Chapter Three: News
"What?!" Streampaw and Rainfur shouted simultaneously.
"I don't believe it..." Rainfur gasped. "Three more warriors?"
"Yes. They were on Dawn Patrol this morning. Halfear, Wavepelt, and Leafshade are dead. Spottednose found them dead by the river just a few hours ago. There's no doubt it was Thunder Clan. Their scent is all over that area." said Greyclaw.
"And Sandstar just declared war on Thunder Clan?" Streampaw inquired.
"Yes." Greyclaw replied. "Well, what did you expect? Wouldn't you do the same thing if you were Clan Chief?"
Streampaw considered this for a moment. Yes, he supposed he would.
"The Leader wants you at a meeting. He's calling a Clan Gathering." Greyclaw said to Rainfur.
"My apprentice and I will be there." Rainfur nodded. "Come with us, Streampaw."
Greyclaw shook his head. "You'll have to go by yourselves. I have to tell the elders, and their den is further up. There are also some cats out hunting that I have to give the news to. You know the way, don't you?"
"Of course I know the way. I live here, don't I? Follow me, Streampaw."
Rainfur took off towards the center of clan camp with Streampaw running directly behind him.
When they reached the center of camp, there was already a multitude of cats gathered there. Sandstar was amongst them.
"Rainfur, you're late." he frowned, then cleared his throat. "Never mind. Back to the subject. I'm afraid this means war, cats. If we ignore these acts of such utter disrespect to our boundaries and our cats, Thunder Clan will see us as a weak, vulnerable target-one which, given the chance, they shall exploit in whatever way pleases them. Now, we all know that we must not let Thunder Clan get away with their crimes. There is only one thing to do in this situation, and that is...to fight."
Streampaw suddenly had a flashback to when he was a kit, and the storyteller was giving the kits a lesson in history.
"...and then, Star Clan gave the cats a message...unite, or die."
Unite or Die.
Sandstar's voice droned on and on about things like honor, and territories, and ancient clan laws, but Streampaw was paying no attention to the words his Clan Leader was saying. He was thinking his own thoughts. How would an all-out war between the two clans affect Star Clan? Maybe Star Clan had forgotten about River Clan. Maybe they wanted Thunder Clan to win. And what good would war do?
Then again, what good would it to go up to a hulking Thunder Clan warrior and ask him to peacefully negotiate a treaty with River Clan?
No good at all.
Neither solution worked. Streampaw tried to listen to Sandstar. Rainfur seemed to be paying an awful lot of attention...
Maybe-just maybe-it was time for Streampaw to visit his friend again.
Echo, the Rogue of the Rivers.