"Where did she go?!" Brambleclaw demanded.
"Bluestar," replied Leafpaw. At this Brambleclaw burst out of the barn and looked around.
"She's nowhere in sight. Mouse-dung!" Brambleclaw exclaimed. Leafpaw scrambled out behind him.
"Shouldn't we go after her? asked Leafpaw.
"No, it's too dangerous at night. There are too many foxes out now." replied Brambleclaw. "We'll have to wait until morning."
"Brambleclaw come on, we've got a busy day tomorrow!" yowled Barley.
"I'll be there in a minute!" the dark tabby replied. He turned to Leafpaw. "You know that apprentice is going to cause me a lot of trouble."
"She always has been a trouble maker and always will be I suppose," said Leafpaw.
Brambleclaw spun around, "Come on," he said. "We'll find her in the morning."
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The next morning Brambleclaw was gone. "Brambleclaw? Brambleclaw? Brambleclaw!" Barley yowled. The old tom went back into the barn and turned to Ravenpaw. "Where is Brambleclaw?"
"He said he had something important to do today, so he left early," replied Ravenpaw.
"Did he take those to forest apprentices with him?" Barley questioned.
"Yes, I think so," Ravenpaw answered. Barley sighed and went back to what he was doing.
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"She must have gone this way, her scent trail is getting fresher," Brambleclaw said to Leafpaw.
As the two cats followed Squirrelpaw, unbeknownst to them a predator was watching. His red tail held high and his eyes never blinking. The predator was a fox. He looked away and called over two more.
Brambleclaw saw a little orange speck and he broke out into a run. Eventually he slammed into Squirrelpaw and held her down. "Where do you think you're going?" asked the brown tom."
"I have to find Bluestar!" the ginger she-cat replied.
Leafpaw caught up and turned to Squirrelpaw, "Squirrelpaw, I know it's hard to accept but we're not going to be able to live in the forest anymore. We have shelter as long as we stay with Brambleclaw and his family."
There was a little snarl in the air stopping the argument right then and there.
"What was that?" asked Squirrelpaw.
"Foxes, or worse. Squirrelpaw stay behind those rocks, and Leafpaw, come with me," ordered Brambleclaw.
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Brambleclaw gazed into a field, the one he heard the snarl come from. "I don't see anything," he said. Then he saw a flicker of movement. "No, wait a minute. I think I just saw-" he was cut off by a loud screeching noise and was tackled down by a fox. Leafpaw screeched, fell down, and started rolling down the little hill the field was on.
The foxes began to drag Brambleclaw back to their den and stopped for a break in front of the rocks Squirrelpaw was hiding behind. The she-cat shivered when she saw Brambleclaw's body lying in front of the foxes.
A scream echoed through the air. It sounded horrible and gruesome as if somebody were dying. The foxes squealed and ran away leaving Brambleclaw behind. An old blue-gray
she-cat walked up to the tom's body and pressed against his side, making sure he was alive.
The old cat turned to see Squirrelpaw poking her head out from behind the rocks. "It's alright little one, I'm not going to hurt you," she meowed. Despite her age she still sounded young.
Brambleclaw stirred and looked up at the she-cat. "Bl-Bluefur?" he asked. "I am glad see you!"
"The farmland wastes aren't to be traveled lightly," replied Bluefur. The old she-cat helped Brambleclaw stand up. "Now tell me young Brambleclaw, what brings you out this far?"
"That apprentice over there. I think she's searching for her former mentor, but I've never seen such devotion in a younger cat like her before."
"I am searching for Bluestar, do you know her?" asked Squirrelpaw.
"Is she a relative of yours, do you know who she's talking about?" Brambleclaw questioned. Bluefur sat down and looked as if she were going deep into her memories.
"Bluestar," said the old she-cat. "Bluestar... Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. A very long time."
"I think my uncle knows her. He said she was probably dead," said Brambleclaw.
"Oh she's not dead. Well at least not yet," Bluefur chuckled.
"Do you know her?" asked Brambleclaw.
"Of course I know her, she's me," Bluefur smiled. "I haven't gone by the name Bluestar, oh, since before you were born."
"So you were Squirrelpaw's mentor," concluded Brambleclaw.
"I don't seem to remember ever having her as an apprentice," Bluefur replied.
"That's because I'm Firestar's daughter," said Squirrelpaw.
"Hmm, I see," the old she-cat replied. All three of them heard a fox yowl again. "I think we'd better get to my den," the old she-cat rasped as she got up. "Foxes are easily startled but they will come back and possibly in greater numbers."
As all three started heading toward a bush something inside Squirrelpaw snapped. "Wait a minute, where's Leafpaw?"
Brambleclaw turned around. "Leafpaw!" the tom gasped.
When they got to Leafpaw one of her pads were bleeding and she was out cold. All three cat picked her up and headed towards a small group of bushes just beside a Thunderpath.
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Inside the bushes Bluefur explained to Brambleclaw that his father had fought in the War of the Clans.
"My father didn't fight in the war, he was a loner who died when I was just a newborn," replied Brambleclaw.
"That's what your uncle told you. Your uncle didn't agree with your father's actions and thought he should've just stayed here," said Bluefur.
Squirrelpaw wrapped Leafpaw's paw in a cobweb and tried to speak but was interrupted.
"You fought in the War of the Clans?" asked Brambleclaw.
"Yes, I was once ThunderClan's leader and I also knew you father," Bluefur smiled at a memory then her face saddened.
"How did you know my father?" asked Brambleclaw.
"He was my apprentice as well as deputy," said Bluefur. "Which reminds me, I have something for you," she got up and moved a rock revealing a tiny hole. She reached into it and grabbed something with her paw, took it out and placed it at Brambleclaw's feet.
"What is it?" asked Brambleclaw looking down at it.
"That is one of your father's claws," said Bluefur. Brambleclaw took a closer look at it and saw it was black like his but it had a little blood stain on it.
"Not as dull as a rogue or loner's claw, it is a far more civilized type of claw, that of a ThunderClan warrior's," explained Bluefur. "For more generations than anyone can count the Warriors were the guardians of peace and justice, but that was before the dark times, before TigerClan."
Brambleclaw looked up at the old she-cat. "How did my father die?"
"A young warrior named Tigerclaw, he was an apprentice of mine until he turned evil. He helped TigerClan hunt down and destroy the rival clans. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the four Warrior clans are all but extinct." replied the old she-cat. "Tigerclaw was seduced by the Dark Forest cats, a place where there aren't any stars."
"Stars, why are stars important?" asked Brambleclaw.
"Stars are important because they are where the dead cats are. The cats aren't really dead though, they live on in the stars. Sometimes they will come into your dreams and give you hints about your future, prophecies so to speak. We call these stars StarClan," explained the old cat. "The Dark Forest is where the evil cats go after death. It works in a similar way to StarClan except the cats there will corrupt you. Sometimes it's for young cats hard to tell the difference."
Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw, who was fast asleep, already knew about StarClan and the Dark Forest. "Are you done now?" the ginger she-cat asked irritably.
"Yes, I suppose," Bluefur replied calmly.
"Anyway, I have a message for you from the Rebel Alliance. Deputy Tawnypelt said to tell you this, Bluefur, I know you have helped my parents in the past. Years ago you served my father in the War of the Clans, now he begs you to help him with his struggle against TigerClan. I regret that I cannot send my father's request in person but my small squad is under attack and I'm afraid my mission may mean the fate of the old WindClan camp. I have given information vital to the survival of the Rebellion to this apprentice. You must escort her safely to the old WindClan camp. This is our most desperate hour, help me Bluefur, you're my only hope," said Squirrelpaw.
Bluefur looked at Brambleclaw. "You are going to have to learn how to be a warrior if you are to accompany me to the WindClan camp."
"The WindClan camp, I'm not going to the WindClan camp!" exclaimed Brambleclaw. The tom stood up and walked towards the entrance to the den. "I've got to get home, it's late as it is, and my uncle will be worried. It's not like she needs help from me anyway."
"I need your help Brambleclaw, she needs your help. I'm getting to old to do this sort of thing," replied Bluefur. Brambleclaw turned around and walked over to Bluefur.
"I can't get involved. Look I don't like TigerClan, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here," explained the young tom.
"That's your uncle talking," said Bluefur.
"How am I going to explain this to him?" asked Brambleclaw.
"You can learn about StarClan," Bluefur answered.
Brambleclaw thought for a moment. "Look I can go with you as far as the stone nest, once you're there you can walk to the burned barn or wherever it is you're going."
"You must do what you must feel is right," replied Bluefur
TO BE CONTINUED...
