Squirrelpaw couldn’t believe her ears. “Does that mean you won’t help me?”
“It means I won’t let you go on such a dangerous mission!” Brambleclaw snapped.
Squirrelpaw wanted to rake his ears in frustration. “You’re afraid!”
Brambleclaw bristled. “What if we tried to rescue Leafpaw and got caught ourselves?” he pointed out. “Who else knows the way through the mountains? Who would lead ThunderClan to their new home?”
“You weren’t like this when we were travelling! You agreed to go back and rescue Stormfur!”
Frustration flashed in his eyes. “Yes, and look what happened to Feathertail when we did!”
“But this is my sister!” Squirrelpaw thrashed her tail. “Why won’t you understand?”
Brambleclaw blinked. “I’m only asking you to wait till Firestar gets back—”
“But you won’t help me now!” Squirrelpaw couldn’t keep the desperation out of her voice.
Brambleclaw’s gaze softened. “Let’s wait till Firestar returns. He’ll send out a patrol. We’d need more warriors. . . .”
Squirrelpaw couldn’t bear to listen anymore. “I didn’t think that you of all cats would let me down,” she spat, stalking away into the trees.
As she reached the undergrowth, the sound of rushing pawsteps made her stop and look around. She hoped it was Brambleclaw coming after her to tell her he had changed his mind, but it was Sorreltail.
“I heard what you were saying!” she panted. “If StarClan has told you where Leafpaw is, they must want us to rescue her as soon as possible!”
“That’s what I thought,” Squirrelpaw growled. “But Brambleclaw won’t help me.”
“I will,” Sorreltail offered. Grief shadowed her face. “I couldn’t stop the Twolegs from taking Leafpaw, but I’d do anything to help her now.”
“Do you mean it?” Squirrelpaw tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy that pricked her belly—why shouldn’t Leafpaw have made friends with another cat while she was away?
“Of course!”
“Come on, then!” she yowled. “Let’s go!”
She pelted into the forest, wanting to get away before any of the senior warriors spotted her and ordered her to join a hunting patrol, or even worse, overheard them and told Firestar what she was planning. She heard Sorreltail pounding after her. The two cats raced past the ravine without even looking down into the abandoned camp, and headed for the Great Sycamore. The monsters were still there, chewing up more and more of the forest. If they weren’t careful, they’d tumble right into the ravine and smash themselves to bits on Highstones, Squirrelpaw thought hopefully.
“Keep low,” she warned as the roaring grew louder, but Sorreltail was already ducking down to follow her through the dying bracken.
“Thank Silverpelt they’ve left us some trees to hide in!” she hissed.
They scrambled over Snakerocks. Squirrelpaw was determined to follow the exact trail Spottedleaf had shown her in her dream, but she hoped that the weak sun hadn’t tempted any snakes out to bask. Safely over the rocks, they headed back into the trees toward the Thunderpath.
The hateful stench of the Twoleg monsters stung her nose a heartbeat before she heard them roaring up ahead. By the time she reached the edge of the muddy clearing she was breathing hard, her paws trembling. Fear gripped her from ear-tips to tail.
Sorreltail skidded to a halt beside her and peered out from under a thick bramble bush. “What are we going to do now?”
“I’m not sure,” Squirrelpaw admitted. The clearing was busy with Twolegs shouting and monsters churning up the ground as they prowled back and forth. It looked nothing like her dream, even though she was sure they had come to the right place. There was no trace of the stillness and the silence she had padded confidently through with Spottedleaf. But the noise and activity made her paws prick with determination. StarClan had brought her here knowing full well how dangerous it would be. They must have faith in her.
“Leafpaw’s over there.” She gestured with her tail to the wooden nest Spottedleaf had led her to. There was a monster crouched outside the door, grumbling quietly to itself. It was much smaller than the tree-munching monsters, and its round black paws seemed half-sunk in the mud.
“Look,” Squirrelpaw hissed suddenly. “They’ve left the door open!”
She froze as a Twoleg emerged from the nest, carrying a cage. Inside crouched a mangy tabby, its eyes wide with terror. The Twoleg pushed it into the belly of the waiting monster, then went back inside the wooden nest and came out with another cage.
Squirrelpaw stared in horror at the bundle of fur hunched inside the cage. “Leafpaw!” Without stopping to think, she dashed out of the trees.
Leafpaw must have spotted her, because as the Twoleg pushed her cage into the monster’s belly, she yowled, “Squirrelpaw, get away from here!”
Her shriek startled the Twoleg, and it turned around sharply, spotting Squirrelpaw at once. With eyes sparkling in triumph, it put down Leafpaw’s cage and ran towards her. Squirrelpaw scrabbled to a halt, her paws slipping as she tried to bolt back to the safety of the trees. The Twoleg chased her with its forepaws outstretched, its long legs gaining on her as she fought to get a clawhold on the slimy mud. StarClan! Help me!
Just when her heart was about to burst with fear, Sorreltail exploded from the bushes with a vicious snarl. She rushed at the Twoleg, raking her claws across its grasping paw until it howled in pain. Then she grasped Squirrelpaw’s scruff in her teeth and hauled her towards the trees. Squirrelpaw found her footing with a gasp, and Sorreltail released her. Together the two cats sped into the woods. When they reached the safety of the brambles, Squirrelpaw skidded to a standstill.
“Keep running!” Sorreltail hissed. “They won’t give up that easily.” She nudged Squirrelpaw hard, pushing her further into the clump of brambles.
Squirrelpaw stumbled as the thorns scraped her fur. “What about Leafpaw?”
“Do you want to join her?” Sorreltail spat. “Keep running!”
Too terrified to think straight, Squirrelpaw obeyed and raced after the warrior into the trees.
Only when they had run all the way to Snakerocks did Sorreltail slow down, her flanks heaving. Squirrelpaw stood beside her, too shocked to speak.
“What in StarClan’s name is going on?” Greystripe’s deep meow echoed off the rocks as he emerged from the bracken with Thornclaw and Rainwhisker close behind him. The ThunderClan deputy stared at the two trembling cats. “What’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve just seen Tigerstar’s ghost!”
“It’s Leafpaw!” Squirrelpaw cried. “We found her, but the Twolegs are putting her inside a monster’s belly. They’re going to take her away; I know they are!”
Greystripe narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, then stopped and glanced at the bushes behind him. “Brambleclaw?” he called. “Is that you?”
“Yes.” The branches quivered and Brambleclaw stepped out. “I’m looking for Squirrelpaw.” He blinked when he spotted her standing beside Sorreltail. “Are you OK?”
“I found Leafpaw!” Squirrelpaw hissed. “The Twolegs are going to take her away! We have to rescue her now, or I’ll never find her again.”
Greystripe glanced at Brambleclaw, then at Rainwhisker and Thornclaw. The ThunderClan warriors stood with their chins raised high and flexed their powerful shoulders.
“We can’t let the Twolegs take our cats if there is anything we can do to stop them,” growled Rainwhisker.
“We should not give up without a fight,” Thornclaw agreed. Their meaning was clear. This was still their forest. They might not have been able to protect it against all the Twolegs and their monsters, but this was one battle they could take on.
Greystripe narrowed his amber eyes at Squirrelpaw. “Very well,” he meowed. “Show us where she is.”
“This way,” she panted. She leaped back over Snakerocks, Sorreltail close behind. Greystripe, Thornclaw, Rainwhisker and Bram
bleclaw followed. Hearing their pawsteps, Squirrelpaw felt a surge of confidence. With five ThunderClan warriors at her side, she must be able to rescue her sister!
When they reached the bramble thicket at the edge of the trees, Greystripe hissed for the cats to stop. “Stay low!” he commanded.
To Squirrelpaw’s relief, the small monster was still waiting outside the wooden nest, and the Twoleg was carrying out more cages to stow in its belly. “Leafpaw’s already inside,” she whispered.
“Right,” muttered Greystripe. “Thornclaw, you and I will attack the Twoleg. We’ve got to keep him distracted while Sorreltail, Brambleclaw, and Rainwhisker let the other cats out.”
“What about me?” Squirrelpaw asked.
“You stay here as lookout,” Greystripe ordered curtly. “Tell us if more Twolegs come.”
Squirrelpaw stared at him in shock. “But—” she began, but Greystripe ignored her.
“Most of them must be in the monster by now,” he went on. “Brambleclaw and Sorreltail, I want you to climb inside and start getting the cats out. Rainwhisker, you go into the nest and help any that are left.”
Squirrelpaw glared at Greystripe. “I’m getting my sister out of that monster!”
The grey deputy stared back at her for a long moment, and Squirrelpaw felt as if she’d forgotten how to breathe. “Very well,” Greystripe agreed at last. “But if anything goes wrong, get back to the trees as fast as you can.”
Squirrelpaw nodded. When she glanced at Brambleclaw, his eyes were shadowed with worry. I faced greater danger than this on the journey to the sun-drown-place! she wanted to tell him. Stop treating me like a kit!
“Right,” Greystripe meowed, turning back to watch the monster. “The Twoleg is going to fetch another. We’ll be ready to take it by surprise when it comes out.”
He dashed from the trees, keeping low as he raced over the mud. Thornclaw, Sorreltail, Rainwhisker, and Brambleclaw ducked out from under the brambles and ran across the churned earth behind him. Squirrelpaw scrambled after them, feeling the mud suck at her paws and cling to the fur on her belly.
A few tail-lengths from the open door, Greystripe hissed, “Wait!” and the cats halted in the sticky mud.
The Twoleg stepped out of the wooden nest. It was carrying another cage and did not see the six cats waiting in ambush.
“Now!” Greystripe screeched, and he leaped at the Twoleg.
When he sank his claws into its hind leg, the Twoleg dropped the cage. The cage cracked open with a sound like a splintering branch. Squirrelpaw stared in astonishment as she recognised the grey pelt inside. It was Mistyfoot! The RiverClan warrior leaped out and hurled herself at the Twoleg’s other leg, hissing in rage. Thornclaw joined the attack, gripping the Twoleg as though he were clawing his way up a tree. The Twoleg bellowed in agony and hopped around with a cat clinging to each leg.
“Come on, Squirrelpaw!” Brambleclaw yowled. He jumped into the open belly of the monster, Sorreltail close behind him. Squirrelpaw heard the blood roaring in her ears as she watched Rainwhisker slip into the nest. She hoped there wasn’t another Twoleg waiting inside. Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself up into the monster with Brambleclaw and Sorreltail.
Rows of cages were lined up in the gloom. The fear-scent was overpowering, and for a moment Squirrelpaw froze. How in StarClan’s name were they going to rescue all these cats? Then she saw Leafpaw, pressed against the mesh of her cage.
“Squirrelpaw! Over here!” she wailed.
“I’m coming!” Squirrelpaw streaked over to her and used her teeth to tug at the catch on the front of the cage. “It’s loosening!” she hissed as the catch began to tear away like the wing of a pigeon. She pulled as hard as she could until the cage sprang open and sent Squirrelpaw toppling on to the floor of the monster’s belly.
Leafpaw leaped down and quickly rubbed her muzzle against her sister’s. “It’s really you!” she breathed.
“Spottedleaf told me where you were!” Squirrelpaw gasped, scrambling to her paws.
Leafpaw blinked, then shook herself. “Tell me everything later. Come on; we’ve got to get all these cats out!” She raced to the nearest cage and began pulling at the catch.
Squirrelpaw turned to another and struggled until she thought she’d be spitting out broken teeth, but the catch eventually came free, and a matted rogue tom leaped out. Without a word he fled from the monster and sprinted toward the woods.
“You’re welcome,” Squirrelpaw muttered before starting on the next cage.
Unfamiliar cats leaped around her as Brambleclaw, Sorreltail, and Leafpaw worked on the cages one after another. The cages mostly contained rogues who were gone as soon as their doors were open. Then Squirrelpaw felt a cat push her aside, heading deeper into the monster’s belly, and saw Mistyfoot barging past. The RiverClan warrior made straight for the cage at the end.
“Sasha!” Mistyfoot yowled, and she began scraping at the catch with her claws.
“This way works better,” Squirrelpaw told her, nudging her out of the way to use her teeth. Instantly the catch opened and Sasha sprang out.
“Get out of here!” Mistyfoot urged.
Sasha hesitated, looking at the cages that were still closed.
“We’ll deal with these!” Mistyfoot promised.
Sasha’s fur was standing on end, and her blue eyes were huge with fear. She was shaking so much that she wouldn’t be able to open the cages even if she tried. At last she nodded and leaped from the monster.
Only a few cages still held cats. Leafpaw scanned the inside of the monster and called to Squirrelpaw, “Cloudtail and Brightheart are still in the hut! Go and help free them; I’ve got to let Cody out.”
“Who’s Cody?” Squirrelpaw asked.
“I’ll tell you later! Quick! Get Brightheart and Cloudtail!”
Squirrelpaw leaped out of the monster’s belly and raced towards the wooden nest. Her heart lurched when she saw that another Twoleg had arrived to help. Thornclaw finally lost his grip on the first Twoleg. The ThunderClan warrior landed heavily in the mud, but he scrambled to his paws and raced back to rejoin Greystripe in the attack.
As Squirrelpaw dashed into the nest, she was almost knocked flying by a brown tabby rogue running out. She swerved quickly out of the way as the scraggy tom hurtled past her; then she scanned the nest, searching for Cloudtail and Brightheart.
Cloudtail was already free. He was helping Rainwhisker scrape at Brightheart’s catch. “We can’t open it!” Cloudtail yowled, his voice rising in panic.
“Try your teeth,” called Squirrelpaw.
Cloudtail bit down hard, and Squirrelpaw saw him tremble with effort as he pulled, but still it would not open. More Twoleg voices sounded outside, and Greystripe raced into the nest.
“There are too many Twolegs!” he yowled. “We have to get out of here!” He pushed Squirrelpaw toward the doorway. “Get back to the trees!”
“But Brightheart is still trapped!”
“I’ll take care of her!” Greystripe promised, pushing Squirrelpaw with his nose. “Just get out of here!”
He leaped over to where Rainwhisker and Cloudtail were still tugging at Brightheart’s catch and shoved them out of the way. “Get to the trees!” he spat. “Now!”
Cloudtail didn’t move, but stood stiff-legged, staring in horror at Brightheart’s cage. Her panic-stricken face was pressed against the mesh.
“Come on!” Rainwhisker hissed at him and bundled the white warrior towards the door. Squirrelpaw glanced over her shoulder at Greystripe as he grabbed the stiff catch in his powerful jaws, then followed the others out of the nest.
As she emerged a Twoleg lunged for her, but she spun around and bolted along the side of the nest. There were Twolegs everywhere, howling in rage. She spotted Cloudtail and Rainwhisker making for the trees and pelted after them, thrusting her way into the tangle of brambles. Rainwhisker kept running into the forest, but Cloudtail skidded to a halt and turned back to watch what was happeni
ng outside the nest. Squirrelpaw crouched beside him and peered across the clearing. Leafpaw and a tabby she didn’t recognise were running towards them.
“Hurry!” she screeched. A Twoleg was gaining on them, his huge paws taking giant strides across the mud. As Squirrelpaw watched, willing the cats to outrun the Twoleg, the white-and-ginger pelt of Brightheart caught her eye in the doorway of the nest. Greystripe had opened her cage!
The ThunderClan she-cat hurtled toward the trees, the scars on her face half-hidden by splatters of mud. She brushed past the Twoleg that was chasing Leafpaw, unbalancing him in the slippery mud so that he fell over with a roar.
Leafpaw and the tabby reached the safety of the bushes and scrambled in among the thorns.
“I can’t believe you saved us!” panted the tabby.
Squirrelpaw was already rubbing her nose along Leafpaw’s cheek, breathing in her familiar scent. “I’m sorry we were nearly too late,” she whispered.
“I thought I’d never see you again!” Leafpaw was panting hard. “Where’s Brambleclaw?”
Squirrelpaw felt a jolt of alarm and scented the air. She smelled the fresh fear scent of Thornclaw and Sorreltail. Then she recognised a clump of dark tabby fur snagged on a bramble thorn, the blood still wet where it had been torn from his pelt. She trembled with relief. If Brambleclaw had gotten this far, he must have escaped.
“He’s OK,” she mewed. “Did Mistyfoot get out?”
“Once the last cat was free she started heading for the trees,” Leafpaw told her.
“Then everyone escaped!” Squirrelpaw breathed in relief.
As she spoke, Brightheart crashed into the brambles, her eyes huge with terror. “Greystripe!” she gasped.
“Where is he?” Squirrelpaw demanded.
Cloudtail nearly bowled Brightheart over as he leaped towards her. “I shouldn’t have left you!” he cried, licking her all over her ravaged face.
“Where’s Greystripe?” Squirrelpaw repeated.
“Twolegs!” panted Brightheart, pulling away from Cloudtail.
Squirrelpaw’s heart jumped into her throat. “What do you mean?”
“One of them grabbed him!”