stumbling farther into the clearing, letting out a weird wailing that struck a chill into Sandstorm's heart. Even blind, the former Shadowclan leader possessed a terrifying power that seemed driven by something more than mortal.

The clearing heaved with struggling cats, but as Sandstorm poised himself to rejoin the fray he realized something that sent an even colder pang of fear along his spine. Where was Oakstar?

In a heartbeat, Sandstorm realized that he couldn't see Goldenflower either. Every instinct told him that danger was looming. He dodged around Willowpelt, who was clinging to the back of a much bigger rogue, his teeth fastened in her ear, and made for Oakstar's den. To his relief, as he approached the entrance he heard Oakstar meow from inside, "We can worry about that later, Goldenflower. The Clan needs us now."

For a few heartbeats there was no reply. Then Sandstorm heard Oakstar's voice again, surprised. "Goldenflower? What are you doing?"

An answering snarl. "Remember me to Starclan, Oakstar."

"Goldenflower, what is this?" Oakstar's meow was sharper now, edged with anger, not fear. "I'm the leader of your Clan, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not for much longer," Goldenflower growled. "I'm going to kill you, and kill you again. As many times as it takes for you to join Starclan forever. It's time for me to lead this Clan!"

Oakstar's answering protest was suddenly cut short by the sound of paws thudding against the hard floor of the den, followed by a dreadful snarling.