A/N: Here's the 4th chapter! First, though, I want to let you know that I'll be going back to school this month, and with school comes piles of homework. That means I won't be able to write nearly as much, so there may be a few months in between each chapter. I'll try to update as much as possible, but I don't know how often that will be. Anyway, thanks for putting up with it. Also, remember to review!!
Chapter 4
The other cats stopped beside him, opening their mouths so the air could reach their scent glands.
"Don't worry," Russetfur mewed. "The scent is stale. I'd guess that the fox hasn't been here for at least a week."
Brambleclaw let his fur lie flat. "You're right," he replied. "But we should follow the scent trail anyway. If there's a burrow around here somewhere we need to warn whichever Clan takes this territory."
Mistyfoot nodded. "That's a good idea. The queens need to know if there is a fox in the area."
With their noses to the ground, the four cats began to follow the scent trail. It continued up the hill, winding around trees and boulders.
Brambleclaw padded softly across the ground, being careful to avoid the crunchy pine needles and leaves. If there was a fox around, he didn't want to alert it of their presence. They could be vicious, especially when defending their territory.
As the group traveled farther away from the lake, the fox's scent grew stronger and stronger, though it was still stale. The trees were also beginning to thin out, with more bushes and shrubs in between. The ground was dappled with patches of sunlight, and Brambleclaw could here the scuffling of prey under the nearest bush.
Perhaps ShadowClan could make a camp here after all, he thought to himself, which raised his hopes that StarClan had brought them to the right place.
They had now traveled far enough away from the lake so that Brambleclaw could no longer see its shining water. The fox's reek was so strong that it blocked out most other scents. The hollow where the fox had made its den was straight ahead, hidden between two large rocks. The four cats padded cautiously forward to sniff it, their ears pricked for any sign of danger. Brambleclaw unsheathed his claws protectively, even though the scent was still stale and he knew they most likely would not be meeting any of the red-tailed creatures.
"Looks like it has been abandoned," Russetfur decided, raising her head to look at the others. "I don't think we have to worry about it. Let's cover the hole up with some dirt to prevent another one from moving in, though."
They scratched enough dirt over the hole to cover it up, then turned around to go back toward the lake. Or, which way they thought was the lake.
"Which - which way did we come from?" asked Mistyfoot nervously.
"I'm not sure," mewed Brambleclaw. Everything around him seemed unfamiliar. He'd thought he knew which way they had traveled from, but now he wasn't certain. The tabby scanned the clearing, hoping for some familiar landmark that could help them judge where to go, but he found none.
"Great," Mudclaw hissed. "Now we're lost."
Brambleclaw kneaded the ground nervously with his paws. Being lost, of course, was not a good thing. If they continued in the wrong direction, they could end up even farther away from the lake. If that happened, not only would they have to spend the night there, but they might also need several more days to find their way back to the lake. And because they were in an unfamiliar territory, they had no idea of what dangers may be hidden in the deep forest.
Brambleclaw voiced his opinions. "We can't just keep going in a random direction," he meowed. "If we go the wrong way, we could end up even farther away from the lake."
"But what choice do we have?" argued Mudclaw. "We don't know what direction the lake is in."
Russetfur, however, was looking thoughtful. "What if I climbed to the top of that tree?" she nodded to a tall pine next to them. "Maybe then I could see the lake."
Mudclaw glanced up at the tree. "Would you be able to get back down?"
Russetfur nodded. "I don't think I would have any trouble. We used to climb the pine trees back in ShadowClan's old territory."
Mistyfoot shrugged. "Go ahead, if you'd like to."
Russetfur bunched her muscles, readying herself to spring, and then leaped gracefully onto the lowest branch of the tree. From there she clawed her way up the trunk until she was high enough to see through the other trees.
"I don't see it," she meowed, peering out in the distance. "Oh wait, I do! It's over there!" She flicked her tail in the direction she was looking.
Brambleclaw let out a sigh of relief. At least they weren't lost anymore. The relief in Mistyfoot's face was apparent too. "Let's go that way, then."
As soon as Russetfur had bounded down from the tree, they set off in what Brambleclaw hoped was the right direction.
And luckily, within a few minutes, they could see the lake again. The ground was now sloping downward instead of up, and the sun was straight above their heads. The spaces between the trees were large enough to house lots of weeds and bramble thickets. Rocks dotted the ground, and deciduous trees grew here and there.
These sights gave Brambleclaw even more hope that ShadowClan could settle in this area.
As if on queue, his thoughts suddenly seemed to prove true. A large dip in the ground opened up in front of them. It was surrounded by more brambles and trees, though the inside was mostly free of them. It held rocks and bushes that could be used as walls for dens. The scent of prey was strong, and Brambleclaw could even see a small hollow nearby that was filled with water.
Mistyfoot, Mudclaw and Russetfur had all stopped beside him to look at the hollow, and Russetfur's eyes were wide with excitement.
"This would make a great camp for ShadowClan!" the she-cat mewed happily, bounding down to explore the hollow. "There's even some water over there, which means we wouldn't have to go down to the lake to get some!"
Brambleclaw felt pleased. Two Clans down, two to go, he thought to himself. If RiverClan and ShadowClan can find camps, then hopefully ThunderClan and WindClan can too.
The cats took a moment to drink out of the hollow, and then quickly continued. Even though Brambleclaw knew Russetfur would have liked to explore the area more thoroughly, they all agreed that they needed to move fairly quickly. They couldn't spend too much time exploring if they wanted to make it back to camp by sundown. There would be more time to investigate the different areas once they had divided territories.
After a few fox-lengths they came to a break in the trees where a dirt path cut through the landscape. It was similar to the one that led away from the black-colored area that they had passed earlier, and it also smelled of Twolegs. Like the one before, the scent was stale and there were no Twolegs or monsters in sight. There was also another half-bridge hanging out over the water nearby. For the life of him, Brambleclaw couldn't figure out what its purpose was, except maybe making it easier to snatch fish out of the water.
They had not gone very far before they came to yet another dirt path. This one was more narrow and not as beaten down. However, there were strange criss-crossed tracks imprinted in the ground, as though a large snake with a jagged belly had traveled down it.
The fact that there were so many Twoleg paths and nests in the area bothered Brambleclaw. It was too easy to remember the Twoleg-run monsters crushing trees and bushes in their old home as if they were twigs. He knew that they could easily come and destroy this place as well.
However, he was comforted with the fact that everything was quiet. Even though there were lots of Twoleg-built things around, there was no sign of actual Twolegs, monsters, dogs, or even kittypets. The amber cat hoped it would stay that way, even though he doubted it was likely. Twolegs were always up to something.
A little ways on there was another break in the trees, only this one had been made naturally. It was a large stream that curved its way through the woods. It bubbled and splashed over the rocks and pebbles, like an energetic kit that was in a hurry to get where it was going. Small silver fish darted back and forth, their scales flashing like rainbows as the sun hit them.
All four cats stopped to lap at the clear, cool water, and then raised their heads to survey the landscape.
"Looks like we're heading into more of a woodland now," observed Russetfur. Brambleclaw's pelt tingled with excitement. Out of all the different areas they'd seen on their way around the lake, this was the one that would most likely house a suitable camp for ThunderClan. It had large, leafy trees, like the ones in ThunderClan's old territory, and lots of undergrowth. Hopefully, these woods would have a place that ThunderClan could call home.
"Your Clan would like this area, wouldn't they?" mewed Mistyfoot to the tabby. "It looks a lot like your old territory."
Brambleclaw nodded. "And if we do take this territory, maybe this stream could be the border with ShadowClan. That way both Clans would have access to water without having to go down to the lake."
Russetfur agreed. "That might work. But the leaders will be the ones to decide where to put the boundaries."
They then began to pick their way through the stream. Brambleclaw choose his footing carefully, trying not to slip on the loose stones at the bottom. Russetfur did the same, looking displeased that they had to get their fur wet. Mistyfoot was the only one who didn't mind the water, since she was a RiverClan cat.
As soon as they had crossed the stream, Brambleclaw began to hear many sounds that reminded him of home – squirrels and mice scurrying about in the undergrowth, a sparrow singing on leafy branch of a tree, and leaves fluttering in the wind.
He opened his mouth, letting the scent of prey waft over his scent glands. His stomach grumbled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since that morning.
"How about we stop and hunt?" he asked the others. "I'm getting pretty hungry."
"Sure," mewed Russetfur. "I am too."
Within a few minutes, Brambleclaw had caught a large mouse. He thanked StarClan that the mice here were so plump and easy to catch, unlike the scrawny ones back in the forest. Then he joined the others under a tree and settled down to eat his catch. The mood was slightly tense as they ate, and none of the cats said much to each other. The four Clans may have come together to travel over the mountains, but now that they were in their new home, old Clan rivalries were quickly being reestablished.
"We might as well rest for a minute," suggested Mistyfoot once they had all finished eating. "My paws are beginning to hurt."
Brambleclaw lazily stretched himself out in the sun and closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the sun seep into his fur. It felt good to take a moment to rest and let all his worries and responsibilities float away.
He did not get to enjoy it for very long, though. All too soon he was rising to his paws and following the others through the forest again.
The next few foxlengths were empty of Twoleg paths and streams, and they kept going at a quick pace. The dirt beneath their paws was becoming more rocky than soft, with small, jagged rocks scattered across the ground. Brambleclaw tried to avoid stepping on them, but he did not prevail.
"Mouse dung!" he snapped as a piercing pain shot through his front paw. He lifted his leg to reveal the large, sharp rock that he had stepped on. Annoyed, he gave his paw a few swift licks, and then batted the stone off into the bushes. Instead of landing with a soft thump, however, the rock clicked and thumped loudly as if it was falling down a cliff.
Brambleclaw raised his head, surprised. "What was that?" he mewed. "It sounded like that rock fell off the edge of something."
Mistyfoot, who was peering over the line of bushes, gasped. "Come look at this!" she mewed. Brambleclaw, Russetfur, and Mudclaw joined her by the plants. The ground sharply fell away just beyond the bushes, slanting down in what looked like some sort of Twoleg wall. Most of the rock that it was made out of was crumbling away, and vines were snaking their way up it. It bent into a large circle, forming a sort of stony hollow.
Parts of the wall jutted out into smooth, flat surfaces, making good places for cats to sit and sun themselves. The area inside the hollow was flat and grassy, and there were bushes here and there. It was almost like ShadowClan's new camp; only with large stonewalls surrounding it.
"How do you get in it?" questioned Mudclaw, who was skeptically observing the stone.
"There's an opening on the other side of the wall," Mistyfoot pointed out. "Looks like the rock has crumbled away completely over there."
Brambleclaw felt his fur tingle as he stared into the hollow. Would this make a good camp for ThunderClan? It did have a way to get in and out, as Mistyfoot had shown them. He tried to picture the hollow full of cats, with dens in the corners and a food pile in the center. It was imaginable, but he felt a bit intimidated by the stonewalls that surrounded it. It would be great protection from enemies, but if for some reason the Clan had to evacuate, the only escape would be the entrance on the other side of the wall. However, he doubted that his Clan would ever be in that situation, and if worse came to worse, they could probably climb up the stone to escape.
Other than that, the stony hollow looked like a great place for a camp. The walls had most likely been built by Twolegs, but for what purpose Brambleclaw didn't know. It did make him nervous to think that his Clan would have to live inside a Twoleg-built thing, but there was no scent of them in the hollow, and by the look of the vine-covered, eroding wall, they hadn't tampered with it for many seasons, and he didn't think they would in the future either.
"So, do you think this would make a good camp for ThunderClan?" Mistyfoot asked him.
"Sure!" replied Brambleclaw, his paws itching with excitement. "The walls would provide a lot of protection."
"That's what I was thinking too," she mewed. "And I know you'd like to have a look around, but we should probably keep going. We need to be back to camp by nightfall."
Brambleclaw agreed, as he knew that there would be plenty of time to explore it later. He was just glad that ThunderClan had been able to find a camp. It was a load off his mind to know that his Clan had found a place where they could live safely.
As the cats continued through the forest, the trees began to thin out and be replaced by shrubs and bits of moorland. A cool breeze fluttered the leaves of the trees and the long shadows on the ground told Brambleclaw that evening was beginning to fall. He hoped that these were signs that there were open hills on the other side of the trees, as that was the type of land that WindClan had lived in previously.
Soon the trees came to an end completely. A vast moorland picked up where they left off, proving Brambleclaw's theory correct. The moorland was filled with large grassy hills, along with bushes and a few trees here and there. A small stream cut through the two largest hills.
Mudclaw, whose mood had turned even sourer after they had found ThunderClan a camp, immediately perked up.
"I bet WindClan will take this area, won't you?" Mistyfoot asked him.
"Probably," he mewed, twitching his tail excitedly. "And if we do, maybe that stream over there can be the boundary between WindClan and ThunderClan."
Brambleclaw agreed. "Or we could use the edge of the trees."
As they continued across the grassy area, Brambleclaw noticed that Mudclaw was carefully scanning the open hills. The amber tom felt a pang of sympathy for him, since his Clan was the only one that hadn't found a camp yet. Although he did feel sorry for him, Brambleclaw was fairly sure that they would find a camp for WindClan. All of the other Clans had found suitable places, and they had already discovered the right kind of territory for Mudclaw's Clan. It couldn't be too long before they found a good place for them to live too.
They then came upon the stream that they had seen from the edge of the trees. They stopped to drink from it, and then crossed. Brambleclaw was surprised by the taste of the water, which had a sharp, yet slightly sweet flavor. He put it out of his mind, though, and followed the other cats across the stream.
Now that there were no trees to block his view, Brambleclaw could see clearly in every direction. Looking toward the other side of the moorland, he spotted the horseplace and the four Clans of cats next to it. He felt a rush of excitement at the thought of telling Squirrelpaw and the rest of ThunderClan about what they had seen that day. Unfortunately, by the time they would get back to the temporary camp, everyone would probably be asleep, so he'd have to wait until tomorrow to tell them about it.
Brambleclaw suddenly became aware of the fact that the three other cats were no longer behind him. Instead, they were standing farther away, staring at two small hills in front of them and talking excitedly.
He bounded over to them. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Do you think that the space between those two hills would make a good camp for WindClan?" Mistyfoot asked him, pointing toward the two small, grassy hills.
Brambleclaw examined the area. The hills created a sort of a hollow in between them, but it was too open and unprotected for Brambleclaw's liking. Furthermore, it didn't seem big enough to comfortably house a large number of cats.
"I don't know," he admitted. "It doesn't seem quite right."
Mudclaw agreed with him. "I guess it would do," he mewed, "but I was hoping we would find something more suitable. I'm afraid it would be too easy for badgers and other Clans to attack."
Mistyfoot nodded. "You're probably right. Well, let's keep looking, and perhaps we'll find something better."
They continued across the moorland, walking quickly now that the sun was beginning to set. The wind felt even colder against Brambleclaw's fur without the heat of the sun.
"Why don't we move more toward the hills, instead of walking so close to the lake?" Mudclaw suggested. "There might be more opportunities to find a camp over there."
"Sure," replied Russetfur. "That's a good thought."
They veered off toward the large hills beside them, which did turn out to be a good idea. The ground went up steeply for a while, and then suddenly it sloped down into a large hollow. The hollow, which was similar to ShadowClan's new camp, was positioned in the center of a large hill. The inside was lined with shrubs and rocks.
"Looks like WindClan has found a camp," mewed Mistyfoot, her eyes sparkling. Mudclaw nodded happily, relief evident in his eyes that WindClan had finally found a camp. "It's great!" he replied. "A lot better than that other place."
"Why don't you go down and look around?" suggested Brambleclaw. "We can spare a few minutes."
"Thanks!" meowed Mudclaw, bounding down into the hollow.
Brambleclaw sat down and began to wash himself as he waited for Mudclaw to return. His paws were beginning to ache with exhaustion, and he wished that he could curl up in the grass and go to sleep. It had been a long day, though a good one. He was confident that the stony hollow would make a good camp for ThunderClan, and hopefully the other Clans would be content in their new homes. With this thought he felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders; he could finally stop worrying about whether or not he and his four friends had led the Clans to the right place. He felt that the discovery of the new Clan camps was a sign from StarClan that they were where they were meant to be.
oooooooo
They did not have to wait long for Mudclaw to get back. He returned a few minutes later, looking pleased.
"I think it will work perfectly!" he mewed as soon as they were moving again. "It's big enough to hold the whole Clan, and there's even a big boulder in the center that I – I mean Tallstar – can sit on to hold Clan meetings."
Brambleclaw nodded, pretending not to notice his mistake. Even so, the feeling that Mudclaw was much too hungry for power returned to him, casting a shadow over his happiness. This made him think of his father, Tigerstar, whose greed for power had ended his life. But surely, he thought to himself, Mudclaw would never become as evil as Tigerstar, would he?
Russetfur's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Looks like we're almost back to the horseplace!"
He was right. They had come upon the Twoleg path that marked the edge of the horseplace. The four cats were about to cross the path when a hiss rang out from under the bushes.
"Stop right there!"
Brambleclaw froze, the hair on the back of his neck rising. He watched as a large, muscular, gray and white tom appeared out of the bushes. Brambleclaw unsheathed his claws, preparing for a fight.
"Wait," whispered Russetfur, flicking her tail over Brambleclaw's shoulder. "We don't want to seem like a threat."
"This is our territory. You don't belong here," the tom growled.
"We don't want a fight," replied Russetfur calmly. "We're just passing through."
"It that so? Then I better not catch you around our barn again."
Mudclaw hissed, his eyes blazing. "We have as much as a right to be here as you do!"
"What's going on here?" a new voice interrupted the arguing cats. Brambleclaw turned to see a cream-colored she-cat emerge behind the tom.
"These cats are intruding on our territory," snarled the tom.
The she-cat rolled her eyes. "Oh Smoky," she mewed. "There's plenty of room for all of us. They don't look dangerous." She turned to the four Clan cats, ignoring Smoky's mews of protest. "I'm Daisy, and this is Smoky. Don't take him too seriously. He likes to pretend he's tougher than he really is. Do you live around here? I haven't seen you before."
Brambleclaw shook his head; amused that Daisy had so easily overpowered the big tom. "We came from the other side of the mountains," he explained. "We had to leave our old home."
"Are you part of that big group of cats that have been living in the field over there?"
Brambleclaw nodded.
"Wow! Did all of you live with housefolk?"
"No," Brambleclaw replied. "We don't live with Twolegs. We live on our own, in separate Clans."
"Smoky and I don't either," Daisy meowed. "We live in the barn with our friend Floss. Some housefolk do live in a nest across from the barn, though, and sometimes their kits come and play with us."
The she-cat examined the four newcomers. "You look awfully tired. If you'd like, you're welcome to spend the night in our barn. "The hay's pretty soft."
"Thanks, but I don't think we will. We should be getting back to camp," mewed Mistyfoot.
Daisy dipped her head. "That's fine. We'll see you around then, I guess. And don't worry about Smoky. I'll keep an eye on him." She nodded toward the four cats, and then disappeared into the bushes. Smoky followed suit, nodding curtly at them before he too vanished into the bushes.
They traveled the rest of the way back to camp without hassle. The sun had disappeared below the horizon by the time they padded past Cloudtail and Brightheart, who were guarding the temporary camp. Brambleclaw's paws ached even more now, and his tail drooped with tiredness. He couldn't wait to curl up next to Squirrelpaw and go to sleep.
As soon as they reached the small clump of trees that most of the cats were sleeping under, Brambleclaw bid goodbye to his traveling companions and went to find Firestar. He wanted to tell him that ThunderClan had found a camp before he went to sleep. He found him next to Sandstorm under a large tree. As soon as Firestar spotted him, he rose to his paws and padded over to the amber tabby.
"How did it go? Did you find camps for all of the Clans?" he asked anxiously.
Brambleclaw nodded. "We found a great place for every Clan."
The relief in Firestar's face was clear. "I'm glad to hear it," he mewed. "I'd like to hear more, but you look much too tired to do anything but sleep. Get some food from the fresh-kill pile if you're hungry, and go and get some rest. You can tell everyone about what you found in the morning."
Brambleclaw dipped his head toward the leader of ThunderClan, glad that he didn't have to take the time to describe all the events of the day. Then he walked over to where Squirrelpaw was sleeping next to Leafpaw. He curled up next to the orange she-cat, glad that the day was finally over.
