Disclaimer: I do not own the Warrior Cat series (written by Erin Hunter).
The soft blue waves lap at the shore, sounding like a dreamy lullaby. The trees and bushes are thinner at the edge of the lake. A thick, white-furred cat sits on the shore where the lake meets earth. The gentle clear water trickles over his paws. His white tail is wrapped neatly around his paws. His ears flick in your direction as you approach him cautiously.
"Welcome to the starry grounds of Starclan. I'm Whitestorm. Perhaps you have heard of me before from the tales of the Clan's elders."
"What's that? Have you come to hear about some of our valiant warriors and their tales? We're not as powerful as you think we are. You cannot imagine how powerless we all feel up here, disconnected from the living world below us."
"Sure, cats at the lake call upon us for help, but there is only so little we can offer as help."
"If you still want to hear our tales, head onto that path between those two fronds. Follow the dirt path and you will find a blue-furred cat. She'll tell you about how hopeless Starclan warriors can feel."
You follow the path Whitestorm directed you onto. As you push through the fronds on the sides of the path, the glittering dew collected on the leaves seeps into your fur, cool and refreshing. Twigs and leaves rustle under your paws as you continue along the path. A small bluebird sitting on a smooth stone is startled as a twig cracks under you paw. You hear a snarl of frustration as the bird takes off in a burst of bright blue. A lean blue-furred cat bursts out of the fronds and leaps gracefully into the air and snags the bird with a paw.
"Oh hello. I didn't see you there. Did Whitestorm send you here?"
"Ah. Well I suppose you want to hear a story now. But really, there is nothing to tell. My past life is dark and pitiful, nothing to brag about."
"No, our lives up here aren't any better. I suppose you hear stories about how Starclan warriors, pelts covered with star shine, watch over the Clans peacefully. It is true, we have plenty of prey, but you have no idea how useless we sometimes feel up here."
"Very well. I will tell you about one of my most painful moments up here in the grounds of Starclan. Maybe then you will see how we feel up here."
"It was in the old territory of the Clans, where FourTrees existed. Tigerstar was terrorizing the Clans with his followers. Riverclan had fallen to Tigerstar, and the other three Clans were almost at the brink of giving into Tigerstar's plans. Leopardstar was a weak fool. She was not able to say no to Tigerstar. Unfortunately, my own son and daughter lived in Riverclan. Stonefur was a marvelous warrior, both kind and gentle. Tigerstar was holding them both as prisoners."
"You must have heard about those terrible times before, where half-Clan cats were looked down upon by Tigerstar and his followers. Mistyfoot and Stonefur were born in Thunderclan, but their father, Oakheart, was a Riverclan warrior. Tigerstar had two half-Clans in his clutches, and he did not hesitate to use them as an example of why half-Clans should be terminated."
"What exactly happened to Stonefur? Tigerstar brought Stonefur out in front of Riverclan and Shadowclan. He accused him of being a traitor, since he was a half-Clan. I had been watching over Stonefur and Mistyfoot constantly ever since Tigerstar joined forces with Leopardstar. I was worried that Tigerstar would use them to threaten others who might rebel against him. There was nothing I could do when Tigerstar brought Stonefur out in front of everyone."
"Tigerstar told Stonefur to prove his loyalty and prove that he was worthy of being part of the combined forces of Riverclan and Shadowclan. Stonefur's task was to kill two helpless apprentices, both half-Clan like him."
"Yes, they were Graystripe's kits, Featherpaw and Stormpaw. Stonefur was Stormpaw's mentor, and he couldn't bear to kill the cat he had trained. He was a good cat, and refused to slaughter two young cats because they were half-Clan. He told Tigerstar that they would have to kill him first. Darkstripe and Stonefur fought each other. Stonefur fought very bravely and nearly beat Darkstripe. But of course, Tigerstar would not allow one of his warriors to be beaten by a lowly half-Clan cat. He told Blackfoot to finish Stonefur off."
"I felt very powerless, watching my son die right in front of my eyes. The wound Blackfoot gave Stonefur was terrible, and I knew he wouldn't make it. No power Starclan granted us would help Stonefur win and live to see another day. There was nothing I could do. To see my son die and not be able to do anything was horrifying."
"Living cats call upon us for help, and our powers are limited. We cannot interfere with the lives of living cats directly. We offer advice, try to keep our kin safe, but in the end, they always go their separate way. All we can do is cloud the moon to show our disapproval."
"I've said enough. My life has not been easy, alive or in Starclan. If you want to hear more, find the scarred, black pine tree on the edge of Shadowclan territory. You'll find a gray, soft-furred cat named Rainflower."