Post by lolcat99 on Sept 14, 2008 9:59:19 GMT -5
(Ok I know I make Ashfur seem like a villain, but I don’t exactly like him that much)
Firestar woke up suddenly from his dream. He frantically looked around, but saw none of the danger from his dream. The flame-colored leader recalled his dream: he had been sitting with Spottedleaf in StarClan, looking down on his Clan, watching it being destroyed by a gray leader, who killed and lied to have absolute power in ThunderClan.
Firestar shook off the dream, and went outside to make the patrols for that day. He called Thornclaw, Graystripe, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Cinderpaw for the dawn patrol, and for the first hunting patrol he called Squirrelflight, Ferncloud, and Foxpaw. As he turned around, he saw Leafpool padding toward him.
“How is Brambleclaw?” Firestar questioned. “He’s in an unstable condition, but he is strong. I think he will make it through.” Replied his daughter. Firestar nodded and gave her a brisk lick between the ears, following her as she went to her den to treat her patient. Brambleclaw had come down with greencough, and was now in Leafpool’s den.
“Good morning Brambleclaw!” Firestar greeted his deputy cheerfully.
Brambleclaw managed to lift his head a little, and then put it back down. The dark tabby flicked his tail, motioning for Firestar to come toward him.
“What is it Brambleclaw?” Firestar asked.
“I- I need to see… Squirrel… flight please.” Brambleclaw coughed out.
Firestar nodded and dashed out the den, sending Brackenfur and Hollypaw to fetch Squirrelflight.
A few moments later, Squirrelflight, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Sandstorm ran into the medicine den.
“Brambleclaw!” Squirrelflight cried, and sat closer to him. “Squirrelflight… I love… you even… if we are… worlds apart… all my family…” He turned to Firestar, “Thank you… for accepting me… into the Clan… no matter… who my father was… I thank you…”
“No… Bramble- Leafpool! Please! Do something!” Squirrelflight begged her sister.
“There is nothing I can do Squirrelflight… I’m so sorry…” Leafpool whispered.
Brambleclaw touched Squirrelflight’s leg with his nose, gasped once more, then did not move anymore.
“No! No no no! Brambleclaw!” Squirrelflight shrieked, and buried her nose in her mates’ cold fur. Every cat in the den helped to bring Brambleclaw’s body out into the clearing.
After Brambleclaw’s vigil, Firestar leapt up onto the Highledge, and called a Clan meeting.
“Hush!” Daisy told her new litter of kits, Beetlekit, Falconkit, and Springkit, to stay quiet, “Firestar is going to make a new deputy!” “But what’s wrong with the old one?” Springkit squeaked.
“Yeah! I liked Brambleclaw!” Beetlekit added.
“He died, sweetie. Now hush.” The cream-colored queen spoke gently, but firmly, to her kits.
Firestar cleared his throat, “As you all know, greencough has taken the lives of one of our most honorable warriors tonight. It is time that I must make a new deputy.” He paused for a moment, looking over his Clan.
“Ashfur will be the new deputy of ThunderClan.”
He heard many awkward gasps from the warriors of ThunderClan.
“But I thought it would be Cloudtail!” cried out Spiderleg.
Ashfur made his way through the astonished crowd, toward the Highledge, and bounded up onto the smaller ledge.
“I am honored to be the deputy of ThunderClan, and I will put in all my strength as Brambleclaw once did.”
“Umm… Firestar?” Ashfur stood outside Firestar’s den, waiting to talk to him.
Firestar finished his meal, then called in the new deputy.
“Firestar… I need to talk to you privately… in the woods…”
“Alright. Be right there.” Firestar responded.
Firestar washed his face and got up. He leapt off the Highledge, waving to Whitewing as he went by.
Firestar went into the forest. He looked around, but couldn’t find Ashfur anywhere. Suddenly, a huge lump jumped on his back, and he was weighed down. A voice snarled in his ear:
“Get out of the forest, Firestar. Go back to your Twolegs, where you belong.” It was Ashfur, Firestar recognized.
“Ashfur, you will be exiled! Get off of me now!” Firestar growled.
“Never, Firestar. Die!” he screeched, and scored his claws across Firestar’s face. Firestar’s head lolled backward, and he only saw red.
“Firestar… wake up. Everything is OK. Wake up now.” A gentle, but familiar voice sounded in his ear.
“Sandstorm…” he groaned.
“No, Firestar. This is Spottedleaf. Please wake up now.” She purred.
Firestar got up shakily, unsteady on his feet. Spottedleaf supported him up, and he nuzzled her side. “How… what? Why am I here?” Firestar questioned the starry medicine cat.
“You are here because your life, and your Clan, are in danger. You must leave ThunderClan for now, and have a different identity than Firestar. I have chosen one for you, if that is OK.” Spottedleaf answered.
“Oh… OK.” Firestar stuttered, still dazed at the thought that Ashfur would betray him like that.
Spottedleaf put her nose on his fur, and he felt a pain greater than receiving a life. He looked down, and watched, as his paws grew slender, and grayer in color.
Spottedleaf looked up at him, saying, “You will go across the border to RiverClan. Leopardstar is having a dream as we speak here, to let a silver cat join her Clan. Don’t worry Firestar,” she assured him when his face must have shown how confused he was, “I have changed you into a she-cat. No cat will ever figure out who you are. Your name right now is Star. Pretend you are a loner who wants to join RiverClan. Goodbye Firestar. We will meet again in dreams…” With that, Spottedleaf disappeared.
Firestar stood, stunned, as his former love vanished. A she-cat? Did StarClan have that kind of power? To change one cat into another? Firestar suddenly shook himself, and headed off toward RiverClan, not as Firestar, but as Star.
Leafpool was explaining to Jaypaw some of the herbs they would need that Leaf-Bare, when Ashfur ran back into camp, calling to the Clan as he leapt up onto the Highledge. He yowled the Clan Gathering words.
All of ThunderClan was under the Highledge in less than a few moments.
“ThunderClan,” Ashfur croaked out, “Firestar has been killed by a fox, and the fox stole his body. I am now the leader of ThunderClan.” A sudden wail arose from the crowd.
“No! Not Firestar as well!” Spiderleg cried out.
Sandstorm looked stunned. “No…” she finally cried, “No! Firestar! No!” She threw her head back and wailed to the sky.
Ashfur settled the Clan quickly. “I will be travelling to the Moonpool tomorrow, with Whitewing and Leafpool. Jaypaw can stay behind.”
Leafpool was in shock. How could Firestar be dead? He had 6 lives left! A sudden call from Ashfur alerted her to her senses. “I will name a deputy right now.” Ashfur paused for a moment.
“Ferncloud will be the deputy of ThunderClan”
“No! I can’t do that! I am a nursing queen right now!” she cried to her brother.
Ashfur snorted. “You think that is going to stop me from making you deputy? Think again, sister!”
Ferncloud cringed with Ashfur sharp words, and she mumbled something that could have been an insult.
Ashfur told everyone to go back to the dens, and have a good long rest.
Firestar staggered along the shoreline, following Leopardstar to the camp.
“So,” the spotted leader spoke, “you want to be a RiverClan warrior, do you?”
“Umm… yes. I do.” Firestar groaned.
Leopardstar purred, and nuzzled his side, “Alright. Come with me now.” She ran off suddenly, and soon they reached the RiverClan camp. She leapt up onto a large tree root, and called her Clan. All of RiverClan soon gathered beneath that root. “Cats of RiverClan,” she called out, “I have invited a loner to join our Clan. I have StarClan’s approval with my decision. Her name is Star.” She looked over at him, and everyone looked with her.
“Uh… hey?” Firestar said nervously.
“Star, from this moment on, you will be known as Silverwing. Even though you have a warrior name, you will be treated as an apprentice until you know all the ways of a RiverClan warrior. Your mentor will be Mistyfoot. Mistyfoot, you trained Dapplepelt, and she is a credit to this Clan. Train Silverwing as you have trained her.” Leopardstar concluded her speech with a brisk nod, and jumped off the tree root.
“Hi!” a beautiful silver tabby came over to him; “My name is Minnowtail! I just had my warrior ceremony a few days ago.” Firestar purred at her, and he replied to her that he was a little nervous about this, he wasn’t sure he could be a very good warrior. She purred and told him it would be OK, and they walked away together.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called from the Highledge.
Leafpool groaned and got up, arousing Jaypaw as well. She and her apprentice walked out into the bright morning sunlight, blinking away the sleep that still hung in their eyes.
“I have had a great decision to make. I have decided there will not only be the warrior code to follow, but the ThunderClan Code!” Ashstar yowled out.
Many mews of dismay followed his announcement, but Ashstar continued.
“Rule 1: No one may leave camp without my consent. Rule 2: The deputy will not eat when prey is scarce, or if another cat wants her/his fresh kill, she/he will give it to them. Rule 3: Medicine cats are absolutely not allowed to fall in love or have kits. Rule 4: The leader must be fed before everyone else. Any breaking of the ThunderClan code will result in instant death.” Ashstar finished.
Leafpool wailed in her mind. How could Ashstar do that to Ferncloud? He was already not letting her eat much. Ferncloud looked like she was made of twigs. She nudged Jaypaw to his feet, and they prepared some strengthening herbs for Ferncloud.
Leafpool woke up in the middle of the night, and headed toward the entrance of the medicine den. She ran to the rockfall where she used to climb up to see Crowfeather all the time. She ran through the forest, and reached the stream by the WindClan border. She looked across the border, and saw a dark shape coming out of a bush.
“Crowfeather!” she purred to him, and he nuzzled her back.
“Its good to see you again, Leafpool. How are you?” he purred. This was one of the many times they had met since Ashstar came to power. “Crowfeather… I’m having kits…” she whispered. Crowfeather looked startled.
“But…” he croaked, “you’re not supposed to have kits! It is against all codes!”
“I know. But I will give the kits to you when they are born. You can say you found them by the lakeshore. Is that OK?” Leafpool asked her mate. He nodded. “We had better get going. I’ll see you around, OK?”
She agreed, and she pushed her muzzle into his fur, then turned and ran back to camp.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called out once more.
Leafpool hauled herself up, and went under the Highledge.
“Lionpaw, come forward.” Ashstar called to his apprentice.
Lionpaw gasped and dashed forward.
“Cats of ThunderClan, I would like you to know my apprentice has been doing horrible lately. And you all know we cannot have such a cat in this Clan.” Ashstar snarled and grabbed Lionpaw by his scruff.
Squirrelflight screamed, but Ashstar shoved her back, and she lay winded on the ground.
Ashstar shook Lionpaw by the scruff, and he bit harder and harder until Lionpaw went limp in his jaws.
“No!” Squirrelflight screamed, and Ashstar threw Lionpaw’s body at her.
“Now,” he snarled, “all you apprentices see what happens when you don’t train hard enough. Get back to work!” he yowled at them all, then turned and walked into his den.
Squirrelflight stood with her son’s bleeding body at her feet, mouthing something that was inaudible.
“Squirrelflight…” Hollypaw went over to her mother, whispering quietly.
Squirrelflight suddenly turned and swept Hollypaw and Jaypaw to her side, nuzzling them like kits, crying into their fur. “Lionpaw… no…” Squirrelflight cried. And at that moment, Leafpool knew that Ashstar, not a fox, had killed Firestar. She knew her Clan was being run by a monster, and that her life was in danger for the kits she was carrying.
Leafpool pushed her nose into Lionpaw’s cold fur at his vigil. All of ThunderClan was in shock still, that their leader would kill an apprentice in cold blood. She moved closer to her sister, Squirrelflight, who was staring off into nothingness. Leafpool purred to comfort her, but Squirrelflight ignored it, burying her nose further into her son’s fur.
The elders came out of their den and picked up the golden tabby apprentice’s body, then left camp to bury him. Squirrelflight wailed in pain, and fell to the ground at Leafpool’s feet.
“Leafpool… why? Why Lionpaw?” she sobbed. Leafpool could only bend her head and nuzzle her sister between the ears. Squirrelflight continued to cry, “First Brambleclaw. Then Firestar. And then Lionpaw!” she sobbed, “Why does StarClan hate me? Why are they taking everything away from me?”
“StarClan don’t hate you, Squirrelflight. This is their plan for you.” Leafpool comforted her sister, not sure how comforting she sounded, but continued anyway.
Squirrelflight just whimpered and walked away from her comforting words. Leafpool watched as everyone headed into his or her dens for the night. She raced toward Ferncloud when Ashstar pushed her over, and helped her up again. “Thank… you Leafpool…” Ferncloud gasped, her effort to speak clear. “Come to my den Ferncloud. I will give you some strengthening herbs to help your hunger.” Leafpool told the skinny gray queen. Ferncloud just nodded, and followed Leafpool into her den.
As Leafpool was giving Ferncloud the herbs, she told her that she was expecting kits any day now, and she would take them to WindClan after they were born.
Ferncloud’s eyes widened. “You are a medicine cat! You’re not allowed to have kits!” she breathed.
Leafpool sighed, “They are Crowfeather’s kits,” she explained as Ferncloud’s eyes got larger and larger with surprise, “and I don’t care what Ashstar thinks. I will have these kits, whether I die at the hands of my leader, or if I need to run away to WindClan.”
“Can’t catch me, Silverwing!” Minnowtail screeched as she swam past Firestar.
Firestar yowled back, “No way, Minnowtail!” and he quickly overtook her in their race to swim across the river. As usual, Pounceclaw reached the other side first.
Firestar got out of the water and purred, shaking the water off his fur, as Pounceclaw nuzzled his wet pelt. “Good swim, huh?” the tabby tom mewed to him. Firestar purred back. He saw a silver flash in the water, and he lashed out his paw and caught the fish for his friends and him to share.
“Nice catch!” Minnowtail purred at him. She bit into the fish, and soon Pounceclaw and he joined in. When they finished the fish, they headed toward the RiverClan camp to be assigned to patrols. Firestar had nearly forgot he had been a ThunderClan warrior already, but then he had looked across the water and saw the green of the trees, and remembered that his Clan was in great danger. He recalled the pain he had felt only yesterday, at the back of his neck, like an enemy warrior had bit it until he was dead. Firestar had the nagging suspicion one of his warriors had been killed by a bite to the neck.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called once more to his Clan. Leafpool groaned, and wonder who would be killed next. As all the cats gathered around the Highledge, Ashstar was looking at the crowd, as though deciding whom to kill today.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar called out to his Clan, “we are not one Clan for weakness or pain of our own warriors. So I have decided to end the pain of one of our senior warriors, so they have no more pain.” He waited for one moment, tormenting all of the warriors who fit in the category of ‘weak’ or ‘in pain’ or ‘senior warrior’.
“Brightheart,” he snarled, “come forward now.” He leapt down from the Highledge, awaiting Brightheart.
Leafpool saw Brightheart in the crowd, the remaining part of her face twisted in terror.
“No!” Brightheart wailed, “I won’t come forward!” she cried.
Ashstar snarled at her, “Alright then. But when this happens, you’ll wish you did.” He lunged, and grabbed Cloudtail by the scruff, making Cloudtail wail in pain. Ashstar bit harder and harder, but just as Cloudtail was about to die, Brightheart leapt forward and knocked her mate out of Ashstar’s jaws.
“No! I’ll… I’ll die instead!” she wailed.
“No! Brightheart, please. Whitewing needs you!” Cloudtail croaked out, his neck wound making it hard to talk.
“Yes, Brightheart.” Ashstar growled mockingly, “he is already weakened. Let him die.” With those words, Ashstar leapt on Cloudtail, and killed him with a swift bite to the neck.
“No!” Brightheart screamed, “No! Cloudtail, no!”
Ashstar lunged at her, grabbing her by her neck. Brightheart went limp, giving up all hope already. Ashstar killed her almost instantly. The Clan wailed out in terror, and ran from Ashstar, not bothering to pick up their dead Clanmates bodies in fear.
Firestar was sharing tounges with Pounceclaw and Minnowtail in the RiverClan camp. They had just come back from the dawn patrol, and Firestar was again feeling pain to his neck. He kept cringing in the pain that was not there. Minnowtail continued to look at him strangely, and Pounceclaw’s whiskers twitching in amusement.
“I’m sorry, I just have this… cramp in my neck, and it hurts bad.” Firestar explained.
Minnowtail’s whiskers twitched in amusement. “If you say so, Silverwing!”
Pounceclaw looked at him like Sandstorm used to, but he couldn’t ever think of having another cat love him like Sandstorm did. Pounceclaw reached forward and licked between his ears, and used his tail to summon Minnowtail to his side. “We’ll be right back, OK Silverwing?” Pounceclaw told him.
“OK.”
“See you around”
With his parting words, Pounceclaw and Minnowtail left. Firestar finished his meal, then stalked toward them. He was determined to hear what they were saying.
“Minnowtail, I was wondering… how should I tell Silverwing that I love her?” Pounceclaw’s uncertain voice came from the shadows. Firestar’s heart lurched. How could Pounceclaw love him? He wasn’t even a real she-cat! And his real mate was Sandstorm, the cat he only loved; or thought he could only love.
Leafpool was now keeping Ferncloud in her den, because the gray queen was getting very sick. Ashstar wasn’t letting her eat. He kept harming her, and then he would add a new rule to the ‘ThunderClan Code’, one that would concern how ‘the deputy could not eat when something happened.’ Leafpool had noticed that even though Ferncloud was very scrawny, she was getting bigger. Ferncloud had told her that she was expecting kits, and she wanted Leafpool to take her kits to WindClan as well.
“Leafpool… can you… help me please. I… think my kits… are coming now…” Her final words were merely a breath of wind. “Of course Ferncloud.” Leafpool replied. She ran to the back of her den and got watermint and borage for Ferncloud. Leafpool ran back quickly to her, and fed the struggling queen the herbs.
“There, there Ferncloud. Its OK… everything is OK.” Leafpool soothed the queen over her own pain, because her kits were coming now. After Ferncloud’s kits were born, Leafpool collapsed on the ground, and her kits fought their way into the world. Ferncloud pulled her kits closer to her, and started to nurse them when they cried. After her newborn kits fell asleep, she walked over to Leafpool and helped her kits in their struggle for freedom.
“Thank you Ferncloud.” Leafpool gasped to the weak, gray queen.
A new voice interrupted them. “Well, well. What do we have here? A medicine cat having kits? Leafpool, this mistake is going to cost you your life.”
Leafpool turned around to find herself face-to-face with Ashstar.
Firestar wailed in pain as Mothwing tended to his wounds he had acquired during a fight with ShadowClan. “Those look pretty nasty…” Willowfoot, the medicine cat apprentice of RiverClan, breathed.
“And they hurt, too.” Firestar whimpered. Mothwing put another cobweb on a huge scratch on his flank. “I’ll have you better in a jiffy, Silverwing.” Mothwing comforted him while he whined.
Mothwing stepped back and looked at him. “Just stay off that side when you lay down, and don’t go on any patrols for a few days now, OK?” “OK Mothwing.” Firestar assured her, then got up and walked toward the entrance of the medicine den. As he walked out, he spotted Minnowtail and Pounceclaw sitting side-by-side. Minnowtail looked happy to see him, and Pounceclaw looked as though he had to tell him something important. “Umm… Silverwing… I have to tell you something…” Pounceclaw whispered. Just then, he was interrupted by a loud call from the HighRoot. “Leopardstar is going to make Sneezepaw and Mallowpaw into warriors now!” Minnowtail squeaked, “I wonder what the names will be?” “Cats of RiverClan,” Leopardstar began, “This is my favorite duty as a leader, making apprentices into warriors. Sneezepaw, step forward.” Sneezepaw raced forward, almost hitting the tree root in excitement.
“Sneezepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Sneezeface. StarClan honors you enthusiasm and your loyalty to your Clan.” Leopardstar called. “Sneezeface! Sneezeface! Sneezeface!” all of RiverClan called to the new warrior.
After, Leopardstar called Mallowpaw forward, and Mallowpaw became Mallowleaf. The Clan, once again, called the young cat’s name. After this, Pounceclaw, Minnowtail, and Firestar went to the same spot they were a few moments ago. “Now, Silverwing, I… umm… Silverwing, I love you.” Pounceclaw blushed.
Firestar let out a fake purr, making it sound as real as possible, but he didn’t think that he could manage all the strength to tell Pounceclaw that he loved him back.
“Run!” Leafpool screamed to Ferncloud, but Ashstar already had his sister pinned down on the floor.
“No! Leafpool, take my kits and yours, and run to WindClan! Go! Now!” Ferncloud screamed, but Leafpool refused to leave without the weak queen. Ashstar leapt at her and pinned her down. “I’d kill you now, but I’m going to wait so all of the Clan can watch you die.” Ashstar snarled. Ashstar picked up the nearest 4 kits by their tails, and ran toward the Highledge, calling the Clan together. All the cats in the Clan gathered, and looked curiously at Leafpool standing besides Ashstar with 4 kits in his mouth. “Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar began with his customary Clan gathering words, “here, we have a traitor to every code ever invented. Leafpool, our medicine cat, has mated with a cat from another Clan, and has given birth to kits!” he spat out to the crowd.
He started again, “So I proclaim, that this traitor, shall be killed immediately.”
Another voice spoke up from the crowd. “No! Ashstar, take me instead!”
It was Squirrelflight. Pounceclaw purred back and was about to lick him when Firestar suddenly had spasms of pain in his stomach and his neck. “Pounceclaw! Help… me! I’m in pain! I… don’t know what’s wrong with me!” he wailed.
Pounceclaw looked startled then raced off to Mothwing’s den, calling the dappled medicine cat’s name as he approached her den. Minnowtail pushed her muzzle into his side. “Its OK Silverwing, don’t worry.”
“No! It’s not OK! I need to tell you something…” he gasped, “I’m… I’m Firestar. Ashfur now Ashstar, killed me, and a cat from StarClan brought me back to keep me safe. Every time a cat from my Clan is killed, I feel pain in my neck.” He stopped there, because Minnowtail’s mouth was hanging open. “Star… Clan… help… me!” she gasped out, “Oh my gosh! Your… you’re a guy!”
“Yes!” he wailed, “And I think someone in my Clan is being killed right now!”
Minnowtail pushed him to his feet. “Then we had better send a rescue mission to ThunderClan.” With those words, she raced off to Leopardstar’s den.
“No!” Leafpool cried to her sister, “It’s my punishment. I should take the pain.”
“Leafpool, you are the medicine cat. I have lost so many cats in my life that I would be more happy to go join them then stay here and loose another cat!” Squirrelflight explained, then grabbed Leafpool gently by the scruff and moved her into the crowd. After Squirrelflight set her down, she stood in front of Ashstar without hesitating.
Ashstar smiled, “This is the moment I have been waiting for since you left me for Brambleclaw.” Squirrelflight flinched, and Ashstar leapt toward her, grabbing her by the neck. He shook and shook her, until her body went limp in his jaws. “No!” she screamed, “Squirrelflight! No!” Leafpool got up and grabbed her sister’s broken scruff, and hauled her body out into the faint moonlight. Leafpool looked up and wailed at the stars as her mother, Sandstorm, came over and sat besides her.
“Why?” Leafpool screamed at Silverpelt, “Why? Why StarClan? Don’t let anyone else die at Ashstar’s paws please!”
“Leopardstar!” Minnowtail called out to her leader.
“Yes, Minnowtail? What can I do for you?” the mottled leader answered to one of her newest warriors. “Leopardstar, you’ll never believe what happened! First off, Silverwing here is Firestar! He is in RiverClan because he needs to stay safe but now he thinks one member of his Clan is being killed! Can we send a rescue party to ThunderClan? Please?” Minnowtail was so exited her words were slurred together.
Leopardstar was stunned. “But… how… what? I thought Firestar was killed by a fox?”
Firestar growled. “No, it was Ashfur, now Ashstar. He led me out into the forest and killed me. I lost a life, and Spottedleaf; she was ThunderClan’s medicine cat when I came to the forest, brought me back to life. She told me to come to RiverClan, then she turned me into the form I am right now; she-cat.”
Leopardstar sat up. “Then of course we will send a rescue mission to ThunderClan. I will make the announcement right away.” As she said her heroic words, she leapt out of her den and jumped up onto the HighRoot.
“Cats of RiverClan,” she called to her gathered cats, “An urgent mission of our warriors is needed in ThunderClan. I will lead this mission, and the warriors that will accompany me will be Mistyfoot, Reedwhisker, Blackclaw, Dapplepelt, Silverwing, and Minnowtail.” “How do you know that ThunderClan needs our help?” a queen named Icewing shouted to Leopardstar.
Leopardstar looked at Firestar. When he shook his head slightly to show not to tell who he was, she answered, “Some things are instinct; other things, StarClan tells us in many different ways.”
The warriors Leopardstar called started to gather at the barrier to RiverClan’s camp.
“Come, RiverClan!” Leopardstar called to her warriors, and they all followed her. Firestar purred. They were going to save his Clan at last!
Leafpool sat besides Ferncloud and Birchfall while Ashstar paced infront of the crowd, thinking of who should go that day. Leafpool had taken all the kits of ThunderClan to WindClan to be raised. Leafpool never mentioned that any of the kits were hers, she only took them to the camp and walked away. Now there were no more kits in ThunderClan to be killed.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar began his now everyday speech for one or more, unfortunate cats that would loose their lives that day, “As I have said before, we are not a Clan for weakness. And all of you know that kittypets, or kittypests, are nothing but another mouth to feed. We will need to rid the Clan of outsiders and kittypets.”
Ashstar stopped for a dramatic moment, then called to the unfortunate cat. “Millie.” Millie screamed and buried her nose into Graystripe’s thick fur. Ashstar walked into the crowd and grabbed the former kittypet by the scruff, then hauled her out into the clearing, which had started being called the ‘Death Space’. Ashstar leapt ontop of Millie’s back and grabbed her neck in his jaws. He shook and shook her, until Millie gave up, cried ‘Graystripe, I love you’ once, then went limp in Ashstar’s jaws. Graystripe wailed in pain and ran forward, grabbed Millie’s body, then put it to the side and resumed his place in the crowd, but with his nose buried deep into Stormfur’s fur, crying.
“Now, Hazeleye.” He snarled at the gray-and-white she-cat. Hazeleye gasped, but stepped forward without flinching, yet every cat knew how terrified she was. Ashstar laughed, then grabbed her by the scruff. Hazeleye cried out, but her cry was cut short by a horrible gurgling noise, and she died almost instantly.
Ashstar threw her body to the side, then glared into the crowd again, searching for his next victim. He unexpectedly smiled, showing a row of broken, bloody teeth. “Leafpool…” Ashstar laughed. Leafpool’s heart lurched. She heard a wail of distress and pain, not knowing where it came from, but realizing it came from her own mouth. She stepped forward, and Ashstar leapt onto her back. She felt a pain like she never felt before, right on her neck. Just when she felt like all was lost, a loud, heroic sound came from somewhere. All the pain on her neck vanished suddenly, and a loud cry came from above her.
A RiverClan patrol came through the thorn barrier, shouting a loud battle cry as they came in. One silver she-cat was standing in the front, racing in the camp as confident as though it was her own.
“Stop right there, Ashstar!” Leopardstar cried out at her rival, “Why are you killing innocent cats? Because you don’t like them? Well, then, I condemn you to death Ashstar. Silverwing,” she motioned to the silver she-cat, “would you do the honors?”
Just as Silverwing stepped forward, a silvery mist surrounded her, making every warrior, RiverClan or ThunderClan, gasp in awe. When the silver mist went away, it was not Silverwing standing there, but Firestar, once again proud and strong.
“Ashstar, you killed me, and you have destroyed my Clan. For this, I will need to exile you, but instead, I will kill you.” Firestar commanded. As he said those words, he leapt onto Ashstar’s back, twisted his neck sideways, and…
-------------------------------------------
Firestar woke up from his terrifying nightmare, panting. He looked around, realizing that there was no danger in the camp. He got up, groomed himself, and went outside, greeting his daughter Leafpool as she came out of her den…
Firestar woke up suddenly from his dream. He frantically looked around, but saw none of the danger from his dream. The flame-colored leader recalled his dream: he had been sitting with Spottedleaf in StarClan, looking down on his Clan, watching it being destroyed by a gray leader, who killed and lied to have absolute power in ThunderClan.
Firestar shook off the dream, and went outside to make the patrols for that day. He called Thornclaw, Graystripe, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Cinderpaw for the dawn patrol, and for the first hunting patrol he called Squirrelflight, Ferncloud, and Foxpaw. As he turned around, he saw Leafpool padding toward him.
“How is Brambleclaw?” Firestar questioned. “He’s in an unstable condition, but he is strong. I think he will make it through.” Replied his daughter. Firestar nodded and gave her a brisk lick between the ears, following her as she went to her den to treat her patient. Brambleclaw had come down with greencough, and was now in Leafpool’s den.
“Good morning Brambleclaw!” Firestar greeted his deputy cheerfully.
Brambleclaw managed to lift his head a little, and then put it back down. The dark tabby flicked his tail, motioning for Firestar to come toward him.
“What is it Brambleclaw?” Firestar asked.
“I- I need to see… Squirrel… flight please.” Brambleclaw coughed out.
Firestar nodded and dashed out the den, sending Brackenfur and Hollypaw to fetch Squirrelflight.
A few moments later, Squirrelflight, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Sandstorm ran into the medicine den.
“Brambleclaw!” Squirrelflight cried, and sat closer to him. “Squirrelflight… I love… you even… if we are… worlds apart… all my family…” He turned to Firestar, “Thank you… for accepting me… into the Clan… no matter… who my father was… I thank you…”
“No… Bramble- Leafpool! Please! Do something!” Squirrelflight begged her sister.
“There is nothing I can do Squirrelflight… I’m so sorry…” Leafpool whispered.
Brambleclaw touched Squirrelflight’s leg with his nose, gasped once more, then did not move anymore.
“No! No no no! Brambleclaw!” Squirrelflight shrieked, and buried her nose in her mates’ cold fur. Every cat in the den helped to bring Brambleclaw’s body out into the clearing.
After Brambleclaw’s vigil, Firestar leapt up onto the Highledge, and called a Clan meeting.
“Hush!” Daisy told her new litter of kits, Beetlekit, Falconkit, and Springkit, to stay quiet, “Firestar is going to make a new deputy!” “But what’s wrong with the old one?” Springkit squeaked.
“Yeah! I liked Brambleclaw!” Beetlekit added.
“He died, sweetie. Now hush.” The cream-colored queen spoke gently, but firmly, to her kits.
Firestar cleared his throat, “As you all know, greencough has taken the lives of one of our most honorable warriors tonight. It is time that I must make a new deputy.” He paused for a moment, looking over his Clan.
“Ashfur will be the new deputy of ThunderClan.”
He heard many awkward gasps from the warriors of ThunderClan.
“But I thought it would be Cloudtail!” cried out Spiderleg.
Ashfur made his way through the astonished crowd, toward the Highledge, and bounded up onto the smaller ledge.
“I am honored to be the deputy of ThunderClan, and I will put in all my strength as Brambleclaw once did.”
“Umm… Firestar?” Ashfur stood outside Firestar’s den, waiting to talk to him.
Firestar finished his meal, then called in the new deputy.
“Firestar… I need to talk to you privately… in the woods…”
“Alright. Be right there.” Firestar responded.
Firestar washed his face and got up. He leapt off the Highledge, waving to Whitewing as he went by.
Firestar went into the forest. He looked around, but couldn’t find Ashfur anywhere. Suddenly, a huge lump jumped on his back, and he was weighed down. A voice snarled in his ear:
“Get out of the forest, Firestar. Go back to your Twolegs, where you belong.” It was Ashfur, Firestar recognized.
“Ashfur, you will be exiled! Get off of me now!” Firestar growled.
“Never, Firestar. Die!” he screeched, and scored his claws across Firestar’s face. Firestar’s head lolled backward, and he only saw red.
“Firestar… wake up. Everything is OK. Wake up now.” A gentle, but familiar voice sounded in his ear.
“Sandstorm…” he groaned.
“No, Firestar. This is Spottedleaf. Please wake up now.” She purred.
Firestar got up shakily, unsteady on his feet. Spottedleaf supported him up, and he nuzzled her side. “How… what? Why am I here?” Firestar questioned the starry medicine cat.
“You are here because your life, and your Clan, are in danger. You must leave ThunderClan for now, and have a different identity than Firestar. I have chosen one for you, if that is OK.” Spottedleaf answered.
“Oh… OK.” Firestar stuttered, still dazed at the thought that Ashfur would betray him like that.
Spottedleaf put her nose on his fur, and he felt a pain greater than receiving a life. He looked down, and watched, as his paws grew slender, and grayer in color.
Spottedleaf looked up at him, saying, “You will go across the border to RiverClan. Leopardstar is having a dream as we speak here, to let a silver cat join her Clan. Don’t worry Firestar,” she assured him when his face must have shown how confused he was, “I have changed you into a she-cat. No cat will ever figure out who you are. Your name right now is Star. Pretend you are a loner who wants to join RiverClan. Goodbye Firestar. We will meet again in dreams…” With that, Spottedleaf disappeared.
Firestar stood, stunned, as his former love vanished. A she-cat? Did StarClan have that kind of power? To change one cat into another? Firestar suddenly shook himself, and headed off toward RiverClan, not as Firestar, but as Star.
Leafpool was explaining to Jaypaw some of the herbs they would need that Leaf-Bare, when Ashfur ran back into camp, calling to the Clan as he leapt up onto the Highledge. He yowled the Clan Gathering words.
All of ThunderClan was under the Highledge in less than a few moments.
“ThunderClan,” Ashfur croaked out, “Firestar has been killed by a fox, and the fox stole his body. I am now the leader of ThunderClan.” A sudden wail arose from the crowd.
“No! Not Firestar as well!” Spiderleg cried out.
Sandstorm looked stunned. “No…” she finally cried, “No! Firestar! No!” She threw her head back and wailed to the sky.
Ashfur settled the Clan quickly. “I will be travelling to the Moonpool tomorrow, with Whitewing and Leafpool. Jaypaw can stay behind.”
Leafpool was in shock. How could Firestar be dead? He had 6 lives left! A sudden call from Ashfur alerted her to her senses. “I will name a deputy right now.” Ashfur paused for a moment.
“Ferncloud will be the deputy of ThunderClan”
“No! I can’t do that! I am a nursing queen right now!” she cried to her brother.
Ashfur snorted. “You think that is going to stop me from making you deputy? Think again, sister!”
Ferncloud cringed with Ashfur sharp words, and she mumbled something that could have been an insult.
Ashfur told everyone to go back to the dens, and have a good long rest.
Firestar staggered along the shoreline, following Leopardstar to the camp.
“So,” the spotted leader spoke, “you want to be a RiverClan warrior, do you?”
“Umm… yes. I do.” Firestar groaned.
Leopardstar purred, and nuzzled his side, “Alright. Come with me now.” She ran off suddenly, and soon they reached the RiverClan camp. She leapt up onto a large tree root, and called her Clan. All of RiverClan soon gathered beneath that root. “Cats of RiverClan,” she called out, “I have invited a loner to join our Clan. I have StarClan’s approval with my decision. Her name is Star.” She looked over at him, and everyone looked with her.
“Uh… hey?” Firestar said nervously.
“Star, from this moment on, you will be known as Silverwing. Even though you have a warrior name, you will be treated as an apprentice until you know all the ways of a RiverClan warrior. Your mentor will be Mistyfoot. Mistyfoot, you trained Dapplepelt, and she is a credit to this Clan. Train Silverwing as you have trained her.” Leopardstar concluded her speech with a brisk nod, and jumped off the tree root.
“Hi!” a beautiful silver tabby came over to him; “My name is Minnowtail! I just had my warrior ceremony a few days ago.” Firestar purred at her, and he replied to her that he was a little nervous about this, he wasn’t sure he could be a very good warrior. She purred and told him it would be OK, and they walked away together.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called from the Highledge.
Leafpool groaned and got up, arousing Jaypaw as well. She and her apprentice walked out into the bright morning sunlight, blinking away the sleep that still hung in their eyes.
“I have had a great decision to make. I have decided there will not only be the warrior code to follow, but the ThunderClan Code!” Ashstar yowled out.
Many mews of dismay followed his announcement, but Ashstar continued.
“Rule 1: No one may leave camp without my consent. Rule 2: The deputy will not eat when prey is scarce, or if another cat wants her/his fresh kill, she/he will give it to them. Rule 3: Medicine cats are absolutely not allowed to fall in love or have kits. Rule 4: The leader must be fed before everyone else. Any breaking of the ThunderClan code will result in instant death.” Ashstar finished.
Leafpool wailed in her mind. How could Ashstar do that to Ferncloud? He was already not letting her eat much. Ferncloud looked like she was made of twigs. She nudged Jaypaw to his feet, and they prepared some strengthening herbs for Ferncloud.
Leafpool woke up in the middle of the night, and headed toward the entrance of the medicine den. She ran to the rockfall where she used to climb up to see Crowfeather all the time. She ran through the forest, and reached the stream by the WindClan border. She looked across the border, and saw a dark shape coming out of a bush.
“Crowfeather!” she purred to him, and he nuzzled her back.
“Its good to see you again, Leafpool. How are you?” he purred. This was one of the many times they had met since Ashstar came to power. “Crowfeather… I’m having kits…” she whispered. Crowfeather looked startled.
“But…” he croaked, “you’re not supposed to have kits! It is against all codes!”
“I know. But I will give the kits to you when they are born. You can say you found them by the lakeshore. Is that OK?” Leafpool asked her mate. He nodded. “We had better get going. I’ll see you around, OK?”
She agreed, and she pushed her muzzle into his fur, then turned and ran back to camp.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called out once more.
Leafpool hauled herself up, and went under the Highledge.
“Lionpaw, come forward.” Ashstar called to his apprentice.
Lionpaw gasped and dashed forward.
“Cats of ThunderClan, I would like you to know my apprentice has been doing horrible lately. And you all know we cannot have such a cat in this Clan.” Ashstar snarled and grabbed Lionpaw by his scruff.
Squirrelflight screamed, but Ashstar shoved her back, and she lay winded on the ground.
Ashstar shook Lionpaw by the scruff, and he bit harder and harder until Lionpaw went limp in his jaws.
“No!” Squirrelflight screamed, and Ashstar threw Lionpaw’s body at her.
“Now,” he snarled, “all you apprentices see what happens when you don’t train hard enough. Get back to work!” he yowled at them all, then turned and walked into his den.
Squirrelflight stood with her son’s bleeding body at her feet, mouthing something that was inaudible.
“Squirrelflight…” Hollypaw went over to her mother, whispering quietly.
Squirrelflight suddenly turned and swept Hollypaw and Jaypaw to her side, nuzzling them like kits, crying into their fur. “Lionpaw… no…” Squirrelflight cried. And at that moment, Leafpool knew that Ashstar, not a fox, had killed Firestar. She knew her Clan was being run by a monster, and that her life was in danger for the kits she was carrying.
Leafpool pushed her nose into Lionpaw’s cold fur at his vigil. All of ThunderClan was in shock still, that their leader would kill an apprentice in cold blood. She moved closer to her sister, Squirrelflight, who was staring off into nothingness. Leafpool purred to comfort her, but Squirrelflight ignored it, burying her nose further into her son’s fur.
The elders came out of their den and picked up the golden tabby apprentice’s body, then left camp to bury him. Squirrelflight wailed in pain, and fell to the ground at Leafpool’s feet.
“Leafpool… why? Why Lionpaw?” she sobbed. Leafpool could only bend her head and nuzzle her sister between the ears. Squirrelflight continued to cry, “First Brambleclaw. Then Firestar. And then Lionpaw!” she sobbed, “Why does StarClan hate me? Why are they taking everything away from me?”
“StarClan don’t hate you, Squirrelflight. This is their plan for you.” Leafpool comforted her sister, not sure how comforting she sounded, but continued anyway.
Squirrelflight just whimpered and walked away from her comforting words. Leafpool watched as everyone headed into his or her dens for the night. She raced toward Ferncloud when Ashstar pushed her over, and helped her up again. “Thank… you Leafpool…” Ferncloud gasped, her effort to speak clear. “Come to my den Ferncloud. I will give you some strengthening herbs to help your hunger.” Leafpool told the skinny gray queen. Ferncloud just nodded, and followed Leafpool into her den.
As Leafpool was giving Ferncloud the herbs, she told her that she was expecting kits any day now, and she would take them to WindClan after they were born.
Ferncloud’s eyes widened. “You are a medicine cat! You’re not allowed to have kits!” she breathed.
Leafpool sighed, “They are Crowfeather’s kits,” she explained as Ferncloud’s eyes got larger and larger with surprise, “and I don’t care what Ashstar thinks. I will have these kits, whether I die at the hands of my leader, or if I need to run away to WindClan.”
“Can’t catch me, Silverwing!” Minnowtail screeched as she swam past Firestar.
Firestar yowled back, “No way, Minnowtail!” and he quickly overtook her in their race to swim across the river. As usual, Pounceclaw reached the other side first.
Firestar got out of the water and purred, shaking the water off his fur, as Pounceclaw nuzzled his wet pelt. “Good swim, huh?” the tabby tom mewed to him. Firestar purred back. He saw a silver flash in the water, and he lashed out his paw and caught the fish for his friends and him to share.
“Nice catch!” Minnowtail purred at him. She bit into the fish, and soon Pounceclaw and he joined in. When they finished the fish, they headed toward the RiverClan camp to be assigned to patrols. Firestar had nearly forgot he had been a ThunderClan warrior already, but then he had looked across the water and saw the green of the trees, and remembered that his Clan was in great danger. He recalled the pain he had felt only yesterday, at the back of his neck, like an enemy warrior had bit it until he was dead. Firestar had the nagging suspicion one of his warriors had been killed by a bite to the neck.
“All cats gather for a Clan meeting!” Ashstar called once more to his Clan. Leafpool groaned, and wonder who would be killed next. As all the cats gathered around the Highledge, Ashstar was looking at the crowd, as though deciding whom to kill today.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar called out to his Clan, “we are not one Clan for weakness or pain of our own warriors. So I have decided to end the pain of one of our senior warriors, so they have no more pain.” He waited for one moment, tormenting all of the warriors who fit in the category of ‘weak’ or ‘in pain’ or ‘senior warrior’.
“Brightheart,” he snarled, “come forward now.” He leapt down from the Highledge, awaiting Brightheart.
Leafpool saw Brightheart in the crowd, the remaining part of her face twisted in terror.
“No!” Brightheart wailed, “I won’t come forward!” she cried.
Ashstar snarled at her, “Alright then. But when this happens, you’ll wish you did.” He lunged, and grabbed Cloudtail by the scruff, making Cloudtail wail in pain. Ashstar bit harder and harder, but just as Cloudtail was about to die, Brightheart leapt forward and knocked her mate out of Ashstar’s jaws.
“No! I’ll… I’ll die instead!” she wailed.
“No! Brightheart, please. Whitewing needs you!” Cloudtail croaked out, his neck wound making it hard to talk.
“Yes, Brightheart.” Ashstar growled mockingly, “he is already weakened. Let him die.” With those words, Ashstar leapt on Cloudtail, and killed him with a swift bite to the neck.
“No!” Brightheart screamed, “No! Cloudtail, no!”
Ashstar lunged at her, grabbing her by her neck. Brightheart went limp, giving up all hope already. Ashstar killed her almost instantly. The Clan wailed out in terror, and ran from Ashstar, not bothering to pick up their dead Clanmates bodies in fear.
Firestar was sharing tounges with Pounceclaw and Minnowtail in the RiverClan camp. They had just come back from the dawn patrol, and Firestar was again feeling pain to his neck. He kept cringing in the pain that was not there. Minnowtail continued to look at him strangely, and Pounceclaw’s whiskers twitching in amusement.
“I’m sorry, I just have this… cramp in my neck, and it hurts bad.” Firestar explained.
Minnowtail’s whiskers twitched in amusement. “If you say so, Silverwing!”
Pounceclaw looked at him like Sandstorm used to, but he couldn’t ever think of having another cat love him like Sandstorm did. Pounceclaw reached forward and licked between his ears, and used his tail to summon Minnowtail to his side. “We’ll be right back, OK Silverwing?” Pounceclaw told him.
“OK.”
“See you around”
With his parting words, Pounceclaw and Minnowtail left. Firestar finished his meal, then stalked toward them. He was determined to hear what they were saying.
“Minnowtail, I was wondering… how should I tell Silverwing that I love her?” Pounceclaw’s uncertain voice came from the shadows. Firestar’s heart lurched. How could Pounceclaw love him? He wasn’t even a real she-cat! And his real mate was Sandstorm, the cat he only loved; or thought he could only love.
Leafpool was now keeping Ferncloud in her den, because the gray queen was getting very sick. Ashstar wasn’t letting her eat. He kept harming her, and then he would add a new rule to the ‘ThunderClan Code’, one that would concern how ‘the deputy could not eat when something happened.’ Leafpool had noticed that even though Ferncloud was very scrawny, she was getting bigger. Ferncloud had told her that she was expecting kits, and she wanted Leafpool to take her kits to WindClan as well.
“Leafpool… can you… help me please. I… think my kits… are coming now…” Her final words were merely a breath of wind. “Of course Ferncloud.” Leafpool replied. She ran to the back of her den and got watermint and borage for Ferncloud. Leafpool ran back quickly to her, and fed the struggling queen the herbs.
“There, there Ferncloud. Its OK… everything is OK.” Leafpool soothed the queen over her own pain, because her kits were coming now. After Ferncloud’s kits were born, Leafpool collapsed on the ground, and her kits fought their way into the world. Ferncloud pulled her kits closer to her, and started to nurse them when they cried. After her newborn kits fell asleep, she walked over to Leafpool and helped her kits in their struggle for freedom.
“Thank you Ferncloud.” Leafpool gasped to the weak, gray queen.
A new voice interrupted them. “Well, well. What do we have here? A medicine cat having kits? Leafpool, this mistake is going to cost you your life.”
Leafpool turned around to find herself face-to-face with Ashstar.
Firestar wailed in pain as Mothwing tended to his wounds he had acquired during a fight with ShadowClan. “Those look pretty nasty…” Willowfoot, the medicine cat apprentice of RiverClan, breathed.
“And they hurt, too.” Firestar whimpered. Mothwing put another cobweb on a huge scratch on his flank. “I’ll have you better in a jiffy, Silverwing.” Mothwing comforted him while he whined.
Mothwing stepped back and looked at him. “Just stay off that side when you lay down, and don’t go on any patrols for a few days now, OK?” “OK Mothwing.” Firestar assured her, then got up and walked toward the entrance of the medicine den. As he walked out, he spotted Minnowtail and Pounceclaw sitting side-by-side. Minnowtail looked happy to see him, and Pounceclaw looked as though he had to tell him something important. “Umm… Silverwing… I have to tell you something…” Pounceclaw whispered. Just then, he was interrupted by a loud call from the HighRoot. “Leopardstar is going to make Sneezepaw and Mallowpaw into warriors now!” Minnowtail squeaked, “I wonder what the names will be?” “Cats of RiverClan,” Leopardstar began, “This is my favorite duty as a leader, making apprentices into warriors. Sneezepaw, step forward.” Sneezepaw raced forward, almost hitting the tree root in excitement.
“Sneezepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Sneezeface. StarClan honors you enthusiasm and your loyalty to your Clan.” Leopardstar called. “Sneezeface! Sneezeface! Sneezeface!” all of RiverClan called to the new warrior.
After, Leopardstar called Mallowpaw forward, and Mallowpaw became Mallowleaf. The Clan, once again, called the young cat’s name. After this, Pounceclaw, Minnowtail, and Firestar went to the same spot they were a few moments ago. “Now, Silverwing, I… umm… Silverwing, I love you.” Pounceclaw blushed.
Firestar let out a fake purr, making it sound as real as possible, but he didn’t think that he could manage all the strength to tell Pounceclaw that he loved him back.
“Run!” Leafpool screamed to Ferncloud, but Ashstar already had his sister pinned down on the floor.
“No! Leafpool, take my kits and yours, and run to WindClan! Go! Now!” Ferncloud screamed, but Leafpool refused to leave without the weak queen. Ashstar leapt at her and pinned her down. “I’d kill you now, but I’m going to wait so all of the Clan can watch you die.” Ashstar snarled. Ashstar picked up the nearest 4 kits by their tails, and ran toward the Highledge, calling the Clan together. All the cats in the Clan gathered, and looked curiously at Leafpool standing besides Ashstar with 4 kits in his mouth. “Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar began with his customary Clan gathering words, “here, we have a traitor to every code ever invented. Leafpool, our medicine cat, has mated with a cat from another Clan, and has given birth to kits!” he spat out to the crowd.
He started again, “So I proclaim, that this traitor, shall be killed immediately.”
Another voice spoke up from the crowd. “No! Ashstar, take me instead!”
It was Squirrelflight. Pounceclaw purred back and was about to lick him when Firestar suddenly had spasms of pain in his stomach and his neck. “Pounceclaw! Help… me! I’m in pain! I… don’t know what’s wrong with me!” he wailed.
Pounceclaw looked startled then raced off to Mothwing’s den, calling the dappled medicine cat’s name as he approached her den. Minnowtail pushed her muzzle into his side. “Its OK Silverwing, don’t worry.”
“No! It’s not OK! I need to tell you something…” he gasped, “I’m… I’m Firestar. Ashfur now Ashstar, killed me, and a cat from StarClan brought me back to keep me safe. Every time a cat from my Clan is killed, I feel pain in my neck.” He stopped there, because Minnowtail’s mouth was hanging open. “Star… Clan… help… me!” she gasped out, “Oh my gosh! Your… you’re a guy!”
“Yes!” he wailed, “And I think someone in my Clan is being killed right now!”
Minnowtail pushed him to his feet. “Then we had better send a rescue mission to ThunderClan.” With those words, she raced off to Leopardstar’s den.
“No!” Leafpool cried to her sister, “It’s my punishment. I should take the pain.”
“Leafpool, you are the medicine cat. I have lost so many cats in my life that I would be more happy to go join them then stay here and loose another cat!” Squirrelflight explained, then grabbed Leafpool gently by the scruff and moved her into the crowd. After Squirrelflight set her down, she stood in front of Ashstar without hesitating.
Ashstar smiled, “This is the moment I have been waiting for since you left me for Brambleclaw.” Squirrelflight flinched, and Ashstar leapt toward her, grabbing her by the neck. He shook and shook her, until her body went limp in his jaws. “No!” she screamed, “Squirrelflight! No!” Leafpool got up and grabbed her sister’s broken scruff, and hauled her body out into the faint moonlight. Leafpool looked up and wailed at the stars as her mother, Sandstorm, came over and sat besides her.
“Why?” Leafpool screamed at Silverpelt, “Why? Why StarClan? Don’t let anyone else die at Ashstar’s paws please!”
“Leopardstar!” Minnowtail called out to her leader.
“Yes, Minnowtail? What can I do for you?” the mottled leader answered to one of her newest warriors. “Leopardstar, you’ll never believe what happened! First off, Silverwing here is Firestar! He is in RiverClan because he needs to stay safe but now he thinks one member of his Clan is being killed! Can we send a rescue party to ThunderClan? Please?” Minnowtail was so exited her words were slurred together.
Leopardstar was stunned. “But… how… what? I thought Firestar was killed by a fox?”
Firestar growled. “No, it was Ashfur, now Ashstar. He led me out into the forest and killed me. I lost a life, and Spottedleaf; she was ThunderClan’s medicine cat when I came to the forest, brought me back to life. She told me to come to RiverClan, then she turned me into the form I am right now; she-cat.”
Leopardstar sat up. “Then of course we will send a rescue mission to ThunderClan. I will make the announcement right away.” As she said her heroic words, she leapt out of her den and jumped up onto the HighRoot.
“Cats of RiverClan,” she called to her gathered cats, “An urgent mission of our warriors is needed in ThunderClan. I will lead this mission, and the warriors that will accompany me will be Mistyfoot, Reedwhisker, Blackclaw, Dapplepelt, Silverwing, and Minnowtail.” “How do you know that ThunderClan needs our help?” a queen named Icewing shouted to Leopardstar.
Leopardstar looked at Firestar. When he shook his head slightly to show not to tell who he was, she answered, “Some things are instinct; other things, StarClan tells us in many different ways.”
The warriors Leopardstar called started to gather at the barrier to RiverClan’s camp.
“Come, RiverClan!” Leopardstar called to her warriors, and they all followed her. Firestar purred. They were going to save his Clan at last!
Leafpool sat besides Ferncloud and Birchfall while Ashstar paced infront of the crowd, thinking of who should go that day. Leafpool had taken all the kits of ThunderClan to WindClan to be raised. Leafpool never mentioned that any of the kits were hers, she only took them to the camp and walked away. Now there were no more kits in ThunderClan to be killed.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Ashstar began his now everyday speech for one or more, unfortunate cats that would loose their lives that day, “As I have said before, we are not a Clan for weakness. And all of you know that kittypets, or kittypests, are nothing but another mouth to feed. We will need to rid the Clan of outsiders and kittypets.”
Ashstar stopped for a dramatic moment, then called to the unfortunate cat. “Millie.” Millie screamed and buried her nose into Graystripe’s thick fur. Ashstar walked into the crowd and grabbed the former kittypet by the scruff, then hauled her out into the clearing, which had started being called the ‘Death Space’. Ashstar leapt ontop of Millie’s back and grabbed her neck in his jaws. He shook and shook her, until Millie gave up, cried ‘Graystripe, I love you’ once, then went limp in Ashstar’s jaws. Graystripe wailed in pain and ran forward, grabbed Millie’s body, then put it to the side and resumed his place in the crowd, but with his nose buried deep into Stormfur’s fur, crying.
“Now, Hazeleye.” He snarled at the gray-and-white she-cat. Hazeleye gasped, but stepped forward without flinching, yet every cat knew how terrified she was. Ashstar laughed, then grabbed her by the scruff. Hazeleye cried out, but her cry was cut short by a horrible gurgling noise, and she died almost instantly.
Ashstar threw her body to the side, then glared into the crowd again, searching for his next victim. He unexpectedly smiled, showing a row of broken, bloody teeth. “Leafpool…” Ashstar laughed. Leafpool’s heart lurched. She heard a wail of distress and pain, not knowing where it came from, but realizing it came from her own mouth. She stepped forward, and Ashstar leapt onto her back. She felt a pain like she never felt before, right on her neck. Just when she felt like all was lost, a loud, heroic sound came from somewhere. All the pain on her neck vanished suddenly, and a loud cry came from above her.
A RiverClan patrol came through the thorn barrier, shouting a loud battle cry as they came in. One silver she-cat was standing in the front, racing in the camp as confident as though it was her own.
“Stop right there, Ashstar!” Leopardstar cried out at her rival, “Why are you killing innocent cats? Because you don’t like them? Well, then, I condemn you to death Ashstar. Silverwing,” she motioned to the silver she-cat, “would you do the honors?”
Just as Silverwing stepped forward, a silvery mist surrounded her, making every warrior, RiverClan or ThunderClan, gasp in awe. When the silver mist went away, it was not Silverwing standing there, but Firestar, once again proud and strong.
“Ashstar, you killed me, and you have destroyed my Clan. For this, I will need to exile you, but instead, I will kill you.” Firestar commanded. As he said those words, he leapt onto Ashstar’s back, twisted his neck sideways, and…
-------------------------------------------
Firestar woke up from his terrifying nightmare, panting. He looked around, realizing that there was no danger in the camp. He got up, groomed himself, and went outside, greeting his daughter Leafpool as she came out of her den…