WARRIORS: THE STORM AHEAD

Chapter 11

Patch turned away, the tiniest glimpse of blood on his claws. Barktail could do nothing but watch as his father walked away.

His clawed muzzle started to sting, and he raced under a bush, embarrassed.
Patch now sent Valentine to guard the stray camp, keeping Barktail and Fox from leaving.

Refusing to face his family, Barktail went to the puddle.
When the brown tabby reached it, he saw that it had completely evaporated.

He sighed, thinking of how long it would be to finally see the puddle's water again.
Barktail rested his head in the empty cleft, and found himself diving into a long nap.

...

Barktail woke up.
But not in the stray camp.
Instead, he was in a place sparkling everywhere, hills and trees and lush green grass dotting the landscape. It looked like paradise.

But..then why am I here? the stray wondered.

Barktail's gaze flicked to a brown tabby tom, talking with a gray tabby.
"Yes, Ashspot. ShadowClan is doing fine and well. Don't worry about apprentices meeting my fate. Trees rarely fall, and I don't think they will now."

Barktail's breath caught in his throat.
ShadowClan?
He had heard that name.
In a conversation over Snowflower.
Did ShadowClan hurt her?
Before Barktail could race to Ashspot and the brown tabby, he was suddenly swept back into camp.
He blinked to see that the sun was setting already, and everyone was moving to their dens. Valentine was still standing on guard, looking determined.

Barktail waited for night to fall.
I need to see the brown she-cat again. But how will I get past Valentine?
Holding in his breath, he padded to the camp entrance.

Valentine's stern look turned to a hiss as Barktail approached.
"You heard what Patch said. No more leaving." she growled.
"Please, Valentine. You can trust me." Barktail urged.
Valentine snorted. "You know who Patch never trusted? You. And who did he trust enough to guard the camp to stop you? Me."

Barktail bristled. "Patch doesn't-"
"Doesn't what?" Valentine taunted. "Love me? Love you?"
"I meant he doesn't pick favorites." Barktail blurted.
Valentine erupted into laughter. "Do you even know Patch? Of course he picks favorites!" she snapped.

Barktail looked around helplessly. He thought about the brown tabby tom and Ashspot. How he was comforting her about something or other.
I wish Patch was like that to me. he thought, a wave of sadness washing over him.
"Oh no, the great Barktail is sad now. What should he do?" Valentine mocked. "Leave. Now." she hissed through clenched teeth.

Barktail crouched in defiance. I'm not going to let my sister win me over. "If you want a fight, then you can have one."
"All I want is for you to leave." Valentine growled. Then her growl turned into a snicker. Of course, into the camp, not out."
Barktail began hissing. Valentine needed to stop mocking him. Without thinking, he lashed at her ear, unsheathing his paw.

Valentine screeched and unsheathed her claws, backing away from the tabby. Their eyes met, and at the same time, they leaped.
It broke into a fight. Valentine scratched over Barktail's chest; Barktail slid his claws across her back.
I'm fighting. I'm defending myself. Patch would be so happy.
Then his heart clenched as it hit him again who he was fighting.
My sister. Patch's favorite.

Suddenly Barktail heard a yowl coming from the dens. He recognized the call of his mother, Autumn. His heart broke as he pictured a queen seeing both her kits fighting each other.
He tried to push away from Valentine but that only made it worse.
The brown she-cat's claws were flashing all over the place, but Barktail saw where they were directed.

His neck.

Frantically, Barktail tried to wriggle away from Valentine's grasp. "Valentine!" he yowled as loud as he could. "Don't! Please!"
For a moment Valentine froze, and Barktail took his chance. He was relived to feel the fresh dirt under his paws. But he didn't have time for dirt.

Panicked, the brown tabby raced out of camp, ignoring cats yowling his name. I can't face Patch or Valentine now.

In the midst, Barktail wasn't looking where he was going, and found his paws touch water. He flailed his paws around, terrified. His head dipped under the water, and there was nothing he could do to get out.
He tried to push out a "Help!" in the murky depths, but any attempt at a word was gone. Barktail was powerless, and all he could do was watch as the water closed around him, everything fading from sight.