Wow, super sorry for the wait! Things were happening in real life and I honestly completely forgot about my stories.
Ravenstorm eyed Darkpaw distrustfully, narrowing her yellow gaze behind his back. Darkpaw would be the one to break this so-called sacred promise, she was sure. For StarClan's sake, it was in his name!
"Are you okay?" The rumbling voice of the ThunderClan tom Blizzardpelt startled her, the early sunrise light gleaming off his snowy-white pelt. She swiftly licked her chest fur to hide her embarrassment at being caugoff guard.
"Er, yeah Blizzardpelt, I'm fine," she mumbled, casting a glance at the three apprentices, who were tumbling around in the dirt.
"Are you sure? You've had one eye on Darkpaw since we escaped the Pack." Great StarClan, this cat was nosy.
"I've kept an eye on all of the apprentices," Ravenstorm snapped, turning her back to the white warrior and beginning to wash a paw. Blizzardpelt tried to speak again, but after a quiet hiss from Ravenstorm he padded away to chat with Rainsplash, his sister.
Ravenstorm slowly rose to her paws and stretched her aching muscles, sore from the long run. The wound she'd received on her back leg from Lion did not help matters, and she wondered why StarClan couldn't have spared at least one medicine cat.
"C'mon, we better get going," she announced, loud enough for everyone to hear and giving Wolfblaze quite a rude awakening. He groaned and tried to roll over, but thankfully Foxpelt was there to nip the sleeping warrior awake.
The former deputy led the group even further away from the lake. Already, Stonepaw and Ashpaw were complaining of the cold. Dustfoot quieted them with a snarl, but Ravenstorm could still catch their irritated grumbles. Honestly, Ravenstorm couldn't blame them. The storm that had been promised on the wind seemed to be heading towards the travelers.
"Let's stop and hunt for awhile, before this rain comes," meowed Ravenstorm, shivering while ominous storm clouds drifted menacingly across the sky. "Meet back here at this boulder once you've caught your prey, and the apprentices must hunt with a warrior." Despite the whines and grumbles, Darkpaw went with Wolfblaze, Stonepaw with Snowheart, and Ashpaw with Rainsplash.
Ravenstorm plunged into the quivering golden grass, carefully tracking a rabbit scent. It trailed on into a dense forest and at last she caught sight of the puffy white tail. She lowered into a deep crouch and, pawstep by pawstep, inched towards her prey. She tensed her muscles and lunged, claws outstretched. The black she-cat cut off its shriek with a swift, merciful bite to the throat. The gray-brown creature went limp and Ravenstorm licked her muzzle free from the still-warm blood. She snatched up its furry scruff in her teeth and began to haul it back to the rendezvous point for the Survivors.
She stumbled clumsily through the thick forest, rabbit fur nearly choking her. The forest seemed faintly familiar, and oddly enough there was ThunderClan scent everywhere. Blizzardpelt or Rainsplash must've come through here, she concluded, carrying on her way. But why was the scent so strong?
When Ravenstorm spotted where the scent was coming from, she let put a muffled shriek and dropped the rabbit in horror. Amberstar of ThunderClan, Smokestar of ShadowClan, Larkstar of WindClan, and Pebblestar of RiverClan were sitting there in broad daylight, looking like they hadn't heard Ravenstorm's shock yowl.
"We lost Dewfur and Moleclaw to the Plague today," sighed Amberstar, her amber eyes darkening with grief. "My brother and mentor."
Smokestar dipped his head. "They were fine warriors. StarClan will welcome them warmly," the dark gray tom consoled. "Tigerheart, Ivytail, and Pinenose were also murdered by the Pack. We have very few warriors left: Crowfrost, Ravenstorm, Snowheart, and one apprentice, Ashpaw."
Pebblestar's eyes darkened. The ragged, elderly gray tom laid down. "RiverClan isn't doing much better, either. I am on my ninth life, and my deputy is close to death. We only have a few warriors still fit and standing."
Larkstar shook her head uncertainly. "Only my deputy, Wolfblaze, and a small pawful of other cats remain. I fear this may be the end of the Clans."
Amberstar rose to her paws. "One of the elders, Sandstorm, told me a tale when I was a kit. She claimed that long ago, in the old forest, there were five Clans. The fifth Clan, SkyClan, was driven out long ago. She and Firestar had journeyed to where they had finally died out and reunited the Clan."
"Impossible," scoffed Pebblestar and Smokestar at the same time.
"No, it could be true," snapped Larkstar. "I was told the same tale as a kit."
"Unless whoever is still standing after this mess is over can find SkyClan, no one will survive," meowed Smokestar grimly.
"Until then, it is the end of the four Clans. I know RiverClan will not survive as RiverClan for much longer. They must join SkyClan to keep our legacy alive," agreed Pebblestar.
"ThunderClan, I fear, is also dying, and will be dead soon," whispered Amberstar, trembling with grief and fury.
"As is WindClan," mewed Larkstar.
Smokestar's tail swished back and forth, deep concentration in his eyes. He finally gazed upwards at the sky, snarling in fury.
"Is this how you treat us? After all these moons, suddenly deciding we're not good enough? Is that why you're killing us off so quickly?" he roared, venom dripping in his voice. Smokestar whipped around to face the other Clan leaders, face twisted in rage.
"ShadowClan is dead. This is the end of the four Clans of the forest. StarClan have mercy on the few survivors," he spat and raced away.
Amberstar, Larkstar, and Pebblestar vanished into mist. Ravenstorm's wounded back leg struck her with a pain so sharp she saw stars and blacked out.
To clarify, Amberstar, Larkstar, Smokestar, and Pebblestar are the same cats as Amberkit, Larkpaw, Smokefoot, and Pebblefokt from the series. I only realized after I finished writing this that they were all gray cats but meh, who cares.
