Bramblestar's Storm/Chapter 9

==Chapter description==
:Bramblestar announces that they cannot stay under the tree, and they need to find a place for a temporary camp. Blossomfall suggests the old Twoleg nest, but it was lower than the hollow. Ivypool suggests the tunnels, and the Clan exchanges unsure glances, with Lionblaze particularly nervous. However, remembering Hollyleaf's training and the battle in the tunnels, he realizes that it was the best option and says that they would stay away from the river. He notices with dismay that the storm had grown stronger, and Berrynose states that all he cared was that they are not wet. Lionblaze and Cinderheart take the Clan to the tunnels, and Squirrelflight tells the apprentices quietly to look after Purdy but to not say so. Lilypaw runs to Purdy saying that they are scared of the tunnels, and Purdy follows them. He turns to Dovewing and asks her to guide Jayfeather, but Jayfeather disagrees, and he tells the medicine cat to be cooperative. Bramblestar looks for Briarlight, who is on the tree with Graystripe and Millie. She climbs onto Bramblestar's back, and she mutters that she was giving so much trouble. Millie reassures Briarlight, and Bramblestar tells her that she was keeping the rain off his back and was very light, even though it was not really true. She weighs down on his shoulders, and the rest of the cats walk to the tunnels.
:The cats enter the tunnel, and Amberpaw, Dewpaw, and Snowpaw all begin asking questions. Whitewing then answers that they could not chatter all day, and Ivypool adds that they were blocking the tunnel. Seedpaw apologizes for the younger apprentices. Dewpaw takes them and Purdy to explore, and Bramblestar follows them down the tunnel. He lets Briarlight onto the ground, and Millie rushes over. As the other cats settle in, he wonders what kind of life Hollyleaf had and remembers Fallen Leaves from the Great Battle. Cinderheart asks Bramblestar if they should explore further to see if it flooded underground, and Bramblestar agrees. Bramblestar, Cinderheart, Lionblaze, and Ivypool go down the tunnel while Purdy is already telling the apprentices a story about the escape from the camp. Bramblestar thinks to himself that now the passages only felt eerier, and the other cats are also wary. Lionblaze suggests that they check the main cave, and the cave is filled with floodwater, and he marks the water level. He annnounces that the flood was not rising, but no one could go further down.
:Bramblestar is satisfied to see that the Clan was now calmer, and he states that they were staying in the tunnel for a few days. Daisy offers to find fresh bedding, and Rosepetal and Mousewhisker go with her. He notices that only a light drizzle was falling, and he sees Leafpool leave with the other cats. Cloudtail, Bumblestripe, Graystripe, and many others offer to hunt, and Cloudtail asks about the fresh-kill pile, and he answers that it would be in the tunnel. Berrynose is disgusted, much to Bramblestar's annoyance. He goes to join a patrol, but Sandstorm stops him and says that he should stay to let the Clan know he was safe. Bramblestar frustratedly watches the patrols leave, and Leafpool comes back. He sharply asks her where she was, and the medicine cat answers she saw some herbs floating in the camp, and asks to fetch them. He says that it was too risky, and Jayfeather says that they lost too many herbs and some cat needed to go. Bramblestar agrees, but says that Leafpool had to take a warrior with her. Jayfeather says that he will go into the forest to find herbs, and takes Brightheart with him.
:The camp is now empty except for a few cats, and Bramblestar thinks to himself that it was a good idea to keep the routine as normal as possible. Despite Sandstorm's advice, Bramblestar was too restless to stay and he headed for the cliffs, his pelt muddy, and he could see Leafpool and Cherryfall swimming through the flood, their voices drifting through the air. He hears pawsteps and Sandstorm pads up to him, expecting a scolding but she instead says that Firestar always found it hardest to let his Clanmates to be put in risk, and that he felt that he could spare a few of his lives. Bramblestar notes that he was right, but Sandstorm says that he could not do everything but had to trust his Clanmates. He returns to camp, and Cloudtail returns with three rabbits, and the tom admits that they did not catch it, instead the rabbits drowned. Snowpaw says that it was crowfood and he was not eating it, much to Dustpelt's anger. Bramblestar says that they were fine to eat, and they were all hungry. The other patrols return with very little, and Sandstorm and Blossomfall split up the prey while the medicine cats store what they salvaged. Cloudtail beckons to him and says that he drank some of the water and that it tasted odd, and he asks Cloudtail to show him. They go to the edge of the water, and Bramblestar drinks some, and he thinks that it was like the water from the sun-drown-place. The white tom asks what they were going to drink, and Bramblestar thinks to himself that it would be a problem.
:Bramblestar returns to the tunnel, and tells Berrynose and Poppyfrost that he wants to take a patrol to the WindClan border to check the stream. He looks at Sandstorm, who tells him that nobody wanted an idle leader. It had stopped raining, but Bramblestar was uneasy, as everything was quiet except for the drip of water. They arrive at the stream, which had rose to the top of the gully, and he warns the cats to stay back. He drinks the water, relieved that it is fine, but as he speaks a WindClan patrol arrives. Weaselfur furiously tells them to get out. Bramblestar angrily says that they were on ThunderClan territory, and Leaftail and Furzepelt hurtle toward his patrol. Weaselfur mews that it was the only clean water they had, and Furzepelt snarls to get away from their water. Poppyfrost asks the WindClan warriors if they really wanted to fight, and Leaftail hurls himself at the she-cat, clawing her ears. Bramblestar growls for them to stop, and tells the WindClan cats that they could not just shift the border, but Weaselfur says that they could and that ThunderClan cats were not welcome on WindClan territory. He wants to fight, but realizes that a battle would not fix anything. He leads his patrol away, and Berrynose angrily asks if he was just going to let them get away with it. He silently wonders if RiverClan and ShadowClan have even survived if ThunderClan and WindClan were so badly affected.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
fr:L'Épreuve d'Étoile de Ronce/Chapitre 9
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Bramblestar's Storm
Category:Super Edition arc